Children's Home run by St Hill Establishments Ltd in Kingston upon Hull

SC385633 Unique reference number 10 June 2010 Inspection date Fiona Parker Inspector Key Type of Inspection

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19 August 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: SC385633

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Brief description of the service

This children's home is run by a private company. The home is registered to provide a service for up to five children or young people, male or female, aged between 10 and 17 years.

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Brief description of the service

The home is a three-storey building. There are two bedrooms for young people downstairs both with en-suite facilities and three further bedrooms upstairs. In addition there are two staff sleep-in rooms in close proximity to all bedrooms.

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Brief description of the service

Downstairs there is an office, kitchen, dining room and spacious lounge with a quiet room also on the second floor.

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Brief description of the service

The home is close to a city centre. There are local shops, churches and health centres nearby. The home has a small car park and is close to major bus routes.

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Summary

This key unannounced visit took place over two days. All the key standards were assessed. There are eight actions and eight recommendations as a result of this inspection. This results in an overall inadequate - enforcement judgment due to significant shortfalls in instigating safeguarding procedures. There is also a failure to notify relevant agencies of appropriate events. This compromises young people's welfare and safety.

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Summary

This judgement also supports the weaknesses identified in the roles of Responsible Individual and Registered Manager in the organisation. In addition, there is conflict in roles and responsibilities in the current working arrangements at management and senior management level. This does not provide immediate adequate assurances that the identified shortfalls will be easily addressed. In addition, there is one action relating to restraint records and two recommendations repeated from the previous inspection. This demonstrates some areas are not always fully addressed. However, there is commitment to addressing the areas and working to improve the issues in this report.

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Summary

There are aspects of good practice. Positive relationships exist between young people and staff on a day-to-day level. The staff team work positively and enthusiastically on many aspects of young people's needs. Young people benefit from this support and there are some good and satisfactory outcomes for young people. The overall quality rating is inadequate - enforcement action. This is an overview of what the inspector found during the inspection.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Placements plans now contain more detail and include a thorough assessment of individual needs. Pathway plans are in place and outline the support young people will need in the future to live independently or semi-independently.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. 4 of 9 Inspection Report: SC385633 Young people benefit from healthy and nutritious meals. Young people are able to make choices about what they eat and they contribute to menus. Staff encourage young people to prepare food and cook meals in line with their age, independence plans and interests. Vegetarian choices are readily available so young people can choose different options from meat dishes, if they wish. Meals are sociable occasions and give opportunities for discussions as a group.

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Helping children to be healthy

Good health plans clearly assess and identify health needs. Good links exist with health services ensuring young people have access to both planned appointments and support for any day-to-day health issues as they arise. Specialist services are available and staff support young people to make use of these by encouraging and discussing the benefits for them. Staff pro actively support and encourage exercise and activities with physical health benefits, such as swimming and gym visits. Staff contribute fully to health assessments and reviews, informed by their knowledge of caring for the young people. Young people say they are supported with their health needs.

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Helping children to be healthy

