Section 260.2200  Personnel

a)         Each facility shall develop and maintain written personnel policies that are followed in the operation of the facility.

b)         The facility shall establish policies to screen all current and prospective employees and volunteers, which shall include at least the following:

1)         Conduct a check of the DCFS Central Registry (1-800-25A-BUSE), in a form and a manner prescribed by DCFS.

2)         Conduct a check of the Sex Offender Registry in a form and a manner prescribed by the Illinois State Police (ISP).

3)         Maintain records of these checks in the employee's personnel file or the volunteer's file.

c)         The facility shall define in written policy that individuals with findings on the DCFS Central Registry shall be ineligible for hire or to volunteer.

d)         The facility shall provide orientation to new staff regarding their responsibilities under the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act prior to the first day of employment.

e)         The facility shall provide orientation to new volunteers prior to the first day of volunteering.

f)         Orientation of staff and volunteers shall include, at least, definitions of what constitutes abuse and neglect, the individual's responsibility under the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act, and the facility's policy on reporting abuse and neglect. This information shall be reviewed annually with current staff and volunteers.

g)         Each employee shall have an initial health evaluation, which shall be used to ensure that employees are not placed in positions that would pose undue risk of infection to themselves, other employees, children or visitors.

1)         The initial health evaluation shall be completed no more than 30 days prior to or 30 days after the employee's first day of employment.

2)         The initial health evaluation shall include a health inventory from the employee, including an evaluation of the employee's immunization status.

3)         The initial health evaluation shall include tuberculin testing in accordance with the Control of Tuberculosis Code. Annual tuberculin testing in accordance with the Control of Tuberculosis Code shall be tracked.

4)         Employee's annual influenza shots shall be tracked in accordance with the Health Care Employee Vaccination Code.

h)         The facility shall provide enough trained and supervised staff to meet each child's medical plan of care.

i)          The facility shall have a designated facility manager.

j)          The facility shall have a designated director of nursing (DON) or equivalent. The DON or equivalent shall be a registered professional nurse who holds at least a bachelor's degree in nursing and relevant continuing education.  The DON also shall have experience in nursing administration and shall be employed full-time within the facility.

k)         At least two registered nurses shall be at the facility at all times that a child is present.  The minimum staffing ratio for respite and transitional care is one RN to four children; however, a second nurse shall be in a facility even when the number of children in a facility is below four. All certified nursing assistants shall meet training requirements by completing a training program approved under the Long-Term Care Assistants and Aides Training Programs Code.

l)          The facility's site physician shall be a physician with expertise in chronic diseases of children.  The facility's site physician shall review medical protocols, resolve issues with children's primary health care provider and provide medical advice when a child's primary health care provider is not available.

m)        The facility shall define, through job descriptions, minimum nursing education and clinical experience requirements for all staff, consultants and contract staff, approved DCFS providers, and all others providing nursing services to the facility.  All RNs and licensed practical nurses shall be CPR certified prior to employment. All RNs shall be certified in Pediatric Advanced Life Support within three months after employment.

n)         The facility shall provide an initial orientation and routine, pertinent training to all staff, including, for registered nurses, training on ventilator equipment within three months after employment.  This training may include return demonstration, one-on-one training, small group exercises or lecture.  All training shall be documented by a clinical skills checklist that includes:

1)         Date;

2)         Instructors;

3)         Short description of content; and

4)         Participants' written and printed signatures.

o)         Prior to employing any individual in a position that requires a State license, the facility shall contact the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation-Division of Professional Regulation to verify that the individual's license is active. A copy of the verification shall be placed in the individual's personnel file.

p)         The facility shall check the status of all applicants with the Health Care Worker Registry prior to hiring.

q)         All new clinical employees shall review the clinical policies and procedures manual within 15 days after employment. A letter documenting the review, signed by the facility manager, shall be kept in the employee's file.

r)          All new administrative employees shall review the facility's operation manual within 15 days after employment. A letter documenting the review, signed by the facility manager, shall be kept in the employee's file.

s)         All new employees shall receive fire safety and evacuation training upon hiring. The training shall be reviewed annually for all employees.

(Source:  Amended at 45 Ill. Reg. 13925, effective October 25, 2021)