Children's Home run by Hillcrest Children‟s Services (2) Limited in Staffordshire

SC398482 Unique reference number 8 July 2010 Inspection date Andrew Hewston Inspector Key Type of Inspection

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30 November 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: SC398482

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Brief description of the service

The home provides care and accommodation to six young people, aged from 11 to 16 years of age, including those with emotional and behavioural difficulties. It forms part of a larger organisation that also offers educational provisions to young people to those accommodated and external placements.

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Brief description of the service

The home is within a semi-rural area. The registration is made up of two accommodation areas, the house and the lodge. The latter consists of two self-contained bungalows with accommodation for young people and staff sleep-in areas. The house is a large building with separate bedrooms for young people. Both accommodation areas are on the same general site with a driveway between the two.

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Summary

This was a full unannounced inspection that concentrated on key national minimum standards. The inspection focused on areas related to health needs, keeping young people safe, education and how individual support is provided. The inspection also concentrated on how the home consulted with young people, planned for their care and how staffing and management arrangements supported the operation of the service.

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Summary

The inspection found that the home provides a good standard of care and support that helps young people with their education, personal, social and emotional development. Staff are supported well by the manager who has a strong commitment and focus on improvement. 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

The last inspection highlighted a range of areas in need of improvement within the home. Five actions and 13 recommendations of practice in need of development were reported. Four of the actions have been fully completed following improvements in the homes complaints procedures, placement plans and Statement of Purpose. The home has also improved in the décor of young people's rooms to allow them greater privacy. One action regarding the need for clear training has been partly met and will remain as a recommendation of good practice from this inspection.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The manager and staff team have worked hard to show that 12 of the 13 previous recommendations of improving practice have been met. Menus for meals have improved but the administration of medication records continue to need development. Young people's safety has increased through improvements to staff's knowledge of behaviour management plans, responding to bullying behaviours and ensuring risk assessments relating to absence without permissions. All health and safety certification is now available and fire drills are completed in both the lodge and house areas. Young people have improved information relating to their ability to access independent visitors and education planning is up to date. Placement planning is updated following reviews being completed and contact arrangements are clearer within files, although this information is not yet included within the placement plans. The home's 4 of 8 Inspection Report: SC398482

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Improvements since the last inspection

Statement of Purpose includes a basic staffing policy and there is now evidence of when young people's views are gained through key working and weekly meetings.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The manager has completed his registration.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. All young people's health needs are examined within plans that form a part of their whole placement plans. Health plans ensure that identified needs are responded to. Young people are supported with attending a range of health care professionals including opticians and dentists. Staff have completed training in first aid to respond to accidents.

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Helping children to be healthy

Health plans show an awareness of the differing medication that young people are administered. All medication is administered in line with young people's health plans and the guidance of the placing social worker although the recording of this is not sufficiently clear and the labelling of the medication is not fully in place. Some staff have recently completed medication administration training. All young people are registered with a doctor, who completes medication reviews when necessary to ensure that young people are being the correct medication.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Young people are kept safe within the home through personalised procedures and staff's good awareness of the differing needs of the young people.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people's privacy is supported by the staff team. All young people have their own rooms and there are systems in place to record if rooms have been searched. Electronic monitoring may be utilised through a door alarm system; permissions regarding this are sought from the placing social worker.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

All young people are made aware of the complaints procedures on admission to the home through a complaints information pack and discussions with staff. Complaints made by young people, either through the formalised or more informal verbal system, are recorded and responded to. The referencing of these complaints is inconsistent, with some recordings within young people's files but not the home's record.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The home's computer has a direct link to the local safeguarding board to support staff with the reporting of welfare concerns. No safeguarding concerns have been raised since the home's last inspection. All staff are trained in the receiving and reporting of young people's concerns, either within complaints or safeguarding procedures.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Bullying behaviours exhibited by the young people are responded to by the staff team through discussions and the use of individualised behaviour management procedures. Staff state that there has been a decrease in bullying behaviours since the home's last inspection. Arrangements are in place to respond when young people absent themselves from the home. This includes full recordings of the incidents and discussions with young people on their return to the home. Protocols are in place with the local police regarding the reporting of missing young people.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff promote young people's good behaviour through differing systems linked to individualised behaviour plans. Systems relating to the use of sanctions or positive rewards are in place and 5 of 8 Inspection Report: SC398482 known by the young people. Problematic behaviours are seen to be responded to through discussion within groups and on an individual basis. All incidents of restraint are well recorded and show the antecedence, restraint and assessed outcomes from these episodes. All staff involved with restraints have completed training. All behaviour management recordings are monitored by the Registered Manager and also reported on within Regulation 34 reports. Young people state that their behaviour has improved while being at the home.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff ensure the ongoing safety of young people through regular and rigorous health and safety checks. Information regarding the majority of checks is available within the home. Fire safety checks and drills are completed appropriately. Risk assessments relating to young people and the activities that they are involved in are completed.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The organisation’s staff recruitment checks were inspected on the 10 May 2010 and show that there are robust procedures in place that ensure the safety of the young people. All checks as required under the regulations are appropriately carried out. Where issues have arisen these are discussed within the recruitment process, responded to and recorded. Checks against the ‘disqualification for caring for children regulations’ are also completed as part of recruitment procedures.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Young people receive a good range of individualised support through both the staff team and external professionals. All young people have access to an independent visitor and there is a link manager for young people who would rather talk to a manager from a different home. All young people's needs are individually identified and supported through the placement planning system.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

