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GUIDELINES

FOR THE ELABORATION OF QUALITY STANDARDSFOR THE PERSONAL ASSISTANT SERVICE (PAS)

within the Center for Independent Living Serbia

Handicap International, July 2007

3 Handicap International Guideline for the elaboration of PAS quality standards within CIL Serbia/2007/

This guideline is a working paper, part of a wider documentation

produced by Handicap International in South East Europe, for social service providers in the disability field.

For further details please contact Handicap International:SSEO program (“Social Services for Equal Opportunities”)

E-mail: [email protected]

Disclaimer:This paper is a document of Handicap International (Regional Office for South East Europe) and it is not to be circulated without permission.

Produced by theRegional Office of Handicap International

for South East Europe

Funded by

Social Services for Equal Opportunities (SSEO) is a program developed by Handicap International

in South East Europe

mailto:[email protected]


TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. IntroductionWhy do we speak about quality in social services for people with disabilities? A very brief rationale (page 4)

2. Several approaches to qualityQuality systems in social services. The current paradigm of quality. Quality of services – quality of life (page 4)

3. The quality standards and the development of minimal conditions for the provision of social services (page 7)

4. The different ways in which quality standards can be used within a social service (pg.9)

5. The format of quality standards (page 10)

6. The process of quality standards elaboration, for a specific social service (page 11)

7. Applying quality standards (page 13)

8. Quality standards and licensing/accreditation process (page 14)

ANNEXES

A1. The quality standards for social services in Romania. Examples of :- general standards (page 16)- technical standards :(a) Minimal quality standards for day care centres for children with disabilities (p.21) (b) Minimal quality standards for case management in the child protection system (p.41)

A2. The quality standards for social services in Albania (page 55)


1. Introduction – Why do we speak about quality in social services for people with disabilities?

One of the central roles of social services in the disability field is to enable participation and equal citizenship for people with disabilities, as well as to fight poverty and social exclusion. These roles require that social services are accessible to those who need them and that they have a good quality. The accent on quality is part of an effort of modernization of this sector in the last decade, in all European countries. This modernization is not seen as a “cutting-costs” issue anymore, but mainly as a good reflection of the users’ needs and choices, in a cost-effective way.

But why should we define more precisely the “good quality”? How can we formalize this domain? Or should we?

We usually focus on quality in social services for several reasons:

Because of increased number and types of providers in social services – the effect of the so called “welfare mix” (a system of social protection in which social services are delivered by both public and private providers);

Because of market competitiveness and the increased requirements of cost effectiveness;

Because we need a “reference” for what is commonly understood as “good practice”; Because it legitimates the respective service in relation with its clients and with authority

representatives => it is mainly a condition for funding opportunities, among other benefits;

Because it increases the efficiency, transparency and the accountability of the service, both public and private; in other words, quality management represents a tool but also an effect of the good governance of the service;

Finally, because it increases the user’s satisfaction and confidence about the service.

2. Several approaches to quality1

1 The documentation sources for this paragraph are the following:- Pilinger J., “Quality in Social Public Services”, European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working

Conditions, 2001 (www.eurofound.ie)- European Platform for Rehabilitation (www.epr.eu), - Charter Mark system, UK (www.chartermark.uk),- The Commission for Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities ( www.carf.org),- The European Association of Service Providers for Persons with Disabilities (www.easpd.eu) - Zelderloo L., presentation on “Quality systems and quality of life” , Skopje, 2007- Axelsson C., synthesis about “The emergence of quality systems based on principles and values” in “Ensuring the

Access to Social Services for People with Disabilities; the need for introducing regulatory mechanisms in South East Europe” (Diana Chiriacescu, Handicap International, 2006, www.disabilitymonitor-see.org), page 18-19

- Chiriacescu,D. Les mécanismes de régulation des services sociaux destinés aux personnes en situation de handicap, en Europe de Sud Est, master thesis, Université Charles de Gaulle, Lille 3, 2005

http://www.disabilitymonitor-see.org/

http://www.easpd.eu/

http://www.carf.org/

http://www.chartermark.uk/

http://www.epr.eu/

http://www.eurofound.ie/


Quality concerns simultaneously: The service provided (the concrete delivery process), referring to both:

Quality improvement Quality measurement

The management of the service.

Jane Pillinger : “There is no one uniform concept of quality in the social public services and differences exist between the Member States between the different actors and stakeholders (users, workers, managers, employers, local, national and regional governments) who are involved in quality improvement. Variations in perceptions of quality are also affected by differing expectations and values of what quality means to different stakeholders (Koch-Nielsen and Treebak, 1998)”.

There are various angles through which quality can be considered, in the field of social services: Quality as excellence Quality as value Quality as meeting user-expectations User-perceived quality Quality as management.

The choice of one of these perspectives will influence the way in which the quality standards/principles and respectively the quality indicators will be formulated.

There are several quality perspectives and systems considered by Handicap International more interesting for the development of quality standards in South East Europe:

The principles of quality promoted by the High Level Group on Disability, European Commission2

The EQRM and EQUASS systems (elaborated within the European Platform for Rehabilitation-EPR)3

The Charter Mark, UK ((www.chartermark.uk) The EFQM system (http://www.efqm.org/Default.aspx?tabid=35) The CARF system ( www.carf.org) The approach of quality promoted by EASPD, linking the quality of services with the

domains of quality of life (www.easpd.eu)This is of course not an exhaustive list of systems, however they are very relevant for the social sector currently.

In the table below, presented by Guus Van Beek (EPR) in April 2006 in Budapest, some of these systems are compared:

2 http://ec.europa.eu/employment_social/index/final_mainstreaming_en.pdf3 http://www.epr.eu/index.php/equass

http://www.easpd.eu/

http://www.carf.org/

http://www.efqm.org/Default.aspx?tabid=35

http://www.chartermark.uk/

http://ec.europa.eu/employment_social/index/final_mainstreaming_en.pdf


In the documentation package related with this guideline you will find extensive descriptions of each system of quality mentioned above.

The 21st century paradigm of quality takes into consideration a holistic approach on service provision and focus simultaneously on:

Human resource management; Person centered approaches; Users involvement in service provision; Adaptability and responsiveness of the service.

Another possible approach is to make a correlation between quality of social services and the quality of life in general. In its perspective related with the quality framework in social services, EASPD (The European Association of Service Providers for Persons with Disabilities) promotes this approach: the fact that quality services should base their policies and practices on human rights related values:

• Persons with disabilities as individuals• Focus on abilities• Implication for families• Equality, full participation, inclusion, empowerment, choice

In the light of these values, social services should develop methods and tools in order to guarantee for each user:

• Emotional well-being• Interpersonal relations• Material well-being• Personal development• Physical well-being• Self-determination• Social inclusion• Rights


These aspects are generally considered the elements that contribute to a good quality of life of a person.

No matter what type of approach we consider in our choice for quality criteria and indicators, we have to acknowledge as well the main accents that are currently recognized in all European countries in this field:

“User involvement, participation, and management;Consultation and participation mechanisms on policy design between services, providers and users and the creation of networks of local stakeholders; and the formulation of local action plans;Increased internal quality reviews. Monitoring, performance evaluation and sharing of best practice;Minimum standards (providing quality assurance for both social services and their users) Creating a learning environment. Training for professionals and volunteers; consultation of service users in the design and content of training; Coordinated and integrated services, requiring an effective communication system and mechanisms for cooperation between different branches of social service provision” 4:

Who is supposed to initiate the elaboration of standards for quality improvement and/or management in the field of social services?In some countries this process of quality standards elaboration is launched by the service providers themselves; in others, by the national or local government. The various institutions of European Union have significant roles as well, and represent an incentive, through their efforts to use the performance indicators (and the benchmarking tools) in order to measure quality across the Member States.

3. The quality standards and the development of minimal conditions for the provision of social services5

The quality standards are criteria or indicators generally accepted to evaluate a desired level of performance in the provision of a service (Wright and Whittington - 1992).

When the supply of social services is articulated with the real needs of people with disabilities at the territorial level, it becomes the subject for an analysis in terms of minimal quality standards, which are obligatory for each service provider to respect. This stage constitutes one of the most important regulatory mechanisms within the social service provision process. It guarantees the provision of quality social services, respecting the interests and needs of people with disabilities, according to quality principles and indicators prioritized at the national level.

In the concept paper called “Improving standards of child protection services” (UNICEF and World Bank, 2003), Andy Bilson and Ragnar Gotestam mention that “quality standards provide a set of criteria that can be used to monitor the management and provision of services, the 4 Halloran J., Calderon-Vera K., “Access to Quality Social Services. A Strategy Paper”, European Social Network, 20065 This paragraph is extracted from the working paper “Ensuring Access of People with Disabilities to Social Services. The Need for Regulatory Mechanisms in South East Europe” (Diana Chiriacescu, Handicap International,2006, www.disabilitymonitor-see.org))


quality of services as well as their outcome. They ensure equitable and transparent transfer or delivery of services to the beneficiary”.

We could consider that quality standards can be grouped in two different categories:

a) Taking into consideration their degree of generality, two types of quality standards can be described:• technical standards (used for specific fields of action or services) – indicators or requirements that are usually detailed for each specific procedure that occurs within a service. They can imply as well: environmental standards (related to the description of the external conditions of organisation of space etc), and specific management standards etc;• general standards (or principles) – which reflect more general criteria of good governance, applicable to a broader category of social services.

b) If considering the performance criteria, two types of indicators are usually identified: minimal indicators vs. excellence performance indicators:• minimal indicators guarantee a minimum level of good quality of service – these minimum indicators are compulsory for all services providers and they condition the licensing of the service;• excellence criteria or indicators – are those which reflect a high level of quality in services provision; they are usually optional and are used especially within the framework of the procedures of accreditation and benchmarking.

One of the most interesting processes related to the modernisation of social services in Europe is the re-evaluation and design of national standards in this field, trying to balance and harmonise these types of quality indicators.

Implementation particularities of quality standards at national levels

• An important observation to be made is that the development of the quality standards should not lead to a “standardization of service provision”. Even if the formulation can induce confusions, it is obvious that, in the social field, the person-centred approach requires a great flexibility on behalf of the service provider. This flexibility should not be contradictory with the introduction of the standards. Their degree of generality, their content and formulation must allow the balance between flexibility and the obligatory level of quality for the respective service.

Within the framework of the European debates on the characteristics of the social services, this element is often discussed: do we have to speak about standards, indicators or should we speak about quality ‘principles’ or ‘criteria’, related with the evaluation procedures? Is there a risk of uniformity and excessive bureaucracy in the introduction of the obligatory standards? How can results, which are rather subjective, be “measured” through objective indicators, especially in the field of the social intervention? Finally, can the standardisation lead to a lack of innovation in the social services?

Existing studies and the current European experiences show that, in the daily practice, as well as in the global frameworks of social reform, quality standards make a difference.

• Another important concern related to the standards is their adequacy to the local culture. The interest of any standardisation procedure is implicitly that they are appropriated quickly by teams of professionals, for an easy translation and implementation in the daily work. A high


level of requirements for the minimal standards, or the rapid introduction of completely new principles into the provision of the service, can produce side effects.

• Directly related to this aspect is also another very important element of the quality standards and quality management: the training of professionals (the frontline workers) and the training of evaluators/ assessors. Any application of a new set of standards in a social service requires a preparatory training of these two categories. They are the first to understand the guiding principles of the required standards, the modalities of transposition of these principles in concrete actions, the effects and the impact of these procedures on the user’s life.

• In the majority of the European countries, the introduction of the quality standards was preceded, with good results, by a pilot phase of experimental application, in order to measure the side effects, the positive impact and the matching of the proposed procedures with the expected results.

• The national character of the quality standards is an important requirement to be considered. The minimal quality standards have to be respected by all providers at national level, in order to ensure a balanced provision of quality social services for all citizens of the national territory. This aspect highlights a political, coherent option on the whole national territory, complying with the fundamental principles required for the respective sector. In this way the State guarantees the same approach in the field of social services, with respect to the users and their interests, both in public and private services.

The elaboration of quality standards at national (and not local) level has also another role: the prevention of using the set of standards for the benefits and the particular interests, at local level, in the decentralisation framework, especially if we consider the important role of the local authorities in the later procedure of licensing and allocation of the resources for service providers.• The quality standards have to be developed with the possibility of a periodic revision, in order to facilitate their continuous and progressive improvement. In other words the legislation should allow flexibility in the standards revision, according to societal changes and the evolution of the service provision itself.

It is also necessary to continuously adapt the standardised requirements to the current professional practices. As the necessary change of disability paradigm described earlier in the report, the evolution of quality standards and principles in social service provision requires a change and a continuous progress of what is acknowledged as being standards of good practice.

4. The different ways in which quality standards can be used within a social service. Which are their roles, why do we need them?

We saw in the previous paragraphs that quality standards (or principles, criteria, depending on the type of approach we chose) are important in order to guarantee the provision of quality social services, respecting the interests and needs of people with disabilities.


The quality standards are though important tools for:- Introducing a reference (value) system and a normative character in the service

provision (especially in the countries with poor regulatory frameworks);- Corrections and improvement of performances within a specific service;- Benchmarking ;- Monitoring and control of the overall service provision process.

They have also other roles that could be very important for a service provider, in different stages of the evolution of the service.Staff members can use the standards in a number of different ways to establish and promote basic standards for quality care6. For example, the standards can be used for:

staff development – as means to promote discussion and learning and to identify various training needs for the professional team;assessment- as basis to evaluate the current care provision;planning - a tool to assist in identifying service requirements and to plan the further stages for improvement;service development - a framework to develop care provision, in accordance to high quality indicators;monitoring - a framework against which to measure the services that are provided;policy development- a basis from which to develop practice-based advocacy with partners andgovernments for policy development and the adoption of national minimum standards.

5. The format of quality standards. How do ‘standards’ look like?

There is not a unique format in which standards for social services can be formulated. Different countries (or different quality systems) use different formulations and patterns for their key quality criteria.

However, the template used generally for listing the set of quality requirements consists from the following elements:

6 McMillan N., “Raising the Standards. Quality childcare provision in East and Central Africa", Save the Children UK, 2005


THE STANDARD – a clear and explicit statement about key elements of a given service; it is a statement about a practice or an issue that is important to the process of service provision.

Standards have certain qualities. They must be: as explicit and precise as possible; justifiable and logically; acceptable (to all stakeholders involved in the process); validated; practical and measurable.

THE EXPECTED RESULTS – the main outcomes expected after the application of the standard.

THE INDICATORS – these are behaviors, circumstances or indications that suggest that a standard exists or is in place at an acceptable level; it is evidence that certain results have or have not been achieved. The indicators are therefore one of the most significant elements of a results-based accountability system.

In some systems, the standards are grouped under more general “principles” (like in EQRM: 9 principles, each of them with 4-5 standards and appropriate indicators of compliance).

In other systems, each standard has attached some possible modalities of documenting their implementation (the so called evidences , like in the Charter Mark).

In fact, the term “standard” is used more and more rarely in the social services sector. The general principles, criteria, or values are preferred as references in a quality system.In the annexes, you can find some examples of sets of quality principles and standards, both general and technical, from Romania and Albania.

6. The process of quality standards elaboration, in the field of social services

Several steps and conditions have to be taken in consideration when elaborating a set of quality standards for a specific service or a system of social services:

(a) The working group composition – Ensure the presence of users or users’ representatives in the working group and make sure that they can participate actively to the design of the quality standards and implementation indicators. The group should include various professionals and managers of this type of services, as well as representatives of authorities, if possible. One of the keys for achieving a comprehensive and good set of quality standards is the participatory approach in the elaboration stage.

