CARE
 Child Safe (Midlands) as an organisation
provides high standards of care for young people from local authorities
from across the UK.
Our homes are situated in rural and residential settings providing
a variety of accommodation that is suitable for, and meets the
needs of, the young people in our care.
We have an excellent record of maintaining placements and
engaging young people within our care who demonstrate behaviours
that in many incidents would result in placement breakdown in
other situations.
Upon admission a full assessment of needs including social,
physical, psychological, educational and spiritual is undertaken
by our experienced, qualified and competent professionals. In
response to the assessed needs of the young person a comprehensive
care plan is made and reviewed upon regular occasions.
The therapeutic ethos of care control and education is monitored
by our Director of Therapeutic Services.
We attempt to achieve success in the following outcomes.
Being Healthy
 Upon admission appointments are
made to register young people for medical, dental and if required
optical tests. Consultations are sort with the LAC Nurse; all
prescribed medication is recorded as are homely remedies. Positive
programmes have been devised to discourage illegal drugs, smoking
and drinking alcohol, advice is sought and young people are consulted
with reference to diets and the presentation of nutritious meals.
Health instruction and access to specialist health workers such
as sexual health workers and CAMHS and access to our in-house
psychotherapist are available. Young people are encouraged to
participate in positive, physical activities.
Staying Safe
 The environment in all Child Safe
(Midlands) resources is such that all children are protected
from abuse, neglect, violence and sexual exploitation. Risk Assessments
are undertaken which protect young people from accidents or death,
bullying is confronted; effective work is taken to deal with
if identified. Positive programmes and key working including
role play and social skills programmes address issues of crime
and anti-social behaviour, young people benefit from good staff
ratios and external support. When young people are absent appropriate
notifications are made, positive physical intervention is used
as a last resort, and when it is used appropriate techniques
and recording formats are used. Young people have accessed to
a variety of complaints systems and are made aware of their use;
staff are made aware of the appropriate in-house child protection
policy and procedures.
Enjoying and Achieving
Following an initial assessment of needs which includes social,
education and psychological needs, young people are encouraged
to aspire to success in social, educational and psychological
settings.
Positive Contribution
Within the placement plan young people will be encouraged
to be aware of the communities in which they live. Also to develop
positive approaches to school and society, this is recognised
by staff who make positive comments and praise and record this
as an achievement.
Achieving Economic Well-being
Young people will be prepared for leaving care be it to reintegrate
with family, preparation for substitute care or as a pathway
to independent living. As part of that process young people will
be made aware of the need to budget, have a knowledge of welfare
benefits, how to purchase and prepare food, prior to this stage
all young people in Child safe (Midlands) will have received
personal allowances, pocket money, personal requisites and clothing
allowances. They will have been encouraged to spend those allowances
wisely. The material and decorative standards within Child Safe
(Midlands) are of a high standard as are the furnishings and
fittings; one of the objectives of this is to show young people
what standards can be achieved in a domestic setting.
Management
Child Safe (Midlands) has three levels of management, strategic
i.e. over-site of the organisation future projects contracting
etc. Operational day to day support of individual homes and school,
attempts are made to appoint and support experienced/qualified
managers who in turn are supported by external management who
assist in the preparation of policy and procedures who support
and encourage registered managers who ensure that professional
supervision and training occur. Likewise they ensure that adequate
and competent staff are in post who have appropriate backgrounds,
CRB checks and required references. Staff training is achieved
through an ongoing rolling programme, quality assurance is achieved
by regular visits to the homes and by regulation 33 and 34 inspections.
The opportunity is taken as young people progress to prepare
them for reintegration with their family, preparation for fostering
or a pathway to independent living.
INDIVIDUAL HOMES
St Helens
 Our objective is to offer a chance
to a mixed group of young people aged 8 17 years who need
a home base, which will accept them for what they are. The maximum
number of young people in residence at any one time will be 2.
Many of the young people we accommodate have come from secure
settings. Child Safe (Midlands) small homes with a high staffing
ratio means we can offer a "stepping stone" between
leaving secure and going on to a planned admission elsewhere.
We can facilitate visits to prospective placements and are
fully committed to working alongside other organisations and
professional with the aim of identifying viable care solutions
for each individual child and young person.
The young people will have their own bedroom with a key and
are actively encouraged to personalise their own space. We foresee
that these young people will come to us with a history, which
encompasses placement breakdown, emotional and behavioural problems,
and involvement in alcohol, drugs and criminal activities.
We provide an atmosphere in which the young people can achieve
their full potential through education and personal and social
development, the staff team will work actively to promote their
strengths and develop their weaknesses.
This will be achieved through individual care plans, which
for those who stay long term will encompass a life history workbook,
identifying leisure activities which will provide stimulation
and a goal to work to. We will provide counselling and psychiatric
assessment as and when needed.
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Tapton House
Located in the Brimington area of Chesterfield, it offers
similar facilities to St Helens, it has been established considerable
longer and developed excellent relationships with neighbours.
It has been constantly used at full occupancy since it was
first commissioned; it has developed a positive approach to residential
care of very difficult and challenging young people.
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The Paddocks
The Paddocks is a 5 bedroom registered home which cares for
young people of mixed gender, aged 11 - 17 years.
It is located in a semi-rural location, located adjacent to
the paddocks is Boyd House School, a purpose built independent
school. The school lends itself to "joined up" programmes
of care and education to young people who find difficulty accessing
mainstream education.
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 FURTHER DEVELOPMENTS
It is envisaged that in the near future two further residential
homes will come into commission, one for crisis intervention
located in the Peak National District Park which will cater for
young people. The ethos of this unit will be to provide care
and education with an emphasis on outdoor activity for young
people in crisis. This home Ivy Cottage will become operational
in autumn 2007.
A second home will provide programmes of care with education
at Boyd house for four young people, it is envisaged that this
home Bamford Road will become operational 2008.
DAVE DAVIES, RESPONSIBLE INDIVIDUAL FOR CHILD SAFE (MIDLANDS)
Qualifications
BS/c Social Work (Anglia Ruskin)
Diploma Inspection & Registration
Advanced Certificate Residential Care (Bristol)
Certificate Residential Care Children & Young People (Cardiff)
Experience
Lengthy career in the Private, Voluntary & Public Care
Sector.
Worked as a Practitioner and Manager in Residential Services.
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