Children's Home run by Castle Homes Care Limited in Barnsley

SC363630 Unique reference number 30 April 2010 Inspection date Debbie Foster Inspector Key Type of Inspection

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16 September 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 10 Inspection Report: SC363630

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Brief description of the service

This is a detached property, positioned in a residential area. This home's function is to care for young people, implementing consistent boundaries with them. This is to allow them to address their challenging behaviour and to resume age-appropriate control and responsibility for their own lives.

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Brief description of the service

The home has a lounge, kitchen, dining room, two bathrooms with toilets, and all bedrooms are single. The house is set in its own grounds with car parking and a separate building, where education can be provided.

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Brief description of the service

There is access to some local shops, public transport and the home has access to a vehicle.

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Summary

This was an unannounced full inspection focusing upon 25 key national minimum standards under the Every Child Matters outcomes for children and young people.

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Summary

Young people have taken part in this inspection.

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Summary

A healthy life style is given high importance and significantly promoted with young people. This is achieved through providing a nutritious and balanced diet, making adjustments to meet the individual needs of young people and having access to a variety of healthcare professionals. There are robust medication systems in place to make sure young people receive medicines as required, securely stored and administered correctly.

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Summary

High importance is given to young people's safety. Staff and young people are aware of how they are to be kept safe. There are specific and detailed measures in place to ensure this happens for each young person. Managing the behaviour of young people positively is a particular strength. There is a focus on the achievements of young people and rewarding these. There is a strong management of the risks identified for individual young people. These assist and support young people's safety well.

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Summary

Staff work well as a team and there are good training opportunities and support systems in place. This equips staff with the necessary skills to meet the needs of young people. There are good communication systems in place which assist staff in working and caring consistently with young people.

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Summary

The shortfalls found relate to not all staff receiving regular supervision, and refresher training in first aid not being accessed within reasonable timescales. 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 following actions and recommendations have been implemented since the last inspection. The full outcome of complaints made is recorded to show they have been fully investigated. The notifiable incidents listed in Schedule 5 have been reported to Ofsted as required by the regulations to safeguard young people. 4 of 10 Inspection Report: SC363630 Statements of special educational needs are in place for individual young people where required to support young people in receiving an appropriate education. The majority of young people have a personal education plan. Where they have not, the home has chased the local authority to provide the outstanding personal education plan. Young people have access to the computer and the internet during the evening so that they can pursue leisure activities and undertake educational home work.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Identified care planning aims and objectives are being implemented to assist in meeting the needs of young people. The strategies for managing behaviour where progress is not being made have been reviewed. Further links have been made with outside agencies to support the young people and meet their individual needs. The home has continued to develop further and provide social, leisure and physical activities for young people in line with their plan of care to meet their individual needs. New indoor games have been purchased to extend young people's social activities.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The following recommendation is still to be implemented: providing refresher first aid training to all staff.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is outstanding. Providing a nutritious and well balanced diet which supports young people living a healthy lifestyle is given significant importance in the home. This is achieved by the staff actively encouraging and supporting young people to eat healthily. Young people assist staff to prepare and cook lunch and the teatime meals on a frequent basis. This builds their awareness of the importance of having a well balanced diet and developing valuable independence skills. Young people said they make suggestions about the weekly menu. Staff gave examples of how they meet the individual dietary needs of each young person living in the home. The daily menu incorporates five fruit and vegetables.

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Helping children to be healthy

The health needs of young people are identified and services provided to ensure that their health is strongly promoted and maintained. Young people are assisted by staff to attend health appointments. They have access, on a frequent basis, to a wide range of healthcare professionals to meet their individual needs. This includes psychological input, the looked after children's nurse and other health professionals who support the young people's emotional needs. A young person said that as soon as they came to live at the home, appointments and checkups to see the doctor, dentist and optician took place.

