Children's Home run by Right-Trak Limited in Newcastle upon Tyne

SC394909 Unique reference number 4 November 2009 Inspection date Stephen Graham Inspector Key Type of Inspection

p.1

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.

p.2

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

p.2

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.

p.3

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: SC394909

p.3

Brief description of the service

The home provides care and accommodation for up to six young people aged between 10 years old and 17 years old. The property is situated in a residential area within a short walking distance of a range of local amenities. There is easy access to public transport. Young people benefit from individual bedrooms, shared bathrooms, lounge, kitchen/dining room, as well as a large rear enclosed yard/patio.

p.4

Summary

The purpose of this unannounced visit was to conduct a full inspection which examined all key national minimum standards.

p.4

Summary

Young people living at the home benefit from good levels of care. They are encouraged to eat healthily and to be involved in menu choice. Staff are experienced and are trained to help keep young people safe. Young people are supported in their employment and education and are encouraged to give their views about how the home is run. The building is well maintained and provides a good homely environment for young people to live in. The overall quality rating is good. This is an overview of what the inspector found during the inspection.

p.4

Improvements since the last inspection

To help keep young people safe, the records of any absence from the home without authority have been improved to better demonstrate that young people’s absence has been reported to their placing social worker. The records also indicate whether young people have been spoken to on their return by someone independent to the home.

p.4

Improvements since the last inspection

To help ensure that young people are cared for safely, staff have received additional training to help them protect young people from bullying. Records of fire drills have been improved to better demonstrate that a drill has taken place at night. Records are kept available to demonstrate that the central heating boiler has been maintained annually.

p.4

Improvements since the last inspection

To help ensure that young people live in a home that is properly organised, records have been improved to better demonstrate the training received by staff. The monitoring reports completed by the manager now include better detail of the matters monitored.

p.4

Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Young people living at the home are encouraged to contribute their ideas to menu planning and develop their skills in shopping and cooking. Their personal food preferences and any special dietary and cultural needs they may have, are recorded. The meals prepared are varied and include healthy choices. The home has received a local environmental health award for the facilities in place and standards of hygiene achieved. Members of the staff team have recently completed supplementary food hygiene training. One young person described how ‘staff encourage me to buy healthy food’. A professional with links to the home described how in their experience, ‘food options are varied and healthy’ and ‘where appropriate, young people are encouraged to buy and prepare meals’. 4 of 8 Inspection Report: SC394909 Training in first aid and the safe handling of medication has been provided and successfully

p.4

Helping children to be healthy

completed by staff team members. They follow agreed procedures to ensure that any medication or treatment needed by young people is administered safely. Young people are also helped by staff to register with local health services and to attend routine and specialist appointments where this is necessary. One young person described how if they were feeling unwell staff ‘help me and take me to the Doctor’; another described how staff ‘do everything they can to try and make me feel better’. A professional with links to the home described how in their experience: ‘Staff are very supportive and understanding of the young people's needs. They promote healthy lifestyles and assist young people to attend GP and health clinics. Staff are very experienced in their work.’

p.5

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. There are good arrangements at the home to help make sure that children are cared for safely. Young people are helped by staff to contribute their views to their care records which are kept safely stored. Young people have their own keys to their bedrooms. Room checks take place if this is necessary to help keep children safe. Records are kept of these checks and young people sign to confirm their awareness of the check and the reason for it.

p.5

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff keep a record of any visitors to the home and supervise them to help ensure that young people are safe when visitors are present. Staff undergo thorough checks to ensure that they are suitable to work with children. Some of the records of these checks do not always contain sufficient detail to demonstrate their thoroughness.

p.5

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Arrangements for safeguarding children and young people from abuse are good. One professional with links to the home described how in their experience, ‘staff and managers are fully involved in safeguarding/child protection and associated meetings/liaison with other services.' However, in one example, information reported to the home by social services, and acted on by social services, had not been notified to Ofsted by the home. Young people told us that they can ‘talk to staff’ at the home if they are ever worried about something. Staff are trained to help them keep children safe. They complete a risk assessment with young people and their social workers which helps them to minimise any risks. Clear procedures are in place for staff to make sure that if children are ever missing, they are found and kept safe, as quickly as possible. Detailed records are in place regarding the circumstances of any absences and confirm that the

p.5

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

young person’s social worker has been made aware of it.

p.5

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people are provided with complaints information in their guide to the home and can raise any concerns they may have. A record of compliments received by the home is also maintained. Staff have completed additional training to help them protect young people from any risk of bullying. One young person who wrote to us simply stated, ‘I have never been bullied.' Training is provided to staff in how to use physical restraint to keep children safe. Detailed written reports are completed by staff if restraint is ever used to protect young people. These reports are monitored by the manager and are discussed with staff and young people. However, the log book, which is also used to record and help monitor any events, does not always contain sufficient detail. Staff also follow agreed guidance if sanctions are imposed and keep a record of these. However, the recording of some sanctions used does not clearly

p.5

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

demonstrate the link between the sanction and the behaviour leading to it. Incentives are used 5 of 8 Inspection Report: SC394909 to help promote positive behaviour by young people; these are also recorded by staff and include good examples of the positive response of young people to these.

