Planning, Admission and Reception
Starting a new placement is a disruptive and sometimes traumatic experience for a young person.
Whether they join us from secure accommodation, a broken placement, or straight from their own families, we are sensitive to how scared and vulnerable a young person is likely to be feeling at the prospect of another move, another set of strangers, and another new beginning.
Introduction Process
Exceptional care is taken in the joining and introduction process with key staff making a number of visits to the young person in their current environment. The young person will have the opportunity of making a minimum of three visits to their new placement before they actually join us.
Thorough Planning
Planning for a new young person to join us is supported by good information, and we rely on both placing authority and existing placement to provide us with as much detail as possible about what a young person likes and dislikes, what makes them fearful and what comforts them, as well as how they cope with stressful situations.
The young person will also be fully involved in drawing up the initial placement plan, so that there are no surprises about the tasks we expect them to work on, or what they can expect from us.
In the case of a planned medium- or long-term placement, we will expect the young person's existing social worker to bring them to their new placement and spend sufficient time with them to settle them in.
In the case of emergency placements we will ensure our staff collect the young person from their location, avoiding a situation where children are brought to us by escorts, which can leave them feeling abandoned and having little control in their lives.
If you need advice or assistance with a young person, call us today and speak to one of our Directors.