Introduction
We want you to be happy in your
home.
You are welcome to bring friends in provided their behaviour is OK
and does not cause problems for others, but please check with staff
first.
The house has seven single bedrooms, and a sleep in room where
one member of staff will sleep. There is also a large computer and
games room, a TV and music lounge, a dining room, a telephone room
and a garden.
The home is regularly inspected to make sure we are taking
good care of you.
Location
Grange Road is a large detached house with its own large garden
situated in a quiet area of Beccles. We are a 20-minute car journey
away from Lowestoft a busy tourist town with golden sandy
beaches.
The home is situated near the town centre which has a number of
shops, an out door swimming pool, sport centre, railway station,
museum, and a MacDonald’s a little way out of town. There are
also youth clubs, dance classes, football teams, girl guides and
scouts that you could join if you wish.
Routines
For any home to run smoothly, we need to have some sort of
routine, however, times have to be changed when activities or
outings are arranged or something special is happening.
Meal Times
We like to be quite flexible but do try to have our meals all
together.
Mealtimes are
usually:
| Breakfast |
7.30 am to 9.00 am |
| Lunch (weekends/holidays) |
12 noon to 1.00 pm |
| Evening meal |
5.00 pm to 6.00 pm |
Bed Times
There is no set bedtime but everyone is expected
to be in his or her rooms by 8.30pm on a school night, TVs stay on
until 9pm. At weekends children usually go up to bed around 9 –
9.30pm depending on what is going on. |
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Pocket Monies and Incentive Awards
You will be given your pocket on Saturday mornings. Incentive
trips are run monthly and these have included Laser Quest, Bowling
and trips to the cinema, a monthly magazine is also awarded for
good behaviour and school attendance.
Staff
There are staff in the house all the time. Some are there
in the mornings to get you off to school, some are there when you
come home and others are there all night to keep you safe. At
night, all the external doors are kept locked.
Keyworkers
Every child will have 3 Keyworkers. Your Keyworkers are
members of staff who will take a particular interest in you and
make sure that things work out for you. They will also help
you to buy your clothes and toiletries, make doctor’s, dentist’s
and optician’s appointments if you need them and provide support
for you at school. They will also attend your Reviews and
help you keep in touch with your family, friends and Social
Worker.
Records and Files
As you probably know, we do keep files about all children.
The files are to help you, so you can look at them if you wish and
put in anything you think should be in them. The files are
very helpful in making sure nothing gets forgotten at your Review
meetings but they are private to you and only those people who need
to know are allowed to see inside.
Fire
When you arrive at Grange Road you will do a fire drill to make
sure you know how and where to get out of the building as quickly
as possible if there is a fire.
Be Healthy
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At Grange Road we encourage a healthy
life-style. Your fitness is important to you so we will help
and encourage you to take part in sport and other activities.
If you would like to join a sports or activity based club, just ask
your Keyworker to help you.
To maintain your fitness level, good food is essential. We
have a cook to prepare our main meal of the day and there are
always plenty of different healthy dishes to choose
from. |
Sometimes you may like to prepare your own food in the kitchen, but
take care as kitchens can be dangerous places.
You will need to be registered with a doctor, dentist and
optician and your Keyworkers will help you do that.
The house is a non-smoking building for everyone. We also do not
allow drugs or alcohol in the house.
If you have any questions or want advice about drugs, alcohol or
smoking please ask staff who will help you find the necessary
information.
Stay Safe
For your safety, it is very important to ask staff
permission before going out.
Your bedroom is your own private place where you can lock the
door and have time and space to yourself. You will have your
own television, but please think of others and don’t have it on too
loud. You will also have a special place in your room where
you can lock away anything that is really valuable to you.
For everyone’s safety, we prefer you not to take visitors in your
room.
To keep everyone safe, we do not allow children to have any
weapons. This means such things as guns or imitation guns,
knives, swords, catapults or bows and arrows. Any weapons
brought into the house are confiscated.
Sometimes, children get upset or angry and out of control.
Staff always put your safety first and will not let you harm
yourself or others. They may have to hold you to stop you
and, at times, this can be upsetting for everyone. It helps
to talk it all through with somebody of your choice after things
have calmed down.
Bullying at the home is not acceptable, whether it is
name-calling, teasing, pushing or pulling, fighting, ignoring or
leaving others out or spreading rumours. If you feel you are
being bullied or you see any bullying, please speak to a member of
staff or the Children’s Rights Officer, who visits us every
month. If you are a victim of bullying, or a bully yourself,
staff will do something to prevent this.
