Terms and Conditions

Clifford House has a comprehensive Referral Information document which outlines the organisations Statement of Purpose and gives full details about the range of resources we provide. Please refer to this for an overview of our terms and conditions of placement. Experience tells us that sometimes those seeking placements at short notice do not have the time to fully read this document. Listed below are the key areas that we need to ensure you are aware of prior to making a referral. Placements are made on the basis that this information has been understood and forms part of our contract with you.

Contractual Obligations

If the full information that is requested is not available prior to, or at the point of admission then it must be received within 28 days.

The notice period for either party to terminate a placement is 28 days within our residential resources and 14 days within our foster placements.

Assessments

An assessment of placement suitability is applied to all placements made with Clifford House during the first 12 weeks. If at any time during this 12 week period it is felt that the young person is inappropriately placed in the home that they are in, Clifford House will make a recommendation that they be moved to a more suitable placement within the organisation. In exceptional circumstances it may be appropriate to provide extra staffing to temporarily support a young person until an alternative placement is achieved. This would be fully discussed with the Placing Social Worker and any additional costs that may be incurred for supplementary staffing until the young person can be safely moved would be negotiated.

Clifford House has the capacity to admit young people on the same day as a referral is made if full and appropriate information is received into our Assessment Unit, Broomhill Cottage.

Broomhill Cottage (Same Day Referral and Assessment Unit) will assess young people over a minimum of one month and a maximum of three months to ensure they can move on, with confidence, on a planned basis into other Clifford House resources that have been identified as being able to meet their needs. If Clifford House does not have a suitable placement available or following the assessment period, feel unable to appropriately meet their needs we will work with the Placing Authority to successfully move the young person on to an alternative resource outside of Clifford House. However, if the assessment suggests the young person would benefit from a particular type of resource, and there is a vacancy within the organisation, Clifford House will plan for the young person to move anytime between the minimum 4 week and 12 week assessment period, subject to a clear assessment having been made and with the Social Worker’s agreement.

Education

Participation in education is a priority for all of the young people placed with us. Clifford House has it’s own Registered School, The Larches which provides full-time education for many of the young people placed with us who are unable to cope with mainstream education setting for a variety of reasons. We will work with the placing Local Authority to identify and achieve integration into a local mainstream education provision if it is appropriate, however we realise that this can take time to achieve when a young person is moving into this area. It is essential that a young person continues to receive education from the moment that they are placed with us therefore we expect that initially they will attend The Larches if a mainstream education place is not already available for them and funding provision would need to be made for this.

Therapeutic Intervention

If a young person is identified, either prior to or during a placement with Clifford House, as needing therapeutic intervention this can be provided but is commissioned separately to the residential and education provision. The costs of this is not part of our basic placement or education fee. We have a Clinical Psychologist and Cognitive Behavioural Therapist who work with us on a full-time basis. Full details are available upon request.

Behaviour Management

Clifford House do have a Behaviour Management Policy that includes the use of Physical Intervention. All placing social workers need to be aware of this policy and a copy is available upon request. All instances where Physical Intervention is used are reported verbally to the Social Worker as soon as practically possible and written reports are sent to the Placing Authority on a weekly basis.

Smoking Policy

This is often a problematic area for agencies who look after young people, however Clifford House follow the Department of Health Guidelines in respect of smoking and have a clear no smoking policy for young people. Where a young person is admitted to Clifford House with a smoking habit already established we will support them in stopping smoking, as long as we have a signed smoking consent form, by putting in place a smoking reduction programme. It is the responsibility of those with Parental Responsibility to provide the cigarettes for young people in such circumstances.