Page reportSummary
Page Layout
Display issue details:
The line numbers refer to lines in the original source. Any with a line number of '0' are implicit tags added by Total Validator:
1 
W874 [WCAG21 2.4.1 (A)] Add a skip navigation link as the first link on the page:
If your document has structure then you should add a skip navigation link to make it easier for accessible users to get to the page's content. To ensure detection, skip navigation links should point to a <main> element, or an element with role='main'. See Understanding 2.4.1, and Skip Navigation. <!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN"
"http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">
2 P967 [WCAG21 3.1.1 (A)] Use the 'lang' attribute to denote the primary language of the document:
You should always identify the primary natural language of a document using a 'lang' attribute on the <html> element. See WCAG 2.1 HTML Technique H57. <html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
3 <head>
4 <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0"/>
5 W605 Duplicate tag found: See matching tag on line: 22
A duplicate tag has been found with the same attributes. Although this should not affect the page, it indicates that a mistake may have been made. <meta http-equiv="Content-Style-Type" content="text/css" />
6 W605 Duplicate tag found: See matching tag on line: 23
A duplicate tag has been found with the same attributes. Although this should not affect the page, it indicates that a mistake may have been made. <meta http-equiv="Content-Script-Type" content="text/javascript" />
7 <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" />
8 <title>
8 Social Visits (including Overnight Stays) | Next Stage 4Life
8 </title>
9 <link rel='shortcut icon'
href='https://www.proceduresonline.com/resources/logos/procedures/favicon.ico' type='image/x-icon'/>
10 <link rel="apple-touch-icon"
href="https://www.proceduresonline.com/resources/logos/procedures/apple-touch-icon-57x57-precomposed.png
" />
11 <link rel="apple-touch-icon"
href="https://www.proceduresonline.com/resources/logos/procedures/apple-touch-icon-72x72-precomposed.png
" />
12 <link rel="apple-touch-icon"
href="https://www.proceduresonline.com/resources/logos/procedures/apple-touch-icon-114x114-precomposed.png
" />
13 <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css"
href="https://www.proceduresonline.com/trix_cms_snippets/cookie/jquery.cookiebar.css" />
14 <script type="text/javascript"
src="https://www.proceduresonline.com/trix_cms_snippets/cookie/jquery.min.js">
14 </script>
15 <script type="text/javascript"
src="https://www.proceduresonline.com/trix_cms_snippets/cookie/jquery.cookiebar.js">
15 </script>
16 <script type="text/javascript">
21 </script>
22 W605 Duplicate tag found: See matching tag on line: 5
A duplicate tag has been found with the same attributes. Although this should not affect the page, it indicates that a mistake may have been made. <meta http-equiv="Content-Style-Type" content="text/css" />
23 W605 Duplicate tag found: See matching tag on line: 6
A duplicate tag has been found with the same attributes. Although this should not affect the page, it indicates that a mistake may have been made. <meta http-equiv="Content-Script-Type" content="text/javascript" />
24 W609 The 'content-type' HTTP header specifies a character set of UTF-8, which is different to the value
given here:
The 'content-type' HTTP header specifies a different character set to that specified in the tag. In this case the HTTP header takes precedence. <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1" />
25 <meta name="author" content="Next Stage 4Life" />
26 <meta name="description" content="Next Stage 4Life" />
28 <meta name="robots" content="index, follow" />
29 <meta name="rating" content="all" />
30 <meta http-equiv="pragma" content="no-cache" />
31 <link title="small" href="scripts/style.css" type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" />
32 <link title="medium" href="scripts/style_larger.css" type="text/css" rel="alternate stylesheet" />
33 <link title="large" href="scripts/style_largest.css" type="text/css" rel="alternate stylesheet" />
34 <link title="hivis" href="scripts/style_hi_vis.css" type="text/css" rel="alternate stylesheet" />
35 <script type="text/javascript" src="scripts/print.js">
35 </script>
36 <script type="text/javascript" src="scripts/styleswitcher.js">
36 </script>
37 <script type="text/javascript" src="scripts/highlight.js">
37 </script>
