Safeguarding

  Safeguarding           

Fusion Matrix care. fully recognises and takes seriously its responsibilities on safeguarding, therefore all staff receives safeguarding training which raises awareness to this and their responsibility and duty in protecting the young people in our care. 

Our priority is to ensure the young person is safe from the alleged perpetrator of abuse.

Staff have a key role in identifying abuse if it occurs and bringing it to the attention of responsible authorities.

We will follow the guidelines set out by the Local Safeguarding Children’s Board and we will take account of guidance issued by the Department for Education to:

· Ensure the designated safeguarding officer responsible for safeguarding has received appropriate training and support for this role. 

· Ensure every member of staff knows the name of the designated safeguarding officer and understands their role. 

· Ensure all staff understand their responsibilities in being alert to the signs of abuse and responsibility for referring any concerns to the designated safeguarding officer 

· Develop effective links with relevant agencies and co-operate as required with their enquiries regarding safeguarding matters. 

· Consult with local safeguarding professionals in the development and maintenance of our safeguarding policy and procedures. 

·  Keep written records of concerns about young people even where there is no need to refer the matter immediately. 

· Ensure all records are kept securely and in locked locations. 

· Implement the use of secure online storage systems for backing up files. 

· Develop and then follow internal procedures where an allegation is made against a member of staff. Utilise Fusion matrix care disciplinary and grievance procedures where appropriate and relevant. 

· Ensure safe recruitment practices are always followed in accordance with the Fusion Matrix care recruitment policy and UK legislation, specifically, in respect of the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). 

· Ensure all staff are subjected to enhanced DBS disclosures, renew every three years and maintain an up-to-date central list of records. 

· Ensure Fusion Matrix care ICT policy is understood and followed by staff and residents alike.

· Provide systems of security such as visitor and staff ID checking arrangements and signing in processes, and security cameras, door access and vision panels (where possible).

·  Providing educational opportunities for staff to develop and refresh safeguarding knowledge.

·  Establish and maintain an environment where young people feel secure, are encouraged to talk, and are listened to. 

·  Ensure young people know that there are adults in the organisation whom they can approach if they are worried and want to talk. 

· Ensure young people know who to contact outside of our organisation if they feel unable to disclose information to someone within. 

At Fusion Matrix care we want residents to see the house as their home and they should feel safe and secure in it. The staff will not tolerate bullying and will always challenge it. Staff will always be prepared to listen and do everything possible to ensure appropriate action is taken, such action may include involving police or initiating child/adult protection procedures.

The house works proactively in undertaking risk assessments to identify the potential for young people who may be bullied or those who may bully.

An ongoing risk assessment is also made in regard of how both the young person’s immediate and extended environment can contribute to bullying. 

Staff will ensure they work as a collective, cohesive team to ensure bullying is challenged at all times within the house and that the values and ethos of the house depend upon the principles of respect, consideration and co-operation. Any young person being bullied will be treated with empathy and understanding and given support and protection.

Fire safety    

At Fusion Matrix care we ensure that adequate arrangements are in place to deal with fire safety at our premises.

· Employees are aware of the fire and evacuation arrangements and other emergency procedures.

· Emergency equipment is provided, tested, and maintained appropriately and adequate fire risk assessments are completed. 

· An alarm test is carried out weekly. 

· Alarm points are to be tested alternatively. 

· All tests are to be recorded in the house fire log. 

· Emergency lighting tests are carried out at the same time and recorded in the fire log. 

· Our policy is for fire evacuation drills to be carried out monthly.

· Employees/residents will be made aware of fire procedures and of the location of firefighting equipment and escape routes from the premises as part of their induction/admission. 

· Employees will ensure that there are no obstructions to any such equipment or escape route. 

· Employees must report any deficiency of the firefighting/safety equipment to the home manager immediately. 

· Employees are trained in the actions to be taken in the event of a fire emergency, and to know what actions they will be expected to take. 

· Any person discovering a fire will immediately operate/activate the alarm via the nearest fire point. 

· In the event of a fire or sounding of the alarms the building must be evacuated as quickly as possible via any appropriate exit. 

· The designated person/staff member will ensure their individual responsibilities are undertaken which include: 

· Assisting and ensuring residents and any visitors vacate the building.

· The logbook and visitors’ book are taken out in order to check that all residents, visitors and personnel can be accounted for and provide the fire service with accurate information.

·  Telephone 999 requesting the services of the fire service. 

