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

SC065072 Unique reference number 25 August 2009 Inspection date Shaun Common Inspector Key Type of 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 9 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 unannounced inspection looked at all key standards and examined all outcome areas.

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Summary

This children's home is a satisfactory service. It has some strengths in health care planning for young people, the way it manages medication, its complaints system, individual support for young people, helping to promote their educational attainment and in external monitoring processes. Improvement is needed in a number of areas, such as information about the home, keeping care plans up to date and recording how it will meet young people's equality and diversity needs and young people's views of plans. It needs to improve records, such as unauthorised absences, sanctions, risk assessments and checks on new staff as well as in staff support and training. It also needs to improve in ensuring young people have privacy at all times, in internal monitoring processes and in formally consulting young people, parents and placing authorities about care provided and the conduct and operation of the home. The overall quality rating is satisfactory.

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Summary

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 two improvements. They were asked to revise the absence without authority procedures and this matter has been addressed and helps staff to safeguard young people.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The Registered Persons were also asked to ensure that that at least one member of staff working at the home has completed a full course in first aid. This has not been completed and an action will be raised in this report regarding this matter.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Food provided for young people is satisfactory. Planned menus show what is on offer and demonstrate young people's choice. The menu does not always demonstrate healthy meals, though young people said that staff do encourage healthy eating. Menus demonstrate what young people actually eat so their diet can be monitored. 4 of 9 Inspection Report: SC065072 The home has a policy on health promotion, which assists staff to support young people. Young people's holistic assessed health needs are identified in health plans. They have access to educational information on matters, such as substance misuse, sexual health, smoking and alcohol use. Young people confirmed that staff educate and support them in these matters. There are recorded outcomes to show health needs are being addressed.

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Helping children to be healthy

Medication is stored securely, which helps to keep young people safe. There is no prescribed medication, however, over the counter medication is stored securely and administered and recorded as required, which helps to keep young people healthy.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. Young people are provided with access to a telephone to stay in touch with people who are important to them. Their information is stored safely and securely. Young people are not always afforded the privacy they need as the bathroom door lock was damaged and not working. The home has a policy and clear record for the purpose about searching young people's possessions in the interests of their health, safety and welfare.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Information about complaints is available to young people. They have access to a system that promotes and protects their rights. Young people stated that they know how to complain and they have information about complaints, but have never needed to use the procedure. The home has a complaints procedure that is understood by staff so they can support young people, however, not all staff have received training to help them better support young people. A record is in place for any complaints that are made.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

A copy of the Local Safeguarding Children Board procedures and the home's own child protection procedure are accessible to staff in the home. Staff understand the procedures and action that needs to be taken to protect a child, where there is an allegation or suspicion of abuse. Staff have not all received training in child protection and associated procedures to help them to keep young people safe. Young people stated they felt safe at the home.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The home has a policy and procedure regarding countering bullying. Staff understand the procedure and how to protect young people. A risk assessment is in place with the purpose of assisting staff in how to protect young people, however, it is not specific about times, places and circumstances when bullying is more likely and measures to counter this. There have been incidents of bullying and these have been appropriately addressed to keep young people safe.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The home has an appropriate procedure for dealing with absence of any young person without authority. Staff understand the procedure and this assists them to safeguard young people. The home has a record for the purpose of recording any such incidents, however, this does not clearly show all the action taken by staff as well as post incident action such as updating risk assessments, risk management meetings, planning meetings or instigating review in order to further protect young people.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Relationships between staff and young people are positive. Young people stated they get on well with staff most of the time. There have been no restraints at the home since the last inspection. The home's sanction record is not completed fully on each occasion or monitored effectively by the manager. It does not always show a clear link between any measure used and the behaviour exhibited, or whether measures used are effective in shaping behaviour positively. 5 of 9 Inspection Report: SC065072 Young people are not always enabled to sign the record and write their comments so they develop understanding and responsibility.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Risk assessments that relate to young people's known and likely activities are in place and help to safeguard them. However, the home's records do not identify the likelihood or severity in these risk assessments, so appropriate control measures can be put in place to fully reduce or eliminate any risk. Not all staff have undertaken a fire drill in the last six months, in order that they know what to do to keep themselves and young people safe. Other health and safety matters have been undertaken and help to keep young people safe, such as regular checks and maintenance are carried out on the gas boiler, portable electrical appliances and fire equipment and a fire risk assessment is in place and is up-to-date.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff files examined demonstrate that a robust recruitment process has not always been followed in order to ensure new employees are the right people to work with children. Two files had robust information, however, from two other files one did not contain a reference from the most recent employer and the other a full employment history.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Good support is provided to young people and this is evidenced through care planning and young people's views. Young people are provided with support on matters, such as personal, health and sexual health matters. They can approach any staff member for support, advice and guidance.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Young people are supported and encouraged by staff to engage in education and attain their potential. Care planning shows the support young people need and what the aims and objectives are. A young person stated he is going to college and looking forward to this in September.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. Care plans are in place for young people and determine specific holistic assessed needs and how these will be met on a day-to-day basis, however, they have not all been updated regularly. There is no clear link from all objectives to recorded or evidenced outcomes. Contact arrangements are recorded and in place and contact events evidence young people are enabled to keep touch with people important to them.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Statutory looked after reviews of young people's care plans have been undertaken within timescales, however the outcomes are not always recorded so plans can be updated and young people's needs met. Young people confirmed they are invited to their reviews and have a say on their plans and care.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The home has satisfactory information for young people about introduction to the home and the home has policies and procedures for staff to follow to assist young people in this transition. Young people stated that introduction to the home was ok.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Young people can give their views on day-to-day matters to staff, though formal key work sessions that offer support are very limited. Consultation with parents and placing social workers 6 of 9 Inspection Report: SC065072 about the care provided and the operation of the home is not formally carried out to help improve the home's services to young people.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

