Children's Home run by Crossway Services Limited in St Helens

SC063498 Unique reference number 20 January 2010 Inspection date Karen Forster Inspector Random Type of Inspection

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3 September 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: SC063498

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Brief description of the service

This service is managed by an independent company who provide a number of small children's homes. The house is an end terraced property, situated within two miles of a shopping centre and all required leisure facilities.

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Brief description of the service

There were young people resident at the time of the visit, who were involved in the inspection.

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Summary

This visit is an unannounced interim inspection, focusing on the staying safe outcome area, and the actions and recommendations raised at the last inspection. This is a satisfactory service where outcomes for young people are acceptable and demonstrate care that generally meets their individual needs. Areas for development include safeguarding training for support staff and the inclusion of therapeutic input into the placement package. 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

At the last inspection 11 actions were raised and five recommendations. All but two of the actions have been satisfactorily addressed by the provider. These developments include the development of clear health and placement plans; first aid and behaviour management training for staff; remedial work by the gas engineer; and improvements to the home's fire safety risk assessment. These improvements have enhanced the health and safety of the people using and working within the service.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The last inspection raised three actions relating to the supervision of staff and the quality assurance programmes within the home. These actions have been suitably addressed by the provider, with improvements to the frequency and content of the supervision programme and to the internal and external quality checks on the home. These developments have improved both the registered individual's overview of the home's care, and the support provided to staff within the team. This means that staff caring for young people are better informed and supported to meet the needs of the young people.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The remaining two actions relate to safeguarding training for staff and therapeutic input from the local child and adolescent mental health service.\These two areas are highlighted for development following this inspection.

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Improvements since the last inspection

This inspection reissues three of the five recommendations made at the last inspection. There is evidence that two of the recommendations made at the last inspection have been suitably addressed by the provider. The young people's placement plan information is now readily available in the home to authorised individuals, and details of medical and educational histories are included in the young people's records. This means that young people and their support staff have access to current and historical data that is used well to inform the care of individuals.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The remaining three recommendations relate to the details of the regulator in the home's complaints policy; the level of suitably qualified staff and the content of the home's induction programme. These areas are the subjects for recommendations at this inspection. 4 of 7 Inspection Report: SC063498

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is satisfactory. Young people's current health care needs and satisfactory details of medical histories are now outlined in health care plans for young people. This means that young people's primary health care is now more informed by their medical history and appointments to date.

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Helping children to be healthy

Since the last inspection, developments have been made in the number of first aid trained staff within the team. There are now first aid trained staff on duty within each shift, which meets the standards. This means that care staff are well equipped to deal with any medical or accidental emergency during their shift.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. The home's complaints procedure was the subject for a recommendation at the last inspection. This was due to the complaint statement's reference to the previous regulator for children's homes, rather than Ofsted. The document has not been amended to date, which means that inaccurate information is provided to prospective complainants.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people’s welfare is a priority for the staff group and satisfactory safeguarding protocols are in place. Staff confirmed that they are aware of their responsibilities within the home’s child protection procedures; however only one member of the team has received safeguarding training. This means that although staff are clear about the home's protocols for receiving and recording any disclosures from young people, they are not as informed regarding the progress of referrals to the local authority's designated officer. The local authority's safeguarding manual for young people is available within the home, to complement the home's clearly written safeguarding policies.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff and young people using the service share a consistent understanding of the standard of behaviour expected from the group. This means that young people receive personalised consistent sanctions through different care shifts when their behaviour does not meet the expected standard; typically they involve a brief loss of privilege. The staff group maintains a log of applied sanctions, which is clear and meets the standards.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The home's policy regarding physical intervention meets the standards. Following the action set at the last inspection, all staff have now received instruction in the safe control of challenging behaviours. The preferred model of physical intervention includes de-escalation and only uses restraint as a last resort, which meets the standards and helps to keep young people safe. The home's records indicate that there have been no episodes of restraint involving the current resident group, which highlights the effectiveness of the de-escalation strategies in use.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The home ensures that the environment young people live in is safe and free of hazards; this helps young people to feel physically safe in the home. The home has addressed the two actions from the last inspection that related to health and safety in the home. The gas boiler has now been assessed as satisfactory by the engineer, and the fire safety risk assessment includes details of the assessed risk alongside the home's strategies for risk management. This indicates that positive measures are taken by the home to keep young people, staff and visitors, safe from the risk of fire and other hazards. 5 of 7 Inspection Report: SC063498

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. The strengths and needs of the young people are satisfactorily assessed and their medium and short-term care objectives are included within detailed placement plans. The placement planning information at the time of the last inspection was scant, and the subject for an action. The home has suitably developed the detail held within the placement plan document. This now means that sufficient data is available, and used by staff, to inform the social care of young people. However there is limited evidence of required specialist health care programmes, which might include the provision of counselling or therapy for example. This means that the full range of young people's care needs are not fully addressed while living in the placement.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. The home's staff supervision programme was below standard at the last inspection, in relation to the frequency of sessions. This area of practice has been improved since the last visit, and staff now receive supervision at a satisfactory frequency in line with the standards.

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Organisation

A third of the care staff within the home have completed their National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) at level three in caring for children and young people. This means that although young people are cared for by knowledgeable staff, employees' abilities have not been verified by an independent body against national standards. The number of qualified staff was highlighted for development at the last inspection, and remains an area for development within the home.

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Organisation

The home's induction programme is based upon the home's policies, and includes the specialist elements relevant to the service, such as attachment theory. There is little evidence of a competence assessment element within the programme, as recommended at the last inspection. The home has completed some research into competence based programmes, such as the induction standards for care staff provided by the Children's Workforce Development Council. However there is no evidence of completed competence assessments within the current induction programme.

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Organisation

The external monitoring of the quality of care provided to young people has been improved to meet the requirements of the regulations. The frequency of the registered provider's checks on the care within the home, is now in line with the regulations. This programme provides a regular opportunity for young people and staff to meet with the provider and express their thoughts on the care provided within the home.

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Organisation

The internal monitoring of the quality of care provided to young people is completed and recorded by the Registered Manager in line with schedule six of the regulations. The resulting reports consistently include feedback regarding the quality of care from young people, their families or social workers. This means that the quality assurance programme is satisfactorily 6 of 7 Inspection Report: SC063498 collating information from all available quarters, to help inform improvements to the care service.

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Organisation

The service maintains records for young people which now include all of the subject's personal information as required by schedule three of the Children’s Home’s Regulations 2001. A recommendation was made in this area at the last inspection, and satisfactory progress has been made. Records of health examinations and educational reports are now in evidence within young people's records.

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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

31 March 2010 provide staff with training on safeguarding and the role of the local authority in the management of any safeguarding concerns (Regulation 16) 31 March 2010 ensure that all young people's presenting needs are addressed by the care package, especially in relation to any service required from the child and adolescent mental health service. (Regulation 11)

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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): • include Ofsted as the contact for complainants in the home's complaints policy (NMS 16) • ensure that 80% of the staff group are qualified to NVQ level three in the care of children and young people (NMS 29) • provide an induction programme that meets the standards, and includes a competence element such as the induction competencies provided by the Children's Workforce Development Council. (NMS 31) 7 of 7 Inspection Report: SC063498

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