Children's Home run by Leicester City Council in Leicester

SC039025 Unique reference number 7 July 2009 Inspection date Warren Clarke Inspector Key Type of Inspection

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20 February 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 10 Inspection Report: SC039025

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Brief description of the service

The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for six young people of either sex, age 12 to 18 years. The building from which it operates is on two floors. On the first floor is provided single bedrooms and bathroom accommodation for young people, staff sleeping-in facilities, office space and a self-contained flat with a bed-sitting room, kitchen and bathroom. The flat is used for preparation of young people moving towards independent living. On the ground floor there is a lounge, dining room, laundry and a staff office. The refurbished kitchen is deemed a commercial kitchen. It is, however, used by young people under staff's supervision. The young people have freer access to a kitchenette. There is a large meeting room and a second young people's sitting room. The home is close to local shops and schools and is easily accessible by public transport. It is approximately four miles away from the city centre.

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Brief description of the service

At the time of inspection there were five young people, average age 14 years, resident. All except one of them were seen and all those present participated in the inspection.

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Summary

This full unannounced inspection assessed the home's performance against all the relevant National Minimum Standards (NMS) as grouped under the national outcome framework areas: Being Healthy, Saying Safe, Enjoying and Achieving, Positive Contribution, Economic Wellbeing and Organisation. The home continues to provide young people a sound all round quality of care with some outstanding features and therefore retains its good overall rating. There are, however, three areas where attention is needed to address deficits in order to meet the relevant NMS in full. These, for example, include failure to adhere strictly to the NMS of how children's disciplinary records must be kept. 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

Since the last inspection, the records of menus, as served, are presented in sufficient detail to demonstrate that the young people are consistently provided a varied and nutritious diet. Young people's health records also provide the level of detail necessary to confirm the support and guidance they are given with health issues and promotion of healthy lifestyles. There is secure storage for any medicines that they are permitted to self-administer. The records also show that the fire alarm is being tested at the required frequency. These outcomes meet in full the four recommendations which were made at the last inspection.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is outstanding. Young people are provided regular meals and are entirely satisfied with the choice, quality and quantity. The catering arrangements are organised on a domestic basis that enables young people to be involved in menu planning and local shopping for provisions, which is done weekly. The range and quantities of food in store and detailed menus demonstrate that the young people enjoy a varied and wholesome diet. Although none of the young people currently resident are on focused preparation for independence programmes, they are nevertheless able to make snacks and engage in food preparation as activities with the secondary purpose of acquiring 4 of 10 Inspection Report: SC039025 cooking skills. A dedicated cooking facility is provided in the training flat for those nearing the time when they will live more independently and are practising to do so. Young people appreciate and understand the efforts that staff make to promote healthy eating whilst ensuring they

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Helping children to be healthy

Staff are particularly diligent in promoting the young people's good health. This is evident in the health care arrangements whereby the young people have ready access to the usual range of primary health services such as medical doctors, dentists and opticians. Careful thought is also given to the young people's emotional health for which some receive specialist support when necessary. Information assembled in relation to the young people's health history is used effectively to construct action plans that ensure they get the necessary day-to-day care to address any chronic health problems, minor ailments and preventative strategies to avoid ill health. For example, they are encouraged to eat healthily, given guidance about the adverse effects of smoking and illicit drug use and the implications of certain modes of life such as promiscuity. Above all, the young people are successfully being taught to be responsible with

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Helping children to be healthy

promoting their own health. Plans are underway to assist them to maintain some of their own health records and they are confident and comfortable about sharing any health worries with staff.

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Helping children to be healthy

All care staff have completed training and competence assessment in first aid and safe handling of medicines so that they are able to identify and respond appropriately to any emergency situations concerning the young people's health, attend to minor illnesses and administer medicines efficiently and safely. This is reflected in timely interventions when young people are unwell, including seeking professional medical attention. A clear medication policy and associated procedures are implemented diligently in relation to receiving, storing and administering medicines. Safe arrangements are in place to enable young people, subject to risk assessment, to manage their own medicines as part of the process of preparation for independence and responsibility for their own health.

