Made by the Children in Care Council (CiCC) in our region to help children and young people being supported by Central Bedfordshire Council.

Top 10 tips for Children Services

Practitioners

The regional Children in Care Council have devised these top tips to support those who work and engage with children and young people to encourage good practice.

TIP 1Be happy and just smile.

It’s that easy! Just be happy and smile! If you are happy, the person you are visiting will be happy and it may turn out to be a good meeting.

TIP 2Just be honest with me.

We’ve had enough lies and problems in our lives to get on with, so just be honest with us. If something is going on, tell us instead of keeping it from us.

TIP 3Arrive on time.

How annoying is it to be waiting for someone, very! Unless it’s a genuine reason.Please BE on time, and if your relaxed and I’m relaxed, the chances are the meeting will be positive!

TIP 4Be respectful, don’t judge

us.

We want to be treated just like anyone else. We might have had a rough past but that doesn’t define us! Help us to be our own people, and not the people we have been made into.

TIP 5

Please take us places, but don’t wear your badge.

A.N Other Intensive Support TeamChildren Services

Who wants the whole world to know that they are involved with the council for personal reasons? Probably no one! But by wearing that badge in public, that sends off some flashing lights, and we don’t want that!

TIP 6By communicating and listening to each other.

We want to know things, and you want to know things? You might have news for us but how will we find out?

TIP 7Say goodbye to us when

leaving.

Guess who said this quote? WINNIE THE POOH! If a fictional talking bear can say goodbye to someone, I’m sure you can too! This is really important to us.

TIP 8Don’t nag.

No one likes to be nagged at! So, simply, please don’t!

If you want us to do something, give us time to do it when we can. It will make everyone happier.

TIP 9Don’t take it personally if we are having a bad day.

This tip is for all of us – we need to control our emotions, but if we can’t, don’t use them against us! Everyone has a bad day, it’s what makes us human.

TIP 10Promote the Children in

Care Council

The Children in Care Council is a group of children and young people who are in care or have left care. We are passionate, dedicated and always striving to make changes for the better. Tell

people about the CiCC today so they can have fun and get involved to make a better tomorrow.

For more information about any of the above tips or the Children in Care Council itself, please contact the Participation Officer on 0300 300 4992. Thank you.