Hillcrest Children's Home Statement of Purpose - Awliscombe Honiton EX14 3NU t:01404 41676
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Hillcrest Children’s Home Statement of Purpose Awliscombe Honiton EX14 3NU t:01404 41676 Virgin Care June 2014 w: www.virgincare.co.uk
Contents Introduction 4 Standard 1 The child’s wishes and feelings and the views of those significant to them 5 Standard 2 Promoting diversity, a positive identity and potential through individualised care 5 Standard 3 Promoting positive behaviour and relationships 6 Standard 4 Safeguarding children 6 Standard 5 Children missing from care 7 Standard 6 Promoting good health and well-being 8 Standard 7 Leisure activities 9 Standard 8 Promoting educational achievement 9 Standard 9 Promoting and supporting contact 9 Standard 10 Providing a suitable physical environment 10 Standard 11 Preparation for a placement 11 Standard 12 Prompting independence and moves to adulthood 12 Standard 13 Statements of purpose and children’s guide 12 Standard 14 Fitness to provide or manage the administration of the children’s home 12 Virgin Care June 2014 w: www.virgincare.co.uk Registered office: Virgin Care Limited, 7-12 Lynton House, Tavistock Square, London WC1H 9LT. Registered in England and Wales: Number 05466033 2
Standard 15 Financial viability and changes affecting business continuity 12 Standard 16 Suitability to work with children 12 Standard 17 Sufficient staffing of the home 13 Standard 18 Training and development 14 Standard 19 Staff support and supervision 15 Standard 20 Handling allegations and suspicions of harm 15 Standard 21 Managing effectively and efficiently and monitoring the home 16 Standard 22 Records 16 Standard 23 Secure accommodation and refuges 17 Standard 24 Notification of significant events 17 Standard 25 Placement plan and review 17 Virgin Care June 2014 w: www.virgincare.co.uk Registered office: Virgin Care Limited, 7-12 Lynton House, Tavistock Square, London WC1H 9LT. Registered in England and Wales: Number 05466033 3
Introduction This document refers to Hillcrest Children’s Home and describes the way it carries out the different aspects of care and support. It takes into account that Hillcrest is providing short breaks for children and young people with complex medical, physical needs, challenging behaviour and additional needs, – the sections reflect the practices and processes that take this into account. Hillcrest is managed by Virgin Care Limited. This statement has been prepared in accordance with the requirements of Standard 1, Regulation 4; Schedule 1 of the Children’s Homes Regulations 2011. Hillcrest is maintained as part of a range of provisions that enable Virgin Care Limited to support families with children and young people who have complex health, physical or behavioural needs and who may have other additional needs. Overnight short breaks are mainly for children and young people with the most complex needs. We aim to ensure that short breaks are a positive experience for children and young people, and it is essential that the environment is equipped to meet all the care needs of young people with additional needs in a group setting. Each Children’s Home managed by Virgin Care will be clear about the service it provides, the way it operates, and what outcomes the service expects to achieve for the children and young people who use the service. Virgin Care Children’s Homes range in size from three to seven beds. Our aim is to support parents/carers of children and young people from birth to 18 years who have learning difficulties, physical disabilities, complex medical needs and additional needs. This is achieved by providing planned and emergency breaks for children and young people and by undertaking comprehensive assessments of their needs. These services are provided within a framework agreed through the child or young person’s annual review and care planning process. There may be a time when, through joint planning and mutual agreement, a young person may be able to stay beyond their 18th birthday. This will be evaluated on a case by case basis to ensure we are able to meet the needs of the young person at all times. The ethos of the Home is to offer high quality planned short breaks to support parents/carers of children and young people with complex health, physical or behavioural needs. The service offers a flexible approach to short breaks so that individual needs may be catered for. Respite will be available as a day service or for overnight stays. Longer stays are provided when requested enabling families to take a holiday. We offer emergency placements to support the needs of families on a case by case basis. We are able to implement clinical assessment and treatment plans for individual young people as appropriate. We work in partnership with parents/carers, and in liaison with other agencies to maximise the potential of independence for each child and young person accessing the service. Virgin Care June 2014 w: www.virgincare.co.uk Registered office: Virgin Care Limited, 7-12 Lynton House, Tavistock Square, London WC1H 9LT. Registered in England and Wales: Number 05466033 4
