National Care Standards: School Care Accommodation Services

8-15 Leading your life

8 You as an individual
9 Exercising your rights
10 Contributing to your care
11 Eating well
12 Keeping well - lifestyle
13 Keeping well - medication
14 Supporting your education
15 Supporting communication

Leading your life

Introduction to standards 8 to 15

The standards in this section reflect the quality of care in your everyday life as a boarding pupil. They help you to get the best out of all the opportunities open to you.

You as an individual

Staff will understand and respond to your individual needs. This may include being aware of your health, education, culture, ethnic background, faith, language, sexuality, ability and any disability you may have and any language needs or particular interests you have.

Exercising your rights

You have rights and responsibilities which staff will explain to you in a way that is easy to understand. You have the freedom to make choices in a way that is right for your age. You are supported when you make poor choices so that you can learn from the experience.

Contributing to your care

You have the right to take part in decisions about your life in a way that is right for your age. You can be involved in day-to-day decisions about life in the school or hostel. Within agreed limits, you can choose what to do in your own free time.

Eating well

Good, nutritious food and drink are important for your healthy development. Individual choices of food and drink vary, as do dietary needs. Having your own needs and choices met is an important part of the quality of day-to-day life.

Keeping well

Good health will be promoted in the school or hostel. You have a right to have your health needs met and to have support in using the full range of healthcare services. If you take medication there are arrangements in place for you to take your medication safely and in a way that suits you best.

Supporting your education

Staff help you to get the best from your education and available resources. They will help you to manage your study time in the school or hostel. You have the right to be encouraged to achieve all you can, using all your talents. Staff will support you to develop a range of experiences and interests outside school, in the wider community.

Supporting communication

People may use different languages or methods of communication for a variety of reasons. As a result, they may have difficulty in making themselves understood. However, being able to communicate is an essential part of playing an active part in daily life and you should get help to do so if you need it.

You as an individual

Standard 8

Staff are aware of your individual needs and know how to respond to them.

1 You can be confident that staff make sure they are properly informed about the implications for you of your social, cultural and religious belief or faith.

2 You are given the opportunity and support you may need to practise your beliefs, including keeping in touch with your faith community.

3 Your birthday and personal anniversaries are recognised and ways found to make sure you can mark these as you choose.

4 You have help in working out ways to do your chosen activities and are encouraged to take part in activities that develop your individual talents, interests and hobbies. This is done in a way that respects and preserves your cultural heritage.

Exercising your rights

Standard 9

You know about your rights and responsibilities. You can make choices within limits that are suited to your age. Staff support you in making decisions.

1 You know that staff understand the rights of children and young people and what this means in practice.

2 You and other pupils are encouraged to respect and help each other. Staff speak respectfully about everyone, at all times when in contact with you and other pupils.

3 Staff explain your rights and responsibilities in a way that you can easily understand.

4 You know that staff are aware of the rules, records, policies and procedures that reflect your rights to choice and that these are related to your age.

5 You choose what to do in your free time within agreed limits and according to your age. This includes spending time with your friends as long as this is in your interests.

6 You know that staff will help you contact outside agencies that can help you if you have a problem (for example, health counselling).

7 You can take part in life outside the school community. There are links between the school or hostel and local community organisations and facilities.

8 Staff give you a range of responsibilities that are suited to your age, including an appropriate level of responsibility for others.

Contributing to your care

Standard 10

You can be involved in discussions on the way the school or hostel is run. You can contribute to developing plans for the school or hostel and monitoring the quality of care.

1 You contribute to monitoring the quality of care and you are involved in planning (for example, through pupils' committee or food committee).

2 You contribute to decisions about day-to-day aspects of the school or hostel services, (for example, menus, timing of meals and activities in your free time) and decisions about how the budget should be used.

3 You are involved in discussions about any proposed changes to your life in the school or hostel services.

4 You can go to pupils' meetings and your views will be taken into account. These meetings are recorded and the record made available to all who attended.

Eating well

Standard 11

Your meals are varied and nutritious. They take account of your food preferences and any special dietary needs. They are well prepared and attractively presented.

1 Catering and care staff get to know your food choices and preferences, including ethnic, cultural and religious ones.

2 You can be confident that the menu varies regularly according to your comments and will always contain fresh fruit and vegetables.

3 Your meals are nutritionally balanced for your dietary needs, for example, if you have diabetes or food allergies.

4 You have access to snacks and hot and cold drinks.

5 Your meals are well prepared and presented. All food handling follows good food-hygiene practices. All staff who handle food regularly receive food-hygiene training.

6 If you need any help at mealtimes (for example, a liquidised diet, adapted cutlery or crockery, or help from a member of staff), staff will arrange this for you.

7 Staff will regularly review anything that may affect your ability to eat or drink, such as your dental health, and if there are concerns arrange for you to get advice.

