Children, Schools

and Families

Statement of Purpose and Function Children’s Residential Home

Burydale

PUBLICATION SCHEDULE NUMBER: / CSF 3620
PUBLICATION DATE: January 2007 / ISSUE NO: 5
AUTHORISING OFFICER: / Ann Domeney
Deputy Director
Social Care and Prevention
AUTHORISING OFFICER’S SIGNATURE: /
AUTHOR OF PUBLICATION: / Lynn Knowles
POST: / Head of Children’s Residential Homes
Jeanette Farrow
Acting Manager
UNIT: / Looked after Children
REVIEW DATE: / January 2008
TARGET AUDIENCE: / CSF department staff, Designated Teachers for Looked after Children and Corporate Parenting Panel, CSCI and families.
PUBLISHED BY Children, Schools and Families

CONTENTS

NoDescriptionPage (s)

  1. Introduction – Aims & Objectives4
  1. Facilities & Services6
  1. Registered Provider9
  1. Qualification & Experience9
  1. Details of Staff9
  1. Staffing 10
  1. Organisation Structure11
  1. Definition of Client Group13
  1. Admissions Criteria/Referral Process13
  1. Number of Young People Looked After14
  1. Philosophy 15
  1. Arrangements for the Promotion of Health15
  1. Education 16
  1. Promoting Children’s Participation18
  1. Young Person’s Involvement18
  1. Positive Approaches to Care18
  1. Arrangements for the Protection of Children20
  1. Absconding, Unauthorised Absence, Missing Children21
  1. Electronic Surveillance21
  1. Fire and Emergency Precautions21
  1. Religious Observance22
  1. Arrangements for Contact with Parents, Relatives and

Friends22

23. Arrangements for Dealing with Complaints23

24. Arrangements for Reviews/Placement Plans etc24

  1. Accommodation25
  1. Details of any specific therapeutic techniques25

27. Anti-Discriminatory Practice26

Appendix 1Organisation Structure27

1. Introduction – Aims & Objectives

The Children’s Residential Care Service provides residential care for children who are Looked After by Hertfordshire County Council. It is an integral part of Children, Schools & Families and is placed within the Operations Division and is managed by the Head of Children’s Residential Homes and the Manager for Disabled Children’s services where applicable.

There are 8 homes, which make up the residential child care service, with consistent policies and procedures. Each home has a distinct client group and role and some homes in addition to the core function offer complimentary services such as support and outreach.

The Residential Service comprises:

  • Brocket Road – a long term 6 bedded home for 11-18 year olds.
  • Burydale – a 6 bedded long term home for 11-16 year olds and a 4 bedded ‘towards independence home’ for 15-18 year olds.
  • Datchworth Turn – a six bedded long term home for 5-11 year olds which provides pre and post placement support and advice.
  • Durrants Hill Road – a short term and assessment home for 13 – 18 year olds.
  • Stanfield – long stay home with two houses, Lilliput for 11-13 year olds and Lemsford Cottage for 13- 18 year olds.
  • Ripon Road – which has a 7 bedded long term home for children with a disability aged 11- 19 and Pennine a 4 bedded respite home.
  • Wilbury Road – a six bedded respite home for children with a disability aged 5-19 which can offer an outreach and support service.
  • Woolmer Drive – a 6 bedded respite home for children with a disability aged 11-18.

Aims

The overall aim of the service is to provide care of the highest quality which allows children to feel safe and nurtured. The Residential Service sets its aims and objectives with reference to Governmental Legislation and Guidance, Hertfordshire County Council’s Policies and Procedures, The Children, Schools and Families Plan, CSF Looked After Strategy, and other relevant documents and guidance’s.

