Children's Home run by Durham County Council in Durham

SC035235 Unique reference number 18 February 2010 Inspection date Steve Pearson Inspector Key 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 9 Inspection Report: SC035235

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Brief description of the service

The children's home is located in a village and provides accommodation for up to three young people aged 14 years old to 17 years old who are preparing for independent living. The ground floor has a lounge with satellite television, a dining room and computer with internet access, a laundry, office and staff sleep-in facilities, and a kitchen. The garden has an area for people to sit. The young people and another member of staff sleep upstairs. At the time of the inspection, two young people were living in the home and one of them spoke to the inspector about the care they receive. Ofsted also received two surveys from young people.

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Summary

This was an unannounced, full inspection and so all the key national minimum standards were assessed. The inspection also assessed whether the registered persons had met the requirement and recommendation made at the previous inspection on 8 April 2009. These were about the Registered Manager's monthly monitoring of care quality, and the contents of the staffing policy.

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Summary

Overall, outcomes for young people being cared for in this children's home are reasonable and appropriate.

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Summary

The Registered Manager and staff are effective at promoting young people's good health although health plans are not adequately comprehensive.

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Summary

The team promote the safety of young people. Young people receive appropriate privacy, the manager and staff respond to complaints effectively and they are fully aware of how to respond to allegations, suspicions or evidence of abuse. There is no bullying and the team respond effectively if this does arise.

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Summary

The premises are maintained in a safe condition and the team conduct regular fire drills with young people. However, records do not provide for suitable accountability. For example, the staff are not recording the names of young people who go missing and the effectiveness of sanctions. The child protection policy is also incomplete so there is a risk that the safety of young people will not be promoted as effectively as it could be.

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Summary

Outcomes associated with enabling young people to enjoy and achieve in life are satisfactory although the educational plans for young people are not adequately clear.

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Summary

Young people are supported well to contribute their views about the running of the home and about the content of their own care plans. However, the contents and design of residential placement plans are confusing and incomplete. This means the staff are not fully supported to be clear about the current needs of young people and about their role in meeting these needs.

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Summary

The children's home is homely and is furnished and decorated to a high standard. Young people play a full part in helping to choose the décor and furnishings and fittings. The Registered Manager and staff are also effective in helping young people to prepare for leaving care and there are strong links with the local authority's leaving care team. 4 of 9 Inspection Report: SC035235 Organisational arrangements are sound. The home has an appropriate level of staffing, the staff team receive good levels of training and nearly all of them are appropriately qualified. The Registered Manager formally monitors the quality of care on a monthly basis and takes into account the views of young people, parents and social workers. However, support for the staff is not fully effective because the range of recommended issues is not being covered in formal supervision sessions. The overall quality rating is satisfactory.

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Summary

This is an overview of what the inspector found during the inspection.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The monitoring of quality has improved because each month, the Registered Manager consults with young people, parents and social workers seeking their opinion about the quality of care.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Staffing arrangements are now clearer to others because the staffing policy is described in the home's Statement of Purpose.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. The Registered Manager and staff are effective at promoting the health of young people. Young people are provided with a healthy diet and all the staff have received training in food hygiene. The staff give helpful advice about shopping, budgeting and food preparation to young people who are developing skills for independent living. The effects of culture on diet are also understood and the facilities are very good as a new kitchen has been installed recently.

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Helping children to be healthy

The staff are qualified in the administration of first aid. Young people have ready access to health professionals and specialist health advice is also available. The staff are proactive in providing information about health in a suitable format to young people and they monitor issues of concern effectively. However, the recording of health issues in residential placement plans is weak as the format is hard to understand and not comprehensive.

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Helping children to be healthy

The staff administer medications safely. All the staff are qualified in the administration of medications and the recording of administration is clear and comprehensive.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. The Registered Manager and staff promote young people's safety appropriately.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people have the privacy they need when they need it. They are fully supported to have telephone contact with other people in private and the staff are aware of the limitations of confidentiality if young people tell them something of concern.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Good arrangements are in place to help young people raise concerns and complaints. These measures include informal and formal procedures and a clear and accountable recording system.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The staff receive regular training about how to safeguard young people's welfare and they fully understand the appropriate procedures to follow regarding allegations, suspicions or evidence of abuse. However, the home's written policy about child protection does not contain all the necessary information. This means the procedures in place are not as robust as they could be. 5 of 9 Inspection Report: SC035235 There is no bullying and there are suitable arrangements are to address this issue should it arise.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people rarely go missing from the home. However, the recording of any such occasions is not adequately robust because the name of the missing young person is not being recorded. The Registered Manager and staff adopt a social model of promoting positive behaviour which is based on reward and praise for positive behaviour rather than punishment of unacceptable behaviour. The use of restraint is extremely rare and the use of any sanctions is fair. However, the effectiveness and the consequences of sanctions are not recorded which means there is a risk some sanctions may be ineffective or detrimental. The child protection policy is incomplete because it does not contain all the necessary information about how safety will be promoted.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The home itself is maintained as safe premises. Professional technicians regularly service the electrical equipment, gas appliances and equipment for preventing, detecting and extinguishing fires.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Appropriate arrangements are in place to ensure that staff recruited to work with young people are suitable and safe. This includes inviting all shortlisted applicants to be interviewed by a panel of young people.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is satisfactory. Sound arrangements are in place to help young people enjoy and achieve in life.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Key workers and other staff provide regular one-to-one support to young people. Where necessary, external agencies support young people to meet any special needs. Each young person has their own risk assessment which identifies the hazards that may befall them and what measures should be followed to reduce the associated risks.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Strong links are in place with external agencies to support young people with their educational needs. This includes young people who are still at school and those who are older and so have left school. However, in reality the outcomes associated with education, employment and training are moderate. Additionally, residential placement plans do not clearly identify current educational needs and how these should be met by the staff. There is therefore a risk that such needs are not met as effectively as they could be.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. Overall, the arrangements in place to help young people have a full say about the running of the home and about their own care plans are sound.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Each young person has a key worker who oversees their residential placement plan. These plans cover all the relevant aspects of needs. However, they contain a variety of dates and a significant amount of historical information. This means it is hard to ascertain how up to date or relevant such plans are. Additionally, there is a risk that young people's needs will not be met because the plans do not clearly identify what the staff should do. The design and content of the care plans are the main factors limiting the quality of outcomes associated with helping young people to make a positive contribution. 6 of 9 Inspection Report: SC035235 The plans are reviewed regularly and young people are fully supported to express their opinions about their care. Good use is also made of an advocacy service so that an independent person can support young people to make their opinions known. Outcomes of review meetings are

