This Policy defines the procedures relating to the types of assistance that the Care Worker may offer with respect to escorting the service user to on visits to and from his / her home, as part of the agreed Care Service:

1. As part of their care duties the Care Worker may be asked to provide an escort service to enable the service user to undertake visits out of his / her home. The Care Worker will become familiar with the service user’s chosen lifestyle, and the need for visits out will be documented in the service user’s Care Plan. This will empower and enable the service user to visit the following, according to need:

• Shops;

• Banks, Post Office etc;

• Doctors, Hospitals etc;

• Polling Stations;

• Schools.

2. When escorting a service user, the Care Worker will ensure that the safety and dignity of the service user is paramount. This is particularly important where the service user is especially vulnerable or frail.

3. When accompanying a service user on shopping trips out, the Care Worker will ensure that the service user has with him / her the various monies, credit cards, cheque books. Refer to Policy No 3502, and also to Policy No 3718 where tasks involve handling the service user’s monies, cheques or pensions.

4. The Care Worker must ensure that the service user is appropriately dressed for the type of weather to maximise the comfort and dignity of the service user.

5. ESCORTING CHILDREN:

Where the Care Worker is providing an escort service for children to and from school the following procedures must be observed:

5.1 The Care Workers will make themselves known to school staff as part of the on-going care duties.

5.2 At the start of each school session the Care Worker will ensure that they actually hand over the child to a member of the school staff. Children will never be left unattended, whether inside or outside the school buildings.

5.3 When the child is collected from school security procedures will ensure that the child is only handed over to the nominated Care Worker.

5.4 In the event that a child needs to be sent home during school time then the Care Worker will be contacted to arrange collection / reception of the child. A child will not be sent home in the company of anybody unknown to the school.

• Whenever a child is sent home records will show the following:

• The date and time the child left the school;

• Identity of the Care Worker / person accompanying the child;

• reason for sending the child home.