Children's Home run by London Borough of Barnet in Barnet

SC033805 Unique reference number 29 June 2009 Inspection date Jill Marriott 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: SC033805

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Brief description of the service

This children's home supports up to five young people aged between 12 and under 18 years of age. The Statement of Purpose describes the aim of the home as ‘providing high quality care in a safe environment in which young people are listened to and treated with dignity and respect.’ The home is located close to local schools and transport. The building is detached with communal facilities on the ground floor and bedrooms on the first floor. There is a private room for meetings and for visitors. Each young person has his or her own bedroom.

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Summary

At this full unannounced key inspection the requirement made at the last inspection and all key standards were assessed. The requirement from the last inspection is now met. Three further requirements have been made.

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Summary

The working practices in this home are good. Young people are encouraged and supported to maintain healthy lifestyles and take regular exercise. Staff have the knowledge and skills to protect young people and keep them safe. All staff have a National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) level 3 in childcare.

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Summary

Young people have personal education plans in place and staff encourage attendance at school and other education settings. They have the opportunity to attend their childcare reviews and planning meetings where they can influence the future plans in place for them.

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Summary

Equality and diversity is promoted and the needs of young people related to their ethnicity and cultural backgrounds are incorporated into care plans. There is a well publicised complaints procedure available and the welfare of the young people is enhanced by the good relationships in place between staff, children, families and other professionals involved with the home.

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Summary

The staff team confirmed that they are supported by the manager and by the on call system in place when the manager is not in the home. Three requirements have been made at this inspection. Staff supervision and appraisal meetings are not taking place regularly. Not all monthly regulation 33 reports are recorded in the home. The reports available do not include discussions with young people about the services provided. 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

The home has introduced a library in the lounge area of the home and this is encouraging young people to take an interest in books and in reading.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The home is notifying the relevant professionals about significant events and this helps in monitoring the process followed in the home to keep children safe.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. 4 of 9 Inspection Report: SC033805 The food provided for young people shows that staff have an awareness about nutritional issues and an understanding of what makes up a good balanced diet. Young people are fully involved in menu planning and choosing the fresh fruits and vegetables that are available daily. Food is suitably stored and labelled minimising the risk of food related illness.

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Helping children to be healthy

The health needs of young people are identified and assessed. The information is recorded in a plan for each child detailing how specific and general health issues are to be addressed. Particular health needs which may impact on future outcomes for individual young people are identified. Staff seek out services such as specialist health workers and the Children and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) to address these. Young people are able to participate in the assessment of their health needs and are included in identifying support services.

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Helping children to be healthy

Staff encourage young people to take an interest in looking after their health and living healthy lifestyles. Health issues that relate to ethnicity, race, culture, religion and sexuality are recognised and where required specialist advice is sought. There is information and leaflets in the home about health and social issues. Young people have access to confidential help lines and personal advocates.

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Helping children to be healthy

The home operates an effective medication policy, procedure and practice guidance which addresses prescribed and non prescribed medication. Staff have access to the policy and are required to read it. Training for the administration of medication is available and staff understand their role and responsibility. They are aware of the importance of medication records and of the necessity of them being kept up to date. A risk assessment was seen on one file for a young person who takes responsibility for their own medication.

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Helping children to be healthy

The home has a record of compliance with the administration, safe keeping and disposal of controlled drugs.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Staff show respect for the privacy of young people and for maintaining appropriate levels of confidentiality. Young people confirmed that this is the case.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The home has a complaints policy and procedure in place, which is incorporated into the children's guide. Staff take concerns and issues raised by children seriously. Young people are clear about the complaints policy and procedure and how it works. They said that if they raise concerns they know staff will listen to them. No complaints have been made since the last inspection.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff receive child protection training and are able to respond in a professional way to any allegations or serious concerns about the safety of children and young people. The home has clear procedures for responding to child protection concerns and is linked to the local authority safeguarding board. Young people said they feel safe in the home.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The home has appropriate staffing levels and this helps to reduce incidents of bullying. There is a bullying policy in place and further related information is displayed in the home. Young people and staff understand the policy which clearly describes how incidents of bullying will be dealt with. There are no incidents of bullying recorded since the last inspection. 5 of 9 Inspection Report: SC033805 The home has a written procedure for action when children are absent without authority. Where appropriate staff will look for young people or will make arrangements to collect them if their whereabouts are known. Staff are constantly contacting young people by phone and encourage them to return home at reasonable times. Young people are offered drinks and snacks before bed when they return from being missing.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The home notifies all relevant professionals and family members of significant events that have occurred. Where appropriate these are also notified to Ofsted.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff base their management of behaviour on encouraging acceptable behaviour. Young people are aware of the standards of acceptable behaviour required in the home. Staff view young people positively and sanctions are only used as a last resort. Sanctions are always recorded and young people are able to add their own comments to the records kept. The home does not use restraint for the management of behaviour.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The home has risk assessments for all aspects of the safety of the premises and grounds. Fire safety, the behaviour of children and young people and activities are all assessed and the assessments are taken into account when planning daily activities. Staff and young people are aware of the fire procedures. They receive fire safety instruction during their introduction to the home. Fire drills and health and safety checks are carried out regularly and detailed records are kept.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The vetting of staff and visitors meets the required standard. Young people who have left the home are invited back to be involved in the recruitment and selection of new staff. Information regarding Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) disclosures is available but references and identity checks are kept by the local authority recruitment department. These will be inspected prior to the next inspection.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Placement plans for young people address how individual support will be provided. Young people receive advice and support from their allocated key worker and other staff. They said they can choose who they want to confide in. Staff work with children and young people to address needs related to their ethnicity, culture, language, sexuality and religion. The home has links with a range of helping agencies and where there is a specific need staff will identify appropriate support services. Young people are informed about outside support agencies that they can approach confidentially.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff are positive about their approach to education and its value for young people. Education is not seen as an activity confined to attending school and college. Staff give practical and emotional support to young people who have difficulties with school attendance. All children have a personal education plan on file. The home has established links with the local schools and colleges and are in constant communication with the education authority and educational welfare officer. Despite every attempt by the home to promote the education of young people the record of school attendance is poor.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Young people are supported to engage in leisure activities and to join clubs and pursue activities they are interested in. Young people said they regularly go swimming, football training, bowling and enjoy trips to the cinema and theatre. 6 of 9 Inspection Report: SC033805

