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3.12.4 Regulation 34 Reviews of Children's Homes

SCOPE OF THIS CHAPTER

This applies to all children’s homes managed by the borough.


Contents

  1. Monitoring by Responsible Individual
  2. Monitoring by Registered Manager
  3. Inspection Reports


1. Monitoring by Responsible Individual

1.1

The Responsible Individual must monitor the performance of all children’s homes in the following way:

  1. Questionnaires to staff, young people, placing authorities, Independent Reviewing Officers, schools and colleges, GPs and dentists.
  2. Staff exit interviews/questionnaires
  3. Internal audits. 
  4. Regulatory Authority reports and action plans
  5. Specific investigations

The Responsible Individual in Hillingdon is the Head of Safeguarding.
1.2 The findings will be used to monitor the performance of the children’s homes on specific matters relating to child care practice and the performance of the registered manager and staff in meeting desired outcomes for the home and children placed there as set by the National Minimum Standards, the individual children’s Care Plans, and as set out in Schedule 6 of the Children’s Homes Regulations 2001.
1.3 The Responsible Individual will produce a regular Regulation 34 Report on the collective performance findings for all the children’s homes provided by the borough. 
1.4 These reports should also be made available to children, parents, any Placing Authority and staff. 
1.5 The Responsible Individual will also produce annually, for each home, an overview report of the findings of inspections by the Regulatory Authority and a review of the home's Statement of Purpose - either identifying any planned changes in the operation or resources of the home, or confirming the continuation of the home’s current operation and resources.
1.6 The overview reports will be presented by the Responsible Individual to the Corporate Parenting Board and the Corporate Parenting Policy and Overview Group.


2. Monitoring by Registered Manager

2.1 The registered manager will ensure that systems are in place to monitor the performance of the home against its Statement of Purpose, and for regular reviewing the Statement.
2.2 The registered manager will monitor and sign the home’s records at least once a month, to identify any patterns or issues requiring action. He/she will take action to improve or adjust provisions where necessary.
2.3 Where action is taken, in relation to any trend or pattern in recorded issues or events, to improve the safeguarding and promotion of the welfare of children and the quality of care in the home, the registered manager will ensure that staff and residents are informed.
2.4 The registered manager will consider the reasons for any high incidents of police involvement with children from the home, high proportion of children not at school or suspended or excluded from school, or high staff turnover, and ensure that any consequential action necessary is carried out.


3. Inspection Reports

3.1 Copies of inspection reports by the Regulatory Authority will be prominently displayed within the home and made available by the registered manager to all members of staff, to children resident at the home, to parents, and on request to the Placing Authority of existing children or considering placing a child.
3.2

The matters set out in Schedule 6 of the Children’s Homes Regulations 2001 are:

  • In relation to each child placed, compliance with the Placing Authority’s plan and the child's Placement Plan
  • The deposit and issue of money and valuables handed in for safe-keeping
  • Daily menus
  • All accidents and injuries sustained in the home or by children placed there
  • Any illnesses of children placed
  • Any complaints made by children placed, and their outcomes
  • Any allegations or suspicions of abuse in respect of children placed, and the outcome of any investigation
  • Staff recruitment records and the conduct of required checks for new workers in the home
  • Visitors to the home and to children placed
  • Notifications of events as required elsewhere in this Manual
  • Any unauthorised absences from the home of a child placed there.
  • The use of measures of control, Restraint and discipline in relation to children placed
  • Risk assessments for health and safety purposes and subsequent action taken
  • Medicines, medical treatment and first aid administered to any child placed
  • Duty rosters of persons working at the home and the rosters actually worked
  • The home’s daily log of events
  • Fire drills and tests of alarms and of fire equipment
  • Records of appraisals of employees
  • Minutes of staff meetings

End