(b) The selection of the overall framework/ approach in quality and the selection of the most relevant quality principles – As you saw in your documentation package, several systems exist already in the field of services (EQRM, EFQM, CARF, Charter Mark, ISO etc). It is important for your group to define from the very beginning the typology of quality system that will be the basis of your standards set. In order to facilitate this decision, ask yourself the following questions:


- Which will be the main focus in your quality approach: the users’ needs and satisfaction, the improvement of their quality of life, the management performance for the respective service, the innovative character of our service etc?

- In accordance to that, which are the main quality principles (criteria) that you consider absolutely obligatory in our service, and reflecting the “good performance” of such a service? Are they rights based principles, effectiveness criteria, excellence criteria?

- In accordance to this choice of yours, of the most significant aspects of your work, which is the quality system that contains the majority of these principles? If one of the existing ones corresponds better to your choice, use it as the main reference. But of course you can extract from each other system those elements that could enlarge the quality framework of your service;

- Are the currents systems responding to all the quality principles that you would like to promote? If not, do not hesitate to formulate new principles or criteria and add them to the main list.

However, be sure that finally the list of quality principles is coherent internally and they are not ‘overlapping’. Further on, you will have to design measurement indicators for each of these principles and if they are not clearly distinct your task will be confusing.The quality principles (or criteria, or general standards, as you want to designate them) can be derived from the literature but also from your clients and main stakeholders involved in your service. A focus group or a workshop on this issue could help you as well to have a general collection of opinions regarding these quality criteria that should be the baseline of your work.

(c) Transform each principle in a standard, according to the format presented in the previous paragraph.

(d) Implement the set of standards in your own service first and develop all written instruments, methodologies and measurement tools that will document the compliance of your service with the respective standards.

(e) Test the standards implementation (including the monitoring and control tools) within your service or other similar services, during a specific timeframe (3-6 months, if possible). This piloting stage is crucial for the comprehensiveness, the coherence and the applicative character of your proposal. You can propose this testing phase to as many services as possible and collect their feedback before the revision of the standards package.

(f) Revise the quality standards set within the working group and make the necessary corrections, following the feedbacks received during the testing (piloting) stage.

(g) Validate the quality standards package and elaborate the whole documentation set that will be used by professionals and users in the respective service, on regular basis. The validation of the set of standards at the level of local or national authorities is not the subject of this guideline. In this case, the process is more complex and the piloting and validation stage have more specific rules.This process is simply represented in the scheme below:


7. Applying standards

Once the standards are validated for your service (by your management board, or general assembly in case of an association etc.) they become an internal policy framework.

The first important step to be done is to train the staff in all aspects related with the standards implementation and to inform in detail your users about the quality standards and indicators.

In the same time, you have to designate the quality management responsible(s) in your service. This person or this group of persons will have the task to regularly check and assess the compliance with quality standards, and eventually make the necessary adjustments within the service.

The third step is to train these responsible or ‘assessors’. They have to fully understand the background, the terminology, the methodology of quality standards implementation, as well as the process of monitoring and evaluation in general.

Finally, you have to establish an internal mechanism of monitoring and control of standards implementation, as well as tools for involving the users in this regular process.

Standards are also dynamic tools. They can be regularly revised and adjusted to the evolution of the service and the progressive development of the internal quality of that service.


8. Quality standards and licensing/accreditation process

Usually, quality standards are important elements in the process of licensing and/or accreditation of social service providers.

The self-evaluation of the quality of the service is a component of the accreditation file. Specific questionnaires are elaborated for the providers themselves and a system of marking is in place in order to measure the compliance with standards. Very often, a second level (of an external evaluation) is added to the self evaluation and becomes part of the licensing procedure.

A licensing documentation is very substantial and includes generally:

The in-depth description of the service (including the management structure)

In some countries, the manual of procedures of the service The responsible person or board The list/or typology of beneficiaries/ users of the service The legal framework of the service All authorizations required by law The staff members and their educational level, CV, job descriptions Compliance with quality standards (self evaluation questionnaire) The chart of users rights and the chart of ethics In some cases, the strategic plan of the organization for 3-5 years; Budgets Documentation related to the compliance with the users’ needs at local

level.

The evaluation of standards implementation is taken in consideration in the licensing and accreditation processes:

- The internal one (which regularly has to be annual)- And the one done by external assessors, (which takes place usually at each 3-5

years).In most of the cases, these types of evaluations are conditioning the extension of the license for the respective providers.

In countries in which the (sub)contracting procedures are in place, only licensed providers can access public funds or can be contracted by local authorities.


ANNEXES


1. Quality standards in Romania

In Romania the quality standards for social services have been introduced in 2004. There are two levels of standards for this sector, related with a double authorization process: licensing and accreditation. Despite their names, both licensing and accreditation are obligatory procedures of authorization for the Romanian providers.

The accreditation is a general certification procedure (managed at the level of the Ministry of Labor, Family and Equal Opportunities) that gives the right to public and private providers to deliver social services. The general quality standards that are used as basis for the accreditation procedure are inspired from the EQRM system and are the same for all social service providers (despite of profile, users’ particularities or age etc.). They make the object of a so called “self-assessment questionnaire” that each provider has to respond at and that becomes part of the accreditation file. An external commission of assessors checks as well the compliance with this set of standards, on the field, for each service provider, during the accreditation process.

A second level of authorization is the licensing. This certification procedure is based on the compliance with the so called “obligatory minimal standards”, elaborated in Romania for the majority of specific social services in the field of child protection. The standards used for this stage are the equivalents of what we use to call “technical standards”, because they are strictly correlated with the typology of services and with the different types of users. The licensing of social services for children is done by the National Authority for the Protection of Children Rights. The licensing of the social services for disabled adults is done by the National Authority for Disabled Persons. Both agencies are subordinated to the Ministry of Labor, Family and Equal Opportunities.

(A) General standards for social services (inspired by the EQRM system)

The general quality standards for all types of social services are established by directive nr. 383/2005 issued by the Ministry of Labour, Social Solidarity and Family. These standards are based on 9 principles, each principle being described by means of five different standards.

Principle 1 – Organization and administration

Definition: The social services provider (SSP) has an efficient organization and efficient internal processes in order to deliver quality social services. SSP communicates permanently and establishes relationships with other providers and with the community, promotes the positive image of the users, best practices, innovation and the concept of an inclusive society.

Standards for principle 1:

1.The provider establishes a policy and precise objectives for a period from three to five years, included in a strategic plan, designed with help from the personnel and in accordance with the provisions of active legislation.

2.The provider conveys his strategic plan to the personnel, beneficiaries and their families and also to the community and other interest elements in the field.


3.The provider evaluates the internal and external communication results, regarding the dissemination of information, the strategy, the policy and the provided social services

4.The provider promotes and disseminates a positive image of the service users.

5.The provider shares, with other providers, innovative or successful practice models that have been implemented.

Principle 2 – Rights

Definition – The providers are committed to protect and promote the rights of the person served in terms of equal opportunities, equal treatment and equal participation, self determination, autonomy and personal dignity. SSP promote non-discriminatory and positive actions regarding the service users.


1. The provider ensures access to social services for persons considered by the law as potential beneficiaries, regardless of sex, age, religion, ethnicity or nationality, and establishes objective criteria of eligibility and admission, according to the type of social services provided and the available resources

2. The provider has at its disposal internal procedures and regulations that support and respect the rights of the beneficiaries regarding equality of chances and treatment, as well as equal participation of the above mentioned in the process of social service providing

3. The provider has at its disposal a Chart regarding the rights of the beneficiaries, acknowledged by both users and staff members, and whose provisions apply in all stages of the process of providing social services.

4. The provider ensures that the beneficiaries have responsibilities and obligations that they are aware of and they respect, in accordance with the legal and contractual provisions.

5. The provider ensures the beneficiaries in the observance of dignity, self-determination and self-government in handling their own goods and the right to personal intimacy.

Principle 3 - Ethics

Definition: SSP operates on the basis of a Code of Ethics that respects the dignity of the person served and their families or carers, that protects them from undue risks.


1. The provider elaborates his own Code of Ethics, whose provisions are brought to the attention of the personnel, who is obliged to follow them. The ethics code is regularly revised, and the beneficiaries are kept informed regard in to its content.

2. The provider has at its disposal procedures that ensure confidentiality, procedures that are acknowledged by the personnel and beneficiaries, and whose efficiency is evaluated annually.

3. The provider elaborates procedures that measure the satisfaction of beneficiaries regarding the conditions of social service provision and facilities. These procedures are brought to the attention of the beneficiaries, their families and their legal representatives.

4. Internal regulations of the provider include procedures regarding the registering, mediation and resolution of the complaints made by beneficiaries, their families and legal representatives


5. The provider advances a healthy and safe environment for his personnel and for the beneficiaries, all situations that might lead to possible accidents being registered.

Principle 4 – The global, comprehensive and integrated approach

Definition: In order to provide a variety of social services, SSP has to benefit from multidisciplinary teams and to develop partnerships with other providers, which have to value all contributions of social service users, potential partners, local community, employers and other relevant stakeholders.


1. The provider has at its disposal procedures acknowledged by the personnel that stipulate identification and involvement of other providers and elements of local interest for diversifying social services and ensuring their continuity.

2. The provider keeps account and, by case, administrates the contributions of partners involved in the process of social service providing (money, in kind contribution, human resources, other forms of support)

3. The provider has at its disposal sufficient and qualified personnel for accomplishing all activities necessary to allocate social service in accordance to the suggested objectives in the personal strategic plan

4. The provider relies on multi-disciplinary teams for evaluating the needs of the beneficiaries and implementing individual plans for intervention

5. In the interest of the beneficiary, the provider can send to other partners ,involved in resolving the case, information regarding the beneficiary, only with his approval or the approval of his legal representative and also with respecting the provisions of the active legislation.

Principle 5 – Person centered approach

Definition: SSP deliver social services according to the needs of beneficiaries. He takes permanently in consideration the evolution of risk situations and the profile of potential users, in order to elaborate development plans. The providers involves the users in the concrete process of service delivery, as well as in the decision making process related with the community development.


1. The provider elaborates, by case, both the initial evaluation of the beneficiaries’ needs and the complex evaluation of the case.

2. The provider elaborates and applies the individual plan of intervention, on the basis of evaluation results.

3. The provider includes the beneficiaries in the process of elaboration and applying of the individual plan of intervention

4. The provider will brief the personnel regarding the procedures applied in the evaluation process and, concomitantly, will inform the beneficiaries, their families and legal representatives

5. The provider analyses and evaluates the efficiency of the social services provided in relation to the level of social integration or reintegration and/or with the rising of the beneficiaries’ quality of life, in accordance with the objectives settled in the intervention plan

Principle 6 - Participation


Definition: SSP promotes the participation and inclusion of people with disabilities at all levels of the organisation and within the community. In pursuit of more equal participation and inclusion, organisations cooperates and work in consultation with bodies and groups of users representatives.


1. Beneficiaries are actively involved in all organization levels of the provider, the beneficiaries’ activity being evaluated regularly.

2. The provider identifies and establishes procedures regarding the involvement of the beneficiaries in the elaboration of the own policies and strategies for organizational development.

3. The provider holds procedures regarding the involvement of the beneficiaries in the development of new programs or innovative models as well as in evaluating and managing of the provided social services

4. The provider promotes the involvement of the beneficiaries in the social and economic life of the community.

5. The provider promotes the involvement of the local community in sustaining and developing the ongoing activities.

Principle 7 – Partnerships

Definition: SSP operates in partnership with other providers, employers and funders, public or private, with representative associations of users, local groups, families and carers, in order to create a wide variety of services and achieve a more efficient impact on users.


1. The provider holds a precise strategy of promoting its partners, based on the needs and expectations of the beneficiaries and partners

2. The provider concludes partnership agreements and contracts of social service provision.

3. The provider establishes the common objectives and means of collaboration in full agreement with the involved partners

4. The provider frequently observes and evaluates the functioning, impact and durability of its partners, and also the level of their involvement

5. The results of activity evaluation achieved in partnership are communicated annually by the provider to all its partners, own personnel, the beneficiaries and their legal representatives

Principle 8 – Result orientation

Definition: Organisations are outcome focused, in the benefit of person served, their families or legal representatives and of community. Service impacts are measured, monitored, and are an important element of continuous improvement, transparency and accountability processes.


1. The provider establishes and applies a precise set of indicators for evaluating the results (human, material and financial) used in the process of social service providing

2. The provider establishes and uses a precise set of indicators for measuring financial results (e.g. the rise of capital, investments, stocks, profits, venues, costs, etc.)


3. The provider establishes and uses a precise set of indicators for evaluating organizational performance (e.g. number of social services provided, number of assisted persons, the abandonment rate, non-financial accumulations, quality of life, the outcome of the process of providing social services – workmanship, employment in the working field, treatment, etc.)

4. The provider uses a system of reporting and publishing the results achieved and ensures their dissemination towards its own personnel, beneficiaries, funding entities, social partners, and other decision agents.

5. The provider observes and evaluates, in a systematic manner, the fulfillment of the objectives and the implementation of policies and personal strategies.

Principle 9 – Continuous improvement

Definition: SSP are proactive in meeting social needs of the community, using resources more effectively, developing and improving services. They are committed to staff development and learning, strive for effective communications , value user, funder and other stakeholder feedback .


1. The provider has a systematic approach towards the ongoing activities and disposes of procedures for permanent development of social service quality, as well as a methodology for continually observing the implementation of new programs.

2. The provider establishes, together with its personnel, beneficiaries and other interest agents, the objectives and priorities of improvement of the social services quality.

3. The provider identifies and uses evaluation indicators for evaluation of the community needs.

4. The provider undertakes actions of professional improvement and continuous training of its personnel.

5. The provider undertakes efficient actions of marketing and communication

______

In the following paragraphs, two examples of “technical standards”7 :

7 The English translation of the following two legal documents is extracted from the website of the Child Rights Information Network (CRIN), www.crin.org/docs/ Romania%20-%20Minimum%20Standards%20for%20Day%20care%20centers%20-%20disabilities.doc


B) Technical standards: Minimal quality standards for day care centres for children with disabilities

National Authority for Child Protection and AdoptionOrder no. 25/2004 of March 09, 2004

Published in the Official Gazette, Part I no. 247 of March 22, 2004For the approval of the mandatory minimum standards for the day care centers

Based on the provisions of the Emergency Ordinance of the Government no.12/2001 on the establishment of the National Authority for Child Protection and Adoption, approved and amended by Law no. 252/2001, and of article 9 paragraph 3 of the Government Decision no. 770/2003 on the organization and operation of the National Authority for Child Protection and Adoption,the Secretary of state of the National Authority for Child Protection and Adoption issues the present order.Article 1 The mandatory minimum standards for the day care centers for children with disabilities, listed in the appendix that is an integral part of the present order are hereby approved.Article 2 The present order shall enter into force as of January 1, 2005.

