Guidelines, policies and regulations

When planning a sibling group you will need to consider the guidelines, policies and regulations that you need to put in place. These will vary according to the size of the project. If the group comes under the umbrella of an existing organisation, group leaders will be able to implement existing policies and procedures. However, smaller services may need to develop their own. Here are some ideas to get you started.

Employee management and organisational policies

For new groups without the support of a large organisation, a good source of support is the National Association for Voluntary and Community Action (NAVCA). NAVCA is the national voice of local voluntary and community sector infrastructure in England. Their purpose is to promote local voluntary and community action nationally. They do this by providing members with information, advice, networking and learning opportunities, and support and development services.

NAVCA has a host of policies and procedures that can be downloaded by organisations and adapted to suit your needs. These include employee management policies such as supervision, disciplinary procedures and subsistence claims and organisational policies such as health and safety and complaints. Their website is www.navca.org.uk

Social Care Intitute for Excellence (SCIE)'s aim is to improve the experience of people who use social care by developing and promoting knowledge about good practice in the sector. Using knowledge gathered from diverse sources and a broad range of people and organisations, they develop resources which they share freely, supporting those working in social care and empowering service users. The publications section has very good practice guides including a good description of the process of individual and group supervision. Their website is www.scie.org.uk

Safeguarding children

It is essential that sibling group workers and leaders understand the signs and symptoms of harm and the reporting mechanisms for safeguarding children. Local Safeguarding Children Boards (LSCB) have replaced Area Child Protection Committees and provide statutory mechanisms for agreeing how organisations co-operate to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.

Any group undertaking work with children should be familiar with the policies and procedures drawn up by their LSCB. A range of training is usually available for anyone working with children in a voluntary or paid capacity.For details of your local LSCB, look on the website of the appropriate authority or in the telephone directory.

Government policy

For regular developments regarding government policies and guidance a good source of reference is the Every Child Matters website www.everychildmatters.org.uk

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