Children's Home run by Lifetime Opportunities Limited in Lancashire

SC063103 Unique reference number 13 October 2009 Inspection date Sarah Oldham Inspector Key Type of Inspection

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19 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: SC063103

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Brief description of the service

The home is registered for a maximum of five children and young people who have a learning disability. Long term accommodation is provided for those whose ages range from eight to 17 years. The property is purpose built and located in a semi-rural area. Access to shops, schools and community facilities require transport. The home has its own vehicles.

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Brief description of the service

Each young person has their own bedroom and most of these have en-suite facilities. The communal areas include a sitting room, dining room, kitchen and a playroom. There is also a garden and patio area.

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Summary

The purpose of this visit was to undertake an unannounced key inspection to assess how the home supports and cares for young people who receive a service. The five outcomes under the Every Child Matters framework were inspected on this occasion; Being Healthy, Staying Safe, Enjoying and Achieving, Positive Contribution and Economic Wellbeing. In addition the overall organisation of the home was also inspected this includes how well the home is managed.

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Summary

The home provides a good standard of care for young people with complex needs. The current staff group are experienced and they are supported by clear policies and procedures. There is good management oversight into how the home is running and quality assurance systems in place to monitor and improve the quality of care that young people receive. The promotion of equality and diversity is good.

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Summary

An area identified that the home could improve on is to ensure that documentation regarding sanctions is clearly recorded. This includes ensuring that the person making the sanction records and signs their name and that the views of the young people regarding the sanction made are, as far as possible, gained. 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

At the previous inspection there were no actions or recommendations made. However the home has further developed the Pictorial Exchange Communication Scheme (PECS) to ensure communication with all young people is appropriate and enables further development for individual young people. The children's guide has been developed in this format and menu planning is undertaken with young people using this system.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Young people living at the home have their health care effectively met. The home gains a wide range of information prior to the young person moving into the home. This enables the young people to receive health care services that are appropriate to meet individual needs. All young people are registered with a doctor, dentist and optician as well as receiving specialist health care support if required. Placement plans are detailed and all staff providing support are required to read these prior to working with the young people. Health issues that relate to disability, 4 of 8 Inspection Report: SC063103 ethnicity and belief are fully assessed in respect of each young person and these issues are explicitly addressed in care plans, along with individual planning for how young people are to be assisted in tasks relating to personal care, administration of medication and other routine

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Helping children to be healthy

The home promotes the good health of young people by close attention to nutrition. Some young people, for example, need food to be prepared in a particular way for cultural reasons, or may have allergies to certain foods. In consultation with young people and their parents, the home offers a wide range of wholesome food and promotes a healthy diet, taking in account young people's specific needs. To ensure that consultation is accessible for all young people, the service uses both written and pictorial information when planning menus with the young people.

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Helping children to be healthy

Health and safety is promoted through the home's policies and procedures for the administration of medication. The storage arrangements for medication is safe and the designated storage is sited in an area where young people have no access. Staff are trained to administer first aid, and a first aid box is at hand.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Confidentiality and privacy for the young people is respected by staff at all times. All records are stored in lockable cabinets within an office. Staff are aware of the importance of respecting a young persons right to privacy balanced with any risks associated with individual behaviour.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Information about making a complaint is detailed within the statement of purpose, the children's guide and also in pictorial exchange communication system (PECs) format. This ensures that all young people at the home have access to the complaints procedure. Information regarding bullying is also available in pictorial format and young people have been involved in an anti bullying project at the home.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff have received training to provide them with knowledge of child protection and procedure to follow to promote and protect child safety, including safeguarding procedures. This training is undertaken as part of the induction training and core training. The core training is updated on a regular basis. This ensures that staff have the necessary current level of skills to provide care for the young people at the home.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The home has a procedure in place to follow in the event of a young person absent from the home without permission. Linked in with this, each young person has a risk assessment in place outlining the procedure that the staff must follow. There had been no incidents of a young person missing from the home.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The home promotes positive behaviour with young people. Sanctions are used on an infrequent basis but when they are, the sanctions made are appropriate. However, staff making the sanction, do not always sign the sanction book and the views of the young people are not always recorded. This has been identified by a senior manager for the company who undertakes the monthly external monitoring of the home and how it operates. This will enable the manager to address this. As part of individual placement plans, young people have a positive handling plan to enable staff to effectively support a young person if they are at risk of hurting themselves or others. This may require the use of physical intervention. These plans are agreed with the placing 5 of 8 Inspection Report: SC063103 authority, parents and discussed with the young people. All staff have undertaken training and this training is kept up to date. Records maintained of all physical interventions and records