39 </head>
40 <body onload="highlight();">
41 <div class="banner">
42 </div>
43 <div id="buttons">
43 <div id="menu">
44 <ul>
45 <li>
45 <a href="index.html">
45 Home
45 </a>
45 </li>
46 <li>
46 <a href="contents.html">
46 Contents
46 </a>
46 </li>
47 <li>
47 <a href="local_resources.html">
47 Local Resources
47 </a>
47 </li>
48 </ul>
49 </div>
49 <div id="search">
50 <form action="search/search.html" id="cse-search-box" style="margin: 0px;">
51 I899 [WCAG21 1.3.2 (A)] Layout tables must represent their content in a meaningful sequence:
Screen readers can struggle to read out tables sensibly, so it is often better to use alternative mark-up and CSS to layout content. Try disabling the table mark-up to see if it still makes sense. See WCAG 2.1 Failure F49. <table width="97%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">
52 <tr>
53 <td>
53 E885 [WCAG21 1.1.1/1.3.1/3.3.2/4.1.2 (A)] User interface controls should have a label or an accessible
name:
Associate form controls with <label> tags, or use the 'aria-label' or 'aria-labelledby' attributes to label controls where it might be confusing or not possible to use a label. See WCAG 2.1 Failure F68. <input type="text" name="zoom_query" class="search_input" size="20" id="zoom_searchbox" value="Search this
manual" onfocus="this.value=(this.value=='Search this manual') ? '' : this.value;"
onblur="this.value=(this.value=='') ? 'Search this manual' : this.value;" style="margin-right: 5px;" />
53 </td>
54 <td>
54 <input type="submit" value="Go"/>
54 </td>
55 </tr>
56 </table>
57 </form>
57 </div>
57 </div>
58 <div id="topper">
58 </div>
60 <div id="printReady">
61 <div id="container">
62 <div id="content_frame_overflow">
62 <div class="content_text">
63 <h1 class="h1">
63 Social Visits (including Overnight Stays)
63 </h1>
64 <div class="scope_box" style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 15px;">
65 <h2 class="h3">
65 REGULATIONS AND STANDARDS
65 </h2>
66 <p>
66 <a
href="http://qualitystandards.proceduresonline.com/homes/p_quality_standards.html#positive
" target="_blank">
66 The Positive Relationships Standard
66 </a>
66 <br />
67 Regulation 11
67 </p>
68 <h3 class="h3">
68 SCOPE OF THIS CHAPTER
68 </h3>
69 <p>
69 These procedures apply to all unsupervised, social visits or overnight stays between children
and relatives, friends (including neighbours and visitors); within or outside the home.
69 </p>
70 <h3 class="h3">
70 RELATED CHAPTERS
70 </h3>
71 <p>
71 <a href="p_holi_scho_trip.html">
71 Holidays and School Trips Procedure
71 </a>
71 .
71 </p>
72 <p>
72 <a href="p_contact_parents.html">
72 Contact with Parents / Carers and Siblings Procedure
72 </a>
72 .
72 </p>
73 </div>
74 <h2 class="h2_underlined">
74 <br />
75 Contents
75 </h2>
76 <ol>
77 <li>
77 <a href="#intro">
77 Introduction
77 </a>
77 </li>
78 <li>
78 <a href="#social">
78 Social Visits / Overnight Stays
78 </a>
78 </li>
79 <li>
79 <a href="#parental">
79 Parental Consent
79 </a>
79 </li>
80 </ol>
81 <h2 class="h2_underlined">
81 <br />
82 1.
82 <a name="intro" id="intro">
82 </a>
82 Introduction
82 </h2>
83 <p>
83 Decisions about social visits and overnight stays should be delegated to children's homes staff.
The arrangements for making such decisions should be written into the Placement Plan in line
with the Care Plan taking account of any relevant court directives.
83 </p>
84 <p>
84 When the child's placement is made, information regarding significant relationships and
friendships should be obtained as part of this process and should be reviewed as appropriate.
84 </p>
85 <p>
85 The parents' views on social visits and overnight stays should also be obtained. For procedures
on Parental Consent, see
85 <a href="#parental">
85 Section 3, Parental Consent
85 </a>
85 .
85 </p>
86 <p>
86 The Placement Plan should include the parameters within which visits or stays away from the home
with friends may be agreed by the children's home staff without prior consultation with the
social worker, and whether agreement to such visits requires the staff to obtain parental
consent. The Plan may state that the social worker and/or parent must always be consulted.
86 </p>
87 <p>
87 The guiding principle is That Looked After Children should as far as possible be given the same
permission to take part in normal and acceptable age appropriate activities, such as staying
with friends, as would reasonably be granted by parents of their peers. Judgment should depend
on the assessed risks to and needs of the child.
