Sleeping In and Night Security

As identified in our model of care, Barnet recognises that the care of young people is a 24 hour and 365 day activity. Bedtimes are an important transition point and it is often a time that creates anxiety for young people as they contemplate being alone with their thoughts, memories and feelings and these can significantly impact on them. As such, issues likely to cause disturbance will be identified in each child’s Risk Assessment (CRA) and Behaviour Support Plans (BSP) and an individual routine developed and identified within their Placement Plan (Day to Day care), which will enable them to settle most effectively. This will include an understanding of the culture of the house regarding the bedtime routine so that every young person knows as exactly as possible what each bedtime will be like. This needs to include a clear time for bed which all staff adhere to.

Suitability of Staffing

Prior to any staff carrying out sleep-in and night duties; as part of staff induction, all education and care workers must receive induction in the following policies and procedures:

• Fire and Emergency Procedures;
• Statement of Purpose and Function;
• Safeguarding and Child Protection;
• Recording and reporting in day notes/daily observations;
• First Aid and Medication;
• On Call Arrangements.

In addition the home manager or senior staff must ensure that:

1. Staff carrying out such duties are fully aware of each young person's particular care arrangements as detailed in the child's Placement Plan (Day to Day Care Plan);
2. That via a completed individual Risk Assessment such duties are commensurate with the needs and safety of both the young people and staff carrying out such duties;
3. That staff have been inducted by the Manager and or Senior staff in respect to duties involved in such tasks;
4. That staff always have access to "on call" support from a Manager or Senior;
5. That the Manager and or senior staff debrief staff after carrying out such duties for the first time to clarify any outstanding matters and to be assured that it is safe for such staff to undertake such responsibilities and that such discussions are recorded in the staff's supervision notes.

Staff undertaking such duties do have a primary role for the care and protection of young people. Staff must maintain the same professional standards as are expected during the day for young people Home's Managers or senior staff should also ensure that:

• Staff members are familiar with Procedures and Guidelines;
• Staff know where important telephone numbers are, for example Police, EDT, GP, Hospital etc.;
• Staff record all events as guidelines, report any concerns for example bullying, exploitation, suspected Physical Abuse and Sexual Abuse;
• Staff check that the building is secure (see Section 7, Night Security).

In addition staff:

• Must not go into bedrooms of young people, and close the door behind them;
• When dealing with personal issues should seek staff of same sex as the young person to avoid the young person being uncomfortable and or embarrassed;
• Must avoid at all times their behaviour being interpreted as having any sexual connotation;
• Must maintain proper level of supervision of young people at all times;
• Undertaking waking night duties must not sleep on duty;
• Ensure that door alarms are set once all the children are settled.

To ensure the safety of the young person, other children who reside with them, the staff and the local community it may be appropriate to monitor exit and entry from a child's bedroom outside of normal waking hours with the use of a silent alarm that is triggered when a door is opened.

This type of alarm is linked to a staff sleep-in room (if available in the home) who are notified of a child's exit/entry from a bedroom by a low level buzzer. The staff member is then in a position to decide whether a young person requires assistance if there is a prolonged absence.

The use of door alarms is not to be viewed as a monitoring system or to be used as a behaviour management tool, but is to be deemed an additional support mechanism for the children/young people overnight, should they require additional support. The use of alarms on the external doors is to provide additional security for the Home, and will highlight to staff any unauthorised entry.

On occasion, risk assessments by a house management team might indicate that there may be a need to consider the use of waking night staff. Waking night staff have a specific role within the care task. With the support of the care staff, they ensure safe keeping and general well being of the young people throughout the night.

This would include:

• Carrying out a series of regular checks of the house throughout the night and record significant occurrences in the young person’s day notes and handover log;
• Attend to the needs of any young people who experience distress or difficulty sleeping etc during the course of the night. Waking night staff are expected to call on the sleeping-in staff in this regard if required;
• Dispense medication in line with set procedures and guidelines as required;
• Undertake relevant training and supervision as directed;
• Attend specific meetings as required.

Where Sleeping–in staff is present in the home, they will go off duty at the rostered time whilst the waking night person continues with their normal duties. However in the event of an emergency or incident evolving the waking night person may wake the sleep-in staff and request additional support from them.

The waking night residential support worker (RSW) will be pro-active in helping to settle the young person and complete normal duties expected of and RSW. As with all staff they are expected to work within the care plan and take into consideration the risk assessment and recommended behavioural management plan to de-escalate potential challenging situations from escalating.

Bedrooms must be respected. Staff should be aware that they represent the young person’s own personal space and integrity. Therefore they should not be intruded into or burst in upon. Staff members must always knock before they enter a young person's bedroom. Young people must never be locked in bedrooms (or indeed in any other room). Staff must respect the young person's possessions and come to know where they belong and which items it is alright to put away and which should be left as they are found. On the whole, people who do not know the young person should not be invited into bedrooms and young people should be supervised when they choose to show their bedrooms to people they do not know well. The only exception to this would be where there is a need to search a child’s room – see Searching Children/Bedrooms.

The household security measures that any member of staff would expect to take at Home, therefore, also applies at work. These might typically include:

• All external windows and doors are to be locked and secure;
• All fire exits should be clear from obstruction;
• All external buildings should be locked and secure;
• Ensure Internal fire doors are not propped open;
• All offices should be locked;
• All knives and cleaning material should be locked away in appropriate cupboards;
• Recording of where about of all people in the building; This should be entered every 30min minimum;
• Bins to be emptied last thing at night;
• Door alarms to be set once all children are settled;

The home is not registered as a Secure Unit and you are not permitted to lock doors to keep young people in the building or within a room inside the building. Similarly force cannot be used to prevent a young person from leaving the building, unless they are at risk of immediate harm and physical intervention is necessary to prevent harm to themselves or other people;

Where the home’s location and structure necessitates the locking of doors at night during particularly unsettled times, as a short term measure to safeguard young people and the home, young people should be made aware and can ask the waking night staff to unlock the front door if they wish to go out at night.

Physical restrictions on normal movement in the Home can only be used where identified in the Care Plan / Placement Plan and only where it is necessary to safeguard and promote the young person's welfare.

Any unauthorised locking of doors will lead to disciplinary action. It will be seen as a Child Protection issue and will need to be referred as such.

However the following security arrangements can be used to promote safety and security:

• Additional catches are fitted to bedroom windows as agreed in line with Local Authority Social Workers in line with identified areas of risk;
• Young people are not to open the door to visitors or leave the building without the permission of a responsible adult;
• Security will be enhanced by the amount of supervision provided by staff. Where there are concerns about the young person leaving the building without permission then this must be reflected in the amount of supervision and free time allowed. This should be discussed with the Social Worker and/or those with Parental Responsibility and a plan of action agreed. This will be communicated at the young person meetings, team meetings and in supervision to ensure consistency of practice.