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Helping children to be healthy

The overall quality of young people's health care is excellent. They are all in robust physical health, active and alert. None of the young people report or appear to be in any pain or discomfort or currently suffering any serious illness. Staff have created circumstances in which the young people can discuss their health concerns knowing that these will be responded to appropriately.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is outstanding. The home continues to provide young people with an environment equipped to provide the level of privacy in keeping with their age and development. This is demonstrated in each young person being allocated his or her own lockable bedroom, all of good size and with sufficient storage to keep possessions private and safe. Young people benefit from this arrangement in that it enables them to withdraw from the rest of the group at times when they want quiet or solitary time. Bathrooms and toilets are similarly equipped to ensure that young people can use them in private and without embarrassment. Well established custom and practice give the young people confidence that their bedroom is their private domain and staff are required to act courteously by not entering uninvited unless in an emergency. The resources allocated to and practices employed in this aspect of care successfully promote safe caring whilst ensuring

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

privacy. 5 of 10 Inspection Report: SC039025 A formal complaints procedure is in place and is actively promoted to young people including information to enable them to approach the regulator with their concerns. Where complaints are made, the home takes them seriously, investigates fairly and conveys the outcome to the complainant. The registered provider exercises rigorous scrutiny ensuring that there is openness and fairness in how concerns are dealt with. Staff demonstrate that they listen to young people's concerns with patience and understanding. Through a less formal system they encourage young people to voice any reasonable dissatisfaction without fear and in the knowledge that the home desires their contentment and thus wishes to resolve any difficulties at an early stage. In this regard, the home keeps a record of low-level concerns that young people express so that where patterns of dissatisfaction emerge from accumulation of 'grumbles', corrective action can be

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

taken to address them on a more general basis.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff are provided the necessary training, procedures and guidance to equip them to identify and respond to allegations and suspicion of abuse and indeed how to prevent abuse. This home's child protection policy and procedures are soundly based and are in sync with those of the Local Safeguarding Children Board. They set out a coherent range of measures which, in combination with effective working partnerships with the local police and other agencies, are demonstrably successful in safeguarding vulnerable young people, some of whose own actions place them at substantial risk of abuse.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The home operates within the local authority anti-bullying strategy and uses its promotional information to raise young people's awareness about the nature and impact of bullying behaviour. Young people continue to value the home's firm stance on bullying. They do not regard bullying as a major problem in the home or in their lives currently and they express confidence in staff's ability to deal with any incidents effectively. Staff continue to heighten the young people's awareness to issues such as racism and other discriminatory behaviour as forms of bullying and through anti-bullying initiatives promoted individually and on a group basis. Young people are aware of their rights and responsibilities within and outside the home. A particularly firm stance is taken where physical intimidation is used as a means of bullying, it being made clear to the young people that this is criminal conduct and may be reported to

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

the police. Where bullying has been evident recently, staff have successfully used a restorative justice approach to support the victim and address the behaviour of the perpetrator.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Significant success has been achieved in reducing the number of events where young people abscond or absent themselves from the home without permission. This is facilitated by staff adherence to a clear procedure for responding to events where young people are missing and they effectively work to settle them into the home and to build trust so that if they have difficulties they are able to share these without needing to run away. Despite the reasonable balance that staff strike between young people's safety and freedom to lead a normal life in, for example, meeting with friends, some fail to abide by the home's reasonable curfew, sometimes, it is believed, aided and harboured by adults. In these circumstances staff work effectively with the police and other safeguarding children services to protect those young people.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff work efficiently to maintain reasonable control and discipline in the home by working fruitfully within the comprehensive behaviour management policy which they clearly understand. The policy sets out an expectation that staff's focus should be to promote young people's good conduct and, as reflected in the goal achievement incentive scheme, reward and reinforce acceptable behaviour and achievement. This approach captures the young people's imagination 6 of 10 Inspection Report: SC039025 and they respond positively as shown in their efforts to attend and apply themselves at school and in the reduction of absence without permission. Strict parameters are set for staff to operate within in all aspects of disciplining. They confront unacceptable behaviour proportionately, by age-appropriate means and always with scope for early restoration of harmony. However, there is an almost exclusive use of financial sanctions and young people are not provided the

