Unique young people with their own voice
Young people in our care are actively encouraged to contribute to the assessment and planning process as we believe that a child’s care plan is more likely to succeed if the young person has a sense of ownership and active partnership in the process.
Every child in our care has access to an independent advocate who will represent the child and promote their well being at every opportunity. Weekly key worker meetings are held with the child to ascertain their views and wishes and these are acted upon. We hold young people's forum where the young people are invited to gather together with staff and managers from our organisation to express their views and make representations about their lives and the service they experience from us. These outcomes are then discussed and acted upon at the highest levels of the organisation. On several occasions young people from these forums have contributed to debates about what it means to be a 'looked after child' at Westminster.
We believe that every child has a 'voice' and should be heard whatever challenges they face with regard to communication. Staff are encouraged to form positive working relationships with the young people so that they are able to interpret their needs and advocate on their behalf. Whilst we are aware of the challenges that caring for such young people can present, we also recognise that working with children with complex and challenging needs can be very rewarding for the staff team as they actively contribute to the placement’s success and a child’s positive progress.
It is significant that the vast numbers of spot contracts purchased from us by local authorities are due to established links and in fact represent repeat business with an organisation that they know through past experience provides a high quality, safe and responsive service.