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Protecting Children Visiting or Living in Care Homes for Adults (Scotland) Policy

Policy Statement

This policy sets out the values, principles and procedures underpinning {{org_field_name}}’s approach to protecting children who visit or live in a care home for adults. It is written to identify the safeguards needed for children who might visit or in exceptional cases live on the premises of an adult care home. The policy applies to any person under the age of 18, though most protection concerns will focus on children who are under 16. It needs to be read in association with the home’s policy on Visiting and Visitors in Care Homes (Scotland).

The policy specifically focuses on children who:

• visit the home because they have a relative or friend living in the home
• have a parent, relative or acquaintance who works in the home
• live in the home itself or in accommodation forming part of the premises.

The policy extends to occasions when children as defined might go outside of the home in the company of a resident or group of residents or who are taking part in any event or activity being organised by the home.

In all cases and eventualities, the management of the home must make sure that any child is kept safe from possible harm and danger and any risks to the safety of the child are thoroughly assessed and managed as follows.

Policy Features

1. {{org_field_name}} places high priority on enabling the people living in it to maintain and develop meaningful relationships with people who are important to them. This is one of the lessons learned from the experiences of the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions.
2. People living in our home should therefore be able to welcome children to the home as visitors in the same ways as they would any other visitor and in line with the home’s visiting policy and procedures.
3. When a child visits, the fact should be made known to the staff of the home so that they can be on hand to manage any known risks to their safety arising from the setting (eg health and safety risks) or the people (ie those who might cause harm to the child).
4. Throughout a visit, a child should remain the responsibility of a parent or other adult, who might be the person using services being visited, eg in the case of an older child visiting unaccompanied.
5. The expectation is that the responsible adult will make sure that the child behaves in ways that are in line with the rules and requirements of the home and are kept safe throughout the visit. The home should make this clear in its visiting policy.
6. Any staff member or other person in the home who is concerned about the safety of a child visitor should make contact with or discuss the matter with the child’s responsible adult as a first point of contact.
7. The home’s management will reserve the right to take action through the responsible adult if it considers that the presence of the child is putting him or herself at risk of harm or is presenting a risk to other staff or people living in the home.
8. The same general policy and procedures will apply to the children of staff members who might have occasion to visit the home for some stated or agreed purpose or who might be resident in the home or on the home’s premises.
9. All possible risks to children’s personal safety and wellbeing must be thoroughly assessed. Decisions taken about their mobility in the home and exposure to any risks should be managed in line with the assessments.

Possible Limitations on Child Visiting

Although in general positive contact between people living in the home and children is to be encouraged, {{org_field_name}} recognises that the needs and welfare of the child must always remain paramount. There could be situations and occasions when it will not be in the child’s best interests to allow visiting.

Whenever the management of the home has a concern, it will discuss the matter with the child’s parent or responsible adult so that an informed decision can be taken on either side about whether visiting will be in the child’s best interests. Where it is not possible to come to an agreed decision, the home will be prepared to take a unilateral decision.

The parent or responsible adult will have the right to complain about any adverse decision taken in line with the home’s complaints’ procedure.

Concerns might occur for any of the following reasons:

1. a person living in the home’s current physical or mental wellbeing
2. the response by the child to the person living in the home’s condition, eg state of health or emotional distress
3. the wishes and feelings of the child
4. the age and overall emotional needs of the child
5. consideration of the child’s best interests
6. the views of the child’s parents or those with parental responsibility
7. the views of other people involved, eg staff, social workers, etc
8. anyone in the home who is known to be a risk to children, eg a registered sex offender.

The care will consider having a child visiting plan to make sure that the visiting is structured, well managed and kept under review in the interests of the person living in the home and child.

Where there is a regular pattern of child visiting, {{org_field_name}} will consider having a senior member of staff as a designated child protection manager/coordinator.

Training

All staff are trained to respond competently to any child protection issues arising in the home as part of their wider training in protection and support of vulnerable groups.

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Responsible Person: {{org_field_registered_manager_first_name}} {{org_field_registered_manager_last_name}}

Reviewed on: {{last_update_date}}

Next review date: this policy is reviewed annually (every 12 months). When needed, this policy is also updated in response to changes in legislation, regulation, best practices, or organisational changes.

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