The provision is good. Young people are not yet of an age where formal leaving care planning is required. However, the home encourages and involves young people in taking part in self-care tasks and skills in preparation for adulthood.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

The children's home provides a good environment conducive to the positive care of young people. The home is well decorated and furnished throughout.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. There is satisfactory information provided in the statement of purpose and children's guide about the home and the services it provides. The statement of purpose contains a range of information, however does not include staff numbers, experience and qualifications and lacks some clarity of the range of needs the home can meet. The children's guide has not been updated with the new manager's details and the staff at the home.

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Organisation

The promotion of equality and diversity is satisfactory. The home has not fully assessed and recorded via care planning the holistic individual needs of young people in areas such as culture, religion and equality. There is information via the statement of purpose about anti-discriminatory practice. Matters that promote fairness, such as access to the complaints system and behaviour management are good.

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Organisation

Staff are provided with inadequate formal support to ensure they deliver good care to young people. Staff files examined demonstrate that less than half of the required formal supervision sessions have taken place. Some staff are experienced, however, some working together at the same time lack experience, but do understand the needs of young people and the policies and procedures of the home. 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

External monitoring of the home in the form of visits under Regulation 33 of the Children's Homes Regulations 2001 are carried out each month and are thorough, raising recommendations beyond what is required in order to improve provision to young people.

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Organisation

Internal monitoring of the home takes place each month as required; all matters are recorded as being monitored, 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, fire drills, unauthorised absence records and in the home operating in accordance with its statement of purpose, as not all staff are trained in attachment. The reports do not comment on the quality of matters monitored or consider the views of young people, parents and placing authorities.

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Organisation

Young people's files do have shortfalls, however, this information has been formally requested from placing authorities as a matter of urgency so young people have a full history of their care. 7 of 9 Inspection Report: SC065072

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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

30 September 2009 include in the statement of purpose all matters listed in Schedule 1; in particular paragraphs 5 and 9 of that Schedule; revise the Children's Guide to inlcude up to date information about the manager and staff (Regulations 4 and 5) 30 September 2009 ensure care plans are reviewed regularly and kept up to date; seek and take account of young people's views when preparing or reviewing the plan (Regulation 12) 25 August 2009 ensure the date and result of any review of the placing authority's plan for the care of the child is recorded in case records (Regulation 28) 25 August 2009 ensure the children's home is conducted at all times in a manner which respects the privacy and dignity of children; specifically ensure bathroom and toilet door locks are in working order at all times (Regulation 11) 25 August 2009 ensure the circumstances of all incidents of absconding are fully recorded on each occasion (Regulation 28)

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Due date Action Standard

25 August 2009 ensure the sanction record is fully completed on each occasion with the matters set out in Regulation 17; specifically include the effectiveness of the measure (Regulation 17) 30 September 2009 ensure by means of fire drills and practices at suitable intervals, that the persons working at the home are aware of the procedure to be followed in case of fire; ensure a night time fire drill takes place as per NMS 26.8 (Regulation 32) 30 September 2009 obtain for all staff, all the information set out in Regulation 26 (Regulation 26) 25 August 2009 ensure staff receive supervision in the manner and to the levels set out in NMS 28 (Regulation 27) 30 November 2009 ensure that all staff receive appropriate training and refresher training in physical restraint, safe handling of medication, safe food handling and hygiene, fire safety, first aid, complaints, countering bullying, attachment and equality and diversity;

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Due date Action Standard

provide evidence of all training undertaken (Regulation 27) 25 August 2009 ensure the matters set out in Schedule 6 are robustly monitored each month with any shortfalls being identified as well as action 8 of 9 Inspection Report: SC065072 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 and comments on the quality of those matters (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): • ensure evidence is provided that young people receive food that is wholesome and nutritious (NMS 10) • revise the bullying risk assessment to include the matters in NMS 18.5 (NMS 18) • ensure written records of the circumstances of all incidents of absconding specifically include the action taken as well as post incident action (NMS 19) • ensure that sanctions imposed upon young people are consistently applied and relevant to the incident (NMS 22) • ensure young people are given the opportunity to write or have their comments recorded and sign their names against entries in the sanction record (NMS 22) • revise risk assessments to include a measure of likelihood and severity (NMS 26) • ensure keyworker sessions, used for obtaining children's views over matters set out in NMS

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Recommendations

8, are carried out on a regular and frequent basis (NMS 8) • 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) 9 of 9 Inspection Report: SC065072

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