Children's Home run by Bryn Melyn Care Limited in Shropshire

SC372661 Unique reference number 14 September 2009 Inspection date Trevor Hall Inspector Key Type of Inspection

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28 January 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: SC372661

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Brief description of the service

This home is a small independent children's home providing care and accommodation for one young person aged between 10 and 18 years of age. The home shares a registered manager with a similar care home within the same care organisation. The company has an educational centre nearby, which some of the young people it accommodates attend.

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Brief description of the service

The home is accommodated in a detached house with three bedrooms in a fairly isolated rural position in a small village near a small market town. The purpose of the home is to provide care for a single young person who has complex social and psychological needs and who may require assessment, behaviour modification or skill enhancement. Generally the home is staffed with one person on duty with the young person. However, this is under constant review and if circumstances or risk assessments suggest it is necessary, as at the time of this inspection, staffing levels are increased.

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Summary

This was a full unannounced inspection that concentrated on all key National Minimum Standards (NMS). One young person was living in the home, who was present for part of the inspection. The inspection focused on areas related to health needs, keeping young people safe, education and how individual support was provided. The inspection also concentrated on how the home consulted with young people, planned for their care and how staffing and management arrangements supported the operation of the service.

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Summary

The inspection found that the home provides an excellent standard of care and support that helps young people in their education, personal, social and emotional development. The home's manager provides strong and effective leadership which results in staff being clearly focused and guided in meeting the needs of young people. Staff relationships with young people are caring and very supportive. Young people are benefiting from living in a home that is consistently managed and organised to achieve the best possible outcomes for those individuals accommodated. The overall judgement for the home on this inspection was outstanding. The overall quality rating is outstanding. This is an overview of what the inspector found during the inspection.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Since the home was last inspected it has made available to all staff up to date local safeguarding procedures via the computer in the staff office. Young people are now routinely asked to comment if sanctioned or if they are involved in an incident that requires staff to use any form of physical intervention. Any refusal to comment is also now recorded.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is outstanding. Young people at this home are receiving an excellent service that is clearly focused on their emotional well-being and health needs. Staff are actively involved in engaging with young people about a range of health related issues that result in consistent improvements to health and fitness. Young people's good health and well-being is being successfully promoted because 4 of 10 Inspection Report: SC372661 staff are knowledgeable and aware of each individual young person's needs. They also have agreed plans designed to encourage healthy habits and to improve young people's self-image.

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Helping children to be healthy

Staff provide healthy, nutritious meals that meet young people's daily dietary needs. Fruit is always available and they are, within reason, able to make themselves hot drinks and snacks between meals. Young people regularly contribute to both the planning and preparation of meals within the home. Mealtimes are social occasions and are seen as an important part of daily life.

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Helping children to be healthy

Young people's health and well-being are well promoted by the staff within the home. The care organisation that owns this home has developed clear guidance regarding promoting and safeguarding young people's health. These are known and followed by staff working in the home.

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Helping children to be healthy

Staff take a pro-active approach to meeting young people's physical and emotional health needs. The health and care needs of young people are identified and updated regularly. The home seeks all available information regarding young people's health needs at the time of placement and registers young people with appropriate health professionals at the earliest opportunity. Young people are able to access appropriate services because the home is quick to respond to changing needs and circumstances. Young people's health needs are being well promoted because the home's records highlight the range of medical services that have been accessed. The home's manager acts as a strong advocate for the needs of young people in relation to accessing external advice and services. Young people are able to access therapeutic support to help them learn about and deal with specific emotional issues that are affecting

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Helping children to be healthy

