VISITING ORCHARD HOUSE

 

We look forward to welcoming you to Orchard House. We understand that people can feel a little unsure about visiting for the first time, so this email should answer some of your questions. If you have any other questions, reply to this email and we will try and answer them.

Risk assessments

The Local Authority Social Worker is asked to fill in a brief risk assessment form for each visitor. This is needed for every visitor over 18 years old, even if you also have a DBS check. The Social Worker might contact you and ask you some questions about it, or they may look on their system. They will not do police checks.

The Social Worker will also tell us what level of supervision the visit requires, and whether or not we need to drug or alcohol test you.

If you do not have a risk assessment, you will not be able to come into any of our buildings or spend time with any of the children who are staying with us. You may be able to go out with the parent who is living at Orchard House, but you will not be able to take the baby/child.

Please do not bring anyone with you for the visit. If they are not also on the list of visitors, we will not be able to let them in. If you need someone to help you with travelling to us, the town centre is very close by and there are lots of places where they can wait for you.

Checking who you are

You must email us a copy of your photographic ID before your first visit.

You can send us:

  • Passport

  • Driving Licence

  • Bus Pass (if it has a photo)

  • NHS biometric card

  • Any other official photo ID

All you need to do is take a photo on your phone showing both your name and the photo (you can cover up any other details if you want to), reply to this address and include the photo.

If you do not have any photo ID, please let us know as soon as possible. We will need to arrange for the Social Worker to send us a photo and confirm they know you.

Where should I come for the visit?

Visits happen at Canon Lodge, where we have a playroom.

The address is:

Canon Lodge
Canon Street
Taunton
TA1 1SW

You can click here to see a picture, so you know what you are looking for.

There is a big car park across the road, although it does get quite busy. There is an alternative car park on the corner of Duke Street and Tancred Street (8 Duke Street, Taunton TA1 1SP).

Taunton has a train station and Canon Lodge is a 15-minute walk from there.

Once you have arrived, our front door is on the opposite side of the road, two doors down from the Princess Royal pub.

When can I visit?

To use the playroom at Canon Lodge, there are slots on weekday mornings (9.30am to 11.30am, or 9.30am to 12.30pm for longer visits) and weekday afternoons (3.00pm to 5.00pm).

We are able to do Saturdays, but these are often booked up well in advance for older children, so please only ask for these if you are unable to do any weekdays.

Confirming you are coming

On the day of your visit, please email this address to say that you are coming and what time you expect to arrive. If you do not do this by 10am on the day of the visit, we will assume you are not coming and cancel the visit.

Who will be there?

Before you come to Orchard House, the Social Worker will let us know how much we need to be around for your visit.

For some visits, especially if we are getting to know the family, or the Social Worker feels that you need some support, there will be someone from Orchard House in the room with you. They will be friendly and helpful, but will be respectful that this is your time to spend with the family. They will have a laptop and be typing and taking notes. If there are any worries about the baby or child’s safety, or you need help with anything, they will step in.

Sometimes the Social Worker does not feel that anyone needs to be in the room with you. In these situations, we may watch the visit from another room using the cameras in the playroom. This gives you more privacy and can feel more relaxed. We will also make notes.

For some visits, we do not need to be there at all.

When you arrive

One of the team will let you in and you will need to sign in to Canon Lodge. By doing this, you agree to be under CCTV, which we have in most areas of the building.

A member of staff will explain the arrangements for your visit and answer any questions. They will offer you a drink and tell you where the fire exits and toilets are.

If you are late, we may not be able to extend the visit in the playroom, but if the child is late arriving because they need a feed or a nappy change, we will do our best to allow the time.

If we have been asked to drug test you, we will do this when you first arrive.

The playroom

We have a large playroom with toys, books and everything that a child could need. Please feel free to bring any toys with you that you would like to. There is a high chair for meals for toddlers and a Moses basket for baby naps.

You can see pictures of what to expect on our website here.

During your visit

We ask all visitors to:

  • Treat everyone respectfully

  • Follow staff instructions

  • Respect confidentiality

If you come to Orchard House under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or if you shout at or frighten any of the children (or adults) in the building, we will ask you to leave and will not support any further visits.

Please let us know if you have any further questions.

Kind regards,

Grace Alexander