Residential Child Care - Our Ethos and Key Principles

This policy sets out the framework within which Derbyshire County Council Children’s Homes work with children, young people and their families. It is underpinned by a range of legislation including, but not limited to:

• Children Acts 1989 and 2004;
• Children (Leaving Care) Act 2000;
• Care Standards Act 2000;
• United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child 1989;
• Human Rights Act 1998.

The policy framework also have regard to, and is consistent with, Working Together to Safeguard Children.

The Children’s Homes Regulation (including the Quality Standards) 2015 set out the following key principles which all homes are expected to apply to ensure that they provide is a positive choice for children and young people.

Children living in children’s homes should:

• Feel loved, happy, healthy, safe from harm and able to develop, thrive and fulfil their potential;
• Be valued and nurtured as an individual with talents, strengths and capabilities that can develop over time;
• Supported to foster positive relationships, encouraging strong bonds between children and staff in the home on the basis of jointly undertaken activities, shared daily life, domestic and non-domestic routines and established boundaries of acceptable behaviour;
• Be ambitious, nurturing children’s school learning and out- of-school learning and their ambitions and aspirations for the future;
• Be attentive to children’s need, supporting emotional, mental and physical health needs, including repairing earlier damage to self-esteem and encouraging friendships;
• Be outward facing, working with the wider system of professionals for each child, and with children’s families and communities of origin to sustain links and understand past problems;
• Have high expectations of staff as committed members of the team, as decision makers and as activity leaders. In support of this, children’s homes should ensure all staff and managers are engaged in on-going learning about their role and the children and families they work with;
• Provide a safe and stimulating environment in high-quality buildings, with spaces that support nurture and allow privacy as well as common spaces to be active.

Derbyshire County Council Children’s Home use a social pedagogical and restorative approach which supports children to learn, grow and develop creatively by using head, heart and hands.

To achieve these key principles, the manager will ensure that practice in Children’s Homes is shaped around the following:

The best interests of the child: We will ensure that children’s welfare, their safety and needs will be at the centre of the care we provide, and that all decisions made in relation to children must have, as the first and paramount consideration, the best interests of the child.

Children’s Safeguarding and welfare: We will make proper provision for the safeguarding and welfare, care, education, supervision and, where appropriate, treatment of the children we look after, in a manner which respects their privacy and dignity, with due regard to their sexuality, gender (including gender identity), religious persuasion, ability, racial origin, cultural and linguistic background and any disability or complex health need.

Avoiding delay: All decisions in relation to the provision of services to children will be made promptly and within agreed time-scales, having regard to the needs of the child. The achievement of these timescales will be monitored and reviewed.

Children’s wishes and feelings: We fully recognise that children have their own views, wishes and feelings, and that we must promote each child’s right to have a say. Children’s views, wishes and feelings will be sought in all aspects of their planning and day to day care; no child is assumed unable to communicate their views; therefore appropriate methods for gaining views should be sought and provided. For example, children’s views sought during Key Carer sessions, reviews and planning meetings. Children will be provided with information about how to contact the Children’s Commissioner and, have access to a Children’s Rights Officer (within the Placing Authority) and/or an Independent Advocate.

Keeping children informed: Children should be provided with information about the home and other services available locally. They should also be helped to understand the types of personal information which is kept in their case records, what it is used for, who it will be shared with and how long it will be kept for. Their right to access their case record should also be explained to them.

Promoting Family Time / contact: We promote meaningful contact between children, their birth and wider families, friends and other significant persons unless particular circumstances indicate that such contact would not be in their best interests. We will assist children in having regular contact with official visitors such as their Social Workers and those that have some responsibility for the child's welfare. We will encourage those with Parental Responsibility to participate in some way in the child's daily life in so far as this is compatible with the facilities of the home, the child's Placement Plan and associated agreements. We encourage children to establish relationships with friends within and outside the home and with people from the wider community. We take steps to ensure that such relationships protect children's rights and interests.

Valuing Diversity: We are committed to the principles of anti-discriminatory practice; Children and families will be treated fairly with respect and dignity. Children and families will receive services which respect their race, gender, culture, ability, language, disability, sexuality and religion; and we will ensure that procedures and practices in our services are designed to combat racism, sexism and other forms of discrimination. Also see Equality and Diversity Policy.

Valuing the Family: Children have the right, whenever possible, to be brought up within their own family, either with their parents or relatives.

Admissions and reception of children and reviews: Wherever possible children should be placed in a planned and sensitive manner and services provided on the basis of initial and continual assessment, planning, monitoring and review. Each child will have a Placement Plan or Written Agreement that underpins their Care Plan and other significant plans and which accurately reflects the way in which identified needs will be met while placed with us. Behaviour and Activity Risk Assessments / Safe Care Plans will be undertaken as part of the process of Placement Planning and review to ensure the child lives within a structured and safe environment. Children will receive regular and frequent visits from their social workers for the purposes of monitoring and reviewing the suitability of their placement arrangements.

Partnership: In promoting this right, services will be provided in partnership with parents and with other agencies to assist and support parents in meeting their children's needs within the family.

Quality Services for Children: Where services are provided for children, they will be provided by skilled people, committed to meeting children's needs; in a manner which promotes their physical, emotional, social and psychological needs and in an environment where they feel safe, positive and encouraged.