Young people's health and safety is also promoted through this home's policies and procedures for the safe storage and administration of medication, particularly the storage of controlled medication. Administration records demonstrate that staff are following pharmacy instructions in relation to the health needs of individual young people. Staff are able to respond to accidents and unforeseen medical needs because they have access to first aid boxes and have been trained in basic first aid skills. Young people's health and safety is further promoted by managers who monitor all accidents and injuries that occur in the home.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is outstanding. Young people are clearly benefiting from living in a service that has an outstanding focus on safeguarding and protection matters. This home has a good range of operational policies and procedures that are used effectively to promote the safety and welfare of young people. The home's strong leadership consistently promotes an environment where safety is important. Young people are frequently and consistently engaged by staff in how to keep themselves and others safe. Young people benefit from living in a home where there are excellent arrangements in place to ensure staff are trained and well-informed about how to keep young people safe. Young people are protected because staff recognise and fully understand their role in child protection and that they know what action to take if there are concerns.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people's privacy and confidentially is respected by all staff. Staff are sensitive and aware of the need to only disclose or share information that is needed to meet young people's needs. The Registered Manager has an active focus on community relationships to ensure the home 5 of 10 Inspection Report: SC372661 maintains a harmonious presence in the local area. Staff and young people know that unwanted behaviour of any kind is not tolerated and will be challenged. This makes this home a safe and comfortable place to live because expectations about behaviour and conduct are clearly communicated in a way that has a positive affect on young people. Young people are able to raise concerns and complaints with staff through a well-advertised complaints procedure. Young people know how to use this procedure and feel confident in the ability of the home to listen and act on what they have to say.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The home manages complaints and concerns quickly and tries to resolve complaints in a manner young people both understand and can agree with.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The home follows its own policy and procedures regarding young people who leave the home without permission. These practices are consistent with a wider police protocol on absconding behaviour. Young people are actively discouraged from having unauthorised absences and records demonstrated that procedures are being consistently followed. Young people's protection is underpinned by individual risk assessments and clear guidance to staff about what actions to take once a young person has left the home. The home's responses to this behaviour are compressively focused on the needs and risks of individual young people in terms of promoting their safety. Staff in the home are focused on developing supportive and consistent relationships that encourage alternative and safer ways of behaving. Promoting young people's safety and protection is central to the operation of the home.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people are encourage to behave well, to establish, achieve and maintain levels of behaviour that are socially acceptable and that will sustain them in the wider community. The home's records not only detail sanctions used for poor behaviour, but also positive consequences and rewards for behaviour that deserves congratulation and praise. Staff are acutely aware of the need to balance their interventions with positive feedback about young people's achievements, rather than on just punishing misdemeanours. Staff are successful at helping young people change their behaviour for the better.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Positive steps are taken to keep young people, staff and visitors safe from fire and other hazards in the home. For example, records indicate that risk assessments are completed in relation to fire and potential environmental hazards. Frequent checks are undertaken on fire equipment, emergency lighting and fire drills are regularly completed. The Registered Manager ensures that utilities, domestic equipment and vehicles are checked to ensure they are safe to use. Young people live in a home which provides physical safety and security.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff personnel files were accessed by visiting the parent company's head offices on 22 August 2008, when all of the home's staff files were examined. These records demonstrated excellent employment practices being applied. All of the staff had all of the required checks completed prior to commencing their employment. All visitors to the home are monitored and are required to provide evidence of their identity and to sign a visitors book.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Young people are receiving a very good range of individual support and guidance that is consistent with their identified needs. Staff have a positive attitude towards education and take a keen and active interest in young people's development and learning. Young people are living in a home where they can consistently enjoy and achieve. 6 of 10 Inspection Report: SC372661 Staff have access to a comprehensive range of information that identifies specific needs and support for each young person. A key worker system is in operation where a member of staff takes some responsibility for the delivery and monitoring of a young person’s care and support. Records also take account of potential needs in relation to a young person's diversity such as identity, race, culture and religion. Although some individual support is delivered through key worker arrangements, this process is not promoted to the exclusion of other staff offering

