Children's Home run by Salford City Council in Salford

SC040733 Unique reference number 9 May 2010 Inspection date Anthony Kyem Inspector Key Type of Inspection

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7 October 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: SC040733

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Brief description of the service

The home is a five-bedded children’s home owned and run by a local authority. The home provides medium to long term care for children and young people between the ages of 11 to 15 years on admission.

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Brief description of the service

The home is a purpose-built, detached property, situated close to local amenities. There are five single bedrooms for young people, a staff sleeping-in room along with bathing and toilet facilities. There are two living rooms, an office, kitchen and utility room on the ground floor. There is a garden to the front and an enclosed garden to the rear.

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Summary

The inspection of the home was unannounced, all key national minimum standards were inspected. The visit was used to assess the home's capacity to meet the outcome areas for young people in relation to being healthy, staying safe, enjoying and achieving, making a positive contribution, achieving economic well-being and organisation. On this occasion none of the young people were present during the inspection visit. However, the home's deputy manager, staff and senior management were all spoken to.

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Summary

The home is a good service and there are areas of practice, which are outstanding. The home is well managed and staff are very organised, experienced and well trained. Staff remain positive about their work, despite the many challenges posed by the residential task. They have created a homely environment, which is extensively supportive of young people's needs.

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Summary

Over the previous 12 months the home has used to good effect a written development plan to help staff improve the services and outcomes for young people. As a result of the positive work undertaken young people's care plans have been thoroughly reviewed by staff, to cover their needs more comprehensively. Key working is far more organised and covers the Every Child Matter outcomes. The promotion of equality and diversity is firmly embedded in practice and staff are well trained and qualified. 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 made as a result of the previous inspection.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Young people receive a well balanced, healthy and nutritious diet. Staff actively encourage young people to eat healthily and to take regular exercise. Young people's individual dietary needs, including their likes and dislikes in relation to foods, are all considered to ensure that mealtimes are enjoyed by them. Young people are able to participate with the planning, preparation and cooking of meals and they are able to prepare their own snacks and drinks in between mealtimes. 4 of 8 Inspection Report: SC040733 Young people's good health is promoted and appropriate services are provided to meet young people's identified health needs. Young people are registered and supported to attend their routine health appointments with doctors, dentists and opticians and where needed, they receive additional support, through the involvement of specialised services.

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Helping children to be healthy

Young people have their medication administered safely. Medication records are regularly monitored and these demonstrate that safe medication procedures are followed. There are clear arrangements in place for the safe administration of prescribed and non-prescribed medication, including medical consent for staff to attend to young people's health needs. Staff are trained in the safe use of medication and in the safe administration of first aid.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Young people's privacy is respected. Policies and procedures are followed to ensure that information kept about young people is treated confidentially. The home has a complaints procedure, which is clearly understood and followed by staff, enabling young people's complaints to be addressed appropriately. Records show there have been no complaints made by young people since the previous inspection. There is good information displayed within the home, which advises young people about the various agencies they can turn to for support if they have a complaint with any aspect of their care.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff are appropriately trained to promote young people's welfare and safety. This ensures that safeguarding procedures are understood and that staff are aware of their responsibilities and duties, when it comes to protecting young people from abuse. Staff personnel records were not inspected on this occasion. However, recruitment practices were inspected last year, where the systems in place for recruitment were found to be robust and compliant with the standards and regulations. This ensures that staff's suitability to work with young people is carefully assessed, to ensure young people protection from potential abusers.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people who are absent without authority are protected by the swift implementation of the home's missing person's procedures. Strategies are in place for identifying effective responses for reporting and where necessary, searching for young people's whereabouts to encourage their safe return. Each young person has an absconding plan, which is used by staff to identify potential risks, and record young people's known or potential whereabouts.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

There are some issues with bullying, which staff are aware of and remain vigilant towards. There is evidence to show that bullying is not tolerated and that young people are able to approach staff for support. There is evidence of young people participating in positive work with staff about bullying and this includes making friendship statements with their peers.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

