Children's Home run by City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council in Bradford

SC063978 Unique reference number 24 September 2009 Inspection date Nicola McEvinney Inspector Key Type of Inspection

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26 February 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: SC063978

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Brief description of the service

This home provides care and accommodation for eight young people of either sex between the ages of 14 and 17 years who may be experiencing a range of social, emotional and behavioural problems. The home offers a supportive living environment to young people on a medium to long-term basis.

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Brief description of the service

This is a purpose-built home situated in a residential area, in a village on the outskirts of a city. The home is convenient for public transport and other local amenities. It is surrounded by large gardens on all sides with a safe parking area at the front. On the first floor it has eight bedrooms, two bathrooms and two separate lavatories. Downstairs there is a communal living space, dining area, lounge and 'chill out' room, a young person's payphone room and kitchen. On the ground floor there is also a lavatory suitable for people with mobility difficulties, two offices, a staff meeting room and laundry facilities for young people. There is a lift installed.

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Summary

The purpose of this unannounced full inspection was to check that all the core national minimum standards and the requirement and recommendation made at the last inspection have been met.

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Summary

There are some good aspects to this home. There are good care plans, in the form of Individual Development Plans, in place which identify the individual needs of the young people and guidance to demonstrate how these needs are to be met. The home have also introduced behaviour management plans which ensure effective strategies are in place. This, and the commitment of the staff team ensures a consistent approach to the care and management of the young people.

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Summary

There is good communication within the staff team who are working together to support the young people.

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Summary

The home was asked to ensure staff obtain the appropriate skills and secure appropriate services to enable them to meet the needs of some of the more complex young people placed. The results of the health needs assessment must be made available to the home. The overall quality rating is good. This is an overview of what the inspector found during the inspection.

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Improvements since the last inspection

All staff have undertaken on-line medication training. The Statement of Purpose has been amended and contains all the necessary information.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Young people are encouraged to eat healthy meals. Some individuals shop and prepare their own meals in a supportive environment. Young people who are cooked for are encouraged to participate in meal preparation to help them develop their culinary skills. Young people's likes and dislikes are taken into consideration when devising menus. There is good advice on food 4 of 8 Inspection Report: SC063978 allergies, for example, peanut allergies, information is available on file and the kitchen has a peanut free cupboard to guard against contamination.

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Helping children to be healthy

Young people's health needs are set out in their individual development plans. Although young people have had a health needs assessment, the documentation relating to this has not been made available to the home; information has been passed on verbally. The home has very good links with the looked-after- children nurse, who attends the home and advises on sexual health issues, smoking cessation and illicit substance misuse. The consent to the administration of non-prescription medication and first aid has been obtained from the individual who holds parental responsibility.

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Helping children to be healthy

Medication records are in good order. The older young people are encouraged to self-administer and the home sets up an agreement with individuals ensuring that they are aware of the importance of taking their medication according to the prescription.

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Helping children to be healthy

A number of Epi-pens are available in the home and at school to ensure that emergency treatment can be administered promptly for those individuals with allergies. A number of staff have received training on the administration of this drug and the remaining staff are to receive this imminently. However, individual young people who are prescribed this medication are fully conversant with this procedure and are able to self-administer. There are sufficient staff who hold a first aid certificate to ensure that a first-aider is on duty at all times.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. The home has a contract with young people to enable them to be responsible for their key to their bedroom. For those individuals with a high level of need the home is promoting their independence by encouraging them to be responsible for their own personal care.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The home maintains a moans and groans book where young people can record their dissatisfaction. These are dealt with appropriately. The home also accesses a children's rights organisation that advocates of behalf of individuals.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The home is vigilant in ensuring the safety of the young people and take steps to ensure that they are kept safe. For example, when there were concerns that some individuals were accessing inappropriate internet sites, the home organised for the computers to be checked. Behaviour management plans give guidance to ensure that young people who are at risk dress appropriately. Night staff site themselves to ensure vulnerable young people do not put themselves at risk. All staff have attended safe-guarding training, this ensures that they have an awareness of child protection issues.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Some young people display some bullying behaviours, this is immediately challenged by the staff team. Bullying is discussed with the young people. Individual development plans identifie young people's propensity to display bullying behaviour and also identifies those young people who may be more vulnerable. Strategies are in place to counter the effects of this behaviour.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The home does not experience problems with young people absconding at this time, although occasionally an individual may stay at a friends house without prior permission. This is dealt with appropriately. Individual development plans give clear guidance on what action to take if 5 of 8 Inspection Report: SC063978 the more vulnerable young people go missing. There are good links with the Missing Person's Police Co-ordinator to ensure agreed practices are in place if the need arises.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The home have developed behaviour management plans for all the young people. These plans outline the behaviours of the young people with strategies identified to manage these behaviours. There is good communication between the staff team who discuss the young people. This all ensures a consistent approach to manage the young people's behaviour. There are a number of restraints recorded, these are appropriate and some involve staff moving young people away from situations of conflict using the minimum of force and without escalating situations. There are a lot of sanctions recorded, these are appropriate and a separate record is maintained for individual young people to measure the effectiveness of the sanction, as well as monitoring purposes.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

