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

SC059635 Unique reference number 29 September 2009 Inspection date David Martin Inspector Key Type of Inspection

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15 January 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: SC059635

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Brief description of the service

This children's home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to eight young people of either sex, aged 12 to 18 years, who may be experiencing a range of social, emotional, and behavioural problems. The home offers a supportive living environment on a medium to long-term basis. There are communal rooms on the ground floor and individual bedrooms upstairs. The home is situated in a suburban area but close to local amenities.

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Summary

This unannounced inspection was carried out to assess the home's performance against all key standards and to check progress in meeting the recommendations made in the last inspection report.

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Summary

The home continues to be well run and provides young people with well planned, consistent care. Health care and educational needs are identified and met. There are strong arrangements in place to ensure that young people are safe and protected from harm. The promotion of equality and diversity underpins the work of the home, ensuring that young peoples' individuality is respected. 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

The home has taken action in response to the recommendation made in the last inspection report. The documentation concerning self-medication is now fully completed, ensuring that medication can be accounted for.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. The young people's health care needs are met well. They are registered with primary health care providers and are well supported when the need for checks or treatment arises. The home has regular contact with the Looked After Children's nurse and specialist health care is arranged as required. This includes input from representatives of the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services who will undertake direct work with young people. Each young person has a health care plan setting out how their health care needs will be met.

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Helping children to be healthy

The young people are provided with healthy, nutritious meals. They can contribute their ideas to the weekly menu and daily choices always include a halal option. The young people are encouraged to participate in the preparation of meals. The home celebrates a range of religious festivals and young people are supported in observing religious customs in relation to the provision of food.

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Helping children to be healthy

Young people's medication is stored securely and there are systems in place to ensure that it is administered safely. Improvements have been made to the documentation relating to self-medication and it is now accurate and accountable. Staff have completed first aid training ensuring that they can care for young people who have had accidents. 4 of 7 Inspection Report: SC059635

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Young people's privacy and dignity are respected. Bedrooms and bathrooms are lockable and there is access to a private telephone. Young people are encouraged to be appropriately dressed at all times. Staff have completed data protection training and have a good understanding of issues of confidentiality. This ensures that information about young people is protected.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The young people have been given information about how to raise complaints both formally and informally. They are also advised to contact the local children's rights service and other external agencies for further help. The staff are trained in child protection and are very confident about reporting any issues that arise. The home promotes an anti-bullying culture and any incidents of bullying are addressed as and when they occur. The home has good systems in place to protect young people from harm.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The home has individual risk assessments to manage incidents of unauthorised absence from the home. Frequent absence triggers a professionals' meeting to review placement arrangements and to consider alternative strategies for managing it. This assists in the process of ensuring young people are safe.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

There is minimal use of sanctions and there has been one incident of restraint in the past 12-months. The staff have been trained in using safe methods of physical intervention and have a wide range of techniques for diffusing potential confrontation. Key worker sessions are used to help young people reflect on the impact of their behaviour. The home's approach actively promotes socially acceptable behaviour.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The premises are maintained safely throughout. New staff are employed following a robust selection process and thorough vetting. This ensures that staff are suitable to work with young people and contributes to their overall safety and well being.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. The home has electronic files for each young person and access to the records kept by the young peoples' social workers. Each young person has an individual development plan which sets out how their educational, health and emotional needs will be met. There are also individual behaviour management plans in place. The case records are well maintained and provide a good foundation for young people to receive well-planned, consistent care.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The home actively promotes education of young people and there is a high expectation that young people will attend their school, college or work placement. The home experiences some difficulty in obtaining personal education plans for the young people but there is evidence to indicate that there have been repeated requested for this information from social workers. Keyworkers liaise with schools to ensure that any problems are dealt with promptly.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Young people are helped to use their leisure time constructively. They are involved in organised activities in the local community. There are regular events in the home such as film nights which the young people enjoy. Overall, the young people are encouraged to have a positive attitude to learning and leisure. 5 of 7 Inspection Report: SC059635

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Young people's care is formally reviewed every six months. They are encouraged to attend and to submit written contributions to the process. Contact arrangements are agreed prior to admission and the details are kept on file. This ensures that contact takes place safely.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The home has had a high number of recent admissions and the staff team have been able to ensure that this has been managed sensitively and with minimum disruption. In the main, young people are placed in accordance with admission criteria and require long term placements. Where there are concerns that the home is not able to meet the needs of individual young people, the placement is reviewed with a view to finding an alternative. This ensures that young people receive the care and support they need.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Young people's views are valued and they can raise suggestions on the day to day running of the home. They can contribute their ideas for changes to the menu and the activities they would like to be involved in, for example. Young people are enabled to make a positive contribution to decision making.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

The provision is good. The home is in reasonably good decorative order. The dining area is bright and comfortably furnished. There are plans to decorate the communal areas of the home and to purchase new furniture for the lounge. Each young person has their own bedroom which they have been able to personalise and decorate in accordance with their wishes. The young people live in a home which is safely maintained.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. The promotion of equality and diversity is good. The values are embedded in the work of the home and this ensures that young peoples' individuality is respected.

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Organisation

The statement of purpose has been reviewed and is up to date and accurate. It sets out the values and arrangements for the way in which the home is run. There is a children's guide which explains the home, the rules and routines. This ensures that young people are made aware of the services they can expect.

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Organisation

The home has a competent, experienced staff team. The staff have childcare qualifications and access to ongoing training which ensures that their practice is up to date. They receive monthly supervision and have regular staff meetings. There are always sufficient staff on duty to ensure that young people have access to support and guidance. This ensures that young people receive care in accordance with their needs.

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Organisation

The home has monthly quality monitoring visits to assess activity in the home, and to identify areas for improvement. The manager also carries out internal quality assurance checks. This ensures that young people continue to receive a good service and live in a home that is safe. 6 of 7 Inspection Report: SC059635

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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: SC059635

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