The service aims to meet the five outcomes for children: being healthy, staying safe, enjoying and achieving, making a positive contribution, and achieving economic wellbeing by;

  1. Providing children with a positive home environment that creates security, has clear boundaries and structures and encourages growth and belief in themselves to help them achieve their full potential with regard to personal, social, educational and health development.
  2. Providing a consistent approach and giving opportunities for play, leisure activities and positive new experiences using wherever possible local resources.
  3. Providing support for children to understand their past and the impact it has had on them enabling them to make full use of their current opportunities and preparing them for their future.
  4. Involving children wherever possible in the decisions concerning their day to day life and giving them opportunities to contribute to their long term plans
  5. Offering planned care that meets individual needs.
  6. Assisting children in understanding their feelings and behaviour and coping with the consequences of their actions.
  7. Encouraging children to gain and maintain a positive image of themselves and their heritage by respecting and valuing their religion, culture, ethnicity, language, gender, sexuality and disabilities.
  8. Promoting a positive attitude towards education, training and employment.
  9. Ensuring that children are protected from harm and are kept safe.
  10. Providing children with good role models in order to assist them in forming secure positive attachments and build positive relationships.

Objectives

The service aims will be met by:

  1. a) Providing a safe, secure, well maintained home with appropriate furnishings and decoration.
    b) Ensuring staff meet at all times the child’s need for security, affection, dignity, privacy, respect and stimulation,
    c) Providing children with single rooms which lock and operating a ‘knock and wait’ policy.
  2. a) Staff promoting participation in appropriate groups, clubs and activities making use of local and community resources wherever possible.
    b) Each child having the encouragement and opportunity to pursue suitable hobbies and interests.
  3. a) Expecting staff to listen and talk to children to help them try to make sense of their history and experiences.
    b) Staff working to and promoting daily structures and routines for all children in line with their care plans.
  4. a) Giving each child the opportunity to request an advocate and to have access to support organisations such as ChildLine.
    b) Ensuring that each child has access to information about HCC’s complaints procedure.
    c) Holding weekly children’s meetings which give them space to voice their views and for staff to give them information.
    d) Wherever possible giving children and their families encouragement to contribute and support the individual internal care plan.
  5. a) Writing an internal care plan on admission which will be reviewed regularly and always within 12 weeks.
    b) Giving children a copy of their internal care plan and any other relevant documents.
  6. a) Staff using a range of behaviour management techniques and strategies in line with the child’s internal and LAC care plans.
  7. a) Ensuring that all care plans give consideration to the child’s need for community links, recreational, medical, educational, family, cultural, racial and religious needs.
  8. a) Staff promoting, encouraging and supporting children to attend education and training opportunities.
    b) Staff attending all relevant meetings including Personal Education plan meetings, SEN reviews and pupil progress reviews.
    c) Staff attending school performances and assemblies.
  9. a) Staff working within all policies and procedures especially those covering child protection, bullying and keeping safe.
    b) Promoting a culture where staff can identify and progress opportunities for improvement and change within current policies and procedures.
    c) Ensuring that all relevant pre-employment checks are completed and all efforts are made to ensure the safe recruitment of staff.
    d) Promoting and supporting the use of Responsible Reporting Procedures.
    e) Ensuring good recording, reporting, monitoring and audit procedures are in place.
  10. a) Expecting staff to act as ‘good parents’.
    b) Having a firm commitment to staff support and training.
    c) Ensuring that all staff have supervision and appraisals in line with HCC’s Performance, Management and Development Policy.
2.Facilities and Services

The Registered Manager of Burydale is directly accountable to the Head of Residential Homes, based at:

Children, Schools & Families

County Hall

Hertford

Herts.

SG13 8DF

When all ten young people are in residence there will always be a minimum of four staff on a late shift and 3 on an early shift.

There will always be a minimum of two staff on duty in the building through the night. These are staff whosleep in. Arrangements can be made to provide a waking night if this is appropriate.

Waking night staff are usually employed between the hours of 10.00 pm and 8.00 am. An earlier start time and later finish time can be negotiated depending on the requirements of the Home at the time. Currently Burydale does not employ waking night staff.