Standard 1 The child’s wishes and feelings and the views of those significant to them We have a responsibility to ascertain the wishes and feelings of the child or young person, their parents/carers, and anyone with parental responsibility wherever practical. We also work closely with the young person’s advocate and any other relevant professionals associated with the young person as appropriate. Children and young people are given the opportunity to express their views in an age appropriate way and to have their opinions taken into account. This will influence the shaping of services and the day-to-day running of the Home. Children and young people accessing our service are encouraged to participate in the review and development of services, both in general and in relation to themselves. We work in a child-focused manner to provide a safe environment for children and young people where they are supported, offered a variety of stimulation, and benefit from life experiences and opportunities. Opportunities are provided to assist children and young people to make informed decisions about their own lives and support them in achieving their maximum potential. Hillcrest communicates with each child or young person using their preferred or primary means of communication. We have young people peer groups to plan and provide feedback. Standard 2 Promoting diversity, a positive identity and potential through individualised care We are committed to providing individualised care for children and young people. The staff at Hillcrest works closely with the child or young person, their family, and other professionals to ensure that the highest quality of care is offered. This includes the implementation of the information held in the child or young person’s individual care plan. Details of individual child or young person’s needs are incorporated in to their care plans and include appropriate risk assessments. These plans include behaviour management plans, medical requirements and needs, physical needs, intimate care requirements, staff lone working and environmental needs. All assessments, including risk assessments, are completed in consultation with parents and relevant professionals. Each individual care plan is reviewed annually, and can be updated at any time during the year if required. With day-to-day decision making, staff will balance each child and young person’s wishes with their individual needs and the needs of the other children resident at the time. Our staff support and respect the children and young people’s individual beliefs, and where appropriate their wishes. Religious beliefs may influence every area of a child or young person’s life from philosophy, morality, to diet and preparation of food and mode of dress. Virgin Care June 2014 w: www.virgincare.co.uk Registered office: Virgin Care Limited, 7-12 Lynton House, Tavistock Square, London WC1H 9LT. Registered in England and Wales: Number 05466033 5
The children and young people come in for each visit with their own clothes, personal affects and equipment which is returned when their visit has ended. Children and families can choose to leave items at Hillcrest to enable their room to be personalised before their stay with us. In general the children and young people do not visit the Home with pocket money, although when they do we ensure they are aware of how to keep this safe and will support them in accessing shops if required. Standard 3 Promoting positive behaviour and relationships We ensure that children and young people accessing the Home are treated fairly and with respect. Our staffs adhere to Virgin Care policies and procedures regarding relationship boundaries. We consult with children and young people in the Home about decisions that will affect them and make decisions balancing this with the needs and protection of others. Children and young people have staff on shift that they are familiar to. The management of negative behaviour is based on positive encouragement and reward to change or deflect poor behaviour, in keeping with the Children and young person’s Act 2008, and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. The valuing of individual rights, opinions and wishes of children and working in partnership with them and their families is seen as paramount. At times children and young people present behaviour that is challenging. This may be due to their disability, other medical conditions or as a part of growing up. If this becomes dangerous for either themselves or others, staff may need to restrain the child or young person. Where required, our staffs are trained in ‘Team Teach’ and any use of restraint will follow the guidelines set by Virgin Care and the Department of Health. This is used only as a last resort and reflects the presenting behaviour, as well as following current guidelines. All children and young people that use our service will have a care plan which includes a risk assessment and behaviour plan. De-escalation of behaviours is supported with positive strategies. Details of any physical restraint and/or intervention will be recorded and details shared with parents/carers and relevant