Children's Home run by Family Care Associates Limited in Shropshire

SC020595 Unique reference number 8 December 2009 Inspection date Susan Mullin Inspector Key Type of Inspection

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9 December 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 8 Inspection Report: SC020595

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Brief description of the service

This children's home is registered to provide residential care for up to four young people of either gender, between the ages of 10 and 17 years, who suffer with emotional and behavioural problems.

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Brief description of the service

The home has four single bedrooms for the young people, two with wash basins, and one bathroom with a toilet, and a shower room with a toilet. There is a very large communal living area which incorporates a sitting area, dining area and a games area with internet access to a computer. There is also an extension which provides extra sleeping accommodation for staff and an arts and craft room. There are extensive grounds, with activity and play areas and a small wooded area to the rear. There are car spaces for several cars. The home is situated in a rural area with access to a town approximately five miles away.

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Brief description of the service

An education service is provided off site but there is a commitment to integrating young people into mainstream educational provision. In addition, the company employs therapists and engages other services which are available to the home and which are aimed at providing a range of services to young people and their families.

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Summary

This was a key unannounced inspection of the service to assess compliance with the national minimum standards for children's homes. The home was assessed under the headings of Every Child Matters. Enjoying and achieving received a judgement of outstanding, whilst positive contribution, being healthy, economic well-being, staying safe and organisation received a judgement of good. Overall the home was judged as good.

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Summary

Young people's educational outcomes are very good. The staff team are well organised, trained and experienced in working with young people who have emotional or behavioural problems. The inspection identified that young people are happy living at the home and are well supported by the staff team.

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Summary

There were four young people resident in the home and all four spoke with the inspector during the visit. All four youngsters had favourable things to say about the home and the staff. The staff who were spoken to during the inspection quoted 'I feel safe and well supported', 'I like working with all the staff and young people and I feel valued and respected'. 'The environment is lovely, the young people have a very peaceful place to live and the gardens are really beautiful'. Only two negative comments were made 'The location is quite remote and the local shops are quite far away' and 'The bathroom and shower room need to be replaced with more modern facilities'. 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

Two actions made at the last inspection had been addressed. There is now a new extension to the rear of the home, which is used as an art and crafts room and doubles up as a further sleep in area for staff, if required. There is now a more structured system in place to gain the views of care provided from the young people, their parents and placing authorities. 4 of 8 Inspection Report: SC020595

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Young people have a good understanding of healthy eating and the menu reflects that they are provided with a good variety of wholesome and nutritious meals. Young people spoken to are very clear about what foods they like and their choices are reflected in compiling the weekly menu. Staff encourage young people to take regular exercise to promote their good health and well-being.

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Helping children to be healthy

Young people's files contain detailed health care plans and comprehensive records are retained in relation to any health appointments. Staff work closely with associated medical professionals, such as the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS), to ensure that care planning takes full account of young people's mental and physical health issues.

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Helping children to be healthy

