9.7.3 Staffing (Includes Sufficiency of Staffing Numbers, Staff Training, Supervision and Appraisal and Competence) |
AMENDMENT
This chapter has been amended in relation to the Children's Homes (Amendment) Regulations 2011, Associated Guidance (Volume 5) and National Minimum Standards (NMS). Changes have been highlighted below.
Contents
1. Context and Scope
The National Minimum Standards for Children's Homes, 2011, Standard 18 sets specific targets and time-scales, with regard to staff attaining NVQ qualifications. Additionally, Standards: 16, 17 and 19 of the Minimum Standards for Children's Homes gives clear direction to providers and registered managers about the quality and quantity of staffing for children's homes and this procedure responds to the requirements of all three Standards.
2. Procedure
| 1.0 | The staff team and individual staff members must be competent to meet the needs of:
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| 1.1 | Staffing levels should be as specified within the Statement of Purpose and these levels should be adequate to meet the particular needs of the children and young people resident at any time. Arrangements to cover staff sickness and absence should be in place to enable the staffing policy, as detailed in the Statement of Purpose, to be maintained. When necessary, staffing levels should be adjusted in order to safeguard and promote the welfare of each individual child or young person. |
| 1.2 | If, for any reason, a member of staff is on duty alone a risk assessment should have been carried out and recorded in writing. This should demonstrate that the level of risk is not unacceptably high to young people, staff and members of the public. |
| 1.3 | Continuity of staffing should be a priority in order to ensure that children and young people’s attachments are disrupted as little as possible. No more than half the staff on duty at any time, either night or day, should be temporary and this includes short-term agency staff. Temporary staff members should not be left alone on duty at night in the home. |
| 2.0 | Clear deputising arrangements must be in place for when the Children’s Homes Manager is absent. The designated assistant manager must have at least one year of management experience. Additionally, If a situation arises where both the Unit and Assistant Children’s Homes Managers are absent, suitable arrangements, that employ permanent members of staff only, must be in place for the deputising of the Home. |
| 3.0 | Those who carry out a ‘shift leader’ role must be permanent members of staff, who have successfully completed their induction and have substantial relevant experience of working within the Home. |
| 4.0 | The staff rotes should allow for the following, without compromising the overall care of the children and young people:
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| 5.0 | The staff team should be gender balanced so that, on a day - to - day basis, children and young people are looked after by both female and male staff. |
| 6.0 | Children and young people should never be given responsibility for supervising other children and young people in the Home. When children and young people do take on specific tasks (for example chairing the young people’s meeting) these should be supervised by staff in such a way as to ensure that they fulfil their roles without using bullying or other inappropriate means in order to carry out their responsibilities. |
| 7.0 | A minimum of 80% of the staff team should have successfully completed Level 3 NVQ: Caring for Children and Young People. |
| 7.1 | An induction-training programme should be in place for all new staff and delivered within 6 weeks of joining the establishment. Induction training should also be available to agency, temporary, volunteer and student staff. New staff should be given clear information about lines of accountability and reporting. They should know what procedures should be followed in the event of emergencies, health and safety issues, safeguarding issues and notification of incidents. |
| 7.2 | Staff should receive training and development opportunities that equip them to meet the needs of the children and young people and the Statement of Purpose of the Home. All childcare staff should have a personal development plan and receive at least three days paid training days per year. Additionally, where appropriate, childcare staff should have access to continuing and post qualifying training in childcare. |
| 8.0 | All staff should be aware of the Human Resources Procedure, which can be found on Wakefield Council Intranet, Human Resources, Advisory Services, and Employee Relations. For new staff this should be part of their induction process. In particular staff should be aware that they may be suspended, as a neutral act, pending any 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. |
| 9.0 | Staff should receive regular one to one supervision from their line manager, especially during their induction period. |
| 9.1 | All members of staff must have their performance individually and formally appraised at least annually. This appraisal must take into account any views of children the service is providing for. |
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