barnsley council's pledge to our children in care

8/13/2019 Barnsley Council's pledge to our children in care

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BARNSLEY COUNCILS PLEDGE TO OUR CHILDREN

AND YOUNG PEOPLE IN CARE

BARNSLEYMetropolitan Borough Council


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B A R N S L E Y C O U N C I L S P L E D G E T O O U R C H I L D R E N A N D Y O U N G P E O P L E I N C A R E

Policy Statement

We want to support all children in care

to be happy and healthy and to achieve

to your full potential. Because of this,

we aim to look after you with the same

care and commitment that any good

parent would have for their own child.

We have high aspirations for you, and wewant to support you to have high

aspirations for yourselves.

We want the services supporting you

whilst you grow up to work together to

ensure that you have as much

opportunity as all other children.

We know that being in care and leaving

care means that some things are

different for you and that this may

sometimes be difficult. We will try our

best to make sure that during your time

in care you are able to have as normal a

life as your friends who are not in care.

We also know that sometimes we will

get things wrong, and we are always

looking to do things better. We will

listen to you and help you to be involved

in how we care for you, because what

you think is important to us.

We believe you are entitled to high

quality care whilst we are looking after

you and quality support as a care leaver.

Because of this we have made the

following promises about what you canexpect from us.

1. We will look after you in a safe and

caring home

2. We will promote, support, and

respect your identity

3. We will ensure that you receive agood education

4. We will support you to be healthy

5. We will prepare you for adulthood

6. We will involve you in making it

happen

Barnsley Councils pledge to our children

and young people in care


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1. We will look after you in a safe

and caring home

This means we will:

1.1 Do our best to provide you with a high

quality foster placement or residential

home which is in or very close to

Barnsley, unless there is a good welfare

reason for not doing so.

1.2 Do all that we can to place you with

any brothers or sisters you have whoare also coming into care at the same

time, unless there is a good welfare

reason not to.

1.3 Make sure that, wherever you are

living, your carers are supported to

understand and meet your needs, and

to help you feel safe.

1.4 Ask for and listen to your views about

the type of placement you will have.

1.5 Provide you with information about

your placement and an introduction to

your carers before you move in, unless

you have to move in an emergency.

1.6 Do all that we can to place you as

quickly as possible after coming into

care, in a placement that can and will

last until you leave care.

1.7 Make sure that you have a named

social worker, who ensures you are

visited regularly, seen alone during all

visits, and provides details of how you

can contact him or her, a colleague, or

a manager during normal working

hours.

2. We will promote, support and

respect your identity

This means we will:

2.1 Support you to keep in contact with your

family and friends, or if this is not

possible, to explain the reasons why.

2.2 Provide you with a life story book, and

where you are old enough, work with you

to develop the book.

2.3 Make sure that we understand about any

needs you have that are to do with a

disability, being from a different ethnic

background or religion, or are about

your gender or your sexuality and provide

extra services where this will help you.

2.4 Support and encourage you to take up

and develop your own interests, hobbies,

activities, sports and talents both inside

and outside of school.

2.5 Support and encourage you to get

involved in your community through

volunteering opportunities and helping

others.


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4. We will support you to be

healthy

This means we will:

4.1 Make sure that you are able to attend

for all your necessary immunisations

and medical appointments, including an

annual health and dental assessment,

and that you are registered with a GP

and dentist.

4.2 Provide a specialist children in carehealth advisor to advise and support

you, your carers, and other health

professionals so that you get the best

possible healthcare.

4.3 Make sure you have specialist support if

you feel so angry, upset, scared,

confused, or lonely that this is stopping

you from feeling safe and happy.

4.4 Make sure that if you move home,

health services in your new area have

information about appointments and

health services you may need.

4.5 Support you to manage your own health

needs as you get older, including

providing information, advice, and

support about sexual health, and sex

and relationships.

4.6 Make sure that you are able to take

part in a range of sporting, leisure,

play and other physical activities that

will improve your physical health.


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5. We will prepare you for adult-

hood

This means we will:

5.1 Make sure that you have a pathway

plan which you have contributed to,

setting out your path to adulthood,

from age 16 years and three months.

5.2 Make sure that you have a named

personal advisor from Barnsleys

Leaving Care Services.

5.3 Make sure you have a bank account,

birth certificate, passport and national

insurance number soon after your 16th

birthday.

5.4 Make sure that when you leave school

you receive an offer of education,

employment or training, and the

opportunity to discuss this with a

careers advisor.

5.5 Care for you in a care placement until

your 18th birthday.

5.6 Do all that we can to make sure that

when you leave care, you will be

provided with suitable quality

accommodation in Barnsley, unless this

is against your wishes, and where you

need it, this will be supported

accommodation.

5.7 Provide you with accommodation in

Barnsley when you are home from

college or university.

5.8 For separated children provide you

with access to English language classes

within two weeks of becoming a child

in care and support you to take up

additional educational opportunities.


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6. We will involve you in making it

happen

This means we will:

6.1 Listen to your views and opinions and

involve you in decisions about your

care.

6.2 Provide you with a named Independent

Reviewing Officer who will chair your

childcare review and make sure your

views are heard and understood.

6.3 Talk to you and other children and

young people in care to help us decide

how to change and improve our

services.

6.4 Provide you with a copy of this Pledge,

so that you will know what we are

promising you and you can tell us if you

think we are not meeting our promises.

You can do this by telling your social

worker or telling the reviewing officer

at your childcare review, or anyone

else who you know will tell us,

including the Childrens Rights Service.

6.5 Establish a group of children and young

people in care who meet together and

with Senior Managers and Barnsley

Councillors regularly to talk about

being in care and making things better.

This will be the Children in Care

Council.

6.6 Support the Children in Care Council,

by providing advice, assistance, and

information, to help the Council to

assess whether we are meeting our

promises made in this Pledge.

6.7 Involve the Children in Care Council in

developing, monitoring, and reviewing

this Pledge.


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BARNSLEYMetropolitan Borough Council

If you need help understanding this document please contact 01226 775646

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barnsley council's pledge to our children in care

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