Children's Home run by North East Lincolnshire Council in North East Lincolnshire

SC380956 Unique reference number 5 November 2009 Inspection date Simon Morley Inspector Key Type of Inspection

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Date of last inspection

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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Date of last inspection

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: SC380956

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Brief description of the service

The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three children between the ages of eight and 17. The home provides a service for families with young people on the verge of coming into the care system and struggling to maintain their education. Accommodation is on a planned respite care basis and stays at the home are short breaks of one or two nights duration.

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Brief description of the service

The home offers an alternative learning programme during the days and is part of the local education services. It is only the young people who use this part of the service that are able to have short stays at the home as well.

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Brief description of the service

The home has three single bedrooms and a shared bathroom upstairs along with staff sleep-in and office accommodation. Downstairs there is a lounge, play room, kitchen, dining room and shower room.

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Brief description of the service

The home is semi-detached with a private garden, there is restricted on street parking.

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Summary

This was the first inspection of the home since it was registered earlier this year. All the outcome areas were covered.

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Summary

A small amount of overnight accommodation has been provided so far and there are good outcomes for young people who have these short breaks at the home. The home is well managed and there is good promotion of the health, welfare and safety of young people using the service. There are strong links with the local education services and the home has a key role in supporting young people who struggle with their education.

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Summary

Overall the quality rating is good and the registered provider is not required to take any action as a result of this inspection. 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 the home.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. There is good promotion of health and healthy lifestyles and records regarding young people's health assessments, needs and ongoing care are in place. This helps staff who work with parents and other professionals to support young people's healthcare. Parents keep full responsibility for health care of young people and this is supported by staff who have links with a variety of different services to help meet young people's individual health needs.

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Helping children to be healthy

The staff also support young people with a variety of opportunities that encourages individual interests, sports and healthy activities. Examples include sports, life skills, sexual health education, improving self esteem, cooking and arts and crafts. Young people are encouraged 4 of 8 Inspection Report: SC380956 to eat a healthy diet. Meals are healthy and nutritious and planned with young people. There are good opportunities for young people to learn cooking skills and prepare and cook their own meals. Young people have access to the kitchen where they can also prepare drinks, snacks and do some baking. The staff are trained in food hygiene to help ensure food is stored and cooked safely. Individualised records include individual preferences and any special dietary, cultural and religious needs.

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Helping children to be healthy

Medication is securely stored keeping it safe from young people. Records are well maintained and there are suitable procedures to ensure young people get necessary medication when they need it. Staff receive first aid training to enable them to provide first aid if necessary. Staff also receive training to meet young people's specific individual health needs.

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Helping children to be healthy

Overall young people's health needs are well met and their health and welfare is effectively safeguarded by the home’s policies, procedures and practice for good health promotion.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. There are good arrangements to protect young people from harm and help them stay safe. This is reflected in effective safeguarding procedures for staff to follow, in the event of any allegation or suspicion of abuse. Staff have had child protection training and demonstrate good knowledge and understanding of the safeguarding procedures, to promote and protect the young people's safety. This is also reflected in care records demonstrating an effective approach to safeguarding young people's welfare.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The behaviour management policy and practice is based on the use of praise, encouragement and de-escalation techniques to improve young people's behaviour. Young people have individual plans that staff follow to help support individual needs. Staff are trained in policies and practice for behaviour management and are effective in supporting young people to develop good behaviour without the need to use sanctions or physically intervene. Practice is monitored well by the manager and monthly independent visitors to help ensure young people are properly safeguarded

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The young people know how to make a complaint, staff have explained what to do and there is information in the young people’s guide and around the home about how to complain. There have been no complaints from young people who enjoy coming to stay at the home.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people's privacy is respected, they have access to a private telephone and personal records about their care are stored safely to maintain appropriate levels of confidentiality.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Written risk assessments are recorded, to enable staff to know what action to take, to minimise the risk to each young person from their individual behaviours and any risks from the physical environment. Staff and young people have been involved in regular fire drills. Staff working at the home have received fire safety training, to enable them to minimise the risks to young people in the event of a fire at the home. Records of fire safety checks and other safety records are up-to-date and accurate.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff who work in the home were already employed by the registered provider in similar roles and no new staff have yet been directly employed to work in the home. There are good 5 of 8 Inspection Report: SC380956 employment procedures to ensure that any new staff would be suitable to work with young people.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Young people receive good personalised support, appropriate to their needs. The staff appreciate that

