The Supported Accommodation (England) Regulations 2023

The protection standard

5.—(1) The protection standard is that children are enabled to feel safe and that their needs are met.

(2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

(a) ensure that children—

(i) are protected from harm;

(ii) are enabled to keep themselves safe;

(iii) have their individual needs met;

(iv) have 24-hour access to help in a crisis or emergency situation;

(b) prepare and implement child protection policies;

(c) ensure that the effectiveness of child protection policies is kept under review and ensure that, where appropriate, those policies are revised;

(d) comply with requests from a local authority to provide it with information relating to a child for which it is the accommodating authority;

(e) ensure that there is a suitable person representing the supported accommodation undertaking available to attend any meeting the accommodating authority may hold about a child;

(f) ensure that staff—

(i) are familiar and act in accordance with child protection policies;

(ii) have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of abuse, neglect, exploitation or any other harm, and act to reduce such risk;

(iii) work collaboratively with children to help them understand how to keep safe, by offering guidance and support on how to minimise any potential risk of harm;

(iv) work collaboratively with other professionals and agencies, and share information where relevant to keep children safe;

(v) support children to maintain appropriate and safe relationships with family, friends and other people who are important to them;

(vi) understand the relevant roles and responsibilities assigned to them by the registered person in relation to protecting children.