Quick Guide

This quick guide explains how the manual works.

Display and Browser Options
About this Manual
Amendments and Next Update
Children’s Homes Regulations and Standards
Local Safeguarding Children’s Partnerships
Keywords
Terminology
Register for Updates
Printing and Retaining Copies
Compliance and Copyright

1. Display and Browser Options

People with a visual impairment may have difficulty accessing this manual.

To change the size of the text/layout - please use these accessibility buttons which are on the menu bar on the left side of every screen. Click a larger button to increase your text size, the very largest being high visibility mode.

They look like this:

2. About this Manual

This is DMR Services web-enabled Procedures Manual.

This manual contains all of our key policies and procedures, listed in ‘Contents’ on the left hand side of the screen.

The procedures are sub divided into several sections e.g. Section 1: Ethos and Policy Framework.

When you have read this guide, start by familiarising yourself with the Contents List and the Procedures listed under each section.

You will see that our key policy statements are in Section 1: Ethos and Policy Framework; the other sections primarily contain procedures and/or guidance.

3. Amendments and Next Update

This manual and links contained within the manual are updated on a regular basis and when updates are published, any chapters which are new or have been amended are indicated on the Contents List.

If you have any comments or feedback please contact Jo Mountford - jo.mountford@dmrservices.co.uk.

Click here to view details of updates made to this manual.

4. Children’s Homes Regulations and Standards

Most chapters contain a summary at the top of the key Children's Homes (England) Regulations including Quality Standards 2015 that are relevant, together with links to a web enabled version of the Standards.

5. Local Safeguarding Children’s Partnerships

Please refer to your Local Safeguarding Children Partnerships Procedures.

6. Keywords

The manual is accessed by practitioners from varying agencies, who may find terms that they are not familiar with. Therefore, a large glossary (Keywords) of terms are available such as Notifiable Disease (Try it: click on the highlighted text). We call them 'Keywords'. Once clicked, the definitions will appear in a new window or tab, depending on your browser. You can leave it open for reference, or close it using the "close" button at the bottom.

7. Terminology

Key Terms

We have tried to use consistent terminology throughout the manual, as follows:

Home	This is a generic term which means Children's Home.
'Child' or 'Young Person'	Both of these terms are used to mean any child under the age of 18.
Home’s or Registered Manager	This is the registered manager for the home, sometimes the term ‘Manager’ is used.
Line Manager	This is used to denote the first line manager for the home; the person who supervises the Home’s Manager.
Staff or Carer	Means all Staff and Carers whether employed or not.
Key Worker	Members of staff that have special responsibility for children in the home.
Parent	Means person with Parent or person with Parental Responsibility.
Regulatory Authority	Regulatory Authority is the generic term used in this manual to describe the independent regulatory body responsible for inspecting and regulating services e.g. Ofsted.
Social Worker	This means the worker allocated to the child/family. If there is no allocated worker, the Duty Social Worker or Team Manager is responsible.
Placing Authority	Placing Authority means the local authority/agency responsible for placing the child or commissioning the service (usually Children's Services - see below).
Children's Services, Children's Social Care Services	All of these terms are used in this manual. In effect they mean the same thing. In some areas, Children's Services still exist, but in most areas they have replaced Children's Services with Children's Social Care Services - which normally provide children's social care and education services within the local authority.
Placement Plan	The term 'Placement Plan' is the generic term meaning the home’s own plan for the child/young person. The term ‘Placement Information Record’ is an Integrated Children’s Service (ICS) record, generated by the Placing Authority.

Senior Manager Notifications/Approvals

If a Senior Manager, above the Home’s Line Manager, needs to be notified or give approval in given circumstances we use the term Designated Manager e.g. Designated Manager (Complaints). You will see that any term like this is highlighted and links to a document which states the post title or name of the relevant Manager.

At any time, you can view a summary of all circumstances where a Senior Manager must be notified or give approval – and other agencies e.g. if a Schedule 5 Notification is required – this procedure is in Section 10: Management and Administration Chapter 10.4: Delegated Authorities and Notifications.

8. Register for Updates

We recommend that you register with us to automatically receive notification when the manual is updated and be informed about the briefing papers we regularly publish. Click on the 'Register for Updates' button on the left side of the screen to complete and send your details to us.

We will manage your data respectfully and in accordance with your preferences and we will never share your data with other organisations for marketing or other purposes.

9. Printing and Retaining Copies

The manual should normally be viewed on line but can be printed, for reference only.

To print a chapter, click on the icon which is in the top right hand corner of the relevant procedure.

Please note, copies may be printed for reference only, they may NOT be retained for more than 3 working days or used for any other purpose.

10. Compliance and Copyright

Regulatory Compliance

Every effort has been taken to ensure regulatory compliance. If you discover any errors or mistakes, please alert your manager.

Copyright

The content of this manual can be accessed, printed and downloaded in an unaltered form, on a temporary basis, for personal study or reference purposes. However any content printed or downloaded may not be sold, licensed, transferred, copied or reproduced in whole or in part in any manner or in or on any media to any person without the prior written consent of tri.x.

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