Children's Home, Residential special school run by The Senad Group Limited in Derbyshire

SC372504 Unique reference number 16 August 2010 Inspection date Jackie Callaghan / Dawn Taylor Inspector Random Type of Inspection

p.1

4 February 2010 Date of last 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 7 Inspection Report: SC372504

p.3

Brief description of the service

The home's accommodation is currently situated on one site. The site is set in extensive grounds where there are six houses. The number of beds in each house varies from one to 16 beds. Children and young people are accommodated either according to their gender, age and/or compatibility. Each house has its own lounge, dining room and kitchen.

p.4

Brief description of the service

All children and young people living at the home receive education at the provision's school. The home is near to a town centre and within commuting distance of a large city centre. The home has its own transport which is used to enable children and young people to access community facilities.

p.4

Brief description of the service

Each unit has its own team of care staff and waking night staff. The home is registered to provide 51 places. Seven young people were observed during this inspection, however, due to their limited communication they did not verbally contribute to the report on this occasion.

p.4

Summary

This was an interim unannounced inspection that concentrated on all key national minimum standards in staying safe. It also looked at actions and recommendations made at the last inspection.

p.4

Summary

Positive relationships exist between young people and staff; who are very caring and supportive. One action and three recommendations have been raised in respect of the behaviour management systems. This is to ensure that documentation meets regulation and that all staff receive the necessary training in order to use restraint safely. A fourth recommendation has been repeated in economic well-being to make sure that the potential restriction of movement is written into young people's placement plans. This recommendation has also been added too in order to further strengthen practice by making information about the locking of external doors more transparent. The overall quality rating is satisfactory. This is an overview of what the inspector found during the inspection.

p.4

Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection the provision was asked to ensure that staff, including agency staff receive supervision as directed by the national minimum standards. They were also asked to make sure that any physical restriction on normal movement within the home is agreed within young people's placement plans.

p.4

Improvements since the last inspection

All staff, including agency, now receive regular supervision. This ensures that they are actively supported to undertake all the responsibilities of their role in order to safeguard young people's welfare.

p.4

Improvements since the last inspection

External doors continue to be locked to maintain young people's safety. Some young people, where the risk assessment judges them to be competent, have their own key. However, not all young people have a key so these locked doors restrict their free movement. It is acknowledged that the home provides an appropriate balance between young people's freedom and their physical safety and security. Even so, for those young people with no key, an overt description 4 of 7 Inspection Report: SC372504 of this security needs to be placed within their individual placement plans. As a result this recommendation is repeated.

p.4

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. Most young people using the service require high levels of support and supervision from staff when carrying out personal care. Staff provide this in a way that maintains young people's privacy and dignity.

p.5

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people’s welfare and safety is positively promoted. There are established systems and processes in place which are underpinned by a robust range of policies and procedures that relate to the protection of young people. There are systems in place for protecting young people who are absent from the home without permission and for notifying and reporting significant events to relevant bodies.

p.5

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people, parents and professionals are able to raise concerns and complaints with the home through a well known complaints procedure. The home takes complaints from young people and others seriously and deals with them quickly and effectively. Very few formal complaints have been made about the home.

p.5

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people and staff know that bullying is not tolerated. Young people receive clear messages that bullying behaviour will be challenged and that these issues are discussed openly within the home to ensure everyone is protected.

p.5

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people are encouraged, guided and taught how to understand what conduct is expected of them in various situations. Staff support them to employ appropriate strategies when they experience difficulties. A key strength of this service is the strong positive relationships between staff and young people. Staff report that they reward good behaviour; however, there is no written system which supports this. In one unit a sanctions book and a physical intervention log do not have numbered pages. In all sanctions and physical intervention books across the site, the matters recorded are not in line with regulations. As a result, they do not hold the information required to monitor the appropriate use of sanctions and physical interventions as defined by individual behaviour management plans and the service's physical intervention policy. Agency staff do not have on their files signed copies of the physical intervention policy.

p.5

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The home does offer regular training in the use of behaviour management and restraints. The management team have identified that agency staff are not always appropriately trained and are in the process of rectifying this. Nevertheless, there have been occasions where untrained agency staff have been involved in physical interventions. These shortfalls have the potential to significantly compromise both young people and staff’s welfare and safety.

p.5

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people’s health and safety is protected because the home has risk assessments for all aspects of the safety of the premises and grounds, which are implemented successfully in practice. The school operates a robust staff vetting procedure and staff demonstrate proactive awareness of the need to safeguard young people. 5 of 7 Inspection Report: SC372504

p.5

Achieving economic wellbeing

The provision is satisfactory. Young people benefit from staying in a comfortable and homely environment. The provision's accommodation ranges from adequate to very good. Some young people have little awareness of community dangers and external doors are locked to maintain safety. However, this can restrict the movement of young people from freely walking around the whole site. It is acknowledged that the home is working hard to ensure that there is an appropriate balance between young people's freedom and their physical safety and security. Nevertheless, there is a need to include an overt description of this security within young people's placement plans.

p.6

Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. The home provides a Statement of Purpose which clearly identifies the service provided to young people who reside at the home. It is made available to all potential families and relevant professionals. However, the provision is missing the opportunity to overtly describe that external doors are locked to maintain young people's safety. All staff, including managerial staff, receive supervision and appraisal with the regularity required. As a result, young people's welfare is positively promoted.

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

Due date Action Standard

16 September 2010 ensure that any measure of control, restraint or discipline is recorded in a volume kept for that purpose and includes the required information. Regulation 17(4)

p.6

Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • ensure that the record of restraints and sanctions are kept in separate, bound and numbered books (NMS 22.9 and 22.10) • consider developing a system for recording rewards that reinforces positive messages given to children for the achievement of acceptable behaviour (NMS 22.2) 6 of 7 Inspection Report: SC372504 • ensure all staff including agency, sign a copy of the policy on the use and techniques of physical restraint, which they are aware of and trained in and evidence is retained on their personnel file (NMS 22.8) • ensure that any physical restrictions on normal movement within the home is agreed within the young people's placement plan and is defined within the Statement of Purpose. (NMS 23.5 and 1) 7 of 7 Inspection Report: SC372504

p.6