Our Service Standards for Support

 

These are our Service Standards for all support services at 1625ip.

They apply to everyone equally – whether you are housed by us or use our other services.

The Service Standards are written jointly with young people who use our services.

These Service Standards form our commitment and pledge to you. If you feel we have not kept to these standards in any way we want to hear from you, so we can put things right.

If we do not work to these standards, you have the right to make a complaint – for how to do this please see the section ‘Feedback and Complaints‘.

In addition to the information contained in this section we also have other policies which are the rules we work to. If you want copies of any of them, your Support Worker can get them for you.

Sections:

• Statement of Commitment from 1625ip

• Involving you in decision making

• Our Standard for Support

• Our Standard for Moving On

• Our Standard for Staying Safe

• Our Standard for Harassment and Hate Crime

• Our Standard for Customer Care

• How we measure our performance

The information in this leaflet is also available in other languages, in larger print, Braille or on CD. Please contact your Support or Housing Worker if you need any of these services. 

 

Statement of commitment from 1625ip

Young people worked with us to create this Statement of Commitment.

We ask all colleagues (that is what we call people who work for 1625ip) to sign up to this way of working with young people using our services.

1625ip colleagues will.

• Listen to me and respond to my ideas, views, and opinions

• Speak to me as an equal

• Talk to me in a down to earth and honest way

• Be professional and efficient when we have work to do – my time is valuable too

• Be punctual and organised

• Have an agenda for our meetings, but also make sure I can add things I want to discuss

• Keep a written record of the things we talk about and what we agree to do

• Inform me of things which affect me. Information is power!

• Encourage me to do things for myself

• Inspire me to succeed

• Empower me to be independent

• Work with me to set realistic goals for the future

• Encourage me to be capable and confident

If you feel we are not doing any of these things – LET US KNOW!

 

Involving you in decision making

1625ip is committed to ensuring that young people have a say in decisions that affect them. We will do this by:

• Having a service user involvement policy and procedure – written with input from young people and ensuring colleagues work to this policy

• Making sure that funding and resources are available – enabling people using our services to get involved in planning and even delivering services if they want to

• Giving everyone an equal opportunity to get involved

• Letting young people know how their ideas have been acted upon and how their contribution has affected the organisation and other people using services

• Wherever possible, making sure that young people are acknowledged and accredited for their contributions

 

Our Standard for Support

We will contact you within FIVE days of receiving a referral to our services.

We will make sure that you receive a full and thorough assessment of your needs.

We will listen to you and do all we can to provide an excellent support service which places your views at the centre of our work.

Where we cannot give the support ourselves, we will work with others to make sure that you get the help you need.

Informing you:

• We will provide details to our website and explain what information is there for you to access; we can possibly help you get on-line

• We will tell you about things that affect you

• We will give you copies of your key documents

• We will tell you about your right to appeal against any decision that affects you

• We will tell you who to contact if your Support worker is on leave

 

Working together:

• We will agree how often and where to meet

• We will agree a realistic support plan within realistic timeframes

• We will consider how other agencies, friends and family can support you

• We will have excellent joint working arrangements in place with other services

• We will seek your consent to share information with other services if we think this will help you

• We will encourage you to give feedback through surveys, activities, and forums

• We will keep you informed of all the activities available to you.

 

Respecting you – we will promote respect and equality:

• Between people using our services

• Between people using our services and colleagues

• Between services, people using our services, colleagues, and the local community

We will keep what you tell us confidential (unless someone is at risk of serious harm where we have a legal obligation to report this information)

 

Promoting your independence and helping you move on in your life:

• We will encourage you to do things for yourself

• We will encourage you to take pride in your achievements

• We will agree priorities with you and encourage you to achieve your goals

• We will review your support plan regularly and whenever there is a big change in your life (or anytime you request a review)

 

Our standard for MOVING ON

We are committed to supporting you with moving on in all aspects of your life. This might include making a fresh start and new plans, gaining new skills or a job, moving on emotionally and moving into a new home.

We will talk with you about your hopes and plans from when we start working with you and regularly review your goals, so you don’t feel rushed.

We will support you to address any barriers to moving on, including drug or alcohol difficulties, mental health needs or offending.

We recognise that not everyone will be ready (or want) to live on their own.

We will be fair and consistent in assessing how ready you are to move on. We will consider: –

• Budgeting and rent / service charge payments

• How well you are looking after yourself and your property

• Whether you feel confident and ready to move on

We will support you to develop skills and confidence to manage in your own place. For example:

• Paying your rent and bills

• Looking after yourself and your home

• Dealing with any problems or emergencies

• Getting to know other services

• Taking part in activities, courses, training, jobs, and volunteering

 

We will help you to get further support when you move on if you need it.

We will work with you to make sure you move home as few times as possible

We will explore with you whether returning home (or to live with relatives) is an option and, if it is, we will support you to make this possible.

 

We will provide support, information, and access to computers for all of the other options available including:

• Renting from a private landlord

• Bidding for council and housing association properties

• Supported housing and supported lodgings

• Updating benefit information

 

Our standard for STAYING SAFE

Supporting you

We will work with you to help prevent anything that could potentially cause yourself or others harm.