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

support. It is clear that staff in the home work as a team and young people are able to approach all staff for help and support.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff actively promote the social inclusion of young people in the home's daily routines and events. Young people are supported to access and attend various community based activities and venues according to their own choices and preferences. Staff are keenly supporting young people to develop their own interests and hobbies because significant attention is being paid to this area of personal development and growth. Young people are supported to access specialist external services to ensure all their identified needs are being met. The Registered Manager reviews and updates assessments so staff are informed about what they can do to reduce potential risks to young people.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Young people's care and support is also clearly focused on their overall plan of care, matching the placing authorities aims and objectives in relation to future plans and placements. The Registered Manager and staff have a strong focus on organising themselves around young people and their needs which supports improving outcomes for each individual.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Young people's education is promoted through the home's education policy. It clearly sets out the roles and responsibilities of residential staff in relation to school attendance and learning. Records demonstrate that staff are working in partnership with teachers to support an education timetable that includes academic and vocational activities.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is outstanding. Young people are fully supported to make a positive contribution to their placement and future plans whilst living at this home. Staff demonstrate that they value the views and opinions of young people. They are involved in all aspects of their care and are given every opportunity to contribute to their own care planning and arrangements. Staff actively and formally seek the views of young people and respond in a way that values their opinions. For example, young people are regularly involved in placement plan meetings with staff to Discuss their needs and this information is clearly reflected in the home's records. Seeking young people's opinions and helping them make decisions about matters that affect them is fully integrated into the care practices of the home.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Close attention is paid to ensuring that the home's records fully represent young people's current needs. Young people are involved in their care planning and have regular opportunities to discuss their needs with staff. Staff are successful at engaging with young people and are focused on achieving the stated aims and objectives of individual plans. The Registered Manager is proactive with young people's placing social workers and is robust in identifying shortfalls in service provision which the local authority is responsible for.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The planned care received by each young person living at this home is effective because each individual has a placement plan that identifies the purpose of the placement and how the 7 of 10 Inspection Report: SC372661 placing authority's care plan for the young person will be progressed. Up-to-date Looked After Children's (LAC) documentation was completed on each young person that referred directly to the current care arrangements. Young people's records demonstrate that staff are flexible and innovative in their approaches to managing young people's behaviours and in promoting positive outcomes. Case files confirm that the young people's progress is reviewed within the statutory time periods. Staff attend regular in-house meetings to record and update each young person's general progress during the interim period. Monthly reports are completed by key workers and the home prepares chronological reports to keep placing authorities informed.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Placement plans include summarised health and education plan details.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Young people are able to maintain valued relationships with family and friends because staff support and help facilitate contact and visits. Young people's contact arrangements are consistent with their agreed plans. They confirmed that staff support them to stay in touch with significant people in a way that is agreed and they choose.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Young people are given good support when they arrive and leave the home and these routines are based around individual needs and circumstances. Staff understand that moving home can be very difficult for some young people and this awareness is used to provide support and reassurance in these circumstances. Young people are encouraged to bring their own possessions into the home so they can personalise their own bedrooms.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Staff use a range of ways to consult with young people in the home. Young people have the opportunity to express their views and opinions in young people's meetings, as well as through individual sessions with their key worker. Young people regularly meet with the Registered Manager as part of the consultation processes to ensure the head of the home is directly informed about their views and opinions. Staff are good at consulting with young people about the routines and daily living arrangements of the home. Young people state that staff are good at listening and taking on board their feedback. Staff are active in ensuring that young people are aware that they can speak to independent agencies and professionals outside of the home.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

The provision is good. Young people receive adequate allowances to cover personal requisites and clothing. They are well-informed about their entitlements because the home has good arrangements and systems in place to manage allowances, personal needs and pocket money.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

Young people living at this home are appropriately supported to prepare for leaving the home; whether this is to return home, to alternative carers or to move into independent living. Young people are provided, where appropriate, with properly constituted pathway plans agreed by the placing authorities. These give focus to preparing young people to appropriately leave the home.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

Young people live in a well-furnished detached property with good domestic style facilities. It is located in a rural area not far from a small market town. This provides young people with an appropriate degree of security as well as good access to local amenities.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

The home is furnished and equipped to a good standard creating a pleasant living environment. Overall, this home is homely and comfortable and is decorated and furnished to a good standard. 8 of 10 Inspection Report: SC372661 The home provides the right environment to ensure the social and personal needs of each young person are being met.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

A programme of maintenance and repair is ongoing, however, this does not impact on the care young people receive. There are good systems in place that recognise maintenance issues. Those with health and safety implications are rectified as a priority with evidence that demonstrates the organisation invests generously in the home.

