Children's Home run by Lifetime Opportunities Limited in Lancashire

SC063103 Unique reference number 29 December 2009 Inspection date Sarah Oldham Inspector Random Type of Inspection

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13 October 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 7 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

This inspection is an interim inspection. The purpose of the inspection was to assess how the home is continuing to meet the needs of the young people placed there, in particular in relation to supporting individual health care needs and how the home safeguards the young people living there.

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Summary

The home provides a good standard of care for young people with complex needs. Health care plans are detailed and the home has appropriate procedures in place to safeguard young people. 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 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 a recommendation was made to ensure that the views of young people are gained following any sanctions made. The home has addressed this by ensuring that young people have the opportunity to record their views within the sanction book. Where a young person is unable to record their views in the written format, staff write the young person's view for them. This is gained following consultation with the young person using a variety of communication aids, including pictorial. This ensures an accurate record of the young person's view is maintained and young people spoken to say that they are able to say how they felt about the sanctions made.

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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, including all aspects of health care needs, 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, ethnicity and belief are fully assessed in respect of each young person. These issues are explicitly addressed in care plans, along with 4 of 7 Inspection Report: SC063103 individual planning for how young people are to be assisted in tasks relating to personal care, administration of medication and other daily routine tasks.

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Helping children to be healthy

The home promotes the good health of young people by close attention to nutrition. 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 preferences of foods and the way that food is prepared. This ensures that young people have their dietary and cultural needs effectively met. 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. One young person who spoke with the inspector at the time of the inspection said the food was 'really nice and there is always something that I like'. Meal times are sociable occasions where children and staff eat meals together. This encourages and supports young people to learn and develop appropriate behaviours.

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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 are 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. Staff receive training and procedural guidance to ensure that confidentiality is promoted for the young people. All documentation is stored securely. Young people all have their own bedrooms and staff ensure that privacy is respected, balanced with any specific risk assessments regarding health or well being of the young people.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Information regarding making a complaint is included within the Statement of Purpose and the children's guide. This information is also available in pictorial format to ensure that all young people have the opportunity to access this. In addition independent advocacy services are available to support young people with any issues, concerns or complaints that they have. Young people spoken to say that they know what to do if they are unhappy about anything. At the time of the inspection no complaints had been made.

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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 procedures 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. The home ensures that the views of the young people are gained following any sanction made. Where a young person is unable to write their views, staff use various forms of communication aids, including pictorial to ensure that the views of young people are clearly represented. 5 of 7 Inspection Report: SC063103 All young people have a positive behaviour plan in place. This covers how individual behaviours are to be managed. Physical intervention is used only when the young person is at risk of harm to self or others. All staff have received training and this is updated on an annual basis to ensure that staff have a detailed knowledge of procedures to follow. All incidents of physical intervention are recorded in detail and this is monitored by the manager and through external

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

monitoring to ensure that the young people are supported and safeguarded.

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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 each individual's 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. However, although fire equipment had been signed as serviced by the independent engineer, the record of the service had not been forwarded to the home. The manager has requested a copy. 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 check (CRB) in place prior to commencing employment.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. The Statement of Purpose clearly reflects the aims and objectives of the home and complies with the national minimum standards for children's homes. This document is made available to parents/guardians and other interested parties. There is a children's guide for young people and this is in an accessible format, including pictorial. Staff at the home also explain verbally the guide to young people. This ensures that all young people are provided with information about the home.

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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. 6 of 7 Inspection Report: SC063103 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.

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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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Recommendations

There are no recommendations. 7 of 7 Inspection Report: SC063103

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