87 </p>
88 <p>
88 Where there are exceptional reasons to require staff to seek the permission of the social
worker, a manager or a parent, or place specific restrictions on permitting a child to stay
overnight with friends, this should be because of reasons necessary to safeguard the child's
welfare. The child's wishes should be taken into account in reaching any such decision.
88 </p>
89 <p>
89 Any such restriction, together with the reasons, should be clearly recorded in the Placement
Plan, and explained to the child where appropriate. Restrictions should be reviewed regularly to
ensure they remain relevant.
89 </p>
90 <h2 class="h2_underlined">
90 <br />
91 2.
91 <a name="social" id="social">
91 </a>
91 Social Visits / Overnight Stays
91 </h2>
92 <p>
92 Social visits and overnight stays are a regular part of most children/young people's experience
and often occur at short notice. Children should be helped to develop and benefit from positive
relationships. Staff should endeavour to help the child understand about personal, sexual and
social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful in a way
appropriate to the child's age and understanding.
93 </p>
94 <p>
94 Where children wish to stay overnight with friends, staff should carry out the same kind of
checks that responsible parents might make in similar circumstances to seek reassurance that the
child will be well cared for and safe.
94 </p>
95 <p>
95 Considerations may also include:
95 </p>
96 <ol type="a">
97 <li>
97 Are there any relevant restrictions in the child's Placement Plan?
97 </li>
98 <li>
98 Are there any factors in the child's past experiences or behaviour to preclude overnight
stays?
98 </li>
99 <li>
99 Are there any grounds for concern that the child may be at significant risk in the household
concerned or from the activities proposed?
99 </li>
100 <li>
100 Is the child staying with another child or children, rather than staying solely with an adult?
100 </li>
101 <li>
101 The age and level of understanding of the child;
101 </li>
102 <li>
102 What is the purpose and length of the overnight stay?
102 </li>
103 <li>
103 How well is the friend or family known to the child?
103 </li>
104 </ol>
105 <p>
105 Where the children's home staff proposes to agree to the child's stays away, before allowing
them to go ahead, certain enquiries should be made; for example the name of the adult who will
be responsible for the child, the means of contacting the adult and the child during the
visit/stay and the arrangements for the child's return. There should be clarity about the
sleeping arrangements and what the arrangements are.
105 </p>
106 <p>
106 Prior to the child's stay away, staff should arrange to meet the adult who will have
responsibility for the child unless he or she is already known in which case the prior
arrangements may be made over the telephone.
106 </p>
107 <p>
107 The arrangements for supervising or caring for the child must not compromise the safety of the
child or that of any one else; and the following considerations should apply:
107 </p>
108 <ol type="a">
109 <li>
109 Have the arrangements been confirmed with the parent of the friend or the adult who will have
responsibility during the visit?
109 </li>
110 <li>
110 What are the arrangements for the child returning to the home?
110 </li>
111 <li>
111 Is there a contact number for the household in which the child will stay?
111 </li>
112 <li>
112 Is the child aware of what to do if he or she wants to return to the home earlier than
planned?
112 </li>
113 <li>
113 Does the child have a contact number for the carers where they can be reached at any time?
113 </li>
114 <li>
114 Does the child have access to a mobile phone?
114 </li>
115 </ol>
116 <p>
116 In all cases, discussions should be held with the child, dependent on his or her age, as to
what, if any, information should be shared with other adults to enable them to look after the
child appropriately.
116 </p>
117 <p>
117 This might include:
117 </p>
118 <ul>
119 <li>
119 Any specific health care needs of the child;
119 </li>
120 <li>
120 Any established routines for the child;
120 </li>
121 <li>
121 Any behaviour management problems which, if the adult is unaware of, could lead to
difficulties during the visit, for example the child may be over familiar with adults or over
assertive with younger children.
121 </li>
122 </ul>
123 <p>
123 Any decision to share information should be on a 'need to know' basis and recorded.
123 </p>
124 <p>
124 If the child refuses to allow appropriate information to be shared, then he or she needs to be
made aware that this could affect the decision to allow the child to stay away from home.
124 </p>
125 <p>
125 If satisfied that it is appropriate to allow the child's stay away, a decision to allow it to go
ahead may be made. If not, it may not be allowed.