The secretary of state of the National Authorityfor Child Protection and Adoption, Gabriela Coman

Bucharest, March 9, 2004No. 25

Appendix: MANDATORY MINIMUM STANDARDS FOR DAY CARE CENTERS FOR CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIESDay care centers for children with disabilities, further referred to as DCCD, are child protection services aiming at preventing child abandonment and institutionalization, by providing, during daytime, activities such as care, education, habilitation-rehabilitation, recreation-socializing, counseling, development of independent life skills, school and professional guidance etc. for children, and support, counseling, education activities for parents or legal representatives, as well as for other individuals having children in care.The services provided by DCCD are complementary to the efforts of the child’s own family, as these derive from parental obligations and responsibilities, as well as to the services provided by the educational facilities and other service providers, according to the child’s individual needs in his social and family context.The present mandatory minimum standards are complementary, in particular, with the following documents:1. Mandatory minimum standards for day care centers, with the following exceptions, amendments

and additions: Standard #1, Advocacy in the community Standard #2, Active collaboration activities with the families of children attending the day care

center Standard #3, Personalized intervention plan Standard #5, Educational activities Starting with Standard #6 the numbers are changed, because of the introduction of a new standard,

i.e. Habilitation and rehabilitation activities. Standard #6 becomes Standard #7, Recreation and socializing activities – the standards, procedures

6.3 (7.3), 6.4 (7.4)


Standard #7 becomes Standard #8, School and professional guidance and psychological counseling – the title, result and procedure 7.1 (8.1)

Standard #8 becomes Standard #9, Parent counseling and support Standard #9 becomes Standard #10, Location, financial resources and facilities – procedure 9.2

(10.2) and an additional procedure Standard #10 becomes Standard #11, Administration and management Standard #11 becomes Standard #12, Annual action plan Standard #12 becomes Standard #13, Staff recruitment and employment Standard #13 becomes Standard #14, Staff initial and ongoing training – procedures 13.2 (14.2), 13.3

(14.3) Standard #14 becomes Standard #15, Supervision Standard #15 becomes Standard #16, Child protection against abuse – procedure 15.1 (16.1) and

(I)15.2.2 ((I)16.2.2) Standard #16 becomes Standard #17 Collaboration with relevant institutions and professionals –

procedures 16.1 (17.1), 16.2 (17.2), 16.4 (17.4)

2. Methodological guide for the assessment of the children with disabilities and inclusion in a disability degree

3. Other mandatory minimum standards for services designed for children with disabilities

The standards are grouped on the following areas of interest:Advocacy and relationships with the community1. Advocacy in the community2. Active collaboration activities with the families of children attending the day care center for children

with disabilities

Activities3. Personalized intervention plan4. Children daily schedule5. Educational activities6. Habilitation and rehabilitation activities7. Recreation and socializing activities8. Support for school and professional guidance and psychological counseling9. Parent counseling and support

Administration and management10. Location, financial resources and facilities11. Administration and management12. Annual action plan

Human resources13. Staff recruitment and employment14. Staff initial and ongoing training15. Supervision

Inter-institutional collaboration16. Child protection against abuse


17. Collaboration with relevant institutions and professionals

ADVOCACY AND RELATIONSHIP WITH THE COMMUNITY

Standard #1 Advocacy in the communityThe day care center for children with disabilities develops advocacy actions in the community in respect to the services provided and their benefits to the children and their families. The center advocates the complete and active social inclusion/integration of children with disabilities.

Result The community is aware of the services provided or that can be provided to children by the day care center for children with disabilities.

Requirements for the implementation of Standard #11.1 DCCD initiates and develops community advocacy actions in respect to the services provided, its

role in the community, access and operation, as well as the importance of the existence of these services for the support, rehabilitation and social inclusion/integration of children with disabilities in the community.

1.2 At least once a year, DCCD supports the organization of community awareness campaigns on child abandonment and institutionalization prevention in general, as well as on the issue of children with disabilities in particular.

1.3 DCCD publishes relevant data on its activity, as well as on the issue of children with disabilities on a regular basis. The content of the materials made public is previously approved by the DCCD coordinator.

1.4 The DCCD coordinator ensures that in the media coverage of the cases, the legislation in force in respect to the child’s protection in relation with the media and the provisions of the present mandatory minimum standards, further referred to as MMS, on client data confidentiality are observed.

1.5 DCCD collaborates with the relevant institutions at the level of the community (mayor’s office, schools, medical facilities, church, police, etc.) in the purpose of identifying potential beneficiaries.

1.6 DCCD organizes activities for the recruitment of volunteers from the community.1.7 DCCD possesses specialty information made available to the community for consultation.

Indicators for Standard #1(I)1.1.1 The number of actions per year promoting the services provided by the center and relating to community advocacy in respect to the necessity for having such services.(I)1.1.2 The existence of promotional materials (for example, booklets, brochures), with a content appropriate for the target group (for example children, professionals, media). Informative and promotional materials for children are adapted to the type of disability and/or disability degree (sign language interpreter, materials in Braille, audio cassettes, etc.).(I)1.2.1 The number of advocacy, education and communication campaigns per year in which the DCCD was involved.(I)1.2.2 The number of actions per year implemented by the DCCD during these community awareness campaigns.(I)1.3.1 The annual number of published articles/materials containing relevant data on the DCCD activity.(I)1.3.2 The content of the published materials, which must bear the signature of the coordinator.


(I)1.4 The DCCD coordinator and the specialty staff know the legislation in force in this field.(I)1.5.1 Collaboration methods with the relevant institutions in the community (mayor’s office, schools, medical facilities, church, police, etc.) in the purpose of identifying potential DCCD beneficiaries.(I)1.5.2 The number of collaboration conventions closed with these institutions and their content.(I)1.6.1 Recording the implementation of the volunteer recruitment activity.(I)1.6.2 The number of volunteer recruitment actions/year.(I)1.6.3 Recording the involvement of the volunteers in the DCCD activities, including those pertaining to their initial and ongoing training, as well as supervision.(I)1.7.1 The existence of specialty information under different forms (printed, electronic, audio-video).(I)1.7.2 The number of persons per year accessing specialty materials.Standard #2 Active collaboration relationships with the families of children attending the

day care center.The staff of the day care center for children with disabilities makes all necessary efforts to establish active collaboration activities with the families of children attending the day care center.

Result The families of children actively collaborate with the center’s staff and are aware of the importance of establishing a real partnership with it in the benefit of their own children.

Requirements for the implementation of Standard #22.1 DCCD formulates and ethical code for the relationship with the children and their families, created by the DCCD coordinator in collaboration with the specialty staff.2.2 The ethical code is made known to the staff and their families, as well as to the children using means and materials appropriate to the type of disability (sign language interpreter, materials in Braille, audio cassettes, etc.).2.3 DCCD initiates and organizes general reunions, on a regular basis, for informing the parents in respect to the perspectives for the current year, and occasionally, before important events.2.4 DCCD initiates and organizes individual reunions, periodically and especially upon the child’s intake in the DCCD, in the purpose of communicating useful information for parents.2.5 DCCD keeps a record of these reunions, though the reports created following them. The reports are created based on a protocol approved by the DCCD coordinator.2.6 The staff is trained in respect to the significance of the child-parent relationship, the importance of the parents’ participation as partners in the program and the role of the DCCD in supporting and strengthening the child-parent relationship.

Indicators for Standard #2(I)2.1.1 The existence of the ethical code created by the coordinator together with the specialty staff.(I)2.1.2 The content of the ethical code (behavior standards, communication attitudes, etc.).(I)2.2.1 The staff, children and families know and observe the ethical code.(I)2.2.2 The way in which the DCCD coordinator supervises the compliance with the code.(I)2.3.1 The number of general reunions per year (total number, number of periodical reunions, number of occasional reunions).(I)2.4 The number of individual reunions per year (total number, number of periodical reunions, number of occasional reunions).(I)2.5.1 The protocol used for creating the reports.(I)2.5.2 The content of the reports created following the reunions.


(I)2.6 The employee files (studies diplomas, graduation certificates for relevant courses, etc.).

ACTIVITIES

Standard #3 The personalized intervention planThe personalized intervention plan is created by the specialty staff based on the needs and specifics of each child.

Result Each child in the day care center is provided with a personalized intervention plan, updated periodically.

Requirements for the implementation of Standard #33.1 The clients may access this service directly or by referral from the specialized public service for child protection, further referred to as SPSCP, the authorities of the local administration, authorized private bodies and other relevant institutions. The referral form the SPSCP is made based on the personalized service plan, created in compliance with the provisions of the Decision of the Romanian Government no. 1205/2001 for the approval of the methodology for the operation of the child protection commission.3.2 In case of direct requests or referrals from other relevant institutions or organizations, the DCCD notifies the SPSCP in order to perform the child’s complex assessment and to take the appropriate measures, according to the legislation in force, in order to prevent child abandonment and institutionalization.3.3 The personalized intervention plan, further referred to as PIP, is created, in a team, by the specialty staff working with the child in the DCCD, based on the assessment of each child upon intake in the DCCD. The complex assessment service from the SPSCP provides to the specialty staff in the DCCD all documents required for the creation of the PIP. PIP is approved by the DCCD coordinator and is created by consulting the child, based on age and maturity level, as well as the family or legal representative.3.4 Based on the legislation in force and the present MMS, DCCD creates procedures relating to child intake, approved by SPSCP. These procedures are an integral part of the DCCD organization and operation methodology, further referred to as OOM. The child’s intake in the DCCD is made based on the contract with the family closed with the case manager form the SPSCP, according to the Order of the Secretary of state of the National Authority for Child Protection and Adoption, the Minister of education and research, the Minister of health and family and of the President of the National Authority for People with Disabilities no. 18/3.989/416/142/2003. 3.5 PIP contains information on all activities and services provided to children and their families.3.6 The objectives of the work with the child are realistic, adapted to his/her global level and useful for his/her optimal development.3.7 The objectives are assessed periodically and updated based on their completion degree.3.8 The parents are informed in respect to the PIP creation and their role in implementing its objectives.3.9 The specialty staff inform the case manager periodically and whenever necessary, in respect o the PIP implementation.

Indicators for Standard #3(I)3.1.1 The number of direct request per year, compared to the number of children admitted based on direct request per year and the compliance with the agreed intake procedures.(I)3.1.2 The number of referrals on categories per year compared to the number of children admitted based on referrals per year and the compliance with the agreed intake procedures. (I)3.1.3 The number of children having a personalized service plan and its content.


(I)3.3.1 Each child has a PIP. PIP is signed by the specialty staff having created it and by the child’s family or legal representative.(I)3.3.2 The existence of children’s assessment upon intake in the center, made by the specialty staff, as well as of relevant documents made available by the SPSCP.(I)3.4 OOM contains procedures relating to children intake in the DCCD, approved by the SPSCP.(I)3.5 The content of the PIP.(I)3.6 The degree of realism of the objective in the PIP.(I)3.7 The number of PIP assessments per year.(I)3.8 The parents know the content of the PIP and have clear responsibilities regarding their role in its implementation.(I)3.9 The existence of reports on the PIP implementation both at the level of the DCCD, and in the child’s file held by the complex assessment service. Other methods for collaboration with case managers.

Standard #4 Children’s daily scheduleThe daily schedule of the children in the center takes place taking into account their age, development level, potential needs and availability, while at the same time being provided with the care required for their harmonious development.

Result The children are appropriately cared for, and the implemented activities are consistent with their age, needs and specifics.

Requirements for the implementation of Standard #44.1 The children’s daily schedule takes into account their individual needs in respect to feeding, hygiene and sleep.4.2 The children’s daily schedule, besides care, involves combining all other activities implemented in the DCCD.4.3 The activities with the children are diversified, adapted to their age and meet their development level and potential.4.4 The children’s daily schedule is displayed in a visible and accessible location for the staff and parents.4.5 Caring for children from birth to 3 years is done in compliance with the legislation in force for the organization and operation of nurseries.4.6 Food is provided to children attending the DCCD based on the number of hours spent by the children in the DCCD. The menus ensure a balanced diet, in compliance with the preferences and biological needs specific for each age group, physician recommended diets and regulations in force on the required level of calories and nutritional elements.4.7 DCCD supports organizing festive suppers for celebrating the birthdays of children with priority in their own family.

Indicators for Standard #4(I)4.1 The daily schedule is appropriate to individual needs, resulting from the child’s dynamic assessment.(I)4.2 The content of the daily schedule.(I)4.3 The activities are diversified for each child, without overworking him/her.(I)4.4 The staff and parents know the children’s daily schedule.(I)4.5 The staff know and observe the provisions of the regulations in force relating to baby care.


(I)4.6 DCCD provides children with food (various combinations of main meals and snacks) and the menus are appropriate to the children’s preferences, age, recommended diets and regulations in force.(I)4.7 The number of festive suppers for celebrating birthdays of children organized or supported by the DCCD per year and the location (family, DCCD or in the community).

Standard #5 Educational activitiesThe day care center provides the children with numerous learning situations or activities, including for the development of independent life skills, which are well planned by the specialty staff.

Result Each child is provided with an educational program appropriate for his/her age, needs, development potential and specifics.

Requirements for the implementation of Standard #55.1 The educator or specialized educator creates the educational program for each child. In case of independent life skills development, he/she consults with the social worker and takes into account the relevant provisions for the respective child listed in the MMS for the independent life skill development service.5.2 The content of the educational program refers to non-formal and informal education. Formal education may be provided in the DCCD only in exceptional situations, with the approval of the school inspectorate and by complying with/adapting the school curriculum appropriate for the child’s age and specifics. At the same time, formal education in the DCCD may be done based on the decision of the child protection commission in respect to school guidance.5.3 The objectives of the educational activities are adapted to the development level and potential of each child, as well as to disability type and/or disability degree.5.4 The educational activities take place individually or in small groups of children, taking into account the age of children and their acquisitions. When creating the children groups, the number consistent with the age group indicated in the table included in the MMS for the residential type child protection service is recommended.5.5 DCCD provides appropriate support to each child, including the material resources, adapted to disability type and/or disability degree, required in order to have access to, integrate in and regularly attend the educational facility he/she is registered with, if this is indicated in the PIP.5.6 The educator/specialized educator supervises school works and upon children’s request, provides support for achieving this.5.7 DCCD encourages and supports each child to participate in extracurricular activities organized by the educational facility and the DCCD.

Indicators for Standard #5(I)5.1.1 Each child has an educational program signed by the specialty staff having created it.(I)5.1.2 The development of the independent life skills takes into account the child’s age and the respective provisions in the MMS for the independent life skills development service. Based on the child’s age and acquisitions, the program contains objectives relating to school and professional guidance, vocational counseling, job searching, etc.(I)5.2.1 The content of the educational program.(I)5.2.2 When formal education takes place in the DCCD (for example, for preschool age children with disabilities not attending kindergartens, children with disabilities having school guidance to this purpose based on the decision of a child protection commission, homeless children with disabilities in the


process of school reintegration), the compliance with the legislation in force shall be verified (approval of the school inspectorate, respecting and/or adapting the school curriculum, etc.).(I)5.4.1 The existence of an educator or specialized educator/group of children/shift.(I)5.4.2 The method for creating children groups.(I)5.5.1 The existence of school supplies, materials and equipments, as well as necessary means, adapted to disability type and/or disability degree, required for running specific educational activities in the DCCD and for attending the educational facility.(I)5.5.2 The children’s attendance records. The number of children displaying absenteeism and the motivation for this, recorded in the child’s file and school documents.(I)5.6 The number of children for which school work preparation is provided per year. The school performance of each child showing good individual evolution, consistent with the child’s development potential.(I)5.7 The extracurricular activities recorded in the children’s files together with the justifying documents (for example, participation tickets, reports of accompanying staff, children’s opinions). The children’s degree of participation in extracurricular activities organized by the educational facility and the DCCD respectively.

Standard #6 Habilitation and rehabilitation activitiesThe day care center for children with disabilities provides children with various and efficient habilitation and rehabilitation activities according to their specific needs.

Result Each child is provided with quality habilitation/rehabilitation services supplied by specialized staff.

