Support that is planned, recorded and reviewed.
Every young person has an Initial Assessment and Support Plan aligned with their statutory Pathway Plan, developed jointly with their social worker and informed by their own voice. This page sets out how that plan is built, delivered and kept honest.
One person who knows the whole picture
Each young person is allocated a Key Worker from within the support worker team. The Key Worker takes lead responsibility for coordinating support, building a positive relationship, monitoring progress, and acting as a consistent point of contact for the young person and for everyone else involved in their care.
What a Key Worker does
- Individual key working sessions tailored to the young person's needs
- Attending LAC and PEP meetings and contributing to reports
- Supporting the young person to maintain connections with family, friends and professionals
- Ensuring registration and necessary medical checks with a GP, dentist and optician
- Overseeing completion of the personalised support plan
- Encouraging participation in leisure activities and engagement with the professional network
Twelve areas, prioritised for each young person
We maintain an outcome and target driven approach. Using the Initial Assessment and Support Plan as the foundation, staff prioritise the areas that matter most for that young person, and update the plan as those priorities change.
Health
Physical health, sexual health and emotional wellbeing.
Life skills
Practical training including budgeting, cooking classes and cook-offs.
Appearance
Personal hygiene, appropriate dress and presentation, to support self-esteem and confidence.
Wellbeing
Responding quickly to bullying or intimidation so the young person feels safe, heard and respected.
Personal development
Social skills, independence, decision making and motivation.
Professional development
Education, training and employment goals and the steps towards them.
Relationships
Romantic, family and friendship relationships, safe decision making and a healthy support network.
Identity
Racial, cultural, gender, sexual and religious identity, explored and supported.
Personal finance
Budgeting, saving, banking and money management.
Housing and home management
Looking after a home and understanding day to day responsibilities.
Communication and information
Recorded interactions and consistent contact with Local Authority social services.
Ongoing support
Continuous support across every area of the young person's life.
Reviews
Regular reviews keep the plan evidence-based and tailored to the young person's changing needs as they progress towards independence.
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Every month
A comprehensive case review monitors progress and adjusts the support plan.
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About six weeks in
A placement review assesses whether the young person is benefiting from the care plan and identifies any adjustments or additional support needed.
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Four weeks, three months, then every six months
LAC reviews reflect on progress, update the support plan, explore any worries, and produce an action plan for the next steps.
Goals and action plans
The support plan sets out clear objectives, risk considerations and targeted interventions. A personalised life and social skills checklist is created with the young person, and each review produces an action plan that guides the next steps in their journey. Progress is monitored rather than assumed.
Being confirmed
SMART goal framework
The revision notes asked for a SMART Goals section. The Statement of Purpose describes an outcome and target driven approach with clear objectives and action plans, but does not set out a SMART goal framework. If Guided Heights Care uses one formally, please send the detail and this section will be expanded.
Young People's Voice, in practice
Young people are consistently encouraged and supported to make decisions about their own lives and about the running of the home. These are the routes through which that actually happens.
A say in where they live
Wherever it is practical and safe, a young person can visit the accommodation, meet staff and residents, view their room, learn about local facilities, and ask questions before a placement is agreed.
Monthly house meetings
House meetings are held monthly at an agreed time. Young people can raise concerns about the house, how it operates or other residents, and suggest changes. A young person takes the notes, and the previous meeting's issues are revisited at the start of the next one.
Key worker sessions and direct access
Consultation happens through key working sessions and young people's meetings, and young people can also raise matters directly with the manager for escalation to the staff team and senior management.
Communication that works for them
Consultation is carried out in a way that is sensitive to religious, ethnic, cultural and linguistic needs, and an interpreter or advocate is provided where that is what effective communication requires.
The right to disagree
Young people can raise concerns, make suggestions or submit a complaint without fear of discrimination or negative consequences, and their views, wishes and feelings are listened to and considered.
Honest about confidentiality
A young person can ask to speak to a staff member privately. We are clear with them that we do not keep secrets, and that a concern may be shared with the staff team and, where needed, other professionals such as their social worker.
Some suggestions cannot be acted on because of legal requirements or rules necessary to operate the home. We say so, rather than letting a request quietly disappear.
Want to see how this works for a specific young person?
Send us the referral information and we will talk you through how we would plan the support.