Children's Home run by PIC Children’s Services in Sefton

SC040785 Unique reference number 15 October 2009 Inspection date Paul Gillespie Inspector Key Type of Inspection

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9 January 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 10 Inspection Report: SC040785

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Brief description of the service

The home is an end terraced property, that is situated approximately half a mile from the local shopping centre. The organisation also manages nine other small children's homes within an adjacent local authority. The area is well served with junior and high school placements and a good range of leisure facilities are available locally within the town centre. Public transport, train and bus connection links are also close by. The staffing arrangements ensure that a one to one staffing ratio is maintained for all parts of the waking day, with one member of the staff team sleeping within the home each night on a rota basis. Until recently the home has been without a registered manager. However an appointment has now been made and an application to become registered with Ofsted is pending.

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Summary

At this unannounced full inspection all the key standards were inspected. The main focus of the inspection was to find out how well the home meets the needs of young people living there.

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Summary

This is a satisfactory services with some good features. The home provides a friendly, safe and stable environment that enables young people to make good progress in all aspects of their lives, especially relating to their personal safety, education and life skills. Young people now feel confident to move on into more independent accommodation.

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Summary

Young people are happy and really enjoy living there. They confirm that they are really well looked after and get all the help they need from staff described as 'boss'. They are looked after by a competent and settled core staff team. This has enabled young people to build positive relationships with adults based on trust and respect, and have consistent adult role models. The staff's thorough understanding of young people as individuals and the quality of support and guidance assists young people to deal with the problems they face positively and feel part of the wider community.

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Summary

However, some shortfalls were identified. Details of some records must be kept up to date such as those in respect of each person working at the home. Also a record must be made of the reasons for visits to the home in the visitors log and risk assessments regarding contact arrangements need to be accurate. Arrangements for the smooth transition to more independent provision for young people must also be addressed to avoid unnecessary anxiety to young people. Additionally some repairs are needed to the fabric of the building so it maintains a homely feel. 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

The home has made improvements in ensuring all staff have improved opportunities for training and appraisal. This supports staff to be able to develop their competence in working with young people. However the sufficiency of the numbers of permanent staff employed for this home has yet to be addressed. There remains a reliance upon using staff from other homes in the group to provide a degree of stability of care and this must now be addressed urgently. 4 of 10 Inspection Report: SC040785

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Young people enjoy healthy and nutritious meals that meets their dietary needs. Their food choices are always taken into account. They confirm that they routinely plan meals, go with staff to buy food and cook. Staff understand the importance of good nutrition and what makes up a balanced diet. They actively encourage young people to develop healthy eating habits.

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Helping children to be healthy

Young people's physical health and emotional well-being is actively promoted. They have easy access to community health services and are registered with a local doctor, dentist and optician. They have comprehensive health plans, which clearly show how their general and specific health needs are met, for example through appointments with appropriate professionals such as Child and Adolescent Mental Health workers. Staff routinely review the plans to make sure they are up-to-date and take into account any changes in young people's health. Staff closely monitor young people to make sure they are healthy, by encouraging them to attend routine health checks, such as going to the dentist, and by ensuring they get suitable medical advice and treatment when they are unwell.

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Helping children to be healthy

Staff encourage young people to take an active interest in looking after their own health and leading healthy lives. They encourage young people to take responsibility for their own health needs appropriate to their age and understanding. For example, staff encourage and support young people to ring up to make their own health appointments.

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Helping children to be healthy

The home places a strong emphasis on promoting healthy lifestyles. Young people access information about a wide range of health and social issues, including sexual health, smoking, alcohol, drugs, diet and emotional well-being. Young people are well supported to get information and advice to enable them to make informed choices about their health. Staff also ensure that young people are aware of the different possible consequences of their decisions.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Young people’s privacy and confidentiality is respected, for example staff ask permission before entering bedrooms. However the current staffing level does not actually allow for room searches to be carried out as per policy. Young people have single bedrooms and the bathroom arrangements promote privacy and dignity. The accommodation provides space where young people can relax easily and spend time to be alone when they wish. Young people make and receive telephone calls in private. Information about young people is managed confidentially and held securely in the office. Staff respect young people's privacy in a way that is consistent with good parenting and the need to protect young people.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people know how to complain and are clear that their concerns will be taken seriously and promptly addressed. They have access to information about the complaints procedure of both the home and the placing authority and staff encourage young people to let them know when they have concerns or if they are unhappy. This includes advocating on their behalf with the placing authority when young people are aggrieved.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people feel safe and supported by staff who understand their roles and responsibilities to promote and safeguard young people’s welfare. The home has detailed and clear procedures 5 of 10 Inspection Report: SC040785 and guidance for responding to concerns about young people's safety. Staff also have access to the local authority's safeguarding policy and guidance and all have received suitable training.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff are knowledgeable about the procedures and put them in practice effectively when they have concerns about young people's safety. They work well with safeguarding agencies to protect young people by reporting concerns promptly and by liaising with the agencies to develop appropriate safeguarding plans and practice. This involves, for example, providing young people with good advice about keeping safe and managing anxiety.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people confirm that bullying is not a problem in the home. Staff work effectively with young people to enable them to deal with relationship problems constructively. Young people and staff talk a lot about friendship and what a good relationship should be like. In this way staff help young people to develop their clear expectations of how they should be treated by close friends and families.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff work hard at ensuring young people do not to go missing and come in on time. The home has detailed individual risk assessments and plans for what they should do if young people go missing. The plans clearly set out what action is taken, including staff trying to contact young people by telephone, going out to look for them, collecting them when they are found, who should be notified and the timescales for letting them know.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The home’s behaviour management policy and practice encourages young people to develop socially acceptable behaviour. Young people know what standards of behaviour are expected and it is to both the young people's and staff credit that there have been no sanctions or restraints implemented for a considerable time. Staff view young people in a positive light and encourage acceptable behaviour by talking to them, trying to understand their behaviour and building positive relationships with them. Staff show a good understanding of the issues that may influence young people’s behaviour, such as low self-esteem and anxiety, and take steps to help young people feel positive about themselves. This approach is very effective and has led to young people commenting about how 'they feel listened too' and 'cared for'. Also, the support and understanding young people receive has enabled them to deal with difficult