p.5

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Risk assessments and health and safety checklists are used by staff to help ensure that the home is a safe place for children to live. Any repairs needed are notified promptly. Routine checks on the safety equipment that might be needed in an emergency are also undertaken by staff. They are trained to know what to do if there is an emergency and they practice this regularly with young people.

p.6

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Young people receive good levels of close individual support as they need it. Young people meet regularly with their key workers and share their views and ideas about their care plans. They told us that they are involved in meetings about their progress and in thinking about their future plans. One professional with links to the service described how, ‘Communication between individual staff, the service and my own service has always been excellent.' Young people are supported by staff to have access to a broad range of hobbies and interests. Any risks in the activities undertaken by young people are considered and agreements made to minimise these.

p.6

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Young people are provided with good support to help them meet their educational and employment needs. Care staff work closely with local colleges and employers to support the attendance and progress of each young person and resolve any issues that may occur. The home has sufficient space, resources and equipment to help young people with their college work and education. Young people confirmed that they have the right equipment and space to do their work and receive enough help from staff. Reports of each young person’s progress in their education and employment are provided regularly to their placing social workers.

p.6

Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Detailed records are kept by staff to demonstrate that the care plans put in place for each young person are being met. Placing social workers are given regular updates about the progress of each young person. Young people are encouraged to talk regularly with staff about their care plans and are supported to give their views at their own review meetings. Key workers also provide their own detailed reports to these meetings.

p.6

Helping children make a positive contribution

Young people are supported in maintaining contact with family and friends where this is appropriate. Staff work closely with placing social workers to achieve this and record detailed information about the agreed contact arrangements within care files. Any contact is closely monitored to ensure that young people remain safe.

p.6

Helping children make a positive contribution

Regular house meetings are held in which young people are encouraged to give their views about how the home is run. Records are kept of these meetings and include good evidence of the suggestions made by young people being listened to and acted upon by staff. Young people are also consulted through informal daily discussions with staff as well as very regular discussions between young people and their individual key worker. The views of each young person are recorded in detail in their care files. Young people living at the home were able to confirm to us that they are able to make their views known and are able to have a say about how the home is run. One young person reported, ‘If I talk to staff they will do it for me.’ 6 of 8 Inspection Report: SC394909

p.6

Achieving economic wellbeing

The provision is good. Young people are provided with good support by staff at the home to help them practice the skills needed to live independently when they are older. The progress young people make in developing these skills is recorded and regularly shared with their placing social workers and local authority leaving care staff. One professional with links to the home described how in their experience: ‘Young people are fully supported in their transition to independence. They are encouraged in being able to budget and manage their finances and belongings.'

p.7

Achieving economic wellbeing

The home is decorated and furnished to a good standard. The staff team work to create and maintain a very homely and comfortable environment within the building. Furniture, fittings and equipment are monitored by staff to ensure they remain safe; any damage occurring is logged and dealt with.

p.7

Organisation

The organisation is good. The home has a Statement of Purpose which is regularly reviewed and updated. The young people's guide is well presented and helps them to understand what they can expect, whilst living at the home.

p.7

Organisation

The staff team working at the home is well qualified and is experienced in working with children and young people. All staff are encouraged to add to their qualifications through additional training opportunities. New staff members receive agreed induction training. However, formal staff supervision has not always been provided as frequently as it should be. Staffing levels at the home are good. They are regularly reviewed and adjusted, with additional staff used where necessary to help ensure that the needs of young people continue to be met. One young person said that the home is good at ‘looking after us’.

p.7

Organisation

The promotion of equality and diversity is good. Guidance and training for staff working at the home helps to ensure this.

p.7

Organisation

There are systems in place to allow the manager to monitor the home's records and to create monthly reports and recommendations. On occasion, the reports of the monitoring undertaken have not been produced at the required frequency. External monitoring visits also take place as required. Some of the older reports of these visits have not been kept for references. Care files are well presented and kept in very good order. They contain the information needed by staff to care successfully for young people.

p.7

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.

p.7

Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • ensure that the system in place to notify significant events is effective (NMS 20) • ensure that the record of sanctions clearly demonstrates that any measures used are relevant to the incident requiring sanction (NMS 22) • ensure that each entry in the restraint log is completed in sufficient detail (NMS 22) • ensure that the system used for recruiting staff demonstrates effectively each check completed (NMS 27) • ensure that staff receive sufficient monthly supervision (NMS 28) • ensure that the systems used to monitor the care of children at the home are effective. (NMS 33). 8 of 8 Inspection Report: SC394909

p.8