Guidance Care
Support through difficult moments.
Everyone has hard days. When you are finding things difficult, the adults around you should be working out what will help - not just what to stop. Listening, encouragement and clear, fair boundaries are the things we start from.
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Your plan, built around you
You have a placement plan and a Positive Behaviour Support Plan. They help the adults in your home understand what support you need, what helps when things are hard, and what encourages you.
Your plan should fit you: what you need, what you are interested in and what you are good at. What is expected of you should be realistic, with help to take small steps. You should be able to understand your plan, say what you think of it, and look again at what is working.
Putting things right
The adults around you should notice when you try and when you make progress, not only the things you find hard. Encouragement is different for everyone, so it should suit you rather than be the same for the whole house.
If something goes wrong, you should get a clear explanation, help to understand how it affected other people, and a chance to put it right. You should also get the chance to explain your side. The point is to help you learn and make a fresh start, not to hold it over you.
If a situation gets harder
Staff are trained to help a situation settle early, so that physical intervention is not needed. Sometimes it is still used. It is a last resort, after other approaches have been tried where that is possible, and it must never be used to punish you.
What happens in your home follows the detailed procedures and your own plans. You can ask your home team to explain the arrangements and what they mean for you. This page is an introduction - it does not set out how physical intervention is carried out.
What happens afterwards
After something difficult, you and the staff should talk about what happened and what might help next time. If physical intervention was used, it has to be written down and checked by a manager. Your plan should be looked at again when your needs or the risks change.
If you are unhappy with the support you get, you can say so. Ask your home team or your social worker about an advocate and about how to complain. An advocate does not work for the home; their job is to help you be heard. Your family can raise a concern too.
If you want to read the behaviour management policy, you can ask for it, or ask an adult to: referrals@guidancecare.co.uk or 01253 530008.
If you need to talk to someone now
You do not have to be in danger to ask for help. If something is worrying you, you can talk to someone who does not work for Guidance Care. These services are free and private.
Childline
Anything at all, if you are under 19.
Free, day or night. The call will not show up on the phone bill, and you can ring even if you have no credit. You can message them online instead if that is easier. childline.org.uk
Help at Hand
If you are in care, living away from home, or you have a social worker.
Free advice from the Children’s Commissioner’s own team. They can help you sort something out when you feel stuck. childrenscommissioner.gov.uk
Shout
If you would rather write than say it out loud.
Free text messages, day or night. Nobody has to overhear you. giveusashout.org
SafeCall
If you are away from home, thinking of leaving, or someone is putting pressure on you.
Free, and they will not judge you. safecall.org.uk
If someone is in danger right now, call 999.
You can also tell any adult in your home, your social worker, or your advocate. Telling someone outside Guidance Care is allowed, and nobody here will be cross with you for doing it.