Children's Home run by London Borough of Hillingdon in Hillingdon

SC068789 Unique reference number 18 May 2010 Inspection date Tola Akinde-Hummel Inspector Key Type of Inspection

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9 December 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: SC068789

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Brief description of the service

The home is a purpose built respite provision which opened in January 2007. The unit is run by a local authority. The home provides short breaks and tea visits for children and young people of either gender who have disabilities and are aged from seven to 18 years of age.

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Brief description of the service

The home is close to local shops and has good transport links. On the day of inspection three young people were in the home having tea visits. The young people were observed during the inspection.

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Summary

This key unannounced inspection looked at all the every child matters outcomes. This is a good home with one outstanding feature. The home provides a warm, friendly and safe service for children and young people with special needs.

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Summary

Staff understand the importance of promoting good health of children and young people through the administration of medication and the provision of healthy meals and snacks.

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Summary

The outstanding area in this home is the rigorous approach taken to ensure that all children are safeguarded. The staff are vigilant, confident and knowledgeable about the steps they need to take to ensure children and young people are kept safe.

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Summary

The manager is committed to creating an environment where staff can develop their skills whilst enabling children and young people to have an increasing voice in how the home is organised. 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

There were no actions or recommendations at the previous inspection.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children and young people are increasingly involved in menu planning. All food choices are accommodated and themed food evenings ensure children and young people have the opportunity to experiment. Children and young people are encouraged to familiarise themselves with different foods through touch. Eventually children with restricted diets have explored foods that they have previously refused. There is an adequate amount of fresh fruit and beverages available. Less healthy treats are provided sparingly.

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Helping children to be healthy

The staff monitor all medication that enters and leaves the home. Any discrepancies in medication are followed up and team meetings are used as an opportunity to share the learning from any incidents. One parent stated, 'the staff are very hot on medication and drugs and this is good to know.' Staff are competent and trained in supporting children and young people with complex health needs. All staff have up-to-date first aid training and children and young people have plans in place to assist staff to deal with emergency situations. 4 of 8 Inspection Report: SC068789

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is outstanding. Children and young people can be confident that their privacy, dignity, and individuality is respected by staff. They are provided with personal care sensitively. Children and young people are helped to understand the difference between appropriate private and public behaviour to safeguard themselves and avoid offence to others.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

There is an especially robust approach taken to the protection of children and young people. Staff understand the local procedures and are confident about putting these into practice. One social worker expressed, 'I have no concerns about safeguarding, the manager and the head of care have a very good system in place.' Recent training has included children and young people accessing the internet.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children and young people are matched carefully to ensure that any bullying and confrontation is limited. Feedback from children and young people and their parents/carers state 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 absence procedure and robust individual risk assessments ensure that any child or young person leaving the home is properly protected. This does not limit children and young people's freedom to enjoy activities in the immediate vicinity and beyond. Locations for trips and activities are fully risk assessed and well staffed.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children and young people have behaviour management plans. Staff complete and review these to help them understand how best to support children and young people. Training in behaviour management techniques is undertaken annually by staff. Staff find additional support from behavioural specialists useful. Records of restraint and sanction are minimal and demonstrate that parents are involved in the procedure for managing behaviour. In addition, any changes to strategy are discussed and recorded to ensure clarity and a consistent approach is maintained.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff manage the health and safety in the home well. Children and young people stay in an environment that has a variety of checks throughout the year. Security in the home enables children and young people to feel safe whilst maintaining a suitable level of freedom inside the building and in the garden.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

All staff are properly vetted before they are deemed suitable to work with children and young people. The home follows the council's stringent vetting procedures to ensure this is the case. Children and young people are advised of any new staff working in the home and their opinions about the kind of staff they want is sought.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children and young people receive good individualised support from staff. The key work system allows positive relationships to be built up between staff, young people, school and their families. The staff team have relevant information about children and young people which allows staff to work with them effectively. Staff are able to develop their relationships with young people during shifts which in turn enables children and young people to have a range of staff to call upon. Staff take care to provide support that suits individuals and takes race, culture and language into consideration. 5 of 8 Inspection Report: SC068789 Staff visit children and young people in their school environment as part of their holistic approach to understanding different aspects of their lives. The home/school communication book is valuable in enabling staff to remain up-to-date with information and any sensitive

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

issues that may have surfaced during the school day. Staff also attend and contribute to annual school reviews.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children and young people enjoy an increasing number of trips and leisure activities. The home has made more effort to identify places that suit the needs of the children and ensure individual and group activities can be accessed. Facilities in the home also enable children and young people to pursue interests. They make good use of the garden, art room and sensory areas, they access world music and DVD's and participate in themed weeks that children choose and prepare. One parent said, 'The home is brilliant, lovely staff, lovely garden, they made my child feel welcome and safe.'

