Using the Procedures

Display and Browser Options
About the Online Procedures
Amendments
Children’s Homes Regulations (including Quality Standards)
Glossary and National Contacts
Terminology
Printing and Retaining Copies
Register for Updates
Copyright

1. Display and Browser Options

People with a visual impairment may have difficulty accessing the online procedures.

To change the size of the text/layout - please use these accessibility buttons which are on the menu bar at the bottom of every page. Click a larger button to increase your text size, the very largest being high visibility mode.

They look like this:

2. About the Online Procedures

This site contains the key policies and procedures for Bradford Children and Families Trust Children’s Homes. The procedures are listed in the ‘Contents’’ which can be accessed from the blue bar on the top of the screen.

When you have read this guide, start by familiarising yourself with the Contents List and the Procedures listed under each section.

You will see that our key policy statements are in Residential Child Care – Key Principles; the other sections primarily contain procedures and/or guidance.

If you are unable to find a Procedure you require, consult your manager or use the search function on the top of the screen.

3. Amendments

The procedures will be updated on a regular basis. Click here to view details of updates made to the procedures.

The next scheduled update to the procedures will go live in January 2025

4. Children’s Homes Regulations (including Quality Standards)

Most procedures contain a link to the relevant Regulations (including Quality Standards), together with links to a web enabled version of the Standards.

5. Glossary and National Contacts

If there are terms in this procedures site which you are not familiar with, you can use the Glossary to find definitions of key terms.

This is a live online glossary, containing key definitions for social care practitioners. It's a free resource powered and kept up to date by tri.x.

There is also a National Contacts resource populated with details of key national agencies and organisations likely to be relevant to procedures user.

Some procedures will have these key definitions highlighted in blue, this link will take you to the index of the online glossary.

The glossary and National Contacts can be accessed via the button on the manual home page.

6. Terminology

Key Terms

We have tried to use consistent terminology throughout the procedures, as follows:

Home	This is a generic term which means Children's Home.
'Child' or 'Young Person'	Both of these terms are used to mean any child under the age of 18.
Home’s or Registered Manager	This is the registered manager for the home, sometimes the term ‘Manager’ is used.
Line Manager	This is used to denote the first line manager for the home; the person who supervises the Home’s Manager.
Staff or Carer	This means all Staff and Carers whether employed or not.
Key Worker	Members of staff that have special responsibility for children in the home.
Parent	This means person with parent or person with Parental Responsibility.
Regulatory Authority	Regulatory Authority is the generic term used in the procedures to describe the independent regulatory body responsible for inspecting and regulating services e.g. Ofsted.
Social Worker	This means the worker allocated to the child/family. If there is no allocated worker, the Duty Social Worker or Team Manager is responsible.
Placing Authority	Placing Authority means the local authority/agency responsible for placing the child or commissioning the service (usually Children's Services - see below).
Placement Plan	The term 'Placement Plan' is the generic term meaning the home’s own plan for the child/young person.

7. Printing and Retaining Copies

The procedures should normally be viewed on line but can be printed, for reference only, via the printing options of your internet browser (usually by clicking File from the top menu, and then selecting Print, or using the keyboard shortcut 'ctrl + p').

Please note, the procedures will be updated from time to time, so you should avoid retaining printed versions - hard copies are only valid for 72 hours.

8. Register for Updates

We recommend that you register with us to automatically receive notification when the procedures are updated. Click on the ‘Register for Updates’ button, to complete and send your details to us.

We will manage your data respectfully and in accordance with your preferences, and we will never share your data with other organisations for marketing or other purposes

9. Copyright

The online procedures can be accessed, printed and downloaded in an unaltered form, on a temporary basis, for personal study or reference purposes. However any content printed or downloaded may not be sold, licensed, transferred, copied or reproduced in whole or in part in any manner or in or on any media to any person without the prior written consent of tri.x.