Children's Home run by N H Care Limited in Birmingham

SC365366 Unique reference number 28 September 2009 Inspection date Andrew Hewston 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 8 Inspection Report: SC365366

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Brief description of the service

This is a small three bedded children's home. The home caters for young people who have autism as a learning disability.

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Brief description of the service

The home consists of a lounge/dining room, and a downstairs toilet. Upstairs has three individual children's rooms of varying sizes, with a sleeping in room and office for staff. A grassed area and patio is at the rear of the property.

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Brief description of the service

The home has links to public transport and there is a range of activities available both locally and across the city.

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Summary

The home's systems have been developed since the last inspection, with staff being more confidant in their recording abilities. This has led to a clearer record of the work being completed in the home and shows that the staff are able to meet the needs of the young people.

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Summary

The home meets the needs of young people's health needs well, taking into consideration some complex needs of the young people. This is also the case with regard to behaviour management, where the home's staff attempt to work in partnership with young people's school behaviour programmes.

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Summary

Young people are kept safe within the home and staff ensure that the environment is appropriate. The staff ensure that the young people's disabilities do not restrict them from being involved with a range of communal activities, and promote differing communication systems to promote independence.

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Summary

The staff team shows a consistent level of good care to the young people. The staff are also well supported within their role and have undertaken a range of training to allow them to meet the needs of the 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

The home's previous inspection highlighted a large range of concerns regarding the staffing and overall management of the home. Concerns were also raised regarding the ability of staff to record accurately. These concerns were due primarily to the absence of the home's Registered Manager shortly after the registration of the home, for a considerable period. The manager has since returned. All ten of the previous actions have been met, with training in safeguarding having been completed, an updating in the recording systems of restraints, medications, and complaints. Additional training has also been completed in restraints and supervision of staff has improved.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The majority of the nine recommendations made at the last inspection have also been rectified. This is due to improvements in paperwork relating to young peoples education, leaving care plans, staffing and complaints. 4 of 8 Inspection Report: SC365366 Three recommendations continue to be in place regarding staff recruitment files, health planning and ensuring 80 per cent of the staff team are sufficiently trained.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Young people enjoy a good range of food at the home and menus are developed in line with the specific needs of the young people. Menus are developed through discussions between staff and young people's meetings. Menus attempt to be appropriately balanced towards keeping young people healthy.

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Helping children to be healthy

Each young person has their own health plan within their placement plan. The majority of health plan information is well written, although there is a need for some areas to be clearer due to different information being written in different plans. The health plans show that staff have a good awareness of the need to promote a positive healthy lifestyle to the young people. Staff are appropriately trained in responding to first aid incidents.

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Helping children to be healthy

Medication is appropriately administered by the staff team and this is then well recorded. The medication is audited on a weekly basis to pick up on any recording issues within the home. Protocols are now in place for PRN medication and the use of covert medication as agreed by parents and the placing social worker. Staff have completed training in the administration of medication to young people.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. All young people within the home have their own rooms and staff ensure that they knock prior to entry to these. Young people are prompted to ensure that they use the bathroom appropriately. Young people are able to use the telephone if private if they so wish and it is appropriate top the needs of the young people.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The home has developed it's complaints procedure and recording system since the last inspection. The complaints format is accessible by the young people and the recording system is within a bound book to ensure the secure recording of issues. No complaints have been received by the home since the last inspection.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Safeguarding information has been updated since the last inspection and there is greater clarity regarding the way that concerns can be reported to the Local Safeguarding Children Board. The staff are reported to have completed additional safeguarding training since the last inspection, to develop an awareness of when and how to raise child protection concerns. There have been no safeguarding concerns raised since the last inspection.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The home has an anti-bullying policy in place and staff are able to show an awareness of how bullying behaviour is responded to appropriately. There is also a policy relating to responding to absconding from the home. No incidents of specific bullying or absconding have been reported since the home's last inspection.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