The Registered Manager or the Head of Care provide an on-call service to the Home on a rota basis outside office hours. The Hertfordshire County Council Emergency Duty Team are also available outside office hours.

It will be the responsibility of the Registered Manager to maintain the most appropriate staff presence within the service as a whole. Staff allocated to particular responsibilities will be expected to work flexibly.

Transport

Burydale has its own car and access to a mini bus. However, the staffing levels make it impossible to respond to all requests to transport a young person. All effort is made to prioritise medical and educational appointments. Young people and staff are encouraged to utilise public transport where practical, particularly those aged 14 + years.

Professional Services Available in the Community

  • Child and Family Clinic (Psychotherapy)
  • Medical (dietician, Community Doctor, specialist resources eg drug projects)
  • LAC Nurse
  • Family Placement Teams
  • Advisory Teacher/Tutors
  • Youth and Community
  • Independent visitors
  • Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service
  • Interpreters
  • Advocacy Service (Voice )
  • Community Police Team
  • Services Offered at Burydale

Our objective is to develop the physical, psychological and emotional well being of the children we look after.

We have a thorough Quality System, work/practice to a set of clear policies of which the ethos, values and aims are common to all Hertfordshire Residential Homes. We are an ISO 9002 Accredited Service.

Burydale is located in the Broadwater area of Stevenage that has a range of facilities. We are approximately two miles from the main town centre. We are on a main bus route and Stevenage has a very good railway service link.

We promote the well being of young people by providing assessment and care through a whole range of intensive, quality services modelled on the ethos of empowerment and delivered by a motivated, skilled and supported staff team. Our response to the young people’s requirements reflect sensitivity and a commitment to meeting their needs holistically.

Living at Burydale provides young people with the care and control to which they are entitled, offering opportunities to relate to adults who are able to demonstrate emotional commitment combined with professional integrity and safe boundaries to behaviour. Staff and young people are encouraged to consider their own potential which then creates an open environment in which learning and developing occurs.

In order to facilitate this we offer help in working/dealing with the following areas:

  • Support and help in following cultural and religious choices
  • Benefits of education and promoting health
  • Life and social skills
  • Self-care/personal safety
  • Loss and bereavement
  • Identity/self-esteem
  • Anger management
  • Self responsibility, independence and training skills
  • Relationships
  • Maintaining family links
  • Group living
  • Inappropriate sexual behaviour
  • Safe and appropriate expression of feelings.

The following systems are in place to achieve this:

  • Care plans
  • Linkworking
  • Good primary care
  • Appropriate role models
  • Life story work
  • Group work
  • Individual work
  • Recreational activities, diversion work, crafts
  • Weekly residents meetings
  • Joint work with families and/or relevant persons/organisation

Clear and factual information on health and education issues.

Daily Routines

The Home will keep a daily record of what happens. This records all occurrences, absences, visitors and incidents. Alongside this is a daily plan for each resident. This records behaviour, work plans, visits, feelings, emotions, progress at school or work relationships. The aim of the record is to formulate the patterns of behaviour of each young person, identifying useful and helpful strategies for working with that young person both in the here and now and in the future. The daily records form the basis of regular and Statutory Reviews, providing documented information.

Handovers

At the end of each shift, staff going off duty will hand over to staff coming on duty. This will involve discussing the last 24 hours and any significant events, discussing each young person’s current situation, checking diaries for appointments for staff and young people and to plan for the next shift – it records the responsibilities of the team members for that shift. These plans are recorded on a Shift Planner. All shift plans are archived monthly.

Reference:Residential Child Care, Standards, Policies and Procedures, Volume 2, Section 8, Care Practice 1.

Linkworking

All young people will have an allocated Child Care Worker who acts as a Linkworker. Their work is then overseen by an Assistant Manager/Shift Leader to ensure that all prospects of the young person’s care is monitored, reviewed and evaluated. The Linkworker is responsible for all matters such as contact, cultural, religious, health and education are given the highest priority. The Linkworker will meet with the young person weekly and will record all link sessions ensuring that the Social Worker receives these documents monthly. It is expected that a two way process of verbal communication takes place weekly. The focus of linkwork is to ensure that the young person receives all information about their care and that they maintain a positive image of themselves. The production and update of the child’s care plan is the responsibility of the Linkworker with the Head of Care Practice being available for support and guidance. The care plan is drawn up in conjunction with the Departmental care plan.

