Children's Home run by The Partnership of Care Today in Stoke-on-Trent

SC008269 Unique reference number 16 November 2009 Inspection date Elaine Cray Inspector Key Type of Inspection

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28 October 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 9 Inspection Report: SC008269

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Brief description of the service

The home is registered to provide care for three young people, of either sex, between the ages of 10 and 18 years with emotional and behavioural difficulties. The service provides medium to long-term residential care and is owned by a private company.

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Brief description of the service

The home is located in a residential area that has easy access to local facilities and public transport. The house consists of a lounge, dining room, study and kitchen on the ground floor. There are three young people's bedrooms and bathroom on the first floor. There are gardens to the front and rear of the house.

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Summary

This inspection is an unannounced full key inspection visit, looking at all the key national minimum standards. The outcome groups relating to being healthy and economic wellbeing are assessed and judged as good. Outcomes for staying safe, enjoying and achieving, positive contribution and organisation are assessed and judged as satisfactory.

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Summary

The overall quality rating is satisfactory. Relationships between staff and young people are very positive and staff do their utmost to promote the safety of young people who often present risk taking behaviour. There are clear shifts in young people’s behaviour as they become more aware, make more positive decisions and develop appropriate relationships. Young people feel good about the progress they are making at the home.

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Summary

Some recording systems in the home are poor and seven actions and five recommendations are set are set as a result of this inspection visit. The overall quality rating is satisfactory. This is an overview of what the inspector found during the inspection.

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Improvements since the last inspection

An appropriate format for recording complaints is in place as recommended at the last inspection.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. The promotion of young people's health and arrangements for their medical needs are well-organised. Young people develop a growing awareness of how to maintain healthier diets and lifestyles. Healthy eating is promoted, menus are varied, discussed with young people and include choice. Young people are able to take responsibility for shopping and cooking their own meals. They are encouraged to develop an understanding of healthy eating which also promotes their independence and life skills.

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Helping children to be healthy

Medical and health records are well-recorded and show that young people's medical appointments are arranged and their health closely monitored. Staff are trained in first aid and administering medication, which is well-managed in the home.

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Helping children to be healthy

Staff have a good awareness of health issues relating to the lifestyles of young people. There are clear benefits from the proactive approach to raising young people’s awareness and enabling 4 of 9 Inspection Report: SC008269 them to understand their own health needs. Young people’s knowledge of local health and support agencies is very good. These services provide additional support to young people and consultation for staff. Young people identify an improvement in their health since living at the home.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. The safety and welfare of young people is placed in high priority and young people say they feel safe and see improvements in their behaviour. The procedures and practices for promoting the welfare and safety of young people are generally well-managed, with the exception of physical restraint procedures.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people are looked after by staff trained in safeguarding children procedures. Staff understand the clear risk assessment and management strategies documented for each young person and about the general running of the home. They are fully aware of the procedures regarding young people going missing. There is extensive liaison with the police, the safeguarding team and other agencies to promote the safety of young people, who place themselves at significant risk. Staff know who to notify about serious incidents in the home.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The home has clear policies and procedures regarding the recruitment of staff which are in line with the Children's Homes Regulations 2001 and national minimum standards. Whilst an audit undertaken by Ofsted in May 2009 identified some shortfalls in practice, the files for the most recently recruited staff at this home demonstrate a satisfactory recruitment, selection and vetting process.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The privacy of young people is respected and young people enjoy their own private space. There is an anti-bullying policy and strategies are documented in risk assessments and placement care plans. Young people are protected by a clear written complaints procedure with information included in the young people’s guide. The manager and staff show a good commitment to listening to young people, who say their concerns are taken seriously and sorted out by the manager and staff.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

There is a written behaviour management policy and staff are trained in behaviour management and physical intervention. Staff maintain positive and interactive relationships with young people. These relationships are crucial to maintaining contact with young people when they place themselves at risk when they go missing from the home. Young people say they go missing from the home less often, they understand the importance of maintaining contact with staff and always look forward to returning to the home as they feel safe and well-looked after there.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Although incidents of physical restraint are seldom, a recent incident and subsequent lack of recording presents concerns about how restraint procedures are monitored and young people’s welfare safeguarded. A serious incident, resulting in significant physical restraint is recorded in the daily log and on an incident report. This incident occurred two months previous to this inspection and the central log for physical restraint is not complete. Young people have moved on and their records have been archived. The incident report is also incomplete. There is no record regarding the effectiveness of the restraint. No record regarding young people’s perceptions of restraint and the manager has not signed to confirm that incidents are monitored. Additionally, the physical restraint took place in a dangerous location. Although there is a documented risk assessment regarding general physical restraint, it does not include an