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Young people have clear placement plans in place. Placement plans are based on need assessments and risk assessments. They detail how the needs of young people are to be addressed and the roles and responsibilities of key professionals. Looked After Children documents are held on individual files. The backgrounds and cultural needs of young people are considered throughout the planning process. Young people confirmed that they know about their placement plans and understand them.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The home has a system for reviewing children's plans. This system includes participation in statutory reviews, internal reviews of the placement plan and informal discussion between young people and their key worker. Young people are encouraged to participate in reviews and are assisted to put their views forward.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Arrangements for maintaining contact between young people and their families are incorporated into individual placement plans. Families, relatives and friends are welcome to visit the home (unless this is contrary to the child's plan). Staff offer practical support to young people to enable them to maintain contact with friends and family.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Young people are consulted about their care plans, about the support they receive and about wider issues in the home. Consultation is undertaken in key work sessions, in house meetings and in informal discussions. Young people confirmed that their views are taken into consideration when their plans are being reviewed. House meetings are held regularly and young people are able to influence the running of the home, the daily menus and activity and outing plans at these meetings. Young people said that they are offered good support but would appreciate staff spending less time in the office and more time with them in the home. The staff team have developed clearly understood boundaries in the home while maintaining good relationships between themselves and the young people.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

The provision is good. The location of this home is convenient for schools, leisure and sports centres, transport and other community facilities that are important in children's lives. Its size and the arrangement of rooms meets the needs of the young people resident. The design and layout of the home does not cater for young people with physical disabilities.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

The accommodation is domestic in style. It is homely and decorated, maintained and furnished to a high standard. Young people take an interest in their accommodation and are able to individualise their rooms. They are interested in the design and layout of communal space and are involved in improving these areas and keep them clean and tidy.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. There are appropriate policies and procedures in place and an up to date Statement of Purpose and children's guide. The documents detail how the home operates and how services will be provided. Young people are given a welcome pack on arrival and key workers are available to discuss the information provided with them. 7 of 9 Inspection Report: SC033805 The manager is registered with Ofsted and has the appropriate skills and qualifications for her role. All staff have completed a NVQ level 3 in childcare. The staff team are clear about the management structure. They said the manager or an assistant manager is available daily in the home for support. There is an on call system for out of hours support.

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Organisation

Staff files show that supervision has not been regular and appraisals have not been kept up to date. This affects the identification of training needs for the staff team who do not have a training or development plan on their files. Staff confirmed that they received an induction and worked through a probationary period at the beginning of their employment. There is a record of regular team meetings in the home.

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Organisation

The number of staff on each shift is sufficient to meet the needs of the young people and to support them with their activities, appointments and outings. Young people said they always know the staff on duty. They said that their care is consistent and staff have a good understanding of their daily plans.

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Organisation

The promotion of equality and diversity is good. Issues related to ethnicity and culture are considered at the initial placement planning meeting and are monitored through key work sessions and the childcare review process.

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Organisation

Monthly Regulation 33 visits are carried out by a representative of the local authority who is independent of the setting. The manager takes action to improve areas where issues have been identified. The reports of these visits are not all available in the home. Those that are available do not include any information to show that the visitor has talked to young people or discussed the services provided with them.

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Organisation

The home's records and children's files are audited regularly by the management team and areas that need updating are identified for action. Young people's files are kept confidentially in a locked cabinet. Young people are aware that they are able to see their files on request and that staff are available to help them read and make sense of the information contained within.

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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 August 2009 ensure that all persons employed in the home receive appropriate training, supervision and appraisals. Regulation 27 (4)(a) 31 July 2009 ensure that visits by the registered provider take place at least once each month. Regulation 33(3) 31 July 2009 ensure that the regulation 33 visitor interviews with their consent and in private children accomodated at the home. Regulation 33 (4)(a) 8 of 9 Inspection Report: SC033805

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Recommendations

There are no recommendations. 9 of 9 Inspection Report: SC033805

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