Children's Home run by Benjamin UK Ltd in Buckinghamshire

SC067757 Unique reference number 19 May 2009 Inspection date Lucy Martin Inspector Key Type of Inspection

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3 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 9 Inspection Report: SC067757

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Brief description of the service

This children’s home is registered to take young people aged 12 to 18 and is owned and operated by a private organisation. The home is located on a modern housing development close to all local amenities.

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Brief description of the service

The home sets out to provide medium to long-term care for young people who need particular assistance with managing offending behaviour. Where appropriate, young people are supported in returning home or staying longer to manage transitions to more independent settings.

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Brief description of the service

The ground floor has a kitchen, separate dining room, lounge and a large conservatory which is used as a classroom during the day. The main office, cloakroom and an additional room are also on the ground floor. On the first floor there are four bedrooms, one of which has en-suite facilities, and a communal bathroom.

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Brief description of the service

At the rear of the property there is a small garden with an area for parking.

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Brief description of the service

Currently, there are four young men living at the home, all of whom were present during the inspection.

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Summary

This was an unannounced inspection carried out over two days at which all key standards were inspected. The overall quality rating is inadequate with some satisfactory outcome areas. The home admitted three young people in the month before this inspection and this has created some instability. Two of the three young people admitted were emergency admissions and there is no indication that the needs of the young person concerned or the likely effects of the admission on the existing group of young people were taken into account when making the decision to admit. Detailed risk assessments were not completed prior to these admissions including key areas regarding safeguarding.

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Summary

The young people receive individualised support from members of staff but the behaviour is not always managed effectively. The staff recruitment process ensures that CRB (Criminal Bureau Checks ) are routinely undertaken, but written and verbal references are not routinely obtained before employment.

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Summary

The staff team is small and consistent and all staff members have either achieved, or are undertaking, their NVQ3 qualification. However, staff are not receiving regular, formal supervision and there is insufficient internal management monitoring of the home to identify issues requiring action. A number of the records maintained, such as the staff rota and the food menus are not in sufficient detail, and there is no clear evidence that the medical needs of the young people are being adequately met. 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 one requirement was made regarding notifying the appropriate authorities of significant events without delay. This has been carried out. 4 of 9 Inspection Report: SC067757 Two recommendations were repeated at the last inspection which were unmet. One was to ensure that the young people are aware of the contents of their placement plans and to sign them if appropriate. This has still not been done. The second recommendation that the young people's files are kept in good order and provide a clear overview of the work undertaken has been incorporated into the requirements and recommendations made at this inspection.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is inadequate. The young people are provided with a variety of food. They help plan the food menu and snacks such as fresh fruit are available. The current food menu does not accurately record all menus served. For example, food provided to the young people as required by their religious and cultural needs are not adequately recorded. There have been some recent changes made to record what individual young people are eating but this still does not adequately show how all the needs of young people with different needs are catered for.

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Helping children to be healthy

Each young person has a medical file which has a section to include a copy of the health plan. The three files seen do not contain a written health plan. Appointments to health care professionals are not consistently recorded in the files and one young person who has been resident for nearly four weeks has no record to indicate that he has been registered with a local doctor. During this inspection, one registration visit to the GP for another young person was forgotten by the staff on duty. In addition, there is no evidence that some urgent medical concerns have been adequately followed up by the home. All this results in the home not ensuring that the young people's medical needs are being met.

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Helping children to be healthy

All the medication is securely stored in a medication cabinet in the office. Some regular prescribed medication is being administered by staff and the administration systems in place are essentially sound. Some staff have training in first aid but none have attended training in epilepsy which would ensure that specific medical needs of the young people are met.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is inadequate. The young people's privacy is well respected and confidential information is securely stored in the office. Complaints are taken seriously and appropriate written records are maintained.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The home has an up to date child protection procedure and internal training for staff in safeguarding has taken place. The staff team has knowledge of the local authorities safeguarding procedures in order to make referrals. The home admits young people from a variety of backgrounds including those who have a history of abuse and/or sexualised behaviour. Risk assessments are completed once a young person moves into the home but there have been no initial assessments carried out making a full assessment of the young people's history and the impact of admissions for both the admitted young person and the existing group. There has been no consideration of safeguarding areas regarding the new admissions, any potential risks to other young people resident, or to the staffing arrangements. For example, all the young people currently sleep upstairs at the home with the two staff sleeping-in downstairs. The lack

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

of a comprehensive assessment addressing these concerns does not adequately safeguard young people. 5 of 9 Inspection Report: SC067757 The staff team are vigilant regarding bullying and any incidents are recorded and followed up. Procedures are in place detailing the actions to be taken when a young person goes missing and are well known to all staff. The staff team are proactive in finding the young people if they cannot be immediately found. Appropriate records are maintained recording and reporting significant events to the relevant authorities, including Ofsted.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The home has a behaviour policy which includes an incentive scheme and a token economy system. Good behaviour is rewarded with points which are converted into money on a weekly basis. Each young person has a 'positive handling plan' in place but these are not comprehensive in content and do not include the use of restraint when there have been incidents requiring a physical intervention. Incidents are appropriately recorded as well as sanctions and restraints, but there is not a clear, transparent behaviour management strategy in place. Records providing monthly reports could not be found and overall, the records do not provide a clear overview of how the behaviour management system works for the individual young people living at the home.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The home has systems in place to ensure that regular health and safety checks take place. There are weekly checks of the fire alarm system and regular fire drills take place. Annual gas safety checks and checks of portable electrical appliances are carried out. The home obtained a four star rating at the last food safety visit by the local Environmental Health Office.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Risk assessments are undertaken for each young person but do not always include areas where they may be specific safety concerns due to medical conditions.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The staff recruitment procedures in place are not robust. Although Criminal Record Bureau (CRB) checks are always obtained before a new member of staff works at the home, written and verbal references are not always obtained before employment.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is satisfactory. The young people receive individualised support. All have members of staff who are keyworkers but the young people are able to approach any member of staff with personal concerns, not only their key worker. The young people say that they feel able to talk to members of staff and that they feel listened to. For most young people regular keywork sessions take place and records are maintained. A local organisation offers an independent advocacy service to the young people and information regarding this service is available in the home.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

