Shift Co-ordinator/Leader Policy

Shift coordinators/leaders are permanent members of staff who have completed their induction and who are allocated on an equitable basis to coordinate/lead, facilitate and organise specific shifts, which they are working to provide consistency of care for children and young people, to ensure the systems and practice put into place by the Department and Managers and are followed, with support from Managers on Call and/or the Children’s Rapid Response (Out of Hours) Team.

A shift coordinator/leader could be the registered manager, deputy manager or residential children’s care worker (usually shift coordinator/leader is given to the person sleeping in as this provides consistency over a 24 hour period). If the home has a waking night staff then the waking night staff will become the shift leader/coordinator due to being the most alert.

The purpose of shift coordination/leader is to streamline tasks within the residential children’s care workers job description and who will make the final decision(s) about how the shift is run.

The shift coordinator/leader is responsible for thorough handovers from the shift to the following shift and shift coordinator/leader, this will include the following:

• Punctuality: Ensuring the handover starts on time, to plan the shift and ensure that all available information is known to manage a safe shift;
• Preparation: Facilitate and coordinate the shift by planning and preparing the handover, ensuring handover information is correct and available and recorded accurately and that any tasks that need to be carried over to the next shift do so;
• Communication: Take responsibility for the communication flow across the shift with all shift members, ensuring information is recorded clearly and that any tasks not completed are handed over and a reason why is given;
• On Call/Duty Manager: Ensuring that a verbal handover is given to the home's registered manager and/or deputy or on call manager who arrives first in the morning or who is on call. Ensure the registered manager or a member of the management team is contacted, if necessary;
• Sufficient Staff: Ensuring that there are enough staff for the next shift. Allocating the 1:1 supervision of a child/young person to a specified staff member and this to be recorded. Take responsibility for ensuring shortfalls on that shift or the following are communicated to the manager supporting them;
• Organisation and Allocation of time: Checking the diary for visits and appointments and be aware of any visitors and their arrangements along with the outcome of the visits. Uphold meetings and diary commitments by ensuring staff on duty have allocated time to attend; this includes key time (individual time spent with their key child);
• Completion of Tasks: Checking that all tasks are completed and allocating tasks/duties to members of staff;
• Morning and Night Time Checks: Initial Morning Checks and Final night time security and by p.m. and or waking night shift coordinator;
• Finance: Hold the safe key and take responsibility for the running and recording of petty cash, ensuring petty cash money is available and has been checked between AM and PM Shift Coordinator/Leader;
• Medication Checks: Ensure Mediation checks have taken place when coming in and going off duty with the opposite shift coordinator/leader. Identify of the first aid representative, if not highlighted on the rota. Ensure that this person is responsible for administering and recording all medication. Ensure if a child or young person is away from their placement for any reason that safe arrangements are made for both the safe storage (in a medication cabinet or locked tin – if away from the home) and the distribution of medication for the child or young person;
• Fire Procedures: Identifying the fire persons 1 and 2 the Health & Safety of all the children or young people and shift members, visitors and the building and act as Fire Officer 1 until the end of the shift. Take responsibility for the Health & Safety of all the children or young people and shift members, visitors and the building and act as Fire Officer 1 until the end of the shift;
• Key Safety: Take responsibility for the homes keys, ensuring that keys are all present and accounted for;
• Managing Risks: Ensure Safe Care Plans and Risk Assessments are followed. Ensuring that all staff have read and are aware of each child young person’s Individual Placement Care Plans, Risk Assessments/ Safe Care Plans and programmes. Risk Assessments for outings are completed;
• Recording of serious Incidents: Any incident/accident forms are filled in correctly before staff leave the building and made accessible for management attention/signing off;
• Alerts: Ensure those who need to be contacted, such as manager, parents/carers or other professionals, such as social workers/IRO are contacted/emailed of any incidents;
• Debriefs: Holding a de-briefing session before staff leaves the home, if deemed necessary;
• Notifications: Ensure Ofsted are notified within 36 hours of a serious incident that is a notifiable event. Discuss with manager on duty/on call manager. Ensure Child Protection Officers, the Police or any other relevant professionals are approached, if relevant;
• Missing Procedure: Ensuring that missing person(s) are reported to police and significant others, efforts made to secure the child or young person's return and to ensure social workers are reminded to conduct return interviews;
• Activities: Plan activities with the staff at handover and ensure that these take place throughout the shift;
• Key Tasks: Facilitate time for key carers to complete key tasks, such as preparing Care Plans, Risk Assessments and Safe Care Plans, key sessions etc. (usually completed in working hours when children are at school). Have knowledge of the whereabouts of and the plans for each child and ensure that the children and young people know who is responsible for them on that shift and that the children and young people are involved in the planning. If needed, change the delegated person working with a child or young person and record clearly on handover sheet;
• Paper Work: Ensure home making and administrative tasks are followed. Ensure that all the relevant paperwork and recording in log books is up to date and that staff on duty are clear about the task for which they are responsible;
• Agency Workers: Ensuring that all agency workers have an up to date Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) certificate and that a copy is on file;
• Absences and/or Concerns: Raise any concerns with Manager on duty/on call. This includes any child protection issues, whistle blowing, and minor/major incidents, calling the police/emergency services, social worker, or the Rapid Response (Out of Hours) team. Sickness absence or punctuality;
• Administration: Ensure home making and administrative tasks are followed, this includes informing Business Services Administration staff are clear about their tasks and aware of any changes to the children and young people re monies;
• House Keeping: Inform the housekeeper of any changes to children or young people, diets or numbers; and
• Homely Environment: Ensuring that children or young person’s bedrooms have been personalised, and that activities/toys are out ready for child or young person.