Requirements for the implementation of Standard #66.1 The specialty staff assess the habilitation/rehabilitation needs of children based on type of disability and their development level.6.2 The specialty staff (kinetic therapists, physiotherapists, speech therapists, counselors/psychological therapist, occupational therapists, etc.) create the children’s habilitation/rehabilitation program and are responsible for fulfilling the objectives set in this program, taking into account medical recommendations and contraindications.6.3 Habilitation/rehabilitation activities may consist of, as appropriate: a) physiotherapy; b) kinetic therapy and massage; c) speech therapy; psycho-motor and manual habilitation therapy; e) learning therapies (for example, representation, imagination, attention, memory, intelligence, creativity development, etc.); f) self-control abilities development (for example, the development of the voluntary inhibition process); g) the organization and creation of personal autonomy (for example perceptive education, personal hygiene, self-service, self-management skills, etc.); h) conducts reorganization and perceptive-motor restructuring; i) occupational therapy and expression psychotherapy (for example graphical, plastic, corporal, verbal expression, psychodrama, melotherapy, ergotherapy, etc.); various forms of psychotherapy, etc.6.4 Habilitation/rehabilitation activities may be done, as appropriate, individually or in a group.6.5 The professionals involved in rehabilitation make constant efforts to achieve a close collaboration with the families, so that a part of these activities must be continued with children and in family, in compliance with the recommendations of responsible professionals.


6.6 DCCD sets up locations appropriate in terms of number, especially designed and supplied according to the nature and particulars of the respective activities, and also adapted and equipped to be accessible and functional depending on disability/handicap of children – see procedure 10.8.

Indicators for Standard #6(I)6.1 The number of assessments of habilitation/rehabilitation needs of every child per year.(I)6.2.1 the existence of a habilitation/rehabilitation program for each child.(I)6.2.2 The number of updates of the objectives included in the habilitation/rehabilitation program per child per year.(I)6.3-6.4 The types of habilitation/rehabilitation activities and the completion methods are appropriate for the situation of each child.(I)6.5 The parents’ involvement in their children’s habilitation/rehabilitation process.(I)6.6 The DCCD locations designed for these activities are appropriate in terms of dimensions and supplies, in compliance with the provisions of the present MMS.(I)6.7 The number of children in temporary support. The children are provided with the same conditions according to the provisions of the present MMS.

Standard #7 Recreational and socializing activitiesThe day care center for children with disabilities provides children with recreational and socializing activities in order to achieve a balance between learning and rehabilitation activities on one hand, and relaxation and game-play activities on the other.

Result The children are presented with recreational and socializing activities that help them maintain the physical and psychological balance required for their optimum development.

Requirements for the implementation of Standard #77.1 The educational staff create the program of recreational and socializing activities, including sleep and rest periods, taking into account the preferences and particulars of each child.7.2 Recreational and socializing activities are planned together with the other professionals avoiding overworking children.7.3 The children, based on age, maturity level, disability type and/or disability degree. as well as the parents are informed in respect to the recreational and socializing opportunities promoted in and outside (in the community) the DCCD, as well as in respect to how they can be supported to participate in these activities.7.4 DCCD ensures the necessary conditions and materials, according to the children’s age, options and disability type and/or disability degree, for running recreational and socializing activities in the DCCD and in the community.7.5 Each child is supported to develop positive relationships with the others: with parents/other adults important to them, with the children in the DCCD and in the educational facility attended by them, with the DCCD staff and, as appropriate, with other professionals involved in the implementation the service plan.7.6 The staff are trained accordingly in order to contribute to the emotional development of the child, by verbal and non-verbal communication, counseling, socializing activities and positive assessments.

Indicators for Standard #7


(I)7.1.1 The daily schedule contains recreational and socializing activities which are provided to the children in the DCCD. The recreational and socializing activities are decided based on the PIP recommendations for all children attending the DCCD.(I)7.1.2 The implementation of the recreational and socializing activities, the location and content of these activities.(I)7.2 The involvement of the professionals in the planning of recreational and socializing activities.(I)7.3 The children and their parents know the opportunities for spending spare time. The displayed daily schedule, written announcements, promotional materials (booklets, brochures, posters), etc. regarding recreational-socializing activities in the DCCD and the community.(I)7.4.1 Materials existent in the DCCD: books, magazines, video, audio-cassettes, promotional materials. The toys and the equipments for spare time are appropriate from a qualitative and quantitative point of view and are suitable for the age and disability type and/or disability degree of the children in the DCCD.(I)7.4.2 Accounting documents relating to the purchase of materials and equipments required for the activities promoted by the DCCD, reimbursements of expenses made by children in recreational-socializing activities in the community.(I)7.5 Discussions with the children, families and staff. The existence of recorded opinions of children and families.(I)7.6 Employee files (study diplomas, graduation certificated for relevant courses, etc.).

Standard #8 Support for school and professional guidance and psychological counselingIn addition to the services provided by educational facilities and other service providers, the day care center for children with disabilities provides children with support for school and professional guidance, as well as psychological counseling.

Result The children are provided with quality services consisting of psychological counseling and school and professional guidance, based on their age, development level, needs, abilities, interests and disability type and/or disability degree.

Requirements for the implementation of Standard #88.1 In case the child is not provided with school guidance based on a decision of the child protection commission, or in the support of this decision, the psychologist creates the school and professional guidance program which contains specific objectives based on the particulars of each child.8.2 The parents are involved in making operational the intervention objectives set by the school and professional guidance program.8.3 The psychological counseling takes place upon request or whenever the psychologist considers it to be in the benefit of the child, based on his/her age, development level and needs.8.4 The counseling activity takes place individually and/or in a group in a specially designed and securing location for the child.8.5 Counseling is a planned activity, with specific objectives, which in case of the group counseling are negotiated with the children, based on their age and maturity level.

Indicators for Standard #8(I)8.1.1 The existence of the school and professional guidance program signed by the psychologist.(I)8.1.2 The number of children participating in school and professional guidance programs.(I)8.1.3 The number of school and professional guidance meetings per child per year.


(I)8.1.4 The number of group school and professional guidance meetings per year.(I)8.1.5 The reports containing the progress of each child following individual and/or group meetings organized in the school and professional guidance program.(I)8.1.6 The number of children having a school guidance certificate issued based on the decision of the child protection commission.(I)8.2 The involvement of parents in the school and professional guidance program.(I)8.3.1 The number of children per year requesting the help of a psychologists.(I)8.3.2 The number of children per year identified by the psychologist as requiring counseling.(I)8.3.3 The number of children per year provided with counseling.(I)8.4.1 The number of counseling sessions per child per year.(I)8.4.2 The number of group counseling sessions per year.(I)8.5 Planning counseling sessions per child.

Standard #9 Counseling and support for parentsThe day care center for children with disabilities provides parents with counseling and support upon request or whenever the specialty staff considered it to be in the benefit of the child and his/her family.

Result The parents and other members of the extended family or legal representative and/or child’s caretaker are provided with counseling and support by the specialty staff of the day care center, helping them to solve the problems confronting them in respect to the psychological development of the child and the various legal, medical and social aspects.

Requirements for the implementation of Standard #99.1 The counseling and support activity is addressed to the family or, in lack thereof, to the legal representative and/or child’s caretaker.9.2 The specialty staff counsel and support the parents based on their needs, upon request or whenever it is considered to be in the benefit of the child and of his/her family.9.3 The specialty staff identify the needs of the parents starting from the development stages of every child and taking into account the personality and particulars of each child.9.4 Counseling takes place individually and/or in a group.9.5 DCCD supports the organization or organizes parent education programs – known as “schools for parents”. These are organized based on a curriculum created in compliance with the legislation in force and based on the needs identified in the community.

Indicators for Standard #9(I)9.1-9.2 The number of families/legal representatives/child’s caretaker per year accessing counseling services.The number of families/legal representatives/child’s caretaker per year identified by the psychologist as requiring counseling services.The number of families/legal representatives/child’s caretaker per year provided with counseling.Counseling sessions planning.Types of counseling provided by the DCCD to families/legal representatives/child’s caretakers (for example, psychological, medical, social, legal counseling) per year.Types of support provided by the DCCD to families/legal representatives/child’s caretakers (for example, financial/material aid, facilitating access to other services) per year.


(I)9.3 The methods for identifying the needs of parents/families/legal representatives/child’s caretakers.(I)9.4.1 The number of counseling sessions per year attended by each parent/family/legal representative/child’s caretaker.(I)9.4.2 The number of group counseling sessions per year attended by each parent/family/legal representative/child’s caretaker.(I)9.5 The number of parent education programs per year supported/organized by the DCCD.The content of the parent education programs.The organization of the parent education program, according to the legislation specific to the educational, medical, or adult professional training system.The annual number of training cycles attended by parents/families/legal representatives/child’s caretakers.

ADMINISTRATION AND MANAGEMENT

Standard #10 Location, financial resources and facilitiesThe day care center for children with disabilities has a location accessible to the members of the community, sufficient financial resources and appropriate facilities for completing all activities.

Result The children and families in the community are provided with quality services provided by the day care center for children with disabilities.

Requirements for the implementation of Standard #1010.1 DCCD operates in an appropriate, safe building, adapted to the services it provides, as well as to the particulars of the beneficiaries.10.2 DCCD is located in an accessible place for all members of the community, from the point of view of the means of transportation and the location of other community services they may benefit from. In case the DCCD serves children with disabilities far away from the DCCD location, the service provider supplies to the DCC appropriate transportation, able to ensure the transportation of children in conditions maximum safety.10.3 DCCD has a sufficient number of spaces for running all types of activities including administrative activities, sanitary facilities, and kitchen.10.4 DCCD is located in an area where the general safety of the children is not affected and possesses all permits required by law for its operation.10.5 The funds allocated to the DCCD by the service provider are sufficient for the fulfillment of its mission and the provisions of the present mandatory minimum standards.10.6 The DCCD coordinator has the responsibility to provide additional funding sources, mainly by identifying and mobilizing community resources, in order to ensure the implementation in the community of the necessary activities and DCCD long term self-sufficiency.10.7 The DCCD coordinator has the responsibility to overview the use of DCCD run funds.10.8 All locations are available allowing the children’s mobility and autonomy. The restrictions in terms of accessibility (high positioning of door knobs, etc.) shall be enforced only in case of express indications, in the best interest of the child, with the approval of the SPSCP and only for the children for which the respective recommendation has been issued. The following will be available: conditions allowing the access and mobility of all children to all DCCD locations, adjustments and equipments appropriate to disability type and/or disability degree: a) for children with motor disabilities/handicaps appropriate adjustments shall be made (stairs supplied with safety elements, ramps, doors at least 90 cm wide


allowing the maneuvering of the wheel chair, etc.), equipments and devices for moving, etc.; b) for children with visual disabilities/handicaps acoustic warning systems, appropriate lighting and coloring, etc. shall be installed; c) for children with auditory disabilities/handicaps amplification installations, visual warning systems (light, color), etc. shall be used; and d) any other necessary equipments.

Indicators for Standard #10(I)10.1, (I)10.3 The building is structurally safe and the locations are sufficient in number and furnished appropriately for their purpose, in accordance with the mission and the provisions of the present mandatory minimum standards.(I)10.2.1 The members of the community have various means of access to the DCCD/the existence of transportation means.(I)10.2.2 The DCCD is provided with facilities for people with disabilities, according to the legislation in force.(I)10.4.1 The DCCD is located in an area that does not endanger the children’s safety.(I)10.4.2 The existence of all permits required by law for operation (sanitary authorization, fire department authorization, etc.).(I)10.5 – (I)10.7 The budget allocated annually to the DCCD by the service provider (specialized public service for child protection, authorized private bodies or authorities of the local government).(I)10.8.1 Measures restricting accessibility enforced in the DCCD, according to the decision of the CPC or other measures approved by the coordinator or based on the recommendations of the individual appointed by the service provider for monitoring the DCCD activity – from the children’s files.(I)10.8.2 Measures providing accessibility and autonomy for children with disabilities (amenities, adaptations, equipments, devices, etc.) based on children’s disability type and/or disability degree.

Standard # 11 Management and administrationThe day care center for children with disabilities has an efficient management and administration that ensure its optimum functioning in accordance with its mission.

Result The children and families are provided with quality services based on their needs.

Requirements for the implementation of Standard #1111.1 The DCCD operates in compliance with the legislation, certified by official documents.11.2 The DCCD coordinator is responsible to put the DCCD mission in writing, to display, disseminate and advocate it both within the DCCD and in the community.11.3 The DCCD has an internal rulebook or internal operation norms, based on the employer, reflecting the spirit of democratic values of respect for the rights of the child and the individual; these are approved by the DCCD coordinator and made known to the entire staff.11.4 The DCCD coordinator organizes periodically – at least once a month or whenever necessary administrative meetings with the entire staff. These meetings are planned, have a posted agenda and their content is recorded in minutes.11.5 The principle of team work is promoted through training activities, through the method of creating and revising job descriptions for each employee, as well as through all internal communication activities of the DCCD. Reunions of the specialty staff making up the DCCD multidisciplinary team (for example, for debating the PIP implementation) are organized periodically or whenever necessary and are recorded.


Indicators for Standard #11(I)11.1 The existence of documents certifying the establishment and operation of the center (decisions, authorizations, articles of association, partnership agreements, etc.).(I)11.2.1 The mission of the DCCD is displayed in a suitable and accessible place for all interested parties. The existence of promotional materials (flyers, brochures, etc).(I)11.2.2 The DCCD mission is known by the center’s staff and by the DCCD beneficiaries.(I)11.2.3 The employees know and are aware that the activities they carry out contribute to the fulfillment of the DCCD mission.(I)11.3.1 The existence of the internal rulebook/internal operation regulations.(I)11.3.2 All employees know the provisions of the internal rulebook/internal operation regulations.(I)11.4.1 The number of administrative meetings with the staff/month/year. The meetings are organized in order to discuss, for example: activities relating to children care, revising DCCD procedures.(I)11.4.2 The content of the minutes.(I)11.6 The number of DCCD multidisciplinary team reunions/month/year. The documented content of these reunions.

Standard #12 The annual action planThe day care center for children with disabilities operates in compliance with the provisions of an annual action plan created based on the provisions of the mandatory minimum standards and the needs identified in the community.

Result The children and families in the community are provided with quality services based on their needs.

Requirements for the implementation of Standard #1212.1 The DCCD coordinator, in collaboration with the specialty staff, creates the annual action plan based on the present mandatory minimum standards.12.2 The annual action plan is endorsed by the service provider, who has the obligation to monitor its implementation.12.3 The annual action plan is revised periodically and whenever required.12.4 At the end of each year, the specialty staff write the DCCD activity report for the respective year, which is supervised by the DCCD coordinator and conveyed to the service provider.12.5 The DCCD annual activity report is available to all interested parties.

Indicators for Standard #12(I)12.1.1 The existence of the annual action plan written by the coordinator in collaboration with the specialty staff.(I)12.1.2 The content of the annual action plan.(I)12.2.1 The endorsement of the annual action plan by the service provider.(I)12.2.2 The monitoring reports created following the visits by the individuals appointed by the service provider.(I)12.3 The number of revisions of the DCCD annual action plan per year.(I)12.4 The existence of the DCCD activity report at the end of each year, bearing the signature of the DCCD coordinator. The report is held by the DCCD and the service provider.(I)12.5 The methods for informing the interested parties in respect to the content of the annual activity report.


HUMAN RESOURCES

Standard #13 Staff recruitment, employment and numberThe staff of the day care center for children with disabilities is carefully and responsibly selected through a process of recruitment and selection that takes places in compliance with the legislation in force and meets the needs of the center.

Result The children and their families are provided with quality services provided by the staff of the day care center for children with disabilities with professionalism, respect and empathy towards them.

Requirements for the implementation of Standard #1313.1 The employer has the obligation to hire qualified staff that will meet the provisions of the present mandatory minimum standards and of the annual action plan. If the DCCD operates in an area with communities of ethnic minorities, it is recommended that the specialty staff included professionals speaking the language of the respective minorities.13.2 The DCCD has a set of criteria for the selection of the staff, in compliance with the DCCD specifics, the needs of the community and the legal provisions in force.13.3 At employment, the personality traits of each candidate that are necessary in working with children will be compulsorily taken into consideration.13.4 The employer may have, under the law, other types of staff than the ones listed in the DCCD position list, in the purpose of fulfilling the DCCD mission in optimum conditions.13.5 The specialty staff must have socio-human studies. 13.6 The DCCD coordinator must have a University degree and experience of at least one year in child and family services. At employment, priority will be given to professionals with managerial training.13.7 The DCCD coordinator ensures that the job descriptions are revised based on the dynamics of the requirements of the respective positions.13.8 The staff number and structure are sufficient and appropriate for covering all services provided by the DCCD according to the present mandatory minimum standards and the annual action plan.

