Children's Home run by Lifetime Opportunities Limited in Lancashire

SC063103 Unique reference number 26 July 2010 Inspection date Sarah Oldham Inspector Key Type of Inspection

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29 December 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: SC063103

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Brief description of the service

The home is registered for a maximum of five children and young people who have a learning disability. Long term accommodation is provided for those whose ages range from eight to 17 years. The property is purpose built and located in a semi-rural area. Access to shops, schools and community facilities requires transport. The home has its own vehicles.

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Brief description of the service

Each young person has their own bedroom and most of these have en-suite facilities. The communal areas include a sitting room, dining room, kitchen and a playroom. There is also a garden and patio area.

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Brief description of the service

Five young people currently live in this home of which four were present during the inspection.

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Summary

At this unannounced full inspection; all key standards were inspected. This is a good service in most respects with some outstanding features in the outcome areas of enjoying and achieving and positive contribution.

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Summary

Young people are encouraged to eat healthily and take regular exercise. The home works closely with a wide range of outside agencies in order to meet the full range of young people's complex needs. The home's management provides strong and effective leadership which results in staff being clearly focused and guided in meeting the needs of young people. Staff relationships with young people are caring and very supportive. Young people are benefiting from living in this home because it is consistently managed and organised to achieve the best possible outcomes for young people.

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Summary

Communication with all young people is effective. The management and staff at the home ensure that young people are provided with appropriate communication tools to enable them to engage effectively and ensure that their wishes and views are clearly known. The staff support young people with their education well and good links are maintained with schools. Young people are provided with some excellent activities and can continue their preferred interests and hobbies. Some minor shortfalls have been identified for improvement in relation to supervision and training. 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

Following the previous inspection the Registered Manager was asked to ensure that the views of young people regarding sanctions made, were clearly recorded. Young people are encouraged and supported to express their views on sanctions made. This is undertaken in both written and pictorial formats. These views are recorded within the sanction book and are monitored by the manager.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. 4 of 8 Inspection Report: SC063103 Young people are encouraged and supported to eat healthy, nutritionally balanced diets. Consultation is undertaken through pictorial and written menu planning. This ensures that all young people are able to effectively communicate their individual likes and dislikes. To support young people in the shopping for food, written and pictorial shopping lists are completed. This ensures that all the young people are able to contribute and develop their skills. Staff support young people to prepare simple meals to promote independence.

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Helping children to be healthy

The health care needs of the young people are clearly identified and staff ensure that appropriate support and guidance is provided enabling all health care needs to be effectively met. All young people are registered with a doctor, dentist and optician. In addition, for those young people who need additional health care professional involvement, this is also in place. Staff support young people with their medical appointments and there are clear recording systems in place to ensure that health care plans are current. This ensures that all health care needs of the young people are met.

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Helping children to be healthy

Policies and procedures in the storage, administration and recording of medication are in place. Medication is stored securely. Staff responsible for administering medication receive training and assessment prior to being approved to administer medication. This promotes safe practice in medication management.

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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 by staff and all confidential information is stored securely. Staff have a good understanding of confidentiality and protecting information. Young people have their own personalised bedrooms and have access to a telephone to make and receive calls in private.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The home has an effective complaints procedure, this is in various formats which young people understand. Pictorial symbols are used by young people to express any dislikes they may have. There have been no complaints following the previous inspection. Young people have access to advocacy services as well as staff providing good support to them.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people's welfare and safety is promoted. Staff have a good understanding of child protection and safeguarding issues and have received an appropriate level of training to raise any concerns. Their practice helps to protect young people from harm. There have been no concerns in relation to young people being absent without authority or bullying and, should these instances occur, staff know the procedures to follow. All staff are aware of their responsibility to report significant events to the relevant authorities.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff provide support to the young people to develop appropriate behaviours. Sanctions made are appropriate and explained to the young people. To enable young people to contribute their views on sanctions made, they are in both written and pictorial formats. The manager monitors sanctions to ensure that they are appropriate. All staff have received training and guidance regarding behaviour management, this focuses on early intervention strategies. This includes appropriate use of physical intervention. This is only used if there is a risk of self harm or injury to other young people or staff. Staffing levels allow for intensive individual work with young people in which unacceptable social behaviour can be addressed. Young people benefit from this input and staff are good role models to them. 5 of 8 Inspection Report: SC063103 The premises are safely maintained ensuring young people and staff are not exposed to

