Children's Home, Residential special school run by Options Autism (1) Limited in North Lincolnshire

SC066565 Unique reference number 2 February 2010 Inspection date Russell Shackford Inspector Random 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 8 Inspection Report: SC066565

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Brief description of the service

This children’s home is registered to provide care, accommodation and education for up to 26 boys and girls from eight-years-old up to 17-years-old. The home offers a specialised service to children and young people with autism.

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Brief description of the service

The home has a range of accommodation. There are three flats with four bedrooms and two flats with six bedrooms. There are also two, one-bedroom, independent flats for young people who can enjoy a more independent lifestyle.

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Brief description of the service

Each flat has a lounge and spacious kitchen diner. Some bedrooms are en-suite and are supplemented with additional bathrooms.

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Brief description of the service

The home benefits from a wide range of leisure and education facilities on site. These include a school, home cinema, bistro, games room, sports hall, gym, hydrotherapy pool, Five a side football pitch, horticultural facilities, a craft room, sensory room, library and information technology suite.

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Brief description of the service

There is also a playing field, gardens and parking space.

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Summary

This was a random inspection to check on all key standards and related regulations under the Every Child Matters outcome group of staying safe and improvements to matters raised at the last inspection. This is an inadequate service. Privacy is very well facilitated in all aspects. Complaints are handled appropriately. There are good child protection policies and procedures, which help to safeguard the welfare of the young people. However, it is recommended that medication administration and recruitment records are improved. Further actions have been raised because aspects of the behaviour management policy and practice continue to be excessive and unreasonable, not all staff have been involved in regular fire drills or received up to date fire safety training, written risk assessments continue to support the restriction of young people's liberty to keep them safe and there is inadequate monitoring of these matters.

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Summary

The overall quality rating is inadequate. This is an overview of what the inspector found during the inspection.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection the registered person was asked to make improvements around medication records, risk assessments, the restriction of young people's liberty, education records and monitoring of the quality of care at the home.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Medication stock control records have been revised to include a daily and weekly checking system. However, when errors have been identified, there is no recorded evidence of the action taken as a result. A recommendation has been made to include this in the records.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The risk assessments checked continue to support the unacceptable practice of routinely locking the internal and peripheral doors. The manager said that she was unaware that the risk assessments had not been updated to reflect the changes made to the home's current practices and these would be reviewed. 4 of 8 Inspection Report: SC066565 The provider has made changes to the door-locking system to address the matter raised at previous inspections about restricting young people's liberty. However, the young people's liberty continues to be restricted by the home's policy of routinely locking both internal and peripheral doors in the evening to keep young people in the home. This frequent, routine practice is an excessive and unreasonable method of control. The service must keep young people safe without restricting their liberty. An action has been raised to cease this practice immediately. The manager said that she would address the matter with urgency.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Where appropriate, all young people have an up-to-date statement of special educational needs.

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Improvements since the last inspection

An internal checking system is maintained to monitor the welfare of the children and young people in the home. Monthly audits are undertaken by the manager and unannounced monthly monitoring visits are carried out by the provider. A report of the findings is produced. This is to ensure that the care of children and young people is adapted in the light of information about how the home is operating. However, both systems have failed to identify the welfare and safeguarding concerns raised in this report, for example, fire safety, medication administration errors, risk assessments and the continued, routine restriction of young people's liberty. Therefore, the provider has not taken appropriate measures to safeguard the welfare of the children and young people.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection it was recommended that the registered person make improvements around child protection refresher training, risk assessments, independent advocacy service for young people and the content of the Statement of Purpose.

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Improvements since the last inspection

All staff, including waking night staff, have received child protection refresher training. Risk assessments are now dated and an independent advocacy service for young people has been commissioned. The Statement of Purpose has been reviewed and revised.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. The manager has introduced a system for checking stocks of medication against the administering records kept. The medication records show that the checking system identifies when errors are made but not the action taken to investigate the implications of the error being made or the outcomes. The manager said that this was an area for further development. Therefore, the health and welfare of young people is not fully safeguarded by the home's policies and procedures for administering medication.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is inadequate. Staff demonstrate good understanding of facilitating privacy for the young people. This is done sensitively and safely. Additional staffing is used if required to ensure that privacy is promoted and protected at all times. Staff confirm that they are able to speak and make telephone calls in private and details about young people's care are recorded and stored appropriately, to maintain appropriate levels of confidentiality. Young people have access to a private telephone. Visiting families and friends can have the use of a private visitor's suite which can also be used for overnight stays. 5 of 8 Inspection Report: SC066565 All staff have received training on complaints to ensure that they know what to do if a person complains about the service. There is information in the young people’s guide about how to complain. Staff enable young people to complain through support or advocacy. There is also