Keeping Children Informed: Children will be provided with a wide range of accessible information about our services and those which they may require to improve their life chances.

Promoting independence: Children will be encouraged to be as independent as possible and to take a full and active part in everyday life as is appropriate to their age and level of understanding. To this end children and young people will be provided with information, advice and practical assistance to help prepare them for adult life. We work in partnership with appropriate agencies in the development and implementation of Pathway Plans and we will develop appropriate social and life skill packages which promote Children's independence and prepare them for the time when they move on from us or leave care.

Promoting educational achievement: We promote and support the educational achievement of children throughout the time they live with us, and will ensure that children enjoy a wide range of opportunities, educationally, to develop their talents and skills, leading to a successful adult life. To this end a positive learning environment is promoted both at school and within the home; for example by supporting children with homework, accessing the internet and home study. We also work closely with social workers and other professionals (e.g. teachers) to ensure that each child has a Personal Education Plan (PEP) which accurately reflects their needs and is reviewed at regular intervals. Each individual PEP will be regularly reviewed and any changes made will be communicated to all relevant parties.

Health care: We promote children's healthcare, ensuring there is a continuity of treatment and that children's physical, emotional and psychological health needs are properly assessed and accounted for. Care is taken to ensure that the needs of children from differing cultural, religious or ethnic backgrounds are addressed appropriately. All children are provided with healthcare assessments and screening resulting in a Health Care Plan designed to ensure their healthcare needs, including immunisations, are up to date. Young people should be provided with advice and support on health and personal care, including sexual health and healthy relationships (including consent, criminal exploitation, sexual exploitation and domestic abuse where appropriate), smoking, alcohol and substance misuse and ensure that individual needs are addressed in Individual Placement Care Plans.

Promoting positive behaviour and relationships: Our homes have high expectations of all children and staff and aim to create an environment and culture which promotes and supports positive behaviour. Our behaviour management strategies include supporting positive behaviour and de-escalation of conflicts. We train our staff to build and maintain positive relationships, to be assertive and resolve conflicts positively. Children are encouraged to take responsibility for their behaviour, in a way that is appropriate to their age and abilities. Additional Measures and rewards for behaviour are clear, reasonable and fair and are understood by all staff and children. Bullying within the home will not be tolerated. Staff are trained to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the emotions and behaviours presented by children and understand how past experiences and present emotions are communicated through behaviour. We aim to ensure that children do not identify bullying and bullying behaviour as a problem in our home(s) and we train staff to understand their role in helping to prevent and counter bullying by any adult or child living or working in the home. We have a clear and unambiguous procedure on searching children and their belongings.

Leisure and recreation: Children are provided with opportunities to participate in a range of leisure, exercise and recreational activities appropriate to their needs, abilities and interests. There is a budget to fund suitable leisure activities and consideration is given to how young people will be encouraged and financially supported. Children's birthdays, name days, cultural and religious festivals will be celebrated where appropriate, and children will participate with staff in the planning of these events. Children are to be encouraged and supported to pursue particular interests and develop confidence in social skills within and outside the home. There is also a balance between free and controlled time in the daily routine and children are given opportunities to rest and relax.

Protecting children: We understand our first priority is to promote Children's rights, protect them from harm or injury and safeguard their welfare. All reasonable steps will be taken to ensure staff/carers and Children and parents are informed about how to deal with suspicions or allegations of Significant Harm, and we will ensure that any issue is dealt with promptly, in keeping with https://derbyshirescp.trixonline.co.uk/.

Physical contact and relationships: We encourage staff / carers to develop professional relationships with children, based on clear boundaries, which demonstrate affection, acceptance and reassurance. We encourage staff / carers to use appropriate physical contact, positively and safely in keeping with the children’s past experiences, needs and wishes. We understand that staff / carers often have to spend time alone with children, but we ensure such practice is underpinned by effective procedures, evidence-based risk assessments and training which safeguard the interests of both children and staff/carers. Play fighting between the children or between the staff and carers is not allowed under any circumstances.

Complaints and representations: We welcome comments, both positive and critical about the service we provide, and actively seek information and feedback under our review and quality of care procedures. Routinely, we seek information through consultative questionnaires from professional bodies, Children and their parents/carers who have knowledge about the service. The purpose of seeking this information is to give us the opportunity to learn, adapt and provide a better service.

Resolving Dissatisfaction: Where children, or others on their behalf, are dissatisfied, we will take steps to resolve their dissatisfaction and provide opportunities for them to complain if they wish.

Respecting Privacy: Children will be treated with respect and afforded privacy, where they can express their individuality through their possessions which they can enjoy and, when they move on, take with them.

Safe practices, health and safety: We have a written Health and Safety Policy which clarifies responsibilities under The Health and Safety at Work Act and related legislative guidance. In accordance with this we implement controls of the health and safety risks arising from our work activities. All members of staff/carers are consulted on matters affecting health and safety, in order to provide and maintain safe working and living environments. Each home completes comprehensive Health and Safety Risk Assessments; which are regularly reviewed and monitored. Utmost vigilance is ensured in the safe handling and use of substances and information, instruction and training are given to all employees.