Children's Home run by Step-A-Side Company Limited in Gloucestershire

SC030650 Unique reference number 21 May 2010 Inspection date Michael Williams Inspector Key Type of Inspection

p.1

18 February 2010 Date of last inspection .

p.1

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.

p.2

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

p.2

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.

p.3

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: SC030650

p.3

Brief description of the service

This children's home is one of two run by the same limited company. It is a five bedroom detached house set in almost an acre of gardens in a rural location. It provides care and accommodation for a maximum of four children of either sex with emotional or behavioural difficulties, or learning disabilities. At the time of this inspection, the home was accommodating two young people, one with a learning disability and the other with a physical and a learning disability. One young person was under and one over 18-years-old. The latter young person had moved into the home before the age of 18 and was continuing in placement through an agreed exemption to the home's conditions of registration.

p.4

Summary

This was an unannounced, full inspection of all the key national minimum standards for children's homes. Key findings are that most of the outcome areas inspected are outstanding and the remainder are good. Therefore, in line with Ofsted's benchmarking guidance on making social care inspection judgements, the overall judgement is good.

p.4

Summary

The home's outstanding features include: the individualised care and support provided to young people; the promotion of young people's health; the effective countering of bullying; the management of young people's behaviour; the focus on their safety and security; the individual support to young people; the promotion of their education; the emphasis on the compatibility of young people in placement; the consultation with young people; the promotion of equality and diversity; and the comprehensive recording in individual case files.

p.4

Summary

These findings concur with comments received. One young person commented, 'this is a very good care home.' When asked why, they commented that staff are caring and patient with them, and on their various activities and holidays. One parent commented that being at the home 'has been a very good experience' for their child. Two professionals working with the young people and staff at the home variously commented: 'I could live there!! Some days we have excellent fun, others we work hard as well'; and the home 'provides an excellent supportive and structured environment to the young people who live there.' The overall quality rating is good. This is an overview of what the inspector found during the inspection.

p.4

Improvements since the last inspection

The last inspection was an interim inspection in February 2010. There were no actions or recommendations made for the home to secure future improvement.

p.4

Helping children to be healthy

The provision is outstanding. The good health of the two young people living at the home is excellently promoted. Between them, the young people have physical and mental health needs that the home is fully aware of and effectively working with external services to meet. One young person was receiving a number of physical therapies and one of their parents commented that they, 'present a different challenge to the staff but one which, on the whole, they manage very well.' 4 of 8 Inspection Report: SC030650 The young people's health needs are such that staff at the home have to regularly administer their medication and occasionally minor illness treatment. Both of these are excellently provided. The home has individual plans to effectively manage one young person's different medication needs and regularly carries out a medication audit. When asked what the home does to look after them if they are feeling unwell, one young person commented, 'the same as my parents

p.4

Helping children to be healthy

Young people enjoy meals that on the whole are healthy and nutritious and meet their dietary needs. They also have opportunities to plan, shop for and prepare meals. One parent commented on 'isolated issues where fast-food type food has been included more frequently than we consider good.' However, the home's daily menus did not show a preponderance of such food. One young person commented on the 'diet of healthy eating for me personally' that their key worker had devised and on the amount of weight they have lost at the home so far.

p.5

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is outstanding. Young people's privacy is very well respected and their information is confidentially handled. Each young person has their own bedroom and a key to it. Their case information is securely stored and managed.

p.5

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people know how and are encouraged to complain if they are unhappy with any aspect of living in the home. At a recent house meeting staff reminded both young people about the home's complaints procedure; neither of them have made a complaint. During this inspection, a professional working with a young person at the home made a complaint to the company running the home. The company were in the process of considering their complaint, including whether the issues raised had any negative impact on outcomes for young people and what action to take.

p.5

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people's welfare is very well promoted by staff's understanding of the systems in place at the home to ensure they are protected from abuse. The home's child protection procedure is detailed in their Statement of Purpose and given the age of one of their young people includes, 'protection procedures into early adulthood.' The home's newest member of staff had signed to say that they had read and understood these procedures and the associated Local Safeguarding Children Board procedures and through their induction programme they were being further introduced to them.

p.5

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people are very well protected from bullying and should they be absent without authority they are protected in line with the home's guidance on this. Both young people commented that they have never been bullied or seen others being bullied at the home and neither have been missing from the home. This is due in part to the emphasis the home places on compatibility between the young people accommodated.

p.5

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people are very well assisted to develop socially acceptable behaviour, through encouragement of acceptable behaviour and constructive staff response to inappropriate behaviour. Behaviour management is based on staff establishing positive relationships with the young people and rewarding their positive behaviour. The home maintains the required record of their use of sanctions and restraint with young people. Since their last inspection, the home has used two sanctions with one young person and has not used restraint. The 5 of 8 Inspection Report: SC030650 incidents that led to the sanctions have been used by a professional in their support work with the young person.