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

situations in a mature and responsible way. For example, how they conduct themselves in challenging decisions about arrangements for their future care.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people live in a safe environment. They are protected by a comprehensive range of detailed health and safety procedures and risk assessments. Staff carry out regular health and safety checks, including fire drills, in line with the regulations to ensure the premises are safe and secure. The home's quality assurance systems ensure that the checks are carried out consistently and any problems are addressed. The recruitment and selection of people wishing to work at the home is thorough to make sure young people are protected. All staff working at the home have had an appropriate Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) check. However some details required to be held at the home regarding staff are not currently in place. There are good systems in place for supervising visitors to ensure young people are safe although the reasons for visits are always not recorded in the visitors log as required.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Young people are well supported and are making good progress in all aspects of their lives. Young people confirm that staff spend a lot of time individually with them and are positive 6 of 10 Inspection Report: SC040785 about the care they receive. They feel able to talk to staff about problems and that 'staff really listen'.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Young people's individual needs are clearly identified in their placement plans and put into practice effectively. There are good examples of staff providing advice and support with a wide range of young people's possible needs, including leading healthy lifestyles, relationships, emotional well-being, dealing with problems and life skills. This encourages age appropriate informed risk taking.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The home makes every effort to find additional support to help meet young people's specific needs. Staff have established very effective partnerships with a wide range of external helping agencies, such as counselling and health services that provides individual young people with specialist support with particular issues. Young people also have access to information about community services they are able to contact themselves for advice.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff see education as important and have created an environment that encourages young people to learn and develop their skills and abilities. Education is actively promoted and plays an important part in the lives of young people. Their educational needs are identified and young people are very motivated to develop their skills and find suitable training. For example, attending catering college and achieving qualifications through entry to employment courses.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Young people and staff have sound links with Connexions. They work together well to identify suitable training, and build young people’s confidence and self-esteem about attending college or starting work. This is particularly helpful for young people who may have had difficulties with education in the past. Young people's preferences are taken into account and they have opportunities to study and get work experience in areas that interest them.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff encourage young people to fully participate in the cultural life of the local community. Staff enable young people to follow individual interests, such as seeing friends, cooking, watching films at home and going to the cinema. This helps young people to develop confidence in different social settings and feel part of the local area.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. The home’s records provide a good insight into the individual needs of young people and the plans in place to meet them. Young people have thorough written placement plans identifying their needs and outlining how the service is working towards meeting them. Staff put the plans into practice and keep detailed records about young people’s progress and experiences. Young people’s placement plans are reviewed regularly to make sure that they are up-to-date and continue to meet their needs.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Young people are encouraged to make decisions about their lives and to influence the way the home is run. They are involved in decisions about how the home is decorated, what food they eat, what they do in their spare time and the plans for their future. Staff actively seek young people's views and ensure that they are listened to and their views about their lives taken into account.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The home encourages young people to have regular contact with their families and friends where appropriate. There are clear arrangements for contact with the exception of one instance 7 of 10 Inspection Report: SC040785 and this helps to maintain and build positive relationships. Staff ensure young people have regular contact and that the arrangements promote and safeguard young people’s welfare. Young people see their friends regularly meaning young people have the opportunity to experience a social life similar to other young people of their own age.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The arrangements concerning where young people will be moving to are not planned as they should be. This causes unnecessary anxiety and although staff provide emotional and practical support for young people clearer planning in conjunction with the placing authority should be secured to ensure transition is managed sensitively at this critical time.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The home has a welcoming atmosphere where everyone gets along well. Young people enjoy very positive relationships with staff describing 'boss' relationships based on honesty and respect. Staff view young people very positively and value them as individuals. They are helpful and clearly enjoy spending time with young people. They have clear professional and personal boundaries with young people consistent with good childcare.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