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Helping children to be healthy

The medication is administered, recorded correctly and securely stored. Staff have received medication training. Additional safety practices are in place for the administration of controlled medication. Staff are clear and precise about the procedures they must follow when administering medication. The medication system is frequently monitored ensuring that medicines are provided safely to the young people.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. The privacy of young people is respected and information confidentially handled. Young people said that they have keys to their bedrooms and a lockable facility to assist in promoting their privacy. Staff also respect their privacy and knock on doors before entering their bedrooms. 5 of 10 Inspection Report: SC363630 Young people spend time alone, seeing visitors in private and taking telephone calls. Records are securely stored to promote confidentiality.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The young people are fully aware of how to complain. Staff explain the complaints procedure to young people on their admission to the home. Information on how to make a complaint is included in the young people's guide. Two complaints have been made by young people since the last inspection. Records show that prompt action is taken to investigate complaints and the full outcome for the complaint is recorded. This indicates concerns raised are taken seriously.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Detailed measures are put in place to keep young people safe and their welfare is promoted. All staff have received safeguarding training, with some receiving advanced training in this area. Staff understand how to follow the procedures. The home has links with the Local Safeguarding Children Board. The procedures are detailed and available for staff to refer to and use.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people are protected from bullying through the home's policies, procedures and the practice of the staff. Information on how to deal with bullying is accessible to young people. A young person said the staff responded straight away when they reported a bullying incident. Staff are aware of potential bullying behaviour and monitor young people closely. Support and advice is given to young people on the issues relating to bullying. Direct care work has been undertaken with young people to stop and eliminate bullying occurring at the home. Staff and young people are clear that bullying is not acceptable.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Keeping young people safe continues to be a high priority in the home. Direct care work is undertaken with young people. This includes detailed discussions with young people about keeping themselves safe. Staff respond appropriately to protect them when they go missing without authority. There are specific protocols in place for individual young people, and staff are clear on the action to take. Young people are aware of the circumstances when they will be reported missing and the action staff will take to try and protect them. Staff undertake ongoing work with young people when they return to try and ensure their future safety. The home has reported significant events to Ofsted as required by the regulations.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Managing behaviour positively is given significant importance in the home. This is promoted and encouraged consistently by the staff team. Staff's approach to caring for young people is to have clear, detailed boundaries, incentives and rewards in place, which are discussed and agreed with the young people individually. The incentives for young people have been put in place to encourage and support their positive behaviour. This approach is working well for individual young people and has brought continued improvements for individuals over a period of time.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The sanctions and restraint records contain the required information. The views and comments of young people are recorded to assist in monitoring the effectiveness and appropriateness of such incidents.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The home provides good physical safety and security. Young people's safety is enhanced through the practices and support from staff, for example, fire records indicate that weekly checks on the system and appropriate fire instruction and training have taken place. Fire drills have been conducted on a frequent basis and involve the young people and all permanent staff. However, one agency worker is not recorded as receiving fire instruction. 6 of 10 Inspection Report: SC363630 Risk assessments are in place, which cover the relevant areas in good detail and the supporting safety measures to be implemented with individual young people to keep them safe. These have been reviewed at regular intervals.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Robust vetting and recruitment procedures for staff ensure young people are prevented from being cared for by unsuitable staff. Staff recruitment files contain all the required information and all relevant checks on the person are undertaken, including Criminal Records Bureau checks, references and a full employment history. Additionally the provider has incorporated other relevant good practice guidance including requirements from other legislation relating to safe vetting and recruitment of staff. This includes requiring staff to sign disclaimers checking whether they are disqualified from caring for children. This has built on further safeguards to ensure suitable staff are employed.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. The young people receive individual support from the staff and a number of professionals when they need it to assist them to make progress in their lives. They have links with health care professionals, such as the looked after children's nurse and the youth offending service. Links with some professionals assist in improving further aspects of the behaviour for some young people.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Education is provided at the home for some young people and others attend main stream schools. All young people are attending school on a full-time basis. Since the last inspection a new headteacher for the provider's schools has been appointed. The teacher works two and a half days per week. The care staff team follow lesson plans, undertaking more physical education and vocational subjects with young people. One staff member is undertaking teaching assistant training.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

