Children's Home run by Barnardo’s in Oxfordshire

SC069128 Unique reference number 29 June 2010 Inspection date Michael Williams Inspector Random Type of 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 6 Inspection Report: SC069128

p.3

Brief description of the service

The service is provided by a national charity for vulnerable children. Its introductory information on the service describes it as: 'Providing residential short break care and domiciliary care to disabled children and young people between the ages of five and eighteen.' Its domiciliary care service is inspected by the Care Quality Commission. The service is provided in partnership with a county council and a county primary care trust. Children can therefore be provided with care and health packages. Most of the children using the service have complex health needs or are on the autistic spectrum and have associated challenging behaviour. The service is located in a residential area of a city.

p.4

Brief description of the service

The service opened in February 2007 and caters for a maximum of six children at any one time, with one emergency bed, although it is rare for a maximum of six children to be staying over night. Three children were staying overnight at the time of this inspection, and three staff and one student were working with them.

p.4

Summary

This interim inspection was announced just beforehand to inform the staff on duty that the home's newly allocated inspector would be visiting after tea time. The focus of this inspection was to follow up the two recommendations from the home's previous key inspection in March 2010 and to re-inspect the staying safe outcome for children. This inspection ended when the inspector received documentary evidence from the home's acting manager supporting some of the areas examined. Its main findings are that the home is in the process of implementing both recommendations and that the staying safe outcome area continues to be good.

p.4

Summary

Good aspects of the home's practice to help children stay safe include: their focus on respecting young people's privacy and on safeguarding them; their complaints and behaviour management practice; and their countering of bullying and safety and security measures. No action is required or recommended. 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 made two recommendations to improve the quality of care further. To actively promote diversity and to develop a procedure whereby all new residential project workers can access the relevant National Vocational Qualification (NVQ).

p.4

Improvements since the last inspection

The home's local population includes many people from different ethnic minority groups. However, the young people on residential short breaks at the home are not representative of this population, because they are referred solely on the basis of their disability needs. Staff at the home are now working to make the young people more familiar with the diversity of the local population. For example, the variety of meals provided is being extended to provide young people with food that has regard to the cultural, ethnic and religious background of the local population.

p.4

Improvements since the last inspection

The home has a procedure for workers to work towards completing the relevant NVQ. However, this procedure is dependent on the home having a suitable NVQ provider. The home's human 4 of 6 Inspection Report: SC069128 resources section is therefore actively searching for such a provider and in the meantime staff at the home access the relevant NVQ when a county provider has capacity. Two workers at the home have just started their NVQ with this latter provider as part of ensuring that young people receive the care they need from competent staff.

p.4

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Young people's privacy is respected. The home has a quiet lounge that young people can use, for example to meet visitors, as well as an activity lounge. Each young person has their own bedroom that they can lock if they are able to, although staff can still open the door in an emergency. Staff at the home follow guidelines for good practice in the intimate care of young people.

p.5

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Parents know how to and young people feel able to complain if they are unhappy with any aspect of living in the home. The home's entrance has a provider leaflet on 'Your right to be heard', that includes information on making a complaint about the service. As many of the young people at the home are non-verbal, either link workers who know them well or their parents can complain on their behalf if they detect they are unhappy. The home has not received any complaints since the previous inspection.

p.5

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people are protected from abuse and an appropriate response is made to any allegation or suspicion of abuse. The home follows their provider's protocol for safeguarding and protecting children. For example, safeguarding is a set agenda item at staff team days and in staff supervision. The acting manager provides a safeguarding link between the county council the provider is in partnership with, the Local Safeguarding Children Board and the provider's regional safeguarding group. As part of their induction, new workers are required to undertake on-line safeguarding training.

p.5

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people are protected from bullying. It is countered in part by workers at the home working on a one to one basis with young people. Any instance of direct intended aggression by one young person towards another results in them not receiving residential short break care together again. The high ratio of staff to young people, coupled with the young people's disabilities and the mechanism for opening the home's external doors, means that young people have not been absent from the home without authority.

p.5

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people are assisted to develop socially acceptable behaviour, through encouragement of acceptable behaviour and constructive staff response to inappropriate behaviour. The home compiles a 'My Profile' document for each young person. This includes how best to promote their positive behaviour and an individual behaviour management plan for any young person who exhibits challenging behaviour. The home follows their provider's protocol for reporting accidents, incidents, and measures of control and physical interventions used. Any incidents that involve staff using physical intervention and measures of control are then recorded as required in a volume kept for that purpose.

p.5

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Positive steps are taken to keep young people, staff and visitors safe from the risk of fire and other hazards. Young people's profiles include an individual risk assessment. In terms of fire 5 of 6 Inspection Report: SC069128 precautions, the home has a current fire risk assessment, staff are booked to refresh their fire training in July 2010 and the home's new fire marshal is also booked to attend training for this role.

p.5

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The selection and vetting of all staff working with young people in the home was not inspected on this occasion. New staff have started work at the home since the last inspection, but their complete recruitment records are held at the home's head office. The inspector will therefore arrange to inspect this key standard during the home's next key inspection.

p.6

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.6

Recommendations

There are no recommendations. 6 of 6 Inspection Report: SC069128

p.6