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

5 of 9 Inspection Report: SC008269 assessment of the physical environment in the home or provide any management strategies for implementing the home's behaviour management procedures within the confines of the home.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The sanctions book is kept up to date and monitored by the manager. Young people say sanctions are fair. The current format for recording in the sanctions book only requires the name of the staff issuing a sanction and does not include a section for the names of other staff, young people or others present when sanctions are given.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The physical environment is well-maintained and monitored in terms of health and safety, with comprehensive and detailed documentation. Fire safety procedures are checked and monitored.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is satisfactory. Young people's needs are assessed on an individual basis. The manager and staff say appropriate support is afforded to each young person through individual key working sessions, although these are poorly recorded. There is very good liaison with appropriate agencies in terms of more specialised individual needs. Young people say they like and get on well with their key workers.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The staff provide support and encouragement to young people to enjoy and achieve in both education, leisure activities and overall personal development. The manager and staff maintain connections with local mainstream schools, colleges and employment projects. There are also education facilities, including a school and home tutoring service, available within the company who owns the home. The head of education from the company’s school maintains contact with the staff and young people. He works with the local authority to secure appropriate full-time education provision.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Some young people are challenged by attending formal mainstream education and the manager and staff say there are clear attempts to re-engage young people in education and employment. However, written plans relating to the service providing an educational programme during normal school hours, when young people are not in full time education are poor. Consequently, there is no clear structure to each young person’s day.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. Young people are supported when they move in and they receive a written guide about the home. There is an admissions check list for staff to ensure young people’s needs are ascertained and they feel supported. Young people say they have settled well, they understand the reason for their placements and feel part of the running of the home. There are clear processes to support young people when they leave the home.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Young people are looked after by staff who show a good awareness of the young people's needs. Practical day-to-day care strategies are recorded in placement care plans, but they are not fully up to date and sections for signing by the manager, key worker and young people remain incomplete several months after the plans were drawn up.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Young people are given the opportunity to attend meetings, including statutory reviews with their social worker. They also make contributions to the home and their placements with regular 6 of 9 Inspection Report: SC008269 young people's meetings, discussions with their key workers and staff. Relationships are respectful and relaxed, with lots of chatting and general discussion, ensuring that the lines of communication are open and young people feel able to approach staff and express their wishes.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Arrangements for young people to maintain contact with families and friends are well-recorded and supported by the manager and staff at the home.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

The provision is good. Young people live in a well-maintained and comfortable home. The lounge, dining room, study, kitchen and bedrooms are well-furnished, well-decorated and present a homely environment for young people.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

Plans to help young people develop life skills and prepare for more independent living are in place and supported by the staff. Young people are encouraged to do their washing, ironing and cleaning. They are also helped to learn how to budget money, cook their own meals and liaise with agencies in the community. Staff try to encourage young people to engage with education, college and employment opportunities and endeavour to enable them to develop confidence and skills that will contribute to their future economic wellbeing.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. The home’s statement of purpose and young people’s guide provides good information about the home. Young people are cared for by a small yet experienced team of staff. The rota shows there are at least two members of staff on duty and there is allotted time for daily handover meetings, regular team meetings and staff supervision.

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Organisation

Staff training is well-organised, with an induction package and an annual training plan with core training such as child protection, first aid and behaviour management. Staff supervision is provided on a monthly basis. All staff have completed their National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) at Level 3.

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Organisation

The promotion of equality and diversity is satisfactory. The staff team present an openness and firm commitment to assessing and understanding the individual needs of all young people and exploring ways in which these needs can be addressed. The staff team is predominantly female and this meets the current needs of the young people. Discriminatory behaviour and bullying are challenged and addressed. Each child has a permanent and private file, which is comprehensive, well-organised and shows a clear record of each young person’s progress.

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Organisation

The home is generally well-managed but there are some inconsistencies in providing accurate and up to date records. Whilst staff understand their roles and responsibilities, lines of accountability and monitoring have been on occasion inconsistent. Regulation 34 checks are carried out by the manager. The Responsible Individual delegates Regulation 33 visits to managers and deputy managers from other homes within the company. Whilst monthly visits are carried out and reports state that the daily log is checked, visits have failed to identify that an incident resulting in significant restraint has not been appropriately recorded, monitored by the manager or followed through with the young people. 7 of 9 Inspection Report: SC008269

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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

24 December 2009 ensure that within 24 hours of the use of any measure of control, restraint or discipline in a children’s home, a written record is made in a volume kept for the purpose (Regulation 17.4) 24 December 2009 ensure the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the restraint is recorded in the restraint book (Regulation 14.4 (f)) 24 December 2009 ensure unnecessary risks, with particular regard to implementing the home’s physical restraint procedure, to the health or safety of children accommodated in the home are identified and so far as possible eliminated (Regulation 17 (c)) 24 December 2009 ensure the routine of the home is organised so as to further young people’s participation in education, including private study (Regulation 18.1 (b)) 24 December 2009 ensure placement care plans are kept under review and revised as necessary (Regulation 12.2) 24 December 2009 ensure Regulation 33 checks provide an accurate report of the

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Due date Action Standard

inspection of the home’s daily log of events (Regulation 33 (b) and (c)) 24 December 2009 ensure Regulation 34 checks consistently monitor the matters set out in Schedule 6 (Regulation 34 – Schedule 6.12).

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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 the names of staff members, young people and any other persons present when giving a sanction are recorded in the sanctions book - in addition to the member of staff issuing the sanction (NMS 22.10). • encourage children to write or have their views recorded and sign their names, if possible in the records kept by the home, when disciplinary measures or restraint are used (NMS 22.14) • ensure there is an educational programme during normal school hours for children of compulsory school age who are not in school (NMS 14.7) 8 of 9 Inspection Report: SC008269 • ensure key workers record the guidance, advice and support provided to young people (NMS 2.2) • ensure young people's views on placement care plans are represented (NMS 2.5) 9 of 9 Inspection Report: SC008269

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