Children's Guide

Each children’s home must produce a Children’s Guide.

The Children’s Guide must be made available to all children when their placement in the home is agreed (or on arrival at the home if the placement is made in an emergency).

Workers in the home should go through the guide with each child to make sure they understand it. The guide is produced in a format that is appropriate to the communication needs of the children and young people placed in the home. For example at Liberty House which specialise in placements for children with severe disabilities, the Guide may be produced in Makaton or Picture Exchange Communication Symbols PECS.

The Children’s Guide should help children to understand the following:

• The day to day routines of the home (‘what happens in the home’);
• The information which the home keeps on them and why including who it might be shared with;
• Their right to access their case file;
• The care and support they will receive while living in the home;
• The homes’ Statement of Purpose;
• How to make a complaint in line with the home’s Complaints procedure;
• How to access an Advocate or Independent Visitor;
• How to contact the Office of the Children’s Commissioner.

The Children’s Guide should be reviewed regularly; this review should incorporate feedback from children and young people living in the home.

Most of the homes have produced a powerpoint presentation of the guide, which children can download and keep