Indicators for Standard #13(I)13.1 Study diplomas and other documents certifying the qualifications of the hired staff.(I)13.2 Staff selection criteria.(I)13.3 Documents and materials certifying staff recruitments. Existing information in the employee file regarding the interview for the respective position.(I)13.4 The DCCD position list and the complete organizational chart of the service provider.(I)13.5 – (I)13.7 The organizational chart, study diplomas, labor contracts, volunteering contracts, job descriptions, employee files.(I)13.8.1 The staff number and structure according to the organizational chart.(I)13.8.2 The adults-children ratio.

Standard #14 Initial and ongoing staff trainingThe staff of the day care center for children with disabilities has the training and abilities required for working with children and youngsters, as well as in a team.


Result The children and their families are provided with quality services by well trained professionals, with empathic and communication abilities.

Requirements for the implementation of Standard #1414.1 Each employee of the DCCD has the necessary qualification for fulfilling the tasks of their respective position.14.2 At employment, if lacking initial training in the child welfare sector/children with disabilities protection sector, each professional is provided with training in this sector, covered by the employer’s budget.14.3 In the purpose of improving the knowledge, abilities and skills relating to meeting the needs of the children with disabilities and their families, each DCCD employees including its coordinator, are provided with at least 42 hours per year of ongoing training in the child welfare sector/children with disabilities protection sector or in related interdisciplinary fields, financed from the employer’s budget.14.4 The DCCD professionals are encouraged to participate in different training courses, including seminars and conferences, which may help them to optimize their work.14.5 The permanent education of the specialty staff, as well as the ongoing training for all DCCD employees, will be promoted, supported and recorded by the DCCD coordinator.14.6 The volunteers act based on clear contracts, in compliance with the legislation in force.14.7 The DCCD has the obligation to provide a minimum number of 14 hours of training for volunteers, before the commencement of their activity.14.8 The ongoing professional training of volunteers will be supported, promoted and recorded by the DCCD coordinator.14.9 At employment, if lacking training in the management of social services, the DCCD coordinator will be provided with training in this field, supported by the employer’s budget.14.10 The DCCD coordinator is provided with at least 21 hours of training per year in service management, covered by the employer’s budget.14.11 The permanent education and the ongoing professional training of employees is done in compliance with the legislation in force, through courses organized in the educational, medical and adult professional training system.

Indicators for Standard #14(I)14.1 – (I)14.10 The personal file of each employee, including the file of the service coordinator and of the volunteers, contains the documents required by the legislation in force, including graduation certificates for the initial and ongoing training mentioned in the present mandatory minimum standards. Examples of related and/or interdisciplinary sector relevant to the DCCD staff: child psychology, social work, prevention of child abuse, neglect and exploitation, including trafficking and worst forms of child labor, domestic violence.(I)14.11 The graduation certificates with national recognition and the ones with recognition by the employer. For the latter, the manner in which the training program was organized will be checked using the criteria listed in the legislation regulating the adult professional training.

Standard #15 SupervisionThe day care center for children with disabilities possesses an efficient system for the supervision of human resources, allowing its operation at optimum efficiency.


Result The staff are motivated and efficient, providing quality services to the clients of the day care center for children with disabilities.

Requirements for the implementation of Standard #1515.1 The DCCD coordinator has the obligation to provide the internal and external supervision of the specialty staff and the volunteers.15.2 The DCCD coordinator organizes periodical individual or team supervision meetings with the DCCD specialty staff, and upon their request. All meetings are recorded.15.3 The supervision of volunteers is provided by the staff appointed by the DCCD coordinator.15.4 The service provider has the obligation to provide supervision for the DCCD coordinator.15.5 The supervision is provided by professionals with a University degree in social-human studies with training in supervision or at least 2 years of extra experience in child and family services than the supervised.

Indicators for Standard #15(I)15.1-(I)15.2 The number of individual and team supervision meetings per employee/month/year.The number of supervision meetings at the request of the employees/team/year.(I)15.3 The number of supervision meetings per volunteer/month/year.(I)15.4 The number of supervision meetings for the coordinator/month/year.(I)15.5 Recorded documents pertaining to supervision.

INSTITUTIONAL COLLABORATION

Standard #16 Child protection against abuseThe day care center for children with disabilities promotes and applies measures for protecting children against all forms of intimidation, discrimination, abuse, neglect, exploitation, inhumane or degrading treatment.

Result The children live in conditions of safety and wealth, any suspicion or accusation of abuse being promptly and correctly solved by the entire staff, according to the legislation in force.

Requirements for the implementation of Standard #1616.1 DCCD has written procedures relating to preventing, identifying, notifying, assessing and solving suspicions or accusations of child abuse, created based on the legislation in force. These procedures are approved by the SPSCP director and are made know to the children, based on age, maturity level and disability type and/or disability degree, families or their legal representatives, as well as to the staff.16.2 The children and their families/legal representatives are informed, through available means, in respect to these procedures, as well in respect to the rights of the children.16.3 The children are encouraged and supported to notify any form of abuse by the staff, other children in the DCCD or any person from outside the DCCD.16.4 DCCD maintains a record of all cases of intimidation, discrimination, abuse, neglect, exploitation (including sexual or labor exploitation), inhumane or degrading treatment in the notifications and complaints register.


16.5 The staff suspecting or identifying child abuse, neglect or exploitation cases, in or outside the DCCD, has the obligation to notify them to the SPSCP and to inform the DCCD coordinator, according to the legislation in force, as well as to record them, according to the provisions of the present MMS. The staff appointed by the DCCD coordinator, with the approval of the SPSCP, may provide or participate in the initial assessment of the child abuse, neglect and exploitation situation notified to the SPSCP, and its result are recorded in the mandatory notification and child abuse, neglect and exploitation situations initial assessment form. The form is conveyed to the SPSCP within 48 hours after the date of the initial assessment. The model of the mandatory notification and child abuse, neglect and exploitation situations initial assessment form is an appendix to the methodological guide on the multidisciplinary team and network prevention and intervention in child abuse, neglect and exploitation situations.16.6 The staff suspecting or identifying child abuse, neglect and exploitation situations in which other DCCD staff members are involved have the obligation to immediately notify the DCCD coordinator, which shall apply the provisions of the legislation in force. In case the DCCD coordinator does not notify these situations to the SPSCP, in the period indicated by the present MMS, the staff that have informed the coordinator have the obligation to make this notification.16.7 If necessary, the DCCD coordinator notifies, as appropriate, the paramedics, police and/or district attorney.16.8 The verbal or physical abuse of children is strictly prohibited in the DCCD, and is sanctioned under the law.16.9 The DCCD provides psychological support and counseling to children who have been intimated or discriminated. In case of abused, neglected or exploited children, the SPSCP sets the service plan and ensures its implementation, according to the provisions of the methodological guide on the multidisciplinary team and network prevention and intervention in child abuse, neglect and exploitation situations.16.10 The DCCD ensures that the entire staff (including auxiliary personnel, temporary employees or volunteers) attend training courses on the issue of child protection against abuse, neglect and exploitation.16.11 DCCD ensures the implementation of parent education programs on the issue of child protection against abuse, neglect and exploitation.

Indicators for Standard #16(I)16.1.1 OOM contains procedures on protecting the child against abuse, neglect and exploitation situations.(I)16.1.2 The staff know these procedures.(I)16.2.1 The children and their families/legal representatives have knowledge in respect to the rights of the children and how to file a notification/complaint in respect to any intimidation, abuse, neglect, exploitation (including sexual or labor exploitation), inhumane or degrading treatment.(I)16.2.2 The existence of information materials relating to these procedures and the rights of the children. The materials intended for children are adapted to disability type and/or disability degree (sign language interpreter, materials in Braille, audio cassettes, etc.).(I)16.2.3-16.3 The annual number of notifications made by children, family or legal representatives in respect to suspicions or clear situations of child abuse.(I)16.4 The DCCD notifications and complaints register includes the record of notifications and complaints in respect to child abuse.(I)16.5 The annual number of child abuse., neglect and exploitation situations notified by the DCCD to the SPSCP compared to the number of situations recorded in the complaints and abuse register.


The number of mandatory notification and initial assessment form filled in by the DCCD staff and send to the SPSCP.The annual number of abuse, neglect and exploitation cases notified by the DCCD and monitored by the SPSCP.The number of active abuse, neglect and exploitation cases (pending solution), notified by the DCCD and monitored by the SPSCP.(I)16.6 The annual number child abuse, neglect and exploitation in which DCC members are involved compared to the annual number of notifications recorded by the SPSCP regarding this type of situations for the respective DCCD, but received from other individuals than the DCCD staff or coordinator.(I)16.7 The annual number of situations having required the intervention of the paramedics, or the police and district attorney respectively.(I)16.9 The content of the PIP.(I)16.10 The employee files, participation diplomas to such courses.(I)16.11 Recording the parent education programs.

Standard #17 Collaboration with relevant institutions and professionalsThe day care center for children with disabilities collaborates with the other community services supporting children and their families, including with professionals in this sector.

Result The children and their families are provided with quality services based on their needs, including those identified by the professionals of the day care center for children with disabilities, in the purpose of preventing abandonment and institutionalization.

Requirements for the implementation of Standard #1717.1 In case of direct requests, the DCCD specialty staff assess the needs of children and their families in respect to other services they should be provided with and which the DCCD is unable to provide. DCCD notifies the SPSCP in respect to the needs and services required in the purpose of creating the personalized service plan.17.2 The DCCD collaborates with all social players involved in the implementation of the personalized service plan for the prevention of child abandonment and institutionalization and his/her social inclusion/integration.17.3 In the purpose of fulfilling its mission, the DCCD collaborates in network with all involved regional and national community services and programs for the support and protection of children and families.17.4 The DCCD maintains a permanent contact with the community in the purpose of adjusting current programs and activities and for initiating new activities and programs in the child abandonment and institutionalization prevention sector.

Indicators for Standard #17(I)17.1.1 The existence of the assessments of the children in the DCCD in respect to the need for other specialty services which the DCCD is unable to provide to children and families – in case of direct requests.(I)17.1.2 Communication and collaboration methods with the SPSCP.(I)17.2.1 Collaboration conventions with the institutions and services involved in the implementation of the personalized service plan.


(I)17.2.2-17.3.1 Recording relevant information pertaining to children provided with other specialty services supplied by other institutions/centers.(I)17.3.2 Collaboration agreements and the number of programs per year in which the DCCD is involved.(I)17.4 The DCCD operates with various methods and means for maintaining a permanent connection with the community, in respect to requests for specific services, notification of needs or situations relating to the prevention of child abandonment and institutionalization and social inclusion/integration of children with disabilities, etc. (for example, phone service designed for this issue, P.O. box, collection boxes in various locations in the community and others).

Example no.2:Technical standards: Minimal quality standards for case management

(in the child protection system)National Authority for Child Protection and Adoption

Order no. 69/2004 of June 10, 2004Published in the Official Gazette, Part I no. 539 of June 16, 2004

For the approval of the mandatory minimum standardsfor case management in the child welfare sector

Based on the provisions of the Emergency Ordinance of the Government no.12/2001 on the establishment of the National Authority for Child Protection and Adoption, approved and amended by Law no. 252/2001, and of article 9 paragraph 3 of the Government Decision no. 770/2003 on the organization and operation of the National Authority for Child Protection and Adoption,

the Secretary of state of the National Authority for Child Protection and Adoption issues the present order.

Article 1 The mandatory minimum standards for case management in the child welfare sector, listed in the appendix that is an integral part of the present order are hereby approved.Article 2 The present order shall enter into force as of January 1, 2005.

The secretary of state of the National Authorityfor Child Protection and Adoption, Gabriela Coman

Bucharest, June 10, 2004,No. 69Appendix

MANDATORY MINIMUM STANDARDS FOR CASE MANAGEMENT IN THE CHILD WELFARE SECTOR

Case management, applied in the child welfare sector, represents a coordination method of all social work and special protection activities developed in the best interest of the child by professionals from various private and public services/institutions.

The present mandatory minimum standards are complementary to the mandatory minimum standards for child welfare services. The indicators in the present document shall be verified together with the indicators provided in the mandatory minimum standards for services. At the same time, the present


mandatory minimum standards are complementary, in particular, with the Order of the Secretary of state of the National Authority for Child Protection and Adoption, the Minister of education and research, the Minister of health and family and of the President of the National Authority for People with Disabilities no. 18/3.989/416/142/2003 on the approval of the methodological guide for the assessment of the child with disability and inclusion in a disability degree.

The standards are grouped on the following areas of interest:

Use of method1. Conditions for using the method

Stages in case management2. Stages in case management3. Initial assessment4. Detailed/complex assessment5. Multidisciplinary team6. The individualized protection plan and the service plan7. Monitoring and reassessment8. Post-service monitoring and case closure

The case manager9. Recruitment and employment10. Main responsibilities and delegating responsibilities11. Initial and ongoing training12. Supervision

USE OF METHOD

Standard #1 Conditions for using the methodCase management is used whenever the child situation requires it because of the emergency, complexity and duration of interventions required for solving it.

Standard # By using case management in the child welfare sector, a organized, rigorous, efficient and coherent multidisciplinary and inter-institutional intervention is ensured for the child, family/legal representative and other individuals important for the child.

Implementation procedures for Standard #11.1 All child welfare service providers use case management for at least the following situations: a) taking a protection measure and b) inclusion in a disability degree and school/professional guidance for children with disabilities. In cases of child abandonment and institutionalization prevention, the service provider employs this method in compliance with the mandatory minimum standards, further referred to as MMS, both present ones and others standards approved in the child welfare sector.1.2 The service provider supplies the resources (human, financial, material) required for the optimum development of case management in compliance with the provisions of the present MMS and of the methodologies specific to each type of service provided.


1.3 In the purpose of correctly using case management, the service provides sets, together with the service coordinator, the eligibility criteria (also referred to as admission criteria) for the clients’ access to the services provided by them, as well as methodologies and work procedures specific to each type of service. These documents are created based on the provisions of the MMS corresponding to the respective services and of the related methodologies and, at the same time, may be developed according to the practice, experience and specialty literature.1.4 Service coordinators ensure that these documents are made known to the specialty staff.1.5 The service provider ensures that these documents are reassessed on a regular basis and, as appropriate, revised, based at least on the following factors: community needs, service evolution, legislative amendments in this sector and suggestions made by the specialty staff.Indicators for Standard #1(I)1.1.1 All children with a protection measure have been appointed a case manger.(I)1.1.2 All children with disabilities tracked by the complex assessment service of the specialized public service for child protection have been appointed a case manager.(I)1.1.3 The number of children tracked by prevention services providers having a case manager or case officer supervised by a case manager.(I)1.3 The existence of eligibility criteria/admission criteria, work procedures and methodologies for each child welfare service supplied by service providers authorized/licensed under the law. Eligibility criteria for beneficiaries may refer, for example, to: case complexity degree, type and number of clients, needs and service diversity, etc.(I)1.4 The staff of child welfare services know and enforce the provisions indicated in these documents.(I)1.5 Periodicity of reassessments, number of revisions and reasons for this.

STAGES IN CASE MANAGEMENT

Standard #2 Stages in case managementCase management is a process involving the completion of certain interdependent stages, the same in solving each particular case, regardless of the order in which they are completed or of their duration.