professionals. The Department of Health Guidance 2002 ‘Restrictive Physical Interventions: How to provide safe services for people with learning disabilities and autistic spectrum disorder’, will underpin and support good practice. Standard 4 Safeguarding children It is the aim of the Home to ensure that every young person feels relaxed and safe at all times. Any safeguarding disclosure will be treated sensitively and supportively, as per Virgin Care safeguarding policies and procedures. All disclosures are treated seriously and reported immediately to the children and young people’s directorate or the emergency duty team should it be out of hours. Virgin Care June 2014 w: www.virgincare.co.uk Registered office: Virgin Care Limited, 7-12 Lynton House, Tavistock Square, London WC1H 9LT. Registered in England and Wales: Number 05466033 6
Our staffs are required to provide written reports and contemporaneous notes of any allegation or disclosure within 24 hours. If abuse occurs or is alleged to have occurred within the Home, the Head of Family Support Services and Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) will be informed; they will investigate the incident and take appropriate action. Reporting processes will be followed as above. All those involved with the provision of services for children in the Children’s Home must be alert to the possibility of abuse by other children, visitors and members of staff. Our staffs attend relevant training in line with the Virgin Care safeguarding training strategy and have access to supervision on safeguarding issues. All staff at Hillcrest have access to training and information of the most current safeguarding policies and procedures. The Registered Manager reviews the suitability of the location of the home with local bodies, such as the Devon Safeguarding Children’s Board, the local Council and the Police, at least annually to ensure the area does not pose a Safeguarding risk to children and young people. All compliments, concerns and complaints are taken seriously. Children and young people are encouraged to share compliments, concerns and complaints with their parents/carers, staff, managers or their Head of Family Support Services. Hillcrest adheres to Virgin Care complaints policies and procedures. Copies of ‘Complaints, Concerns and Compliments’ are made available to service users. The Home promotes an atmosphere where bullying is not acceptable. If bullying is found to occur, effective strategies will be implemented to counter it. The service is committed to quality care and anti-discriminatory practice, fully embracing the principles of the Children Act 1989, as laid out in the Bill of Rights for Children and Every Child Matters 2004, Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and 2005 and Equality Act 2010. Our staffs are aware that children and young people need privacy; however, this must be balanced with issues of protection and safety. The privacy and dignity of the children and young people is respected at all times. Where appropriate, any boundaries regarding the child or young person’s privacy and confidentiality will be discussed with their parents/carers, lead professional, Home manager and recorded in their care plan and/or risk assessment. Access to the building is restricted by key fobs or number pads at all entrances and exits. At Hillcrest, we support integration with professionals and are happy to facilitate visits from know healthcare professionals. There are procedures in place to ensure that an individual’s identity is known and recorded. Any visits that take place will be organised by the parents and/or lead professional for the child, except in an emergency situation. Staff from the Family Support Services team have involvement in local safeguarding forums that enable them to keep up-to-date with the most recent developments and practices. Standard 5 Children missing from care In the event of a child or young person going missing from the Home (or during outings away Virgin Care June 2014 w: www.virgincare.co.uk Registered office: Virgin Care Limited, 7-12 Lynton House, Tavistock Square, London WC1H 9LT. Registered in England and Wales: Number 05466033 7
from the Home) immediate action will be taken to locate the child or young person. The member of staff supporting the young person will carry an absconding card, which holds emergency contact details and a photo. We will inform the police and contact families and lead professionals as appropriate. Full risk assessments are put in place for children that have behaviours that increase the likelihood of them going missing from care – we will link with the local police where necessary. Standard 6 Promoting good health and well-being The health needs of all the children and young people are determined in consultation with the child or young person, their parents/carers and lead professionals prior to admissions. Where the children and young people receiving short breaks at our Children’s Homes have long term health conditions, staff are trained in the clinical skills necessary to deliver the care safely. The majority of the training is provided in-house by