The provision is satisfactory. Young people are well prepared for adult life and they do have their own copy of their pathway plan outlining future care and support needs. The plans cover the practical skills and knowledge young people will need. There is a strong emphasis on helping young people prepare emotionally for moving on and ensuring they have a good support network. However the arrangements at the later stages of transition fall short of what should be expected. Weaknesses in the effective coordination of leaving care plans with the placing authority result in unnecessary levels of anxiety for young people.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

Staff are clear about their roles in helping young people to develop their life skills. There is a good format for identifying and working towards targets in key areas. This encourages young people to take more responsibility for themselves, suitable to their age and understanding. Young people routinely take part in the daily tasks of running the home, such as shopping, cooking, cleaning, ironing and handling money. This results in them developing a wide range of life skills to support them in the future. In addition, staff encourage them to develop their personal, organisational and social skills, such as personal hygiene, using public transport and getting themselves ready for school and college.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

Young people are encouraged to express their individuality in the way they dress. Their clothes are of a good standard and meet young people's needs relating to age, gender and culture. They are always involved in choosing how to spend their pocket money and allowances for toiletries and clothing.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

Young people live in a welcoming and homely environment that meets their needs. The house is clean, decorated and furnished to a good standard. Young people like the accommodation and have personalised the home to reflect their interests and individual tastes. They are fully involved in choosing how the home is decorated and furnished. However some attention is required to repair minor damage to the front door and structurally to plasterwork on the landing.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. 8 of 10 Inspection Report: SC040785 The promotion of equality and diversity in the home is good. Evidence supports a strong commitment to delivering equality and diversity in practice. Staff recognise young people as individuals with different needs, backgrounds, interests and views. They ensure that young people receive an individual service designed to meet their personal needs. Staff have a very good knowledge of the young people they are working with ensuring their needs are met. The home values the rights of individuals to be different and promotes respect and dignity.

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Organisation

Young people know what support they can expect from the home and how they will be looked after. The children's guide provides important information about the home in a way that is easily understood by young people. In addition, the home has a clearly written statement for parents and social workers of how the home operates and plans to meet young people’s needs.

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Organisation

Young people are looked after by competent staff who have a good range of skills and experience. Their skills match the needs of young people living in the home well and reflects the cultural backgrounds of the young people. The staff also provide positive role models for young people however the team does not include sufficient permanent staff as the stability of care provided is only achieved by using staff from other homes in the group.

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Organisation

The core staff have achieved a recognised childcare qualification and overall staff have good access to suitable training. The training programme offers a good range of training that covers the needs of young people and provides staff with the skills and knowledge to effectively do their jobs. It is regularly reviewed to check if there are any additional training needs.

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Organisation

Staff receive support through regular supervision and team meetings that allow the core staff team to discuss and review individual young people, the running of the home, staff development and training and to look at ways to improve the service they offer. Staff also have a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities and know who they should contact for support. This has been important over the last six months when there has been no manager in place.

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Organisation

Whilst there are adequate external systems in place to review the quality of care provided there has been limited management presence at the home. This means some aspects of the monitoring of the home have not been sufficiently thorough to address areas of improvement. The new manager also needs to demonstrate that they are effectively in day to day charge of the home and that other duties do not dilute this responsibility.

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Organisation

The home’s written records provide a clear picture of individual young people’s needs, development and progress. Young people’s records are well-organised and contain up-to-date information about them, including relevant documents from placing authorities. Young people are encouraged to read and make comments about what is written about them.

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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

9 of 10 Inspection Report: SC040785 13 November 2009 maintain in the children's home the records specified in Schedule 4 and ensure they are kept up to date including a record in respect of each person working at the home and the reasons for visits to the home in the visitors log (Regulation 29) 13 November 2009 ensure all risk assessments are up to date especially in regard to contact (Regulation 15) 13 November 2009 ensure the premises are kept in good structural repair internally (Regulation 31) 13 November 2009 promote and make proper provision for the welfare of children accommodated, specifically ensure there is a comprehensive plan for young people to enable a successful transition into adulthood which is implemented in practice (Regulation 11) 20 November 2009 ensure that sufficient permanent staff are employed (Regulation 25) 13 November 2009 ensure the manager carries on with sufficient care, competence

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Due date Action Standard

and skill on a day to day basis effective leadership and management of the home. (Regulation 9)

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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): • review room search policy so that it correlates with the staffing levels deployed in the home (NMS 9.8) • ensure that staff rotas have time scheduled for handover sessions (NMS 29) • ensure that the registered person of the home monitors and signs the home's records at least once a month, to identify any patterns or issues requiring attention. (NMS 33) 10 of 10 Inspection Report: SC040785

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