Children's Home run by McRae Residential Care Services Limited in Croydon

SC025813 Unique reference number 20 July 2010 Inspection date Caroline Wilson Inspector Key Type of Inspection

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15 January 2010 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: SC025813

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Brief description of the service

This home provides a service for young males from all communities who are in the process of preparing to move on to semi-independence, with a specific emphasis on providing culturally sensitive care to young black males. The service can cater for up to a maximum of eight young people, who each have their own bedroom and share the other communal facilities of the house. The service is located in an area that provides easy access to leisure, community and transport facilities. The managing company also operates a registered school, which is in an adjacent property, and a fostering unit. The younger people placed at the unit may have access to these additional services. This children’s unit also now provides an education resource at the unit called the Nurture Group.

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Summary

This inspection looked at the key standards under the children's homes regulation 2001.

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Summary

The home has recently been through a period of transition where a number of changes have been made to the staff team. The period of instability has passed. The current staff team are knowledgeable and experienced and show great enthusiasm towards the role that they have undertaken. They enjoy positive and constructive relationships with young people.

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Summary

The home provides a good service to young people. They showed evidence that they are good at promoting and safeguarding the welfare of young people. In particular, there are a number of courses available to staff to increase their knowledge of working with young people and cater for their physical and emotional needs. For example, some staff have recently attended courses relating to attachment theory as well as food and hygiene.

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Summary

The home has a couple of outstanding features in relation to its educational facilities and its resident's meetings. The organisation has a school in which young people can attend in order that they can get familiarised with the school environment in a non-threatening manner. The school offers education in line with the national curriculum as well as providing skills for life. The resident's meetings, or Teen Talk sessions, as they are known, are used for young people to have their say on the way that the home is run, but also provide them with constructive advice and support on matters that are relevant for young people today. 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

Since the last inspection, the home has ensured that full and satisfactory information is available for all staff before they begin work. Records are now kept of all complaints, no matter how small.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Young people are provided with a healthy and nutritious diet. The home has a cook who ensures that young people are given meals which meet their dietary requirements and cultural choices. Young people speak highly of the quality of the food provided. Young people are knowledgeable 4 of 8 Inspection Report: SC025813 on what makes a healthy and balanced meal. Young people are provided with opportunities to plan, shop and cook meals in line with their age and aptitude and as part of their planning for independence.

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Helping children to be healthy

Young people's health needs are identified and met. All young people are registered with primary health professionals and receive both routine and emergency health care. Planning of health care is good. It is clear when young people have attended appointments, the outcome and whether or not follow up treatment is required. Young people are provided with good advice on a range of social issues, including contraception, drug misuse and safe sex. This is so that they are aware of the risk factors involved and so that they can make informed choices in respect of these.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Young people live in a safe environment. They are protected by a comprehensive range of detailed health and safety procedures and risk assessments. Staff carry out regular health and safety checks. Fire drills have been undertaken, however, records of these have not been appropriately recorded. Checks such as the gas safety and electrical installation are undertaken in accordance with relevant timescales. This ensures that young people live in homes that provide physical safety and security.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Good policies and procedures are in place which enable staff to effectively manage any incidents of bullying. Bullying is taken seriously and the home has a zero tolerance stance in respect of this. Young people are confident in the processes and report any incidences of bullying to staff. Staff take immediate and appropriate action in order to keep young people safe. Support is given to young people who are bullied and advice and action taken to those who bully where appropriate. Young people who are bullied can contribute to this process as they have the opportunity to express their views on what action should be taken. Young people who are bullied can also escalate their complaint to the next stage if they are unhappy with the initial outcome.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people are kept safe by reporting procedures relating to young people who are missing. The home works in partnership with the local missing persons unit to ensure that resources are used to locate young people who are missing rather than those who have outstayed their curfew. The home keeps in regular telephone contact with young people who are unauthorised absent to monitor the level of risks to the young people. The home report young people who are missing in accordance with relevant procedures. Young people are treated positively on their return. This includes a debriefing session by the local missing persons unit and the dangers and consequences of going missing are outlined to them.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people are assisted to develop socially acceptable behaviour. They are rewarded for good behaviour and sanctions are used where they break the rules. For instance, young people are provided with financial bonuses where they display positive behaviours or achieve targets set. Where sanctions are given, these are relative to the rule that has been broken, and are dealt with on an individual basis. For example, young people may lose the use of their stereo for a short period of time if they do not respond to requests to turn the music down. Young people may also be required to contribute to the payment of any deliberate damage to property. Restraints are only used in instances where there is risk to the young person, others or property. Consequently, restraints have not been used for a significant period of time. 5 of 8 Inspection Report: SC025813 Staff respect young people's privacy consistent with good parenting and the need to protect

