Children's Home run by Shropshire Council in Shropshire

SC382730 Unique reference number 28 September 2009 Inspection date Janet Manders Inspector Random Type of 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: SC382730

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Brief description of the service

The home provides short-term placements for four young people of either gender, aged between 11 and 16. Placements are normally for 12 weeks but up to a maximum of 16 weeks in exceptional circumstances. The home aims to provide an accurate assessment of all young people based on the staff team’s observations whilst the young person is living at the home. Staff work with the young people using a restorative approach, where appropriate, to enable them to take responsibility for their own actions, thereby, developing a positive atmosphere and building stronger relationships between all in the home.

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Brief description of the service

The home has six bedrooms, four for young people, two for staff sleeping in. All but one staff sleeping in room has en-suite toilet and shower facilities. There is a large well equipped bathroom, which provides a choice of bathing options for young people. There are two offices, a staff office downstairs and the manager's office upstairs. There is a lounge with television and DVD player, a computer and quiet homework room, a kitchen and a dining room. The home is set in a rural location and has a large garden for young people to play in.

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Summary

This was an unannounced interim inspection. The visit concentrated on the requirements made at the last key inspection in April 2009. The outcome area of economic wellbeing was not looked at during this inspection. Standards in relation to being healthy, staying safe, enjoying and achieving, making a positive contribution and organisation are inspected. At the time of the inspection four young people were living at the home and three of them were present during part of the visit and contributed to the inspection.

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Summary

The overall quality rating for the home remains good, with the manager being required to take steps in relation to five good practice recommendations. These relate to the need to undertake risk assessments, recording of room searches, the use of appropriate sanctions, recording young people's identity needs and staff supervision.

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Summary

This judgement will be reviewed at the home's next full inspection when all key National Minimum Standards will be re-assessed. 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

The last inspection required the home to take action regarding training for staff in relation to the assessment of young people, as the home provides initial assessment of young people to inform placing social workers of the appropriateness of future placements. A new training module has been developed, which all staff will complete. The manager was also required to undertake an assessment of the impact of the admission to the home of a young person. A detailed risk assessment is now completed in relation to both the risks to the young person and to those young people already resident within the home.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Action has been taken to address two of the good practice recommendations made at the last inspection. This has included improvements in the recording of young people's health plans and complaints made about the care provided by the home. However, there are three 4 of 8 Inspection Report: SC382730 recommendations, which remain in place as risk assessments have not been undertaken when young people administer their own medication and placement plans still do not sufficiently identify how young people's identity needs can be met. Additionally, not all staff have received supervision within appropriate timescales.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Young people are provided with good support to live a healthy lifestyle; their health needs are effectively met.

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Helping children to be healthy

Young people's health needs are clearly identified in the placement plan and good records are kept to show how these are addressed. For example, young people attend universal services, such as, a dentist, optician and doctor. Young people are referred to other specialist agencies where this is required. Staff record and monitor young people's health appointments, accidents and illnesses and where appropriate take action. This ensures that all healthcare checks are being monitored and reviewed. Young people are provided with advice and guidance from staff and the authority's looked after children's (LAC) nurse, in relation to health education and this includes, smoking, alcohol and sex education. This helps prepare young people to be more informed about how to lead healthy and safe lives.

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Helping children to be healthy

Medication is handled well. The files for the young people contain signed medical consent forms, a record of all prescribed and non-prescribed medication and whether it has been taken. The home has procedures in place to ensure that medicines are appropriately handled and stored to safeguard young people’s welfare. Young people's medication is safely stored in a wall-mounted lockable cabinet in a secured room which is also locked when not occupied. Young people are allowed to self-medicate, however, risk assessments are not consistently undertaken. Consequently staff do not always assess whether medication will be used appropriately.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Young people live in a safe environment where their welfare and protection is paramount. The home has clear procedures and staff guidance in place that is communicated effectively to promote practices that keep young people safe. Staff receive regular training in a range of areas to do with safeguarding young people, which helps them fulfil their role and responsibilities.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff are aware of their responsibilities to promote privacy and confidentiality. Staff do not enter young people's rooms without permission, except when young people are considered at risk. The home has developed a clear policy in relation to when a young person's belongings need to be searched and a record is made of the search within the young person's files. However, not all searches have been appropriately recorded, with the home's log not including all required information. Information held in respect of young people is stored in lockable facilities, which are only accessible to staff. Staff are professional about sharing confidential information.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people understand how to make a complaint if they have any concerns about their care and they are confident that staff listen to them and take appropriate action when necessary. Young people are able to seek support from an advocate if they require. Information regarding 5 of 8 Inspection Report: SC382730 making a complaint is included in the children's guide. The home has in place an effective system to respond to and investigate any complaints. The home uses a restorative approach when dealing with complaints or disagreements. This indicates that the home takes young people's concerns seriously.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people live in a caring, friendly and safe environment. Young people's welfare is protected by good staff awareness of safeguarding, anti-bullying and unauthorised absence procedures. The home has clear procedures for responding to child protection concerns and the staff have initial training in child protection, which is regularly updated. Staff take all appropriate action to keep young people safe, this includes increased supervision where it is believed that young people are vulnerable to harm. Staff work actively in the home to ensure that bullying does not happen. Young people are well educated about the detrimental effects bullying behaviours have. They are clear about the home's policy on bullying.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