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Organisation

The organisation is outstanding. This home is an outstandingly well-managed home, which contributes to the positive impact on the care and support young people receive. The Registered Manager provides good day-to-day support to individual shifts and as a result they are well informed about daily routines, events and the progress of each young person. Staff know and understand the stated aims and objectives of the service, which is consistent with the home's statement of purpose. The commitment from staff is a strength of the home. Most absences are covered by the existing team or cover staff, who are already known by the young people, to ensure their continuity of care. Young people are well informed about what the home does because staff take time to explain and describe its services and how they can be influenced to suit individual needs.

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Organisation

The home provides a good range of information about its stated aims and purpose. Young people are given a handbook that is in an appropriate format to help them learn about what the home provides. The number of staff on duty is always enough to meet the needs of young people which supports their welfare and protection. The care organisation, which runs the home, has an induction, core training programme and support system in place that helps to provide staff with the necessary skills and knowledge to support and care for young people.

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Organisation

There is first class leadership and management support because the Registered Manager is dedicated, skilled and experienced and provides strong and effective leadership to the staff team and young people. The Registered Manager is actively involved in the day-to-day operation of the home and has clear expectations that the staff team will achieve the best possible outcomes for all young people in their care. Young people are receiving excellent support because all of the staff team are qualified and suitably experienced. Most of the staff are qualified to National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) at Level 3 in Caring for Children and Young People.

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Organisation

Good emphasis is given to staff training and development, which is focused on areas relating to young people's needs. Staff receive regular one-to-one supervision from the home's manager. This enables staff to appropriately share problems and enables the home's manager to promote consistency. Good management systems are in place to share information between different shift teams. Young people are being nurtured and comprehensively supported because their needs are being met and risks are managed in a preventative way.

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Organisation

Young people are provided with excellent levels of supervision and support because staff manage their time effectively and are deployed in a way that meets their needs. The staff rotas are flexible to meet the changing needs and circumstances of young people. There are clear and accountable systems in place for staff to deputise in the absence of the manager. 9 of 10 Inspection Report: SC372661 Good systems are in place to monitor the service and daily lives of young people currently living in the home. The organisation has established a pattern of management monitoring and reporting procedures, which is effectively implemented by the home's Registered Manager. The organisation conducts monthly review meetings to look at welfare issues within their homes. Findings are reported back to the company. Records seen demonstrate that the content of these reports reflect an accurate picture of life for young people resident here. These reports

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Organisation

The promotion of equality and diversity is outstanding. All of the home's recording systems take account of potential needs in relation to a young person's diversity such as identity, race, culture and religion. The home provides an environment where the value of equality and diversity is understood, promoted and celebrated.

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Organisation

The Registered Manager is actively monitoring and evaluating the practice standards of staff and the quality of services being provided. Managers take an active role in the evaluation of the service and the impact the home is having on the care of young people. The manager has access to feedback from placing authorities, parents and young people. Areas for improvement are quickly identified or anticipated, and positive steps are agreed and implemented to overcome any difficulties and to carefully plan the development of the service.

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Organisation

Young people’s care files are very well organised to include all of the information detailed in Schedule 3 of the Children's Homes Regulations 2001. Confidential or third party information is kept in a separate section of the care file to enable the home to respond, in a timely manner, to any request made by a young person to read their care file.

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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. 10 of 10 Inspection Report: SC372661

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