Children's Home run by The Partnership of Care Today in Staffordshire

SC005050 Unique reference number 30 September 2009 Inspection date Katarina Djordjevic Inspector Key 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 10 Inspection Report: SC005050

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Brief description of the service

This is a children's home that is part of a large organisation. The home provides care for five young people aged between 11 and 16 years old who have emotional or behavioural difficulties. The home admits young people for short to mid-term assessment who can stay for up to one year although the majority of young people stay for less than six months. All beds are available for emergency placements.

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Brief description of the service

The home is a modernised and adapted farmhouse situated in a rural and remote location. On the ground floor there is kitchen, dining room which also is used as a games room, a lounge, three bedrooms, toilet facilities, a shower room and a staff office. On the first floor there are two bedrooms and a bathroom and a staff office which has its own bathing facilities. Education can be offered on site or at either of the two other educational facilities run by the organisation. The home has transport which due to the location of the home is needed to take the young people out for social, educational, medical and leisure needs.

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Brief description of the service

Staffing is dependent on the needs of young people and occupancy levels. When there is full occupancy there are three staff on duty during waking hours, one sleeping-in staff and one waking night staff. There are on-call arrangements.

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Brief description of the service

There are two young people currently living at the home.

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Summary

This was a full unannounced inspection. The purpose of the visit is to assess the quality of care provided for young people, in line with statutory requirements. All key standards were inspected and standards 15, 20, 21, 28, and 32 were also inspected. All outcomes are judged as good with the exception of enjoying and achieving which is judged as satisfactory.

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Summary

This is a good service where young people feel happy and safe. Good relationships exist between young people and staff which helps young people achieve and develop their skills. There have been significant improvements in the monitoring of staff practice and records undertaken by the registered manager. This has led to an improved and safer level of care for young people. 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

At the last inspection the manager was asked to address shortfalls in the recording of restraints to ensure that records give full details of what actually happened, what the actual risk is and that terminology used is clear. Significant progress has been made in the management of young people's behaviour including the recording of incidents. Incident report forms are more informative about what happened, the behaviour leading up to the restraint and the outcome. The form also requires staff to reflect on if and how the restraint could have been avoided. These improvements have made it easier for the registered manager to assess if young people's behaviour has been managed in a safe, proportionate and appropriate manner thereby protecting young people from the risk of harm or injury. 4 of 10 Inspection Report: SC005050

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Young people live in an environment where their physical and emotional health needs are identified and staff ensure services are provided to meet them. Staff receive training in a number of health related areas which helps to promote the health and wellbeing of young people including first aid, self-harm and drug and alcohol dependency awareness. Care records clearly identify health needs and support that appropriate action is taken to ensure young people have access to medical, dental and other health services they need. Additional to this young people are provided with guidance, advice and support on health and personal care issues appropriate to their needs and wishes. There is a lot of information available for young people which helps them to learn and understand about the need to live healthily. Any issues of personal hygiene are dealt sensitively with the young person. Young people are actively encouraged to take

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Helping children to be healthy

physical exercise and many of the activities are sport based.

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Helping children to be healthy

Procedures are in place to ensure that medicines are appropriately handled and stored to safeguard young people’s welfare. Effective monitoring systems carried out by the registered manager ensures that practices are safe and in line with policies and procedures.

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Helping children to be healthy