Good arrangements are in place to manage medicines and ensure young people receive their medication. Secure storage arrangements are in place and good recording systems ensure there is accountable practice in the home. Controlled medicines are securely stored and clearly recorded, however the latest information on good practice guidelines for controlled drugs is not routinely available.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is inadequate. Young people are not fully safeguarded due to serious shortfalls in instigating and referring safeguarding matters to the local authority as required by procedures and regulations. In addition, Ofsted has not been notified of complaints and safeguarding matters. Individual staff members have appropriately followed internal reporting procedures. Young people have felt able to make complaints and have been appropriately supported to do this. However, the Registered Manager and Responsible Individual have failed to report young people's allegations to the Local Safeguarding Children Board. In the absence of appropriate action by managers, staff members have not reported issues to the local authority. This significantly compromises welfare and safety in this home. This results in young people's complaints not being subject to external formal investigation.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people are clear on the sanctions and rules in the home. They report these are fair. Sanctions are well recorded, however one sanction involved denying the use of the telephone for one evening. This does not follow company policy or fit the behaviour presented by young people. Although the use of restraint practice is well recorded and subject to monitoring, some entries do not fully explain the holds used in detail. This does not always promote accountable practice and sufficient overview of agreed methods in line with company procedures.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people are not frequently missing from the home. When rare occasions arise staff are pro active in discouraging young people and encouraging their safe return. Appropriate procedures are followed to safeguard young people in this respect. Young people support the fact that there is good practice and acknowledge they are expected to return to the home at agreed times.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people report their privacy is respected in the home and their bedrooms are their private space. Young people can make calls in private however, they have to ask staff for the office 5 of 9 Inspection Report: SC385633 telephone. As young people do not always have mobile telephones they may not always be able to make calls when this is convenient for them.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Appropriate procedures are in place to protect young people from physical hazards and fire. Monthly fire drills take place which is good practice. Young people's needs in respect of evacuations are clearly understood and take place in practice. However, the fire risk assessment does not highlight some specific needs which may require extra staff attention. Visitors to the home are appropriately vetted and processes for recruiting staff are satisfactory. However, photographic identification, although available, is not kept on staff recruitment files, resulting in a recommendation.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is satisfactory. Young people receive good levels of day-to-day individual support and benefit from positive relationships with the staff team. Key workers support young people to progress their plans. Due to good levels of staff available young people are able to discuss their day-to-day views and feelings regularly. In particular, this results in young people benefiting from emotional support from staff when they need this. Young people report they feel supported and can talk to staff when they need to. However, there is evidence young people have not been appropriately supported in formal complaint processes. This compromises the quality and robustness of individual support. Records are made of significant discussions, views and feelings young people share with staff. Local authority social workers report positive relationships between young people and key workers.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Good outcomes have been achieved to support young people to return to education when this has been previously disrupted. Consequently, some young people in statutory education now regularly attend school and are making good progress. Staff encourage and reward achievements. Satisfactory education plans are in place and staff contribute to their review. Local authority social workers report staff are pro active and supportive in respect of education.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Good processes are in place to consider young people's needs before they are admitted to the home. Thorough assessments are undertaken to consider each young person's needs and the current needs of existing young people. In addition, the capabilities and skills of the staff group are part of the assessment process. This results in careful consideration of admissions to the home and helps ensure young people are appropriately placed. Young people report they were well prepared for moving to the home. One young person commented 'things such as rules were explained' and they 'knew what to expect'.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Placement plans are thorough, however these do not include the support or interventions young people may receive with any therapeutic methods. Although there are indications young people respond positively, this support is not outlined in their plans.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Staff support young people to maintain contact with important people in line with their agreed plans. Any restrictions on contact are recorded. Friends and family are welcome in the home. Young people are clear on their contact arrangements and know when they can expect to see family. Staff provide emotional support to young people when complications and 6 of 9 Inspection Report: SC385633 disappointments happen. Staff demonstrate good insight into the emotional impact upon young people, offering reassurance and solutions to move forward positively.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

The provision is satisfactory. Young people are supported to work towards their independence and increase their skills. Staff understand each young person's needs very well and tailor their support in line with individual needs. Individual independence plans are consistent with and support pathway plans. Sound plans detail what each young person has achieved and the areas for future work. For example, young people are supported with budgeting, making purchases and visiting potential agencies they may use. In addition, staff provide emotional support with life choices which are important for the future.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

Staff work closely with local authorities to progress independence plans for the benefit of young people. Young people are fully aware of their plans and the areas they are working on. One young person commented 'everyone says the same thing'. This supports the fact that there is consistency with the messages they receive.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

Young people live in a spacious house with some homely features. The home blends into the local area. Young people have spacious individual bedrooms which they can personalise to reflect their own interests. Young people have their own possessions such as televisions, music systems and ornaments. The garden areas were tidied during the inspection, prior to this they were in need of maintenance. Therefore, not always providing a well-kept environment for young people.

