Children's Home run by Durham County Council in Durham

SC034686 Unique reference number 9 March 2010 Inspection date Deborah White Inspector Random Type of Inspection

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20 October 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 7 Inspection Report: SC034686

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Brief description of the service

The children's home is one of several provided by a county council. The home is a detached house and is on a housing estate in the suburbs of a city. Ofsted registered the home to provide care and accommodation for up to five young people, aged between 12 and 17 years, whose main need for being looked after, is due to emotional or behavioural difficulties.

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Brief description of the service

The ground floor has a lounge with satellite television, a dining room, an activities room with a computer and a separate kitchen. There is also a staff sleep-in room and another bedroom. The first floor is made up of a second sleep-in room and other bedrooms and bathroom facilities. There is an enclosed garden at the rear of the property.

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Brief description of the service

At the time of the inspection, five young people were living in the children's home.

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Summary

The purpose of this unannounced interim inspection was to look at the actions and recommendations from the last inspection and the staying safe outcome.

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Summary

The home has improved in a number of areas since the last inspection to promote positive outcomes for children. How staff record events is much better and allows for the registered person and Ofsted to monitor the home's performance.

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Summary

Work is being undertaken to consider what websites children can access on the computer. Children at the home feel very strongly about this and it is good that the providers have responded to the children's wishes that were made known at the last inspection.

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Summary

Children are very positive about living at the home. They are complimentary about staff and feel they receive good care. Children feel that staff genuinely care about them.

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Summary

Children are not adequately protected from bullying in the home. Measures are in place but these are not fully effective.

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Summary

Healthcare plans do not reflect children's known needs and the Registered Manager has not attained an appropriate management qualification.

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Summary

The Statement of Purpose does not fully reflect the service and risk assessments do not always record possible hazards to children.

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Summary

There are two actions and four recommendations arising from this visit. 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, the registered person was required to improve how complaints are recorded. The recording has improved to detail complaints, and compliments, and the complaint's log shows what actions have been taken. 4 of 7 Inspection Report: SC034686 An action for the Registered Manager to attain an appropriate management qualification is not met. This action will be re-issued in this report.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Recommendations to improve recording are met. Medication charts and the visitors’ book are completed in full. Staff write their full names in the documentation for sanctions and the children going missing log shows safeguards are in place.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Children talked in detail about their feelings regarding a previous recommendation to consider allowing children computer access to social networking sites. Children are aware the providers are actively reviewing internet safety, specifically around these sites, and are happy the matter is being looked into.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Recommendations to improve healthcare plans and the Statement of Purpose are not met. Healthcare plans do not adequately reflect children's needs and the statement does not include all the elements of Schedule 1.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is satisfactory. Children's healthcare plans do not adequately reflect their assessed needs to ensure individual child-centred interventions are in place for day-to-day arrangements.

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Helping children to be healthy

Tasks are recorded in the needs section of the plan and where significant incidents are recorded in other documents, these are not linked to the healthcare plans. Referrals are not always made to the appropriate healthcare professionals to ensure children receive holistic care.

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Helping children to be healthy

Individual medication charts show why non-prescription medicines are given to children. This enables the registered person to monitor if and when a child, who is complaining of mild to moderate pain, should have a doctor's appointment.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. Children's privacy is respected. Children have access to a private telephone and receive top-up vouchers for their personal mobile telephones. Children confirm staff knock when entering their bedrooms and staff are aware of gender issues when working with children of the opposite sex.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

There are procedures in place for room searches but children do not always sign the log to signal they are aware of, and are happy, that staff have entered their bedroom in their absence. However, records do show the reasons for room searches are appropriate and children know under what circumstances staff may look through their private possessions.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children know how to complain and feel they are listened to. A child said 'I can talk to any of the staff here, if we are not happy they will listen to you.' Good procedures and regular staff training safeguards children's welfare and agreed protocols with local police ensure where children are missing they are looked for.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are not always protected from bullying in the home. Measures are in place but records show these are not always effective. A child said 'Staff tell us about bullying and they are around to stop bullying but it still goes on sometimes.' 5 of 7 Inspection Report: SC034686 Behaviour is managed positively. Children know the home's expectations and know what sanctions can be used. Restorative justice techniques enable children to understand the consequences of negative behaviour and rewards are used to promote positive outcomes. A child said 'They treat you all right here.'

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Risk assessments include positive steps to keep children safe. Known risks are included and where additional observation and supervision is needed; this is recorded. There are however occasions where possible risk factors are not included to alert staff where children may be at risk from self-harming behaviour.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The home's visitor’s policy protects children from potential abusers. All unknown adults have their identification verified and all callers sign the visitors’ book so staff can monitor who comes into the house.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. The Statement of Purpose does not fully reflect the services offered by the home. Some important information is missing, for example, the categories of registration are not included in the admission criteria.

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Organisation

The Registered Manager does not have an appropriate management qualification to ensure he has the necessary academic skills to meet the home's Statement of Purpose.

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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 May 2010 ensure that a person shall not manage a children's home unless he is fit to do so by having the qualifications necessary for managing the home (Regulation 8 (1) (2) (b) (i)) 30 April 2010 ensure the registered person shall promote and protect the health of the children accommodated in a children's home (Regulation 20 (1)). 6 of 7 Inspection Report: SC034686

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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 the health care section of each young person's residential placement plans covers the recommended issues (NMS 12.2) • ensure the Statement of Purpose includes all the elements listed in Schedule 1 (NMS 1) • ensure children are protected from bullying (NMS 18) • ensure risk assessments are carried out and recorded in writing and include all known risks to children (NMS 26.2). 7 of 7 Inspection Report: SC034686

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