· Staff may attempt to tackle the fire provided they have received appropriate training with the equipment available until the fire brigade arrives but at no time should they put their own life or wellbeing at risk. 

·  Details of any activation of the fire alarm must be recorded in the fire log as must details of any evacuation including drills. 

· The house will conduct weekly visual electrical checks e.g. Cracks to the casing of electrical appliances, cracks, or cuts to wiring, damaged electrical sockets, plugs etc. in line with health and safety requirements. Any defects found must be addressed immediately. 

· A current electrical installation certificate is held by each house. An annual portable appliance test (PAT) is conducted by qualified electricians and a current landlord’s gas certificate is held by each house.

  Consultation with young people

At Fusion Matrix care the views of residents are considered extremely important and very much valued.

This approach is important in creating the sense of ownership and responsibility we encourage in the young person’s life. 

We embrace the principle of partnership in accordance with the Children Act 1989. The principle of partnership in practice involves communication and consultation and is implemented in practice via the following forums: Consulting young people via key-working sessions about matters such as: 

· Decor and furnishings of the home, including their bedrooms 

· Recreational, sporting, and cultural activities 

· Birthday and Christmas presents 

· Educational and careers matters e.g. choice of subjects/exams and choice of college/ training provider 

· Involvement, when applicable, in staff selection processes 

· Where appropriate, choice of key worker 

· All health matters. These are only examples and not an exhaustive list. Other means of consultation include: 

· Regular house meetings l Six-monthly anonymous feedback questionnaires 

· Consulting parents (if age appropriate) and social workers 

· Upon referral, the young person’s views, preferences, and beliefs with regard to their religious and cultural persuasion.

Consequences

The main aim of Fusion Matrix care semi-independent service is to prepare young people for independence and support them during this transition.

Therefore, young people should be made aware of ‘real-world consequences’ for their actions.

‘Real-world consequences’ are consequences that would happen to anyone in society who carried out the same or similar action as the young person. 

By working in this way young people will learn what independence means and how their actions have consequences to their daily living in a real and direct way. 

There may, however, be times when sanctions are imposed to further illustrate the ‘real-world consequences’ young people will face, or used as a way of encouraging the young person to take responsibility and acknowledge that they are becoming adults and independent living is something they need to accept. 

EXAMPLES OF CONSEQUENCES: 

· Young people who stay up late meaning they miss appointments or do not go to college or work will find the communal areas are locked the following evening to ensure they go to bed at appropriate times. 

· Young people who deliberately damage or neglect property at the home will be given a financial penalty to cover the cost of the damaged item. Staff is always thinking of ways to illustrate to young people how their actions will impact their lives once living independently and any planned sanctions are reported to the manager beforehand and recorded in the president’s personal file.

Physical interventions 

As part of the assessment and planning process for all young people, consideration must be given to whether the young person is likely to behave in ways which may place him/herself or others at risk of significant harm/injury or may cause damage to property. 

If such risks exist, consideration must be given to the strategies that will be adopted to prevent or reduce the risk. 

It is Fusion Matrix care policy to use behaviour management, de-escalation or avoidance techniques rather than using physical intervention. 

Different methods work for different young people, therefore it is vital that staff are familiar with appropriate techniques for individual residents, as well as potential triggers to violent or harmful behaviour. 

Fusion Matrix care does not permit the use of restraint methods as we try to teach young people ‘real world consequences’ to help prepare them for independence i.e. if they physically assault someone or damage property in the ‘real world’, the police are called and they may face prosecution. 

Young people are made aware of this as part of the admission process and should be reminded of this if displaying any aggressive or violent behaviour. 

If staff are in a situation where they feel additional support is necessary, they should immediately call a manager or director for assistance and call the police. 

If staff feel that they or other residents are at risk of harm, they should ensure that any other residents who may be at risk lock themselves in a room e.g. bathroom, staff room, and the staff member should then do the same. 

The staff member will then alert the police and report the incident.

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  PERMITTED PHYSICAL INTERVENTIONS 

TOUCHING: This includes minimum contact to lead, guide, usher or block a resident; applied in a manner which permits the resident quite a lot of freedom and mobility.

PRESENCE: A form of control using no contact, such as standing in front of a resident or obstructing a doorway to negotiate with a resident or prevent them entry e.g. if they are trying to enter the office if another resident is in there and afraid; but allowing the resident the freedom to leave if they wish.

