Family Access Consultancy Services

1: Child Contact Service Management

The management team of a child contact service should be experienced and qualified to undertake the work. They have a duty to ensure that the service effectively understands, reflects, and meets the needs of the local community. During times of uncertainty, such as COVID-19, SAI may amend standards and membership agreements. Where this is the case, appropriate consultation and support will be provided.

2: Service Staffing

Child contact services must be staffed by suitably skilled and experienced individuals, in sufficient numbers to offer a service that meets the needs of those using the service. Staff should be trained and supervised to ensure that they are competent to provide a safe and reliable service.

3: Operating Procedures

Child contact services must have clear and consistent operating procedures that are known, understood, and accepted by staff, referrers, and families using the service. These procedures should cover every aspect of the service, including intake and assessment, scheduling, supervision, reporting, and feedback.

4: HR and Recruitment

The systems and processes at a service must enable all the operations of the service to function in a way that is effective and legal. There must be a clear recruitment procedure that ensures the selection of staff for new and existing child contact services. This includes conducting background checks, verifying qualifications and experience, and ensuring that staff adhere to the service’s code of conduct.

5: Policies

Policies and procedures provide a framework within which a child contact service can operate and evaluate the service it is providing. Policies should be developed in consultation with stakeholders and cover important areas such as child protection, confidentiality, complaints, and health and safety.

6: Safeguarding Children / Child Protection

Child contact services work with families who might be particularly vulnerable because of events that have or continue to happen. The service must take all possible steps to ensure that the people using its services are adequately protected. This includes having a safeguarding policy and procedures in place, providing training to staff, and having clear reporting mechanisms.

7: Confidentiality

Families using child contact services have a right to know that information about them will be treated in line with best practice relating to confidentiality. People using services must be able to trust child contact services and the way that their information is kept safe. This includes having a clear confidentiality policy, obtaining consent for sharing information, and ensuring that staff are trained in data protection.

8: Complaints and Compliments

Child contact services must be able to monitor and evaluate their services to ensure that they are meeting the needs of families and children. Families need to know that any complaints and compliments they make will be listened to