Result Case managers and case officers enforce unitarily the same procedures for solving cases, typical for case management, regardless of the service they function in.

Implementation procedures for Standard #22.1 Case management, applied in the child welfare sector, involves the completion of the following main stages:

a) identifying and handling cases: children in difficulty or in risk situations, children with disabilities;b) the comprehensive and multidimensional assessment of the child’s situation in his/her socio-

family environment;c) service and intervention planning materialized in an individualized protection plan or, as

appropriate, service plan;d) providing services and interventions to the child, family/legal representative and other

individuals important to the child;e) periodical monitoring and reassessment of the progress recorded, decisions and specialized

interventions;


f) case closure, or closure of service and intervention provision process respectively.2.2 The activities conducted during these stages are based on the principles of individualization and personalization, as well as on the active involvement (consultation and participation) of the child and family/legal representative.2.3 The case manager ensures the completion of these stages for all eligible children according to the provisions of the present MMS and records all information in the child’s file.2.4 In documenting the case, the case manager and case officer use specific methods and instruments required by law and the ones recommended by the National Federation of Romanian Social Workers.

Indicators for Standard #2(I)2.1, 2.2 Work procedures and methodologies specific to the service, children’s files.(I)2.3 Case manager’s job description.(I)2.4 In service rulebooks, the service provider has regulated the use of documents and work instruments, as well as methods for recording data and information on the child and family/legal representative.

Standard #3 Initial assessmentThe case manager ensures the completion of the initial assessment within 72 hours after recording the direct request, the referral or case notification, if another term is not required by other mandatory minimum standards in the child welfare sector.

Result The initial assessment of the child’s situation takes place in the shortest time, according to the emergency and severity of the case.

Implementation procedures for Standard #33.1 The service provider must create procedures for identifying, recording, handling and assigning cases, as well as for appointing the case manager, so that the initial assessment of the child’s situation would be completed within the term indicated by the present MMS. These procedures comply with the legislation in force, including MMS in the child welfare sector.3.2 Case identification is done through at least one of the following situation: a) direct request by the child and/or family/legal representative, b) referral by another public or private service/institution and c) written or telephonic notification by other individuals than family members/legal representative.3.3 In appointing the case manager, the service coordinator considers at least the following aspects: a) number of cases in his/her responsibility, b) case complexity, c) experience, d) knowledge of the respective problem, e) relationship with the child and family and f) collaboration with the service and institution network.3.4 The initial assessment is regularly conducted by the case manager. It can be performed by other professionals in the conditions indicated by the MMS approved in the child welfare sector.3.5 An initial assessment report or, as appropriate, form are created that must be approved by the hierarchical chief.3.6 Based on the information in the initial assessment report/form a decision is made to continue case management or to close the case by referral or direction to other competent services/institutions. The content of the initial assessment report/form, as well as the decision taken based on it are communicated to the clients in the shortest time following the creation of the initial assessment report/form and is recorded. The referral involves creating a recorded document, sent to the competent


service/institution, both directly, and through the client, and in certain situations phone contact with the respective service/institution.

Indicators for Standard #3(I)3.1-3.3 The existence of procedures for identifying, recording, taking over and assigning cases, as well as for appointing the case manager.(I)3.4 The number of initial assessments performed by the case manager or by other professionals respectively per month/year.The initial assessment may be performed by other professionals in the following situations, for example: The respective service does not have case mangers, in which case the initial assessment is made by

the case officer; In emergency situations when the arrival of the case manager or of the mobile intervention team

requires more than one hour, the initial assessment is made by case officers from the local authority in the community where the child is located. In lack thereof, the initial assessment may be performed by resource persons closest to the child. Resource persons are professionals trained in the field in which the specialized intervention is made for the respective child, and may be from child welfare services or other services/institutions.

(I)3.5 Initial assessment reports/forms are approved by the hierarchical chief.(I)3.6.1 The number of cases referred or directed to other competent services/institutions per month/year.(I)3.6.2 The children’s files or other documents recording the information of clients in respect to the content of the initial assessment report/form and the decision taken based on it.

Standard #4 Detailed/complex assessmentThe case manger, together with an appropriate team of professionals, performs the detailed/complex assessment of the child’s situation in his/her socio-family environment.

Result By using case management, the child is provided with a comprehensive and multidimensional assessment of his as well as of his family specific and individual needs. The child and the family/legal representative are actively involved in the assessment process.

Implementation procedures for Standard #44.1 The initial, as well as the detailed/complex assessment takes place mainly following direct meetings with the involved parties, in their life environment.4.2 The service provider ensures the resources required for the field trip of the case manager and, as appropriate, of the other professionals involved in the assessment and encourages meetings with the family and his/her family, in their life environment.4.3 The case manager records the information obtained during these meetings in visit reports including at least the following aspects: resume of discussions during meetings, date, place and purpose of the next meeting, previously agreed with the family and the child.4.4 Visit reports are submitted to the hierarchical chief for approval. The content of these reports is made known to the family and the child solely if it does not impede on the assessment process.4.5 Visits to the family home are made based on a schedule mutually agreed with the family and the child. If needed, the case manger may also pay unannounced visits, only if he/she considers that there are solid grounds and with the approval of the hierarchical chief.


4.6 The case manager requests the family and the child to provide a list with the persons that can provide references about their situation. At the same time, the case manager informs the child and the family about contacting other persons than the ones indicated by them in the purpose of obtaining references.4.7 Following the detailed/complex assessment, the case manger creates the detailed/complex assessment report that must be approved by the hierarchical chief and conveyed, within 3 days following its creation, to the team members, family/legal representative and, as appropriate, to the child.

Indicators for Standard #4(I)4.1.1, 4.4, 4.6, 4.7.1 The procedures and methodologies specific to the service include this data.(I)4.1.2 Meeting schedule with the family and the child at their home, as well as in specially deigned locations (for conducting certain assessments by the professionals in the multidisciplinary team or collaborators).(I)4.2 Administrative and financial documents certifying the assignment of funds and other resources for traveling in the field.(I)4.3 The existence and content of visit reports signed by the hierarchical chief.(I)4.5 Visit planning and the record of field trips.(I)4.7.2 The existence and content of the detailed/complex assessment report, signed by the hierarchical chief. In case a protection measure is taken, the content of the detailed assessment report coincides with the psychosocial assessment report indicated by the legislation in force.

Standard #5 The multidisciplinary teamThe case manager ensures the involvement and collaboration, during all stages of case management, of a team of professionals, commonly multidisciplinary and, as appropriate, inter-institutional, as well as the punctual intervention of collaborating professionals whenever necessary.

Result Team work and inter-institutional partnership ensure a global approach to the child’s situation, by synergic and coherent actions in an individual, family and community plan and also contribute essentially to solving the case.

Indicators for Standard #55.1 The service provider makes the necessary efforts for working in a multidisciplinary and inter-institutional team, as well as for securing the expertise of collaborating professionals, according to the written suggestions and requests of case managers.5.2 The case manager submits annually written suggestions to the coordinator of the service in which he/she works, relating to modifying the service organizational chart in the purpose of ensuring team work at optimum efficiency.5.3 The case manager request, in writing, from the hierarchical chief, whenever required, the additional intervention by professionals outside the team, activating in other services/institutions the service provider does not have an agreement with.5.4 In order to make the suggestions and requests indicated before, as well as to create the individualized protection plan/service plan, to refer or direct the case to other services/institutions, the case manager has access to the map of social services existing at the level of the county/sector created by the county/local (Bucharest Municipality sectors) councils. Also, the service provider supplies the


case manager with a list of services/institutions and professionals it has collaboration agreements with, as well as the list of public institutions for children and families existing at county/local level.5.5 The case manager organizes team meetings (called case meetings) on a regular basis – at least once a week in order to discuss cases and take decisions necessary for solving them. According to situation, the case manager may also meet individually with the professionals involved in solving the case. The family/legal representative and the child may participate in these meetings if the team/professionals deem it necessary.

Indicators for Standard #5(I)5.1.1 The service organizational chart. Collaboration contracts closed by the service provider and/or by the service with legal personality with other services/institutions, as well as with independent professionals from the social, medical, educational, legal, financial sector. Children’s files.(I)5.1.2 The procedures and methodologies specific to the service include this data. For example: the structure of the service’s team, team work procedures (roles and responsibilities of each member, meeting schedule, communication among team members, etc.).(I)5.2 The existence of suggestions both at the level of the service coordinator, and of the service provider and the measures taken following them, as well as the reasons for which no measures have been taken.(I)5.3 The existence of written requests for additional expertise and the measures taken following them, as well as the reasons for which no measures have been taken.(I)5.4 The case manager has the following documents: social services map, list of services/institutions and professionals the service provider has collaboration agreements with, list of public institutions for children and families existing at county/local level (police inspectorate, public health direction, hospitals, school inspectorate, etc.).(I)5.5.1 The schedule of team meetings.(I)5.5.2 The minutes/other documents recording individual meetings with the professionals and with the team.(I)5.5.3 The number of meetings in which the family/legal representative have participated per case/year and per total cases/year.

Standard #6 The individualized protection plan and the service planThe case manger, together with the team, creates the individualized protection plan, or the service plan respectively within 30 days after recording the case. The child and his/her family/legal representative are actively involved in the process of creating the individualized protection plan, or the service plan respectively.

Result The child and his/her family/legal representative, as well as other individuals important to the child are provided with personalized services and interventions according to the needs identified and their own choices.

Implementation procedures for Standard #66.1 Based on the detailed/complex assessment the case manager creates the individualized protection plan/service plan. It is recommended that the project of the individualized protection plan be created in the shortest time possible after recording the case at the specialized public service for child protection, so that it is presented to the child protection commission along with the initial psychosocial report when


a decision for a protection measure is taken and the plan will represent an appendix to the commission’s decision. It is recommended that the service plan be created when the child and his/her family require more than one type of service or facility in the purpose of preventing the child’s separation from the family. In case it is intended to create the individualized protection plan or the revision of the service plan requires separating the child from the family by taking a protection measure by the child protection commission, it is recommended the case manager provided the conditions for the meeting of the family council.6.2 The content of the individualized protection plan/service plan is set in agreement with the team, family/legal representative and the child based on age and maturity level.6.3 The case manager organizes at least one meeting with the team in the purpose of finalizing the individualized protection plan/service plan.6.4 The individualized protection plan/service plan is approved by the hierarchical chief and conveyed, in the maximum 30 day term indicated by the present MMS, to the team members, family/legal representative and, appropriate, to the child. The child is informed about the content of the plan using means and materials appropriate for his/her age, maturity level, and disability type and/or disability degree.6.5 The case manager must send to each team member the responsibilities and the schedule of team activities required for implementing and monitoring the individualized protection plan/service plan.6.6 The services and intervention included in the individualized protection plan/service plan are provided based on a contract with the family/legal representative closed with the case manager. It is recommended to adapt the draft of contract with the family included in the Order of the Secretary of state of the National Authority for Child Protection and Adoption, the Minister of education and research, the Minister of health and family and of the President of the National Authority for People with Disabilities no. 18/3.989/416/142/2003 on the approval of the methodological guide for the assessment of the child with disability and inclusion in a disability degree.

Indicators for Standard #6(I)6.1 The existence of an individualized protection plan for each child for whom the Child Protection Commission decides a protection measure. The existence of service plans for the children for whom separation from the family is avoided under the conditions of the present MMS. The existence of the document (minute, report, etc.) certifying the meeting of the family council in the situations indicated by the present MMS.(I)6.2, 6.4.1 The individualized protection plan/service plan is signed by the case manager, team members and family/legal representative, as well by the hierarchical chief and each of these persons has a copy.(I)6.3 The minute of the meeting (child’s file).(I)6.4.2 The child knows the content of the individualized protection plan/service plan.(I)6.5 The team members know the schedule for activities, terms and responsibilities of each person in implementing and monitoring the individualized protection plan/service plan.(I)6.6 The existence of contracts with the family/legal representative.

Standard #7 Monitoring and reassessmentThe case manager monitors the completion of the individualized protection plan/service plan, and the progress recorded in solving the child’s situation until the support and/or protection program no longer proves necessary.


Result The child and his/her family/legal representative and other individuals important to the child are provided with services and interventions permanently appropriate to the real and present situation, as well as with the specialized support and assistance of the case manager in relationship with the professionals and services/institutions included in the individualized protection plan or the service plan respectively.

Implementation procedures for Standard #77.1 In respect to monitoring, the case manager considers at least the following aspects: a) checking the initiation of services/activities indicated in the individualized protection plan/service plan, in maximum 2 days after the initiation terms set in the respective plan; b) checking the provision of services/activities (for example, obtained progress, objectives fulfillment, problems occurred) at least monthly in the time limit set for each service/activity; c) immediate response to any problem occurred in the implementation of services/activities (for example identifying resources for the transportation of the child and the family, solving logistic or procedural problems); d) ensuring the flow of information among team members, other professionals involved in implementing the individualized protection plan/service plan, family and child; e) mediating the relationship between the child and the family on one hand and professionals on the other hand (for example by accompanying, conflict negotiation); f) reassessing the child’s situation, and the method for implementing the individualized protection plan/service plan, at least once every 3 months and, if necessary, the revision of the respective plan; g) permanent recording of case information, progress, evolution in the child’s file; h) modifying the contract with the family/legal representative whenever needed.7.2 In the purpose of performing the monitoring, the professionals deemed responsible for the implementation of the individualized protection plan/service plan have the obligation to write monitoring reports, on a monthly basis or whenever necessary (for example upon the request of the case manager, when revising the intervention program or in case of changes in the situation of the child and the family). In his/her turn, the case manager is obligated to announce to the team members any change in the child’s situation affecting the completion of the objectives included in the individualized protection plan/service plan.7.3 The monitoring reports are sent to the case manager within 3 days after their creation (in case of monthly reports), or after the occurrence of the problem/situation for which they have been created (in case of occasional reports).7.4 The case manager together with the team perform the reassessment of the child’s situation once every 3 months or whenever necessary, as well as the revision of the individualized protection plan/service plan if necessary.7.5 The case manager organizes meetings with the team in the purpose of reassessing the child’s situation and of revising the individualized protection plan/service plan respectively.7.6 The reassessment of the child’s situation and, as appropriate, the revision of the individualized protection plan/service plan take place under the same conditions of active involvement by the family/legal representative and the child (for example, by encouraging free expressions of opinions, including fears, consultation in taking decisions).7.7 The reassessment of the child’s situation and the revision of the individualized protection plan/service plan take place within 48 hours after recording the situations involving the child’s intake in an institution of any type for children or for children and families not included in the initial plan (for example hospitalization, including in socio-medical facilities, protection measure in a residential type child protection service, accommodation in shelters for victims of domestic violence).


7.8 The case manager creates the reassessment or, as appropriate, the revision report which must be approved by the hierarchical chief and sent, within 3 days after their creation, to the team members, family and, as appropriate, child.7.9 During monitoring of extremely difficult cases, in exceptional situation, it is recommended that the case manager, with the approval of the service provider, organized a meeting (called case conference) or a videoconference of the team members with recognized experts in the respective sector in the purpose of solving the respective cases.

Indicators for Standard #7(I)7.1 Documentation on case monitoring and reassessment (children’s files, case specific methodologies and procedures, job descriptions).(I)7.2, 7.3 The existence and content of monthly and, as appropriate, occasional monitoring reports. The number of monitoring reports per case/year.(I)7.4.1, 7.8 The existence and content of quarterly and occasional reassessment or revision reports. The number of revision reports per case/year.(I)7.4.2, 7.5 The minutes of reassessment/revision reports.(I)7.6 Children’s files.(I)7.7 The number of cases in which revisions of the individualized protection plan/service plan took place due to situations involving the child’s intake in an institution. The compliance with the terms indicated by the present MMS.(I)7.9 The number of cases in which case conference/videoconference is used.

