Children's Home run by First 4 Care Limited in Doncaster

SC390293 Unique reference number 25 November 2009 Inspection date Robert Curr 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: SC390293

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Brief description of the service

This setting provides up to three long term placements for young people aged between 10 and 17 years. The accommodation consists of four single bedrooms and spacious communal areas for eating, studying and relaxing. The home is in a rural hamlet approximately five miles from the city centre. One of the main aims of the setting is to provide facilities to enable young people to achieve positive changes in their lives.

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Summary

This was an unannounced inspection. All of the key standards were checked and improvements made since the last inspection were noted.

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Summary

This is a satisfactory service with some good features. Young peoples education is encouraged and promoted. Leisure needs are met and a multi-disciplinary approach ensures young peoples views are taken into account when planning their future.

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Summary

A policy on equality and diversity is in place and the staff demonstrate an appreciation that individual young people may have a range of possible needs arising from diversity.

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Summary

Young people's welfare is enhanced by the positive relationships fostered by the staff team. The service is monitored by the management team but the quality assurance processes do not include monitoring from an external source.

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Summary

There are sufficient staff who are well supported. However, no staff have training in relation to the administration of medication and the aim to have the appropriate number of staff hold a National Vocational Qualification must be maintained.

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Summary

There are no permanent and settled management arrangements to support the staff team and enable them to address young people's assessed needs. The overall quality rating is satisfactory. 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 registered person was asked to take action in relation to aspects of being healthy, staying safe and organisation. These included medication systems, young people's safety and the monitoring of the young people's care and welfare.

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Improvements since the last inspection

All discontinued medication is disposed of appropriately.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Comprehensive risk assessments covering all known and likely activities are recorded in sufficient detail for staff to know what action is required of them to reduce any identified risks. The recruitment procedures have been reviewed resulting in a more robust system being in place.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The management produce monitoring reports as part of the quality assurance system for the home and the reports are published and shared with the Ofsted. However, the managers conducting the visits are in day to day charge of the home. 4 of 8 Inspection Report: SC390293 Although progress has been made in relation to staff training, National Vocational Qualification ratios do not meet current standards.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is satisfactory. Young people have opportunities to work with support workers, to plan and shop for meals. Records show that the meals provided are varied and they promote a healthy and nutritious diet. Staff have an understanding of what constitutes a balanced diet, which they share with young people in order to help them develop an awareness of nutritional issues. All staff involved in food preparation hold food hygiene certificates.

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Helping children to be healthy

Detailed health plans are in place for all young people living in the home. Records show that each young person is registered with a local doctor, dentist and optician. Staff encourage young people to attend appointments. They also seek to promote healthy lifestyles by linking in with local services, to promote young people's awareness about keeping safe and drug and alcohol awareness.

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Helping children to be healthy

Systems for the administration and storage of medicines are maintained. However, no staff have received training in the safe handling and administration of medication to enable them to safely store, administer and record the medication that they are responsible for.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Overall arrangements in place to safeguard and promote the safety and welfare of young people are effective. The staff team are committed to ensuring that young people in their care are protected from harm.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The home has suitable policies on privacy and confidentiality. Staff show respect for young people's privacy and the importance of maintaining confidentiality is key to the good practice displayed by staff. The bedrooms and bathrooms have appropriate locks to ensure that only staff can enter rooms in the case of an emergency. The young people have access to a telephone that can be used in private. Relationships between staff and young people are good and create a supportive atmosphere, in which young people feel comfortable.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff take concerns and complaints raised by young people seriously. Young people spoken to confirm that they are aware of the various ways they can raise a concern or complaint. They feel that staff do respond to issues they raise with them, which are usually sorted out informally.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The staff and young people confirm that currently there is no bullying at the home and appropriate procedures are in place should an incident occur. Procedures are in place should any young person leave the home without permission.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