Young people are provided with food in adequate quantities, which are wholesome and nutritious and based on their likes and dislikes, dietary, religious and cultural requirements. Young people play an active role in planning menus and shopping which helps them prepare for independence. Mealtimes are a relaxed social occasion where young people and staff interact well together. Young people say they enjoy the meals and are actively encouraged and supported to learn, try and where possible, cook different cultural meals. Young people have particularly enjoyed researching information about different recipes, being able to prepare these meals and visit different restaurants.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. The management of health and safety is good which helps to protect young people and staff from the risk of harm and injury. General health and safety issues are addressed with a range of risk assessments in place including specific individual risk assessments. They identify hazards as well as risks faced when taking young people on community based trips and activities. Servicing of installations and equipment is carried out as required. Fire safety procedures are generally good which help to protect young people and staff from the risk of harm. Fire alarm tests are carried out weekly and regular fire drills take place. The fire evacuation procedure is explained to young people on admission and one young person showed the inspector all the fire exits in the home. However, the fire risk assessment did not identify that the wall heater in the school classroom needed a protective cover.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The home has clear policies and procedures regarding the recruitment of staff which meet the Children's Homes Regulations 2001 and National Minimum Standards. Practices are in line with these except where volunteers are used. For example, a volunteer has been working at the home since the last inspection. Although an enhanced Criminal Record Bureau check has been obtained and the volunteer does not have unsupervised contact with young people, other checks such as references have not been undertaken. This has the potential to present a risk of harm to young people. 5 of 10 Inspection Report: SC005050 Significant events relating to the protection of young people at the home are notified to the relevant agencies, which helps to protect young people.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people’s privacy is promoted. They have single occupancy bedrooms to which they have appropriate access and have keys to their rooms. Bathrooms and toilets all have privacy locks fitted. Sensitive information is held securely.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people live in an environment where they feel able to raise any concerns they may have which helps to protect them from the risk of harm or abuse. There is a clear complaints procedure which is known and easily accessible to young people. One young person explained the procedure including timescales for responding to complaints. Young people feel they are listened to and any concerns they may have including any issues relating to bullying are taken seriously and dealt with promptly. Records of complaints are kept and support young people’s views that concerns raised are listened to and dealt with promptly.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people said they feel safe living at the home, are able to raise any concerns they may have and are well supported by staff. Staff work closely with other agencies to promote the protection and wellbeing of young people. Various policies and procedures on safeguarding young people provide staff with guidance and support to ensure they understand their responsibilities in reporting any concerns. This helps to protect young people from the risk of harm or abuse. The home has a copy of the Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB) procedures. All staff receive child protection training during their six month induction and staff meetings are also used to re-visit the procedures and discuss any safeguarding issues where appropriate. The registered manager has recently attended training provided by the local authority and used this information to provide staff with additional training.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Bullying is not tolerated and is made clear to young people on admission and is regularly discussed at the weekly children's meetings. The home has a copy of the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) 'Safe from Bullying in children's homes'. The home’s anti-bulling policy is on display on the young people’s notice board. In addition to this, there are posters around the home about bullying including cyber-bullying. Records show that issues of reported bullying are dealt with promptly. Young people said bullying is not an issue.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Clear procedures and practices to deal with unauthorised absence help to protect young people from the risk of harm and abuse. Risk assessments are carried out for each young person. All relevant agencies are informed and records kept as required. Staff discuss the dangers of going missing with young people when young people return to the home.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people who live at the home often present difficult behaviours. Staff work closely with young people to enable them to change their difficult behaviours and develop socially acceptable behaviour. The emphasis is on recognising and rewarding positive behaviours. The management of young people’s behaviour has improved since the last inspection with the number of restraints and sanctions having reduced significantly. The incident report forms which were introduced just before the last inspection in March 2009 have been instrumental in enabling staff to improve the quality of recording and reflecting on incidents. Incident report forms now give greater detail about what happened, who was involved and the outcome. This helps the registered manager to assess if the incident has been managed in a safe, proportionate and appropriate manner thereby protecting young people from the risk of harm or injury. Any incidents are

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

discussed at the staff meetings which give staff the opportunity to reflect on how the incident 6 of 10 Inspection Report: SC005050 was managed and how to try and avoid future physical interventions. Young people are clear about what is expected of them and accept why sanctions are imposed. Young people are consulted about the type of sanctions which may be imposed. For example, at a children’s meeting in July 2009, a proposed list of recommended sanctions and behaviours was discussed. This list is on display in the dining room. Young people said that sanctions are fair and that they also have the opportunity to ‘earn back things’ if their behaviour improves.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is satisfactory. Care and support provided to young people is based on their individual identified needs. Staff have a good knowledge of young people’s needs and give them support to help them achieve and acquire different personal care and independence skills. Staff work closely with other agencies to ensure young people’s needs are met. Young people like living at the home. One young person said they would ‘like to stay here 'till I’m 18’. Interactions between young people and staff are positive. Individual risk assessments are in place and young people are supported to take controlled risks, appropriate to their age and understanding, in preparation for adulthood. A key worker system operates at the home and the key worker is responsible for liaising with parents, other relevant professionals and agencies about the care provided to the young person. Key worker sessions are held regularly to discuss targets, strategies identified in young people's

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

placement plan trackers, progress being made and any difficulties being experienced by young people.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Young people are supported to continue attending mainstream schools wherever possible. Care staff liaise closely with schools to monitor young people’s progress and to try and ensure consistency of care including the management of behaviour. Education is also provided on site for those young people who are unable to attend mainstream school. Young people who attend education on site have input from a teacher in the mornings but do not receive any formal, planned education in the afternoon. Care staff provide activities in the afternoons. Care staff support young people to achieve and develop daily living skills and provide information and informal learning about health matters and different cultures and religions.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Young people are provided with an extensive range of activities both in-house and in the community which they enjoy and are given opportunities to try new activities. This helps to build up young people's self-confidence. Risk assessments are in place for trips and outside activities. However, young people are not always adequately supervised when using the internet at local internet cafes and libraries. Although there is no evidence to support that this has had a detrimental affect on young people, young people are able to access different chat rooms which poses a risk of harm and abuse to young people.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Systems, records and practices in the home support and enable young people to make positive contributions to their daily and future lives. Young people are consulted about their placement plans and attend their review meetings which are held as required. Weekly children’s meetings are held which give young people the opportunity to contribute to the daily running of the home and make suggestions about the meals and activities provided in the home. Regular key work sessions are also held where young people can make their views known. 7 of 10 Inspection Report: SC005050 Young people's assessed needs are identified and met through good care planning processes. All young people have a file which contains looked after children' documents, placement plans, risk assessments and case records. Internal placement plans called placement plan trackers assess the care of young people under the five outcomes of Every Child Matters and give clear

