Smoking and Looked After Children (including e-cigarettes)

SCOPE OF THIS CHAPTER

This chapter identifies the Brighton and Hove policy in respect of smoking and supplies clear guidance to residential staff, visitors to residential homes, foster carers and children who smoke.

This Policy applies to tobacco products and e-cigarettes.

RELATED CHAPTERS

Substance Misuse Procedure

This chapter was introduced in to the Manual in November 2015.

1. Aims of the Policy

This policy aims to give children and non-smokers the right to live and work in air that is free of tobacco smoke.

This policy applies to all Looked After Children in residential care and foster homes, including Kinship Care placements.

2. Smoking and Looked After Children

Where a child or young person is being looked after by Brighton and Hove City Council, the child or young person should be actively discouraged from smoking.

Where a child/young person in the care of Brighton and Hove City Council already smokes, the health element of his or her Care Plan must identify the strategies to be adopted to support the young person reduce or give up smoking. Such strategies may include:

  • Health education;
  • Medical treatment;
  • Focused direct work through key working sessions;
  • Individual/group counselling;
  • Handing in of lighters/matches;
  • Handing in cigarettes for reduction programme;
  • Parental support for the delivery of service;
  • Young people should be encouraged to access a smoking cessation service either via their GP, School Nurse or LAC Nurse.

Lack of co-operation by the young person must not be a reason for abandoning any strategies or programmes identified in the young person's Care Plan.

3. Residential Staff and Foster Carers

In residential homes, staff/visitors are not permitted to smoke in front of children and children may not smoke inside the home. Members of staff in children's homes must not purchase or give cigarettes, tobacco or the materials for making or lighting cigarettes or tobacco to young people.

In Foster Homes, carers should be discouraged from smoking in front of children and children may not smoke in the home.

Note: From October 2015 it is illegal to smoke in a vehicle with anyone under 18 yrs present and includes cars that are wholly or partly enclosed by a roof and someone sitting in the open doorway of a vehicle. Both the driver and the smoker could be fined £50. The law does not apply to e-cigarettes, or a 17 yr old driver on their own.

Foster Carers are not permitted to purchase or give cigarettes, tobacco or the materials for making or lighting cigarettes or tobacco to children.