Children's Home run by Esland South Limited in Kent

SC059037 Unique reference number 12 January 2010 Inspection date Margaret Lynes Inspector Key Type of Inspection

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17 February 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 8 Inspection Report: SC059037

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Brief description of the service

This is a registered children's home offering 24-hour care and support to young people of either sex aged between 13 and 17 years of age. Referrals are considered for young people experiencing severe emotional and behavioural difficulties, who have a record of offending behaviour, drug and alcohol problems, mild forms of disability and those requiring assessment for specialist placements.

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Brief description of the service

A maximum of four young people can be accommodated at any one time and the home seeks to provide medium to long-term placements. While the home advocates the positive aspects of planned placements, emergency referrals are also considered when appropriate.

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Brief description of the service

The home is a four bed, semi-detached property situated within walking distance of the town centre and local amenities, including shops, a cinema, GP surgery, schools and colleges, are all within easy reach.

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Summary

This was an unannounced key inspection, where all key standards were inspected. This is a satisfactory service with some good outcomes in the areas of positive contribution and enjoying and achieving. The last inspection report contained one action and four recommendations. The progress the home has made towards meeting these is outlined below. This inspection has resulted in four actions and two recommendations. The actions relate to staffing levels, portable electrical equipment testing, health plans and the Statement of Purpose. The recommendations concern the need to number the pages of the sanction log, and suggest the providers review the length of shifts that staff are expected to work. 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 previous inspection had resulted in one action and four recommendations. The action concerned the need for the staff to ensure that they maintained an accurate and up-to-date record of measures of control used. The record on this visit was up to date, albeit a recommendation will be made for staff to ensure that they number the pages of the sanction log. The four recommendations, relating to medication management and administration; risk assessments regarding the prevention of bullying; policies and procedures concerning unauthorised absences and staff supervision, have all been met. This enhances the quality of the service being provided to the young people.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is satisfactory. Young people have the opportunity to plan, shop for and prepare meals. They are consulted on a weekly basis as to the menu planning. Advice and guidance is available from staff on personal care and health issues. Staff were observed to be positively persistent in encouraging young people to act in a responsible manner towards alcohol consumption and smoking. 4 of 8 Inspection Report: SC059037 Young people are registered with a local General Practitioner and enabled to access specialist services according to need. Only one of the young people's files contained a specific health plan, which detracts from the individual service the home strives to offer.

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Helping children to be healthy

The well-being of the young people is promoted through the maintenance of accurate, up-to-date medication administration records, satisfactory policies and procedures and management monitoring of records.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. Young people's privacy is respected and information about them is kept securely in the office. There is a procedure in place regarding room searches. Bathrooms and toilets have appropriate locks, and each young person has a key to their own bedroom.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The house guide contains information for the young people on how to complain. The new manager has identified that prior to his taking over the manager's post, one of the young people had made two complaints which had not been acknowledged, recorded as complaints or investigated. He has now addressed this. There were also indications that historically the young people sometimes had to raise a complaint on several occasions before it was dealt with. Complaint reports are generally satisfactory, and they contain the necessary information. Staff provide a feedback form to the young people which outlines the action taken and the outcome.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff take action to promote the safety of the young people. Safeguarding procedures are in place, including those of the local safeguarding board. Staff undergo child protection training, they are aware of and follow good practice guidelines, and evidently work hard to try to keep the young people safe.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The young people are protected from bullying. A countering bullying procedure in place, and risk assessments have been carried out in line with the previously made recommendation. The home's position regarding the prevention of bullying is clear.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people who are absent without authority are protected in accordance with written guidance, which has been improved since the last visit. The procedure now includes reference to legal orders and any conditions of placement. Staff were observed to emphasise to the young people that if they did go missing, what staff cared about most was to know that the young person was in a safe place. Appropriate records are kept.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Sanction and restraint logs are being maintained. The pages of the sanction log are not numbered as required by the national minimum standards. Staff were observed to challenge inappropriate behaviour, provide constructive criticism and praise good behaviour. Staff involve the young people in determining what is an appropriate sanction. Placement plans set out how staff are to work with each young person to promote socially acceptable behaviour, and these are supported by individual risk assessments.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The young people live in a home that provides physical safety and security. Health and safety risk assessments using the organisation's generic risk assessment forms are in place; however staff are not always recording the correct name of the home on the documentation. Fire safety checks are up to date, and gas and electrical installation maintenance checks are carried out at appropriate intervals. Some portable electrical equipment testing is overdue. Substances 5 of 8 Inspection Report: SC059037 hazardous to health are safely stored and staff were seen to be diligent in removing aerosols from the personal possession of the young people.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Examination of four recruitment files indicated that the recruitment process is robust. Each file contained the necessary information.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. The young people receive individual support as necessary. They are treated as individuals and there was clearly a very good rapport between them and the staff, who showed a good understanding of each of the young people and their needs. The young people are encouraged to make choices and take responsibility for their actions. They each have a keyworker, and they are consulted as to whom this might be. They can however approach any member of staff to discuss a personal issue. They have access to two independent people, whose contact details are set out in the young people's guide.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

