Holywell specialises in recruiting support staff from all communities and, at present, on our staff team we have people who speak a range of languages. Since we recruit from all ethnic communities to meet each client’s needs and wishes, we can search for a carer who would meet what you want. We ensure that the carer and child are well matched on religious, cultural and linguistic grounds and, whenever possible, share the same interests.
Holywell provides support around the clock, throughout the year, i.e., 24/7. Please phone 01772 587032 (Preston) to speak to a member of staff. After office hours, our on-call staff will answer the ‘phone or you could phone 07971 452078.
It is not uncommon for people to find at some stage that they do not get along. Each child or young person in our care is encouraged to provide feedback on their satisfaction or otherwise with the service that we provide. If your child does not get along with a carer, you should contact a Holywell manager who will act on your request.
Holywell’s quality assurance system includes client satisfaction surveys and follow up visits by our team leaders, care coordinators and managers. They check on our staff’s punctuality, compliance with individual clients’ care plans and customer satisfaction. We have found that our system provides an early warning of potential problems, which can be corrected at an early stage. If errors occur, we take steps to correct deficiencies.
Our homes offer a choice of wholesome foods that meet the needs of growing children and young people and need a good balanced diet. We take allergies and preferences into account and make sure that each child or young person we look after is well fed. We plan a varied menu with you, which reflects cultural preferences and requirements.
We all contribute to keeping the houses clean and tidy. We help you to tidy your room, and our staff help each child to learn and develop their independent living skills. You will need these skills later in life.
The authority that places you with Holywell pays for your accommodation, board and lodging. Your social worker will approve your placement plan, which will state the amount of money you can get each week as pocket money. We will help you to budget for the items you want to buy, including club memberships, saving up to buy special items – such as a new mobile phone, or going on trips or outings.
Yes. By law, in England, every child must go to school until he or she reaches the age of 18 years. Holywell and your social worker will arrange for you to attend school or college near to the home where you’ll stay. The idea is for you to gain the best education possible to give you the best chance of getting ahead in life.
Holywell’s home manager will make sure you have the chance of going on a holiday each year. During school holidays, you’ll have the chance to go on outings for various activities and visits to sites of interest in and around Lancashire.
Yes. Each of our homes has internet access, which you can use to do your schoolwork, play games, listen to music, watch films and relax. The internet is switched off at night to help all children to get a good night’s sleep.
To stay at one of Holywell’s houses you must first agree to keep to the house rules. If you don’t follow the rules you might not get all of the benefits that are on offer. Remember, even in football, there are rules and players can get a yellow or red card, which has consequences. That way, the game goes smoothly and people can enjoy the sport. In the same way, the children and young people who stay with us get the most out of it by cooperating and keeping to the rules.
Yes. Staff will assist you to go to shops when you want or need to buy something. Our homes are located near a good range of shops you could go to. You will have to save up if you want to buy expensive items, and staff will help you to budget.
We are keen to support children to lead active lives and engage in various outdoor sports. There are plenty of places to go to in and around Preston and you will be supported to engage in the sports you like.
All parts of the Holywell Care Group are registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and we meet the requirements of the Data Protection Act 2018. This means that we respect your privacy and look after your personal information, according to our Privacy Policy. Please see our Privacy notice on this website.
We have a full range of policies on a wide range of subjects that comply with the law, with local authority requirements and which support the delivery of the right type of service for each child placed with us. Our policies ensure that we can keep each child safe, healthy and happy. Our policies can be viewed upon request by contacting the manager, who will need a few working days’ notice to arrange for you to view the policy or policies you ask about.
Most complaints can be fixed quite easily after you tell one of the staff about the thing that’s upsetting you. If you’re worried, you can speak to the manager, who might suggest that you should put in a written complaint and send it to the director. If you’re still unhappy, you can contact someone outside Holywell and the steps are all explained in our Complaints procedure and in the Welcome pack you’ll receive when you start your stay with us.
