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:
Staff Support

	OUTCOME Children are looked after by staff who are themselves supported and guided in safeguarding and promoting the children’s welfare.
	STANDARD 28
28.1	All staff, including domestic staff and the registered person of the home, are properly managed, supported and understand to whom they are accountable.
28.2	All staff and others working in the home (including temporary, contracted, seconded and ancillary staff ) receive at least one and a half hours of one to one supervision from a senior member of staff each month. New staff receive one to one supervision at least fortnightly during the first 6 months of their employment. Agency staff and those employed infrequently to cover staff absences must receive one to one supervision no less frequently than after each 8 shifts worked in the home. (In schools which are homes, staff receive at least one and a half hours one to one supervision from a senior member of staff each half-term. New staff receive one to one supervision at least fortnightly during the first two terms of their employment. Agency staff and those employed infrequently to cover staff absences receive one to one supervision no less than once in every half term they work more than 10 shifts or days at the school.) Records are kept of agreed action following all supervision meetings.
28.3	A written record is kept in the home detailing the time and date and length of each supervision held for each member of staff, including the registered person. The record is signed by the supervisor and the member of staff at the end of the supervision and is available for inspection by the Commission.
28.4	Supervision of staff working with children addresses the following issues:
	responses to and methods of working with children work with any child for whom the staff member is key worker the staff member’s role, including their accountability, in fulfilling the home’s Statement of Purpose the staff member’s work in fulfilling the placement plan for individual children degree of personal involvement, feelings, concerns and stress staff development and training feedback on performance guidance on current and new tasks, including the setting and maintenance of standards personal issues which may impinge on the member of staff ’s ability to carry out their duties effectively.
28.5	Suitable arrangements exist for professional supervision of the registered person of the home.
28.6	All staff, including the registered person, have received written job descriptions and person specifications related to the home’s current Statement of Purpose which state clearly their responsibilities, the duties currently expected of them and their line of accountability. Job descriptions are subject to periodic review.
28.7	All staff have their performance individually and formally appraised at least annually by their line manager (for teachers, this will normally be part of Performance Management and is not a separate process). The employee’s personal file contains a record of the appraisal showing the level of performance achieved, targets for the coming year, and the agreed training needs to be met within the following year as part of the individual’s Personal Development Plan.
28.8	Staff are provided with written guidance on the home’s procedures and practice. This is kept up to date, is accessible, and where applicable is available on the policy areas detailed in Appendix 1. Staff are informed of the home’s complaints procedure.
28.9	Staff of the home have access to sources of advice and counselling.
28.10	Staff meetings occur at least monthly, and include discussion of both the home’s work in caring for individual children and the management of the current child group, together with review of the home’s practices. Meetings have an agenda and are minuted. [Regulation 27]