Helping a Young Person to Settle Into Your Home

All young people will have been given information about you, your family and your home before they are placed with you, unless it is an emergency placement. The young person may have also visited you before the decision to place them was taken and may have had an introduction period where they were able to express their view about living with you.

This will hopefully help in settling a young person in but all young people will cope differently with a placement move.

You should be provided with sufficient information to help you support the young person. If you do not feel you have enough information please speak with your Supervising Worker prior to the placement who will be able to contact the young person’s social work team.

It is recommended that you talk to all other children in the household about the new young person to help them adjust also.

Young people may need more support initially to settle in and to understand the expectations of them. They may take time to develop independence skills.

If the placement with you is a short-term or temporary placement, when the young person 'moves on' make sure that their belongings are moved with appropriate luggage. A young person's belongings should never be transported in bin-bags or other inappropriate containers.

If times get difficult it is important for them to know that it's their behaviour which you object to and not them. Don't expect things to change quickly, it may take time. You need to tell them that it is ok to be angry but it's what they do with that anger, e.g. go for a walk.

Some young people may be on their best behaviour and be fearful to show how they feel in case you send them away.

Your Supervising Worker is there to help you through this - remember, discuss the difficulties as they happen and keep a record!

Your own family will also take time to adjust. Your children may feel neglected by you because some of your time is given to another. Your children may copy the young person’s behaviour. It will be useful to look at all this when you are developing your Safer Caring family policy. See Developing a Safer Caring Plan. You should explain to the young person the general rules of the house and what is expected of them.

The following information will be useful and should be gathered from the young person’s social worker and parents where possible:

• What the young person prefers to be called;
• What do they like to do?;
• What is their weekly timetable? Such as education or training, clubs, activities, visiting others etc;
• Clothes and belongings are important; if they bring any with them don't throw them away, (some items may be a part of the young person's memories);
• People who are important to the young person and their relations to them including friends;
• Food - likes, dislikes, routine, special religious or cultural preferences and what skills they have around preparing food;
• Skills in the household for example do they know how to use a washing machine, what household skills do they have;
• What money management skills they have;
• Sleeping routines;
• Personal hygiene skills;
• Pets, likes and dislikes and fears;
• Fears;
• Medical information and allergies;
• Any communication or emotional difficulties for example seek specialist advice/feedback from other professionals who know the young person, (e.g. a medical or Children and Young People’s Mental Health Services (CYPMHS) practitioner; teacher, etc.).