Standard #8 Post-service monitoring and case closureIn the purpose of consolidating the result obtained following the completion of the objectives of the individualized protection plan or service plan, the case manager ensures the implementation of post-service monitoring activities.

Result Case closure is done when the child’s assistance and/or protection program no longer proves necessary and the family regains its optimum autonomy and operation capacity.

Implementation procedures for Standard #88.1 Post-service monitoring takes places for a duration of minimum 3 months after the completion of the individualized protection plan/service plan. It is recommended that this monitoring period be in average of 6 months, with the option for extension in certain situations, with the approval of the service provider.8.2 In the post-service monitoring process, the case manager collaborates with the local authorities from the community where the child’s family lives.8.3 In the post-service monitoring process, the case manager collaborates with professionals from services/institutions who may consolidate the results obtained following the implementation of the individualized protection plan/service plan, maintains children-family relationships and ensures the child social (re)integration.8.4 For the entire duration of case management, the case manager prepares the family/legal representative and the child in the purpose of case closure. At the same time, the case manager, the team and the rest of professionals involved in solving the case encourage the family’s autonomy in order to avoid creating its dependence on social services.


8.5 For the entire duration of the case, the children having attained the age of 10, as well as the family/legal representative have access to the data in the child’s file, only if this does not contravene the child’s best interest. In case some of the data in the file might harm the child, the service coordinator may decide to restrict the access of the above indicated persons to this information for a determined period of time, with the consent of the service provider, and this is recorded in the child’s file alongside the motivation for this fact.8.6 The information in the child’s file are confidential and may not be disclosed to other professionals not part of the team, except for the provisions of the Criminal procedure code.

Indicators for Standard #8(I)8.1 The duration of the post-service monitoring period per case. The motivation for the extension of this period and documents certifying the approval of the service provider (for example written request to the service provider and its approval, financial documents certifying the provision of additional funds for extending this period).(I)8.2 Written information from local authorities in respect to the situation of the child and family, as well as on services provided or facilitated, the existence of a service plan, etc.(I)8.3 Collaboration contracts closed with service providers, written information from professionals on the situation of the child and the family, as well as on the services provided.(I)8.4 Children’s files.(I)8.5 The annual number of cases in which access to certain information in the child’s file has been temporarily restricted by the service coordinator, with the approval of the service provider.(I)8.6 As appropriate: the existence of confidentiality clauses in labor contracts, job descriptions, signing of confidentiality contracts, etc.

THE CASE MANAGER

Standard #9 Recruitment and employmentCase managers and officers are recruited with attention and responsibility by means of a recruitment and employment process taking place in compliance with the legislation in force.

Result The service provider ensures the employment of case mangers and officers under the conditions of the present mandatory minimum standards and in accordance with mission of the respective child protection service.

Implementation procedures for Standard #99.1 The case manager must have superior education in social work and experience of at least 3 years in child and family services. Priority will be given to professionals with training in case management, as well as to those with experience/training in the reference sector of the respective child protection service (for example in case of a service for children with disabilities, priority will be given to professionals with training/experience in the sector of assistance and protection for children with disability.9.2 Case managers may also be graduates of superior education in the socio-human sector with experience of at least 5 years in child and family services. Priority will be given to professionals with training in case management.9.3 The case officer must have superior education in socio-human studies. The case officer is the professional ensuring the creation and implementation of the specific intervention program which is an


integral part of the individualized protection plan, and, respectively, the professional ensuring the creation and implementation of the service plan in the absence of a case manager. The activity of the case officer is supervised by a case manager. The provisions of the present MMS shall also apply to case officers when they perform responsibilities corresponding to case managers.9.4 If the respective social service operates in an area with communities of ethnic minorities, it is recommended that part of case managers and officers spoke the language of the respective minorities. At the same time, the employment of professionals with empathic and child and family communication skills is recommended.9.5 The number of case managers in a child protection service or the total number of case managers employed by the service provider must be sufficient so that the needs of the clients are satisfied, the mission of the service completed and the caseload per case manager is maximum 30 active cases. Active cases are considered those underway until the post-service monitoring period; referred cases and the cases in which the case manages partially or completely delegates responsibilities are not considered active cases.9.6 The number of case officers in a child protection service or the total number of case officers employed by the service provider must be sufficient so that the needs of the clients are satisfied, the mission of the service completed and the caseload per case officer is maximum 25 active cases, with the exceptions indicated by other mandatory minimums standards in the child welfare sector.

Indicators for Standard #9(I)9.1-9.4 Study diplomas, graduation or qualification certificates, job descriptions, labor contracts, etc.(I)9.5 The number of active cases per case manager. The number of cases per case manager per year.9.6 The number of active cases per case officer. The number of cases per case officer per year.

Standard #10 Main responsibilities and delegating responsibilitiesThe service provider creates job descriptions for case managers and officers according to the legislation in force and the provisions of the present mandatory minimum standards. At the same time, in setting procedures and methodologies specific to each child protection service, the service provider considers with priority the case management method.

Result Case managers and officers know and enforce the provisions of the present mandatory minimum standards.

Implementation procedures for Standard #1010.1 The main responsibilities of the case manager are as follows: a) coordinating efforts and activities relating to social work and special protection developed in the best interest of the child; b) assembling the multidisciplinary and, as appropriate, the inter-institutional team and organizing team meetings, as well as individual meetings with the professionals involved in solving the case; c) ensuring the collaboration and active involvement of the family/legal representative and of the child, as well as supporting them in all actions taken for the entire duration of case management (for example, organizing periodical meetings or upon their request, accompanying, emotional support, counseling); d) ensuring communication among all parties involved in solving the case; f) creating and updating the child’s file.10.2 The case manager is appointed under the conditions of the present MMS and of other MMS approved in the child welfare sector. In case the child protection commission must take a decision on a protection measure for the child, the specialized public service for child protection, immediately after


recording the case, appoints the case manager from its own ranks or from an authorized private body, or from the child welfare services under these two service providers.10.3 Responsibilities are delegated with the approval of the hierarchical chief. The complete delegation of responsibilities is done towards professionals meeting the same minimum requirements as the delegating professional. On a case by case basis, the partial delegation of responsibilities is done towards professionals meeting the same minimum requirements as the delegating professional, the minimum conditions for case officers or sufficient conditions for performing the respective activities as indicated by other mandatory minimum standards in the child welfare sector or due to the training/experience of the respective professional.

Indicators for Standard #10(I)10.1-10.3 Job descriptions, work procedures and methodologies specific to each child welfare service, children’s files.

Standard #11 Initial and ongoing trainingThe case manager has the appropriate professional training and abilities for working with children and in a team.

Result The children and their families are provided with quality and personalized services by well trained professionals, with empathic and communication abilities.

Requirements for the implementation of Standard #1111.1 When employed, if lacking initial training in case management, and in the reference sector of the respective child welfare service, each case manager is provided with training in these sectors, covered by the employer’s budget.11.2 The case manager communicates his/her training needs to the hierarchical chief. At the same time, based on the annual assessment of the case manager’s activity, the hierarchical chief may identify other training sectors.11.3 Case managers are provided with at least 42 hours per year of ongoing training in case management and with at least 42 hours of ongoing training in the child welfare sector or in related/interdisciplinary sectors, financed from the employers’ budget. Themes recommended for ongoing training: case management functions, child/family-case manager relationship, professional ethics and confidentiality, eligibility criteria for access to services, the nomenclature of services, the public welfare system and the facilities, legal frame, promoting the interest of the child/family (advocacy), social services at local level, assessment methods and procedures, planning and monitoring.11.4 Case managers are encouraged to participate in different training courses, including seminars and conferences, which may help them to optimize their work.11.5 The permanent education and the ongoing professional training of case managers will be promoted, supported and recorded by service coordinators and providers.11.6 The permanent education and the ongoing professional training of case managers is done in compliance with the legislation in force, through courses organized in the educational, medical and adult professional training system.

Indicators for Standard #11


(I)11.1 – (I)11.5 The personal file of each employee, including the file of the service coordinator and of the volunteers, contains the documents required by the legislation in force, including graduation certificates for the initial and ongoing training mentioned in the present mandatory minimum standards.The list with training programs contracted or organized by the service provider. Training courses participation schedule.Case managers are informed in respect to the news and changes in their activity sector.(I)11.6 The graduation certificates with national recognition and the ones with recognition by the employer. For the latter, the manner in which the training program was organized will be checked using the criteria listed in the legislation regulating the adult professional training.

Standard #12 SupervisionThe service provider possesses an efficient system for the supervision of human resources, allowing its operation at optimum efficiency.

Result Case managers are supervised by trained professionals with experience in this sector.

Requirements for the implementation of Standard #1212.1 Service coordinators and providers have the obligation to provide the internal and external supervision of case managers.12.2 The service coordinators organize periodical individual or team supervision meetings with case managers, and upon their request. All meetings are recorded.12.3 Supervision is provided by professionals with a University degree in social-human studies, 5 year experience in child and family services, training in supervision and at least 2 years of extra experience in child and family services than the supervised.12.4 The service coordinators and other professionals employed by the service provider conducting supervisions activities are provided with at least 42 hours of ongoing training in this sector, financed from the employer’s budget.

Indicators for Standard #12(I)12.1-(I)12.2 The number of individual and team supervision meetings per case manager/month/year.The number of supervision meetings at the request of case managers/team per year.(I)12.3 Recorded documents pertaining to supervision. The list of professionals conducting supervision activities, employed by the service provider and with whom it has collaboration agreements.(I)12.4 Supervision training schedule, the schedule of professionals in supervision courses.


2. Quality standards in Albania8

FIRST DRAFT: NATIONAL QUALITY STANDARDS FOR SOCIAL SERVICES IN ALBANIADecember 2004.

Chapter I. Introduction

I.1 WHY standards are important.

The new law on Social Assistance and Social Services states:“The fundamental principles on which the social assistance and services scheme operates are: respect and guaranteeing of person values and personality of the individual; universality; equality of opportunities; eligibility; partnership; transparency and impartiality; subsidiary (decentralization); independence, social integration and participation in the life of community; non-discrimination;”. (New Act.............., Article 3)

8 This text is the final draft of the Albanian working groups that have been involved in the standards elaboration; it is not the text published in the official gazette.


By saying this, the Law reflects the importance and human rights of every citizen who becomes a client of social services.

The establishment of the standards for social services provides a means of putting these ideas into practice. Standards are important firstly, to guarantee and promote human rights. These rights are sanctioned in the Albanian Constitution, social legislation, as well as in the International Conventions ratified by the Albanian Government.9 The establishment of the standards is an important step in the process of EU integration for Albania.

Since 1993, the Albanian legislation in the social field has been significantly improved in ‘The Family Code’; the ‘Code of Civil Procedures for Child Protection’; the Law on Social Services, the Law on De-Centralisation and various secondary laws for the protection of civil rights.

Since 1997, the Albanian Government with the assistance of the World Bank designed the medium-term strategy for social Services (1998-2002) and it is included in the medium-term country strategy for socio-economic development (2003-2007). The objective defined is to enhance human rights and equality of opportunity and treatment by providing targeted social services.

The Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs defines its responsibility for developing social service standards:

“The Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs organizes the work for developing the social service standards as well as monitors and checks their enforcement. The standards of the social care services are endorsed by the decision of the Council of Ministers”.10

Secondly, the establishment of the standards is important to measure and improve the quality of the services which the client receives. In the situation when the non-public sector is developed with priority in the field of social services, there is an obligation for the Government to put some measures for the quality of services for all providers, in different levels of public (state and local authority) agencies, NGO-s, interested groups, and private organizations. Developing national standards is a precondition in the process of licensing and evaluation.

Thirdly, the decentralization processes mean giving more responsibilities for local authorities to provide social services. In this context, when the district, municipalities and communes do not have any experience in this field, the standards will assist them in fulfilling their new functions relating to individual clients, to social services and to partnerships. Fourthly, establishment of the standards is important to increase the social capital. Social capital is a utilitarian approach, which draws on social network and social resource. Social capital is “the institutions, relationships, and norms that shape the quality and quantity of a society’s social interactions” (World Bank, 2000). Since 1997, the Albanian Government with the assistance of the World Bank designed the medium-term strategy for social services (1998-2002) and actually it is included in the middle-term country strategy for socio-economic development (2003-2007). The objective defined is to enhance human rights and equality of chances and treatment by providing targeted social services. The social services system aims

9 You can find in Annex the list of the International Conventions ratified by the Albanian Government.10 Art. 18, revised Act on social assistance and services.


at increasing the community role and extending the kinds of social services in order to give a better response to the client’s need. The basic principles defined in the revised basic act for social services are in the basis of developing the standards. In this context the standards will help also in the implementation of the new legislation.

It is clear that standards should be used in all kinds of services within and outside the institutions, and for all vulnerable groups such as woman, young adults at risk, elderly, disabled and children, to assist a better response to their needs.

I.2 Methodology used for developing the standards

a. Bottom-up approach. In this document are summarized currently standards from the best practices in our country as seen by representative working groups in four pilot regions: Tirana, Vlora, Shkodra and Durresi. Experience from abroad is present in most of the NGO-s operating in Albania, as their programmes for social services are supported by international NGO-s. In the process of discussion about the standards were included not only providers, but also the users. There were present on the working groups, representatives from elderly people, people with disabilities, women, etc.

b. Participatory process. The principles of social inclusion endorsed by the EU form the basis of this work. The standards are created by a process of cooperation with different stakeholders: social service users, providers, central and local authority representatives as well as professionals such as social workers, educators, researchers, etc. The users included representatives from women’s organizations, disabled and elderly people, as well as individual clients. As the standards have developed from wide ranging discussion, the standards can be considered to be representative and generally accepted.

c. Capacity building

The method used for developing these standards for social services is also a process for developing at the same time the capacities of all actors in this field. It means that it will be people like providers, central and local authority representatives as well as professionals whose ideas and practice will be reflected in the standards So, gradually they not only contribute to building the standards, but they are also the people who will work with and implement those standards in order to improve the service to the client.

d. Based on best practice of services and looking for a challenge in the future.The standards are ‘minimum’ standards, rather than ‘best possible’ standards. Based on the current standards, we are trying to open the opportunities that providers will more than meet the national minimum standards and will aspire to exceed them in many ways. Current regulations, standards and guidance issued by central government (MOLSA) or State Social Services have provided a valuable frame of reference from which to build the new standards. Regulations cover amongst other matters, the goals of services, functions of the providers, management, structures of the agencies, staff, etc. These are supplemented by procedures and rules on how to carry out work in a required service.

I.3 WHO is expecting to use the standards?


All actors, from the clients to the providers of social services and their partners are affected by standards Standards need to be known by the clients because they can expect a certain level of services. That is why the clients have the right to contribute to their development and to be informed on the standards they expect from the social services.

The standards should serve the providers of social services, which includes public agencies, NGO, interested groups, and private social services, as a guide for implementing these standards in their process of providing social services. The standards are also applied to the local authorities own services.

The Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs (MOLSA), the State Social Service (SSS) with its regional offices, the local authorities including district, municipalities and commune Councils will use standards for licensing, inspecting, and evaluating social services.

Chapter II. What is meant by “STANDARD”?

II.1 WHICH is the approach?

a. A client approach is a new philosophy for designing the first national standards in social services.

