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| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Safe Use of the Internet, Social Media and Photographs | This chapter has been refreshed, and additional links added in Further Information. |
| Leadership and Management | Section 2.2, Appointment of Manager has been updated in line with updated Ofsted Guidance – Social Care Common Inspection Framework: Children’s Homes. |
| Staffing and Safer Recruitment | New sections have been added into Section 2, Safe Recruitment and Employment Checks, on Prospective Staff Spending Time in the Home and Carrying Out Interviews, in line with updated Ofsted guidance. A link has been added to information on DBS Digital Identity Verification Guidance. |
| Next Update: August 2024 |
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Case Recording | This chapter has been updated in relation to the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse. |
| Health Needs Assessments and Individual Heath Care Plans | Information in relation to allergies has been added into Section 2, Individual Health Care Plans. |
| Provision and Preparation of Meals | Information in relation to allergies has been added into Section 1, Responsibility and Risk Assessments. |
| First Aid, Homely Remedies and Medication | Section 2, Allergies has been added. |
| Allegations Against Staff and Volunteers | This chapter has been amended in line with revised Keeping Children Safe in Education. A new Section 2, The Difference Between an Allegation of Harm and a Concern has been added. |
| Self Harm and Suicidal Behaviour | This chapter has been amended to include a link to Self-harm: Assessment, Management and Preventing Recurrence NICE Guidance in the Further Information section. |
| New Chapters and Features | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Supporting Children and Young People with Disabilities | This chapter has been added to the manual. |
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Providing Personalised Care | This chapter has been updated. |
| Case Recording | This chapter has been updated. |
| Advocacy, Independent Visitors and Independent Reviewing Officers | This chapter has been updated. |
| Safe Use of the Internet, Social Media and Photographs | This chapter has been updated. |
| Education | This chapter has been updated. |
| Leisure and Activities | This chapter has been updated. |
| Health and Wellbeing, Health Notifications and Access to Services | This chapter has been updated. |
| Positive Relationships and Behaviour Management | This chapter has been updated. |
| Use of Restraint and Physical Interventions | This chapter has been updated. |
| Searching Children/Bedrooms | Additional information has been added in relation to the arrangements around gender of staff undertaking searches. |
| Safeguarding Children and Young People and Referring Safeguarding Concerns | This chapter has been updated. |
| Surveillance and Monitoring | This chapter has been updated. |
| Care and Placement Planning | This chapter has been updated. |
| Looked After Reviews and Disruption Meetings | This chapter has been updated. |
| New Chapters and Features | |
| Equality and Diversity | This chapter has been added. |
| Consultation and Participation | This chapter has been added. |
| Female Genital Mutilation | This chapter has been added. |
| Health and Safety | This chapter has been added. |
| Risk Assessment and Planning | This chapter has been added. |
| Leadership and Management | This chapter has been added. |
| Recording and Reporting of Accidents | This chapter has been added. |
| Staffing and Safer Recruitment | This chapter has been added. |
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Residential Child Care – Key Principles | This chapter has been given a general refresh. |
| Information Sharing | This chapter has been given a general refresh. |
| Consents and Delegated Authority | This chapter has been given a general refresh. |
| Family Time/Contact with Parents/Carers, Siblings and Others | This chapter has been given a general refresh. |
| Staying in Touch, the Safe Use of the Internet, Social Media and Taking Photographs | A link to the Children’s Commissioner guide about Talking to Your Child About Online Sexual Harassment has been added. A link to Childnet Parents and Carers Toolkit has also been added. |
| Bedrooms | This chapter has been given a general refresh. |
| Access to Records | This chapter has been given a general refresh. |
| Education | This chapter has been amended throughout to reflect Keeping Children Safe in Education Statutory Guidance and the outcome of Ofsted’s thematic report, Review of sexual abuse in schools and colleges. Please see the Section 4, Safeguarding in Schools. New sections on Section 2.1, Placing the Child and Section 2.2, The Role of the Virtual Head (VSH) have been added and additional material has enhanced the Personal Education Plans (PEPs) (see Section 2.3, Personal Education Plans (PEPs)). Section 4, Safeguarding in Schools has been updated to reflect the importance of sharing allegations or concerns about an adult’s behaviour as set out in Keeping Children Safe in Education. |
