PLEASE NOTE: New Standards Published
April 2011: The Standards no longer apply, Tri.x have published a web enabled version of the new Children’s Homes and Fostering Standards, please follow this link:
www.minimumstandards.org
6. Staffing |
Size: |
Adequacy of Staffing |
OUTCOME Children receive the care and services they need from competent staff. |
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| 29.1 | The overall competence of staff, both as a staff group and on individual shifts, is satisfactory in relation to the fulfilment of the home’s Statement of Purpose, the care plans, placement plans and needs (including any nursing needs) of individual children in the home, the number and mix of children in the home, and any particular difficulties being experienced by the home. |
| 29.2 | There are clear arrangements for staff to deputise in the registered person’s absence, and the deputy to the registered person of the home (or the person designated to deputise for the registered person in his/her absence) has at least one year’s relevant supervisory experience. |
| 29.3 | Staff members who are placed in charge of the home and other staff at particular times (e.g. as leaders of staff shifts) have substantial relevant experience of working in the home, are not themselves temporary staff, and have successfully completed their induction and probationary periods. |
| 29.4 | By January 2004, all care staff are at least 18 years old, and staff who are given sole responsibility for children or a management role are at least 21 years old. Within these requirements, no person works in a children’s home unless they are at least 4 years older than the oldest child accommodated. |
| 29.5 | A minimum ratio of 80% of all care staff have completed their Level 3 in the Caring for Children and Young People NVQ by January 2005. Staff may hold other qualifications that require similar competencies, and these may be courses developed locally which are accredited. New staff engaged from January 2004 need to hold the Caring for Children and Young People NVQ or another qualification which matches the competencies or begin working towards them within 3 months of joining the home. |
| 29.6 | Staff rotas have time scheduled to ensure that handover sessions, spending time with individual children, completion of records, planning and carrying out of care programmes occur without compromising overall care of children. |
| 29.7 | Children are not given responsibility over other children in the home, nor given responsibilities to compensate for any lack of staff in the home. Children who are given responsibility for specific tasks in the home are sufficiently supervised by staff to ensure that they fulfil their roles appropriately, without abuse of the role (e.g. to bully others). |
| 29.8 | The registered person has in place a staff disciplinary procedure which is clear that a member of staff may be sent home, as a neutral act, pending consideration of, or completion of an investigation of, any suspicion or allegation of abuse or serious concern relating to the safety or welfare of children. The procedure clearly separates staff disciplinary processes from child protection enquiries and criminal proceedings, and is known by staff. [Regulations 25, 26 and 27] |
OUTCOME Staff are sufficient in number, experience and qualification to meet the needs of the children. |
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| 30.1 | The home is staffed at all times of the day and night, at or above the minimum level specified under standard 30.2. Records of staff actually working in the home demonstrate achievement of this staffing level. |
| 30.2 | The registered person’s staffing policy ensures that the staffing is adequate to meet the home’s Statement of Purpose. The home’s staffing is sufficient in practice to meet the needs of the children accommodated. The staffing policy is set out in the Statement of Purpose and states: |
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| 30.3 | The registered person makes every effort to achieve continuity of staffing such that children’s attachments are not overly disrupted. No more than half the staff on duty at any one time by day or night at the home are to be from an external agency, and no member of staff from an external agency is to be alone on duty at night in the home. |
| 30.4 | The registered person increases the number of staff looking after children above the minimum required by the Statement of Purpose where children’s needs, the number of children, or other circumstances require this in order to safeguard and promote the welfare of each individual child. |
| 30.5 | Where only one member of staff is on duty at any time, a risk assessment has been carried out and recorded in writing, identifying any likely risks to children, staff and members of the public, and this has demonstrated that there is no unacceptable level of risk from such an arrangement. |
| 30.6 | Children always have a member of staff responsible for them. They know who that member of staff is, and how to contact them. There is at least one member of staff responsible for each identifiable group of children, within or outside the home, with the means to call for immediate back up from at least one other member of staff if necessary. |
| 30.7 | Staffing arrangements for staff sickness and absence enable the home’s staffing policy (as detailed in the Statement of Purpose) to be maintained. |
| 30.8 | The staff group in day to day contact with children includes staff of both genders whenever possible. Where the home’s Statement of Purpose makes it explicit that the home uses staff of one gender only, clear guidance is provided and implemented on how children are enabled to maintain relationships with members of the opposite gender to the staff group. Staffing arrangements also take into consideration children’s ethnic and cultural backgrounds and any disabilities they may have. |
| 30.9 | Staff know which children and adults are sleeping in the house each night. [Regulation 25] |
OUTCOME Children are looked after by staff who are trained and competent to meet their needs. |
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| 31.1 | Staff receive training and development opportunities that equip them with the skills required to meet the needs of the children and the purpose of the home. |
| 31.2 | The registered person has an induction training programme for all newly appointed care and ancillary staff (including any agency, temporary, volunteer, and student staff ), which includes guidance on child protection. New staff are supervised, and are clear about accountability and reporting lines, and procedures to be followed in relation to emergencies, health and safety, child protection and notification of incidents. |
| 31.3 | An introduction to child protection procedures, fire training, medical procedures and recording is provided for all staff before they start work in a home. All care staff receive their full induction within six weeks of joining the home, and their foundation training within six months of joining the home. Both the induction training and the foundation training are to the National Training Organisation’s specification. |
| 31.4 | All childcare staff have a personal development plan, and receive at least 6 paid days of training per year. They have, where appropriate, access to continuing and post qualifying training in child care. A written record of all training for all staff is maintained in the home. |
| 31.5 | Where staff members do not already have the necessary skills, they have been provided with access to programmes of training available which address the issues detailed in Appendix 2. |
| 31.6 | Staff do not smoke with or in the presence of children accommodated in the home. Only in exceptional circumstances and with the registered person’s express permission do staff have a small alcoholic drink whilst on duty (e.g. Christmas lunch). Under no circumstances does a member of staff use any illegal drug or other substance in the home nor does a member of staff take any such substance into the home. In homes accommodating disabled children who need to be lifted or handled, staff are trained in lifting and handling techniques. [Regulation 27] |