Children's Home run by Partners in Care Limited in Westmorland and Furness

SC035049 Unique reference number 15 December 2009 Inspection date Joseph Hobson Inspector Random 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 6 Inspection Report: SC035049

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Brief description of the service

The children's home is a two-storey detached home set in its own grounds in a residential area of a small village. It is within easy travelling distance of local towns and cities. The ground floor of the accommodation consists of a large communal lounge area, a separate dining room area, a fully fitted kitchen and a staff office that doubles as a sleeping room with its own en-suite bathroom facilities. The upper floor contains two single bedrooms for young people's use, one of which is en-suite, a bathroom with bath, shower and toilet facilities, and another staff sleeping-in room. The home is set in its own spacious gardens and can provide accommodation for three young people of either gender at any one time. Young people are allocated their own individual bedrooms.

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Summary

At thisunanounced inspection the staying safe outcome area was inspected. It was found that the home has good arrangements in place to ensure that young people are protected from abuse. The home is good at supporting young people to develop socially acceptable behaviour. Environmental hazards and personal risks to young people are minimised due to effective assessment and management of risks. Adequate vetting arrangements ensure that only adults suitable to work with young people are employed at the home. 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 introduced a more robust system to record physical interventions by staff. The bound and numbered book introduced ensures that an accurate record of all interventions is maintained and meets the recommendation made at the last inspection.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Young people’s privacy is respected and information relating to them is kept confidential. Records relating to young people are maintained securely. Staff are careful not to be overheard when they make telephone calls, especially when young people are discussed to ensure that their confidentiality is not breached. The home has a policy in respect of the maintenance and security of confidential records, which includes a procedure for allowing young people to access their files. Young people hold keys to their bedrooms and said that staff do not enter their bedrooms without first seeking permission. The home maintains a good record of any searches made of young people’s bedrooms. These are only performed in the presence of young people and where there is concern for young people’s welfare, or when staff suspect that prohibited articles such as drugs and/or alcohol are kept in bedrooms.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

No complaints have been made by young people since last inspection. Effective procedures, which deal with informal and formal stages of complaints, are in place. The complaints policy is known to young people and staff. Training is provided to staff about the complaints procedure 4 of 6 Inspection Report: SC035049 at induction. Young people spoken to knew how to make a complaint and said information is contained within the young peoples guide.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people said they 'felt safe' living at the home. Staff are trained in child protection and demonstrated a good understanding of the signs and symptoms of abuse and the action needed to safeguard young people. The home has good quality procedures and guidance in respect of child protection, which are additional to the local safeguarding children's board's guidance. A whistle blowing policy is in place and guidance is available to staff about lone working and maintaining appropriate relationships with young people. These measures help to ensure that young people’s welfare is safeguarded and promoted.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people reported that they are not subject of bullying. The home has a satisfactory anti-bullying policy in place which includes a definition and measures to prevent bullying. Records of the weekly young people's meetings confirm that bullying is discussed regularly and is taken seriously by the home. The measures in place ensure young people are protected from bullying.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

There are effective systems to report when young people go missing from the home. However, the home's procedure does not include all of the matters outlined in national minimum standard 19.2, particularly with regard to conducting searches, and arrangements for collection and return of young people to the home once found.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Satisfactory arrangements are in place to notify the regulator about significant events related to the protection of children. There have been no new notifications since the last inspection.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Support to help young people develop socially acceptable behaviour is good. Young people benefit from individualised behaviour management programmes, which rewards positive behaviour. The home places a strong emphasis on positive reinforcement and young people are rarely sanctioned. The three sanctions imposed since the last inspection were all permissible, and recorded in a bound and numbered book. This meets the requirements of regulation.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

All staff have been trained in positive handling approaches. An audit of the physical intervention records found that staff use only permissible forms of restraint. Young people's files contain individualised positive handling plans, which include distraction and diffusion measures assessed as particularly effective. Plans also record any physical intervention measures not be used on individual young people. Records of restraints are mainly of a good quality. However, staff tend to use general terms to describe young people’s language and/or behaviour. For example, a phrase regularly used 'young person became abusive', does not sufficiently indicate the level of threat posed which led to physical intervention. To meet the recommendation made at the last inspection that a bound and numbered book be used to record physical interventions, the home has introduced a new recording system. The bound and numbered book, now in place,

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

records information required by regulation 17.4 of the Children's Homes Regulations. Systems in place to monitor all sanctions and physical interventions by the home's management are good.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Environmental hazards within the home are minimised through an effective system to assess and manage risk. Young people have individualised risk assessments and quality of these is good. Staff are trained in first aid, food hygiene, fire evacuation and health and safety. Monthly fire evacuation drills ensures that staff and young people know what to do in case of a fire. 5 of 6 Inspection Report: SC035049 Weekly checks are made of fire alarms and emergency lighting systems. Annual maintenance of electrical and gas installations and equipment is undertaken, which ensures young people live in a safe environment.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

There are sufficiently robust arrangements in place for the recruitment and vetting of staff. The home undertakes checks to ensure that staff are suitable to work with young people. There are satisfactory arrangements in place to record and monitor visitors to the home. These measures contribute to the protection of young people from abuse.

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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 that all the matters listed in NMS 19.2 are included in the home's procedures for when young people are absent without authority (NMS 19.2) • ensure that records of physical interventions by staff specifically record young peoples language and behaviour in sufficient detail (NMS 22.9) 6 of 6 Inspection Report: SC035049

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