For the sake of transparency, I thought it best to include our behavior management policy for everyone at Spectrum Insights. It is a work in progress, as parents and professionals, your feedback is important to me. Below is the behavior management guideline that all staff and volunteers must read and sign. Any behavior issues are always deferred to the person in charge, whether it is during our summer camp, social group or social outing. Please note that there is always one adult with their recent First Aid CPR certificate, including myself, and everyone volunteering or working at Spectrum Insights have an updated background check.
John Anderson - Program Director
Behavior Management Policy
Care and well being of the student:
Code of Conduct:
Employees and volunteers are not to gossip about the student's, parents or Spectrum Insights Staff. We ask that everyone at Spectrum Insights looks for solutions and not to highlight or dwell on problems.
We teach the students how to vent and look for solutions. We need to model this behavior for them. If there is an issue you need help with:
Pick Up/drop off:
All students are required to sign in upon arrival and sign out when leaving. Parents will be notified if a student has left the building w/ out signing out to ensure the student is safe.
Visitors:
All visitors will be supervised, including parents.
Volunteers:
Volunteers w/ out their background check are not to be left alone w/ student(s). Volunteers will be supervised at all times. If you have your background check, you may be in a separate room with students.
Incidents where police or ambulance are called:
The care and well being of the group should come first including and most importantly, the child injured. You may need to delegate a bystander to help you collect the names of the people involved. If collecting the names of witness, officer or paramedics comes at risk of leaving the children, the children come first. Stay w/ them and keep the group safe and calm.
Calling the parent is the number one priority after you call 911.
Staff must program for the position paid for:
If you are leading the JFG program, Moving forward, TAO HOP or the summer camp, you are required to program the activities.
Signs of abuse:
Students will receive a talk about the signs of abuse and how to talk to an adult if they are abused or touched or spoken to in a way that makes them feel uncomfortable, even from their own peers. We have a co ed groups and all students must be comfortable and able to communicate if they feel threatened, bullied, touched in any way that makes them feel uncomfortable or physically hurt. Employees and volunteers will be spoken to about how recognize signs of abuse. Please remember, some students may be shy to come forward or not recognize when touched or spoken to in a inappropriate way. Students may wait hours or days to talk about an issue.
Values and Opinions:
We respect the voice of all the students at Spectrum Insights. We encourage free speech and teach students how to listen and respect differing opinions or values. We do not discriminate over race, religion, gender nor political views. Every person has walked a different path than us, we must respect their path, cultural and spiritual views. We do not impose personal agendas when it comes to the above topics. We share our views, teach how to listen, learn to recognize the feelings of others and never single out a child. If a topic incites a heated debate, we ask that all parties conclude the conversation. When appropriate, we can then teach the students how to discuss in a more appropriate manner. Often views and opinions may differ from our own and may not reflect what is popular in the moment.
Behavior Management:
Please be aware of the sensory needs of the students. The student may be uncomfortable w/ proximity, loud noises or even eye contact, When redirecting behavior, Please approach the child bearing their personal needs in mind. We will do our best not to raise our voice, unless the child is in danger or it gets their attention. When possible, help the child leave the environment, find a quiet place where there is less distraction. Students may stay alone in a room if it helps them to self regulate, please let them know that this is not a punishment. Check in on them often and ensure other students leave them alone unless one wants to comfort the child, use your best judgment, sometimes peer to peer counseling works miracles!
Aggressive behavior is not tolerated. If a child is verbally or physically aggressive, we generally call their parents and ask that they be picked up immediately but there are exceptions to the rule, read on. The decision to call parents is up to the educator's discretion. A child may be having a short outburst and it may be quickly remedied. The best approach is to walk the student a few feet away from the group and give the child a chance to be away from the stimulus or events triggering them. If it's environmental, it's best to leave the area w/ the whole group. Remind everyone why we are leaving, “We are leaving now as this will best help B feel calmer. We can come back at a later time”. If the environment is a cause for the behavior and having the child leave will affect the well being of the group, it is best to call the parents. Such as an outing at a restaurant or an activity like bowling, movie etc. We do our best to vet our students before accepting them into program, but we must remember that everyone has bad days and good. Some behaviors are a result of change in medication or not having taking their medicine, it could be a social dynamic, environment, lack of sleep or even food and water. Patience and understanding is the key. 20 minutes is our gauge for how long it takes for a student to calm down. At this point they are usually ready to resume the activity or a highly modified version of it. It goes without saying, any form of corporal punishment is forbidden. A student may be redirected with a gentle hand, if needed, telling the student that you are helping them before touching will assist them greatly.
