Children's Home run by Darlington Borough Council in Darlington

SC037861 Unique reference number 7 July 2010 Inspection date Deborah White Inspector Key Type of 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: SC037861

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Brief description of the service

This children’s home provides care and accommodation for up to three children of either sex, aged 12 years to 17 years.

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Brief description of the service

The house has two floors. The ground floor comprises of a kitchen, a living room with television and toilet facilities. Upstairs there are bedrooms for children, a staff office and a bathroom.

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Brief description of the service

There is a large garden at the back of the house.

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Brief description of the service

There were two children present at the time of this inspection.

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Summary

The purpose of this unannounced full inspection was to look at the key national minimum standards and the actions and recommendations from the last inspection.

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Summary

All outcomes for children were looked at and are judged to be satisfactory.

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Summary

The home has improved outcomes for children by meeting the actions raised at the last inspection. Being healthy outcomes are promoted by staff engaging children in a social group to talk about health and social development. Children feel safe, and improved countering bullying measures protect children from feeling intimidated by their peers.

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Summary

Placement plans are satisfactory and reflect children's needs. Consultation with children and parents give them a voice in how children are cared for, and how the home is operated. Monitoring is now effectively improving the home's performance.

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Summary

Staffing levels meet the needs of children and a 100% of care staff have their National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) al level 3 which ensures children are cared for by staff who are suitable qualified.

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Summary

Fire safety is inadequate to ensure children, staff and visitors are safe from the risk of fire. Not all of the recommendations from the last inspection are met to ensure children's needs are fully met.

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Summary

There is one action and seven recommendations arising from this visit.

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Summary

The overall quality rating is satisfactory. This is an overview of what the inspector found during the inspection.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection the registered person was required to meet four actions.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Countering bullying measures are improved to ensure children are not intimidated by their peers. Procedures for emergency admissions are being reviewed to ensure long-term placements are not disrupted, and staffing levels are sufficient to meet the needs of children. Monitoring systems now include regular consultation with children, parents and social workers to ascertain their views on how the home is operated. 4 of 9 Inspection Report: SC037861 A recommendation to record what children eat is met to ensure any dietary problems are recognised and assessed. How medication is administered is recorded correctly and there are written education plans for children who not in school.

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Improvements since the last inspection

There are arrangements in place to cover the absence of the manager, to ensure consistency, and staff know to include placement review outcomes in children's placement plans.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Copies of monthly Regulation 33 reports are now kept in the home and these are available for inspection.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Recommendations not met are to have the fire alarms checked by a local fire officer to ensure they are appropriate for the home. And, there are also no written records to show the likely effects of new admissions upon the existing group of residents.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is satisfactory. Children receive a healthy diet that meets their needs. The kitchen is well stocked with fresh food, including home produced potatoes and salad that children are growing in the garden. Children can help with shopping and cooking and can access snacks and drinks. The dining area is suitable, for the needs of the children, and meals are social occasions.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children's general health needs are met. Children are registered with a local doctor, dentist, and optician, and are supported to attend appointments. Healthcare plans reflect known health needs and, where extra support is needed, appropriate external healthcare professionals are involved.

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Helping children to be healthy

Staff at the home have set up a boys and a girls group to talk about health promotion. Subjects talked about include health and social issues. Guest speakers are invited to talk to the groups. For example, healthcare staff who specialise in sexual health development attend to advise children about keeping safe. The girls have recently enjoyed a session with a beautician to learn about hair care and how to apply make up properly.

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Helping children to be healthy

