Children's Home run by Horizon Care Limited in Staffordshire

SC062406 Unique reference number 23 November 2009 Inspection date Nicola McEvinney Inspector Key Type of Inspection

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4 November 2008 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 8 Inspection Report: SC062406

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Brief description of the service

This is a children's home operated by a private company. It is a large detached property located in a rural area on the outskirts of a town. The home specialises in offering a service for young people who are placing themselves or others at risk of harm. Both emergency and planned placements are permitted.

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Brief description of the service

The home has an open plan lounge and dining room, a kitchen and education room equipped with a computer and computer games. Bedrooms are sited on the first floor along with a bathroom. There are also toilet facilities on the ground floor. There are spacious gardens and the home has its own car to transport young people.

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Summary

The purpose of this unannounced full inspection was to check that the key national minimum standards and the recommendation made at the last inspection have been met.

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Summary

This is a good home with some outstanding features. In particular, there are good matching processes to ensure young people who are admitted to the home are compatible with the young people placed. Staff work hard to ensure appropriate services are identified for those young people who are leaving the care system to ensure that they are properly looked after into adulthood.

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Summary

This is a nurturing staff team who are clearly committed to caring for the young people. Staff are proactive in ensuring that young people have good contact with significant people and facilitate and arrange this.

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Summary

The home is well maintained and decorated providing a very comfortable environment.

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Summary

One shortfall was identified during this inspection. Although menus are varied, records do not demonstrate what vegetables young people eat. 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 home has addressed the one recommendation made at the last inspection. The windows have been replaced and all areas of the home are well maintained and decorated to a good standard.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Young people are provided with healthy and nutritious meals, although records do not demonstrate what vegetables young people eat. Menus are devised at the weekly residents meetings to ensure young people have a say in what they eat. Young people are regularly taken out for meals providing them with different experiences. Fruit is readily available to the young people and they are able to access the kitchen to make snacks. 4 of 8 Inspection Report: SC062406 Young peoples files contain good health information including information on immunisations including the human papillomamavirus (HPV). Any inoculations required are arranged, ensuring young people are protected from a number of infectious diseases and illnesses. Each young person is registered with a doctor, dentist and optician and appointments are made appropriately with these professionals ensuring health needs are met. Staff discourage young people who

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Helping children to be healthy

smoke and strategies are in place to minimise the number of cigarettes smoked. The home is a non-smoking environment and staff do not socialise with young people when they smoke to discourage them from thinking that smoking is an acceptable social event.

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Helping children to be healthy

Medication records are in good order ensuring that medication is administered as prescribed. All medication is stored appropriately. All staff have attended first aid training with two staff attaining a first aid qualification. This ensures a first aider is on duty at all times to attend to young people if they have an accident.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Young people's files are stored securely to ensure confidentiality. The young people's phone is sited to afford some privacy.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people are aware of how to complain if they are not happy. Individuals are able to access their local authority complaints procedure and some young people access advocates to help them make representation.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

All staff have attended safeguarding training and there is good awareness of young people's vulnerability. Staff are aware of the whistle blowing policy and are confident that any inappropriate practice would be promptly dealt with, ensuring the safety of the young people.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people confirmed that they felt safe in the home. None of the young people present any bullying behaviour. Records demonstrate that bullying is discussed with the young people to raise their awareness.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Policies and procedures are in place to advise staff what action to take if a young person goes missing. There is a joint protocol with the police with a traffic light system in place to indicate the vulnerability of the young people. None of the current young people have stayed away from the home for any period. However, guidance is in place, individual to each young person in accordance with their risk assessment, if they leave the home alone. This is particularly pertinent as the home is in a very rural setting.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Relationships between the staff and young people are based on mutual respect and there is a good ambience within the home. Individual incentive charts are in place for each young person. These are specific achievable goals that help young people to comply with daily routines or address specific behaviours. Behaviour management plans are in place for some individuals, clearly identifying triggers to behaviours with strategies in place. This ensures a consistent approach in managing behaviour. Young people confirmed that staff treat them fairly. Very few sanctions are recorded. The organisation has introduced a new restraint record book which demands detailed recording of the restraint. However, there have not been any restraints since March 2009. 5 of 8 Inspection Report: SC062406 Good risk assessments are in place for each individual, the premises and activities. Strategies are in place to minimise the risks identified. Health and safety checks are carried out as

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

appropriate. For example, portable electrical appliances are tested, an electrical assessment has recently been undertaken and the boiler is maintained. The Registered Manager carries out a monthly health and safety check to ensure the home is a safe place for young people to live. Fire records are in good order with drills held regularly, ensuring all know what action to take in the event of a fire.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