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Organisation

The organisation is inadequate. The promotion of equality and diversity is satisfactory. There are some areas of good practice and staff work effectively with young people to increase their understanding and tolerance for others. Young people are clearly viewed as individuals and their needs are assessed and responded to accordingly. Staff act as appropriate role models to young people in day-to-day life. Staff work hard with young people to address their individual needs. However, young people's rights to have their complaints investigated in external formal procedures has been compromised. Ultimately, this has the potential to impact upon the quality of their experiences overall.

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Organisation

Sufficient and independent monitoring under Regulation 33 has not taken place. Roles and boundaries within the organisation have become confused. This has resulted in a lack of accountability and objectivity when dealing with complaints and safeguarding matters. Allegations and complaints have not been forwarded to the Local Safeguarding Children Board. Although, thorough and detailed records of events are available in the home, matters have not been referred, notified or discussed with appropriate external agencies. This significantly compromises welfare and safety. As a result young people are not protected and the appropriate safeguards are not in place. The safeguarding shortfalls in every level in the organisation raise questions regarding the quality of the safeguarding training available.

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Organisation

Good levels of staff are available to support young people and staff report they feel well supported in their roles. Satisfactory supervision arrangements are in place. However, there 7 of 9 Inspection Report: SC385633 are some shortfalls in the fortnightly frequency of supervision sessions for new staff members. Progress is in place with National Vocational Qualifications for staff, however this remains short of the standard.

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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

15 July 2010 ensure the prompt referral to the local authority in whose area the children's home is situated, of any allegation of abuse or neglect affecting any child accommodated in the children's home (Regulation 16 (2) (b) ) 15 July 2010 ensure no measure of control, restraint or discipline which is excessive, unreasonable or contrary to paragraph (5) shall be used. In particular, this relates to issuing sanctions against company policy (Regulation 17 (1) ) 15 July 2010 ensure within 24 hours of the use of any measure of control, restraint or discipline in a children's home, a written record is made in a volume, which shall include a description of the method used (Regulation 17 (4) ( c ) ) 15 July 2010 ensure in relation to a children's home, when any of the events listed in column 1 of the table in schedule 5 take place, the registered person shall without delay notify the persons indicated in respect of the event in column 2 of the table

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Due date Action Standard

(Regulation 30 (1) ) 15 July 2010 ensure the registered provider and the registered manager shall carry on or manage the home (as the case may be) with sufficient care, competence and skill (Regulation 9 (1) ) 15 July 2010 ensure all persons employed recieve appropriate training, supervision and appraisal. In particular, this relates to the quality of the training in respect of safeguarding procedures (Regulation 27 (4) (a) ) 15 July 2010 ensure the registered provider is an individual who is not directly concerned with the conduct of the home. In particular, the registered person is not employed to undertake Regulation 33 visits and work on shifts and undertake complaint investigations in the home (Regulation 33 (1) (c) 15 July 2010 ensure the person carrying out the visit shall prepare a written report on the conduct of the home. In particular the report 8 of 9 Inspection Report: SC385633 includes any records of complaints as per Regulation 33 4 (b).

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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 a written record is kept of all medication, treatment and first aid given to children. In particular refer to the Royal Pharmaceutical Guidelines for good practice guidance on the recording of controlled medicines (NMS 13.2) • ensure gardens and/or hard play areas are well maintained and safe (NMS 24.3) • ensure the placement plan includes health needs, in particular this relates to any therapeutic techniques used in the home (NMS 2.1) • ensure the siting of the telephone and arrangements for payment are convenient, private and practical. In particular young people are able to make telephone calls without reference to staff (NMS 9.5) • ensure a written record of the recruitment process is followed in respect of all staff. In particular, ensure available identity and photographic proof is located on recruitment files

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Recommendations

(NMS 27.1) • ensure risk assessments are carried out, recorded in writing and regularly reviewed. In particular individual special needs are included in the fire risk assessment and individual risk assessment (NMS 26.2) • ensure new staff receive one-to-one supervision at least fortnightly (NMS 28.2) • ensure that 80% of care staff qualify to NVQ level 3 in the Caring for Children and Young People. (NMS 29.5) 9 of 9 Inspection Report: SC385633

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