On-call Procedure

The On-Call service is available to all staff.

It consists of a telephone advice and support service from members of the management team who provide 24/7 cover for all out-of-hours emergencies. The service is staffed by:

• Monday – Thursday – a member of the home’s management team. This will be identified on the rota for the day/ week. These managers can be contacted on their work mobile phone number;
• Friday – Sunday – a Registered Manager who will be on-call for the whole Organisation. They can be contacted on the on-call phone number which is 01303 815661.

The On-Call worker will be contactable at all times via the relevant telephone number.

The On-Call manager will be on call from home and must be able to respond promptly to issues referred to them for the duration of their on-call duty. Managers fulfilling this duty are expected to be available and capable of fulfilling the on-call duty in line with normal professional expectations of their role. Where this is not possible, for example through illness, the on-call manager MUST ensure alternative arrangements are in place and communicated effectively.

The On-Call role is primarily one of offering support and advice in making decisions and facilitating in potentially difficult circumstances. On-call managers may also be contacted to confirm actions taken by staff are appropriate and that there are no shortfalls or omissions.

However, there may be occasions where it is necessary for the on-call manger to have contact with children and young people; such as when conducting welfare checks on the telephone or directly by visiting the home. It may also be necessary for them to have contact with other professionals (Social Workers, the Police). Managers must ensure they are able to fulfil these responsibilities appropriately.

It is the responsibility of the On-Call manager to:

• Provide advice, management, guidance and support to staff when contacted for assistance;
• Follow all organisational policies and procedures by reporting any relevant incident to the Registered Manager of the home concerned and, where necessary the Responsible Individual (Nick Barnett) and/ or Safeguarding Lead for the organisation (Damion Napier);
• Be the first contact if a major incident occurs;
• Ensure that all advice, decisions and actions are recorded and entered onto the relevant plans/ documentation (e.g. The Green Form, incident reports, IBSP’s etc.);
• Where necessary conduct welfare checks for children and young people and act as a point of contact for other professionals.

The On-Call service must be contacted if any of the following events occurs:

• Death of or serious injury to a child or member of staff, including injuries requiring attendance at the Accident and Emergency department or significant accidents which may have resulted in harm (e.g. car accidents);
• An Allegations Against Adults (Staff or Others) Working With Children Procedure or Safeguarding Children and Referring Safeguarding Concerns Procedure - including concerns relating to the conduct of members of the public or others not working in the home which may have an impact on the welfare of children living there;
• A child requires emergency professional medical intervention (i.e. not routine or scheduled appointments);
• An allegation that a young person has committed a serious offence, police involvement, or requires an appropriate adult interview (see Role of Appropriate Adult Guidance);
• Suspected or actual trafficking or sexual exploitation of a child;
• A child is reported as missing or absent from the placement;
• Suspicion that a young person or staff member has a serious infectious disease;
• Fire, flood, natural disaster or other circumstances likely to seriously affect the home;
• A member of staff being taken seriously ill or staffing issues that cannot be resolved locally (prior to notifying the on-call manager of staff sickness/ shortage staff working in the home should make appropriate efforts to resolve this i.e. calling other homes for support, calling staff members who may be able to cover);
• A member of staff acting in breach of their contractual obligations, or where there is alleged misconduct;
• Any other event which requires Notification under Regulation 40 or that is deemed significant by staff working in the home.

See: Allegations Against Adults (Staff or Others) Working With Children Procedure and Safeguarding Children and Referring Safeguarding Concerns Procedure 

The On-Call manager must be contacted if a young person makes an allegation of abuse against a member of staff or other person working with children. In such situations the primary responsibility is to ensure the safety of the child or young person in the home, and arrangements for doing this will need to be discussed with the On-Call service on every such occasion. There is specific guidance and a flowchart included in the relevant policies to support staff with this process.

The On-Call manager is responsible for recording all communication, advice offered and action that has taken place out of hours and ensuring that the relevant Registered Manager is made aware of any events listed under Section 4 that have occurred and any other event of a serious nature not listed. This can be completed through the dedicated e-mail address: oncall@caldecottfoundation.co.uk.

Relevant Registered Managers, the Responsible Individual (Nick Barnett) and the Designated Safeguarding Lead (Damion Napier) should be informed on the next working day of events requiring Notification to Ofsted or other significant occurrences.