I ________________________understand the above material.
Signature _______________________
Date _______________________
John Anderson - Program Director
Behavior Management Policy
Care and well being of the student:
- It is my responsibility to contact the director and parents of any changes made to the programing.
- I will provide proof of current First aid certification
- I will provide a recent Vulnerable Sectors check (w/ in 3 years).
- I will sign the safety chart to show I am aware of the medical needs and allergies of all the students attending. This will be kept in the Spectrum Insights binder and shown to staff/volunteers
- I will carry the emergency contact info with me at all times when on outings
- I will carry with me or know the location of the first aid kit at all times.
- All students personal information is private and confidential. I will not reveal any student information.
Code of Conduct:
Employees and volunteers are not to gossip about the student's, parents or Spectrum Insights Staff. We ask that everyone at Spectrum Insights looks for solutions and not to highlight or dwell on problems.
We teach the students how to vent and look for solutions. We need to model this behavior for them. If there is an issue you need help with:
- Bring it to the person directly. Use I statements, Listen and reflect.
- Speak to the Director
- Confer with a coworker
Pick Up/drop off:
All students are required to sign in upon arrival and sign out when leaving. Parents will be notified if a student has left the building w/ out signing out to ensure the student is safe.
Visitors:
All visitors will be supervised, including parents.
Volunteers:
Volunteers w/ out their background check are not to be left alone w/ student(s). Volunteers will be supervised at all times. If you have your background check, you may be in a separate room with students.
Incidents where police or ambulance are called:
The care and well being of the group should come first including and most importantly, the child injured. You may need to delegate a bystander to help you collect the names of the people involved. If collecting the names of witness, officer or paramedics comes at risk of leaving the children, the children come first. Stay w/ them and keep the group safe and calm.
Calling the parent is the number one priority after you call 911.
- Call 911
- Call the parent
- Text then call John
- Get the name or badge number of the Police officer.
- Get the details of the hospital the child is being sent too.
- (if possible) Get the names and contact info of witnesses or people who assisted you.
Staff must program for the position paid for:
If you are leading the JFG program, Moving forward, TAO HOP or the summer camp, you are required to program the activities.
Signs of abuse:
Students will receive a talk about the signs of abuse and how to talk to an adult if they are abused or touched or spoken to in a way that makes them feel uncomfortable, even from their own peers. We have a co ed groups and all students must be comfortable and able to communicate if they feel threatened, bullied, touched in any way that makes them feel uncomfortable or physically hurt. Employees and volunteers will be spoken to about how recognize signs of abuse. Please remember, some students may be shy to come forward or not recognize when touched or spoken to in a inappropriate way. Students may wait hours or days to talk about an issue.
Values and Opinions:
We respect the voice of all the students at Spectrum Insights. We encourage free speech and teach students how to listen and respect differing opinions or values. We do not discriminate over race, religion, gender nor political views. Every person has walked a different path than us, we must respect their path, cultural and spiritual views. We do not impose personal agendas when it comes to the above topics. We share our views, teach how to listen, learn to recognize the feelings of others and never single out a child. If a topic incites a heated debate, we ask that all parties conclude the conversation. When appropriate, we can then teach the students how to discuss in a more appropriate manner. Often views and opinions may differ from our own and may not reflect what is popular in the moment.
Behavior Management:
Please be aware of the sensory needs of the students. The student may be uncomfortable w/ proximity, loud noises or even eye contact, When redirecting behavior, Please approach the child bearing their personal needs in mind. We will do our best not to raise our voice, unless the child is in danger or it gets their attention. When possible, help the child leave the environment, find a quiet place where there is less distraction. Students may stay alone in a room if it helps them to self regulate, please let them know that this is not a punishment. Check in on them often and ensure other students leave them alone unless one wants to comfort the child, use your best judgment, sometimes peer to peer counseling works miracles!