| Holidays and School Trips | This chapter has been given a general refresh. |
| Transporting Children | This chapter has been given a general refresh. |
| Blood Borne Viruses (BBVs) | This chapter has been given a general refresh. |
| Provision and Preparation of Meals | This chapter has been given a general refresh. |
| Drugs | This chapter has been given a general refresh. |
| Smoking | This chapter has been given a general refresh. |
| First Aid, Homely Remedies and Medication | This chapter has been given a general refresh. |
| Clothing, Pocket Money and Allowances | This chapter has been given a general refresh. |
| Use of Restraint and Physical Interventions | A link to Ofsted Guidance Positive Environments Where Children Can Flourish has been added. |
| Searching Children/Bedrooms | This chapter has been given a general refresh. |
| Bullying | This chapter has been given a general refresh. |
| Offending and Anti-Social Behaviour – Guidance on when to Involve the Police | This chapter has been given a general refresh. |
| Recognising Abuse and Neglect | This chapter has been given a general refresh. |
| Allegations Against Staff and Volunteers | KCSIE highlights the importance of sharing and responding to any concerns, about the behaviour of an adult who works with children, no matter how small. This chapter has been revised to also consider low level concerns, with a new section added in relation to the differences between an ‘allegation’ and a concern. |
| Complaints by and On Behalf of Children | This chapter has been given a general refresh. |
| Role of Appropriate Adults | This chapter has been given a general refresh. |
| Visitors to the Home | This chapter has been given a general refresh. |
| Notification of Serious Events | This chapter has been given a general refresh. |
| Lone Working | This chapter has been given a general refresh. |
| Gift Giving and Receiving | This chapter has been given a general refresh. |
| Placements and Admissions | This chapter has been amended to note the importance of a child’s belonging’s being transferred in appropriate luggage and to add a link to the NYAS ‘My Things Matter’ Report – support and respect care-experienced children and their belongings when they move (see Section 3, Planning). |
| Emergency Placement and Emergency Reviews | This chapter has been given a general refresh. |
| Moving to Another Placement | This chapter has been amended to add a link to the NYAS ‘My Things Matter’ Report – support and respect care-experienced children and their belongings when they move (see Section 2, Arrangements for the Transfer to Another Home). |
| New Chapters and Features | |
| Alcohol | This chapter has been added. |
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Residential Child Care - Key Principles | This chapter has been given a general refresh. |
| Staying in Touch, the Safe Use of the Internet, Social Media and Taking Photographs | Links have been added in Relevant Guidance to the NSPCC Report Remove Tool and the UK Council for Internet Safety (UKCIS) Digital Passport. |
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Information Sharing | This guidance has been reviewed and updated throughout to reflect updated advice on information sharing contained in the statutory guidance Working Together to Safeguard Children. |
| Advocacy and Independent Visitors | This guidance has been reviewed and updated throughout. |
| Staff Qualifications and Employment Checks | A note has been added regarding the checks which employers must carry out to ensure that any person applying to work in the home has the right to work in the UK. See Section 3, Safe Recruitment and Employment Checks. |
| Preparation for Leaving Care | A link to the publication Joint Housing Protocols for Care Leavers: good practice advice (DfE and MHCLG) has been added. Information has also been added to reflect Working Together to Safeguard Children in respect of Homelessness and the vulnerability of children and young people who are in this situation, or are threatened with this (see Section 1.7, Pathway Plan). |
| New Chapters and Features | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Incidents Guidance | This new guidance explains the notification and recording requirements following an incident in the home. It also contains guidance on how staff can be supported following an incident |
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Statement of Purpose | This section has been updated to set out in greater detail the information which the Statement of Purpose for each Leeds City Council Children’s home must contain. |
