Children's Home run by Lancashire County Council in Lancashire

SC359836 Unique reference number 15 September 2009 Inspection date Bill Drumm 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 9 Inspection Report: SC359836

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Brief description of the service

This is a purpose built children's home with accommodation for up to six young people of either sex. The home is a newly built property in its own grounds. There is a small bungalow in the grounds of the home, which is used for meetings and family contact. The home comprises of two lounges, a computer room, office facilities, kitchen, and a dining room. All young people have their own bedrooms.

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Brief description of the service

Six young people currently live at the home three of whom were present at the time of the inspection and contributed to it. Questionnaires were received from four young people about what it is like to live at the home and one was received from a young person's social worker.

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Summary

This was an unannounced key inspection of the home. All of the outcome areas for young people were inspected. The outcome areas for being healthy, staying safe, economic well being, making a positive contribution and organisation are good. The outcome areas for enjoying and achieving are outstanding. Overall, this is a good service.

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Summary

Members of staff treat all the young people who live at the home with the utmost dignity and respect and are fully committed in supporting them to achieve their maximum potential. Young people were observed to have open and honest dialogue with all members of staff and appeared comfortable in approaching them with their concerns or problems.

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Summary

Members of the staff team are knowledgeable, skilled and committed to delivering a very high quality service to young people. Monitoring processes are thorough and ensure high standards are maintained, with any shortfalls addressed quickly to improve provision to children. There are clear systems and procedures for keeping children safe and for their health and welfare to be promoted and their needs met. Young people and members of staff actively share ideas about what the home does, and how high standards and quality can be maintained. When asked what the home is good at doing one young person said, 'keeping us safe, helping us in college, school work, taking us on activities, being supportive and for just being themselves'. 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

No actions were raised or recommendations made at the last inspection.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Young people living at the home enjoy a healthy, well-balanced diet. Healthy eating and regular exercise is actively promoted. Members of staff ensure young people have easy access to fresh fruit and vegetables. Nutritious meals are provided and young people participate in the planning of menus. Young people are encouraged to participate in shopping for some food items and in developing their skills in meal preparation. The home also offers young people the opportunity to sample food from different countries and cultures. The home ensures that young people living there are able to follow the diet of their choice. 4 of 9 Inspection Report: SC359836 The healthcare needs of young people are fully promoted. Young people living at the home have their health care needs identified at the time of their admission and work actively to ensure that all young people remain healthy. The home has developed positive working

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Helping children to be healthy

relationships with health care professionals. One young person said, 'when we're ill staff look after us, they give us medicine and tender loving care'. Young people are actively supported and encouraged to attend meetings and appointments with all health care practitioners, including the Children's Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS). Members of staff encourage and support young people to attend all relevant appointments.

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Helping children to be healthy

Young people living at the home are protected by the home’s medication administration systems. Policies and procedures relating to the safe handling and administration of medication are in place. All members of staff have undertaken formal training in the safe handling and administration of medication. Written records examined at the time of the inspection were completed accurately. Audit systems are in place to ensure regular checks are made and that any mistakes or discrepancies are quickly highlighted so corrective action can be taken.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Young people living at the home are treated with dignity and respect. Members of staff are pleasant, friendly, open and honest towards all the young people living there. Young people were observed to be relaxed and comfortable in their presence. One young person spoken to during the inspection said, 'this is a great place to live'. There are sufficient bathrooms and toilets to meet the needs of the young people living at the home. Each young person has his or her own bedroom and they are encouraged to personalise their bedrooms in a style of their own choice. The home has policies and procedures in place, which explain what action members of staff should take when it is necessary to search a young person's bedroom. Two room searches were carried out since the last inspection. Written records of these searches were fully completed. Personal information relating to each young person is stored securely to prevent unauthorised

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

access. Young people are able to make personal telephone calls in private.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