Aggressive behavior is not tolerated. If a child is verbally or physically aggressive, we generally call their parents and ask that they be picked up immediately but there are exceptions to the rule, read on. The decision to call parents is up to the educator's discretion. A child may be having a short outburst and it may be quickly remedied. The best approach is to walk the student a few feet away from the group and give the child a chance to be away from the stimulus or events triggering them. If it's environmental, it's best to leave the area w/ the whole group. Remind everyone why we are leaving, “We are leaving now as this will best help B feel calmer. We can come back at a later time”. If the environment is a cause for the behavior and having the child leave will affect the well being of the group, it is best to call the parents. Such as an outing at a restaurant or an activity like bowling, movie etc. We do our best to vet our students before accepting them into program, but we must remember that everyone has bad days and good. Some behaviors are a result of change in medication or not having taking their medicine, it could be a social dynamic, environment, lack of sleep or even food and water. Patience and understanding is the key. 20 minutes is our gauge for how long it takes for a student to calm down. At this point they are usually ready to resume the activity or a highly modified version of it. It goes without saying, any form of corporal punishment is forbidden. A student may be redirected with a gentle hand, if needed, telling the student that you are helping them before touching will assist them greatly.
I ________________________understand the above material.
Signature _______________________
Date _______________________
March 27 2019
You may have noticed at the past few socials and March break camp, staff wearing a video camera. We are trying something new as an added layer of protection for your child.
Our goal is to provide parents an opportunity to review footage of their child's day in our program. Given that we work w/ vulnerable children/adults, not all students are able to express fully themselves nor give an accurate account of their day. What if your child had a rough day, but not able to advocate for themselves once home or you just suspect something is amiss. At Spectrum Insights, you can ask to review the footage of you child's day to gain a better insight into a specific event. The cameras would also allow us to record any accidents so parents have an accurate account of the events that happened and how we cared for your child. On the rare occasion where we provide one on one support due to a conflict, you can have access to the footage for clarity on what was said, advised and how the problem was solved. The camera is also helpful to staff to record and review events in the day and gives you assurance of what was said between staff and child behind closed doors. This camera will not always be on. At the Church we will turn it off and only record conversations if we need to speak to a child in private. Once we leave the church the camera is on but more to record anomalous behavior outside of the group, accidents and interactions with stores, bus drivers etc. We also have a policy in place which I encourage you to read if you have not done so already. All staff are required to sign, and it clearly explains our policy on the care of your child and expectations for staff:
http://www.spectruminsights.ca/behavior-managment-guidlines.html
How it works:
You may have noticed at the past few socials and March break camp, staff wearing a video camera. We are trying something new as an added layer of protection for your child.
Our goal is to provide parents an opportunity to review footage of their child's day in our program. Given that we work w/ vulnerable children/adults, not all students are able to express fully themselves nor give an accurate account of their day. What if your child had a rough day, but not able to advocate for themselves once home or you just suspect something is amiss. At Spectrum Insights, you can ask to review the footage of you child's day to gain a better insight into a specific event. The cameras would also allow us to record any accidents so parents have an accurate account of the events that happened and how we cared for your child. On the rare occasion where we provide one on one support due to a conflict, you can have access to the footage for clarity on what was said, advised and how the problem was solved. The camera is also helpful to staff to record and review events in the day and gives you assurance of what was said between staff and child behind closed doors. This camera will not always be on. At the Church we will turn it off and only record conversations if we need to speak to a child in private. Once we leave the church the camera is on but more to record anomalous behavior outside of the group, accidents and interactions with stores, bus drivers etc. We also have a policy in place which I encourage you to read if you have not done so already. All staff are required to sign, and it clearly explains our policy on the care of your child and expectations for staff:
http://www.spectruminsights.ca/behavior-managment-guidlines.html
How it works:
- Footage is NEVER to be used on social media, our website or for casual viewing.
- Parents may request to view footage of their Childs day in the case of a serious occurrence and only the event involving your child.
- Said footage does not leave our possession unless a copy requested for legal reasons.
- Parents who have signed a photo permission and indicated "no" will be contacted for further clarification before we use a camera
- Cameras turned off and put away in washrooms and change rooms.
- Cameras off at our rental location unless a situation would benefit from a 3rd eye