Children's Home run by Time-Out Children’s Homes Limited in Rochdale

SC065072 Unique reference number 3 February 2010 Inspection date Shaun Common Inspector Random Type of Inspection

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25 August 2009 Date of last inspection .

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This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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You can obtain copies of The Children Act 2004, Every Child Matters and The National Minimum Standards for Children's Services from: The Stationery Office (TSO) PO Box 29, St Cripins, Duke Street, Norwich, NR3 1GN. Tel: 0870 600 5522. Online ordering: www.tso.co.uk/bookshop

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About this inspection

The purpose of this inspection is to assure children and young people, parents, the public, local authorities and government of the quality and standard of the service provided. The inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. This report details the main strengths and any areas for improvement identified during the inspection. The judgements included in the report are made in relation to the outcome for children set out in the Children Act 2004 and relevant National Minimum Standards for the establishment.

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The inspection judgements and what they mean

this aspect of the provision is of exceptionally high quality Outstanding: this aspect of the provision is strong Good: this aspect of the provision is sound Satisfactory: this aspect of the provision is not good enough Inadequate: 3 of 8 Inspection Report: SC065072

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Brief description of the service

The children's home provides accommodation for two young people of either sex from 10 years to 17 years of age.

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Brief description of the service

The home is located in a quiet cul-de-sac and it is indistinguishable from other properties in the area. It is a detached house, with a garden to the rear and parking is available at the front of the home and in the attached garage. There is a lounge, dining room, fitted kitchen, conservatory and bathroom. There is office space with sleep-in facilities for staff and three bedrooms; two for young people and one acts as sleep-in room for a staff member. Public transport is available providing access to the town centre where there is a range of shops and amenities.

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Summary

This interim inspection assessed the progress of the home with the statutory requirements and recommendations made at the last inspection. These related to revising information about the home as well as a some policies and procedures and providing young people with wholesome, nutritious food. In ensuring a number of records are completed fully as required, care plans for young people are reviewed and formal review outcomes are recorded. In ensuring significant people are consulted and all staff participate in fire drills. They also related to formal staff supervision, training and recruitment and monitoring of the home.

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Summary

The inspection assessed all key standards in the outcome area of staying safe and economic wellbeing. It also assessed statutory requirements and recommendations from the last inspection in the outcome areas of being healthy, positive contribution and organisation. The inspection did not assess outcomes in the area of enjoying and achieving.

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Summary

The home has no recognised strengths. Improvement is needed in the décor, maintenance and cleanliness of the home; privacy for young people using the bathroom and toilet; in the way complaints, sanctions, absences and risks are recorded and in absence procedures and complaints information for young people. Improvement is also needed in staff training, recruitment, consultation and monitoring processes. The overall quality rating is satisfactory. This is an overview of what the inspector found during the inspection.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The registered persons were asked at the last inspection to make a number of improvements in the home. They were asked to revise the Statement of Purpose and children's guide, revise care plans and ensure the outcome of reviews are recorded. To ensure the bathroom door lock functions, all staff undertake a fire drill and sanction records are fully completed. To ensure young people receive wholesome and nutritious food, have the opportunity to write in the sanction record and are offered regular keywork sessions. They were also asked to ensure staff receive regular formal supervision. All these matters have been addressed. They help to ensure there is good information about the home, young people are supported and their rights promoted. They also provide young people with privacy and a balanced diet. 4 of 8 Inspection Report: SC065072 The registered persons were asked at the last inspection to take account of young people's

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Improvements since the last inspection

views in care plans, ensure robust recruitment takes place, that staff are trained and monitoring is robust. They were also asked to ensure risk assessments are revised, absence records include action taken, sanctions are consistent and relevant and consultation takes place with significant persons. These matters have not been addressed. Further statutory requirements and recommendations will be raised in this report about these matters.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Menu's show that young people are offered a diet that is wholesome and nutritious.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. Young people's information is stored securely and they have access to a telephone to keep in touch with people important to them. The home has a method of recording where it is necessary to search young people's belongings for health, safety and welfare reasons. No searches have taken place. Young people are not afforded the level of privacy required as the bathroom lock can be opened from the outside by anyone.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The home has a complaints procedure and information is provided to young people. However, this information does not contain enough detail. It lacks the information set out in national minimum standards that ensures young people are fully informed and their rights promoted. A young person stated they were provided with information and knows how to complain should they need to. The home has a record of complaints. Of the two entries since the last inspection, neither records the outcome of the complaint or the investigation. Staff understand the complaints procedure and how to support young people.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The home has in place a copy of the Local Safeguarding Children Board procedures and its own child protection procedures. These are accessible to staff who understand and can follow them. This helps them to keep young people safe. There have been no child protection referrals since the last inspection.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The home has a countering bullying policy, which is understood by staff to help them keep young people safe. The home does not have a risk assessment that identifies the times places and circumstances when bullying is more likely. Therefore control measures are not fully in place to safeguard young people. There have been no bullying incidents at the home.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

