Children's Home run by Evolution Children Services Limited in Newcastle upon Tyne

SC382595 Unique reference number 30 June 2009 Inspection date Leonard Hird Inspector Key Type of Inspection

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23 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 8 Inspection Report: SC382595

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Brief description of the service

This children's home is a large, three-storey, double fronted terraced property located in a quiet residential area of a major city. The home is registered to provide residential care services for up to five young people from 11 years old up to 17 years old. The main purpose of the home is to provide long-term care for young people and to help them prepare for independent living.

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Summary

This first unannounced key inspection of the home assessed all of the key national minimum standards for Children's Homes to determine how well they were performing against these standards. The home is providing good levels of care and support to children with emotional and behavioural difficulties. The home is well-managed and organised to help keep children safe and secure and staff have a good understanding of how to keep children safe whilst living there. The home provides an outstanding service for children in raising awareness of equality and diversity in both the home and the wider community in general. Children's privacy and dignity is generally well respected by members of staff but on some occasions staff have undertaken searches of children's rooms without following the company's policies and procedures in relation to the searching of children's rooms and possessions. Children spoke highly of their

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Summary

working relationships with staff and that they felt fully supported by staff in attending school, meetings and activities. 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

This was the first inspection of this home since its registration with Ofsted and this section is not applicable.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children benefit from a wide range of healthy and nutritious meals. There is a wide choice of dishes available from the menu, which takes full account of the individual dietary, religious and cultural needs of the children. The children are well supported by staff in helping to choose, purchase, prepare and cook food as part of learning the life skills required for independent living. All of the children said that they thoroughly enjoyed the food and meals prepared at the home.

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Helping children to be healthy

Records are kept showing visits to the doctors, dentists, opticians and other health specialists are occurring as required by the children. Members of staff positively support the children in meeting all of their health needs. There are sufficient members of staff trained in first aid and the safe handling of medication to ensure that there is always a trained member of staff on duty.

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Helping children to be healthy

The administration, storage and disposal of medication is well monitored by members of staff, ensuring that the children's health is not compromised. Clear policies, procedures and guidance are in place for staff to deal with any health or dietary related issues which may occur in the 4 of 8 Inspection Report: SC382595 home. The well-being, health and dietary needs of the children are being positively promoted at the home.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. There are good systems in place to ensure the safety and well-being of children living at the home. All visitors to the home are required to provide evidence of their identity and to sign the visitors book.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children feel their privacy is well maintained at the home, although room searches have been undertaken without their full knowledge or in accordance with the home's policy and procedure on room searches by some members of staff.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

All confidential information is kept in secure filing cabinets. Children have access to mobile telephones and landline telephones to make and receive calls in private. Sufficient space is available in the home for children to meet with their visitors in private.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children said that they are able to speak to any member of staff or outside agency, if they feel unhappy or concerned about anything. All complaints are taken seriously and are fully investigated and documented by the home. Children are aware of the home's complaints policy and feel their concerns are addressed promptly.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Robust systems are in place to report safeguarding concerns. The home has good links with placing authorities and all staff have received relevant training in safeguarding children from abusive situations.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The children's welfare is protected by a comprehensive health and safety policy, effective risk assessments and recording systems.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Countering bullying is promoted in the home in line with the company's policies and procedures. Staff acknowledge that children sometimes do not always get on with each other, but confirm there is little or no bullying at the home. Staff are endeavouring to create a positive atmosphere at the home and openly challenge any form of bullying, including verbal or racial abuse.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Good behaviour is promoted through positive role modelling of staff, who support and encourage children to behave in a socially and appropriate way.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

It is clear that when measures of control are put in place, staff consider the age and understanding of the child concerned. Physical restraint is used only as a last resort by staff to manage behaviour considered to be a risk to the individual child or others. Staff receive comprehensive and regular training in the use of such restraint techniques.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Effective recording systems are in place at the home to ensure that all statutory health and safety checks and training is carried out within the required timescales.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

All staff employed at the home undergo rigorous checks and a probationary period of employment to ensure they are suitable to work with children. The personnel files are well managed and information is easy to access. All relevant vetting checks for staff are completed and satisfied prior to them commencing employment at the home. This prevents children being exposed to potential abuse. 5 of 8 Inspection Report: SC382595