Religion and culture

We will encourage young people to attend religious services, or receive religious instruction on the premises, in response to their needs and wishes, given their age and understanding. Information on the religious and cultural needs of each young person will be gathered as part of the pre-admission planning, and will be incorporated into their written pathway plan. 

At all times consideration will be given to religious and cultural issues, including any specific dietary or dress requirements. 

Staff are encouraged to show creativity in widening residents’ awareness to differing religious and cultural beliefs e.g. Chinese New Year, holding themed events, special meals, recording programmes etc, which educate and widen the young person’s outlook and attitudes, thereby promoting tolerance and respect for difference and diversity   

EQUALITY, DIVERSITY & RIGHTS

Fusion Matrix care  aims to create a culture that respects and values each other’s differences, that promotes dignity, equality and diversity, and we ensure that all staff members are suitably trained in all aspects of equality and diversity including legislation and their responsibilities.

The staff will challenge attitudes, behaviour and language that are non-inclusive and discriminatory, in a positive way. 

We encourage young people to develop respect for themselves and for others and deliver services that recognise and build on the strengths of young people from all cultures, religions, gender, age, sexual orientation, ability and backgrounds; in ways that meet their needs and help them to achieve their full potential.

Young people are offered opportunities to try out new experiences, which are not restricted by traditional gender options. 

They are also encouraged and supported to understand their rights and be well-informed about ways of challenging discrimination. 

Staff recognise the importance of young people needing to know their rights as this empowers them and assists in protecting them.

Staff respect these rights and will advocate for those rights on behalf of young people and their families. We actively encourage young people to explore that in exercising their rights they also have responsibilities and to respect the fact that other people also have rights.   

Care and pathway plan review.

Fusion Matrix Care has spent much time and resources developing a method of support that not only identifies potential barriers to achieving independence, but also ways and means to support the individual to overcome these barriers.

Person-centred planning is key to this approach. With this in mind, we always strive to involve the young person and other identified individuals in every aspect of their care. Regular reviews of the systems used, both on an individual and company-wide basis, ensure we evolve and change to meet the wide variety of needs presented by our residents. Regular reviews of a young person’s care is an essential part of meeting a young person’s needs. Alongside the use of pathway plans to review this, there will also be frequent care review meetings (the first should be after the first week of the placement start date) with the involvement of social services, health care individual and family.

The young person will always be made aware of who is attending and given the opportunity to invite people that he/she would like to attend. Young people will also be given the chance to ‘chair’ these reviews, giving them a sense of control over the care they receive.  

Absent or missing residents  

Staff should be aware of the reasons why young people may ‘run away’, such as being worried about an event, unhappy in the house, or fear of returning late and facing the consequences. 

Young people do not always run away, they may be running to a person, place or event. 

Some young people may be frequently absent without permission due to the attractions of their friendships and former lifestyle.

The risks of this absence may include sexual exploitation, drugs, alcohol, violence, crime, self-harm, or neglect of Health. 

Young people are less likely to abscond, become missing or absent without consent where they feel secure and safe, able to express their feelings and wishes, make appropriate choices and develop positive relationships with the staff and their peers, which are free from bullying. Young people should feel that their plans are being progressed, that they have a positive future and that staff are working enthusiastically to advise, support and listen to them. 

Young people should also have a clear understanding of expectations upon them, the routines of the house and house rules. They should know whether it’s acceptable, or not, to leave the home without permission or consent and they should be informed of the risks that are posed to them if they become missing, abscond or absent themselves, and of the consequences. If the home is experiencing high levels of absence, absconding or incidences of young people being missing, managers will undertake a formal review of the culture and strategies being used in the house and take steps to reduce the incidents.

All young people must have a risk assessment and placement plan which takes account of any likely risk of the young person absconding, becoming missing or absent without consent.

If there are known/likely risks, the risk assessment and placement plan should incorporate measures to reduce or prevent the young person becoming absent, and information that would help identify the location of the young person should they go missing.

At the request of the young person or where there are concerns about a young person who frequently becomes absent or missing, the home manager should consider raising concerns with the resident’s social worker or arranging a meeting between the young person and the placing authority to discuss the reasons for the young person going missing and agree strategies to reduce the risk.

A ‘Compact Report’, containing personal and contact details and identifiable physical features, will be completed for all young people, at the point of admission. The young person’s placement plan should be reviewed regularly and after any absence. 

