Support Workers

Thank you for supporting a young person to access HideOut Youth Zone and welcome to our inclusive environment, supporting young people to be independent.

As we are unable to offer 1:1 support/personal care for young people, we welcome appropriate adults to provide assistance to young people requiring additional support to access Sunday Club and our universal sessions. A Personal Assistant may be supplied by a health/social care agency, employed by the family or be a family member above the age of 18.

HideOut Youth Zone offers a varied activity programme which is adapted, modified or specific for young people with additional needs. Our aim is to enable all young people to maximise their potential and to support them to be as independent as they can be. To ensure we maintain a youth focussed environment and enable staff to concentrate on the delivery of quality activities we ask that any personal assistants who do not need to stay with their young person wait in reception.   

Our inclusion team will provide a one-to-one induction for new members and their parents/carers/personal assistant where we will discuss any additional support needs and discuss the young person’s level of independence during our sessions. Support may be reduced or increased at any time. During the induction you will be given a copy of our Safeguarding Policy and you will be given a health and safety tour of the building.

We ask our members, staff, volunteers, and visitors to:

RESPECT YOURSELVES
RESPECT YOUR BUILDING
RESPECT YOUR STAFF
RESPECT EACH OTHER

• Please do not eat or drink hot drinks whilst working.
• We have a no touch policy; to ensure we establish and maintain professional boundaries with young people we do not allow any inappropriate touching with young people. E.g. no hugging. Please encourage ‘high 5’s’ instead.
• Please wear a HideOut Youth Zone ‘visitor’ badge to ensure it is always visible.
• Please wear your company ID badge (if applicable).
• Please do not use your mobile phone on session whilst supporting your young person.
• No swearing or inappropriate language.
• Please do not talk to staff members for long periods of time as you may be distracting them from delivering activities to young people.
• Please hand in any medication to the lead worker and complete the necessary paperwork. This is so we can ensure medication is stored in a safe place whilst your young person is in the building.
• Please respect the HideOut Youth Zone Team.
• Please speak to lead workers regarding any changes affecting your young person.
• Smoking or the use of e-cigarettes is not permitted at any time.
• If you need to leave your young person at any time (such as a toilet break), you must make a member of the HideOut Youth Zone team aware.

CODE OF CONDUCT

• You will always supervise the young person under your care/your key work during your visits at Future Youth Zone.
• Provide a copy of an up-to-date DBS check / DBS number for Future Youth Zone records. This will not be required from parents/family members supporting the young person for a short period of time, eg. 2 sessions. We ask that if parents/carers are attending sessions with their young people, that they keep their focus on said young person only. If parents/family members want to remain on session for a long period of time (more than 3 sessions) we would ask a DBS is in place to protect all young people that access the service.
• Be accountable for your young person by ensuring you are providing suitable and appropriate support to the individual.
• Establish and maintain clear and appropriate professional boundaries in your relationships with your young person, other young people, Future Youth Zone staff members/volunteers and other visitors.
• Always act in the best interests of your young person, putting their needs, goals and aspirations first.
• Promote your young person’s independence.
• Always maintain the dignity of your young person.
• Report any safeguarding concerns you may have to the session lead.
• Recognise and respect the roles and expertise of the Future Youth Zone team and work in partnership with them.
• Work openly and cooperatively with the Future Youth Zone team and other professionals you come into contact with.
• Communicate effectively with the Future Youth Zone team about any changes in medical or social needs which affect the young person accessing Future Youth Zone team.
• Treat people with respect.

If the HideOut Youth Zone team identify any concerns with a Personal Assistant, in relation to the Code of Conduct, or the Policy, including the Future Youth Zone rules, we will raise these with the Personal Assistant, or their employer to ensure best practice.