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

SC372661 Unique reference number 2 March 2010 Inspection date Trevor Hall Inspector Random Type of Inspection

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14 September 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 6 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 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 an announced interim inspection that concentrated purely on checking all key national minimum standards under the 'Every Child Matters' area of staying safe, as no actions or recommendations were raised on the home's previous key inspection which was conducted on the 14 September 2009 and judged the home to be outstanding. One young person was currently living in the home at the time of this interim inspection.

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Summary

This inspection confirmed that the home remains an outstanding home that is well managed. Young people benefit from living in an environment that is centred on meeting their individual needs; they receive outstanding individual support and their education and health is encouraged and appropriately promoted. The home has well established regimes in place for the effective assessment of risk and staff take all reasonable precautions to ensure that young people, staff and visitors are safe at all times. 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

There were no previous actions or recommendations made from the last inspection.

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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 a service that has an outstanding focus on safeguarding and protection matters. Operational policies, procedures and staff guidance are used effectively to promote everybody's safety and welfare. 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 effective safeguarding practices. Young people are fully protected because 4 of 6 Inspection Report: SC372661 staff recognise and understand their role in child protection and 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

Information held on behalf of all young people is correctly stored in lockable facilities. Young people's privacy and confidentiality is promoted by sound guidance and good staff practice. Staff ensure that they do not enter young people's rooms without knocking. Administrative records are maintained securely and contents are not discussed inappropriately. Staff are aware of the young people's right to privacy and how this may be safely promoted.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The welfare of young people is promoted by a clear robust complaints policy. There is an effective system in place to record any concerns made known by young people. The organisation ensures staff are equipped and trained with the knowledge and understanding to fulfil their role and responsibilities regarding protection and safeguarding. The procedures in the home fully comply with the Local Safeguarding Children Board procedures.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people live in a home where bullying is not allowed and where any form of unwanted behaviour is challenged. Staff provide regular and specific feedback to young people about their behaviour with a clear focus on setting fair and reasonable boundaries. Young people understand what is expected of them and they are rewarded for good behaviour. Very few formal sanctions or physical interventions are used and the home's philosophy is carried out in practice in terms of its behaviour management policy. Staff focus on the positives; young people are given many chances to adjust and improve inappropriate behaviours, staff are patient and listen to young people.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

When sanctions and physical interventions are used, records for these events are completed. Incidents of restraint are reflected well in written documents which allows the acting manager to properly evaluate the necessity for a young person to be held. The few sanctions that have been given are recorded in the same detail, this enables the home's acting manager to easily evaluate there effectiveness or otherwise.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff working at the children's home take positive steps to keep young people and visitors safe from all environmental hazards including fire. For example, risk assessments on the environment are completed and updated on a regular basis and staff within the home are all involved in these routines to ensure that health and safety is promoted by everyone. Portable Appliance Testing for electrical safety has been done on all equipment in the home and all safety equipment has been serviced with approved regularity and is properly maintained. Frequent checks are undertaken on fire equipment, emergency lighting and fire drills are regularly completed. The home's acting 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. This home does take the safety and welfare of the residents seriously and young

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

people do live in a home which is generally both physically safe and secure.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The home has robust procedures in place for the monitoring of visitors to the home. Staff personnel files were not available on the inspection date, as they are held centrally at the owning organisation's head office. These files were, however, examined on 11 June 2009. The owning organisation has a clearly defined recruitment process which protects young people by ensuring that all of the national minimum standard requirements are met, prior to any staff member being deployed into any of their homes. A written record of this process is maintained for inspection and is followed in respect of all staff currently employed. 5 of 6 Inspection Report: SC372661

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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. 6 of 6 Inspection Report: SC372661

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