A detailed explanation of the criteria required to be met by all individual professionals listed on The Sunflower Directory
For essential safeguarding reasons, and to ensure a high level of experience and quality amongst the individual professionals listed on our directory, The Sunflower Network has developed an extensive and rigorous criteria that needs to be met. This criteria has been checked and verified by our team and needs to have been fulfilled in full before each professional is listed. This is to give those searching for support for a child or young person peace of mind that they are contacting a fully qualified, experienced and fully insured professional who has passed the requirements as detailed below.
Appropriately Qualified for Scope of Practice
We ask to see certificates and other proof of professionals’ qualifications for each position they list on their profile to ensure they have the right qualifications for the job, and aren’t advertising themselves as being able to offer anything they aren’t fully qualified and trained to do.
Experience
We require proof that each professional has had significant and direct clinical experience working with children and young people. We also show the extent of each professional’s experience since qualifying as part of their profile, broken down into three categories; 1-3 years | 4-10 years | 10+ years.
Enhanced DBS Checked
The Disclosure and Barring Service is a public agency that offers a service where you can check people’s criminal records. Everyone who works with children and young people should have an enhanced DBS check which is an advanced level search that the agency undertakes to confirm there are no issues or concerns arising. This helps to confirm that that individual is safe to work with children and young people one to one. We check everyone applying to be on our Directory using the Enhanced DBS check and the Directory only lists individuals who have never had any concerns or issues reported at any time.
Insurance
We check that everyone has valid insurance to cover their practice for each current year by asking to see the relevant insurance certificate.
Supervision / Reflective Practice
We confirm that every professional is undergoing supervision of their work by another experienced professional and / or is engaged is regular reflective practice with an experienced colleague. We get confirmation in writing from the supervisors themselves.
Child Protection & Safeguarding
We require that everyone has attended a child protection and safeguarding training relevant to their scope of practice within the last two years and ask to see a certificate or signed proof of attendance.
Ongoing CPD (Continuing Professional Development)
We ask for information about recent (within the last two years) CPD or training events to help demonstrate that individual’s commitment to best practice.
Membership of a Regulatory Body (recognised by the Professional Standards Authority)
This is important because each regulatory body will have ethical guidelines that they require their members to adhere to, and have a complaints procedure for anyone who doesn’t follow that framework. We are open to any regulatory body that has been recognised by the Professional Standards Authority.
Professional Recommendation
We ask for a reference from a fellow professional in writing for everyone listed.
We recognise, as do all our listed members, the importance of safeguarding the children and young people first and foremost but also having the security of mind that you are contacting an experienced, fully qualified professional who is dedicated to best practice and comes with a professional recommendation.
If you have any further questions, please email us on [email protected]