A modern system of social services has the client’s interest in the center of its activities. The client now is not only the object, but also the subject of social services. The client is to be considered as a partner in the social service activity that is why it is considered as a pro-active approach.

b. Outcome approach.As already mentioned, we are referring to the existing standards described in the Regulation of the social service agencies. But the existing regulations focus mainly on organizational performance. We are trying to develop and emphasize the quality of life standards. These standards relate to the core issues like how the services can help the clients have a better life, how inclusion can be promoted, how their emotional and cognitive needs can be met and how they can be developed as individuals with their personality and helped to make a constructive contribution in their communities. It means that the results of social care services are of the first priority. These results or outcomes includes: security, normal development, personal achievement, social inclusion, integration, in a word what the people are expecting as outcomes from social services: a normal life.

c. Building community capacity and social capital. The standards are designed to explore how the process of establishing community-based social services can contribute to social capital and assist in building community capacity. They are also designed to help residential institutions to become more flexible and also to find ways of contributing to building community capacity and social capital.

d. Establishing realistic, believable, measurable standards, which reflect the key underlying principles of all kinds of social services.


Minimum standards do not mean standardization of provision. The standards are designed to be applicable to the wide variety of different types of establishment that come within the social services, and to enable rather than prevent providers to develop their own particular approach to respond to the different needs of the client. The standards are intended to be qualitative, in that they provide a tool for judging the quality of life experienced by services users, but they are also designed to be measurable. These standards are considered as applicable in all kind of social services for all vulnerable groups of clients, and are formulated in general terms.

It is the intention in the future to develop additional standards to support specialist services.

II.2 WHAT areas?1. Human Rights.2. Development of the client personality, independence and social integration.3. Personal Care4. Choice5. Accessibility6. Management.7. Service purpose and suitability8. Personnel. 9. Emergencies.

II.3 WHAT criteria indicate achievement of the standard?

The criteria listed after each standard of social services aims to assist users and other stakeholders in a clear understanding of the relevant standard, as well as in giving details of its aspects. The criteria also provide the concrete activity necessary for standard to be achieved. If the standard is a very general definition, the criteria are specific, measurable for providers, who are interested to meet the standards, for clients and evaluators of the services.

STANDARDS CRITERIA

1. Social service providers respect the human rights of their users according to the laws in force.

a. Equality of treatment for all clients.The social services provider does not discriminate among clients, on the basis of their status, beliefs, gender, religious, class, ethnicity, age and geographical location, and even if they have complained.b. Treat clients as ordinary human beings.

The client should be treated in a caring and respectful way, taking in consideration his/her values, personalities, experiences and needs.

This means that every client has the right to say ( if they are able to do so) what they think about anything which affects them. Clients have the right to be part of the decisions which affect their life.


Social services staff should respect the inherent dignity and worth of the clients. c. Protection of the client and safety from abuse is a major aspect of the written internal rules of the service providers.

The client should be supported and ensured with open and relevant policies and procedures prepared by specialists in human rights.

The system should ensure that clients feel free from fear of death, prosecution and assured of his basic needs being fulfilled. d. The right to complain.

The providers define rules for working with the clients or their. families.

The client has the right to complain about a service affecting him directly or indirectly , and to have the complaint considered seriously without any prejudice or damage to his position and /or treatment from the service.

Creation of the protective mechanisms such as complaints procedures, and rules concerning conflict of interest are all important. e. Equal opportunities for services. Every client should have an equal chance to receive social services.

This respects their right to social services, and at the same time helps to ensure provision of services based on each individual’s needs.f. Social service providers are familiar with the Albanian legislation in the field of social services.

Development of the service is according to the Albanian legislation and to the International Human Rights Conventions ratified by the Albanian Government

2. Development of the client’s personality, independence and social integration

a. Social services lead to respect for the client and focus on promotion of his/her individuality.

Clients need to be encouraged and supported to make decisions about their lives and to influence the way the social program is run.

Client should be encouraged to freely communicate his / her views.b. Individual work with the client creates an atmosphere in which the client feels free to express his/her needs, desires, interests.

The periodical needs assessment of the clients/families isSta done in order to decide what help would be appropriate and which services can best meet these needs. c. Staff emphasize client’s strengths not weaknesses, and try to further develop his/her abilities.


Each client has strengths, that may be hidden under his/her needs and/or problems. In order to empower the client, increase his confidence to deal with his daily life and support his growth, social services should consciously identify and emphasize the client’s strengths. d. The provider is developing an inter-disciplinary case management approach to social services.

Client’s needs are very complex and they need to be addressed from several professional points of view. This needs creation of a multi-disciplinary team with social worker, psychologist, educators, nurse, etc.

Only through working in a multi-disciplinary team will the client’s needs be considered from different perspectives and a holistic approach be achieved.

A team of professionals created for a specific case may operate temporarily when it is necessary e.g. evaluation of the client’s progress, special programs etc.e. Engage the clients in activities in which they like to be involved and encourage interaction between them.

The social services help their clients to develop their interests, hobbies, and education by providing information, guidance and support that helps the individual to achieve his/her personal goals.f. The provider takes positive steps to strengthen contacts with the users’ families and communities.

Social service providers work in partnership with families, and communities. Family members are considered as part of the most important support system of the clients.

Staff and families use effective spoken and written communication to exchange information about individual clients and about the services.

Family members as well as others from the community are encouraged to participate in the planning of services, programs and operations.

The well-being of the client should be seen as part of the well-being of the families and communities.g. The service creates normal life conditions for the client within a family and community environment

Enable clients to maintain constructive contact with their families, friends and other people who play a significant role in their lives.

Where clients have lost contact try to re-establish contact if the client wishes to do so. h. The provider encourages the participation of the clients in community social life.


All staff help to empower and support the client so that he/she can become increasingly involved in social, leisure, or educational activities within the local community. The idea is that services lead to inclusion and integration of clients and also their families, if appropriate.

3.Staff offer the client personal care which demonstrates respect for the client’s dignity, privacy and comfort.

a) Clients are protected from violence of all kinds. People looking after them must give them proper care.

Clients should be able to feel absolutely safe and unafraid of their carers and of people offering them services. They should feel protected against any form of physical, emotional, sexual or psychological abuse.

Clients are free to practice their own religion and culture and personal interests are respected. b)The service has facilities consistent with the privacy, dignity and comfort of the client.

Staff attitudes and available facilities directly affect the level of personal care.

Service Managers continuously strive to improve the conditions of their facilities. (lavatories have doors which will close and lock, washing and bathing facilities and night time toilet facilities are screened).

Sleeping areas are separated from living areas. c)A warm ambience is created for meetings between clients, their families and staff.

The clients/families need a confidential place to talk to each other and to staff.d) The social services provider makes individual plans with the client and his/her family for programs that include experiences appropriate for the client.

The personal file includes records of client’s well-being.e) The client is able to bring a limited number of personal possessions with him/her to help him/her to feel at home.

Clients are given opportunities to go outside and into the street market and other places.

These are important elements of normal family & community life. 4. Client choice is a major priority “Services at the residential institutions are offered to individuals to whom home

care is not possible. Their accommodation at the social care centres is made with their own consent, following the assessment of their social, economic and medical situation”. (Art.15, Revised Act on social services.)11 The only exceptions to this are


where the client is a danger to himself or to others and is covered by the provisions of the .....Act. a. Each social agency should have a data base or a list of all social services that are available in their community (and further), their contact person, etc., in order to make sure that the client has choice about which service to use, and to facilitate meeting the range of client needs.

Providers should have a referral system so that the client may be referred to the other services neededb. It is the client’s decision to accept or refuse a service; and to choose a residential or day service; institution/ family service/ foster care.

The initiative for a client’s placement in the institution or day centre is his/her own. Services provide clients with assistance at their homes if they wish instead of moving persons into residential care.

The client’s family, the authorized person, the previous institutions or the social administrator in the municipality or commune have the right to make the choice if the client is not capable of doing it.

There is always a right of appeal for the claimants to a higher hierarchical level if they disagree with the decision.c. Providers should have flexible procedures for client placement, transferring from and leaving institutions, dominated by client choice. For non-residential services these decisions relate to the client’s right to terminate or renew contact with the provider according to his/her needs.

d. In developing programs providers have flexibility to respond to needs of specific clients Clients should have freedom of choice even if their interests are different from the common activities . Clients are free to operate not according a timetable, but sometimes as they want, just as in their own home.

5. Social services are easily accessible for all service users.

a. The service is offered in the right place.Social service agencies should be located near the groups of service users, minimising transportation/communication difficulties. There should be clear signs about the location and hours of availability of the service. Clients from different regions should have access to all social services, and be informed about them.

b)The service is offered in an appropriate manner to be as effective as possible for service users.

This criterion includes the service making appropriate access arrangements for 11 The existing procedures was detailed on the Decision of the Council of Minister no.510, dated 24.11.1997 “On criteria of placement into residential institutions and required documentation for admission”.


people with mobility difficulties, and trying to move towards providing larger print for visually impaired people.

The environment and equipment available should be consistent with the capacity and nature of the service offered and appropriate for the needs and interests of the user..

c Clients are guided through and know what services they can expect from the provider, how they will be informed, cared for and who they are likely to share with.

The service provider has a clear statement of how the agency operates. It is available for parents, carers and other service users needing this information.

The information includes details about the type of service offered, target groups, criteria that the clients should fulfill, time-frame of the services, location and how they can be reached and the times the service is available.

The information is available in a variety of forms: daily schedule, leaflets, information desk, at reception, websites ,posters, verbal information from staff, free phone line.

Information about rights to social services is important, but the most important is to provide this clearly, in simple language to be understood by all service users.

The provider should be carrying out in practice what he professes to do.6. The service is effectively managed, with appropriate leadership, administrative and financial arrangements

a) Procedures should be developed within the framework of other acts in force.12

The provider holds the status appropriate for the target group of clients and the service offered is consistent with that status.

All activities of social service centers should emphasize the client interest.b) The service has a vision and strategic plan, with clear objectives with which all staff are familiar.

These should include outlines of organizational structure and chart, operating plan, financial record keeping, human resource management, information system, risk management procedures; compliance with health and safety standards; programs and procedure, partnership arrangements, action plan and quality improvement processes.c. The provider has procedures in place to ensure the effective implementation of the action plan.,

12 Decision of the Council of Minister no.510, dated 24.11.1997 “On criteria of placement in residential institutions and documentation necessary for admission”.


Procedures describe:management arrangements for achieving the plan: e.g. regular small scale plans and reviews, the staff necessary, co-ordinating duties, the activities related to the well-being of clients, healthcare, education, psycho-social treatment, integration in community life, encouraging family relationships. d Administrative procedures should be simple, purposeful, cost and time-effective to facilitate the client centred focus of the work.

Procedures should have a clear purpose which is related to the achievement of the service’s objectives.

Application procedures should include a clear target date for a response, which are consistent with the urgency of the client’s situation.

A register with client documents and records should be kept and be up to date.

Confidentiality of personal data is respected, even after the client has stopped receiving the service.e. ) Staff evaluation is an integral part of a transparent management system.

Staff evaluation takes into consideration the work results, the client views, as well the evaluation done by other service users and partners.

The member of staff should receive a copy of the final document. f. Accountability of providers needs establishment of clear written procedures and

rules for management of the financial resources. The provider produces a proper budget, financial forecast, and accounts to ensure that procedures facilitate an annual financial audit.

The provider reports periodically to organizations or individuals who support the service financially.

Providers ensure an integrated approach to delivering the service by establishing partnerships with other stakeholders.

a) Providers involve all stakeholders in the management process of the social service.

Representatives from clients, their families, the local authorities, NGOs and local businesses are an integral feature of the structures for all providers of social services. All these actors play a critical role in ensuring transparency and linkages with the community. b) partnership procedures with other stakeholders are in place to fulfill the client’s needs.

Partnerships can be established either as formalized legally binding arrangements


or as informal understandings, cooperative working relationships, and mutually adopted plans among a number of institutions.

Partnerships usually involve agreements on policy and program objectives and the sharing of responsibility, resources, risks, and benefits over a specified period of time. Social service partnerships can refer to a wide-range of cooperative arrangements, including formal agreements between government agencies and a single NGO or groups of NGO-s. Partnerships can also exist between NGO-s without direct government involvement, especially at local or regional levels.

Partners should always have a contingency plan in case one partner drops out or defaults on the arrangements.

7.. The service offered meets the stated purpose and arrangements are in place are suitable for their purpose.

a. Social service providers have developed a proactive response to meeting identified local needs.

The provider is clear about the purpose of the service and how it meets local needs. They can demonstrate that they have created information channels (with police, education, hospitals etc.) that can help a timely response to changes in local needs.

The purpose of the service is stated clearly and all staff are aware of the purpose.b. The provider creates confidence in its users about the quality and adequacy of the services.Staff respond to clients and their families requests to a high professional standard and in good time, - expressing readiness to help at the point when the user is in need. c The service and its facilities and equipment are suitable for the service being delivered.

The setting in which the service is delivered should be as natural and homelike an environment as possible.

As well as office and service space there are rooms for leisure purposes.

d. Providers make a self-assessment of the quality of their client care practices in consultation with all professional staff and with the families of the clients.

The self –evaluation is part of the provider’s action to ensure the suitability of the service for its stated purpose. During self-study the quality of practice for each specific standard is evaluated.

The results of this process are used to prepare a report and an action plan for the


future.8. Providers of social services ensure that they have the appropriate staff to respond to the needs of the clients and their families..

a. A detailed personnel structure for each service is based on the number of clients and the kind of services.

The structure and classification allow space for flexibility, rapid response to changing client and local needs and the development of innovative services.

The classification of the staff might include; managers, professionals, (e.g social worker, educators, tutors), and maintenance staff, related to the clients’ needs.

Each position has a written job description, which is up to date and reflects the task to be undertaken.b. Staff recruitment rules are clearly established within the service to ensure a

transparent system with fair and open competition and even handedness in making appointments.

Recruitment of staff takes into consideration the profession, experience, training, knowledge, skill, and references from previous employers. Positions and job descriptions should be publicly advertised and readily available.

c. Staff respect the ethical code in labor relations.

Staff should be familiar with the ethical code in the labor relations inside the institutions, and outside institutions in relations with service users (with clients, their families), and with partners.

d. Professional staff should respect the ethical code of their profession, (for example of Social Workers).

The ethical standards and values of the ethical code of different professions should assure professional treatment of the clients. e. An assessment mechanism is present to monitor the activity and the results of the staff, and as a basis for staff development.

Evaluation of the work done by the professionals is an important element of staff motivation, as well as for increasing the quality of standards.

Members of staff should always be involved in their own evaluation, and have opportunity to comment on it in draft. f. Senior management of the service/agency should have both short and long term strategies on personnel.

New staff members should have induction training within a short period of their


appointment or of a change of duties. This might include basic principles and rules of the organization, policies, procedures, the legal framework.

The management should have in place arrangements for all staff to have opportunities to continue to develop relevant professional knowledge and skill. These might include staff meetings, case discussions, external speakers, attendance at seminars, conferences and/or accessing suitable educational and training opportunities.

. g. The provider has measures in place to encourage staff retention and minimise staff turnover, thus building in continuity of contact for clients.

Many clients have little cause to trust people, and often have difficulties in making and maintaining relationships.

Continuity of contact is therefore very important in enabling the client to develop and to find the confidence that they have lost as a result of damaging life experiences or relationships. For example, if children have a close relationship with a special adult in the first few years of life, they find it easier to form better bonds with their adoptive parents later on. The long term benefits to the children in term of their ability to form positive relationships later in life would be of special importance.

9 The provider has taken steps to minimize the risk of emergencies.

The provider has a clear definition of what constitutes an emergency and has measures in place and equipment prepared for dealing with such situations.

The providers have fire prevention equipment in place at critical points, e.g. fire exits clearly marked, fire extinguishers, blankets.

These measures should include responses to incidents caused by malice or carelessness as well as those resulting from natural disasters.

The provider has an evacuation plan, on display, and known to all staff.

The provider and employees know the procedures for dealing with emergencies and accidents.

Training is provided for staff and regular rehearsal for staff and clients.

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