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

individual young people have different needs depending on their background, race, culture and disability.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff work well with parents, schools and a range of other agencies to help support young people's needs.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Parents retain overall responsibility for education and young people get good support from staff to help ensure this is promoted well. Staff encourage and support good school attendance and work directly with schools and other educational settings to maintain this. There are effective links with local education services and the home plays a key role in both developing and providing young people's individual educational programmes. This is a notable strength of the service. There is space, resources and facilities at the home, to enable the completion of homework including computers to use for educational and leisure purposes.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff provide good support to promote young people's individual interests, leisure pursuits and social development. The home has a wide range of resources for learning and entertainment including supporting young people to use community facilities. There is a strong link to a local motor bike project where young people can learn mechanics and how to ride safely.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. There is an effective, structured referral system that includes an assessment of the needs of the young people and takes into account the likely effects of their admission upon other young people using the home.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Admissions to the home are planned involving the child or young person and their family where appropriate. Young people visit the home before they move in which helps ensure they move into the home in a planned and sensitive manner.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

There are suitable written placement plans which help to ensure good outcomes for the young people. These are supported by the use of behaviour management plans, recorded daily routines and risk assessments. Staff monitor the plans and can review them if needed in line with young people's needs, progress and development. This helps ensure young people have their needs assessed effectively and comprehensively and that written placement plans, implemented in practice, outline how these needs will be met.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

There is a system for reviewing the placement plans of the children and young people at the home. Young people are involved in both internal reviews of their care and in any of their statutory reviews. Statutory case reviews have taken place within the required timescales ensuring that young people's needs and development are reviewed regularly, in light of their care and progress at the home. 6 of 8 Inspection Report: SC380956 Most young people's stays at the home are quite short often only overnight or two nights running, though their contact with family and friends is promoted during their stay.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Young people are encouraged to make decisions about their lives and influence the way that the home is run. They are currently involved in developing a guide about the home to be given to all young people who use the service. Staff strive to ensure that young people are enabled to make choices about their care through day-to-day conversation and involving young people in decisions about the development of the home.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

The provision is good. Due to the very nature of the service being short breaks the home does not have a lead role in the arrangements for any young people leaving care and making the transition to adulthood. However young people who use the home are supported to learn and develop life skills. These can be practical: cooking, cleaning, budgeting, mechanics; and young people also develop social skills and improve their self-esteem and confidence. There is good support with educational achievement, help to find college places, apprenticeships and work.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

There is a friendly, homely environment, the décor and furnishings are of a good standard, and the home has a good range of facilities that young people benefit from.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. There is detailed information about the home for young people, their families and other interested parties. This is good information that helps explain the home's aims, objectives and what it provides. Young people are involved in developing a guide book specifically for young people who use the home.

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Organisation

Staff are competent and have a wide range of experience and skills. Staff are able to access relevant training and have or are working towards the recommended qualifications. Young people benefit from being looked after by competent and well trained staff.

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Organisation

The promotion of equality and diversity is good. Staff receive training around equality and diversity. There is good inclusive practice and individual needs are promoted well and young people are enabled to make choices about their care. There are effective links with different support services to help ensure diverse needs are met. Young people's records reflect their needs, individuality and progress which helps staff to care for the young people appropriately.

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Organisation

There are good staffing levels ensuring young people are able to attend meetings, appointments and activities. The home is well managed and run in the best interests of young people who use it. There is good monitoring of practice which is constantly reviewed as the service develops. Staff and young people are involved in decision making about the home. 7 of 8 Inspection Report: SC380956

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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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Recommendations

There are no recommendations. 8 of 8 Inspection Report: SC380956

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