Children's Home run by Bryn Melyn Care Limited in Telford and Wrekin

SC372621 Unique reference number 27 July 2009 Inspection date Julian Parker Inspector Random Type of Inspection

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23 September 2008 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: SC372621

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Brief description of the service

This setting is a small children's home. It is registered to provide care for up to two young people of either gender, aged between 10 and 18 years. The home is rurally located but remains within convenient vehicular access of major county towns, various leisure and recreational facilities and the company school. The home offers spacious accommodation in a four bedroomed detached country property. Resident young people are provided with their own rooms. The home has a lounge, kitchen, dining room, games room, bathrooms on each floor and a staff office.

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Summary

This unannounced, interim inspection of the children's home, looks at all of the key National Minimum Standards other than the staff recruitment process within the Staying Safe and Management outcome areas and actions and recommendations arising from the last inspection.

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Summary

The home is judged as good. Young people receive individualised care that is consistently applied within a safely maintained environment. Although there has been a change of occupancy, staff at the home make every effort to engage with young people to deal effectively with difficult behaviour to keep them safe. The manner in which equality and diversity needs are being addressed presently confirms the homes commitment to young people.

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Summary

The organisation of working practices is strong and the home functions well. The manager provides clear direction and leadership to the staff team and recognises the importance of effective recording. This ensures that the small team of staff are clear about individual roles and responsibilities and confidently provide consistent care. 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 last inspection the registered person was required to review how the administration of controlled medication was recorded. Changes to the homes occupancy and a review of dispensing procedures has effectively addressed this matter.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The registered person was required to ensure that the interior and exterior of the property be maintained in a good state of structural and decorative repair. Significant physical improvements have been made to the homes ground floor WC, bathing and laundry provision previously identified as needing attention.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Following a recommendation young people have been provided with access to a person independent of the home every time they go missing without permission. This development confirms how the home promotes the safety of young people.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. 4 of 7 Inspection Report: SC372621 The home promotes the right to privacy for young people by providing young people with their own bedrooms and dedicated bathroom, by staff protecting sensitive personal information and by being sensitive with how they communicate any information about young people with their families and professionals. Staff receive training to fully understand young people's rights and how to record and keep appropriate information confidential.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Any concerns or complaints made by young people living at the home are taken seriously by care staff. The majority of day-to-day most concerns are addressed effectively long before they become a complaint. The home has a clear and effective complaint policy and procedure that is summarised in the young person's guide to the home and made known to all stakeholders. Young people have access to an independent advocacy service should they require help or support in making their concerns known.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The welfare and safety of young people living at the home are actively promoted by the established company policies and procedures. These have been developed to comply with regulatory requirements and promote good practice in areas of child protection that include countering bullying, effective behaviour management and safeguarding children by adopting the guidelines laid down by the Local Safeguarding Children's Board. The company provide its staff with opportunities for self development to ensure that they know how to look after young people safely. The home follows company policies and local protocols for dealing with unauthorised absence. The procedures have been improved by young people having access to independent people on their return to the home.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Behaviour management is based on the active encouragement of acceptable behaviour. This is achieved by providing consistent expectations and by regularly praising any positive behaviour. Young people living at the home confirm that they understand the standards expected from them through the homes records. Staff treat the young people with respect and clear instruction and this approach is generally reflected by good behaviour and a minimal need for the use of sanctions or behavioural controls. This is confirmed by the staffing levels for the home being set at a one-to-one working model.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