Registered Nurses employed by Virgin Care. Where it is necessary to utilise the skills of other individuals, their credentials and identity will be checked thoroughly and if they require access to the child or young person, it will be with parental consent and supervised. Families retain parental responsibilities and should take their children for regular health, dental and optical checks, unless they are a child in care. Staff will liaise with families to determine how we can help maintain and promote the child’s physical, emotional and social health needs and a record can be kept. If any concerns arise about the health of a child or young person during their stay, their parents/carers will be contacted and, if necessary the child or young person’s GP or Devon Doctors. If necessary we will either call an ambulance or take the child or young person to the local accident and emergency department for medical attention. If this occurs, families will be required to meet and support the child at the hospital. Consent forms regarding children and young people receiving medical treatments will be completed prior to accessing the Home. Parents are requested to supply the correct dosage of medication for the child or young person’s stay in pharmacy labelled containers containing all information to enable administration. Any changes in medication should be in written form on the medication authorisation sheet, signed and dated by the parents/carers, and a senior staff member of the Home. At times young people’s medication is changed on a regular basis and a repeat prescription with the new dose on it may be delayed. For example, if the medication is changed by the paediatrician the same day as the visit. In these circumstances we will seek, and where possible, get confirmation from the young person’s paediatrician or GP over the phone. We insist that a correct label is sent in on their next visit. Children and young people who have consent, may be able to administer their own medication if agreed by their parents/carers and the Home manager. They will be supported by staff at all times, but must have the written agreement of their parents/carers and the Home manager. Where required we will consult with health professionals involved with the child or young person to ensure self-administration is appropriate. Virgin Care June 2014 w: www.virgincare.co.uk Registered office: Virgin Care Limited, 7-12 Lynton House, Tavistock Square, London WC1H 9LT. Registered in England and Wales: Number 05466033 8
The Home adheres to Virgin Care policies regarding food hygiene and local authority better standards, safe food policy. The meals prepared take into account the individual needs of the children and young people accessing the Home. The Home supports staff in accessing basic food hygiene training and relevant training in areas such as COSHH. Hillcrest provides an environment where healthy living is promoted. Staff within the Home take part in regular infection control and hand hygiene audits. Hillcrest is a non-smoking site as per the Virgin Care non-smoking policies. Smoking is not permitted anywhere on the site by the children, young people, staff or visitors. Standard 7 Leisure activities We encourage children and young people to partake in all local leisure activities as appropriate for their short breaks stay, and they are encouraged to help with planning such activities. In-house activities range from using arts and crafts, toys and games, videos, music, television, garden area, tricycle and trampolining. A creative response towards developing interesting and initiatory activities is encouraged. For safety, all activities are risk assessed prior to being undertaken. Hillcrest has its own people carrier, which is used for trips and outings. Standard 8 Promoting educational achievement Hillcrest has no responsibility for the formal education of children and young people. Staff encourages young people to attend school and develop their skills and interests to reach their full potential. In consultation with the parents/carers, where the young person is a child in care, we will liaise with the school regularly and support the young person with their educational needs. The young person’s link worker or home representative will attend annual school educational reviews and appropriate meetings with the young person where appropriate and possible. We do support the children and young people’s individual education plan and offer suitable facilities for them to complete homework. We promote a 24-hour education by promoting life skills development and learning through play and fun Our staffs complete Hillcrest/school/home books to maintain effective communication. As part of the care plan, at Hillcrest an individualised target is set to enable and support children and young people’s development and monitored throughout their time at Hillcrest. A copy of the last education review report will be kept on the young person’s file at Hillcrest and the care plan will reflect the outcomes where applicable. Standard 9 Virgin Care June 2014 w: www.virgincare.co.uk Registered office: Virgin Care Limited, 7-12 Lynton House, Tavistock Square, London WC1H 9LT. Registered in England and Wales: Number 05466033 9
