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

SC033805 Unique reference number 26 May 2010 Inspection date Jill Marriott Inspector Key Type of Inspection

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24 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 9 Inspection Report: SC033805

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Brief description of the service

This children's home supports up to six young people aged between 12 and under 18 years of age. The Statement of Purpose describes the aim of the home as ‘providing high quality care in a safe environment in which young people are listened to and treated with dignity and respect.’ The home is located close to local schools, leisure services and transport links. The building is detached with communal facilities on the ground floor and bedrooms on the first floor. There is a private room for meetings and for visitors. Each young person has his or her own bedroom.

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Summary

At this full unannounced key inspection the requirements made at the last inspection and all key standards were assessed. The two requirements made at the last inspection are now met. One action is required as a result of this visit.

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Summary

The rating in five outcome areas is good the rating for enjoying and achieving is outstanding.

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Summary

The home's policies and procedures, Statement of Purpose and children's guide have been recently reviewed. Children have the opportunity to attend their statutory child care reviews. They are supported to maintain healthy lifestyles and take regular exercise. All children have an education plan and are encouraged to attend school. Children and young people are encouraged to be creative and enjoy activities. A range of equipment to encourage computer literacy, music and reading skills have been introduced. Sewing machines to help children to design and make clothing and soft furnishings with support from staff are also available. The welfare of children and young people is enhanced by the good relationships in place between staff, children, families and other professionals involved with the home.

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Summary

The manager meets the qualification standard. At least 80% of staff have a National Vocational Qualification at Level 3 in Caring for Children and Young People. Staff receive regular supervision and appraisals. They are supported by the management team and by the home's on call systems. There is a range of training available, which includes safeguarding, first aid and health and safety.

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Summary

One requirement has been made at this inspection. All complaints made to the home must be recorded with actions and outcomes taken.

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Summary

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

Since the last inspection staff supervision has been available each month. This ensures that staff have the appropriate skills to meet the needs of the children and young people.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The home is supporting children to achieve independence. There is a system in place to make sure that those children who need pathway plans have them included on their files. 4 of 9 Inspection Report: SC033805

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. The food provided for children and young people shows that the staff have an understanding of what makes up a good balanced diet. Staff have a good understanding of nutritional issues and put this into practice. Staff have a knowledge about eating disorders and difficulties with eating. They work together with other professionals who are helping children with such difficulties. Menu planning is good, it includes culturally appropriate food and new dishes. Children generally treat mealtimes as social occasions with expected standards of behaviour. Children and young people are involved with menu planning and buying and preparing food.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children and young people's individual health needs are identified and assessed. These are clearly recorded in each child's care plan. This sets out how specific and general health issues will be addressed. Children are able to be involved in drawing up their care and health plans. Particular health needs, which may impact on future outcomes for individuals, are identified. Staff seek out the services needed to address these, for example, the involvement of specialist health workers and the Children and Adolescent Mental Health Service. Children are encouraged to attend medical appointments and seek appropriate advice and treatment. Staff support children and young people to take an interest in looking after their health and living healthy life styles. The home has information and leaflets available about a range of health issues. Health and social issues, including those related to the children's ethnicity, sexuality, faith and

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Helping children to be healthy

culture, are recognised and specialist advice is sought.

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Helping children to be healthy

The home operates an effective medication policy, procedure and practice guidance and these address the use of prescribed and non prescribed medication. Staff have access to this policy and confirm they have read it. Staff show they understand their individual roles and responsibilities. All staff have the required medication training and this is kept up to date. Staff undertake a risk assessment process before children are given responsibility for their own medication. Safe storage for such medication is available where necessary. Staff are aware of the importance of medication and medical records and of the necessity of them always being up to date. The home has a record of full compliance with the administration, safekeeping and disposal of medication.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Staff show a respect for the privacy of the children and young people and for maintaining appropriate levels of confidentiality. Children confirmed this is the case.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff take seriously concerns and complaints of children and young people. The complaints book includes, in most cases, the complaint made and the outcomes and actions taken. In one case the time for action had passed and no outcome is recorded about the complaint made. This makes it difficult to know if the complaint has been resolved to a satisfactory standard. Children and young people say they are aware of the complaints procedure. They say that if they make a complaint they believe it will be dealt with appropriately.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff are able to respond in a professional way to any allegation or serious concern about a child's safety. The home has a clear procedure for responding to child protection concerns and maintains links with the local safeguarding board. Training for staff in safeguarding and 5 of 9 Inspection Report: SC033805 protecting children is updated regularly. Children and young people confirmed they feel safe in the home.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children said they don't believe there is a lot of bullying in the home. They said they would discuss any issues that arise with their key worker or any other member of staff available. Staff said that they would act immediately if an issue of bullying arose in the home. The bullying policy is displayed and children and staff are aware of it.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The home has a written procedure in place for action when children are absent without authority. Relevant family members and professionals are informed. Staff do look for children who are missing and make arrangements to collect them if their whereabouts are known. Children are welcomed back to the home on their return.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff base their management of behaviour on encouraging acceptable behaviour. Children confirm that they know what the standards of acceptable behaviour are. Staff view the children positively. The use of sanctions and restraint is appropriate and fully recorded. Children are able to add their comments to any sanctions used. No restraints have been recorded since the last inspection.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The home has risk assessments in place for all aspects of safety of the premises and grounds including fire and children and young people's behaviour and activities. These assessments are taken into account in the daily activities of the home. A similar process is followed for activities outside of the home, for example, holidays and trips out. There is a good awareness of fire safety amongst staff and children who all receive fire safety instruction. Fire drills are carried out on a regular basis and at different times of the day. Fire safety equipment is checked regularly and detailed records kept.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The vetting of staff and visitors is thorough. Visitors sign in and out. They are monitored throughout their time in the home. Children and young people are sometimes involved in recruitment. Relevant checks and references are taken up for all staff prior to the offer of employment being made.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is outstanding. The placement plans for individual children and young people identify how support will be provided. Staff develop key work sessions with each child and young person. They are open to addressing a wide range of possible needs, including, for example, those related to culture and family backgrounds. The home has well established links with a range of helping agencies. Staff make every effort to find services to meet the needs of the children and young people. Children and young people confirmed that staff are approachable and usually succeed in finding the support they need. Information is available regarding helping agencies that can be contacted in private without referring to staff.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff are very positive in their approach to education and its value for children and young people. They ensure that education is an integral part of life at the home and not just limited to school. Daily attendance at school is a well established part of the daily living pattern in the home. In addition to the normal level of support offered, staff offer practical and emotional support for children who have difficulties with school attendance. Most children have a personal education plan (PEP) on file. Those who haven't have a date for a PEP meeting to discuss and 6 of 9 Inspection Report: SC033805 develop a plan. Good links have been established with the schools and colleges attended. Staff attend parents' evening where appropriate, and support parents and carers to attend where required. Staff vigorously pursue, with the local education authority, the provision of full-time education for any child or young person who is without such arrangements.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The home does everything it can to provide a range of interesting activities for the children and young people. Children are actively encouraged by staff to pursue individual activities and to take part in leisure activities arranged inside the home and in the local community. Staff help children to get involved in new and interesting things to do. For example, the home has a library and children are actively involved in choosing books. There is a range of music and computer equipment and there are sewing machines for children to use with staff support. This range of activities helps young people to become interested in being more creative. The art work produced by young people at the home has been chosen to be displayed in the local council offices. Children confirmed that they have access to a range of community facilities such as the cinema, bowling alley and the local leisure centre; a range of trips and outings are