Staff are trained to safely administer medication and first aid. There are procedures in place for the safe administration of medication. The looked after children nurse is also available for any queries the home may have about children's prescribed medication.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. Children feel their privacy is respected. Each child has their own bedroom, that they can secure, and all bathrooms and toilets have locks fitted. Staff knock before entering children's bedrooms and children have access to a private telephone.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children know how to complain and feel happy talking to staff about any worries they may have. Complaints are recorded to ensure they are regularly monitored. Staff have received training in complaints management and all complaints are responded to within 28 days.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children's welfare is safeguarded. Children feel safe and know about their risk assessments. Staff receive regular child protection training and know how to respond to an allegation of abuse. A social worker said 'This home provides a safe place for young people'. 5 of 9 Inspection Report: SC037861 Children are not bullied and know what to do if they feel threatened. Countering bullying measures are in place, including a countering bullying risk assessment, that is regularly reviewed. Children who go missing are protected by clear procedures that ensure missing children are looked for. A child said 'There is no bullying in the home, we get on okay now'.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children know the home's expectations, regarding good behaviour, and know what sanctions can be given. Good behaviour is rewarded and staff have a positive relationship with each child living at the home. Staff are trained to safely restrain children and all physical interventions are recorded appropriately.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Health and safety at the home is supported by good risk management. There are risk assessments in place for the environment and activities within the home. For example the lone working risk assessment shows how children, staff and visitors are kept safe. Services and utilities are regularly checked and maintained and there are recorded planned responses to foreseeable crises.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The home displays a current employer liability insurance certificate, but it does not include the name of the home to signal the environment is fully insured.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children's risk assessments reflect known risks and how these will be minimised to keep children safe.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Fire safety measures are unsatisfactory. Regular fire drills, and fire safety sessions, take place but the home's fire safety risk assessment has not been updated following changes to the environment.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are protected from potential abusers by a written visitors policy, which is known by staff. All visitors are checked, and where people are not known to staff, their identification is verified. The visitor's book shows who has had access to children, but the times of visits are not recorded to ensure all contact is fully monitored.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is satisfactory. Children feel they are supported and relationships are seen to be positive. Each child has a key worker and regular one -to-one key worker sessions give children private time to talk about their worries. Children have access to other support networks, such as an educational support worker and the looked after children nurse.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Educational outcomes do not fully meet the needs of children. Outcomes from educational planning meetings are not always acted upon in a timely manner to ensure educational needs are met.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Educational plans, for children not in full time school, are in place and there are some positive arrangements in place. For example, where children struggle with full time education work placements provide educational activities that help children achieve.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. 6 of 9 Inspection Report: SC037861 Placement plans reflect children's needs and how these will be met. Children know what is in their plans and their views are taken into account. There is an evaluation section within the placement plan format, but the recording is not always evaluative and therefore does not reflect the effectiveness of each child's placement.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Placement reviews take place regularly and children know they can attend and contribute to plans made about their lives. Staff write reports about how each child is developing and attend meetings to offer support. Outcomes from placement reviews are recorded in case files and, where applicable, reflected in individual placement plans.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children are happy with their contact arrangements. Practical arrangements are facilitated and family and friends are made to feel welcome.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children are given clear information when they move into the home. The Statement of Purpose includes information about emergency admissions, but feedback from this inspection is that emergency admissions can disrupt children who are in long-term placements.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Where new children come to live at the home there is no recorded information to show that each child is appropriately placed, or the impact emergency admissions have on the children already living there.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children, parents and social workers are consulted about how it is to live at the home. Children are offered the opportunity to have regular meetings, and questionnaires show feedback from parents and social workers. Where issues are raised, there is an action plan in place to show the home's performance is improved by ascertaining the views of people important to each child.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

The provision is satisfactory. Children are encouraged to learn independence skills to prepare them for making the transition into adulthood. Review outcomes identify when children will be living at the home until they are aged 18, and staff are aware of the role of the local leaving care team.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

Children are shown practical skills and help with food shopping and cooking meals. Children have responsibility for keeping their bedrooms clean and tidy and attend to their personal laundry.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

Children live in a homely environment that meets their needs. The house is decorated and furnished to a satisfactory level, and recent improvements in the garden provide a very pleasant area for outdoor activities. However the location of the home is not an attractive area for children to grow up. There is a lot of litter and graffiti that makes the area look unsightly.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. Children, parents and social workers are given satisfactory information about how it is to live at the home. The Statement of Purpose includes all the elements listed in Schedule 1 and the children's guide includes information about complaints and how to contact an advocate. 7 of 9 Inspection Report: SC037861 Staffing adequacy meets the needs of the children living at the home. Staff are sufficient in number and the regular staff team cover unplanned absences to ensure children are looked after by adults they know. There are arrangements in place to cover the absence of the manager, and on-call arrangements are included in the staffing policy.

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Organisation

Children are looked after by staff who are qualified to do their job. The home has 100% of care staff with their NVQ at level 3 in Caring for Children and Young People. Regular updates ensure statutory training is up-to-date, and training needs are identified in staff development plans. A staff member said 'We have a good team here at the moment. We work well together and communicate with each other about the children'.

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Organisation

Children know which staff are on duty and who will be sleeping in the house each night. Feedback from children, about the staff team, is positive and children feel they are very well looked after.

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Organisation

There are systems in place to monitor the home's performance. Records are kept to show important practice areas are checked and safeguarding documents are signed each month by the registered person.

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Organisation

Consultation with children and parents about how the home operates is good. Questionnaires are sent to parents and social workers, and their views are recorded. Where issues are raised during the monitoring process, actions are identified and recorded. There is not, however, an annual development plan to show a long-term improvement plan.

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Organisation

The home also sends out a regular newsletter that informs parents and social workers about developments at the home. There is information included about how the home plans to consult with parents to inform them why questions are being asked about how their children are looked after.

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Organisation

Children's records include all the required information and are stored securely. Children know they can have access to their files.

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Organisation

The promotion of equality and diversity is satisfactory. Outcomes from this inspection show that key areas of each child's care meet their needs. Improvements in healthcare, such as the boys and girls groups, has given children additional support in understanding the changes that take place as they are growing and developing. Children feel safe and know how their risk taking behaviour will be managed. Children feel they are listened to and their views are taken into account. Consultation is good and the home is regularly monitored to ensure children live in a comfortable, safe and happy home.

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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

8 of 9 Inspection Report: SC037861 31 August 2010 take adequate precautions against the risk of fire (Regulation 23 (1) (a)).

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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 positive steps are taken to keep children, staff and visitors safe from fire (NMS 26.1) • ensure that both the needs of the child concerned, and the likely effects of his/her admission upon the existing group of residents are taken into account, and recorded, in decisions on admissions to the home (NMS 5.7) • ensure the insurance liability certificate specifies the name and address of the home (NMS 26.9) • ensure the education of children is promoted by following outcomes from education planning meetings (NMS 14) • ensure placement plans reflect the effectiveness of each child's placement (NMS 2.1) • ensure the home's location is in keeping with it's purpose and function (NMS 23.1) • ensure there is a written development plan that is reviewed annually (NMS 33.5).

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