There is a written policy and staff guidance on the actions that should be taken if a young person is absent from the home without consent. The procedures and guidance follow a regional joint protocol, which has been developed to ensure young people's safety is promoted. The protocol also ensures that reporting processes are followed according to individual risks and circumstances. Staff are aware of these procedures and there are specific procedures included in each young person's placement plan. Patterns of absence are monitored and action plans are based on this evidence; risk assessments are updated accordingly.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The home develops clear plans as to how to protect each young person. This is supported by risk assessment and behaviour management plans. Staff have received training in respect of managing young people's challenging behaviour and are able to diffuse difficult situations where necessary. Young people are assisted to develop socially acceptable behaviour through discussions with staff on an individual basis and being provided with clear details of the home's rules and expectations of them when they are admitted to the home. A range of appropriate rewards and sanctions are used to reinforce positive behaviours. Sanctions, rewards and consequences are age and needs appropriate and reparation is encouraged. However, the home has included fines in young people's behaviour management plans for certain actions. This is not a permitted sanction.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people live in a home that provides physical safety and security with risks from young people's behaviour and environmental factors being well managed. Testing of emergency lighting, fire alarms and fire fighting equipment is taking place within appropriate timescales. Fire drills have taken place within the frequency required, including a night time evacuation.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people are cared for by appropriately vetted staff and the home has robust procedures in place for the monitoring of visitors. Staff personnel files are held centrally at the County Council offices. Records are well organised and excellent practice ensures that all necessary pre-employment checks are completed to ensure that staff are suitable to work with vulnerable young people.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Young people are supported by a well-informed team who work together to identify and meet young people's needs. Each young person is allocated a key worker who is responsible for coordinating tasks identified in the young person's placement plan. The key worker meets 6 of 8 Inspection Report: SC382730 regularly with the young person to discuss any issues that are relevant to the young person. External services are requested as necessary to meet the needs of individual young people. All staff are aware of each young person's placement plan and offer appropriate support when necessary. Staff respect and value diversity and young people receive appropriate external support as the home has a proactive approach to working with other professionals. However, the home does not always record detailed information as to how young people's identity needs are to be met. This potentially results in young people's needs not being fully identified or met.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Staff are sensitive and give young people time to help them settle into their new environment. Placements are planned where possible, with young people being able to visit the home prior to admission. As a result, young people are able to move into the home, in a planned and sensitive manner. Where a young person is admitted to the home in an emergency, a review is undertaken within 72 hours to ensure that the home can meet the young person's needs and to ascertain what the focus of staff intervention will be.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Young people are well supported by staff at the time of their admission to the home, with young people receiving clear guidance regarding the routines of the home, the home's expectation of them and what they can expect from staff.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Staff are well supported by an experienced manager and deputy manager, which effectively underpins the work undertaken by staff to support young people.

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Organisation

Staff training is effective and well coordinated to ensure that staff acquire necessary skills and maintain statutory competences. Staff are supervised and supported to undertake their roles and increase their knowledge and competence. They are encouraged to reflect on their practice and make improvements to it. However, some supervision sessions do not take place within appropriate timescales. This has the potential for undermining their ability to provide informed support for the young people placed at the home. Regular team meetings are held, which ensures that the staff team understand priorities for working with young people and a consistent approach is delivered. Staff also have the opportunity to meet regularly with the LAC Children and Adolescent Mental Health team. This excellent practice enables staff to have a greater understanding of how to meet young people's needs.

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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): • assess whether young people who administer their own medication are sufficiently responsible to do so. (NMS 13.9) • ensure a record of all room searches, which includes all relevant information, is kept for inspection. (NMS 9.8) • ensure that sanctions are not unreasonable, this is in relation to the imposition of a financial penalty. (NMS 22.6) • develop detailed plans as to how the home can help young people develop individual identity in relation to gender, disability, religious, racial, cultural or linguistic background or sexual orientation. (NMS 7.6) • ensure all staff receive at least one and a half hours of one to one supervision from a senior member of staff each month; and that new staff receive one to one supervision at least fortnightly during the first 6 months of their employment. (NMS 28.2).

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