125 </p>
126 <p>
126 The decision and the arrangements agreed should be recorded in full.
126 </p>
127 <p>
127 Even if it has been agreed that the social worker does not have to be consulted in making these
arrangements, s/he must still be informed as soon as practicable.
127 </p>
128 <h2 class="h2_underlined">
128 <br />
129 3.
129 <a name="parental" id="parental">
129 </a>
129 Parental Consent
129 </h2>
130 <p>
130 Wherever possible, parents' views and consent to contact with relatives and friends including
any overnight stays away from the home should be obtained at the time of the
placement. These views should be recorded including an indication of whether the parent
wishes to be notified or their consent obtained every time an overnight stay takes place and if
so, whether such consultation and prior consent is required before the contact can go ahead.
130 </p>
131 <p>
131 It should also be clearly recorded if parents do not consent to any continuing relationships or
short stays away from the home, and the reasons for their lack of consent should be obtained.
131 </p>
132 If it is considered that contact is appropriate despite the parents' views, legal advice may be
required by the placing authority and any decision to allow such contact needs to be clearly
recorded together with reasons and explained to the parents.
133 <p>
133 <br />
134 <br />
135 </p>
136 </div>
137 </div>
138 </div>
139 </div>
140 <div id="footer-wrap">
141 <div id="footer-container">
141 <div id="footer">
142 I899 [WCAG21 1.3.2 (A)] Layout tables must represent their content in a meaningful sequence:
Screen readers can struggle to read out tables sensibly, so it is often better to use alternative mark-up and CSS to layout content. Try disabling the table mark-up to see if it still makes sense. See WCAG 2.1 Failure F49. <table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">
143 <tr>
144 <td width="60%" align="left" style="padding-top: 0px;">
144 <a href="http://www.trixonline.co.uk/" target="_blank">
144 <img src="images/trix_logo.gif" width="57" height="22" alt="tri.x logo" border="0"/>
144 </a>
144
144 <span class="darkdivider">
144 |
144 </span>
144 Copyright ©
144 <a href="http://www.trixonline.co.uk/" target="_blank">
144 tri.x
144 </a>
144
144 <span class="darkdivider">
144 |
144 </span>
144
144 </td>
145 <td width="40%" align="right" valign="top" style="padding-top: 0px;">
147 <div class="footer_box">
147 <a href="#">
147 visibility:
147 </a>
147
147 <a href="#" onclick="setActiveStyleSheet('small'); return false;">
147 <img src="images/icons/small_a.gif" alt="View this website with small text" border="0" />
147 </a>
147 <a href="#" onclick="setActiveStyleSheet('medium'); return false;">
147 <img src="images/icons/medium_a.gif" border="0" alt="View this website with medium
text" />
147 </a>
147 <a href="#" onclick="setActiveStyleSheet('large'); return false;">
147 <img src="images/icons/large_a.gif" border="0" alt="View this website with large text" />
147 </a>
147 <a href="#" onclick="setActiveStyleSheet('hivis'); return false;">
147 <img src="images/icons/hivis.gif" border="0" alt="View this website with high
visibility" />
147 </a>
147
147 <span class="darkdivider">
147 |
147 </span>
147
147 </div>
148 <div class="footer_box">
148 <a href="#" onclick="window.external.AddFavorite(location.href, document.title)">
148 <img src="images/icons/favourite.gif" alt="Add this page to your favourites" width="18"
height="18" border="0" />
148 </a>
148 <a href="#" onclick="window.external.AddFavorite(location.href, document.title)">
148 favourites
148 </a>
148
148 <span class="darkdivider">
148 |
148 </span>
148
148 </div>
149 <div class="footer_box">
149 W884 [WCAG21 2.1.1/2.1.3 (A/AAA)] Mouse/Pointer event handlers require keyboard equivalents:
When using mouse/pointer event handlers on elements that can be accessed by keyboard, ensure that you provide an equivalent keyboard handler. See WCAG 2.1 Failure F54. <input name="printMe" type="image" onclick="printSpecial()" value="Print this Page"
src="images/icons/print.gif" onmouseover="images/icons/print.gif'"
onmouseout="this.src='images/icons/print.gif'" alt="Print this page"/>
151 <a href="#" onclick="printSpecial()">
151 print
151 </a>
151
151 <span class="darkdivider">
151 |
151 </span>
151
151 </div>
152 </td>
153 </tr>
154 </table>
155 </div>
155 </div>
156 </div>
157 </body>
158 </html>