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

environmental risks in the home. Regular checks are carried out on the fire prevention system and evacuations take place frequently. All staff working in the home are safe to work with young people and are subject to a range of vetting processes. All visitors to the home sign in and out and do not have unsupervised access to young people.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is outstanding. Young people receive an excellent service from staff to support individual needs. Young people have external support from psychologists and consultant paediatricians to monitor and review the progress of each young person's placement. This takes into account the specific individual needs of young people and the support they require.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Education is effectively promoted and young people are supported to engage in educational-based activities. There are excellent links with the schools young people attend and young people's attendance in school is good. Young people have regularly reviewed personal education plans and copies of educational statements for young people with special needs are available within their case files. Young people benefit from excellent educational resources.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Young people have the opportunity to participate in a wide range of activities both in the home and using community facilities. Records show young people enjoy their hobbies and interests. Staff support young people well to use their leisure time positively.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is outstanding. Young people have detailed placement plans, these identify their individual needs and how those needs are to be met. Each plan routinely covers young people's health, emotional, social, educational, cultural and religious needs. Staff use these plans daily to provide young people with excellent support, in accordance with their assessed needs. In addition, staff have developed with individual young people, individual person centred plans. These are in written and pictorial format and enable young people to clearly identify issues that are important and the level of support that they need to enable them to fulfil their person centred plan. Young people are encouraged to attend their statutory review and staff advocate well on their behalf. Recommendations from reviews are acted on promptly in order to achieve a desired outcome.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Young people's arrangements for maintaining contact with their family and friends are good and monitored regularly. Staff can transport and facilitate contact if the need is identified for young people. These arrangements significantly enhance young people maintaining links with their families.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Admissions to the home are planned. This allows young people and their families the opportunity to visit and meet with other young residents and staff. Assessments during the admission process consider any likely impact young people may have on the current resident group, and equally any likely impact the group may have on them. There is excellent information for parents in relation to the services the home provides.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Young people are consulted in a variety of ways, for example, through weekly group meetings, key worker sessions and independent advocates. This ensures young people's views are sought 6 of 8 Inspection Report: SC063103 collectively and individually in relation to their daily lives. Staff maintain positive links with parents and family members and seek their views in relation to the running of the home and the care provided to young people. The home has received positive feedback from parents, placing authorities and independent reviewing officers.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

The provision is good. The home is a detached five bedroom house within a residential area. The house does not differ from those in the area and is not highlighted as being different from the rest of the community. Each young person has their own bedroom that they are encouraged and supported to personalise. The main living area consists of a large lounge, dining room, kitchen and activity room. This enables young people to have the opportunity to have sufficient space if they wish to have some privacy or to join in with the other young people.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

The home is decorated to a high standard. Young people have been involved in choosing the décor within the home. Furnishings are good and provide the young people with a comfortable and homely environment.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

Most young people have a pathway plan in place. Where these are outstanding, the home has actively pursued this with individual placing authorities. Transition plans have commenced for young people to identify any future care needs that they may require and the home is working in conjunction with placing social workers to ensure that these identify individual needs of young people and how those needs will be met in the future.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. The Statement of Purpose contains information about the home and the services that it provides. This document is up to date and readily available to staff, parents and placing authorities. Young people receive appropriate information specifically designed to enable them to understand the services the home provides to them.

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Organisation

The promotion of equality and diversity is good. All the home's recording systems take account of potential needs in relation to young people's diversity, such as, identity, race, culture, religion and disability. Staff receive training and guidance in equality and diversity. This enables them to have a good understanding on the importance and impact on young people. This ensures that the home provides an environment where the value of equality and diversity is understood, promoted and celebrated.

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Organisation

The Registered Manager and senior staff team work alongside staff to ensure that effective support is provided, enabling staff to maintain a high level of care for the young people. Informal supervision is provided on a daily basis. However, formal supervision is not routinely held on a monthly basis for all staff. This does not ensure that staff receive support on a one-to-one basis that is clearly recorded. A training programme is in place and staff have good access to training courses to develop their skills and knowledge, enabling them to effectively support the young people living at the home. Most of the staff are qualified or enrolled on the National Vocational Qualification at level 3 in Caring for Children and Young People. 7 of 8 Inspection Report: SC063103 The home has clear deputising arrangements in place to cover the manager's absence and there is a formal duty system to ensure additional out of hours support is available from experienced

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Organisation

Good systems are in place to monitor the service and daily lives of young people currently living in the home. Reports following monitoring visits include areas identified for improvement. Young people's case files are well organised and contain all of the information as specified in regulation. This information is available and shared with individual young people.

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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 all staff working at the home receive at least one and a half hours of one-to-one supervision from a senior member of staff each month (NMS 28.2) • ensure that a minimum of 80% of staff have completed their National Vocational Qualification Level 3 for Children and Young People (NMS 29.5) 8 of 8 Inspection Report: SC063103

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