There are robust recruitment systems in place to ensure that only suitable people are employed. All new staff are employed on a probationary period and have a three and six month assessment to ensure their performance is of a good standard.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. The home accesses a number of services to help meet the needs of the young people. For example, the children and adolescent mental health service supports some individuals. The organisation also have their own psychological services who support and advice the staff team to help manage some individuals behaviour. The looked after children nurse advises on health issues. Services to advise on sexual health are accessed to ensure young people receive appropriate support. There are good key work systems in place ensuring that young people are able to address issues promptly within the home.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Prior to admission some individuals have not attended education for a significant period. The organisation provides off site education for these individuals who are making progress. Personal education plans and statements of educational need are in place as appropriate. Those young people who are above school age are provided with day time activities including some off site training.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Each young person has a leisure timetable detailing what activities they are involved with. The young people access a range of activities, for example, the cinema, bowling and some individuals enjoy walks in the surrounding countryside. Young people are also taken to a nearby adventure park and some individuals had a holiday in Spain whilst others went to Wales.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is outstanding. A care plan is formulated on admission and there is an action plan under the Every Child Matters outcomes clearly setting out the needs of the young people with guidance to staff on how these needs are to be met. For some individuals there is a detailed daily routine, one for school days and one for weekends. This ensures that there is a consistent approach to their care.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Child care reviews are held as appropriate with staff producing a detailed report under the Every Child Matters outcomes. This ensures that there is a record of the progress made and the action plans are reviewed according to the review decisions. Staff in attendance take contemporaneous notes ensuring decisions made may be promptly implemented. Staff endeavour to hold a six weekly meeting with key workers and social workers to make sure every thing is on track. 6 of 8 Inspection Report: SC062406 Staff are proactive in ensuring young people have contact with significant family members. In particular there is a great deal of support to ensure individuals have regular contact with siblings and will provide finance to ensure that this happens. Family visitors are treated with respect. Details of contact are recorded on file ensuring that appropriate contact is maintained.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The home has developed good matching systems to ensure that the young people living at the home are compatible. An impact risk assessment is undertaken and discussions with the psychologist is held to ensure good matches. The Registered Manager is adamant that the home will not admit young people who would pose a threat to the stability of the young people living there.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The home is proactive in ensuring that individuals who are at the leaving care stage are moved onto an appropriate placement. Staff engage with adult services to ensure individuals receive services that are essential to their care.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Advocates are accessed to support young people to have their views heard. Weekly residents meetings are held where daily chores are organised, menus planned and activities organised. Young people have access to their file and they sign daily records and are encouraged to make comment.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

The provision is good. Staff endeavour to help young people develop independence skills, in keeping with their capabilities. This is linked to their incentive chart to encourage young people to undertake household chores. There is good liaison with the leaving care team and staff advocate on young people's behalf to ensure appropriate services are accessed. All the young people have bank accounts and they are encouraged to save monies.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

The home is well maintained and pleasantly decorated providing a homely environment for the young people. Bedrooms are of a good size and pleasantly decorated in accordance with young people's wishes.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. There is a comprehensive Statement of Purpose in place, clearly setting out what the service has to offer. The children's guide is in the form of a questionnaire that young people complete with a staff member prior to or on admission. This encourages discussion and young people get a good idea of what it will be like living at the home.

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Organisation

The promotion of equality and diversity is good. All packages of care and support are individual to each young person.

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Organisation

Young people are cared for by well trained staff and all staff have achieved the National Vocational Qualification at level 3 or are undertaking this qualification. There are good training opportunities for staff with all staff completing the mandatory training. There are good supervision systems in place with new staff supervised fortnightly. 7 of 8 Inspection Report: SC062406 There are adequate numbers of staff to meet the young people's needs. Any shortfalls in the rota are covered by the team to ensure that there are consistent people looking after the young people which ensures stability.

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Organisation

There are good monitoring systems in place. The regulation 33 visitor visits the home monthly and monitors the homes records and speaks to staff and young people. The Registered Manager undertakes Schedule 6 monitoring of records and monitors the electronic recording system to ensure all relevant information is recorded. The Registered Manager is registered on a management course.

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Organisation

The home keeps hardcopy files for all information that needs to be readily accessible. The organisation has an electronic recording system and staff record daily events. Detailed recordings are sent weekly to social workers who can also access the electronic system.

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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): • ensure the record of menus (as served) demonstrates provision of suitable and varied diet, particularly in relationship to vegetables. (NMS 10.4) 8 of 8 Inspection Report: SC062406

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