Promoting and supporting contact We support contact with the children and young people and their community. We facilitate appropriate visitors to have contact within the Home. We require advance notification of any proposed visit to ensure the young person is aware and that we have adequate staffing to support the visit. Any visit to the Home will need to be between 9am and 5pm unless in an emergency or is previously agreed with the Home manager. There may be times, due to the needs of the wider group of young people accessing the Home, that this is not possible. We will support restrictions on people visiting the children and young people imposed by the court, family, and the child or young person’s lead professional. All visitors need to have identification to confirm who they are (this will be checked on arrival) and sign in to the visitor book. Children and young people within the premises at the same time as visitors are not left without a member of staff present. All documents will be secure whilst no core staffs are on the premises. Standard 10 Providing a suitable physical environment Hillcrest is situated within its own grounds near Honiton, and has parking. We cater for children and young people from birth to their 19th birthday. The children and young people can consist of both males and females. We offer residential short break services for up to three children and young people at any one time. The building is a three bed Home with a large lounge, playroom and outside play areas. We have a range of specialist facilities and equipment to encourage self-help skills, including a kitchen and a small laundry (primarily used by staff for the running of the Home, but can be used, with supervision, to develop a child or young person’s self-help skills). Our outside area provides swings, climbing frame, go-cart/bicycle track and trampoline. We are supported by the Virgin Care estates department who undertake all maintenance works for the Home. Hillcrest has one bathroom and one toilet for the young people and a staff shower and toilet. There is a specifically designed bathroom so we can support young people with complex health and physical needs. We have a kitchen where young people can be supported with preparation and cooking skills. We have an array of toys and equipment specially designed to meet the needs of the children and young people supported by the Home. These are reviewed regularly to ensure they are fit for purpose. We also have a ‘wish list’ of additional equipment we would like to purchase when funding is available. Some bedroom doors have buzzers to alert staff when a child or young person gets up in the night. This is for their safety and that of other children and young people in the Home. Systems are available for use within the Home to enable staff to be alerted or a child or young person’s need for assistance in the bedrooms. These are not in use all the time, and are mainly for children or young people who have specific difficulties and medical needs such Virgin Care June 2014 w: www.virgincare.co.uk Registered office: Virgin Care Limited, 7-12 Lynton House, Tavistock Square, London WC1H 9LT. Registered in England and Wales: Number 05466033 10
as epilepsy and asthma. There may be a time when the Home has been requested to undertake a period of specific assessment and we may be required to use video assessments. This will mainly be in the young person’s bedroom to monitor things such as sleep patterns and seizure management. In such cases, this will be with the full consent of the families and professionals concerned, and will comply with Virgin Care data protection policy. Hillcrest adheres to Virgin Care health and safety regulations policies and procedures. This includes at least annual electrical and gas tests on all equipment. There are also regular infection control inspections, environmental risk assessments and health and safety inspections. Virgin Care expects that every employee takes personal responsibility for the health and safety of themselves, others, the building and any equipment used, including the personal belongings of children and young people. Standard 11 Preparation for a placement Referrals to Hillcrest are via the child or young person’s lead professional. The lead professional will provide referral details to the Home manager. We consider information from other professionals working with the child or young person and make a detailed assessment which will become part of their Home care plan. Individual behaviour care plans are written in conjunction with children and young people, parents/carers and Home staff, and will also include the views of other professionals involved. Prior to accessing Hillcrest, relevant documentation will be completed which includes any issues or concerns around safety, risk and medical history, including relevant protocols and consent forms. This will also include detailed information about the child or young person’s likes and dislikes and their preferred options for engagement and independence. Once the referral has been