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

3. Complaints and Protection	Size:
Countering Bullying

	OUTCOME Children are protected from bullying.
	STANDARD 18
18.1	The registered person and the staff create an atmosphere where bullying is known to be unacceptable. There is a policy on countering bullying, which is known to children and staff and is effective in practice.
18.2	The registered person has a policy on countering bullying which includes:
	a definition of bullying, which is reviewed frequently with staff and children, and which includes bullying by staff and bullying that may occur elsewhere than in the home and which covers different types of bullying, e.g. on the grounds of race, gender, disability or sexual orientation, and which includes name-calling measures to prevent bullying and to respond to observed or reported bullying training for staff in awareness of, and effective strategies to counter, bullying.
18.3	This policy is available and known to both staff and children, including junior, agency and recently appointed staff. The policy is implemented, and monitored for effectiveness in practice. Steps are taken to ensure that the policy is revised where necessary to ensure that staff reduce and respond to bullying effectively.
18.4	Children who are bullied are supported, and children who may bully others are given suitable guidance.
18.5	The registered person regularly carries out recorded risk assessments of the times, places and circumstances in which the risk of bullying (including bullying amounting to abuse by other children) is greatest, and takes action where feasible to reduce or counteract the risk of bullying. [Regulation16]