There are policies and procedures in place for dealing with complaints in an effective and timely manner. Members of staff have receive training in the complaints process during their induction. There have been no complaints made since the last inspection. The young people's guide provides information to young people about the complaints process. Young people were observed at the time of the inspection to interact and speak freely with all members of staff and to make their needs known.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people living at the home are protected from exploitation and abuse. A copy of the Local Safeguarding Children Board procedures is available in the home. There has been no child protection referral made since the last inspection. All members of staff working at the home, including ancillary staff, have undertaken training in child protection. Training in child protection is up dated regularly. Young people who returned questionnaires indicated that they feel safe at the home. One young person in particular said, 'they nag me to keep safe and they do welfare checks'.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people are not fully protected from being targeted by bullies. The home has policies and procedures in place with regard to countering bullying and there have been no recorded incidents of bullying since the last inspection. The home's statement of purpose includes information for young people about what action they should take if they feel bullies are targeting 5 of 9 Inspection Report: SC359836 them. The manager has not undertaken a risk assessment of the times, places and circumstances when the risk of bullying is greatest.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The home has policies and procedures in place with regard to what action members of staff should take if a young person is absent without authority. There have been a number of occasions since the last inspection when young people have been absent without authority from the home. Written records relating to these occasions have been completed accurately.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The home has policies and procedures in place relating to the safe holding or restraint of young people, and members of staff have received appropriate training. The procedures used within the home make reference to the previous two regulatory authorities. Staff training is reviewed and up dated regularly. Restraint records are retained within a separate bound and numbered book used specifically for that purpose. There have been no restraints used within the home since the last inspection. Members of staff actively promote socially acceptable behaviour by offering help, support, advice and encouragement to young people. The home also has policies and procedures in place relating to the sanctions that can be used to help young people improve their behaviour. Sanctions are not often used as a means of encouraging positive behaviour. Members of staff working at the home are skilled and experienced practitioner's. Where possible,

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

they prefer to use less punitive measures such as patience, negotiation and reasoning.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people are protected from fire and other hazards within the home. There are good systems in place to ensure that young people, members of staff and visitors to the home are kept safe and free from hazards. Fire drills are carried out at regular intervals although it is unclear whether any fire drills are held at night. The home's insurance certificate does not clearly state that the home has current public and employee liability insurance up to a minimum value.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The home has a very stable and committed staff team. There are excellent recruitment and selection processes in place, which fully involve the young people living at he home. Safety checks are carried out to ensure the suitability of each applicant. Each member of staff has provided references from previous employers or those that know them. Visitors to the home are asked to clearly identify themselves on their arrival and to sign the visitors’ book.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is outstanding. The progress of each young person is regularly monitored. Young people living at the home receive individual help and support quickly when they need it or when they request it. Young people have their own key worker. Meetings between key workers and young people take place at regular intervals and written records of these meetings are retained in one easily identifiable place. The outcome of these meetings is shared with other members of staff in order to ensure that essential information is shared and that young people receive consistently high levels of care and support.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

All the young people living at the home are encouraged and supported to attend school, college or training. The home has a very proactive approach to helping young people progress with their education or training and to achieve their maximum potential. This approach to helping young people is of a very high quality. One young persons' social worker who returned a questionnaire said, ' young people are supported to reach their educational potential through the staff maintaining excellent links with educational providers and providing young people 6 of 9 Inspection Report: SC359836 with a variety of opportunities to meet their needs'. In addition, young people living at the home are actively encouraged and supported to develop their own hobbies and interests. One young person who returned a questionnaire said, 'yes we are offered a wide range of activities'.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Young people living at the home are appropriately placed. Meetings are held prior to admission to help to ensure all essential information is available and that the placement has the greatest chance of success. Each young person has their own placement plan, which outlines what their needs are and how they will be met. In order to help ensure that needs are met, the manager and members of staff undertake individual risk assessments of each young person and devise more detailed care plans following admissions.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Reviews are held regularly to help ensure that the care provided to young people remains appropriate and that care services are adapted to meet changing needs. One young persons' social worker who returned a questionnaire said, 'I find the staff at the home to be proactive in their work with young people. They do not rely on social workers to take the lead role in arranging planning meetings etc'. The manager and members of staff regularly attend review meetings with partner agencies, and strategies are developed to help meet identified needs quickly.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Contact with friends and family is discussed at each young person's planning meeting, prior to admission. Where appropriate, young people are supported and encouraged to maintain regular contact with their friends and families.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The admissions procedure for the home is comprehensive and thorough. Where appropriate, arrangements are made for the young person and, if appropriate, their parents to visit the home before a placement is agreed. Members of staff work extremely hard to try to make young people feel welcome and to understand what it will be like to live there.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Young people are encouraged and supported to make decisions about their lives and to influence how the home is run. Young people are encouraged to raise issues, which affect their lives and regular meetings take place between members of staff and young people about how the home is run and what improvements can be made. One young person's social worker who returned a questionnaire said, 'regular community meetings are held within the unit so that all young people have a voice about their own communal living experience'.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

