Rostering and Handover Procedures

The staff group comprises of one Home manager, one assistant Home Manager and 5 Senior Children’s Residential Social Care Workers, 8 Residential Social Care Works and 2 Night Residential Social Care Workers. An Administrator, one Domestic and maintenance personnel support the Residential Care staff. We always have at least two staff on duty twenty four hours a day, and there are times when we have more than two staff on duty dependant on the required needs of the home/young people. We have two staff on throughout the night with one sleeping in staff and one night awake. In the day times we have one domestic who currently works three days a week and a handy person who works 20 hours during the week mainly day shifts and sometimes evenings and weekends depending on the needs of the home/young people, also admin worker who works three days per week during the weekdays. Sleeping in staff begin their shift at 2.00pm, retire to sleep-in at 12.00pm and start their shift again at 8.00am the following morning. Night awake staff begin their shift at 10.00pm and finish at 8.00am the following morning. A manager is on call at all times should staff need help/assistance and managers operate a rota system for on calls. The minimum number of staff to be present in the building during the day is two staff unless otherwise stated in a risk assessment, again depending on the needs of the young people/home as there would be times where more than two would be needed and that exact number would be stated in a risk assessment. During the day there is always at least one manager on duty and at night/bank holidays / weekends there is always a manager on call which is marked on the homes rota and staff are clear who that manager is and phone numbers to contact.

In addition, the home has a staff team who have particular skills and who are trained in youth work, counselling and managing difficult behaviours in young people.

Each member of staff receives regular supervision, which is conducted in line with the Children & Families supervision policy. Supervision is defined within that policy as ‘a two way process through which line managers and employees are able to agree and monitor the work that employees are responsible for undertaking. It involves regular, planned and recorded discussion between line managers and employees through one to one meetings and group settings.

A handover will take place at the commencement of the first shift of the day and at the shift change in the mid afternoon. During the handover period information will be passed from staff in relation to the young people, their plan for the day, general feedback in relation to the shift and any outstanding issues which need to be carried forward.

One member of staff will sleep in at the home at night. This may change in response to a risk assessment. The home has a security alarm, which may also be used during the nighttime hours.

One member of staff sleeping in each night and one night care assistant. Those staff who are sleeping in will start their shift at 2pm, retire to sleep at 12 pm and re-start their shift the following morning at 7.30 am. A manager is on call at all times should staff need advise, help or assistance and this is clearly marked in the rota and managers operate a rota system for these on-calls.

During the night time there is one worker who will cover a sleep in duty as well as a night awake staff member. The night awake hours of work are 10.00 pm to 8.00 am therefore ensuring a handover period of information from day staff to night awake and again from night staff to staff coming onto duty the following morning.

On occasion the number on night awake staff may increase if the level of supervision required increases per individual group risk assessment.

There is a duty manager on call for each period throughout the day and night. Managers on cal are identified via the rota and recorded on the daily management sheets.

One member of staff will sleep in at the home at night. This may change in response to a risk assessment. The home has a security alarm which may also be used during the night time hours.

There is always one member of staff on duty who sleeps in a secure bedroom during the hours of 00.00 - 07.00/08.00. Although regarded as a sleep in the staff member is responsible for the safety and security of the young people during these hours. It is their responsibility to ensure the building is safe and secure prior to going to bed at 00.00.