There is a strong emphasis on education. All of the young people are in some form of education, and in some instances are doing exceptionally well. Staff liaise with schools and colleges and attend meetings to support the educational development of the young people. They also enable the young people to gain qualifications through the home such as in food safety.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Each of the files inspected contained a placement plan. These plans are supplemented with daily records, monthly reports, risk assessments, education documents, contact arrangements and keyworking records. Looked after children documentation is either on file or there is evidence that staff have been chasing placing authorities for it. The organisation does have generic placement plans but the new manager has started to revise these to make them more user friendly, with clear objectives, timescales and responsibilities. The plans are periodically updated.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The young people's needs and development are regularly reviewed. There is evidence that staff do their utmost to ensure that placing authorities carry out reviews on time, and staff prepare a report for this process. The young people are encouraged to participate in their reviews.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The young people are supported and encouraged to maintain constructive contact with their families and friends. It was clear that staff were aware of any restrictions on contact, and also that they will strive to ensure that the best possible arrangements are in place. Appropriate records of contacts are maintained. There is not a payphone in the house but each young person is given a weekly top up for their mobile phones.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Procedures are in place for introducing new young people to the home. The emergency admission process is detailed in the Statement of Purpose. Staff were observed to prepare for the arrival of a new referral, and also to listen to suggestions from existing residents as to how the newcomer should be welcomed.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

It was evident from observation that the young people are encouraged to participate in the day to day running of the home. Their views are sought over things like the furnishing of 6 of 8 Inspection Report: SC059037 communal areas. Regular house meetings are held. Each young person has keyworker, and the frequency of keyworking sessions has improved since the new manager took up their post. Staff regularly send reports to placing authorities and also to key family members.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

The provision is good. The young people receive care which helps to prepare them for and support them into adulthood. Staff liaise with placing authorities to provide pathway plans where appropriate, and the young people are encouraged to be involved in planning their care.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

The young people enjoy homely accommodation which is well maintained, clean and nicely furnished. Damages are repaired promptly. Each young person has their own bedroom, which they are encouraged to personalise. Staff sleeping-in rooms are not part of communal areas.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. The promotion of equality and diversity is satisfactory. There are relevant policies and procedures in place to advise staff, although to date there has not been the necessity to provide for young people from disparate communities.

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Organisation

There is a Statement of Purpose in place which covers the areas listed in the regulations but is not wholly up to date. It contains references to previous regulatory bodies and another home in the group. The young people's guide is satisfactory and provides an outline of the home and the services it provides.

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Organisation

The home has a manager and a deputy manager in situ, but neither routinely work at weekends, leaving the home without the benefit of their experience during this period. Continuity of staffing has been problematic since the last inspection as there have been a number of changes, including the manager.

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Organisation

At the time of this visit there were three young people in residence with a fourth due to arrive at any time. There were two staff on the morning shift and two on the afternoon/evening/sleep-in shift, although one of these had also worked the morning shift. The manager was also on duty. Staff are having to cover one vacant post and are therefore working exceptionally long shifts. This can have a detrimental effect on the quality of service they are able to provide.

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Organisation

Staff receive training and stated that this has of late improved. Recent training includes child protection, fire safety, medication and restraint. Several staff are currently undergoing a National Vocational Qualification at level three training course. One new member of staff is due to commence work in the home shortly. The new manager had an induction programme ready. The availability of such a programme does not appear to have been in place historically. The frequency of staff supervision has improved since the new manager took up his post.

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Organisation

Although only in post for five weeks, the new manager has already identified areas for improvement, including the need for there to be an increased focus on the Every Child Matters agenda, and an improvement in the maintenance of the young people's files. He has carried out a quality audit in line with regulation 34, and uses regulation 33 visit reports for guidance. 7 of 8 Inspection Report: SC059037 The most recent of these contained 17 recommendations. This visit was carried out in November. At the time of this inspection Ofsted had not yet received a report of a December visit.

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Organisation

Young people's case files provide a permanent, private and secure record, albeit as mentioned above, the new manager has determined that files need to be generally reviewed, audited and updated where necessary.

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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

31 January 2010 ensure that each young person has a placement plan which sets out the arrangements for their health care (Regulation 12 (1)(b)) 31 January 2010 ensure all portable electrical equipment is regularly checked, and that these checks can be evidenced (Regulation 23 (a) (c)) 31 January 2010 employ sufficient staff for the running of the home taking into account the needs and behaviour of the children and young people (Regulation 25.1) 31 January 2010 ensure that the Statement of Purpose provides accurate information relating to the matters listed in Schedule 1 of the Regulations. (Regulation 4.1)

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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 length of shifts that staff are expected to work (NMS 30) • ensure the pages of the sanction log are numbered in accordance with the standards. (NMS 22.10) 8 of 8 Inspection Report: SC059037

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