Visitors to the Home

1. General

A workable system is required to monitor and manage visitors to Children’s Homes to ensure children and staff are safe. Visitors who have not been satisfactorily checked through the DBS system must not be allowed unsupervised access to children.

Children should be aware that staff are obliged to consider these matters in the interests of safety and welfare of all at the Home and children should be made aware of how to arrange planned visits to the Home by their family, friends etc.

Parents and relatives visiting the Home should not be given unsupervised access to other children in the Home. 

Visitors to the home may fall into several categories and can include social workers; parents / carers and relatives or friends of children; prospective employees; inspectors; neighbours or maintenance workers, delivery drivers, meter readers etc.

Staff should be vigilant when allowing visitors into the home, ensuring identification is always authenticated and the Visitors’ Book is signed on arrival and departure. If the visitor is unable to provide photographic ID, the manager must be consulted and give approval before contact is permitted.

The following applies to all visitors who are likely to remain in the home or come into contact with children:

• Visits should normally be planned in advance and agreed by the manager or staff (e.g. for social worker visits). Visits to children by parents, relatives and friends must be planned as set out in Section 2, Parents, Relatives and Friends. As part of the placement planning process, a risk assessment must be undertaken in relation to contact with family and friends;
• Visitors should be welcomed by a member of staff on duty, who should act as a reference person for them during visit. The member of staff should ensure that the visitor's identity is authenticated as described above;
• The visitor should be briefed on practical matters such as fire precautions, the location of toilets, mealtimes, etc.
• Any regular visitors (such as contractors or maintenance workers) who have not had Disclosure and Barring Service Checks must not be left alone with a child at any point;
• The visit must be recorded in the individual child's Daily Record.

If staff are concerned in any way following a visit to a child they should raise this with the manager and speak to the child's social worker as soon as is reasonably practicable.

2. Manager and Staff Responsibilities

• To establish the identity of the visitor. All professional visitors must have photographic ID;
• To record all appointments in the diary so staff know who to expect, however, some visitors may call unexpectedly or unannounced, in which case they know that staff will ask to see official identity;
• At the time of admission staff must advise children of the need to be security conscious throughout their placement. Children must be advised to let staff attend to any visitors, including answering the door to callers;
• At the time of admission children must be made aware that staff will always check to see who is outside before opening the door. If there is any doubt or concern around this the door will remain locked while staff establish the caller’s identity and/or purpose of their visit, by engaging in conversation;
• At the time of induction new staff must be made aware of the need to manage visitors. They must be made aware of the potential risks from visitors, particularly anyone who may wish to gain entry to the Home or draw the occupants to the door or outside, for malicious / unlawful intentions. All external doors are fitted with ‘thumb’ locks, which are always engaged in the locked position and re-locked once anyone has passed through;
• If the visitor is unknown and/or unexpected, staff must ensure that their colleague is aware of the situation. If it is decided to open the door caution may be exercised in that staff remain within the house or that they step back from the door to maintain a safe distance;
• Most professional/regular callers are well known to staff; but they may not be known to all residents- which is pointed out to the children as a reason for them to exercise caution, as they may think they are allowing admission to a genuine visitor, but this may not be the case;
• This could be the same for younger visitors; which a resident might assume is a ‘friend’ or relative of someone else. Staff must be aware there is a risk a person (child or adult), may call to seek retribution with an occupant of the Home, and staff will always need to be alert to the possibility of this, to maintain security and protection of all within the Home;
• To RECORD all visits made to the Home in the daily logbook and the Visitor’s Record.  Necessary details for the Visitor Record are:
  • Date;
  • Name of visitor;
  • Purpose of visit/who visiting;
  • Time of arrival/departure;
  • Whether fire evacuation procedures have been explained to the visitor;
  • Initials of member of staff completing the entry.

3. Parents, Relatives and Friends

Any contact between children and their parents, siblings, relatives or friends should be consistent with arrangements outlined in the child's Care Plan.

If parents or relatives arrive without prior agreement, staff should politely and sensitively explain that they cannot allow contact until the manager/social worker has been consulted. If there appear to be any immediate risks to the child or others, staff should seek guidance and support from a manager or, in exceptional circumstances, the Police.

4. Maintenance Workers and Contractors

See: Section 1, General.

Before contractors are permitted to undertake work in the home, the manager must ensure that they are properly briefed on the purpose and function of the home, and that any parameters are agreed, preferably in writing e.g. which parts of the home they may access, safe management of tools/equipment.

Staff must ask the visitor to prove their identity before entering the home. If the person is unable to do so or there is any doubt or concerns on the part of staff, they may not come into the home and should be politely referred to a manager.

Under no circumstances may contractors have unsupervised contact with children.

5. Officials (e.g. Social Workers, Independent Visitors, Regulatory Authority)

See: Section 1, General.

Independent Visitors or Advocates who are likely to require unsupervised contact with children must firstly satisfy the manager of the home that they have up to date Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service Checks.

Social workers, the Police and representatives of Regulatory Authority will not be required to provide details of Disclosure and Barring Service Checks.

6. Employees and Children from other Homes

See: Section 1, General.

Staff and children not working/living at the home must be treated as visitors; their arrival and departure must be recorded in the Daily Log and Visitors Book.

Should family members of employees visit the home, they must not be allowed to have unsupervised contact with children.

7. Neighbours

Neighbours may not have unsupervised contact with children.

• Where possible the locations of homes are chosen to ensure that any adverse impact on local residents is minimised but, where this is not possible, physical measures are taken such as the erection of substantial fences or the double glazing of windows from which a noise nuisance might emanate;
• Homes should discourage behaviour patterns, which are likely to cause difficulties e.g. noisy activities or loud music in close proximity to neighbours' property;
• In new locations, contact should be made with neighbours at the earliest opportunity and regular contact after that should be maintained. All efforts should be made to build up goodwill and understanding as they are of assistance if difficulties do arise;
• Neighbours should be given practical advice on dealing with our children which might include not inviting them into their homes, not lending money or offering cigarettes, etc.

If an incident occurs, it must be taken seriously. All phone calls or visits should be dealt with calmly and politely, even if aggressive. A manager should call back as soon as possible and if at all possible, arrange a visit to the neighbour. If the neighbour wishes to make a complaint, the manager should refer to the Representations and Complaints Procedure.