There are good risk assessments in place for each individual young person, activities and the premises, identifying the risk with strategies in place. Appropriate health and safety checks are carried out on the gas appliances, water and portable electrical appliances. Fire records are in good order, with fire drills held as appropriate, ensuring that all staff and young people know what action to take in the event of a fire.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Recruitment records were seen at the personnel office, there are good systems in place to ensure only suitable people are employed. Staff records are very well maintained and easy to follow.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is satisfactory. The home access a number of services to help meet the needs of the majority of young people. Although at this time there are limited services accessed to meet the needs of some individuals.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Sessional workers are employed to ensure the cultural needs of some individuals are addressed. The looked-after children nurse is a regular visitor to the home and will help young people with specific issues, for example, teaching relaxation techniques to help address sleeping problems. The children and adolescent mental health service (CAMHS) attends staff consultation meetings and supports and advises the team on managing young people's behaviour. Connexions is accessed to support young people on training and employment matters.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

There is good liaison between the school and home for some individuals ensuring information is shared. The majority of young people have an educational placement. Staff are proactive in trying to secure appropriate education for those young people who have a limited access to education. Four young people undertook GSCE's over the summer and attained 25 GCSE's between them.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The majority of young people organise their own activities. Although the staff do arrange some activities, for example, the cinema, ice-skating bowling and are arranging appropriate clubs for some individuals. The home celebrates a range of cultural festivals, for example, Eid. Over the holiday period young people had trips to Blackpool, Whitby and a safari park.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. 6 of 8 Inspection Report: SC063978 The home maintains good care plans in the form of an individual development plan which clearly sets out the needs of the young person with strategies in place identifying how these needs are to be met in the home. Daily routines are in place for some individuals giving good guidance to staff to enable them to care for individuals appropriately; these include what is needed on specific days for school.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Child care reviews are held as appropriate with the minutes promptly available on the electronic system ensuring decisions made can be promptly implemented.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The individual development plan gives clear detail on contact arrangements. The home supports young people to have contact with family members by providing taxi's or bus fares as appropriate.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The local authority has devised a pro forma to be completed when considering an admission to the home, although it is not completed in all cases. Admissions are generally planned with young people visiting prior to them being placed.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Residents meetings are held regularly and young people confirm that staff listen to them. The Registered Manager also produces a regular newsletter to keep parents informed of what is happening in the home.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

The provision is good. According to their age and ability young people shop and prepare their own meals. The older young people complete a skills questionnaire with their key worker to identify where work needs to be done to enable young people to live independently. The home has a resource library with tools to help young people develop independence skills.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

The original construction of the home was institutional with an open plan format which does not easily promote individual activities. However, it is well maintained with staff endeavouring to make it homely. Some areas of are currently being redecorated.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. There is a comprehensive Statement of Purpose in place giving good information about the home.

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Organisation

The promotion of equality and diversity is good. The home has good arrangements in place to address the cultural needs of the young people. Gender issues are promoted sensitively. Young people's individual needs are addressed.

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Organisation

Although the home has some staff vacancies these are covered by the staff team and regular agency staff. This ensures that the young people are cared for by familiar adults. There are clear arrangements for staff to deputise in the Registered Manager's absence. All staff have either attained National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) at level 3 or equivalent or are registered on this qualification.

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Organisation

There are sufficient numbers of staff on duty to meet the needs of the young people ensuring that appropriate supervision is maintained, particularly for more vulnerable young people. 7 of 8 Inspection Report: SC063978 There are good training opportunities for staff, although, staff have not had specialist training that is appropriate to meet the complex needs of some individuals.

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Organisation

The Registered Manager has good systems in place to monitor how the home operates.

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Organisation

The local authority have an electronic filing system where young people's records are stored. However, the home also maintains hardcopy files which ensures pertinent information is available at all times ensuring young people's needs are met.

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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

1 November 2009 ensure the results of health needs assessments are maintined in the home (Schedule 3. 22) 1 November 2009 make proper provision for the care of all the children accommodated. (Regulation 11(b))

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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 appropriate support and help is provided to young people with learning disabilities (NMS 12.8) • ensure staff receive training that equip them with the skills required to meet the needs of all the children placed. (NMS 31.1) 8 of 8 Inspection Report: SC063978

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