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Contents

1. Policy Statement
2. Equal Opportunities

1. Policy Statement

Beliefs

Throughout our delivery of services and central to all policies, our philosophy of care is based upon the belief that looked after children deserve a fresh start where they can move forward to build a positive future and have the same life opportunities as their peers in the community.

Where it is in the child's best interest, they should spend their childhood with their family in their own community and wherever safe to do so we will work towards reinstatement of the family unit.

In all our services the care provided will be no less than we would want for our own children. In achieving positive outcomes for all, we firmly believe that a crucial and central element in all care planning is preserving and supporting a child's heritage, cultural, religious and linguistic identity.

Throughout our involvement with a child their welfare and safety will be of paramount importance.

Values

• Dignity and respect for children, families, and employees.
• Listening to what they and significant others have to say about our services and taking appropriate action where required.
• Working in partnership with children, families, communities, a myriad of professionals and the significant people involved in a child's life.
• Children and families should be involved and fully participate in decision-making processes that affect their lives.
• Giving full information on our services
• Respecting, valuing and celebrating cultural diversity through the delivery of non-discriminatory practices and services.

Principle

• Develop high quality services that take into account the needs, cultural identity and linguistic needs of all its service users.
• Fulfil our statutory duties in looking after children, on behalf of others, from the referral stage onwards.
• Consult with all relevant people as to the services they require.
• Be accountable to users of our services.
• Make sure that we listen to comments and complaints about services and act upon them.
• Listen to the views of children, families, communities', carers and employees, respect and value their input.

1. The best interests of the child: All decisions made in relation to children must have, as the first and paramount consideration, the best interests of the child.
2. Admissions, Assessment, planning and Review: Wherever possible we ensure that Children are placed in a planned and sensitive manner, and that services are provided on the basis of initial and continual assessment, planning, monitoring and review. To this end, each Child will have a Placement Plan which reflects his/her placement needs and the arrangements we have agreed to make whilst placed with us. This will include meeting identified outcomes and placement objectives in accordance with the five areas outlined in 'Every Child Matters' (ECM).
3. 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
4. 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, culture, 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.
5. Valuing the family: Children have the right, whenever possible, to be brought up within their own family, either with their parents or relatives.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. Promoting independence: We encourage Children 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 we provide Children with information, advice and further education 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.
10. Education: We promote and support the educational attainment of Children throughout the time they live with us. A positive learning environment is promoted both at school and within the home, for example, by supporting Children with homework, coursework and possibly home study. We also work closely with social workers and other professionals e.g. teachers to ensure that each Child has a clear Personal Education Plan (PEP) and Individual Education Plan (IEP) which accurately reflects their needs and is reviewed at regular intervals.
11. Health Care: promotes children's healthcare, ensuring that 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.  Children are provided with guidance, advice and support on health and personal care including sexual health and relationships, smoking and other drugs or solvents and we ensure that individual needs are addressed in Placement Plans.
12. 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. We have 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.
13. 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 Local Safeguarding Children Board Procedures.
14. 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 Children's past experiences, needs and wishes. We understand that staff/carers often have to spend time alone with Children, but we ensure that such practice is underpinned by effective procedures, evidence-based risk assessments and training which safeguard the interests of both Children and staff/carers.  No play fighting under any circumstances between the Children or between the staff/carers and Children is allowed.
15. Listening and taking action: We will promote an 'open door' culture for all children, which encourages them to express their views, wishes and feelings; and say what they think about anything which affects them.  We will then do all we can to ensure their views are taken into account when decisions are made about them.
16. Comments, Compliments and Grievances; 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 all 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.
17. 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.
18. 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.
19. Promoting contact: We promote meaningful contact between Children, their 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 Field 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 and maintain 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.
20. 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 resource and department 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.
21. Monitoring: We will ensure that all children receive regular and frequent visits from their social workers for the purposes of monitoring and reviewing the suitability of their placement arrangements.

2. Equal Opportunities

1. Introduction

• We recognise that discrimination is unacceptable and although equality of opportunity has been a long-standing feature of our employment practices and procedure, we have made the decision to adopt a formal equal opportunities policy. Breaches of the policy will lead to disciplinary proceedings and if appropriate, disciplinary action.
• The aim of the policy is to ensure no job applicant or employee is discriminated against either directly or indirectly on the grounds of race, colour, creed, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religious belief, political opinion or affiliation, sex, marital status, sexual orientation or disability.
• We will ensure that the policy is circulated to any agencies responsible for our recruitment and a copy of the policy will be made available for all employees and made known to all applicants for employment.
• The policy will be communicated to all private contractors reminding them of their responsibilities towards the equality of opportunity.
• The policy will be implemented in accordance with the appropriate statutory requirements and full account will be taken of all available guidance and in particular any relevant Codes of Practice.
• We will maintain a neutral working environment in which no worker feels under threat or intimidated.

2. Recruitment and Selection

• The recruitment and selection process is crucially important to any equal opportunities policy. We will endeavour through appropriate training to ensure that employees making selection and recruitment decisions will not discriminate, whether consciously or subconsciously, in making these decisions.
• Promotion and advancement will be made on merit and all decisions relating to this will be made within the overall framework and principles of this policy.
• Job descriptions, where used, will be revised to ensure that they are in line with our equal opportunities policy. Job requirements will be reflected accurately in any person specifications.
• We will adopt a consistent, non-discriminatory approach to the advertising of the vacancies.
• We will not confine our recruitment to areas or media sources, which provide only, or mainly, applicants of a particular group.
• All applicants who apply for jobs with us will receive fair treatment and will be considered solely on their ability to do the job.
• All employees involved in the recruitment process will periodically review their selection criteria to ensure that they are related to the job requirements and do not unlawfully discriminate.
• More than one person will carry out short listing and interviewing where possible.
• Interview questions will be related to the requirements of the job and will not be of any discriminatory nature.
• We will not disqualify any applicant because he/she is unable to complete an application unassisted unless personal completion of the form is a valid test of the standard of English required for the safe and effective performance of the job.
• Selection decisions will not be influenced by any perceived prejudices of other Staff.

3. Training and Promotion

• Senior staff will receive training in the application of this policy to ensure that they are aware of its contents and provisions.
• All promotion will be in line with this policy.

4. Monitoring

• We will maintain and review the employment records of all employees in order to monitor the progress of this policy.
• Monitoring may involve: -
  • The collection and classification of information regarding the race in terms of ethnic/national origin, the sex and disability of all current employees
  • The examination by ethnic/national origin, sex and disability of the distribution of employees and the success rate of the applicants
  • Recording recruitment, training and promotional records of all employees, the decisions reached and the reason for those decisions.
• The results of any monitoring procedure will be reviewed at regular intervals to assess the effectiveness of the implementation of this policy. Consideration will be given, if necessary, to adjusting this policy to afford greater equality of opportunities to all applicants and Staff.

 

End