Children's Home run by Child First Limited in West Sussex

SC044259 Unique reference number 25 February 2010 Inspection date Paul Taylor Inspector Random Type of Inspection

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3 November 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: SC044259

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Brief description of the service

This is an established children's home which can accommodate up to five young people aged between eight and 17 years old of both genders. The home's ethos is based on providing a caring and consistent environment, in which young people feel safe and secure. The home is a large detached house based in a residential area.

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Summary

At this unannounced interim inspection key standards in the areas of staying safe and organisation were assessed. Additionally an assessment was made on how the home has responded to actions and recommendations made at the last inspection.

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Summary

Whilst the staff work very hard to support the young people it is clear that they feel that they have little impact on promoting positive behaviour and ensuring that the young people have consistent routines underpinned by acceptable boundaries. The young people report that they feel that sanctions are ineffective.

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Summary

Staff do not receive regular supervision and monitoring systems do not consistently ensure that the young people's safety and wellbeing is being promoted. As a result of the areas that need to improve, the overall rating has been amended. Eight actions and four recommendations have been made at this inspection. The overall quality rating is inadequate. This is an overview of what the inspector found during the inspection.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the previous inspection six actions and two recommendations were made. Three actions have been addressed, relating to ensuring that internal doors to communal areas are not locked, recommendations made at reviews are responded to, and the home has had extensive refurbishment in some areas.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Three actions have not been addressed. Supervision is still not offered to members of staff on a regular basis. Checks to be completed by the acting manager under Schedule 6 are not always undertaken and the home has yet to appoint an individual who has applied to Ofsted to become the Registered Manager.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Two recommendations made at the last inspection have yet to be addressed. The home continues with progress already made to ensure that 80% of all care staff complete the National Vocational Qualification at level 3 award in Caring for Children. The process to ensure that the checking of fire equipment is carried out in line with the home's policy has not been achieved consistently.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is inadequate. 4 of 8 Inspection Report: SC044259 There is clear guidance in place for the staff to follow with regards to privacy and confidentiality which includes the protocol with regards to room searches and the circumstances in which this may occur. All confidential information relating to young people is stored securely. The home does not currently have the facilities for young people to make telephone calls in private.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people are aware of their right to complain both informally and formally. They confirm that they are confident to voice their opinions about any issues and that they have the opportunity to do this during key work sessions, on an informal basis to the staff working on shift or to the acting manager.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

All members of staff receive child protection training to ensure that they are up-to-date with child protection procedures. Additionally they have access to local safeguarding procedures and the organisation's child protection policy, which are kept in the office. They are clear as to their obligations in the event that they have concerns about a young person's wellbeing.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The staff team are aware of the dynamics within the residents group and aware that tensions and conflict do occur. It is made clear to the young people that bullying behaviour is not tolerated. Young people report that bullying is not a problem in the home.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The home has a clear policy in place for the staff to follow in the event that a young person goes missing. Each young person has it recorded in their care plan what course of action will be pursued should they leave the home without permission or not return to the home at the agreed time. This strategy is also explained to the young people so that they understand what the consequences will be if they go missing. Following such an event a record is made of what happened when the young person returned to the home, how the young person was debriefed and what the reasons were for the young person going missing.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The young people are aware of the behavioural expectations in the home, however, young people and staff members report that behaviour is on the whole negative and disruptive. Two young people reported that the house rules 'don't work' and that the members of staff have no control over their behaviour. Four members of staff reported that behaviour management operated in the home is ineffective. A member of staff reported 'It feels like they're in control'. Each young person has an individual behaviour support plan in place. However, these are not always up-to-date and have not been reviewed.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Records of sanctions imposed are kept. Young people and members of staff regard sanctions imposed as ineffective. Sanctions are not always of an acceptable nature, for example, a record was seen of a prohibited sanction.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

