Children's Home, Residential special school run by Cambian Whinfell School Limited in Westmorland and Furness

SC066821 Unique reference number 13 July 2010 Inspection date Mick Earl Inspector Random 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 6 Inspection Report: SC066821

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Brief description of the service

The school is an independent residential school registered with the Department for Education for nine boys between the ages of 11 and 19 years old. It is also registered as a children's home. It provides education and care for boys with autistic spectrum disorder and behavioural difficulties associated with language and communication. The school offers both 52 week and 38 week placements.

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Brief description of the service

The residential accommodation is on two sites. The main school is sited in a large Victorian semi detached house. The accommodation provided on this site has been registered as a children’s home to accommodate a total of five young people. It provides accommodation for young people in single bedrooms, all with hand washing facilities. There are separate bathing and showering facilities. The large dining room doubles up as a games room and can accommodate a pool table.

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Brief description of the service

A separate house on the other side of the town provides accommodation for four young people aged between 16 and 17 years old.

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Brief description of the service

The school is situated on the edge of the town centre and young people on both sites have access to all the facilities.

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Summary

National minimum standards were sampled in the staying safe outcome area and checks made on the action from the last inspection. This identified the home has good strengths. These are in ensuring privacy and confidentiality, providing individual support, listening to young people's views, managing complaints well, providing a physically safe home, promoting the protection of young people and safe staff recruitment.

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Summary

The areas identified for improvement on this occasion are in the reason for and the recording of restraints, ensuring night time fire drill takes place and evidence of the electrical installation certificate. 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

At the last inspection the service was asked to ensure the records show that all staff receive fire training. This actions has been met.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Personal information relating to each young person is stored safely and securely and young people living at the home are treated with dignity and respect. There are sufficient bathrooms, showers and toilets to meet the needs of the young people accommodated and personal care 4 of 6 Inspection Report: SC066821 needs are dealt with in both a sensitive and discreet manner. Each young person has their own bedroom and they are enabled and supported where possible, to attend to their own personal care needs. The home has appropriate guidelines if it is necessary to search a young person's bedroom. The logbook shows that there have been no occasions when this has been required in the last three years.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people living at the home have access to complaints information and say they are supported to tell the staff their views. There are policies and procedures in place for dealing with complaints in an effective and timely manner and there have been no complaints made since the last inspection.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people living at the home are protected from exploitation and abuse. A copy of the Local Safeguarding Children's Board procedures are available in the home and the home has policies and procedures in place relating to the protection of young people. Members of staff working at the home have received training in safeguarding and there have been no child protection referrals made since the last inspection.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The home has policies and procedures in place with regard to countering bullying, and young people are protected from being targeted by bullies. The home provides high staffing levels which helps to reduce the chance of bullying taking place. There have been no recorded incidents of bullying since the last inspection.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

There are suitable policies and procedures in place with regard to what action staff should take, if a young person is absent without authority. Staff know what action to take if a young person does go missing and there have been no incidents since the last inspection. Members of staff provide high levels of supervision and care to young people to help keep them safe.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people's behaviour is well managed in a way that ensures they are kept safe and are helped to manage their own behaviour. The home has policies and procedures in place relating to the safe holding or restraint of young people and members of staff have received appropriate training. Some records of restraint do not always contain all of the required information with some dates and signatures missing. One restraint was inappropriate as the record described an incident where a young person was removed from a room because he did not comply with a member of staff's request. The records need to be clear to show that staff are physically controlling young people in a safe way. Sanctions are appropriately used and there have been only six in four months.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people are protected from fire and other hazards within the home. There are systems in place to ensure that young people, staff and visitors to the home are kept safe, however the electrical installation certificate was not available for one of the sites. Fire checks and tests are carried out at the right times. Fire drills take place regularly, although there was no record of a night time drill for one of the sites.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The home has a stable, consistent and committed staff team. There are good recruitment and selection procedures in place. The correct safety checks are carried out and each member of staff has provided references from previous employers or those that know them which helps to show that staff working with young people are suitable. 5 of 6 Inspection Report: SC066821

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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): • ensure that the records in the restraint logbook contain the full name of staff members carrying out the restraint (NMS 22.9) • ensure that restraints are not used as a means to enforce compliance with instructions (NMS 22.7) • ensure that one night time fire drill takes place every twelve months (NMS 26.8) • ensure that the record for the electrical installation in the home is available (NMS 26.4). 6 of 6 Inspection Report: SC066821

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