9.6.2 Accommodation: Repairs, Maintenance, Decoration and Furnishings |
Contents
1. Context and Scope
The Children Act 1989, the Care Standards Act 2000, and the National Minimum Standards for Children's Homes stress the importance of homely accommodation for children and young people placed in residential child care that should be decorated, furnished and maintained to a high standard, and provide adequate facilities for the children in their care.
2. Procedure
| 1.0 | The interior and exterior of the home should be maintained to a good standard of structural repair and decoration. A maintenance and repair programme should be in place and reviewed regularly, that deals promptly and adequately with any repairs that are needed. Gardens and/or hard play areas should also be well maintained and safe. |
| 1.1 | The home should be decorated, furnished and equipped appropriate to the Statement of Purpose and to a standard that creates a pleasant, homely environment for children and young people living there, with particular regard to the number, gender mix, age, culture and ethnic background of the children and young people. |
| 1.2 | Particular attention should be given to providing positive images of diversity, with respect to gender, ethnicity, culture, disability and sexuality. |
| 1.3 | There should be a distinction between private and community-shared space within the home. |
| 2.0 | Each young person should have his or her own bedroom of a suitable size. The only exception to this is when sibling groups are accommodated who may wish to share together. If the sibling groups are of mixed gender and/or if there is a wide age range, a risk assessment should be carried out to ascertain whether it is safe and appropriate to share a room. |
| 2.1 | Children and young people should not under any circumstances share bedrooms with adults. They should not share bedrooms with other young people of a significantly different age or of the opposite gender, except in sibling groups as in 2.0. |
| 3.0 | Within each bedroom, young people should have:
All bedrooms should be adequately heated and have appropriate floor covering. |
| 3.1 | Young people should be encouraged and supported to be involved in decisions about decorations and furnishings within the home. And, in particular, in relation to their own bedrooms, they should be encouraged and supported to personalise these. |
| 4.0 | One or more telephones should be provided for the exclusive use of young people to make telephone calls in private. These should be maintained and kept in good working order. |
| 5.0 | There should be facilities that enable young people to study at home. These should include a quiet space that has sufficient seating and desk facilities and that it is adequately lit. Appropriate and adequate numbers of books and study resources should also be available. |
| 5.1 | The Home should provide sufficient space and facilities for young people to pursue their hobbies at the home, to the same extent that would likely be available to children living within the same locality with their families. This should include sufficient and secure storage for the safekeeping of materials. Additionally there should be sufficient space and resources to meet young people’s private activities, recreational and play needs without affecting other children and young people’s routine activities. |
| 6.0 | The Home should provide sufficient room and comfort for young people to meet privately with visitors. |
| 7.0 | Staff sleeping in rooms should not be part of the communal space. They should be located close to young people’s bedrooms in order to be able to respond to any night time needs they may have. Staff should never be expected to share a sleeping in room. |
End