A facility’s management, staff, policies or practices can play a significant role in contributing to the abuse/neglect of children.  Some key issues in deciding a facility’s involvement and culpability in an incident of abuse/neglect include: whether the facility has made provisions for staff training; has the facility provided staff, and when appropriate, children and their families, with the facility’s written policies, procedures and practices.  The worker should review all written policies, procedures and practices which are applicable to the incident being investigated and which relate to the following:

• Description of the facility’s treatment program and population served;
• Current service plan for the child, the involvement of each person responsible for service delivery, including child care staff, and the mechanisms for evaluating and updating service plans;
• Rights of children and their families;
• A grievance reporting system when children and their families feel their rights have been violated;
• Expectations of children and their families;
• Discipline of children;
• Problem management, physical restraint, time out and isolation;
• Staffing patterns/coverage requirements which include action plans for staff absences, emergencies, planned or respite breaks from children and integration and assignment of new employees, especially child care staff;
• Staff job descriptions, staff behavioral guidelines/expectations, staff evaluations, possible corrective or disciplinary actions for staff and staff grievance procedures;
• Staff orientation and their ongoing training plan;
• Supervision of all levels of staff, including chain of command for the institution according to the table of organization;
• Required written/oral reports and their time frames;
• Medical care, routine and emergency, for children;
• Safekeeping, transporting and dispensing medications;
• Use of psychotropic medications;
• Reporting and maintenance system for hazardous conditions on grounds, in buildings or with equipment, including vehicles.