9.2.1 Statement of Purpose |
Contents
1. Context
National Minimum Standards for Children's Homes, 2011, requires that the registered person approves the Statement of Purpose and the Children's Guide and reviews them at least annually.
The Children's Guide must includes a summary of what the home sets out to do for children, how they can find out their rights, how a child can contact their Independent Reviewing Officer, the Children's Rights Director, Ofsted if they wish to raise a concern with inspectors, and how to secure access to an independent advocate.
2. Scope
The Statement of Purpose should be seen as a living document that has a number of roles and aims. These can be summarised as follows:
- To help those with responsibility for finding and making placements for children and young people, to make informed decisions about such placements
- A document that informs staff, young people, families and colleagues about the establishment
- A management tool that assists the Children’s Homes Manager in making appropriate management decisions, in relation to the placement of children and young people into the Home
The Children’s Guide should also be seen as a living document that informs children and young people, as soon as they are admitted, about what to expect in their new home.
3. Procedure
| 1.0 | Each residential childcare establishment must have a written Statement of Purpose that clearly sets out the ethos, aims and objectives of the home in a form that can be easily understood by the children and young people in the home, staff, placing social workers and any parent or person with Parental Responsibility for a child or young person placed at the home. |
| 1.1 | The Statement of Purpose should be readily available to staff, young people, parents, social workers, Regulation 33 Inspector and Ofsted Inspectors. |
| 1.2 | The Statement of Purpose of each home should be reviewed annually as part of the overall strategic planning and development of the placement system for Looked After Children and young people. |
| 2.0 | Each residential childcare establishment must have a Children’s Guide that helps inform young people about their home. |
| 2.1 | The Guide should include a summary of what the home sets out to do for young people and it should be given to them when they are admitted into the home. Additionally the Children’s Guide should contain information on how a young person can gain access to an independent advocate and how to make a complaint. |
| 2.2 | The Children’s Guide should also be readily available as in 1.1 above. |
| 3.0 | Both the Statement of Purpose and the Children's Guide should be written and produced with the involvement of staff and young people. It should be written in a manner which is accessible to the children who will be living in the home. Children with Disabilities may need help to use and understand the Children’s Guide. |
End