Further information on how to stay safe and how to deal with
bullying can be found in your resource pack. Staff will help
you with this.
Make a Positive Contribution
Each month we hold a Children’s Meeting, where you can have your
say, ask the things you want to know and discuss topics that are
important to you. We also talk about the way the home is run
and any new ideas or things you would like to happen are then taken
to the staff’s meetings for them to discuss.
If you are unhappy or have any problems or worries you can’t
share with the group, you can use an ‘I want you to know’ form and
give it to the Manager who will always answer you. You can
also speak to the Children’s Rights Officer, who visits us every
month.
You will have the opportunity to join a Steering Group.
This is a group of children, parents, neighbours, local business
people, staff, teachers and people from Social Care who meet
regularly to talk about the various issues and goals of the
Home.
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The Children’s Home is the place where people
can feel safe, relax and be comfortable. Although we have a
cleaner, everyone is expected to help keep our home looking nice
and a healthy place to live. Your bedroom is your private
place so it is up to you to keep it clean and tidy.
Living together can sometimes have its difficulties. We are
all unique with different habits, likes, dislikes and expectations
so we must respect each other for what we are and treat everybody
with the same respect. |
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Children, who continually disrespect others or our home, will
sometimes be given sanctions. These could be deductions from
pocket money, being left out of activities or doing household
chores, but there is always the opportunity to earn these back.
Enjoy and Achieve
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Everyone at Grange Road is expected
to go to school. Your education is extremely important and
staff, especially your Keyworkers, will do everything they can to
support you in your school and help you keep up with your
studies.
In our recreation room we have two computers, one of which is
linked to the Internet, for you to use for your
homework.
We have lots of art and craft activities including clay and
paints. |
We have lots of board games as well as two dance mats, Xbox, DVD
player, Free View and lots of other things to do including cooking.
Each month we also hold a theme night, this usually focuses on a
country and we have a traditional meal and decorate the house. So
far we have looked at France, Australia, Italy and Tenerife.
If you attend school regularly, tidy your bedroom and are good
and kind to the other children and staff you will also be able to
build up credits. If you have over eighty credits in a month you
will be able to go on a group activity such as Laser Quest or
Bowling and will also get a monthly magazine.
Everyone loves to read and, as well as the selection of books we
have at Grange Road, there is always the opportunity to visit our
local library where you will be able to borrow books.
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As well as the everyday activities, we sometimes
organise foreign holidays and camps for children. In the past we
have also been to London for the day and visited Pleasure Wood
Hills theme park in Lowestoft. These are rewards for good behaviour
and attendance at school.
We also use any excuse to have a party, not just on your
birthday. There’s Valentine’s Day, Christmas and Easter,
Pancake Day, Bonfire Night and other special religious and cultural
days, when we like to have fun. |
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Achieve Economic Well being
All children at Grange Road have a Savings Account and are
encouraged to save 50p per week from their pocket money. This bank
account will be yours to take with you when you leave Grange Road,
it is hoped however that you will continue to save.
You will also be encouraged to take pride in your appearance and
bedroom, and staff will always be around to offer advice and
guidance, such as using the Hoover, preparing a snack and cleaning
your shoes.
Staff will also try to help you prepare for your future
by exploring educational activities that interest you and career
ideas such going to museums if you are really interested in
history, looking at sporting activities if you want to be a PE
Teacher for example.
People who can help
Our Children’s Rights Officer visits our home
regularly. You can also phone her on 01473
583468. Once a month, Bridget visits the Home to have
tea with you and will discuss any problems or concerns you may have
about your care. These may be very private things, which you
may prefer not to talk about with the home’s staff.
Amongst other things, Bridget may ask you if you would like to
be involved in various things, which may include the training and
selection of staff.
Anne Marie Shepherd is a Safeguarding
Manager. She visits the home every month and
produces an independent report, which goes into great detail about
your care, and the way the home operates. Pat is interested
in hearing what you think about your care. She can
also be contacted on 01473 581870.
We also have a Nurse who visits Grange Road
every six weeks. She will keep an eye on your health and will
listen to your worries and concerns. She can be contacted on
01449 776055.
From April 1st 2007 we will be inspected by OFSTED. Each
Children's Home have a designated OFSTED
Inspector. OFTSTED is a government organisation that
inspects all children's homes to make sure they are run well and
follow your care plan. They visit twice a year. Before
they come, they will send you a questionnaire to fill in and during
the visits and may ask you questions. The phone number is
08456 404040.
If you cannot talk to any of these people about your problems,
staff are always around to offer support and help, and will find
appropriate people for you to talk about your worries or
concerns.