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

opportunity to sign their personal disciplinary records and have their comments about these recorded. It is also noted that the records of disciplinary measures are not being kept in permanently bound books. This increases the risk of some parts of the records becoming dislodged and lost as demonstrated in one instance.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Coherent and wide-ranging health and safety measures are well-established in the care of the young people. These measures successfully take account of risk factors that young people's individual circumstances present and potential hazards in the home's environment. Accordingly, where hazards are identified clear arrangements are put in place to either remove or control them. The effectiveness of this is reflected in no serious outbreak of illness or accidents sustained by any child or young person in the home for several years. All necessary precautions such as those associated with fire safety, prevention of accidents and food safety, are being taken. However, an incident in which a young person attempted an act of fire setting is a cause for concern particularly as it did not activate the fire alarm. The manager advises that the installation of a new fire alarm system has been requested.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The home operates a sufficiently robust system to protect the young people from adults who may not be suitable to be employed in their care or to have unsupervised access to them. This system establishes potential staff members' competence and their overall suitability. For example, staff are not permitted to commence duty at the home without satisfactory criminal records disclosure and outcome of other checks. However, where staff have been transferred from other of the provider's children's homes, there are no records to serve as a declaration of their suitability. This is regarded as a deficit since there must be no gaps in the process, if the system of protecting young people from those who may be unsuitable is effective. That said, the acceptable security measures in place provide the young people effective protection from intruders and also a means by which staff are able to control visitors' access and ensure their

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. The systems in place in the home for planning and delivery of young people's care, take proper account of their personal support requirements. This is expressed in the arrangements of their precise care in relation to their sex, race, religion and culture. For, example, the home is equipped to support young people to practise their religion taking account of any special needs such as diet and dress. Where a young person might need support in connection with his or her racial identity or overcome difficulties in moral development, staff know how to make provision and, if necessary, where to seek assistance to ensure they provide an equal and satisfactory service for such young people. Cultural events in the home intended to promote awareness and the diverse staff team, are among the tangible ways commitment to equality and diversity is being demonstrated. Further, the young people's group living arrangements such as communal dining,

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

group and individual leisure activities both in the home and local community ensure that all the young people are included and are provided with opportunities to establish friendships. 7 of 10 Inspection Report: SC039025 The home provides a wide range of books, games and other leisure facilities which, together with an enthusiastic staff team create a stimulating environment in which young people thrive. All those of compulsory school age are either settled at school or are receiving some form of compensatory education. The home has established an ethos in which education, training and personal development are valued and ambition is encouraged and supported. The young people are content with the support they are given to make the best of their educational opportunities including space and the necessary resources to facilitate their learning.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. The very good quality of care that young people enjoy is underpinned by a sound assessment and care management system. Within this system staff demonstrate that they are able to plan for each young person's individual care from a sound knowledge of their circumstances and needs. They use assessment information effectively to yield good outcomes for young people as shown in the care of their health, education, preparation for independence and protection from abuse. Young people's progress is kept under constant review within the home and through the statutory looked after children review process. The home demonstrates that it can adapt successfully to young people's changed circumstances such as when they exhibit a higher level of risky behaviour or experience difficulties at school and are at risk of exclusion.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Staff recognise the importance of the young people's contact with their families and others who are significant to them, and ensure this is reflected in planning their care. Where contact is permitted the home facilitates this through assisting with transport and supervision where necessary and flexible visiting arrangements. Young people have access to a telephone where they are able to make and receive calls in private and have the funds to enable them to do this. Most of the young people currently accommodated enjoy regular and constructive contact with their families.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Arrangements for young people joining the home as residents are handled with requisite care so as to mitigate any anxieties they may have about doing so. Their admission is mostly on a planned basis allowing time for them to be introduced and become familiar with it before moving in permanently. Occasionally, young people are admitted to the home as an emergency, but even then they have access to a helpful leaflet with a picture of the home and a summary of the crucial information they may wish to have prior to their arrival. In all cases the care planning process is informed by a clear aim for a young person's future beyond the home. They are, therefore, gradually prepared for leaving in a planned way that takes account of the attachments they make within the home. Furthermore, staff are committed to continued outreach support of young people who leave the home without a firm supportive family and