The provision is good. The manager and members of staff encourage and support young people to take responsibility for their actions and to develop adult responsibilities. Young people are encouraged to participate in activities of daily living and to learn independence skills. Formal pathway plans, for all those young people who require them were not available within the home at the time of the inspection.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

Young people enjoy homely accommodation that is decorated, furnished and maintained to an extremely high standard. Members of staff help to maintain the building and to keep it clean 7 of 9 Inspection Report: SC359836 and tidy. Young people living at the home are encouraged to personalise their bedrooms and are encouraged to keep their home clean and tidy.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

The home has enough bathrooms and toilets to meet the needs of the young people living there. However, bathrooms and toilets do not provide privacy for the young people as the doors to these areas can be opened from the outside by anybody other than members of staff in an emergency.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. The promotion of equality and diversity is excellent. Members of staff support and enable young people to participate in community-based activities on an equal basis and to develop their own identity. The statement of purpose accurately describes what young people can expect from living at the home.

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Organisation

Young people are looked after by members of staff who are very well supported and properly managed. All members of staff receive regular, formal supervision. The manager also makes herself available to talk with members of staff should they need to do so. Staff meetings are held at regular intervals.

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Organisation

Young people receive the care and services they need from competent, experienced staff. All members of staff are trained, or are undertaking training to a minimum National Vocational Qualification at Level 3 in Caring for Children and Young People. There are clear arrangements in place for members of staff to deputise in the absence of the manager.

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Organisation

Members of staff are sufficient in number, experience and qualification to meet the needs of the young people living at the home. The home's rotas ensure that, where possible, there is a mix of both male and female staff on duty. Staff sickness and holidays are covered by existing staff members being flexible in their work patterns. Consistency of care is provided to young people.

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Organisation

Young people are looked after by staff who are trained, competent and committed to meeting their needs. A record of all training received by members of staff is maintained within the home. Mandatory training is updated at regular intervals.

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Organisation

The care of young people living at the home is monitored regularly. A system is in place to ensure performance is monitored, and any patterns or issues requiring action are highlighted.

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Organisation

The needs of young people are recorded to reflect their individuality and daily records are maintained. One young persons' social worker who returned a questionnaire said, 'I find the staff at the home to be excellent communicators. They regularly update me with any events or incidents'. Information relating to the care that young people receive is stored securely. Young people and their parents are able to access this information within the home if they request it. 8 of 9 Inspection Report: SC359836

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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): • write a countering bullying risk assessment of the times, places and circumstances in which the risk of bullying is greatest (NMS 18.5) • review the home's behaviour management policies and procedures to ensure they refer to the current regulatory authority (NMS 22) • ensure that the home has current Public and Employee Liability insurance up to a minimum value and that the time at which fire drills are held are fully recorded (NMS 26) • ensure that each young person living at the home who is eligible has an up to date and comprehensive pathway plan (NMS 6) • ensure that only members of staff are able to open the doors to bathrooms, showers and toilets from the outside in an emergency (NMS 25). 9 of 9 Inspection Report: SC359836

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