Professional Youth Work

My Choice Keyworkers oversee each child’s growth and development.

Working with the staff team to meet young peoples social and emotional needs.

Key Working

A key worker is a named member of staff who has the main coordinator role in respect of a particular young person; this will include the monitoring and review of the placement planning and recording systems. The role includes working with the staff team to meet young peoples’ social and emotional needs in a way that promotes dignity, choice and independence.

The key worker, by working alongside the homes Manager, should ensure that all the young people’s records are adequately set up and recording is taking place within My Choice policies and procedures. The key worker is responsible for establishing and maintaining an appropriate relationship with the young people and collating information required to keep the placement planning up to date. My Choice Homes has a comprehensive key worker guide to advise all staff within this role of their responsibilities.

All staff within the team are responsible for completing a daily report on the ClearCare ™ recording system which is monitored by the home’s Manager. Once complete this report is sent to the young person’s social worker.

The report provides the social worker with an up to date overview of the young person’s progress, contact and any issues that have occurred during the week.

Each staff member will have their own Clear Care ™ log in.

Support

At My Choice Children’s Homes we provide a comprehensive support package to both the young people and staff teams. This consists of a range of services that include a 24 hour on call support system, therapeutic intervention, appointments with our consultant professional youth workers, individual care plans and a reward programme designed to help the young person meet their goals. We have a comprehensive in-house training package designed to ensure that the staff team maintain and promote good practice.


Managers in the company provide a 24 Hour On Call Support System to all the homes in our group. The on call offers telephone advice where appropriate or in person when needed. In the event of a member of staff recognising that additional intervention is needed, they will contact the on call person. We offer this level of support in order to defuse difficult situations or in the event of a young person going into crisis. It is also intended to minimise the need to call in outside agencies, in particular the police. We make every effort not to criminalise the behaviours of the young people in our care.

A range of services that include a 24 hour on call support.

We are committed to this service as it reassures both the staff and the young people.
We work closely and directly with the homes managers and staff teams.

We are committed to this service as it reassures both the staff and the young people.

Commitment

Diane Thackrah undertakes our Regulation 44 inspections for each home. The homes have an unannounced visit every month. Copies of the reports are available on request. This role is designed to ensure the safety and welfare of the young people are monitored and policies are maintained. The reports are produced for Senior Managers, the homes Manager and staff teams, and sent to Ofsted and other professionals.

Debbie Woodgate is our Operations Manager. Her role is to work closely and directly with the home’s Managers and staff teams, reviewing and implementing strategies, plans, risk and behaviour assessments. This is to ensure effective intervention and high quality care is provided at all times.

We work closely and directly with the homes managers and staff teams.

Each home has a Care Manager. They are responsible for the day to day running of the home and ensuring that we maintain the required standards at all times. Their role outside of normal working hours is to offer advice and on call support. The managers are required to be registered with Ofsted.

My Choice Homes employ East and West Team Managers to offer support and provide intervention with the young people and staff teams.

In addition to any therapy that young people are already attending before they come to us, My Choice provides professional youth work with Lifetrain Uk™ or professional therapy external to My Choice.

Lifetrain UK ™ work closely with My Choice Children’s Homes Ltd to provide professional youth work this includes, 1:1 sessions, workshops, activities and youth work themed short breaks for our young people. This service has developed over the last five years and is presenting as successful intervention for our young people.

Lifetrain UK ™ are available for all our young people, following agreement and discussion with the placing authority and social worker.


For further information regarding Lifetrain UK ™ please see their website.

www.ltuk.org