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Regulation 5 – Engaging with the Wider System to Ensure Each Child's Needs are Met
The Children's Views, Wishes and Feelings Standard
The term Key worker are used to describe the person with key responsibility for a child in the home. This guidance sets out the key responsibilities for that person.
In January 2021, this chapter was reviewed and refreshed where required.
The Community Director/Registered Manager is responsible for ensuring that each child/young person has a Key Worker who is able to engage in a positive relationship with the child/ young person.
The Director should ensure that all Key Workers are suitably trained and fully competent to carry out the duties required.
The Director may decide that the Key Worker for a child should change if:The Community Director should ensure that Key Workers are properly supervised and/or provided with mentors who may offer them support and guidance.
A Key Worker is a named member of staff who has a central role in respect of a particular child. This will include the overseeing of the placement planning and recording systems.
The Key Worker should become the main co-ordinator of services for a particular child/ young person in the home. They should help other staff follow the agreed approaches and care strategies set out in the Plan. They should also help to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the services.
The Key Worker should be appointed by the Community Director preferably before a place has been offered to the child. Where this is not possible, it should be done on the date of admission or soon after
Wherever possible, the Key Worker should be involved in visits prior to admission. During this period, they should strive to become a familiar face who will be present at the time of admission.
During the early stages of placement, the Key Worker should spend sufficient time with the new child/ young person to assist with settling in.
The Key Worker should ensure that all the child's/ young person’s records are adequately set up and recording is taking place.
The Key Worker is responsible for establishing and maintaining an appropriate relationship with the child/ young person, and collating information required for Child's Placement Planning Meetings and Looked After Child Reviews; see the following relevant Chapters:
The Key Worker, supported by the staff team, should assist the child/ young person to maintain social, recreational, cultural and religious links through daily living activities inside and outside the home.
Being a Key Worker means working towards meeting a whole range of social, spiritual, emotional and intellectual needs in a way that promotes dignity, choice and independence.
Given the complex and often agonising experience each young person has had in relation to parental figures, the Key working relationship is always a central arena in which the essential emotional work takes place. This relationship enables the child or young person to experience extremes of hate and love and learn to manage their behavioural consequences. Key / link working a child/ young person will feel difficult or even impossible for considerable periods of time, but arising from this experience will be authentic and reliable personal growth.
When a child/ young person appears to have become unmanageable through their difficulty in making and sustaining attachments and relationships, the temptation is avoidance either through moving the child or changing the adults. This may manage the symptoms that are presented but ultimately can only compound deep and intractable problems in relating. We therefore insist that difficulties between Key Workers and their Key children/ young person are attended to by the group through in-depth work in forums like the Community Meeting. As these difficulties are addressed and worked through in a public sphere, the community group can preserve and consolidate the understanding and growth that has been achieved. This is the way in which early attachment difficulties and the resultant disorders can be rectified and real personal change is brought about.
Being there each morning (or making sure someone is doing it for you) with the child/ young person checking that the bedroom is tidy, that there are clean clothes to wear, that s/he has had a wash, groomed hair etc.
Talking to the child/ young person to make sure that s/he understands what is planned for the day; issues to concentrate on, how best to deal with potential problems etc.
If there are meetings or Court appearances planned, talk through how these will go, possible issues etc. Raise any risks or concerns with your Line Manager or supervisor.
Being there during the day by taking a regular interest in the child/ young person’s health - dentist, doctors, and opticians. These need booking and ensuring that regular check-ups occur.
Make sure the child has adequate clothing - bought, cleaned, dried and ironed. Ensure that your child/ young person is clean and presentable. It both shows that we care and helps improve their self-esteem.
Bedrooms - clean, personalised, in good state of repair and well equipped, personal belongings and clothes stored and safe.
Bathroom - clean and in good repair, toiletries provided/replaced and child/ young person knowing how to maintain a good standard of personal hygiene.
Safety - Children/ young people often give the impression that they are 'cool', that they are not bothered or that they can cope but the reverse is usually the case. Children/ young people can feel vulnerable and frightened. Some are bullied or abused or live in fear of it. Most fear for the future.
Your job is to understand and 'Be There' for them. Don't wait to be told by your Key child/ young person that s/he is afraid; assume that it is the case and do all you can to make them feel safe and supported.
Know your Key child/ young person’s file, background and family details; know their interests and hobbies; encourage them to take part, join clubs etc. what makes them happy, sad and angry; what frightens or worries them. Then try to ease or reduce their concerns by offering advice, guidance or direction. If necessary get help but don't leave the child/ young person alone.