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Good practice at the home ensures that each child receives personalised support. Care plans reflect the individual needs of children and are based on a thorough initial assessment, which is linked to both the statutory and informal reviewing process occurring at the home.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The home operates a key working system. All members of staff have a good knowledge of individual children's needs. Children indicated that they are comfortable in approaching any member of staff for support or help. Children are offered opportunities to be involved in identifying what kind of individual support they need and how this should be delivered. This enables the children to feel valued and listened to.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Each child has their own personal education plan setting out their educational needs and how these are to be met. The home's staff positively encourage children to attend school and to persevere with their studies.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children have access to a number of different leisure activities and enjoy annual holidays. Children

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

currently do not have access to a computer with internet capabilities to undertake schoolwork or to pursue leisure interests.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. The children benefit from placement plans which detail out how the home will address their assessed needs. Reviews and reports are up-to-date, thereby enabling staff to measure any progress that has been made.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Any specific requirements in relation to diversity and equality needs are built into the overall individual plan of care. For example, children are able to experience their own religious festivals, specialist dietary needs and to assert their cultural individuality. The staff team as a whole work hard to maintain excellent links within the community, enabling the children to have very positive relationships with their neighbours and the local community. Formal and informal key working sessions provides opportunities for children to discuss topics of importance to them, as well as helping them to develop their individual care plans.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children are able to maintain and develop relationships with their family and friends through appropriate contact sessions. These arrangements are agreed with the children and any contact restrictions are acted upon and fully documented. Children have access to both mobile telephones and private landline telephones in the home to keep in contact with their family and friends.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

All of the children are very positive about their involvement in the day-to-day running of the home. One child stated, 'I have been involved in sorting out my education programme at my school and my views have been listened to'. There are opportunities for the children to have their say in how the home is run through the home's system of planned house meetings, as well as the informal meetings which occur on a day to day basis. These meetings are effective in ensuring that the children's views are listened to and acted upon. 6 of 8 Inspection Report: SC382595 Since the home was registered, all of the staff and management team have attended a number of relevant training courses including safeguarding, first aid and medication training. Members of staff respond appropriately and constructively in challenging the children's inappropriate behaviour or offensive language. Interactions between members of staff and children are very

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Helping children make a positive contribution

positive and the working relationships formed are valued by the children.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

The provision is good. The home is very clean, well furnished and decorated throughout and provides a safe environment for children to live in. There is a strong commitment by management, staff and children to maintain this very pleasant and homely environment by treating the facilities with respect.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

All of the children have their own well appointed, spacious and decorated rooms. The children confirmed that they are encouraged to personalise their rooms. There are good levels of bathing, showering and toileting facilities available in the home for use by the children. Each bedroom has a single bed, seating area and storage space. All of the children have a lockable draw for storing personal possessions as well as having their own key to their room. Staff have separate sleeping-in and bathing facilities. The communal living areas are spacious and very well decorated throughout the home.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. The promotion of equality and diversity is outstanding. Staff are fully aware of the very different needs of the children in their care and make sure that they are treated as individuals. Children are receiving the care and support that meets their often very specific needs from the home. The work of the staff is underpinned by a range of policies and procedures that reflects a commitment to the promotion of equality and diversity in the home.

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Organisation

The Registered Manager provides a safe and well managed setting for children with often complex needs and a positive and supportive learning environment for staff. The staff team is competent, motivated and professional.

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Organisation

Both the children's guide and statement of purpose clearly set out what the home will provide and the way in which this will be achieved. This information is presented in a way that is easily understood by children and their families. A guide to the service is given to all children on their first visit. Staff state that they receive regular supervision sessions, which provides them with support and professional guidance. Staff receive training on a wide range of subjects, such as safeguarding and positive behaviour management. This ensures that staff continue in their professional development.

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Organisation

Staffing levels at the home are meeting the identified needs of the children.

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Organisation

Children's welfare is safeguarded by a committed and dedicated staff team. The staff are in varying stages of achieving a qualification at National Vocational Qualification at level 3 in Caring for Children and Young People. Currently, the overall qualification recommendation is not being met. 7 of 8 Inspection Report: SC382595 There are a number of different quality assurance processes in place at the home, including monthly monitoring visits by the company's appointed visitor. The manager also produces a comprehensive monthly report that includes issues raised by key workers. There is evidence that all actions highlighted in these processes are followed up and that these lead to improvements in practice.

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Organisation

Children's individual case files are confidentially stored and are arranged in a manner which makes them easily accessible to staff. Children are aware that they can access their files and have done so. The files examined are being well managed and maintained.

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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

30 September 2009 ensure that all members of staff follow the guidance provided by the Registered Person for staff and children when searching a child's possessions or room (Regulation 15).

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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 a minimum ratio of 80 per cent of all care staff complete a National Vocational Qualification at level 3 in Caring for Children and Young People (NMS 29). 8 of 8 Inspection Report: SC382595

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