As a young person in one of our homes, we want you to feel safe, secure, and comfortable in your new surroundings. We provide you with a wide-ranging support network designed to help you in any way you might need it to. These are some of the ways we work to achieve those goals.
WE KEEP YOU SAFE AND TRUSTED
WE KEEP YOU IN TOUCH WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS
WE LISTEN TO YOUR WISHES AND FEELINGS
WE'RE HERE TO HELP WITH YOUR FUTURE
Our aim is to always keep you safe. This means that sometimes you might not be happy with the decisions we
need to make
to ensure that. You will have a risk assessment that will look at things that have happened to you in the
past as well
as things that are happening now. We will work with you (within your individual risk assessment) to minimise
those
risks, but there may be times when we cannot allow you to do certain things. The reason is that doing so
might cause you
harm.
All of our staff are trained to keep you safe, and we have a designated Safeguarding Lead whose job it is to
ensure
everyone under our care is safe. If you are unhappy about any of our decisions, you can speak to the
Safeguarding Lead
about them and they will discuss your concerns with the manager.
If you are ever unsafe, or should your give us any information that makes you unsafe or has made you unsafe
in the past,
we will take immediate action to keep you from any further harm. We will also be required to inform you
social worker
and we may also have to tell the police.
Prior to your admission to the home, you will be given a Young Person's Guide. This will provide you with
essential
information about how you will be supported and looked after while you live with us.
You will receive one-to-one daily support from one of the six care staff we have working in the home. In
addition, you
will have a key worker assigned to you, who will support you in arranging your appointments, any meetings
that you need
to attend, and your education, as well as ensuring all of your health needs are met.
Each home also has a manager and an assistant manager on site. Their role is to support you by making sure
that the
staff looking after you do so in a way that meets your care, education, and health care needs.
As well as the team in the home, we also have several senior managers who regularly visit our homes and who
can provide
you with further support, should you need it.
It is important that you maintain contact with family and friends and your contact will be agreed as part of your plans when you come to live at the home, staff will facilitate your contact if that is part of your plan. Should any risks arise with your contact then a planning meeting may be called with your social worker to discuss this further.
While living in our homes, you will have plenty of opportunities to talk about your wishes and feelings. We
are always
available to listen to you and, wherever possible, we will do what we can to action any requests on your
behalf.
Of course, there may be times when we cannot action your wishes. In these cases, we will always explain to
you the
reasons why we are unable to do something that you have requested.
If you are unhappy with any of the decisions made in the home by our support staff, then there are several
people you
can talk to about this. These include the in-house manager or assistant manager, as well as the Operations
Manager and
the Regulation 44 visitor to the home. You can also speak to your advocate about our decisions, should you
have one, or
your social worker. You can also speak to our regulatory body, Ofsted, or raise a formal complaint.
AFFINITY
While staying in our residential homes you will have your own individual plans that will help you set and
attain
achievable goals. These plans are reviewed on a regular basis (mainly by your key worker) and we encourage you
to
contribute to them.
There may be other plans - including Education, Health, and Care plans (EHCP) or plans put together by your
social
worker. You may also see these plans, though we will need to ask the person who wrote them for their permission
to share
them with you.
If you are not happy with any of your plans, feel free to speak to the manager, the operations manager, or your
social
worker.
For more information about the work we do here at Affinity, click on one of the links above, or get in touch with the team. We're happy to assist you!
Phone : 01543387601
Email : info@affinitychildrens.co.uk