Plan individual sessions with your Key child on a regular basis as an opportunity for you to talk about how s/he is doing, issues to address, possible ways to behave differently, planning for the short and medium term etc.
Being there at night: Bed or night times are potentially the worst time for children/ young people. You must spend time with your Key child/ young people doing practical things like making sure s/he has clean clothes for the next day, toiletries and a clean towel, that s/he knows what is going on the next day or is planned in the short term. You must do what you can to ease or reduce fears or worries. Do this by talking to the child/ young person in a positive and supportive way; and also by warning colleagues what might happen and give advice about how to deal with potential problems.
Planning for the future by remembering birthdays and anniversaries and making them special.
Spot and plan ahead for other dates that may have a relevance to the child such/ young person as anniversaries of significant events in their lives.
Keep all the other staff informed and up to speed about what is happening in the child/young person’s life.
Advocate on your child/ young person’s behalf.
Keep your Key child informed about what changes are happening in their lives, here at the home, in their overall plan, with the social worker and at home with their family.
If issues need to be dealt with when you are off duty make sure you inform the Community Director/Registered Manager or colleagues. If you are likely to be away on leave plan ahead; do not leave the child/ young person alone wondering what is going to happen in your absence.
The Key Worker must actively promote the health care of each child and enable child/ young person to learn about healthy living.
In doing so they should liaise with key health professionals, including the Clinical Nurse specialist, LAC nurse, the child's GP and dental practitioner, optician.
The Key Worker should ensure that the physical, emotional and health needs of the child/ young person are identified and appropriate action is taken to ensure the medical, dental and other health services needed to meet them.
Children/ young people should be provided with guidance, advice and support on health and personal care issues appropriate to their age, needs and wishes, e.g. see:
The Key Worker must ensure that relevant health care procedures in this manual are adhered to, in particular, that the child/ young person is registered with a GP and has access to a Dentist; and that the child/ young person has an up to date Health Care Plan. See the following procedures:
The Key Worker must be responsible for promoting the educational achievement of the child/ young person and liaising with key professionals including the designated teacher and LAC Education Co-ordinator. This may include ensuring that the child/ young person is:
This may include attending parent's evenings and other school events in the absence of the child/ young person's parents.
Key Workers need to keep themselves and their Key child/ young person in touch with interested parties outside the home.
Family contact - is the child/ young person calling or writing to their family? Are there restrictions on contact; who they call or the frequency of calls? In conjunction with the Family and Placement Support Worker build a relationship with the family where appropriate.
Home visits - should they be planned/accompanied?
Social Workers - in conjunction with the Family and Placement Support Worker keep them regular basis informed of good news as well as bad and again build up a working relationship. Ensure social workers comply with statutory visits.
Education - They need to be informed and aware of issues and you should be equally aware of how the child is getting on at school (Also see Section 3.3, Educational Achievement).
Specialist/expert support and guidance - If the Key child/ young person needs additional support or guidance from specialists or experts (e.g.: on drug misuse, budgeting, sexual health), talk to your supervisor/line manager or the social worker about how it can be obtained.
The Key Worker must ensure the child/ young person understands how the complaints procedures work, that s/he has a copy of the placing authority's complaints procedure and is confident enough to use the procedures if necessary.
Also ensure the Key child/ young person has an up to date copy of the Children’s / Young People's Guide and other information produced by the home for children/ young people; ensure the child/ young person is fully conversant with the Fire Precautions and is aware of fire exits. If there are particular requirements/needs emanating from the Key child's Care Plan or Placement Plan (e.g.: information on drug misuse, budgeting, sexual health), make sure this is obtained and provided - in a form which is accessible and understandable to the child/ young person.
Ensure that records and the children/ young people's files are current and well organised. Although many other people will have input to the paperwork overall responsibility lies with the Key Worker.
Make sure the child/ young person's Placement Plan is kept up to date and relevant to the child/ young person's interests and needs; make sure the child has a copy.
The Key Worker must ensure that the child/ young person's file is kept up to date; in particular, that relevant/up to date copies of the following records are contained in it:
* These records do not apply to all children.
** Most local authorities now use the Integrated Children's System (ICS), therefore will have ceased using Essential Information Records, if so, they will now use the Chronology.
Key Working sessions provide you with a chance to observe, assess, develop your relationship, identify and resolve problems etc.
You must arrange regular Key Worker sessions with your Key child/ young person as soon as possible after s/he is placed and then weekly thereafter.
The overall purpose of Key Worker sessions is to discuss progress, problems and achievements.
There are various ways to do this: formally in a meeting or whilst undertaking an activity.
PLAN AHEAD: It is not exhaustive, but this is a list of things you should do in planning a Key Worker session:
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