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SC036917 Unique reference number 15 December 2009 Inspection date Karen Malcolm 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 7 Inspection Report: SC036917

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Brief description of the service

This care home is a children and adolescent unit providing short and medium term residential care for up to five young people of both sexes between the ages of 10 to under 16. The home also undertakes outreach work with young people and their families, either to prevent the need for accommodation, or to support them once they have left the unit.

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Brief description of the service

The home is a two-storey purpose built house on a residential road in South London. There are five bedrooms for young people, all single occupancy. The home aims to provide a safe, nurturing environment where young people’s care plans can be put into action. Young people and their families are involved in the reviewing process, and staff work closely with them, placing social workers and other professionals to achieve positive outcomes for the young people in their care.

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Summary

At this unannounced, interim inspection, outcome areas being healthy, staying safe, positive contribution and organisation were inspected. Enjoying and achieving and economic well being were not inspected at this time. The outstanding actions and recommendations made at the previous inspection were also followed up.

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Summary

The general ethos of the home functions well. Staffing levels are high and young people receive care and support that meets their overall needs. Individual needs are recognised and care plans are in place to address them. However, the monitoring of some records identified had not been consistently complete such as sanctions, room searches, medication.

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Summary

At the time of this inspection four young people were placed. All were spoken to privately and all made comments on how to improve on the sanctions. This was fed back to the assistant manager at the end of the inspection. 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 there were three actions and two recommendations. The registered person was asked to update the medication policy, provide training in promoting equality and diversity and to ensure cultural and identity needs are addressed clearly throughout individual's placement plan. The recommendations made were that the manager should display the names of qualified first aiders on each shift and review the business plan to clearly show how diversity will be promoted within the home.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the time of this inspection all the actions had been addressed and one recommendation. The recommendation made in relation to the business plan was not inspected, this was due to the manager not being available. Therefore this recommendation is restated.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is satisfactory. 4 of 7 Inspection Report: SC036917 The health needs of all young people are promoted positively. They are all registered with a local doctor, dentist and optician. Up to date health plans including individuals cultural needs. To ensure that individual young people's healthcare needs are appropriately monitored, the manager has introduced weekly medication records summaries and personal health care plans, which when completed demonstrates clearly how young people have been supported. However, in some cases these were found to be inconsistently completed.

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Helping children to be healthy

The home ensures that all young people's specialist healthcare needs are appropriately supported within the home and additional professional support is sought if needed.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. Records of room searches carried out by staff do not follow accurately the guidance as set out in national minimum standard 9.8. Young people’s privacy is promoted. They each have single occupancy bedrooms to which they have appropriate access. The living arrangements provide space where they can relax and easily find privacy away from others if they wish. Sensitive information is held securely in the office. It remains that staff are sensitive to gender issues especially when dealing with young people of the opposite sex.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people are encouraged to make a complaint, if they are not happy or disagree with any part of their care. Young people can also ask for an independent advocate to help them make a complaint. Records of compliments received are kept. In the young people's handbook there are clear names and addresses of organisations they can contact if they have any concerns about their care, and this includes Ofsted. Young people spoken to did have some concerns, regarding their curfew times and how this is managed. This was addressed with one of the assistant managers during the feedback session.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The safety and rights of both staff and young people are protected. There are safeguarding issues, which have been managed appropriately by the social workers and other parties involved in the young people’s care. Staff are familiar with the home's own safeguarding procedures. All staff have attended basic child protection and safeguarding training within the year. Additional training has been sought for those staff members supporting young people with complex care and support needs. Young people reaffirm that they have no concerns about bullying within the home and felt that staff are quick to intervene should a situation arise.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Written records are made of the circumstances of all incidents of absconding, action taken by staff, any reasons given by the young person for absconding, and any action taken in the light of those reasons. Staff are aware of all safeguards that are in place to keep young people safe. The home now has a local police liaison officer assigned to the home that they can contact regarding any incident in relation to absence without authority. This was seen as positive by the team.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

All significant events relating to the protection of young people accommodated in the home are notified to the appropriate authorities.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Most sanctions imposed are monetary, and the main behaviour young people are sanctioned for is not meeting their curfew times. There were some inconsistency on how this was managed, therefore young people were not treated fairly. Young people spoken to felt that some sanctions were unreasonable and felt that the system could be fairer. There is no clear guidance to ensure 5 of 7 Inspection Report: SC036917 that there is a consistent approach when imposing a sanction that is reasonable and fair to the individual.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

A record of the use of restraint on a young person by an adult is kept. However, the information recorded does not follow the guidance as set out in Regulation 17. The information missing was the young person's behaviour leading to the use of the measure, a description of the measure used and the duration of the restraint.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

It remains that the bathing and toilet facilities meet the required standards for a children’s home.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The home's public and employee liability insurance and gas safety certificates were not available at the time of this inspection. Positive steps have been taken to keep young people, staff and visitors safe from risk of fire and other hazards. All other health and safety checks were found to be in place. Young people are aware of the fire procedures when asked, and all said that they have taken part in a fire evacuation drill as part of their induction into the home. There was clear evidence of this on file. Risk assessments are carried out in relation to the home’s premises and grounds, young people's known and likely activities and these are updated accordingly.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

There are clear procedures for all visitors to the home, which staff follow to safeguard the young people in the home. The Registered Manager was not available on the day of the inspection therefore recruitment records were not inspected at this time.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Placement plans for each young person set out clearly their assessed needs. The objectives of the placement ensuring that each individual’s cultural, emotional and health needs are also addressed appropriately within this.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. Since the last inspection the majority of the staff team have undertaken promoting equality and diversity training. There is now a clear record of each staff member's training and development needs undertaken within the last year.

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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. 6 of 7 Inspection Report: SC036917

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Due date Action Standard

16 February 2010 ensure that the weekly medication records summaries and the personal health care plans are completed and reviewed regularly. (Regulation 12) 16 February 2010 ensure records of room searches carried out by staff follow the guidance as set out national minimum standard 9.8 (Regualtion 17) 16 February 2010 ensure that the restraint records includes, a clear account of why a restraint took place, the use of measure, the description of the measure, clear details of the young person's behaviour leading to the use of the measure and the duration of the restraint. (Regulation 17(4) 16 February 2010 ensure that all sanctions imposed are fair and reasonable. (Regulation 17) 9 February 2010 have a certificate of insurance in respect of liability in relation to he home in respect of death, injury, public liability damage or other loss. (Regulation 36) 16 February 2010 ensure that the gas safety checks are completed. ( Regulation

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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 the current business plan objectives to include how the home promotes diversity and equality throughout each aspect of the service provision and to review current Conditions of Registration. (NMS34) 7 of 7 Inspection Report: SC036917

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