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

inspected demonstrated that the staff had followed the individual plan for the young people. All records had been monitored appropriately.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Individual risk assessments are in place and also risk assessments for the building. All are detailed and up to date, including the fire risk assessment. Regular fire tests and drills are held to ensure that young people and staff are aware of the procedures to follow in the event of a fire. This promotes individuals well being.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

All equipment used is maintained and serviced in accordance with current legislation and the home has appropriate public liability insurance in place. Procedures for the recruitment of staff ensure that applicants are interviewed, references obtained and all have an enhanced Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) in place prior to commencing employment.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is outstanding. Young people are supported on an individual basis. Detailed placement plans contain information about specific individual needs and how those needs will be met whilst the young people are at the home. A number of communication methods are used with young people to ensure that their views and wishes regarding the support that they receive are gained; this includes the use of PECS. The home supports young people to pursue their leisure interests and activities in accordance with their wishes. Where young people have limited leisure interests, the home encourages and supports them to experience a range of activities and make informed choices.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

All young people attend education and the home has developed good links with the different schools. This includes staff attending parents evenings and reviews as required. Copies of school reports are maintained on file and also a copy of individual Statement of Educational Needs for the young person. Where a young person requires support to continue to attend the school previously attended, before admission to the home, staff enable this continuity of education by providing transport.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is outstanding. All young people have a placement plan. This plan details all aspects of the individual care the young person requires and how that care is to be provided. These plans are written in conjunction with the placing authority's care plan, parents and with the young people using various forms of communication methods to ensure that their wishes and views are included. There are systems in place to ensure that staff have read and understood the placement plan for each individual young person. These plans are kept under review and updated when individual needs change. The home contributes comprehensive reports to Looked After Children (LAC) reviews.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Wherever possible, young people are invited to visit the home prior to moving in. This enables them to have a planned move and to enable relationships with staff to develop. It also enables young people to be involved in all aspects of their plans for the future, taking into account individual complex needs including communication. The home maintains a consistent staff team to provide continuity of care and support and to enable secure and positive relationships with young people. 6 of 8 Inspection Report: SC063103 The contact arrangements for each young person are included within the placement plan. Contact is supported in accordance with these arrangements.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

The provision is outstanding. Staff encourage young people to develop a level of independence in daily tasks, including basic hygiene, washing, bathing and toileting and encourage self help skills. The home ensures that planning to move to adult services is comprehensive and inclusive for the young people. This is undertaken through careful planning and liaison with parents, the young person and other professionals.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

Young people are encouraged to be involved in choosing their clothing to reflect their individuality and culture, religious and ethnic heritage. This is reflected within individual placement plans.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

The premises are maintained in excellent order and are very comfortably furnished and well equipped. Young people have chosen decoration schemes for their bedrooms and they have been personalised to reflect their individual interests and tastes. The young people enjoy a pleasant and safe environment.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. The home has a Statement of Purpose that provides clear information about how it operates. There is also a young people’s guide that provides a useful introduction to the home. The home operates in line with its Statement of Purpose. It is very clear to young people and their parents what they can expect of the home. The children's guide has been developed and is in pictorial format. This enables all young people receiving a service from the home, to have clear information.

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Organisation

There are good arrangements for providing staff with training in caring for children and young people. Most of the staff have a suitable qualification confirming they have the competencies needed to care for young people. Staff feel well supported. Staffing levels are good and enable staff to spend time meeting the individual needs of the young people.

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Organisation

There are good systems in place for monitoring the care and welfare of the young people. Regulation 33 visits are carried out on a monthly basis and they are used to identify areas for improvement. The Registered Manager also monitors the operation of the home and the home’s records to identify any issues that may require action.

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Organisation

The home's promotion of equality and diversity is good. The home operates in a way which clearly recognises the uniqueness of individual young people. Care and support is specifically tailored to reflect this. 7 of 8 Inspection Report: SC063103

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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

2 November 2009 ensure that the records of sanctions made are signed by the person imposing the sanction (Regulation 17 (4)(e))

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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 that the young people are given the opportunity to discuss incidents and express their views regarding any sanctions made against the records kept at the home (NMS 22.14) 8 of 8 Inspection Report: SC063103

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