There are systems in place for staff to notify the relevant authorities of significant incidents, in accordance with the home's statutory duties to do so. Inappropriate behaviours are challenged by staff and sanctions used by them are fair. To ensure that staff respond to challenging behaviours in a safe way, they receive relevant training in care and control, in which all staff are trained.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The home's fire, gas and electrical appliances are all serviced within the recommended timescales. Regular fire drills are held and there is regular testing of the home's fire fighting equipment. Risks associated with the premises are assessed, and used to reduce, and where possible 5 of 8 Inspection Report: SC040733 eliminate, potential hazards. However, it was identified that the security of the home could be compromised, as the front door to the home is not alarmed, to alert staff towards potential intruders.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is outstanding. Young people receive excellent support from staff. The work undertaken with young people is extensively supportive of their needs. Staff work hard as a team to meet the various needs of the young people placed here. Placement plans provide a thorough, useful and detailed overview of young people's needs and how these needs will be met.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Key working is approached enthusiastically and covers the outcomes of Every Child Matters, to ensure that young people's needs, in all areas of their lives, are covered effectively. It is clear from young people's active participation in these sessions that they have established trusting relationships with individual staff. Records held, demonstrate the extent to which, young people are actively supported.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Young people identified as having additional needs receive additional support through the inclusion of specialist services. They have access to a full range of services including sexual health workers, drugs and alcohol counsellors, as well as therapeutic support. Staff maintain strong and effective links with outside agencies.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The home works closely with young people and with the various local educational establishments they attend. All young people attend education and appropriate educational plans are in place for them. Communication between the home and young people's school is effective, which enables concerns to be dealt with promptly. All of the young people are provided with laptops, which assists them in their learning and development of skills. Reward systems are closely linked to educational attendance and extra home tuition is provided for those who require it, so that all young people learn and achieve.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Young people benefit from staff's knowledge about equality and diversity. Two groups of young people have recently enjoyed holidays abroad. Excellent work has been done with the young people around raising their awareness of other people's cultures, faiths and religions, including work on social inclusion, disability and discrimination. Young people have regular opportunities provided for them to participate in activities and hobbies of their choice. Some are members of a local football team and most attend the local gym. Young people enjoy a wide variety of leisure opportunities.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Young people's placement plans are individualised and these include the information staff need to meet their needs comprehensively. Their plans are well written and updated where required, to reflect their changing needs and presenting circumstances. Risk assessments and behaviour management plans are all used in conjunction with these plans to ensure that care is provided for young people in a safe and consistent way. Young people are encouraged and supported with family contact, this enables them to maintain their important and familiar links. 6 of 8 Inspection Report: SC040733 Each young person has an allocated key worker with whom they are able to meet with on a regular basis. This means that young people are regularly supported to discuss their concerns, anxieties or problems with staff. Young people's progress within the home is formally reviewed within the recommended timescales. Young people are encouraged to attend their review

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Helping children make a positive contribution

meetings so that they can influence any decisions made in relation to their care.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Young people are able to influence the way the home is run. There are regular residents group meetings, which provide young people with frequent opportunities to meet with staff and their peers. Resident group meetings are used to engage young people in a purposeful way about any issues effecting the smooth operations of the home. They also serve to involve young people in internal decision making.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Since the last inspection, there have been some issues with the unsettling impact of recent admissions. Alternative placements are being considered, to promote the smooth running of the home, in line with the needs of those resident within the home.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

The provision is good. Young people receive good support to assist them in making the transition towards independent living. Those of age are currently in the process of having pathway plans prepared in consultation with them. The home helps young people to acquire essential life skills so that young people are able to complete a series of household tasks independently. Personal safety is strongly emphasised by staff. Young people are tested on their knowledge of health and safety within the home, to make sure they are able to keep themselves safe from household hazards.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

The home is a detached property located close to local amenities. There are shops, a leisure centre, public transportation services as well as other community based resources, located locally. The home is not distinguishable as a children's home as it fits in well with other local neighbourhood properties.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

Young people's bedrooms are personalised and themed in line with their wishes, reflecting their unique personalities. Lounge areas, washing and eating facilities are all of good quality standards. The home provides young people with good facilities, which are comfortable and well maintained. To the rear of the home is an enclosed garden, parts of which are used by young people and staff to grow their own vegetables. There is also outdoor seating and a barbeque, which is used by young people and staff when the weather is permitting.

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Organisation

The organisation is outstanding. The home has a written Statement of Purpose and a children's guide. Combined, both documents provide good information about the home and the services it provides. The home has a stable staff team in place, which means that young people can develop and sustain their trusting relationships with the same staff, and that staff can sustain young people's individual routines, with knowledge and consistency.

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Organisation

Young people are looked after by a very experienced staff team who between them have the relevant qualifications and skills. The success rate of staff qualified to National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) standards, in caring for children and young people at NVQ level 3 is 100%, 7 of 8 Inspection Report: SC040733 with all staff appropriately qualified. There are extensive opportunities provided for staff to receive further training to strengthen their knowledge and skills. Refresher training is also provided on all mandatory courses, such as safeguarding, fire safety, care and control and first aid. This ensures the training undertaken by staff is relevant and kept up to date.

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Organisation

There are effective systems in place to monitor the daily operations of the home. The manager regularly reviews all aspects of the service to ensure that action is taken, where necessary, to improve standards and outcomes. Monthly monitoring visits are made each month and these form part of the home's overall quality assurance systems in reviewing the home's performance and it's capacity to improve. The views of young people are routinely considered and recorded. The home has produced an annual development plan, which has been used very successfully to improve the standards of care.

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Organisation

The promotion of equality and diversity is outstanding. Young people's placement plans make clear the home's commitment to promoting equality and diversity in practice. There are staff employed from different cultural backgrounds and genders, to meet the diverse range of young people's needs. Young people are treated fairly and they have access to the same services and opportunities. There is zero tolerance towards discrimination and all forms of discrimination are taken seriously and challenged. This ensures that young people learn to be respectful, accepting, understanding and tolerant of others.

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Organisation

There is an established inclusion and diversity area in the home, which is used by young people to research the various faiths, cultures and religious traditions of the world. Issues to do with racial awareness and disability are also covered to teach young people about inequality. There are regular themed evenings and celebrations which are extensively planned by staff, to ensure these are factual, enjoyable and memorable occasions. Each young person is provided with an individualised photograph album, as well as an individual achievement file. These provide young people with an excellent, personalised and individual account of their achievements, progress and memorable occasions within the 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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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • consider the need for the front door to be alarmed to promote the safety and security of the home. (NMS 26.2) 8 of 8 Inspection Report: SC040733

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