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Helping children make a positive contribution

clearly recorded in each young person's file and young people themselves receive their own copy of minutes from the meetings.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The Registered Manager and staff support young people to maintain and develop contact with their family and friends. Suitable arrangements are also in place to ensure that young people are only admitted to the home if their needs can be met and if their admission does not affect the needs of the other young people already living in the home. Young people are shown around the home and meet the staff and other young people before deciding if they would like to live there and they receive useful information when they are admitted.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The Registered Manager and staff regularly consult with young people and others about how they think the running of the home could be improved. This includes asking young people to complete questionnaires, holding regular house meetings and holding regular discussions with parents and social workers.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

The provision is good. The Registered Manager and staff are effective at helping young people to prepare and move on successfully into independent living.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

A clear and structured leaving care plan is in place and this includes a list of relevant skills which the staff help the young people to learn before they leave the home. There are strong links with the local authority's leaving care team and each young person has a young person's adviser from that team. Effective arrangements are in place to identify appropriate accommodation for young people to move into when they leave the children's home.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

The children's home itself is in a good state of maintenance and décor. Young people have helped choose the décor of the home and they also help to choose new furnishings and fittings. However, a loud creaking floorboard in one of the bedrooms detracts from the otherwise homely atmosphere in the house.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. The home has a Statement of Purpose which meets all legal requirements and young people receive a useful children's guide when they first move into the children's home.

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Organisation

The staff receive regular formal supervision and the outcomes are recorded on each occasion. However supervision is not fully effective because it does not cover the necessary range of issues as recommended by the national minimum standard.

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Organisation

The team of staff is competent to meet the needs of young people. They receive a good level of training and nearly all the staff have gained the National Vocational Qualification at level 3 in Caring for Children and Young People. Staffing levels are also appropriate to meet the needs of young people and rotas are designed to maximise continuity and consistency. The staff have clear and comprehensive guidance about how to work safely with young people. 7 of 9 Inspection Report: SC035235 The Registered Manager formally monitors the quality of care for young people and this includes taking into account the views of young people, parents and social workers. The Registered Manager is aware of improvements that can be made in the recording format of the associated monitoring report.

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Organisation

Records are stored securely. The staff enable young people to read their files, confidential or third party information excepted. They also enable young people to correct errors and add personal statements in their files should they wish to do so.

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Organisation

The promotion of equality and diversity is good. All the staff have undertaken a 15 week course of training resulting in them gaining a qualification in the promotion of equality and diversity. The staff are also due to attend further training about the needs of travellers, and disability support. A member of staff has recently been appointed as an equality and diversity champion and reports are written using a font which people with dyslexia find easier to read.

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Organisation

The staff arrange occasional themed nights so that young people gain an understanding of cultural issues within other communities and countries. Young people are fully encouraged to have a full say in the running of the home and to develop their own identity and achieve their potential. Good use is also made of an advocacy service when necessary.

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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

1 May 2010 ensure the home's child protection policy covers the issues described by legislation and by standard 17.3. (Regulation 16(2))

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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 health care section within each young person's residential placement plan covers those issues recommended by the standard (NMS 12.2) • ensure that the name of any young person who goes missing is recorded in the relevant documentation (NMS 19.6) • ensure that the effectiveness and consequences of any sanction are recorded in the bound book (NMS 22.10) • ensure that the educational needs of young people and how the staff should meet these needs are recorded clearly in their residential placement plan (NMS 14) • ensure that residential placement plans are kept updated and that historical information within those plans is recorded elsewhere (NMS 2) 8 of 9 Inspection Report: SC035235 • ensure that the expectations of the staff in meeting the needs of each young person are

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Recommendations

clearly described in each young person's residential placement plan (NMS 2.1) • fix the creaking floorboard in the young person's bedroom (NMS 24) • ensure that the relevant issues are covered when each member of staff receives formal supervision. (NMS 28.4) 9 of 9 Inspection Report: SC035235

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