1.3.3 Barricading |
This chapter should be read in conjunction with the following:
REGULATIONS AND STANDARDS
Children's Homes Regulations and Standards (England) 2001: Standard 21: Relationship with Children and Standard: 22: Behaviour Management
Children's Homes Regulations and Standards (Wales) 2002: Standard 14: Relationship with Children and Standard: 15: Behaviour Management
OUTCOME STATEMENT
Children assisted to develop socially acceptable behaviour through encouragement of acceptable behaviour and constructive staff response to inappropriate behaviour.
RELATED GUIDANCE
Incidents Guidance summarises what constitutes an Incident, provides guidance on recording of Incidents, notifications and management reviews.
Contents
1. Planning and Prevention
If there is any risk that children may lock or barricade themselves in a room in a way which prevents access to those caring for them, a Risk Assessment must be undertaken and a suitable strategy adopted to reduce or prevent it.
If the risk applies to the home, generally, the Strategies adopted should be outlined in the Statement of Purpose and Staff/Service Handbook.
If the risks apply to individual children, the Strategies should be outlined in relevant Placement Plans.
2. General Principles
If children lock or barricade themselves in a room in order to prevent access by staff, the actions that are necessary will depend on the risks posed.
2.1 Low Risk
If the risks are low, which means that there is no perceived risk of injury, damage to property or of any offence being committed, the situation should be monitored and efforts made to obtain the children's co-operation to resolve it satisfactorily.
The strategies that should be adopted will depend on the age, level of understanding of the child(ren) and other circumstances on the day. However, staff should do what they can to maintain a low risk, and not to escalate the situation.
2.2 Increased Risk
If there is a risk of Injury, Damage to Property or of an offence being committed, the actions which should take depend on the immediacy and seriousness of those risks.
The Strategies that should be adopted will depend on the age, level of understanding of the child(ren) and other circumstances on the day. However, staff should monitor the situation, doing what they can to reduce the risks. All decisions and actions taken must be recorded.
If possible, other staff as well as Manager or supervisor and the relevant social worker should be consulted before actions are taken. However, it is for those staff, on the spot, to decide what actions are necessary, having considered all the risks and strategies that are available to them.
If at all possible, staff must act in a way which reduces or prevents the need to act with force but, if the risks escalate to an extent that Physical Intervention, including force entry is necessary, staff may only act in keeping with relevant procedures in this manual.
For further information see;
Contacting the Police Procedure
3. Notifications and Management Review
There are different notifications procedures depending on whether matters are concluded with or without the co-operation of children.
3.1 With Co-operation: No Incident occurs
If concluded with the co-operation of the child(ren), in that no Incident occurred, the Manager should be notified at the first opportunity; the manager will then decide whether to notify the relevant social worker.
3.2 Without Co-operation: An Incident occurred
Where entry is forced it is deemed to be an Incident. The Manager and child's Social Worker must be notified within 24 hours or as soon as practicable thereafter.
The social worker should decide whether to inform the child's parent(s) and, if so, who should do so.
Depending on the seriousness of the Incident, other people/agencies may have to be notified, see Notifiable Events Procedure.
The manager must conduct a Management Review as set out in Incidents Guidance
4. Recording
A detailed record of the incident must be entered within the child's daily records and placed in the child's file. Any incident that requires involvement or notification to external agencies must be recorded in the relevant records held in the home.
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