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Placement plans are detailed and informative. These give a good picture of young people's abilities and areas where support and reassurance are required. The plans are put together in consultation with parents and carers and are subject to regular review. Some plans put together by the home require parental signatures. These are not present on all records. Whilst staff are familiar with children and young people, on occasion, evidence shows that care plans are not always properly followed. Where possible children and young people attend and contribute to their reviews.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

All children and young people continue to live in the community therefore there are no issues in relation to contact with family and significant others.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children and young people are introduced to the home in a planned way. How quickly they move into overnight stays depends on how they settle. This is discussed with parents and carers to ensure the time is right. If children and young people are not ready they are given as long as they need.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Young people's meetings provide space and time for young people to share their feelings about the service and contribute their ideas for its development. These meetings are also used to inform young people about changes within the service. Minutes shown that young people share very good ideas about how to improve the service and where possible these are acted upon. Discussions are not limited to foods and activities, young people are able to express where they would like to see themselves in the future and can share information they have learnt at school. Currently, the home has three young people who have been selected and are training as ambassadors to promote young people speaking-up in the borough.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Information from parents and observations of staff show that young people have good relationships with staff who know and understand the young people they are working with.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

The provision is good. Children and young people have detailed placement plans which highlight areas where support is required. This is often put in place to help develop independent living skills. Children and 6 of 8 Inspection Report: SC068789 young people are guided by staff who recognise ability and encourage and promote this. The staff team help young people move from children's to adult services. To make the transition less daunting they accompany young people to new placements, talking to them regularly about their move and celebrate moving-on in a positive way.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

The purpose built home allows children and young people ample space to participate in activities in different areas of the home. All rooms are well equipped, spacious and the home is bright and airy. All bedrooms and en-suite, toilets have the necessary adaptations to support children and young people with disabilities. The colour schemes in the home and equipment available including the new computer with internet access ensure children and young people benefit equally.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

The garden has good quality play equipment for ambulant and non-ambulant children. The pet rabbit has proved popular with the children and young people to learn about animal care. Boris the rabbit also serves as positive diversion when young people are distressed or fixed in their behaviour.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. The promotion of equality and diversity is good. All children and young people are considered when decisions about the home are made. This is to promote maximum accessibility to all. Children and young people are encouraged to embrace difference. The staff team are themselves racially diverse which offers positive role models to children and young people using the service.

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Organisation

The home has its Statement of Purpose displayed at the entrance of the home. This gives parents and carers the opportunity to make an informed decision about whether the home is suitable to meet their children's needs. However, the lack of a children's guide means that children and young people do not have literature available to help them decide for themselves.

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Organisation

Staff enjoy good working relationships with each other. They are able to use formal and informal settings to discuss work-related challenges. Record show that supervision takes place, however, this is not regular and consistent. All staff have personal development plans with individual targets which are reviewed on an annual basis. Team meetings are detailed and staff report that these meetings are interesting and valuable. When possible staff have an outside speakers to talk to them about specific issues relating to practice.

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Organisation

Children and young people can be assured that one permanent member of staff will lead the shift. Shift leaders ensure that all aspects of children and young people's care during that period is adequately met. Daily shift plans reflect the duties and responsibilities of individuals during that time. All staff and parents are aware of who takes responsibility for the home in the absence of the manager.

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Organisation

Given the nature of the support provided to children and young people there are always sufficient numbers of staff to support the young people accessing the service. The home tries hard to cover any absences with permanent staff, however, this is not always possible and in such cases good agency staff familiar to the home are identified to assist. Staff say they have received training as a team and as individuals where necessary. Staff say the level of training is very good and the quality is high. Recent training includes behaviour management, working together and specialist administration of medication. 7 of 8 Inspection Report: SC068789 The home has regular regulation 33 visits to monitor how the home is functioning. Reports are provided to the manager on a monthly basis. These reports are not routinely sent to Ofsted.

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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

23 June 2010 ensure the children's guide is produced in a format appropriate to the age and understanding and communication needs of the children to be accommodated in the home (Regulation 4(4)) 2 June 2010 supply a copy of the regulation 33 report to Ofsted. (Regulation 33(5))

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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 each child's placement plan is monitored by a key worker within the home who ensures that the requirements of the plan is implemented in the day-to-day care of that child (NMS 2.2) • ensure the opinions and views of the parents of children at the home are ascertained on a regular and frequent basis unless inappropriate (NMS 8) • ensure all staff and others working in the home (including temporary, contracted seconded and ancillary staff) receive at least one and a half hours of one-to-one supervision from a senior member of staff each month. (NMS 28) 8 of 8 Inspection Report: SC068789

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