A statement of special educational needs and personal education plans are in place for young people to assist in the education programme being delivered at the correct level for individual young people. The young people's progress has started to be more clearly monitored and recorded.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Young people are encouraged and supported to attend school and they are rewarded for their attendance. The manager has worked with the local education department to secure a place for a young person.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The home has a computer for the young people to access for education. Since the last inspection, changes have been made to ensure young people can access these facilities and the internet in the evenings. Local authorities have purchased laptops for two of the three young people in residence to assist with their education and undertaking homework.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The home is promoting hobbies and interests for young people. Young people have been on a number of trips and joined some group and individual activities. These have been extended since the last inspection. Examples include the local gym, baking, swimming, cinema, bowling, walks, and trips to the coast. Although some progress has been made since the last inspection, some young people are not routinely mixing with their peers to assist with social and development skills. 7 of 10 Inspection Report: SC363630 There is a selection of books and electronic and board games available. Further games have been purchased for young people to extend the social activities available in the home.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Young people's needs are well assessed and documented within their care plans and supporting documents. These record in detail what the individual needs of young people are and how they will be met. Staff are able to verbalise the specific care they provide to young people. Care plans and behaviour management strategies have been reviewed and updated at regular intervals to ensure young people's care is relevant and sets out accurately how their individual needs will be met to assist in them making progress in their lives.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Care reviews take place and the young people are positively involved. Parents said they too are fully involved, consulted and attend care reviews. They praised the staff team and manager for ensuring they are kept up to date with the care of their children. Young people attend their review and their views are sought on the future planning of their lives. Statutory review minutes are on the case files. This shows young people's progress is being monitored and built upon.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Staff actively encourage and facilitate constructive contact with family members and significant others for the young people. This ensures they maintain important links with their family and community links. Young people have telephone contact and meet regularly with their families.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Support and encouragement is given to young people to make decisions about their lives. There are positive relationships and good communication between young people and the staff. This is evident in the way young people and staff interact together, discuss everyday matters and activities. A young person said they get on with all the staff. They are involved in making decisions about the food they eat, weekly activities and plans for their future when attending statutory reviews.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

The provision is good. Young people are being supported to develop some independent living skills appropriate to their age and understanding. They confirmed that they undertake practical daily living tasks, such as doing their own laundry, keeping their own bedrooms tidy, washing pots, cooking and some budgeting skills. Young people baked and went out clothes shopping during the inspection. This assists a young person to achieve the necessary independence skills to support them into adulthood.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

The home is decorated and furnished to a good standard. This provides a positive and domestic environment for the young people to live in. The home is clean and tidy. There are good repair and maintenance programmes in place. Bedrooms are personalised and well equipped with a good range of furniture. Young people said they like their bedrooms and enjoy having their own space within the home. However, the hall and stair carpet is showing signs of wear and tear, and it is stained in places.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. 8 of 10 Inspection Report: SC363630 A Statement of Purpose is available to inform professionals and members of the public about how care is provided at the home. There is a good children’s guide in a suitable format for young people. Before admission, the staff provide as much information as they can about the home to young people so that they know what to expect if they come to live there.

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Organisation

The staff team have a broad range of skills and experience. They are well supported and guided by the manager in promoting young people's welfare. There are regular staff meetings, shift handovers and debrief sessions. The frequency of supervision varies for staff members; some are receiving formal supervision at the required intervals, while others are not.

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Organisation

Staff commented that the manager is very supportive. They state that they work consistently as a team which the young people benefit from and which assists in providing a good standard of care. The staff team demonstrate a child-centred approach. They spoke about their work with young people with commitment and a caring attitude.

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Organisation

There are good staffing levels in place. The morning shift was worked by one senior staff member, two residential care workers, the manager, the housekeeper and a teacher. There is a one-to-one ratio of staff to young people in place to care and support young people well.

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Organisation

Staff have access to a good selection of training in current childcare practices to ensure they are competent to meet the needs of the young people. The mandatory training provided includes such areas as food hygiene, behaviour management, and medication. All staff have received first aid training, although, some have received this training over two years ago. Refresher first aid training is planned for staff in May 2010 to assist in supporting young people's well-being and safety. Staff have not received training in all areas which they may need to support individual young people's needs, for example, self-harm.

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Organisation

The staff have a good knowledge of the young people's needs and are working with them to ensure the right support and care is being provided. Young people receive an individual service which is tailored to meet their personal needs. This is reported on in all sections of this report.

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Organisation

The promotion of equality and diversity is good. This is evidenced through the individual placement plans, and the practical care and support provided by the staff team.

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Organisation

Comprehensive monthly monitoring visits are carried out by the area manager. These assess the quality of care being provided in the home. Further monthly monitoring is undertaken by the manager. This assists in ensuring that the young people living at the home are well cared for, and national minimum standards and regulations are being met, although, a few areas have not been identified where national minimum standards are not met in full.

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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 a record is kept of all staff undertaking fire instruction, in particular agency staff (NMS 26) • ensure refresher first aid training is provided to all staff at regular intervals to ensure all staff are competent (NMS 29,31 and appendix 2) • ensure all staff receive supervision at the required frequency in line with the national minimum standards (NMS 28.2) • provide specific training to staff in areas relating to the individual needs of young people, in particular self-harm. (NMS 29,31 and appendix 2) 10 of 10 Inspection Report: SC363630

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