All staff spoken to have a clear understanding of child protection procedures and a rolling programme of child protection training for all staff is in place, to ensure that they have and maintain the skills, to protect young people from abuse. These actions show that the home has appropriate policies and procedures in place to protect young people from abuse.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The staff endeavour to encourage socially acceptable behaviour through a range of measures. The staff manage the young people's behaviour and good relationships exist between staff 5 of 8 Inspection Report: SC390293 and young people. Records indicate that there have been recent incidents requiring sanctions as a consequence of young peoples behaviour.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The young people live in a home which provides physical safety. The staff carry out fire drills on a regular basis and records indicate that the young people resident are routinely involved in fire drills, which adds to their safety. The arrangements for health and safety, risk assessment and gas and electrical safety are good.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Major improvements have been in relation to recruitment procedures so that all staff employed undergo rigorous checks to ensure they are suitable to work with children.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. The young people receive support as required. Valuable involvement with staff and young people is not comprehensively recorded in the key worker sheets. This does not clearly evidence that young people receive individual attention from the staff.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Young people who come to live at this home have not always attended school before they are admitted. Education is valued and staff have developed an ethos in the home, which makes attendance at college a normal part of life, which in turn encourages young people to attend.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The young people have recently enjoyed outings to go shopping and are using their spending money to access a range of activities both within the home and in the community. Young people have access to a computer and internet facilities within the house to undertake schoolwork or pursue leisure interests. This is an advantage to young people with regard to their education.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. The arrangements for care planning are good. The plans set out the day to day needs of the young people and how these are going to be met. The plans also include information on behaviour management and risk assessments. There is clear evidence of monitoring and reviews and young people are actively involved in the care planning process. The young people attend their statutory reviews. Reports and minutes of these meetings are on file to provide staff with additional information.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Information about contact is clearly recorded in the contact plans and they are known to staff and young people. The staff actively support contact by accompanying young people and providing transport when necessary.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Young people are able to contribute to the day to day running of the home and to make choices over their daily living. Staff and young people meet formally on a regular basis. This ensures that suggestions made by the young people are encouraged and acted upon. Young people state that they have opportunities to make choices over their daily living, for example, activities, clothes and the choice of television programmes.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

The provision is good. 6 of 8 Inspection Report: SC390293 Young people are encouraged and helped to develop independent living skills to help them look after themselves. These include assisting in the planning of menus, shopping and preparation of food and taking responsibility for decisions about their life. The staff liaise closely with placing authorities and other agencies to ensure suitable placements are arranged for young people when they leave the home. The staff team are developing individualised programmes to support the development of young people's independence skills.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

Documentation shows that when young people show particular skills and interests the staff team will find and support them in work placements to develop their skills and self confidence. The development of young people's self awareness, self confidence and life skills in preparation for leaving care is key to the service provided by the home.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

The home is decorated and furnished to a very high standard, which creates a pleasant domestic environment appropriate to the age and culture of the young people living there. The proprietor has a maintenance and repair programme.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

A written record is kept of all visitors to the home and there is sufficient communal and private space to allow young people to spend time together if they wish, or to be alone if they prefer.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. The statement of purpose clearly sets out what the home will provide and the way in which this will be achieved. This is presented in a way that is easily understood by young people and their families. A guide to the service is given to all young people on their first visit. However, this guide is not up to date and is under review.

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Organisation

The promotion of equality and diversity is satisfactory although the staff have an understanding of identity and how this impacts on looked after children and their care. Issues relating to equality and diversity are addressed through the care plans.

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Organisation

There are always sufficient staff on duty to ensure that young people are properly cared for at all times. Staff confirm that they are supported by the management team. Supervision sessions are provided at the recommended intervals.

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Organisation

Young people's welfare is safeguarded by a committed staff team. The staff are in varying stages of achieving a National Vocational Qualification at Level 3 in Caring for Children and Young People. Currently, the overall qualification recommendation is not met.

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Organisation

Arrangements for the external monitoring of the home are not appropriate. The regulatory reports are produced by management and proprietors that are in day to day charge of the home. This is preventing an objective view of the quality of the care being delivered. The overall monitoring process includes consultation with young people, social workers and parents. There is no permanent manager of the home and management accountability is unclear. The temporary manager of this setting has left the organisation and the registered provider has not informed Ofsted of the current management arrangements. This is not providing effective leadership of the home.

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Organisation

Appropriate policies are in place and available to the staff. 7 of 8 Inspection Report: SC390293 The young people's files contain a range of documents, which the staff require in order to look after the young people. They are in good order and securely stored. The young people have access to the files if they wish.

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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

30 December 2009 provide training in the storage, administration, recording and disposal of medicines given at the home (Regulation 21) 30 December 2009 ensure there is a robust monitoring system when visiting the children's home, in particular ensure the visitor is not involved with the conduct of the home (Regulation 33) 30 January 2010 employ an individual to manage the children's home (Regulation 7) 27 November 2009 notify Ofsted of the person in day to day charge of the home. (Regulation 37)

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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): • record all significant agreements, private interviews, or key worker sessions in the work sheets (NMS 8) • review the young peoples guide to the statement of purpose (NMS 1) • ensure a minimum ratio of 80% of all care staff complete a National Vocational Qualification level 3 in Caring for Children and Young People or an equivalent. (NMS 29) 8 of 8 Inspection Report: SC390293

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