All young people at the home attend education provided by the organisation. Staff state that attendance at the educational provision has improved considerably since the last inspection. Staff offer support to the young people within their educational placements. All necessary personal education planning is in place and these are written through contributions from the placing social worker, the home's staff and the school.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Young people enjoy a range of activities both within the home and externally. There are some inconsistencies with the way that activities are planned and some activities could form part of wider behaviour management planning. This difference in planning is due in part to the age and independence of the young people. All activities are fully supported by the staff team and risk assessments have been completed.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. All young people have placement plans that highlight assessed needs of the young people and how these are to be met by the staff team. Placement plans are in line with the looked after children documentation and contain the majority of information required. There is no information relating to contact within the placement plans although additional information within young people's files shows that contact arrangements are fully supported by the staff team. Information relating to how the home supports young people's cultural needs is also insufficient within the home's planning, although this is clear within the looked after children documentation. 6 of 8 Inspection Report: SC398482 Placement plans are reviewed in line with the young people's review arrangements. Minutes of previous reviews are available. Young people's views regarding their future plans are ensured through both their attendance at reviews and the completion of pre-review consultation

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Helping children make a positive contribution

paperwork. The home's staff also contribute significantly to young people's reviews through detailed reports.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Young people are consulted with regard to the running of the home on a daily basis through ongoing discussions and more formalised weekly meetings where appropriate. Each young person has a designated key worker and meetings of these are recorded and show how the staff respond to identified needs.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

The provision is satisfactory. There is a recognised difference between the accommodation offered at the lodge and the house. The former of these being of a higher standard and young people enjoying their own dining room, kitchen and lounge area. The house continues to offer an acceptable standard of accommodation but needs redecoration and an upgrading of the furnishings to ensure all young people enjoy a pleasant homely environment. Young people also state that there is a discrepancy between the two accommodation areas and a need for work to be completed within the house area. The home's development plan highlights areas in need of upgrading including the house environment. Some work has been completed on the bedroom areas to provide additional privacy and staff state that young people's care of their own rooms has improved.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Young people have information about what they can expect from the home, how they will be cared for and who they are likely to share with. Parents and placing social workers have a clear statement on how the home operates. Consequently, all parties are well informed about the running of the home.

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Organisation

Staff are well supported by the home's manager. Supervision meetings are completed with staff on a monthly basis and newer staff have additional meetings with senior staff. Staff meetings take place on a monthly basis and minutes show that these are a time for staff to discuss ongoing working practice and the development of the young people.

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Organisation

There are sufficient staff within the home to ensure that young people are being appropriately cared for. Staffing levels are responsive to the identified needs of the young people. The staff team contains a range of individuals with differing expertise and experience relating to residential care. The team has seen significant change over the past year. This has led to less than 50% of the current staff team having completed a National Vocational Qualification at level 3 course in Caring for Children and Young People. This is being responded to by the organisation's training department. There is a variation in the evidence of training that has been completed by the staff team, with the lodge and house training matrices not showing all of the courses that staff have completed.

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Organisation

The manager and staff team conduct effective weekly and monthly monitoring of the operation of the home under schedule 6. Areas requiring change are highlighted during this monitoring and discussed within the staff team. 7 of 8 Inspection Report: SC398482 The promotion of equality and diversity is satisfactory. Staff have developed their awareness of diversity since the last inspection. The promotion of equality is discussed within young people's meetings and the home has a clear policy addressing this.

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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

30 July 2010 ensure there are suitable arrangements for the recording, handling, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of any medicines received into the home (regulation 21.1) 31 August 2010 ensure all staff have completed training in the administration of medication (regulation 27.4 (a)) 31 July 2010 ensure that a written record is made of any complaint, the action taken in response, and the outcome of the investigation within the home's records (regulation 24.5).

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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 activities are appropriately planned for (NMS 15.9) • ensure contact arrangements and how the home supports cultural needs are within young people's placement plans (NMS 2.1) • ensure all medication is appropriately labelled (NMS 13.7) • ensure the home is decorated to support young people's development (NMS 23.1) • ensure a minimum ratio of 80% of all care staff have completed their Level 3 in the Caring for Children and Young People NVQ (NMS 29.5). 8 of 8 Inspection Report: SC398482

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