An absence without authority procedure is in place; however it does not contain all required matters. The procedure is understood and followed by staff. This helps to safeguard young people. The home has in place a record for such matters. However, entries do not record a young person's comments and views on return to the home about why they were absent. Records also do not include action as a result of these comments, such as updating the risk assessment, reviewing the plan or meetings with other professionals. Therefore young people are not safeguarded as well as they could be.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff have good relationships with young people. A behaviour management policy is in place that supports staff delivering care in this area. The home has records in place for any restraints or sanctions. There have been no restraints since the last inspection. The sanction record 5 of 8 Inspection Report: SC065072 contains measures imposed upon young people that are contrary to shaping positive behaviour. The effectiveness section contains comments that do not show whether the measure helped to positively shape the young persons behaviour. Young people do have the opportunity to sign or write their comments into the record, so they develop understanding and responsibility.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Risk assessment of young people's known and likely activities are carried out to help staff keep young people safe. Risk assessments of the home and its grounds are also undertaken and kept up-to-date. However, all risk assessments do not contain a measure of likelihood or severity to ensure appropriate control measures are in place to reduce risk. Health and safety matters are managed well, such as maintenance and checks of the gas boiler, electrical appliances and installations and fire equipment. These matters help to keep young people safe. Fire drills are carried out regularly and all staff and young people have been involved so they know what to do to keep themselves safe.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The home's recruitment systems are not sufficiently robust to ensure the right information is gathered and scrutinised to ensure new staff are the right people to work with children. For example, one file from two examined showed a reference from the most recent employer had not been ascertained.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. Young people have care plans in place that are kept up to date and regularly reviewed. However, young people's views of these are not taken into account. The outcome of looked after reviews are recorded on young people's files, which helps staff to deliver effective care.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Formal keywork or individual sessions with staff are conducted regularly with young people. This means young people receive formal support from staff at the home. The home does not formerly attain the views and opinions of parents, others significant to the child and the placing authority about the running of the home and young people's care. Therefore there is not a robust system for improving the way the home operates and cares for young people.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

The provision is satisfactory. One young person's file was examined. They are not yet of an age where formal pathway and leaving care planning is required.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

The children's home provides a satisfactory environment conducive to the care of young people. Some areas of the home are very well decorated and furnished. Some areas need attention, such as the conservatory smelling strongly of cigarette smoke and the rear garden being littered with cigarette ends. Décor and furnishings in other areas of the home also need attention such as the hallway wallpaper which is damaged, a light cover on the stairs is missing as is a towel rail from the bathroom. Mortice locks are fitted to young people's bedroom doors, which do not allow access in an emergency. The home does not have suitable facilities for young people to study, such as desk space and readily available study materials. 6 of 8 Inspection Report: SC065072

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. The children's home has satisfactory information for young people, parents and others, about the home and the services it provides, so that people know what to expect.

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Organisation

The home has a record of all staff supervision. This ensures they receive the support they need to deliver effective care to young people. However, staff have not had all required essential training or up-to-date training to support and enable them to deliver good, safe care to young people.

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Organisation

Internal monitoring of the home takes place each month. However, it is not always identified where there are shortfalls in order to improve provision for young people. For example, there are shortfalls in sanction records, unauthorised absence records and risk assessments. The reports do not consider the views of young people, parents and placing authorities.

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions, which must be taken so that the registered person meets the Care Standards Act 2000, The Childrens Homes Regulations 2001 and the National Minimum Standards. The Registered Provider must comply with the given timescales.

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Due date Action Standard

28 February 2010 seek and take account of young people's views when preparing or reviewing the placement plan (Regulation 12) 28 February 2010 ensure any entry in the complaints record includes the outcome of the investigation (Regulation 24) 8 February 2010 ensure that any record of a measure of control includes the effectiveness of the measure; specifically ensure staff understand this term and record appropriate details (Regulation 17) 31 March 2010 ensure all parts of the children's home used by children are suitably furnished, equipped, kept clean and reasonably decorated and free from offensive odours (Regulation 31) 12 February 2010 ensure the children's home is conducted at all times in a manner which respects the privacy and dignity of children; specifically ensure the bathroom and toilet are only accessible from the outside, by staff, in an emergency (Regulation 11) 28 February 2010 obtain for all staff, all the information set out in Regulation 26

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Due date Action Standard

(Regulation 26) 30 April 2010 ensure that all staff receive appropriate training and refresher training in safe handling of medication, safe food handling and hygiene, fire safety, complaints, countering bullying, attachment 7 of 8 Inspection Report: SC065072 and equality and diversity; provide evidence of all training undertaken (Regulation 27) 28 February 2010 ensure the matters set out in Schedule 6 are robustly monitored each month with any shortfalls being identified as well as action to be taken to improve provision to children; ensure the monitoring system provides for specific consultation with children, parents and placing authorities about the matters in the schedule. (Regulation 34)

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • carry out recorded risk assessments of the times, places and circumstances in which the risk of bullying is greatest (NMS 18) • ensure written records of the circumstances of all incidents of absence without authority specifically include all action taken, the circumstances of the child's return, any reasons given by the child for the absence, and any action taken in the light of those reasons (NMS 19) • ensure that sanctions imposed upon young people are relevant to the incident (NMS 22) • revise risk assessments to include a measure of likelihood and severity (NMS 26) • revise the complaints procedure and information provided to children to include a summary of the matters set out in NMS 16 (NMS 16) • revise the absence without authority procedure so it considers the matter set out in NMS

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Recommendations

19.4 (NMS 19) • ensure opinions of families, others significant to the child and the placing authority are regularly and frequently sought about the matters set out in NMS 8. (NMS 8) 8 of 8 Inspection Report: SC065072

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