All staff receive statutory training in behaviour management which includes the safe use of physical restraint using the Therapeutic Crisis Intervention approach. Staff training is refreshed at least annually to ensure that young people and staff can be kept safe. All incidents are evaluated by the home's manager who may adjust rotas to ensure consistent safe practice. The views and opinions of young people are sought in this process to improve the effectiveness of practice and show young people that they are listened to.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The home demonstrates its awareness of potential dangers to young people being looked after by generating an effective range of risk assessments that cover all aspects of safety in the living environment, for example, the risk from fire and household chemical hazards, or those posed by the young people's behaviour and their recreational activities. Risk assessments are generally effective because they are reviewed regularly and take into account routine daily tasks and any changes affecting the home such as staffing levels changes. Young people living in the home play a compliant part in responding to fire precautionary drills which helps them keep themselves safe. 5 of 7 Inspection Report: SC372621 The regular use of electrical appliances in their rooms by young people should be reassessed to confirm the adequacy of electrical sockets being used and to reduce the risks posed by electrical overload.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The home has established procedures in place for monitoring all visitors. No unauthorised person can access the building or have access to young people living there. Staff personnel files were not examined during this inspection. The Registered Manager confirmed that no staff started working at the home ahead of all necessary checks being comprehensively completed and that because of the staff to child working ratio all staff at the home had to be experienced practitioners.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Young people are supported to maintain contact that is meaningful and safe with people that are important to them. Placement Plans and case file records make explicit the arrangements authorised by their placing authority to maintain contact between young people, their family, friends and professional workers such as social workers. The quality and appropriateness of any contact is monitored to ensure that young people are effectively safeguarded while maintaining positive associations.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Admissions to the home are thoroughly planned and young people are involved with this process by visiting and having a say about matters that will concern them on their arrival, such as the decoration and contents of their room. Effective case planning confirms that all staff know how they can address the placement needs of new arrivals to the home.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Young people are actively encouraged to be involved with the every day decision-making processes that directly impact upon their lives at home by engaging in dialogue with staff to review any issues that affect the running of the home or their experience of care. This is particularly beneficial for encouraging young people to develop socially acceptable behaviour, to practice tolerance in their learning about other peoples expectations and to learn how to look after themselves safely.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

The provision is good. The accommodation is domestic in style, homely and decorated, maintained and furnished to a good standard. Significant improvements have been made to some WC, bathroom and the laundry area thereby enhancing the quality of the living environment for both children and staff.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. The Statement of Purpose for the home includes the information prescribed by schedule 1 of the Children's Home Regulations. Both the Statement of Purpose and the Young Person's Guide for the home have been reviewed confirming what services the company and children's home provide. 6 of 7 Inspection Report: SC372621 Young people are practically supported with all aspects of their daily living by the small team of competent, qualified staff who provide safe and consistent care by establishing positive relationships with young people. The experienced and qualified Registered Manager and Deputy Manager support their staff by providing regular supervision and ongoing access to professional training.

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Organisation

The staff rota confirms that the complement of the home is as identified by the home's Statement of Purpose. Any shortfalls are covered by house staff or known staff from other company homes to reduce the potential for any disruption to the young person's care routine or levels of support. The arrangement for safe one-to-one work with young people are fully addressed by the home's risk assessments, while remaining subject to constant staff review to maintain the young person's and staff safety.

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Organisation

The manager has established a clear process to regularly monitor the operational efficiency and quality of care being provided by the home. The content of the in-house monitoring is good. Monthly monitoring takes place through the use of a regulation 33 visitor to confirm that the home is operating within the scope of its Statement of Purpose. Newly admitted young people are invited to contribute to this process and thereby help to influence aspects of the service being provided by the home.

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Organisation

The future needs of the home has been identified through the production of an Annual Development Plan that considers all aspects of practice and the living environment.

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Organisation

The promotion of equality and diversity is good. The particular level of detail contained within the young people's plans, case files and daily recording documents confirms that staff both in the home and the company's educational unit know of young people's particular ethnic differences and difficulties and are actively engaged with them in addressing these on many levels.

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Organisation

The home is well organised. The case files belonging to individual young people are confidentially stored and arranged in a manner that is familiar to the staff team and young people. Young people are made aware of the contents of their files and can request to access them.

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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

To improve the quality and standards of care further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • review the use of electrical appliances by young people to confirm the adequacy of electrical sockets being used to reduce the risks posed by electrical overload (National Minimum Standard 26.4) 7 of 7 Inspection Report: SC372621

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