Our Vision, Mission, and Values

At Residential Child Care Community, we promote a loving, happy, healthy environment in which our residents, safe from harm, will be able to develop, thrive and fulfil their potential individually and as a group.

 

To that end, we encourage resident group decision-making through the House Councils, permit access to all areas of their homes, and self-determination in activities, socialisation, and food preferences. Residential Child Care Community is not just a caregiving facility—it is a home, and a community.

 

We also value the time, skills, and expert opinions of our staff. We are committed to providing fair and living wages, reasonable, structured work schedules, and clear duties and spheres of rights and responsibilities for each team member.

 

We do not expect staff to do work for which they are not trained; we do expect them to share their suggestions for improving any aspect of our working operations or caregiving.

 

We aim to provide jobs which not only provide sustenance for our workers’ families, but also allow them a space to make a difference in the world around them, through caring and expert assistance to our community’s most vulnerable members.

Our Mission

The Best Interests of the Child

Children’s welfare, safety and needs will be at the centre of the care provided. All decisions made in relation to children will have, as the first and paramount consideration, the best interests of the child.

Children’s Wishes and Feelings

Children have their own views, wishes and feelings, and homes must promote each child’s right to have a say. Children’s views, wishes and feelings will be sought in all aspects of their planning and day to day care.

 

All children should be enabled to communicate their views (including very young children or those with communication difficulties) and appropriate methods for gaining their views should be sought and provided by the home.

Promoting Time Spent with Family and Significant Others

Spending time with family members, friends and other significant persons will be promoted (unless particular circumstances indicate that such contact would not be in the child’s best interests).

 

Parents and others with Parental Responsibility will be enabled to participate in the child’s daily life in so far as this is compatible with the facilities of the home, the child’s Placement Plan and associated agreements.

 

Children will be encouraged to establish relationships with friends within and outside the home and with people from the wider community.

Promoting Diversity

Staff will take every step to make sure that individual children and young people are not subject to discrimination, marginalisation or bullying from their peers by virtue of their gender, religion, ethnicity, cultural and linguistic background, sexual identity, gender identity, mental ill health, disability or for any other reason.

 

Children and families will be treated with respect and dignity, and receive services which respect their ethnicity, culture, language, disability, sexuality and religion.

Promoting Educational Achievement

Staff will promote and support the educational achievement of children and ensure that a positive learning environment is promoted both at school and within the home. This could include supporting children with homework, accessing the internet and possibly home study.

 

Staff will work closely with social workers and other professionals (e.g. teachers) to ensure that each child has a Personal Education Plan (PEP) which accurately reflects their needs and is reviewed at regular intervals.

Healthcare

To promote children’s health, staff in the home should ensure there is a continuity of treatment and that children’s physical, emotional and psychological health needs are properly assessed and accounted for.

 

All children will have healthcare assessments and screening resulting in a Health Care Plan designed to ensure their healthcare needs, including immunisations, are up to date.

 

Young people should be provided with advice and support on sexual health and relationships (including sexual exploitation and domestic violence and abuse where appropriate), smoking, alcohol and substance misuse.

Promoting Positive Behaviour and Relationships

Homes should have high expectations of all children and staff and aim to create an environment and culture which promotes and supports positive behaviour. Behaviour management strategies should support positive behaviour and de-escalation of conflicts.

 

Staff will be trained to build and maintain positive relationships and resolve conflicts positively. Children will be encouraged to take responsibility for their behaviour, in a way that is appropriate to their age and abilities.

 

Sanctions and rewards for behaviour will be clear, reasonable and fair and understood by all staff and children. Bullying within the home will not be tolerated.

Physical Contact and Relationships

Staff will develop caring and nurturing relationships with Children, based on clear boundaries, which demonstrate affection, acceptance and reassurance. Staff are encouraged to use appropriate physical contact, positively and safely in keeping with the child’s past experiences, needs and wishes.

 

Where staff spend time alone with Children, this will be underpinned by effective procedures, evidence-based risk assessments and training which safeguard the interests of both children and staff/carers. Play fighting is not allowed under any circumstances.

Safe Practices, Health and Safety

Each home will have a written Health and Safety Policy clarifying responsibilities under The Health and Safety at Work Act and related legislative guidance. The home will identify a senior manager responsible for health and safety and designated health and safety representatives.

 

Each home should complete comprehensive Health and Safety Risk Assessments, these should be regularly reviewed and monitored.