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

an independent advocacy service available to the young people. The complaints procedure is supported by a clear and thorough recording system. Therefore, complaints are satisfactorily handled.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The managers and staff have all received up-to-date child protection training. The provider has a good safeguarding procedure for staff to follow in the event of any allegation or suspicion of abuse. Staff demonstrate good knowledge and understanding of the safeguarding procedures to promote and protect the young people's safety. Therefore, the welfare of young people is promoted, they are protected from abuse, bullying and unauthorised absence and an appropriate response is made to any allegation or suspicion of abuse.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

All significant events at the home have been notified to the relevant authorities including Ofsted.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The behaviour management policy is good, promoting the use of praise, encouragement and de-escalation of behaviours. The policy reflects the age, understanding and individual needs of the young people concerned. Therefore, young people are assisted to develop socially acceptable behaviour through encouragement of acceptable behaviour and constructive staff response to inappropriate behaviour. Physical restraint is occasionally used to manage behaviour where no other alternative exists. Staff are trained in the provider's policy and practices. Physical restraint records contain the required details. The provider has made changes to the door locking system to address the matter raised at previous inspections about restricting young people's liberty. However, the young people's liberty continues to be restricted by the home's policy of routinely locking both internal and peripheral doors in the evening to keep young

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

people in the home. This frequent, routine practice is an excessive and unreasonable method of control. The service must keep young people safe without restricting their liberty. An action has been raised to cease this practice immediately. The manager said that she would address the matter with urgency.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Written risk assessments are recorded to enable staff to know what action to take to minimise the risk to each young person during their known and likely activities. However, some of those recorded continue to support the unacceptable practice of routinely locking the internal and peripheral doors. The manager said that she was unaware that the risk assessments had not been updated to reflect the changes made to the homes current practices and these would be reviewed.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The fire safety check records are up to date and accurate. However, not all staff have been involved in regular fire drills and not all staff working at the home have received up-to-date fire safety training to enable them to minimise the risks to young people in the event of a fire at the home. Therefore, young people's physical safety from fire in the home is not adequately protected. The manager said that she was not aware that this was the case and it would be addressed as a matter of urgency.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

All staff have been appropriately recruited and they have undergone Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) checks to ensure that they are suitable to work with young people. However, the manager 6 of 8 Inspection Report: SC066565 was unable to confirm from the records whether the correct level of CRB check had been undertaken. The manager said that this was a matter for development.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Where appropriate, all young people have an up-to-date statement of special educational needs.

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Organisation

The organisation is inadequate. An internal checking system is maintained to monitor the welfare of the children and young people in the home. Monthly audits are undertaken by the manager and unannounced monthly monitoring visits are carried out by the provider. A report of the findings is produced. This is to ensure that the care of children and young people is adapted in the light of information about how the home is operating. However, both systems have failed to identify the welfare and safeguarding concerns raised in this report, for example, fire safety, risk assessments and the routine restriction of young people's liberty. Therefore, the provider has not taken adequate measures to safeguard the welfare of the children and young people.

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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

3 February 2010 ensure that no measure of control or restraint is excessive or unreasonable (Regulation 17) 3 February 2010 make arrangements for persons working at the home to receive suitable training in fire prevention (Regulation 32) 3 February 2010 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 (Regulation 32) 3 February 2010 ensure that unnecessary risks to the health or safety of children accommodated in the home are identified, accurately recorded and so far as possible eliminated (Regulation 23) 15 February 2010 maintain a system for monitoring the matters set out in Schedule 6 at appropriate intervals; and improving the quality 7 of 8 Inspection Report: SC066565 of care and safeguarding provided in the children’s home (Regulation 34) 15 February 2010 undertake effective monitoring of the standard of care in the

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Due date Action Standard

home to ensure that children's welfare is safeguarded at all times (Regulation 33)

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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): • improve the medication stock control system to include the action taken when an error is identified (NMS 13) • improve the recruitment records to ensure that it is possible to identify from them the level of the Criminal Records Bureau checks carried out (NMS 27) 8 of 8 Inspection Report: SC066565

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