Our Approach
Many of our young people have experienced a number of placement moves that are both unsettling and disruptive to their lives. As a result, the need for a safe and consistent approach is an integral part of providing them with quality care.
Like all looked after children, the young people who are placed at Area Camden have specific and individual needs. Many will have experienced abuse of some kind as well as experiencing the trauma of a family breakdown. For many young people they will have experienced a number of placement moves that are both unsettling and disruptive to their lives.
As a result, the need for a safe and consistent approach is an integral part of providing them with quality care. Alongside this, many young people will need particular help with their educational and health needs. The team at Area Camden therefore aims to work in ways that ensures young people receive the appropriate help and support.
Education and Care Planning
Area Camden believes that education is essential for intellectual, social, emotional and physical development and can be a stable factor in the young person’s life. Education nurtures self-esteem; confidence and resilience and enables integration, future choices and independence.
Our commitment is to ensure educational stability and progress.
Consultation with Young People
We encourage the young people to have an active involvement with the running of the home. We believe that all young people have valuable opinions, which need to be taken into account. It is fundamental to the ethos of Area Camden that no decision is made without full consultation with the young person concerned. Consultation will be encouraged on a range of issues.
Behaviour Management
We believe that it is the responsibility of all staff to communicate with young people about what is acceptable and unacceptable behaviour. It is the responsibility of staff to maintain safe and appropriate boundaries with, and between, staff and young people. Consistency and fairness are key ingredients to developing a safe and positive atmosphere.
Recreation
Area Camden believe that it is extremely important for young people to be actively encouraged and supported in their choice of recreational and cultural activities and the promotion of leisure, sport and cultural activities for young people.
We believe that team building and group activities help promote self-esteem and help those in our care to grow in confidence and give our full support to educational activities and visits. Specific trips to educational attractions (such as the Science Museum) can be built into the educational syllabus for the year.
We will make a full risk assessment to ensure the safety and the suitability of each recreational activity and any private club leaders or tutors will need to be vetted thoroughly before the activity can be permitted.
Religious and cultural needs
We are committed to supporting the religious and cultural needs of each young person who lives in the home. We believe that a young person’s cultural identity & ethnic heritage are an integral part of their character and should be promoted. Young people have the right to grow up with a full sense of their identity and that this will be achieved by promoting diversity and creating an atmosphere of tolerance and acceptance.
No young person will be discriminated against on the grounds of their age, gender, ethnic origin, core beliefs or sexuality. Staff at Area Camden will endeavour at all times to offer young people real choices that reflect their age, maturity, understanding and cultural background.
Positive relationships
Area Camden will agree during Placement Planning meetings with the Placing Authority the arrangements for individual child to see their family and friends as per their individual relevant plans.
Staff will promote opportunities to build positive friendships in the home and out in the community, and friendships that may have a negative impact on young person would be discouraged. Staff will support young people to gain understanding what makes healthy relationships, and what relationships can be damaging and exploitative so they can develop skills to have positive relationships with others.
Staff will work with each individual young person to build positive, nurturing, warm and meaningful relationships with them. At Area Camden we believe that positive relationships with our young people is the foundation of promoting positive behaviours.
Child protection
One of our primary aims is to provide a safe and empowering place for all young people to live in. Child protection procedures are a key to keeping young people safe.
Area Camden will work in accordance with all guidelines set, to ensure that safeguarding issues are maintained as a top priority for the staff at the home. A Risk Assessment will be undertaken with each young person and this will be regularly reviewed and monitored as part of the placement planning process.
All young people within the home will be protected from discrimination and bullying by our anti-discrimination and anti bullying policies.
Staffing
No staff member will be permitted to commence working at Area Camden until a full-enhanced DBS check has been received and we follow government legislation in regards to this. Suitable references, written and telephone, will also have been received and approved.
Area Camden is committed to providing excellent standards of care for all the young people who live in our homes. To promote this level of excellence, it is the company policy that all staff members will be qualified to the required level relating to their roles.
Bullying
Bullying behaviour is not tolerated at Area Camden. Our staff teams will be constantly vigilant and aware that bullying can be present in residential care, and that it causes great misery for the victim.
As part of the initial assessment process, the issue of bullying will be discussed with each young person admitted to the home and it will be made clear that bullying behaviour, whether verbal or physical, will be challenged and if habitual, could lead to the cessation of the placement.
Complaints and representation
Area Camden supports the young person’s right to make complaints about any aspect of their treatment whilst living at the home. Young people will always be made aware of their right to complain should they feel they have been treated unfairly or disrespectfully.
Our policy is for any child or young person who makes a complaint to do so without fear of retaliation or reprisal. Young people will have access to fair representation, and will be kept informed of the progress of any complaint or grievance procedure.