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

young people. Young people have double bedrooms to promote privacy and dignity. Information about young people is managed confidentially and held securely in the office.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff give protecting young people from harm a high priority. Staff understand fully their responsibilities to promote and safeguard young people’s welfare. Staff are knowledgeable about the home’s procedures for responding to concerns about young people's safety.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The home has a clear complaints procedure that is easily accessible to young people. Young people are confident in making complaints if they are unhappy about any aspect of their care. All complaints are taken seriously and handled in accordance within relevant timescales.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The recruitment and selection of people working at the home is thorough to make sure young people are protected. For example, before starting work, full and satisfactory information is available to ensure that staff are safe to work with young people. The home has suitable systems in place to ensure that visitors to the home are suitably checked and supervised in order to protect young people.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. The arrangements for ensuring that young people's educational needs are promoted is excellent. All the young people are enrolled in an educational placement of which they attend regularly. Some young people attend a local school, which is part of this organisation. Here, young people develop a range of skills in accordance with the national curriculum. This includes, English, mathematics, and cookery classes. The classes are smaller and enable young people who may have been out of mainstream schooling for some time to get used to the school environment. The school has good facilities, and young people also have the opportunity to learn life-skills such as gardening and growing fruit and vegetables. Young people can also receive additional support with their education and tutoring is provided to ensure that young people reach their full potential. Within the home, there are good facilities for young people to do their homework.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Young people are very well supported with their individual needs. They receive individual support when they need it on a range of issues relating to their emotional and physical care. Staff spend a lot of individual time with young people and enjoy positive relationships with them. Young people's individual needs are clearly identified in their records and put into practice effectively.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Young people are encouraged to live an active lifestyle and are involved in a range of activities accordingly. The home itself has grounds which contain sufficient space for young people to participate in activities such as basketball, football and trampolining. A programme of activities is being set out for the young people to enjoy during the forthcoming summer holidays. Young people are encouraged to take part in a wide range of activities in the community. This includes going to the cinema, playing football and table tennis. Staff find out about young people’s interests and work hard to find out where these are so that young people have access to these.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. 6 of 8 Inspection Report: SC025813 The home’s records provide a detailed insight into the individual needs of young people and the plans in place to meet them. This provides very good evidence that young people live in a service that is able to meet their needs and provide the support they require. Staff keep detailed records about young people’s progress and experiences showing clearly how young people’s needs are being met on a daily basis.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Young people’s placements are reviewed regularly to make sure that they continue to meet their needs. Staff work very closely with young people, placing authorities and other professionals to monitor their progress, taking into account any changes in their lives and to identify the best way to support young people. Staff help young people understand decisions made about their lives.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Young people have the opportunity to have a say about the way that the home is run and enjoy getting information on a range of subjects. Teen talk sessions are held every two weeks. These meetings are well-attended and young people give their views on household issues such as menus, house chores and activities. These sessions are also used to provide young people with advice on a range of issues that are relevant for young people today in a way that is meaningful to them. Discussions include gang culture, pregnancy and contraception. These sessions are facilitated by people who have had some experience in the various subject matters. This enables them to have more empathy for young people's experiences rather than looking at it from a purely academic point of view.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The home encourages young people to have regular contact with their families and friends. Staff actively facilitate and support young people seeing their families. Young people have clear arrangements for contact with their families to help them maintain and build positive relationships. Staff ensure young people have suitable regular contact and that the arrangements promote and safeguard young people’s welfare.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

The provision is good. Young people are involved in preparing themselves for adult life. Young people are encouraged to take an active interest in gaining the skills and knowledge to ensure a successful transition into adulthood. Staff support young people to address areas where they require further assistance. This is to enable young people to develop a wide range of life skills to support them in the future.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

Young people live in an environment, which is a good size and which has sufficient space to meet their needs. However, it is not maintained or decorated to a good standard. For instance, repairs to the property are not undertaken in a timely fashion and this impacts on the overall look of the home. Young people have personalised their bedrooms to reflect their interests and individual tastes, including posters of their favourite music stars.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. The promotion of equality and diversity is good. The home cares for young people from diverse backgrounds which is reflected within the staff team. The food that young people eat and the images in the home are reflective of their backgrounds. The home treats young people as individuals and as such provides a package of care that is individual to each young person. 7 of 8 Inspection Report: SC025813 The home has good systems in place to review the quality of care provided. Staff adequately identify areas for improvement so that steps can be taken to address these issues. A full assessment is undertaken of systems in the home.

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Organisation

The home’s written records provide a comprehensive picture of individual young people’s needs, development and progress. Young people’s records contain up-to-date information about them, including the relevant documents from placing authorities.

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Organisation

Young people are looked after by an enthusiastic and competent staff team who have experience and qualifications in caring for young people. The skills within the team match the needs of young people living in the home well. The numbers of staff on duty meets the needs of young people and is sufficient enough for staff to accompany young people on activities, visits and appointments as well as managing the office. Staff have a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities in promoting and safeguarding the welfare of young people placed. Staff receive one-to-one supervision within the recommended timescales to ensure they are suitably supported and guided in promoting and safeguarding young people’s welfare.

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Organisation

Young people, their parents and social workers know what support they can expect from the home and how they will be looked after, this information is set out in the home's Statement of Purpose. The children's guide is written in a way that is easily understood by 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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Due date Action Standard

31 October 2010 ensure that records of fire drills are kept up-to-date (Regulation 29 (1) )

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Recommendations

There are no recommendations. 8 of 8 Inspection Report: SC025813

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