All staff have completed training in the use of additional measures of control, including the use of diversionary techniques, restraints and recording. Links are made with the young people's schools to ensure that there is a commonality between the behaviour management strategies 5 of 8 Inspection Report: SC365366 used at the home and the school. New recording systems are in place for the recordings of sanctions and restraints that have occurred within the home. The recordings made are appropriate. The policy regarding restraints within the home includes the specific restraint techniques used within the home.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff ensure that all health and safety checks are completed on a regular basis. Gas and electrical installations are checked, as well as portable appliances. All fire checks are completed on a regular basis and a risk assessment is in place regarding fire safety within the home.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff recruitment records are well organised and clear. These show that the organisation have completed appropriate checks in the vast majority of cases. One incident regarding recruitment was discussed with the manager to ensure all records are appropriate. All staff have verified their lack of disqualification from working with children and young people.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Young people are supported on an individualised basis through the specific identification of their needs within placement planning. Support is then delivered through the staff team. Independent support is available through the Rights of the Child group, due to all young people being placed by the local authority. The home does not use any specific therapeutic input for individuals.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Information relating to young people's education is available within their files. Young people have personal education plans and statements of special educational need are also in place. Recordings show that the home's staff communicate with the young people's schools on a regular basis. All of the young people attend full time education.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Young people enjoy a range of appropriate activities that ensure young people are involved with the local community, as well as enjoying activities within the home. Young people have activity plans in place following discussions that occur within young people's meetings.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Young people have looked after children documentation from the placing authority, although some of this is out of date and in need of updating. Each young person has their own placement plan, these are in line with the expectations of the standard, but information relating to how specific needs are to be met within the home is of a basic standard and in need of development.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Reviews are completed with regard to young people's care at the home, on a regular basis. Information within the files shows that the staff have an input into the review process and that some discussions are held with the young people prior to the review to ascertain their views prior to the meeting, although it is acknowledged that this is to a limited degree. Review minutes are available within young people's files.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Contact arrangements are in place and organised at the time of a young persons admission. Some details are not sufficiently clear within young peoples files, but all staff are aware of the arrangements. Staff support contact with families and attempt to promote all contact sessions as positive experiences. 6 of 8 Inspection Report: SC365366 Young people's meetings are held on a weekly basis. Minutes are available for these and young people sign the minutes at the end. Meetings are used to ensure young people have an input into ongoing planning at the home, developing activity plans and menus. Some good sharing of information from the young people is recorded.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

The provision is good. Young people over the age of 16 years have pathway plans in place, developed by the social worker, staff team and parents. Young people will be able to be placed at the home until the end of their education at 19 years. Some basic independence skills work is completed with the young people as a preparation for leaving the home.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

The home is appropriately decorated throughout. Young people are able to personalise their bedrooms, including photographs and pictures. Communal areas are kept clean and tidy, with jigsaws that have been completed by young people on the wall. The soft flooring at the rear of the building had come unstuck and created a trip hazard at the start of the inspection and has been subsequently removed. Consideration needs to be given to this area to ensure the safety of the young people.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. The home's statement of purpose and young people's guide have both been updated since the last inspection and now incorporate all areas as required by the standard, including the addition of the staffing policy as required by standard 30. The young person's guide is available in makaton to meet the needs of the young people and this is gone through with staff on admission to the home. The young people's guide is also available on a CD format.

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Organisation

Staff are supported by the senior team at the home. The vast majority of staff receive monthly supervisions, although need to ensure that they sign the home's paperwork to show that they have had supervision meetings. There are regular staff meetings to discuss ongoing issues within the house and with the young people.

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Organisation

Staff spoken to as part of the inspection state that they are well supported and listened to by the home's management. Staff state that they feel as though they get sufficient training. Currently approximately two thirds of the staff team have completed National Vocational Qualification at level three. The staff team has increased in size since the last inspection and there is a larger number of staff employed on a permanent basis. The staff team is made up of a range of experienced and trained staff.

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Organisation

Monitoring of the home is completed through monthly Regulation 33 visits and are forwarded to Ofsted. The manager also completes an in depth Regulation 34 monitoring of the home, again each month. Both of these monitoring systems are in line with the expectations of the standards.

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Organisation

The promotion of equality and diversity is good. The staff team includes individuals with differing cultures and racial backgrounds. Meals are sufficiently diverse to show a range of cultures being catered for. The staff team supports the individual disabilities of the young 7 of 8 Inspection Report: SC365366 people well, and promote the young people's equality within the local community during activities and general shopping trips.

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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 health planning and information relating to meeting young people's health needs is fully recorded NMS 12.1) • ensure all staff files contain evidence that all the requirements of schedule 2 have been fully met (NMS 27.1) • ensure a minimum of 80% of the staff team have completed Level 3 in Caring for Children and Young People (NMS 29.5) • ensure the placement plan for young people clearly sets out the assessed needs of the young people and how these will be met (NMS 2.1) • ensure contact arrangements are clearly written within the young person's placement plan (NMS 4.2) • ensure the accommodation / patio area to the rear of the house does not compromise individual young people's care (NMS 23.7). 8 of 8 Inspection Report: SC365366

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