| Family Time/Contact | A new Section 6, Integrated Treatment Model (ITM) Home Specific Approach to Family Time / Contact has been added to provide detail on the way contact is handled - and gradually increased - within the ITM home. |
| Staying in Touch, the Safe Use of the Internet, Social Media and Taking Photographs | Information for residential staff on how to manage young people’s use of social networking sites and apps has been added into Section 1, Key Principles. |
| First Aid, Homely Remedies and Medication | This guidance has been updated to reflect practice in Leeds Children’s Homes. |
| Behaviour Management | This guidance has been reviewed throughout and updated to reflect the restorative way of working which is used in Leeds Children’s Homes. A new Section 5, Behaviour Management with Integrated Treatment Model (ITM)Homes has been also added. |
| Missing Children | A new Section 6.2, Philomena Protocol has been added. The protocol encourages carers to compile useful information, which could be used in the event of a young person going missing from care, and will include:
This joint approach is aimed at protecting vulnerable children in West Yorkshire both to prevent missing episodes occurring, and if a child does go missing, assist in finding them quickly. |
| Allegations Against Staff and Volunteers | A fourth bullet point has been added into Section1, Introduction to reflect the revised guidance Working Together to Safeguard Children. The new bullet point means this procedure now covers situations where an individual has behaved or may have behaved in a way that indicates they may not be suitable to work with children. This is to capture concerns around transferable risk; for example where a person who works in the home is involved in a domestic abuse incident and this may have implications for their suitability to work with children. |
| Notification of Serious Events | This procedure has been updated to reflect the latest Ofsted guidance for social care providers on the types of incident which they consider to be serious, and which therefore will require notification to the regulatory authority. New sections on the quality of notifications and learning from notifications have been added. |
| Staff Qualifications and Employment Checks | This guidance has been reviewed throughout and updated as required. Section 3, Safe Recruitment and Employment Checks is new. |
| New Chapters and Features | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Child Criminal Exploitation and County Lines | This new chapter provides information on Child Criminal Exploitation, including county lines. It covers signs and indicators that children are being exploited, and offers guidance on how staff in Children’s Homes can respond to keep children safe from harm linked to criminal exploitation. |
| Surveillance and Monitoring | This procedure has been updated to reflect the latest Ofsted guidance for social care providers on the types of incident which they consider to be serious, and which therefore will require notification to the regulatory authority. New sections on the quality of notifications and learning from notifications have been added. |
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Allegations Against Staff and Volunteers | This guidance has been reviewed and updated as required. |
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Notification of Serious Events | This procedure has been reviewed throughout and extensively updated as required to reflect the latest advice from Ofsted in relation to the notification of serious events. |
| Moving to Another Placement | This guidance has been reviewed throughout and updated as required. Section 2, Arrangements for the Transfer to Another Home, has been updated to include a note on the actions placing authorities are required to undertake if a young person is moving from the home into an unregulated placement. |
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
Information Sharing |
This guidance has been updated to reflect Working Together to Safeguard Children (2018) and the revised DfE Information Sharing Advice for Practitioners Providing Safeguarding Services to Children, Young People, Parents and Carers. |
| Recognising Abuse and Neglect | Section 6, Sexual Abuse and Section 8, Bullying (including Online/Cyberbullying) have been reviewed and completely updated. |
| Safeguarding Children and Young People from Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) | Links have been added to resources for practitioners working with children who have been, or are at risk of, Child Sexual Exploitation published by Barnardos and Research in Practice. |
| Care and Placement Plans Guidance | This guidance has been reviewed and updated throughout as required. Information in relation to Pathway Plans has been updated to reflect that care leavers can request support from local authorities up to the age of 25 years. |
