Children's Home run by Headway Adolescent Resources Limited in Bristol

SC066250 Unique reference number 24 August 2009 Inspection date Wendy Anderson Inspector Random Type of Inspection

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25 February 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: SC066250

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Brief description of the service

This service is a three-bedded children’s home for young people of either sex who are aged 11 to 18 years. It is located in a post-war house in a residential area. The home is decorated and furnished to a high standard. There is a pleasant garden to the rear of the building. The home is a short walk to bus services for the city centre. All shopping, utilities, essential services and schools are located in the nearby area.

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Summary

This was a random inspection which looked at all the National Minimum Standards (NMS) relating to Staying Safe and following up on the actions and recommendations made at the last inspection. There were only two shortfalls identified at this inspection. These are the lack of a night time fire drill and that the size of the current staff team is not sufficient to cover all the required hours within the home without the use of additional staff. These are either bank staff, agency staff or more often staff from the proprietors other homes. 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 staff files now include all the required information. There has also been an improvement in the recording of information in the restraint and sanction logs. This improvement in the recording of information is extended to the key worker sessions and the fridge and freezer temperatures.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. The home keeps appropriate records of fridge and freezer temperatures. These records include any adjustments required to ensure the temperature remains within the required temperature ranges.

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Helping children to be healthy

The home has an appropriate accident records and a copy is retained on the young person's individual file.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Young people’s privacy is respected by staff. This information was supported by the young people who said that staff always knock on their bedroom doors and wait for them to say 'come in'. Bathrooms and toilets are fitted with the appropriate locks. The home has an appropriate room search policy and procedure in place.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The home has a comprehensive complaint policy. Young people said that they knew how to make a complaint and staff would support them in this process. The home’s record of complaints received was seen. Since the last inspection there have been three complaints. These have all been dealt with appropriately. Although there has been an improvement in the recording of 4 of 6 Inspection Report: SC066250 the outcome of complaints there is still a lack of consistency in recording if the complainant was happy with the outcome of the complaint investigation.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The child protection policy and procedure is clearly written and staff received training in child protection as part of their induction process. There are also refresher training courses on child protection for all staff.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The home has an appropriate bullying policy. Young people said that bullying was not an issue within the home but they felt confident that if it did happen staff would quickly sort things out. Young people said they felt staff listened to them and took what they said seriously.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The home has appropriate policies and procedures in place for young people who are absent without authority. The record of absconding is comprehensive and includes information on the debrief sessions held on a young persons return. Part of each young persons risk assessment focuses on absconding. The home has a good relationship with the local police. The manager said that when called the police attend promptly.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The home has the appropriate systems in place for the notification of significant events.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

All young people have an individual behavioural plan. This identifies possible behaviours, potential triggers, de-escalation techniques to be used, and the level of physical restraint to be used. There are also detailed risk assessments on individual young people. These clearly identify risks, the level of risk and to whom and methods/action to reduce such risk. These are reviewed and updated weekly.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Records of incidents requiring physical restraint or sanctions are appropriately recorded. All staff are appropriately trained in the home's preferred method of restraint, Prevention, Assessment and Management of Violence and Aggression (PAMOVA). The restraint and sanction logs record the young people’s views on the sanction given. Staff also record if the young people refuse to do this. Both the sanction and restraint logs are regularly monitored by the manager and the Regulation 33 visitor. The incident log at the home is clear and detailed.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The home has alarms fitted to the bedroom doors at the time of inspection these were not in use. The home's Statement of Purpose clearly details the policy and process for using these alarms, which includes a risk assessment.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The home has appropriate records of all fire related issues. Fire drills are held at the required intervals but there was no evidence of a night time drill.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The home has risk assessments for the premises including individual rooms. The home has an appropriate health and safety policy and procedure which they adhere to. The PAT testing of electrical equipment has recently been carried out.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

During this inspection four staff files were inspected. All contained all the required information regarding vetting and recruitment. The home visitor book is well maintained.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. The home operates a key work system with designated key workers for each individual young person. The key workers meet with their young person on a weekly basis. These sessions are 5 of 6 Inspection Report: SC066250 recorded and the notes from the previous session are revisited. These notes include any follow up actions required. Young people spoken to said that they found these sessions valuable and they felt that the key worker relationship was important to them. They also said that they were involved in choosing who their key worker would be.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. The home's rota identifies who are full-time staff and who are part-time staff. The rota also includes information handovers, annual leave and staff training. However it does not identify which staff are working at the home from other units owned by the provider, bank or agency staff. At the time of inspection the number of staff employed by the home is not sufficient to cover all the required hours, including leave and staff training, without the regular use of bank staff or staff from other homes owned by the provider. The minimum staffing level as detailed in the homes statement of purpose states that there will always be two staff on duty. The manager said that they were in the process of recruiting. The rota also evidenced that there have been at least three occasions when two probationary staff carried out a sleep in duty together. This should not happen. The manager said that they carried out a risk assessment

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Organisation

for these situations but there was no written evidence to support this.

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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 December 2009 ensure that the staff team are able to cover all the required hours without the regular use of staff from the proprietors other homes, bank staff or agency staff. Reg 25 1 October 2009 ensure that a night time fire drills form part of the fire drill programme. Reg 32.

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Recommendations

There are no recommendations. 6 of 6 Inspection Report: SC066250

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