Bedrooms

REGULATIONS AND STANDARDS

The Quality and Purpose of Care Standard


Contents

  1. Bedroom Furniture, Facilities, Equipment and Decoration
  2. Bedroom Security and Keys
  3. Staff/Carers Presence in Bedrooms
  4. Visiting and Sharing Rooms


1. Bedroom Furniture, Facilities, Equipment and Decoration

Children's bedrooms should be pleasantly furnished, equipped and decorated in a manner appropriate to their individual needs, interests and choices.

Children should be encouraged to personalise their bedrooms, with posters, pictures and personal items of their choice.

Children of an appropriate age and level of understanding should be encouraged and supported to purchase furniture, equipment or decorations; preferably as part of a plan to prepare the child for independence.


2. Bedroom Security and Keys

Children should have adequate, safe, storage for their belongings and medicines, if permitted to administer their own.

If it is necessary to do so, to protect children or their belongings or to develop their sense of independence, bedrooms may be fitted with locks or other forms of security. If locks are fitted, keys may be made available to children.


3. Staff/Carers Presence in Bedrooms

Children's privacy should be respected.

Unless there are exceptional circumstances, staff should knock the door before entering children's bedrooms; and then only enter with their permission.

The exceptional circumstances where staff may have to enter a child's bedroom without knocking or asking permission are as follow:

  • To wake a heavy sleeper, undertake cleaning, return or remove soiled clothing; though, in these circumstances, the child should have been told/warned that this may be necessary;
  • To take necessary action, including forcing entry, to protect the child or others from injury or to prevent likely damage to property. The taking of such action is a form of Physical Intervention.

See the following procedures:

Searching Children/Bedrooms Procedure

Use of Restraint and Physical Intervention Procedure


4. Visiting and Sharing Rooms

No children share bedrooms in any of our homes. A request to change a bedroom will be given serious consideration by the Manager if there is a room available.

Children may not receive visitors in their bedrooms unless this has been agreed by the social worker, the children's views and wishes have been obtained, considered and the arrangements are outlined in the relevant Placement Plan.