This children's home is also registered as a school although at present, none of the young people are being educated in the home. Some lessons are being offered to one young person currently out of education but this is on a short term basis. Two of the young people attend school or college and the remaining two are recent admissions and their schooling has still to be resolved with their placing authorities. The information recorded in the files regarding education is minimal. Only one of the three files seen contains a Personal Education Plan and no file contains a record of educational history or details of contact or meetings with school. More detailed information would show how the home promotes and supports the educational attainment of the young people. 6 of 9 Inspection Report: SC067757

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. Each young person at the home has a brief placement plan written on admission followed by a more detailed care plan completed in the first few weeks at the home. Two of the three recent admissions have the more comprehensive care plans on their files but there is no indication that the young people are aware of the content of their care plans and sign them if appropriate. This was an unmet recommendation at the last inspection and would show that the young people are actively involved and are in agreement with the plans made.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The progress of the young people is reviewed on a regular basis and weekly summaries are written and sent to the placing authorities. Contact with family and friends is encouraged and facilitated by the staff team. Each young person if provided with a 'top up' for their mobile phone and the office phone can be used if necessary.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The home had three new admissions in April 2009 within 18 days of each other and this has resulted in some instability within the home. Two of the three young people admitted were emergency admissions and there is no indication that the needs of the young person concerned or the likely effects of the admission on the existing group of young people were taken into account and recorded when making the decision to admit.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

The provision is satisfactory. This children's home has young people who are older and who are preparing to leave care and live independently. Some work is being undertaken regarding budgeting but there is no documented leaving care plan showing how the home is preparing the young people for life when they leave the home.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

The accommodation is homely and is well decorated and furnished. The home has a conservatory which is sometimes used as a classroom during school hours. At present there are two offices, one which is very small and a larger room which has been converted from the garage. The plan is for this room to become the main office but it has no natural lighting apart from a small window at the top of one wall and no central heating. If this room is to be used as the main office, it needs to be fit for purpose.

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Organisation

The organisation is inadequate. The home continues to have a small and stable staff team. Since the last inspection, two new members of staff have been employed at the home including a new deputy manager. In addition, the organisation has employed an area support manager to provide an additional management tier above home manager level. Staffing levels are satisfactory but the rota does not record the hours worked by the manager or deputy manager at present. Shortfalls in staffing are covered by staff from either of the two homes owned by the same organisation working additional hours, or by regular bank staff. Agency staff are used infrequently and have usually been to the home before.

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Organisation

There has been good progress made in NVQ and all staff members have either achieved or are undertaking their NVQ3 qualification. 7 of 9 Inspection Report: SC067757 Recording of staff supervision is inadequate. New staff are not being supervised at least fortnightly during the first six months of their employment and not all staff are being supervised on a monthly basis.

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Organisation

Robust systems are not in place to ensure that the operation of the home is being regularly monitored by the registered person. Some of the required records are being monitored but not all, such as the menus and the medical appointments. There are no written records to indicate that the monthly manager's checks have taking place since February 2009. There is no monitoring of the days staff are working, for example, one member of staff has worked 26 days in a row at the home. The new area support manager has been supporting the manager and carried out the last monthly Regulation 33 visits. Some areas in need of improvement have been identified. There is no written development plan for the home which would enable areas in need of improvement to be identified.

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Organisation

The home has an up to date statement of purpose and young people's guide. Key information is not currently being recorded in the young people's files to provide a clear overview of the work undertaken with the young people, for example regarding education.

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Organisation

The promotion of quality and diversity is inadequate. The home admits some young people from different cultural and religious backgrounds but these issues are not adequately recorded in the placement/care plans and there is little indication that their dietary needs are being met.

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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

20 July 2009 ensure that the record of food provided includes any special dietary need of a child accommodated in the home, which is due to their health, religious persuation, racial origin or cutural background. (Regulation 13(2), Regulation 29(1)) 20 July 2009 ensure that the young people's health needs are met, including access to a GP and support to keep appointments. (Regulation20) 20 July 2009 obtain for all staff, before they start work at the home, all the information set out in Regulation 26. 20 July 2009 draw up a plan for each young person who is beyond school leaving age, to support them towards leaving care and independence. (Children Act 1989, Sections 22,61,64) 20 July 2009 maintain the staff rota up to date to accurately reflect all the staff on duty. (Regulation 29(1) Schedule 4) 20 July 2009 ensure that there are effective management monitoring systems in place. (Regulation 34(1) Schedule 6)

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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): • training is provided for the staff team in epilepsy (NMS 13) • ensure that safeguarding concerns, including staffing arrangements, are risk assessed prior to admission (NMS 17) • review the behaviour management system to ensure that there is a clear, transparent strategy in place for each young person with clear records maintained (NMS 22) • ensure the young people's risk assessments include all areas relating to safety (NMS 26) • ensure that the young people's files contain copies of Personal Education Plans and other significant information regarding how the home promotes and supports education (NMS 14) • ensure that both the needs of the young person concerned and the likely effects of his/her admission upon the existing group of young people, are taken into account and recorded,

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Recommendations

in decisions on admissions to the home (NMS 5) • review the proposed changes to the office space to ensure that there is sufficient natural light and heating in the room. (NMS 24) • ensure that staff supervision is recorded (NMS 28) 9 of 9 Inspection Report: SC067757

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