accepted, there will be an opportunity for family members and the child or young person to view the premises, meet our staff and to ask any questions, a link worker from the Home will then be allocated. A placement planning meeting will be held and the care plan will be in place and signed before tea visits or stays will begin. We invite the child or young person in for tea visits and day care as a stepped approach to accessing the Home. A child or young person referred to the service will be reviewed with the Home manager to ensure the safety of all children and young people is maintained. Whenever possible, an appropriate mix of children and young people will be planned and we will consider gender, age, abilities and care needs. Emergency admissions are usually restricted to children and young people who are known to Hillcrest. Other children and young people may be admitted in very exceptional circumstances, for example, to avoid family breakdown, and will be agreed by the Home Virgin Care June 2014 w: www.virgincare.co.uk Registered office: Virgin Care Limited, 7-12 Lynton House, Tavistock Square, London WC1H 9LT. Registered in England and Wales: Number 05466033 11
manager/on call manager and the appropriate manager from Integrated Children’s Services. All referral paperwork must be completed as a planned stay. Emergency admissions are reviewed as soon as possible, but always within 24 hours to ensure they are appropriately placed. Under no circumstance will a child or young person be placed if this is in breach of the registration certificate. The children and young people normally arrive and are picked up from Hillcrest by taxi, mini bus or by their parents/carers. Standard 12 Prompting independence and moves to adulthood The Home will support and promote children and young people to develop their independence. We support and promote the transition into adulthood and the changes that may occur at this time. This will enable the child or young person to move to adult services in an individually planned way and at a pace which is appropriate to the young person’s level of understanding. Parents/carers lead on this process, supported by a range of professionals. Standard 13 Statements of purpose and children’s guide This document is the statement of purpose for Hillcrest. We have also developed a children’s guide and family handbook, which includes the role of the advocate. Standard 14 Fitness to provide or manage the administration of the Children’s Home Our registered manager’s experience and training meets with the requirements of Children’s Home Regulations 2011. Our manager holds leadership and management in social care qualifications or suitable equivalent qualifications. Our Home manager has experience in supporting the young people accessing the Home, at a management level. Their roles and responsibilities are outlined in their job description. Our manager is responsible for ensuring that the Home adheres to all Virgin Care policies and procedures. Our manager is accountable to the Head of Family Support Services. Standard 15 Financial viability and changes affecting business continuity Hillcrest is run by Virgin Care and conforms to all financial regulations accordingly. The Home is funded through each young person’s placement. Standard 16 Suitability to work with children Virgin Care June 2014 w: www.virgincare.co.uk Registered office: Virgin Care Limited, 7-12 Lynton House, Tavistock Square, London WC1H 9LT. Registered in England and Wales: Number 05466033 12
Our staffs are recruited according to Virgin Care recruitment policies and procedures as
recommended in the Warner Report: Choosing with Care - 1992. All staff meet the
requirements of the Children’s Home Regulations 2011.
All our staff have a satisfactory enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check and work
related references dating back at least five years. Each staff member has a staff file in the
Home, which is kept secure at all times. Staff training is covered in Standard 18.
Standard 17
Sufficient staffing of the home
The Home is open for 52 weeks of the year, but may close on Christmas Day, New Year’s
Day and staff training days.
Staff numbers are based upon the children and young people accessing the Home and
regularly reviewed. At night the Home is staffed by at least one waking night member of staff,
a sleep-in member of staff, with the support of an on call manager.
Hillcrest has a manager, deputy manager, shift supervisors, care and support assistants and
administration support. Our manager is accountable to the Head of Family Support Services.
Our deputy manager has responsibility for management of the care and support assistants.
Our shift supervisor oversees day-to-day activities whilst on shift, although they do not
directly manage staff. Bank and Agency staffs are available to support staffing levels during
holidays and sickness.
Where appropriate our staff team include professionally trained staff members on shift to
ensure any medical or behavioural need is supported. Our manager regularly meets with the
Family Support Service county manager for clinical governance and supervision.