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Each child or young person has a placement plan that has been developed at the start of the placement. The plan details how individual needs will be addressed and the roles and responsibilities of key others. The plan is based on a needs led assessment. Looked after children's documents are kept on individual files. Children and young people confirm that they know about and understand their placement plans. They said they are offered the opportunity to be involved in developing plans for their future.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The home has a system for reviewing the plans for each child. The system includes participation in statutory reviews, internal review of the placement plan and informal discussion with children and young people in key work sessions. Children and young people are encouraged to take part in the review process and are assisted to put across their views. Staff ensure children and young people have understood the process following each review and are aware of the decisions made.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The families, relatives and friends of children and young people are welcome to visit the home, unless this is contrary to individual care plans. Children are encouraged to keep in contact with family and staff offer practical support to make this possible. The arrangements for maintaining contact between children and their families is addressed in individual placement agreements.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The home's quality assurance system takes account of the experiences of the children and young people. Consulting with children and young people is part of the home's care practice. Staff listen to children, discuss their future plans with them and talk with them about issues related to how the home is run. Staff demonstrate that they value the views and opinions of the children and young people. Children's views are used to inform the home's annual development plan.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

The provision is good. 7 of 9 Inspection Report: SC033805 The location of the home is convenient for schools, leisure centres, transport and other community facilities that are important to the development of children and young people. Its size and the arrangement of rooms meets the needs of the children and young people living there. The home is not adapted for use by children with a physical disability.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

The accommodation is domestic in style, homely and decorated, maintained and furnished to a good standard. Children and young people confirmed that the standard of accommodation meets their needs.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. The Statement of Purpose is clear in setting out what care the home will provide and how it will be provided. It is presented in a format that can be easily understood by children and their families. The children and young people's guide is well presented and can be made available in different formats to take account of different abilities.

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Organisation

There is a competent staff team, with a good range of experience amongst its members. The skills within the team are well matched to the group of children and young people accommodated. At least 80% of staff have achieved their National Vocational Qualification at Level 3 in the Caring for Children and Young People.

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Organisation

The manager of the home meets the qualification standards. The number of staff on duty is sufficient to meet the needs of the children and young people and to support them in their activities, visits and appointments. Children said they generally know who will be on duty and confirmed that their care was not disrupted by changes in staff. The promotion of equality and diversity is good. There is a balance mix of male and female staff who reflect the cultural backgrounds of the children and young people.

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Organisation

The staff training programme includes a good induction and this ensures that all staff have a good basic knowledge of the work. There are training opportunities for the staff and they are supported through the supervision and appraisal process to make use of these opportunities.

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Organisation

Monthly monitoring visits are carried out by an independent person. Action points are identified during the visit and are followed up by the provider and the manager. Where possible children and young people are spoken to as part of these visits.

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Organisation

The home has a quality monitoring system. The system is centred around the experiences of the children and young people and whether the home is meeting their needs. Staff are involved in monitoring the services provided and action is taken where issues are identified. The monitoring systems are used to inform the annual development plan for the service.

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Organisation

Children's individual case files are confidentially stored and are arranged in a manner that make them readily usable by staff and accessible to children. The children and young people know they can have access to their records. Where required staff are available to help them to understand them. 8 of 9 Inspection Report: SC033805

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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

30 June 2010 ensure that all complaints are recorded including the actions taken and outcomes. (Regulation 24 (5))

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Recommendations

There are no recommendations. 9 of 9 Inspection Report: SC033805

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