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The manager and staff have successfully established an ethos of inclusion of the young people both in decision-making about their own lives and in the running of the home. There are regular young people's meetings in which they are briefed on developments and their views sought on matters in the home which are likely to affect them. For example, they routinely contribute to the catering arrangements, planning of holidays and leisure activities and the furnishing and adornment of the home. The young people therefore present as relaxed in the home, confident in how they relate to staff and clear about their circumstances and plans for their future. 8 of 10 Inspection Report: SC039025

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Achieving economic wellbeing

The provision is good. Staff care for and support young people's development in ways that take full account of the guidance and support they need to fit them for adulthood. For example, they are being guided successfully to manage intimate aspects of their care such as keeping themselves clean and evolve their own styles. Like the nurturing in an ordinary household with wise parents, staff incrementally support the young people to acquire skills such as budgeting and cooking. Those nearing the time when they will leave the home to live independently have access to a discrete programme that enables them, in the supportive environment of the home, to practise living semi-independently. Staff use this process effectively, to guide young people to acquire the practical skills they will need in later life and identify areas of difficulty so that these feature in continuing support arrangements when a young person leaves the home.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

The home is maintained in very good order providing the young people a comfortable living environment and quality of life. It is equipped to meet their needs and effectively support their preparation for independence. The home is sufficiently spacious to enable each young person to have his or her own bedroom and a range of communal areas so that they join and withdraw from the group as they desire. Facilities such as kitchens, bathrooms, toilets and laundry are sufficient in number and the way they are equipped support the young people's care effectively. The home is kept clean and orderly. It is maintained in a good state of decoration and the high standard of furniture and fittings all combine to provide a warm and homely setting.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. The care of the young people and the running of the home are firmly established on the basis of a clear rationale that makes apparent the home's purpose and the principles and methods that govern its operations. This is set out in the statement of purpose (SOP), which is available to young people, their parents and others who may need the information. The SOP accurately reflects how the home is currently being run. It has been summarised in a guide for young people, which informs them of the standard of care they may expect and what is expected of them.

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Organisation

The home provides young people the nurturing they need to thrive and to be optimistic about the future. This is underpinned by sound management and leadership that ensures the home is well-resourced in terms of the number, experience and qualifications of members of the care and ancillary staff teams who are efficiently deployed. Currently the home is operating with its full complement of staff, the majority of whom are appropriately qualified and have been employed for five years or more. Young people benefit from this in terms of staff understanding of their needs and their ability to respond consistently and competently to them particularly so in protecting and equipping them for life beyond the home.

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Organisation

The registered persons demonstrate that they have robust systems in place to monitor the running of the home to ensure the high standard of young people's care is maintained. This contributes significantly to the safeguard and promotion of the young people's welfare as these processes involve monitoring from professionals who operate at arm's length from the day-to-day running of the home. Other quality assurance measures include a system of strategic planning that ensures consolidation of the high standard of care achieved and staff continue to work 9 of 10 Inspection Report: SC039025 towards improvements in this regard. For example, the current development arising from this process, has already yielded direct benefits for young people through a range of staff training, and refurbishment of substantial areas of their living quarters.

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Organisation

Satisfactory administrative arrangements are in place for supporting the children's and young people's care. These arrangements ensure each child's or young person's exclusive and confidential records include all the information necessary to plan and deliver their effective care and reflect their progress. The files containing these records are organised efficiently and would permit a young person who wishes to access his or her own records to do so without fuss.

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Organisation

The promotion of equality and diversity is good. This is reflected in all aspects of the management of the home and the care of the young people. Among the tangible ways in which the home's commitment to equality and diversity is demonstrated is its investment in substantial staff training in this area and its plan to cascade some of this to the young people.

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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

To improve the quality and standards of care further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • ensure that records of sanctions and of physical restraint are kept in a separate, bound and numbered book (NMS 22.9 and 22.10) • ensure that when disciplinary measures or restraint are used, young people are encouraged to write or have their views recorded and sign their names against them (NMS 22.14) • ensure that in consultation with the local fire authority, positive steps are taken to keep children, staff and visitors from risk of fire particularly in relation to deliberate fire setting by some young people and adequate arrangements are made for detecting and giving warning of fire (NMS 26.1) • ensure that there is a written record kept in the home of the recruitment which is followed in respect of all staff and other adults who work with children in the home (NMS 27.1).

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