There are myriad reasons that could warrant the need for a home visit by school representatives and practitioners, and every school will respond to such concerns differently.
A clear school home visit policy helps ensure consistency. There are usually professionals responsible for different areas, such as an attendance lead, a pastoral lead, or a family support worker. Depending on the situation, staff will need to discuss who is best suited to undertake a particular home visit. Sometimes it may be a member of staff who has worked with the family before.
Some practitioners might arrange a series of home visits with families. One example is helping ensure that children are ready in the mornings and, if needed, walking them to school. This helps establish a routine that the family may later be able to continue independently.
There must be a strong awareness of possible risks when undertaking a home visit. These might include inaccessible entrances, hazards associated with the property, dangerous pets, or particular individuals known to visit the home. Anything that could pose a risk should be discussed formally, noted in writing, and checked ahead of time.
A robust school home visit policy should outline these requirements clearly. Information can be sourced from school records, other professionals who have worked with the family, or a telephone call made in advance to confirm the date and time of the home visit.
Initial visits
A professional entering a property for the first time should never do so alone. There should be at least two professionals present to assess risk and support each other if an incident occurs. If there are any concerns about the property, the conversation should take place on the doorstep unless there is a clear reason to enter.
Thankfully, we are not aware of any home visits that have gone seriously wrong or caused major concerns. Occasionally, practitioners have felt uncomfortable due to potential risks. In these cases, they have arranged to meet families in school instead, or passed the issue on to the police.
From my experience as a former practitioner and now Safeguarding Manager, I have always been impressed by the willingness of schools to undertake joint home visits. It is a matter of reducing potential risks and ensuring that appropriate, regularly updated policies are in place to support staff effectively.
Most schools will have a lone working policy of some kind. If not, this is something they can explore as part of their wider school home visit policy.
Common reasons for home visits
1 Persistent lateness
If a child’s lack of punctuality in the mornings indicates issues with the family’s daily routine
2 Low attendance
Prolonged absences of three to five days with no contact from parents may require a police referral
3 Lack of engagement
Persistent failure by the child’s family to attend parents’ evenings or other school meetings
4 Visible signs of distress
If a child’s outward appearance raises concerns regarding ill health, neglect or abuse
Daniel Jarrett is former safeguarding manager at School Home Support.