It is crucial that staff always show care and concern, even if they are sure that a young person is going to run away. It is important to make a point of showing care and concern both for the young person’s benefit and for other young people in the home. 

However, staff are responsible for taking all reasonable steps to prevent young people from leaving, especially if it will result in the young person or others being placed at risk. If absenting is in a young person’s history prior to placement, strategies for preventing periods of absence should be agreed with the social worker or person with parental responsibility. 

Residents in the care of Fusion Matrix care will have an individualised strategy in place to deal with absence. 

Where there is no agreed strategy the following must apply if it is apparent or suspected that a young person is absent, absconded or missing:

· Staff will make repeated attempts to contact the young person via their mobile phone. 

· Staff should undertake enquiries with the other young people in residence, or known associates, as to the whereabouts of the young person to establish that s/he is absent.

·  If the young person has become absent during an activity away from the house, staff should conduct a search of the vicinity, if it is safe to do so. They should also call hospitals and local police stations. 

· When all attempts of contact have been unsuccessful, and staff are satisfied that the young person is absent, absconded or missing, they will:

·  Notify the manager 

· Contact the Police and report the young person as missing (giving details of the young person from the Compact Report) 

· Contact Social Services/out of hours Social Services 

· Notify any other relevant persons as set out in the placement plan. 

· Reporting young people will be done and completed by 23:00 (00:00 at weekends). This gives the young person enough time to return home if they are running late unless the young person is deemed very high risk, in which case they will be reported immediately. 

Upon returning staff should ensure that: 

· The Police, social worker, manager and others notified of the absence are informed when the young person returns .

· The young person must be welcomed back and have the opportunity to explain his or her point of view and tell their version of what happened 

· Staff and the young person may have experienced strong feelings during such an episode, and these will need to be discussed in a calm manner. 

· Concerns may need to be followed up later when the young person is more receptive, so it is advisable to allow a ‘cooling off’ period. Both staff and the young person should have the opportunity to explain their point of view, and each should be encouraged to listen to the other. The Police may wish to carry out a ‘Safe and Well’ check, to check for any indications that the young person has suffered harm; where and with whom they have been; and to give them an opportunity to disclose any offending by, or against, them.

Contact  

Fusion Matrix care appreciates and promotes the importance of contact for young people with their families, friends, and any significant others. 

We recognise our responsibility to promote contact in partnership with the placing authority in accordance with the Children Act 1989. 

We also appreciate there are certain circumstances where contact for a young person with certain persons is inappropriate and may even place the young person in a position of significant risk.

Consequently, we seek to confirm contact arrangements and restrictions as soon as possible with the placing authority. 

We offer a congenial and welcoming setting for visitors. Transportation and staffing can be made available to facilitate meetings off site with prior arrangement, to be agreed by the placing authority. 

· Staff can facilitate supervised contact meetings with family depending on the assessed requirements of the client and prior agreement by the placing authority. 

· We encourage contact between a young person and their relatives and friends unless it is detrimental to their welfare. 

· Any specific contact arrangements should be detailed in the young person’s written pathway plan.

· We will endeavour to be as flexible as possible in facilitating visits from parents who live some distance away, or who have irregular working hours. 

Overnight contacts can also begin to be arranged, giving the young person a chance to re-establish themselves within the family home, but with the choice of returning if they need to. All visits will be assessed beforehand to ensure the safety of all involved.

MAKING A COMPLAINT

Fusion Matrix Care believes that if a resident or other person wishes to make a complaint or register a concern, they should find it easy to do so. It our policy to welcome complaints and look upon them as an opportunity to learn, adapt, improve, and provide better services. Our policy is not designed to apportion blame, to consider the possibility of negligence or to provide compensation. 

It is not part of Fusion Matrix Care disciplinary policy. 

Our policy is intended to ensure complaints are dealt with properly and that all complaints or comments by young people, their relatives and carers, other professionals or external organisations are taken seriously. Where a complaint involves a safeguarding issue, the Safeguarding Policy will be followed. 

It is Fusion Matrix care aim to ensure that the complaints procedure is properly and effectively implemented, and that residents and other complainants feel confident their complaints and worries are listened to and acted upon promptly and fairly.

Fusion Matrix care will ensure the Complaints Policy is made available to all staff and young people, and to other persons as requested. Young people with learning/communication difficulties will be provided with appropriate communication aids and afforded the same opportunity as their peers to services such as advocacy, etc.