As the majority of our staff are female, it is acknowledged that there is an imbalance of
gender role models. However, as this is a Children’s Home providing a short breaks service,
the children and young people will have opportunities to access appropriate male role models
in their home, school and social life. Our recruitment of staff is designed to encourage a
diverse workforce.
Below is a list of staff currently working in the Home.
Name Job Title Qualifications Experience
Tracey Allen Manager Registered Nurse in Learning 25 yrs
Disability; Level 4 Diploma LMCS
Paula Young Deputy Manager Registered Nurse in Learning 26 yrs
Disability; Started Level 5 Diploma in
Children’s & Young People Services.
PETTLS Teaching Qualification.
Mentorship Qualification
Virgin Care June 2014
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Registered in England and Wales: Number 05466033 13Heidi Fewings Shift Supervisor Level 3 Diploma Children & Young 24 yrs
People.
Level 5 Diploma Children & Young
People
Frances Hartnell Shift Supervisor Level 3 Diploma Children & Young 19 yrs
People.
Level 5 Diploma Children & Young
People
Jane Pelosi Shift Supervisor Level 3 Diploma Children & Young 8 yrs
People.
Working towards Level 5 Diploma
Children & Young People
A1 Assessor First Aid 4 day
certificate
Kelly Randall Shift Supervisor Level 3 Diploma Children & Young 18 yrs
People. Working towards Level 5
Diploma
Tina Pike Care & Support Level 3 Diploma Children & Young 21 yrs
Assistant People, First Aid 4 day Certificate
Karen Moore Care & Support Level 3 Diploma Children & Young 25 yrs
Assistant People
Karen Fuzzard Care & Support Level 3 Diploma Children & Young 24 yrs
Assistant People
Mary Bowhay Care & Support Level 3 Diploma Children & Young 20 yrs
Assistant People
Carol Long Care & Support Level 3 Diploma Children & Young 18 yrs
Assistant People. First Aid 4 day certificate
Nicola Heard Care & Support Level 3 Diploma Children & Young 12 yrs
Assistant People
Natasha Breen Care & Support BA Honours Degree Youth & 8 yrs
Assistant Community Work (social science)
Standard 18
Training and development
All staff attend mandatory and professional training in line with policies, procedures and
appraisals. Our staffs receive supervision (including safeguarding children supervision). Staff
training is tailored and focused on the individual needs of the young person accessing the
Home. A training matrix is available, detailing all the training needs of each role within the
Home.
Mandatory training includes areas such as induction, first aid, seizure control, conflict
resolution, medicines management, safeguarding levels 1-4, equality and diversity, domestic
violence, corporate catch-up, Team Teach, peg feeding, manual handling, CPR training,
basic food hygiene, risk assessment and writing skills.
Home manager and deputy roles hold Diploma level 5 or equivalent. Team leaders and shift
supervisors are trained to Diploma level 4 or level 5 Diploma in health and social care. Care
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Registered in England and Wales: Number 05466033 14and support assistants will have a Diploma level 3. Cooks, domestics and administration staff all have training required for their role. Bank and casual workers who are not trained to Diploma level 3 or equivalent in children and young people have the opportunity to access this training. All our staff are trained a minimum of four times a year in the fire procedure within the Home, including the use of fire equipment and evacuation. All staff attend the required annual fire safety updates and fire drills will occur from time to time with the details recorded. Standard 19 Staff support and supervision All staff receives a minimum of eleven supervision meetings per year with an annual appraisal and a six monthly review, by a named supervisor within the Home. Our Home manager is supervised by the Head of Family Support Services. Staffs are supported through training and development as highlighted in their annual appraisal. A list of this training is available in the training matrix. Details of training can be found in Standard 18. Staffs are provided with a concise staff handbook commencing placement at the Home and take part in an induction programme. The Home complies with Virgin Care human resources policies and procedures. Virgin Care also has staff side reps (union reps) which are widely available to staff at any time for advice and support. Virgin Care also provide occupational health support for all staff and this is a confidential process where required. Standard 20 Handling allegations and suspicions of harm Please see Standard 4: Safeguarding children. A copy of the complaints form is part of the