Staff have received training in first aid and medication management and records relating to the administration, receipt and disposal of medication are in line with requirements.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. The staff promote young people's need for privacy well. Each young person has their own lockable bedroom, they can go to their room whenever they wish. Young people have full access to a phone on which they can make and receive calls in private.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The staff deal with young people's concerns and complaints effectively. They deal with most issues informally and quickly. Three young people stated that when they have raised concerns, these are dealt with effectively.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The staff are also effective at safeguarding and promoting the welfare of young people. They are clear about how to respond to allegations, suspicions or evidence of abuse and receive regular training in such matters. The policies and procedures regarding counter bullying are effective and bullying is not an issue of concern. Effective policies and procedures are in place should a young person fail to return to the home on time. Such incidents are recorded well, thereby enabling the Registered Manager and staff to know the reasons why a young person is going missing so that such causes can be addressed.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people are fully supported to behave positively. The Registered Manager and staff reward positive behaviour and use sanctions, if necessary, for any negative behaviour. Sanctions are fair and are designed with the young person. This helps young people to feel they are valued as people and that the staff are fair with them. There is full accountability for the use of sanctions and physical interventions. There had been several incidences when staff have had to implement physical interventions since the previous inspection. Although there had been robust entries made into the main body of the records, not all the information was transferred into the separate volume as required by regulation.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The staff are very effective at assessing the risks to young people's welfare. Young people's risk assessments are well-designed, comprehensive and easy to understand. This helps to ensure that the risks to young people's welfare are managed more effectively. In terms of the hazards that may arise in the house, professional technicians regularly service the electrical equipment 5 of 8 Inspection Report: SC020595 and equipment for preventing, detecting and extinguishing fires. The staff carry out regular fire drills including occasional drills during night time hours.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Appropriate arrangements are in place to ensure that staff who are recruited to work in the home are suitable. All visitors to the home are recorded and their identities are checked.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is outstanding. The Registered Manager and staff are effective at enabling young people to enjoy and achieve in life.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The placement plan for each child or young person explicitly identifies how support to individual children’s needs will be provided and which person or agency will respond to that need. Children and young people confirm that staff are very approachable and try to find and usually succeed in finding the support the young person needs. Children and young people know about outside agencies and services that they can use without reference to staff.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Young people receive good individual one-to-one support from staff and from their key worker. Key workers have a clearly defined role which they perform well. This helps to ensure that the individual needs of young people are met effectively. Young people are also fully encouraged and supported to express their identity and this helps to develop their confidence and independence. Children and young people are actively encouraged by staff to take part in leisure activities both inside the home and in their community. Staff share their own interests and enthusiasms with children and young people and encourage them to try out new activities and interests.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The staff fully support young people to attend and achieve in education. Young people's attendance in educational settings is excellent and the staff are effective at enabling young people to achieve their potential. Young people can follow their own individual interests at school and also in their leisure time. The staff watch and encourage young people when they are partaking in community activities and this helps young people to feel valued and supported.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. The needs of young people are assessed and written plans recognise the need for different routines during the week and at weekends. Their records show that staff respect and value diversity and young people receive appropriate external support as the home has a proactive approach to working with other professionals. Consequently, all young people receive individualised care.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Statutory reviews take place within required timescales and staff submit a full report on the progress of the young people. In accordance with their care plans all young people are encouraged to maintain contact with their families. Young people say 'staff know how important it is for them to keep in contact with their family'.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Staff take time to build relationships between the young people and themselves. Staff have clear expectations of behaviour and this promotes the welfare of the young people as they get consistent messages. 6 of 8 Inspection Report: SC020595 Young people freely initiate interaction and seek help from the various staff on duty. Their well-being is positively promoted as they are each allocated a key carer to ensure their continuing care needs are met. Their views are also ascertained regularly at weekly meetings. Therefore, young people benefit from receiving support and care that is focused on their needs and achievements.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

The provision is good. Preparation for leaving care and acquiring the skills for adulthood are a fully integrated part of the care provided in the home. Young people routinely learn skills through taking part in the tasks of running the home, such as shopping and following budgets. Before the placing authority has started to draw up a pathway plan or a transition plan for the young person, the home has started to identify, with the full participation of the young person, the areas of skills and support that will need further work. The home has their own plan for each young person moving towards adulthood and this plan is a document used by the staff and each young person approaching 16 years of age.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

Young people receive appropriate allowances for toiletries, clothing and weekly pocket money. There are opportunities for the young people to earn extra money and they are encouraged to save for bigger items.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

The overall facilities for young people in the home are improved since the previous inspection. The home remains very welcoming but now has the addition of newly built art and crafts room. The atmosphere is homely and young people appear happy and relaxed. The home have plans to refurbish the bathroom and separate shower room in the near future.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. The promotion of equality and diversity is good. The individual records for the young people in the home are comprehensive. Their needs, development and progress are recorded to reflect their individuality. The files are well organised.

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Organisation

Young people, parents, staff and placing authorities have access to a statement of purpose and young people's guide, which have recently been updated to reflect staff changes. The statement of purpose outlines the principles, practice and the services that young people can expect from the home.

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Organisation

Staff are clear about which manager is responsible for their support. They confirm that they receive one to one supervision once a month and time is specifically dedicated to this. Staff confirm that notes are made of the one to one meetings and that they feel supported by the senior staff. There is a competent staff team, with a good range of experience among its members. The skills within the team are well matched to the group of children and young people accommodated. There are clear deputising arrangements and an on-call system if additional support is needed. Staff duty rotas and the manner in which staff are deployed confirm that the home keeps sufficient staff on the duty rota at all times.

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Organisation

Due to three members of staff on maternity leave who hold National Vocational Qualification at level 3 in caring for children and young people, the number of staff achieving the does not 7 of 8 Inspection Report: SC020595 fully comply with requirements. Staff are however, supported by senior members of staff who are sufficiently experienced and competent to lead the shifts. All mandatory training requirements are up to date.

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Organisation

There are good systems in place to monitor the daily lives of the young people currently living in the home. Regulation 33 visits are undertaken monthly to monitor the overall care and welfare of the young people. The manager completes a report on what action is being taken to rectify any issues identified by this visit. He also undertakes quality monitoring of all the files and records as required every month.

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Organisation

Children’s individual case files are confidentially stored and are arranged in a manner that makes them readily useable by staff and yet accessible to children and young people. The children and young people know that they can have access to their records and confirm that staff have helped them to read their files.

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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

21 December 2009 ensure that following any indident of restraint, a written record is made in a volume, which includes all those matters required by Regulation 17(4)(a - g).

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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): • the bathroom and shower room are in need of refurbishment in the near future. (NMS 25.1) 8 of 8 Inspection Report: SC020595

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