National Care Standards For Childcare Agencies

3-6 Using the service

3 Service arrangements
4 Quality
5 Management and staffing arrangements
6 Concerns, comments and complaints

Using the service

These standards reflect the way in which you can be assured that the childcare agency is acting in line with the service agreement and in the best interests of those receiving the service.

The standards relating to service arrangements make it clear that you can expect to be fully consulted about the service provided.

The standards relating to quality will help you to have confidence in the service being provided and describe how the childcare agency will check if you are satisfied.

The standards relating to management and staffing arrangements set out what you can expect of the childcarers who are supplied or introduced to you by the childcare agency. It also includes what can be expected of the agency staff.

The standards relating to concerns, comments and complaints are very important as they allow you to influence and contribute to how services are delivered.

You can express your views directly to the agency or through an independent representative or interpreter.

Service arrangements

Standard 3

You are provided with a childcare arrangement which meets your identified needs.

1 You can be confident that the childcare agency has a prompt and effective system for responding to requests for a service.

2 You know that the childcare agency will communicate effectively with you to obtain details of your needs, including when you need the service, where it is to be provided, how long you need the service for and whether your child has any additional needs. The childcare agency will also tell your childcarer about these needs.

3 You will be consulted to make sure that the most suitable childcarer is provided for each childcare arrangement.

4 If you want, the childcare agency will, as far as possible, make sure that you are supplied with the same childcarer.

5 You can ask for a review of your childcare arrangement with the childcare agency at any time.

6 You can be confident that the childcare agency will regularly check with you to make sure that the childcare arrangements are still suitable and that any new arrangements are agreed.

7 You can be confident that the childcare arrangement will be monitored and regularly reviewed as appropriate by the childcare agency.

8 You know that the childcare agency keeps accurate records, showing:

• your identified needs;
• that you have been consulted on the suitability and continuity of the childcarers;
• the results of any reviews of the childcare arrangement; and
• that the childcare arrangement has been monitored and evaluated.

9 You know that you will be informed of the qualifications, training and experience of childcarers in order that you can have confidence in the individual childcarer.

10 You can be confident that wherever possible, you will be able to introduce your child to the childcarer in advance of the childcare arrangement being finalised.

Quality

Standard 4

You can be confident in the quality of the childcare arrangements.

1 You know that the childcare agency will:

• have written policies, procedures and guidance in place to help promote an environment of mutual respect, trust and open communication between you, the childcarer and the agency;
• abide by the Scottish Social Services Council's code of practice;
• provide a childcarer who will interact effectively and enthusiastically with your child or children and who will make use of the resources available to allow the child or children to experience and choose from a range of activities. These activities will take account of the individual needs of the child or children, including their cultural, language and communication, and religious needs, and any safety issues;
• work with you to provide continuity of childcare, take account of your family routines and preferences, including any cultural, language and communication and religious needs; where appropriate they will keep up other childcare or community service links (or both) which you have made;
• notify you at the earliest opportunity if your usual childcarer is unavailable or will be late;

• have a system in place to consult with you and to monitor and evaluate the quality of the childcare arrangement;. the findings will be recorded, and will include feedback on any action that needs to be taken to put things right; the timescales for achieving this will be agreed by you; and

• notify you without delay in the event of any mishap during the childcare arrangements or if the childcarer has any concern for the welfare of your child.

2 You can be confident that the childcarer will be able to provide identification confirming that he or she has come from the childcare agency.

Management and staffing arrangements

Standard 5

You can be confident that the childcare agency provides a consistent standard of service.

1 You can be confident that the service is managed properly, in line with relevant legislation and guidelines.

2 You know that the childcare agency will carry out a detailed assessment with you of the service required and agree with you what needs are to be met.

3 You can be confident that the manager or anyone responsible for placing childcarers will demonstrate a high level of professional competence and skill and a thorough understanding of childcare issues.

4 You know that the manager demonstrates effective leadership qualities, communication skills and fosters effective working relationships between you, the childcarers and the agency.

5 You can be confident that the childcare agency places childcarers who:

• are qualified where appropriate, and have the knowledge, skills, personal attributes and experience to meet your individual needs;
• will fulfil the childcare arrangement as agreed; and
• have a working knowledge and understanding of the agency's policies and procedures.

6 You can be confident that the childcare agency interviews and selects childcarers, volunteers and office staff through a process that takes account of safe recruitment practices and the codes of practice issued by the Council. These include:

• enhanced disclosures from Disclosure Scotland; ^2,3
• medical references;
• checks with previous employer;
• taking up references;
• verification of relevant qualification certificates where these are held;
• cross referencing to the register of the Scottish Social Services Council or other professional organisations;
• verification of the right to work, checked in line with relevant legislation; ⁴ and
• international criminal records checks, where possible.

7 You know that the childcare agency keeps accurate records of the education and work history of the childcarers, including relevant qualifications, skills, personal attributes and experience.

8 You can be confident that the childcare agency keeps up-to-date records of the continuing learning and development undertaken by each childcarer. It has policies, procedures and systems in place to assess and monitor the childcarer's performance and development needs.

Concerns, comments and complaints

Standard 6

You can raise any concerns about the quality of the service and these will be dealt with.

1 You enjoy clear and open communication with the childcare agency and know that it will deal with your comments, suggestions or complaints properly and quickly and tell you the findings.

2 You know that the childcare agency has a written policy and procedure in place for comments, suggestions and complaints which is easily available and understandable, and keeps accurate records of all the comments, suggestions and complaints it receives.

3 If you have an independent representative, you know that the childcare agency will listen to what she or he has to say on your behalf.

4 You know how to make a complaint or comment to the service. You are also aware of the procedure for making complaints directly to the Care Commission.