We will work with you to ensure that you feel safe inside and outside your home and are confident with the use of household appliances.

If you are at risk of harassment, hate crime or domestic violence we will support you to get the help you need to be safe (please see our Harassment and Hate Crime Service Standard).

We will listen to and respond to any concerns you may have about your relationships, neighbours, or anyone else who could cause you harm.

We will support you to access the safest available accommodation.

 

Recruiting and training our colleagues and volunteers

We will carry out criminal record (DBS) checks on all colleagues and volunteers who work with young people and make a thorough assessment of their suitability to work with children and young people.

We will train all our employees, as well as volunteers and board members, in how to keep children and young people safe from harm

Reporting concerns:

• We will make sure that you know who you can talk to – inside and outside of 1625ip – if you are worried about yours or someone else’s safety

• If you feel unable to talk to your support worker directly, you could speak with another worker, such as an EET worker, a coach, or a participation worker – or you can ask to speak to a manager, a director, or our Chief Executive. Freephone 0800 731 7213

• You can also call Childline on 0800 1111

• Local numbers for Children’s and Adults Social Care are contained in the next section (for phone numbers and more information on child protection and safeguarding adults see ‘more information about how we work’)

 

Your health

We will offer support so you can look after yourself, including eating healthily and staying active.

We will help you to access the other services you need, including counseling and health services.

We will offer you good quality information on sexual health and contraception from trained colleagues.

We will make sure that you understand the risks associated with smoking, alcohol, and drug use – at home and when you are out.

We will act to prevent drug use, production, or supply in our properties, supporting young people to reduce or stop using drugs if they feel they are ready and, if not, to use drugs more safely.

 

Positive activities

We will support you to take part in safe and positive activities.

We will support you in finding out about college courses, training, and jobs.

 

Confidentiality

We will respect your confidentiality and ask your permission to share information if we think this will help you to stay safe.

We will only share confidential information without your permission if you or someone else is at risk of serious harm (see the section ‘more information about how we work’ for more info about data protection)

 

Working with others

We will work with young people and other agencies, including crime prevention projects, to improve the security of our properties.

We will strengthen our links with other agencies – and work well with them to help keep young people stay safe from harm.

 

Our standard for HARASSMENT AND HATE CRIME

See sections ‘Equality and Diversity’ and ‘Anti-Harassment, Bullying, and Anti-Social Behaviour’ for more information or speak to a Support Worker for a full explanation and examples of harassment and hate crime.

Our commitments to you:

• We will provide a fair, consistent, and sensitive response to all young people

• We will help you to access other support, legal services and, where necessary, safe accommodation

• We will work with other agencies such as the police, support agencies, advice services and other housing providers

• We will contact you within 1 working day of reporting any form of hate crime or sexual harassment

• We will carry out an initial investigation within 1 working day if you or your property are at serious risk

• We will carry out an investigation within 5 days in all other cases of harassment and anti-social behaviour

• We will keep you informed of progress – and let you know when we consider that a case has been resolved

• We will make sure you know who to contact when the office is closed

• Where we are responsible for the property, then any repairs linked to a hate crime will be considered an emergency

• We will actively promote awareness of the diverse community and cultures in which we live

 

Our standard for CUSTOMER CARE

All colleagues will actively follow our Statement of Commitment to you.

We will provide you with easy-to-understand and accurate information in plain English or other language or format.

We will always answer your questions or direct you to someone that can and advise if there will be a delay in replying.

Information on out of hours services will be available on the answer phone and on notice boards at relevant properties.

We will identify ourselves when answering the phone/door buzzer.

We will advise you of choices available and details of other services that may benefit you.

We will inform you in advance of any office closures.

If there is a delay in seeing you, we will explain this fully.

Our offices will be comfortable, accessible, clean, and safe – with colleagues who like young people and are trained to assist young people.

We will deal with complaints positively and offer help with making a complaint

(see the section ‘Feedback and Complaints‘ for more information on how to make a complaint or provide feedback).

 

How we measure our performance 

We will monitor our performance against these Service Standards using the following:

• Feedback questionnaires

• Surveys

• 1625ip Connects events

• Independent People Ambassadors (IPA) board

• House meetings

• Outcomes that young people we work with achieve

• Our responses to all cases of harassment, hate crime, abuse, domestic violence

• Auditing assessments and support plans

• An annual audit of complaints

 

We want to know what you think of the support you get

We want to know when we get things wrong, so we can learn and get them right in the future.

If you think you haven’t received the best service from us – please let us know (we also want to hear if you think we’ve done a good job!).

If you feel we have not kept to these standards in any way we want to hear from you, so we can put things right. Please let your Support Worker know.

If you are not happy, you can also contact a manager on

Freephone   0800 731 7213

Landline      0117 317 8800

Email           enquiries@1625ip.co.uk

Write to:       1625ip, Kingsley Hall, 59 Old Market Street, Bristol, BS2 0ER

 

If you make a complaint – we will confirm we’ve had your complaint within two working days and will investigate and respond within 10 working days.

We are committed to treating everyone fairly. It is vital that you let us know if you feel you have been treated unfairly because of your race, religion or belief, disability, gender, pregnancy, maternity, sexual orientation, or gender identity