Keeping well - lifestyle

Standard 12

The school or hostel promotes a healthy lifestyle. You are confident that the staff will know your healthcare needs and arrange to meet them in a way that is best for you.

1 You have information on developing and keeping up a healthy lifestyle. This includes information that is suited to your age on diet, exercise, smoking, alcohol and drug misuse and sexual health.

2 Staff encourage you to take part in a range of fitness activities.

3 You will receive information about preventive healthcare (for example, screening, immunisation and regular check-ups). Staff will help you if you need assistance to take part in any of these.

4 You are registered with the GP and dentist of your choice at the practice that is linked to the school or hostel. The school or hostel has strong links with local support services, including medical, therapy and social work services as needed.

5 If you need health advice from a GP, dentist, optician or other health professional, staff will arrange this for you and help you to follow any advice you are given.

6 If you feel unwell, either physically or emotionally, you can discuss this with the staff and, if needed, are given support in getting help from your GP or other primary care team member. If you become seriously unwell suddenly, you know that arrangements are in place to get help quickly.

7 You have the opportunity to discuss health matters privately and in confidence. You have access to a practitioner or counsellor who you are familiar with.

8 Staff are aware of the law on whether you are able to consent to receive medical treatment.

9 Professional and confidential help is available if you have emotional or other mental health problems.

10 The school or hostel has clear policies and procedures for looking after you if you are sick or unwell. These include arrangements to make sure you are regularly monitored throughout the day and for telling parents or others responsible for your care how you are progressing.

11 You can be assured that staff have the specialist knowledge (either through training or by getting specialist advice) about particular healthcare or disability needs you may have.

12 If you have a disability, you receive the specific services you need to lead as full and normal a life as possible. These may include therapeutic and other specialist services such as occupational therapy or psychological services.

13 If you need it, staff will know how to arrange for your personal care equipment to be repaired and maintained. This will be recorded in your personal plan (if you have one).

14 You know that the school or hostel treats death and grief with sensitivity and offers full support at that time, respecting your faith and any spiritual and cultural beliefs. Staff will give you and, where appropriate, your relatives and friends, advice, support and counselling if you are faced with death or someone close to you dies.

Keeping well - medication

Standard 13

If you need to take medication, staff know this and there are arrangements in place for you to take your medication safely and in the way that suits you best.

1 You know that any medication you receive will have been prescribed for your own use and that staff will monitor your medication and the condition for which it has been prescribed.

2 If you are able to do so, and staff are satisfied it is safe, you can choose to manage your own medication.

3 If you are managing your own medication, you are given your own lockable storage to keep your medication safely. If you need it, you have special storage somewhere else (for example, in a fridge) that is secure and accessible to you.

4 You get help from the staff with ordering and collecting your prescriptions if you want or need it.

5 If you are taking medication that someone else needs to give you (for example, an injection), staff do this in a way that recognises and respects your dignity and privacy.

6 If you have any questions or need advice about your medication that staff cannot answer, they will help you to get the advice from your community pharmacist or GP practice.

7 If you are having your medication managed for you, you can be confident that the school or hostel has effective systems in place for ordering medication, storing it safely, giving it safely and getting rid of it safely, that staff are trained in how to administer medication and this training is kept up to date.

8 You know that the school or hostel keeps accurate, up-to-date records of all the medicines that have been ordered, taken or not taken, and got rid of.

9 You know that if any drugs go missing, the staff will take the necessary action to report this to the relevant authorities.

Supporting your education

Standard 14

You stay in an educationally-rich environment with good study facilities for you. Staff help you to manage your study time effectively.

1 Teachers and the house or hostel staff work well together to review your progress and help overcome any learning or personal difficulties you may have.

2 If you have special needs which make it necessary, care staff will help by working alongside teachers in the classroom.

3 You have enough quiet space to work in, and there are special quiet areas for you to study.

4 You receive the help and supervision you need with your homework.

5 Library resources are readily available to you, including computers and Internet access (with agreed limits).

6 If you have an individualised educational programme, staff will make sure that you are supported to help you to achieve the targets it contains.

Supporting communication

Standard 15

If your first language is not English or if you have any other communication needs, you have help to use services, aids and equipment for communication,

1 If you need it, your communication needs are regularly assessed and reviewed.

2 Staff can help you get and use specialist communication equipment.

3 If you need it, communication support is available for you at all times. You have access to interpreters and other specialist supports. Where appropriate, staff will be trained in sign or symbol language.

4 You receive encouragement to keep and develop your first language
or sign or symbol language (or all three). You have interpretation or translation facilities, or any other help you might need, to let you be part of the life in the school or hostel.

5 You can prepare for important events and have time to communicate your feelings, views and answers. You have support in reading and understanding records, through interpreters or communication specialists if necessary.