Support & Monitoring
Safeguarding children and families
At Orchard House, we provide high levels of support and monitoring to ensure the safety of the child, with 24/7 staffing and recently upgraded high-definition CCTV. The day-to-day level of support and monitoring is tailored to the needs of each specific family, to ensure minimal intrusion whilst always maintaining safeguarding of the child. This is responsive and adapts throughout the placement depending on the assessed risks and response of the parent(s) to the assessment process and support provided. We work flexibly and creatively with families, to minimise intrusion whilst ensuring safeguarding and informing the assessment.
Families are provided with robust support during their assessment, which varies depending on their specific needs and abilities, with a view to stepping back as the assessment progresses. Staff input varies from continuous direct in-person or real-time CCTV monitoring, or significant input at specific times (e.g. bath time, mealtimes, during a specific play session, bottle making) from a dedicated Family Support Worker, to providing families with greater independence, while still nurturing and supporting, spending longer periods of time without the need for direct input, though support for specifically identified parenting tasks can still be provided. Time out and unsupervised time in the community, with or without the child, can be considered in discussion with all parties.
CCTV Cameras
Orchard House uses high definition CCTV, which includes audio and night-vision cameras, to provide 24-hour monitoring. Cameras are located in the bedrooms and all communal areas, including the garden. There are no cameras in en-suite facilities, therefore children may not be permitted in these areas. CCTV footage is used to both record and document any incidents of safeguarding concern, but also, importantly, as a therapeutic tool (e.g. to increase insight into concerns raised or to illustrate examples of positive interaction). Footage can be downloaded to support evidence presented in a parenting report. Due to the amount of memory required to store such a format, footage is stored for up to seven-days, unless specifically saved.
Levels of support and monitoring
The support and monitoring we provide during an assessment is individually-tailored, depending on the specific needs of each family and in liaison with the placing authority, and is regularly reviewed over the course of the assessment. Families may move between stages in response to changing circumstances, assessed risk, or assessment need. We work flexibly and creatively with families, to be as minimally intrusive as possible whilst ensuring safeguarding and informing the assessment.
Nurture
Staff will provide the family with wrap-around support, regularly being alongside the family in the room, perhaps for extended periods of time, offering advice and guidance, as well as emotional and practical support. Parents will receive regular feedback, to reinforce areas of strength and to provide constructive feedback. This level is most common when families have recently arrived, or where basic care is either unassessed or needs lots of support. Returning to this stage might be necessary in response to acute or specific concerns.
Enabling
In this stage, parents have demonstrated basic care and need to start thinking about and learning how to parent independently. If the family seeks staff support, staff are there to help where necessary but also to empower them to problem solve. When we see a parent struggling, we will prompt the parents to think about what they could be doing differently, and encourage them to put into practice what they have learned from FSWs, interventions, and workshops. Staff will coach and mentor families to support with this transition to fuller independence.
Independence / Stepping Back
The family now need to demonstrate independence so that we can see what the child’s experience is like without staff support. Parents will care for their child with no or minimal staff input or prompting, unless there is a direct safeguarding concern. Families are likely to have increased unsupervised time out and may be more proactive in booking and attending appointments they consider to be of most benefit. This is more common towards the latter stage of an assessment, but is still subject to individual family circumstances.