Reference:Residential Child Care Standards, Policies and Procedures, Volume 2, Section 7, Care Planning 5

3.Registered Provider and Responsible Individual

Hertfordshire County Council’s elected members are the Registered Provider which is John Richards who is the Responsible Individual acting on their behalf to ensure that the home meets the required standards of care.

The contact address is:Children, Schools & Families

Hertfordshire County Council

Pegs Lane

Hertford

Herts

SG13 8DF

Registered Manager

Jan Gallacher, who has a Diploma in Social Work, is the Registered Manager of Burydale, however Jeanette Farrow is currently Acting Manager in the absence of Jan Gallacher.

The contact address is:106 Burydale

Stevenage

Herts

SG2 8AX

  1. Qualifications and Experience

The Registered Manager, Jan Gallacher has 20 years experience in Residential Child Care, ranging from Special Education to Long Term Care work within both Private and Statutory settings, 8 of which have been within management team positions. Jan has been a Registered Manager in Hertfordshire since June 2002. Jan holds the following qualifications Dip. HE in applied Social Science, Diploma in Social Work, General Social Care Council registration. and obtained her NVQ 5 in Operational Management in August 2005

Jeanette Farrow has 8 years social work experience and started in Residential Care in October 2005, as Burydale’s Head of Care.

Jeanette holds a DIPSW qualification and NVQ Level 5.

  1. Details of Staff

Burydale is supported by a team of 21 full time care staff and five support staff posts. The team hold a wide range of experiences and qualifications and are actively encouraged to participate in further training. A large proportion of staff are working towards the NVQ level three in Working with Children and Young People. Staff are supported by Herts CC Performance and Management Development Scheme. The staff team is mixed in relation to age, gender, religion and culture.

Number of Care staff in total is 21

Number of Support staff in total is 5

Head of Care – Qualifications and Experience

There is one Head of Care Practice holds a Diploma in Social Work . The Head of Care has relevant experience in Childcare, with at least one year’s managerial/supervisory experience. The Head of Care holds in depth knowledge of relevant childcare legislation, procedures and responsibilities.

Assistant Managers – Qualifications and Experience

There are four Assistant Managers who hold or are working towards a minimum of a NVQ level 3 in Caring for Children and Young People or equivalent qualification. Assistant Managers have relevant experience in residential childcare, with knowledge of relevant childcare legislation, procedures and responsibilities.

Shift Leaders – Qualifications and Experience

There are four Shift Leaders who hold or who are working towards a minimum of a NVQ level 3 in Caring for Children and Young People or equivalent qualification.

Child Care Workers – Qualifications and Experience

There are 13 whole time equivalent Residential Child Care Workers in Burydale, who hold or who are working towards a minimum of a NVQ level 3 in Caring for Children and Young People or equivalent qualification. Child Care Workers have life and / or work experience of young people experiencing difficulties. Some hold previous experience of residential childcare.

Support staff – qualifications and experience

There is 1 Domestic Bursar, a Handyperson post, one cook, and 2 WTE Domestic Assistant posts.

Gender balance of care staff is 3 males, 18 female staff.

Gender balance of support staff is all female, however we do have the availability of a male handy personwho we borrow from another home, as and when required, whilst we cannot fill this post.

6.Staffing

Prior to working within Burydale and in accordance to Hertfordshire’s Selection and Recruitment process every member of staff undergoes a Criminal Record Bureau check (CRB). The County Medical Officer also receives confidential health and medical information. Two references are also received and verified prior to commencing active duty. Staff appointed to Burydale are required to conduct themselves in a professional manner at all times.