All members of staff who work for the organisation are trained in the method of restraint used by the organisation which owns the home. The home does employ agency staff who have not always received the same training. This means that a young person can be restrained by two members of staff, each using a different restraint method at the same time.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people have had risk assessments carried out to ensure that specific behaviours such as aggression and settling at night can be managed. The risk assessments outline what measures need to be in place in the event that these behaviours occur. The measures to manage these risks are not always implemented. For example, there have been recent incidents where young people have chosen to sleep on a landing or in a lounge after periods of being unsettled at 5 of 8 Inspection Report: SC044259 night and refusing to go to bed. The risk assessments point out that the young people should not be left unsupervised in these circumstances, however, this has occurred.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Fire drills occur regularly and some checks of fire equipment are carried out, although not as often as outlined in the company's policy on these matters.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The organisation has a thorough recruitment process. This ensues that all the necessary checks required by regulation are carried out prior to a member of staff starting work.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

The provision is good. The home has had recent refurbishment of carpets and young people's rooms. Each young person is able to personalise their room with posters and pictures and the rooms are, on the whole, comfortable. However some of the areas of the home are in need of cleaning or ongoing refurbishment and repair.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

Communal areas such as the lounge are comfortable and well-maintained. Overall the house is spacious and comfortable.

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Organisation

The organisation is inadequate. The home has a Statement of Purpose which describes what it intends to achieve. The young people have access to a handbook which describes what they can expect when they live at the home.

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Organisation

Supervision for all members of staff does not occur on a regular basis. There have been significant shortfalls in this area. Records indicate that no members of staff received supervision during the month of December 2009.

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Organisation

The home continues to offer members of staff regular training opportunities in areas such as restraint, first aid, food handling and health and safety. Members of staff continue to work towards achieving the National Vocational Qualification at level 3 in Working With Children and Young People.

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Organisation

The acting manager reports that visits under Regulation 33 occur on a regular basis. The reports relating to these visits are not always passed on to Ofsted promptly.

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Organisation

The acting manager has not managed to consistently check areas outlined in Schedule 6; this includes the regular monitoring of areas such as restraints, complaints, accidents and incidents.

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Organisation

Staffing levels are maintained although some members of staff work very long hours with little sleep when the young people are disruptive throughout the night and will not settle. Members of staff report that this has happens regularly. 6 of 8 Inspection Report: SC044259 A new manager has been appointed to run the home but has not started working there yet and has not applied to Ofsted to become the Registered Manager.

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Organisation

The monitoring systems operating in the home do not ensure that high standards of care are being provided or that the safety and wellbeing of the young people is being promoted to a sufficient level.

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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 March 2010 ensure that the young people have access to a private telephone (Regulation 15 (4) (a)) 12 March 2010 revise the behaviour management policy to ensure that it promotes positive behaviour effectively (Regulation 17 (3) (a)) 12 March 2010 ensure that only permitted sanctions are imposed on young people (Regulation 17 (5)) 12 February 2010 ensure that all members of staff are trained in the same form of physical restraint (Regulation 27 (4) (a)) 12 March 2010 ensure that the measures outlined in risk assessments are implemented (Regulation 23 (b)) 31 March 2010 ensure that all parts of the home are well maintained and kept clean (Regulation 31 (2) (e)) 31 March 2010 ensure that all members of staff receive regular supervision (Regulation 27 (4) (a)) 19 March 2010 ensure that the matters outlined in Schedule 6 are monitored on a regular basis (Regulation 34 (1)) 31 March 2010 provide Ofsted with reports undertaken under Regulation 33

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Due date Action Standard

promptly (Regulation 33 (5) (a)) 31 March 2010 ensure that a manager is appointed to manage the home. (Regulation 8 (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): • ensure that the checking of fire equipment is carried out in line with the home's policy on this matter (NMS 26) 7 of 8 Inspection Report: SC044259 • continue with progress already made to ensure that 80% of all care staff complete the National Vocational Qualification at level 3 award in Caring for Children. (NMS 29) • review each young person's behaviour management plan when this has been identified as being needed in the home's support plan for the young person. (NMS 22). • consider reviewing the staff roster system to ensure that members of staff are sufficiently rested before working with the young people. (NMS 30) 8 of 8 Inspection Report: SC044259

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