information given to children, young people and their families at the first point of contact with the Home. The Home also provides a Young person’s handbook which includes how to access an advocate to raise any concerns or compliments. Children and young people, parents/carers, members of the public, agencies or professionals can all raise compliments or concerns to staff, lead professionals, or go directly to Integrated Children’s Services or Ofsted. Compliments, concerns and complaints can be made to: Head of Family Support Services Devon Integrated Children’s Service One Capital Court Bittern Road Virgin Care June 2014 w: www.virgincare.co.uk Registered office: Virgin Care Limited, 7-12 Lynton House, Tavistock Square, London WC1H 9LT. Registered in England and Wales: Number 05466033 15
Exeter EX2 7FW t: 01392 383000 Customer Services Devon Integrated Children’s Services One Capital Court Bittern Road Exeter EX2 7FW t: 01392 380520 Ofsted Piccadilly Gate, Store Street, Manchester M1 2WD t: 0300 123 1231 Standard 21 Managing effectively and efficiently and monitoring the home Virgin Care has an independent inspection of all incidents and accidents. The results are reported back to the Head of Family Support Services. The regulation 33 visitor is commissioned through Virgin Care and visit on a monthly basis. The Home managers have the responsibility to develop and maintain a Home development plan in line with current inspections. A three monthly Regulation 34 report is provided by the Home manager. Management performance is monitored on a monthly basis regarding incidents, accidents and actions relating to the Home. These are reviewed on a monthly basis at the Home managers’ meeting. We send out a copy of the most recent Ofsted report for the Home to all families, and provide a copy for all internal staff. We also make the Ofsted report available to external organisations placing children and young people in the Home for short breaks. Our Home manager has responsibility for the day-to-day running of the Home. The overall responsibility for the Home rests with the Head of Family Support Services. Standard 22 Records Each young person has a case file which contains all relevant information on the young person. These are held securely in the Home at all times. In line with the Data Protection Act and the Freedom of Information Act the young person may request to see their file through Virgin Care. The Home follows Virgin Care guidelines and paperwork regarding safe storage and administration. Virgin Care June 2014 w: www.virgincare.co.uk Registered office: Virgin Care Limited, 7-12 Lynton House, Tavistock Square, London WC1H 9LT. Registered in England and Wales: Number 05466033 16
Standard 23 Secure accommodation and refuges Secure accommodation and refuges are not applicable to this service. Standard 24 Notification of significant events When an incident or accident occurs at Hillcrest, our staff will notify the on-call manager and Ofsted (as outlined in Standard 5). The child or young person’s parents/carers and their lead professional are informed within a reasonable time frame and no longer than 24 hours, dependant on the situation. There may be a need for other professionals to be involved such as the police, the child or young person’s school and the safeguarding team. These will be based on the incident or accident that has occurred. All incidents will be recorded and reviewed on the Virgin Care CIRIS system for incident reporting. Standard 25 Placement plan and review Annual reviews take place with parent/carers, school and the Home to ensure all care plans and placement plans are up-to-date. If the young person is looked after by the local authority then their placement review will be every six months. However, placement plans and any relevant documentation will be reviewed as the need arises and more frequent reviews will be completed if necessary. Care plans are agreed with, and can be accessed by, the child or young person and their parents/carers. Children and young people are encouraged to attend their personal review as arranged by their lead professional. The views of the children and young people are sought and included at every stage of the review and throughout their use of the Home. This is achieved by using the child or young person’s preferred communication method, which may include techniques such as an advocate interpreter, Makaton and picture exchange communication system (PECS) to achieve this. Virgin Care June 2014 w: www.virgincare.co.uk Registered office: Virgin Care Limited, 7-12 Lynton House, Tavistock Square, London WC1H 9LT. Registered in England and Wales: Number 05466033 17
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