p.5

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Collectively, the home's practice ensures young people are physically safe and secure. The home employs a health and safety business service who ensures they comply with health and safety at work requirements. They provide the home with a risk assessments manual with advice on how to carry them out. The home has carried out numerous risk assessments accordingly. The home also completes individual risk assessments in relation to the young people accommodated and implements reasonable risk reduction measures that they identify, such as one-to-one staff supervision.

p.6

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people are safeguarded by the home's careful selection and vetting of all staff working with them in the home. The recruitment record of a worker who had started at the home since the last inspection included all the information required. In addition, it included the manager's verbal verification of a reference they had received for them.

p.6

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is outstanding. Young people receive excellent individualised support to meet their particular needs. Staff at the home work in close partnership with parents and other professionals to meet the assessed needs of each young person. Young people receive individual support from within the home, for example, from their key workers, from the education and psychology services the home buys in and from specialist external professionals.

p.6

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Young people's educational attainment is excellently promoted and supported. The home supports one young person's attendance at a special school and has employed a tutor to put in place a very full and varied educational programme for another young person past compulsory school age. This programme is based on achievement of an award scheme with a view to attending college.

p.6

Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is outstanding. The young people at the home are appropriately placed there. They have their needs comprehensively assessed, written placement plans outline how their needs will be met and these plans are effectively implemented in practice.

p.6

Helping children make a positive contribution

The young people's needs and development are reviewed regularly in the light of their care and progress at the home. One young person is placed at the home by a county council social work team, so their care is subject to regular statutory reviews. However, because the other young person in placement is not subject to such reviews, the home's manager has made a point of regularly chairing review meetings with their parents and school instead.

p.6

Helping children make a positive contribution

Young people are able to maintain constructive contact with their families and friends. The inspector was unable to meet one of the young people at the home because of their arranged family contact. Contact arrangements are included in young people's placement plans and are reviewed. 6 of 8 Inspection Report: SC030650 Young people are able to move into and leave the home in a planned and sensitive manner. The home pays a great deal of attention to the compatibility of young people in placement, which sometimes explains their vacancies; referrals are risk assessed with compatibility in mind. One young person was in the process of making a planned move from the home to a placement for younger adults run by the same company.

p.6

Helping children make a positive contribution

Young people are encouraged and supported to make decisions about their lives and to influence the way the home is run. One young person twice underlined the word 'yes' when asked if they are able to have a say in what happens at the home. The home's consultation with young people is often linked to their review process, but also takes place through regular key worker sessions, house meetings and the home's suggestions box.

p.7

Achieving economic wellbeing

The provision is good. Young people receive care which helps to prepare them for and support them into adulthood. Both young people had successfully participated in a social skills group run by the psychology service the home employs. A professional working with one of the young people at the home commented that given their age the home could encourage their independence skills more. However, the young person themselves commented that the home does 'lots of things' to prepare them for independence and gave the inspector some examples.

p.7

Achieving economic wellbeing

Young people enjoy homely accommodation, decorated, furnished and maintained to a good standard, providing good facilities for their use. However, the service is in the process of redeveloping the home to provide more living space, private washing facilities and disabled access.

p.7

Organisation

The organisation is good. A clear, up-to-date statement of how the home operates is available for those needing this information. The home has a Statement of Purpose and an accompanying service user's handbook; the former was updated the month before this inspection and includes all the information required.

p.7

Organisation

Young people receive the care and services they need from staff who have relevant qualifications and competencies. Staff are sufficient in number and experience, and they are well trained. The home's Statement of Purpose includes the roles, experience and qualifications of the current staff team. The majority of staff have relevant qualifications and some of those who do not are working towards them. Staff regularly participate in relevant training to ensure that they can continue to meet young people's needs in areas such as health, safety and safeguarding. During this inspection, a staff disciplinary procedure was nearing its conclusion. The Registered Manager agreed that he would reflect on the concerns behind this procedure alongside the complaint received and take any action necessary to secure future improvement. The inspector agreed to look into this at the next inspection.

p.7

Organisation

The promotion of equality and diversity is outstanding. A professional working with young people at the home commented that the home's approach to the young people, 'always allows them opportunities to develop as individuals in their own right as well as helping to integrate them into the wider community.' This professional facilitates a social skills group that is one 7 of 8 Inspection Report: SC030650 of the ways that the home effectively promotes the integration of its young people with disabilities into their local community and wider society.

p.7

Organisation

The care of young people at the home is monitored and continually improved in the light of information about how it is operating. The Registered Manager is in day-to-day charge of the home and routinely monitors the matters required, for example, by signing and where necessary querying the home's records relating to them. This internal monitoring is supported by regular external monitoring visits by the service's acting responsible individual. Together this monitoring helps to continually improve the provision for young people.

p.8

Organisation

Young people's needs, development and progress are comprehensively recorded to reflect their individuality. One young person had five different case files to record their history and progress at the home. Together they contained all the information required to be in young people's case records.

p.8

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.

p.8

Recommendations

There are no recommendations. 8 of 8 Inspection Report: SC030650

p.8