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Helping children make a positive contribution

targets to enable young people’s needs to be met. Records are of a good standard and enable staff to monitor if young people are making progress in the identified areas. Placement plan trackers and risk assessments are reviewed regularly. Staff work closely with the placing authority and send them weekly progress reports on each young person which helps social workers to monitor if young people are receiving the care they need.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Contact arrangements are clearly recorded in young people’s records and they are fully supported to maintain contact with their family, friends and other significant people. Staff accompany young people on home visits where appropriate and provide transport when necessary.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The majority of admissions to the home are on an emergency basis or very short notice. As much relevant information is obtained as possible from the placing authority and young people’s needs are promptly formulated into a care plan. Young people are given the 'welcome booklet' either prior to admission or on the day of admission. This gives good information about what life is like at the home, what the young person can expect and what is expected of them. A member of staff spends time helping the young person settle in. This includes staff going through an 'induction checklist' which gives the young person information about the day-to-day running of the home, routines, expectations, rules and policies.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

The provision is good. Young people live in a well-designed and pleasant home which is decorated and maintained to a good standard. Doors into the home are fitted with appropriate locks which young people can access. Some of these doors are not kept locked and some are left open which does not always protect access to the home by unauthorised persons. Although the home is in a rural location this has the potential to place young people at risk.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

The home reflects the likes and interests of young people living there and there are lots of photographs on display of activities that young people and staff have been involved in. Young people are encouraged and supported to personalise their bedroom.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

Young people are actively encouraged and supported to develop daily living and life skills, in preparation for adulthood. This is based on individual needs, taking into account a young person’s age, abilities and previous experiences. The company has its own preparing for independence document which assesses young people's needs and a plan is produced from the assessment. Young people are supported to make meals and do their own laundry.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. The home's statement of purpose contains all the information required in Schedule 1 of the Children's Homes Regulations 2001. This informs young people, their families and placing authorities about the services provided by the home. The young people's welcome booklet is given to all young people either prior or on admission to the home. The booklet informs young people about life at the home, what they can expect and various safeguarding information such 8 of 10 Inspection Report: SC005050 as the complaints procedure and details of agencies and advice services that young people may want and need to contact.

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Organisation

The registered manager has continued to implement changes which have resulted in an improved and safer level of care for young people. He has established effective monitoring systems which ensure young people's needs are being met. Where shortfalls in practices or procedures are identified these are dealt with promptly. Monthly Regulation 33 visits take place and reports are produced as required and these are used as part of the home's quality assurance and monitoring systems. Staff are well supported both formally and informally by the registered manager. Staff receive monthly supervision and regular staff meetings are held. Staff meetings are used effectively to discuss the care of young people; discuss the management of behaviour whenever there has been an incident; any staff practice issues; outcomes of the monthly Regulation 34 reports which are undertaken by the registered manager; in-house training and

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Organisation

to update on policies and procedures. Staff receive appropriate training to enable them to carry out their roles and responsibilities and, therefore, meet the needs of young people. Staffing levels are flexible and dependent on the needs of the young people.

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Organisation

The promotion of equality and diversity is good. Since the last inspection the registered manager has worked hard to provide information and different experiences for young people to help them learn, understand and respect people's differences. A file has been set up which contains information about different race, religions and cultures including recipes. Young people have been encouraged and supported to research information about religions on the internet and this information has been included in the file. Key worker sessions are used for young people to talk about their heritage and cultural needs. Practical steps have also been taken to enable young people to experience different cultural meals and visit different areas of local cities.

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Organisation

Young people's files contain most of the required information as detailed in Schedule 3 of the Children's Homes Regulations, 2001, to inform staff about the needs of young people and how to meet their 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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Due date Action Standard

1 November 2009 ensure that any activities in which children particpate are so far as reasonably practicable free from avoidable risks with particular reference to ensuring children do not have unsupervised access to the internet. (Regulation 23 (b))

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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): 9 of 10 Inspection Report: SC005050 • ensure all parts of the home area so far as reasonably practicable free from hazards with particular reference to ensuring wall heaters are covered with a protective cover where there is a risk of harm or injury (NMS 26) • ensure appropriate checks are carried out for all volunteers who work at the home irrespective of their role, as detailed in Schedule 2 of the Children's Homes Regulations 2001 (NMS 27) • review the security arrangements to ensure unauthorised persons are not able to access the home (NMS 23). 10 of 10 Inspection Report: SC005050

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