Children's Home, Residential special school run by Staffordshire County Council in Staffordshire

Unique reference number SC415138 Inspection date 04/09/2010 Inspector David Morgan Type of inspection Key

p.1

Date of last inspection 12/07/2010 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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 Crispins, 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.

p.3

About this inspection

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 outcomes for children set out in the Children Act 2004 and the relevant National Minimum Standards for the service.

p.3

The inspection judgements and what they mean

Outstanding: this aspect of the provision is of exceptionally high quality Good: this aspect of the provision is strong Satisfactory: this aspect of the provision is sound Inadequate: this aspect of the provision is not good enough

p.3

Brief description of the service

This resource centre provides respite care for up to six children and/or young people in need, aged between 8 and 17 years of age who have learning and/or physical disabilities and/or sensory impairments. The service operates at weekends and holidays only but there is also a new, full-time outreach service that operates from the centre. Currently 38 children and young people receive residential respite care, which provides an opportunity for them to spend time away from their families. The four young people present during the inspection contributed to this report.

p.4

Brief description of the service

The centre was opened in July 2010 as a development of a previous service. It operates closely with another similar service with which it shares a manager and occasionally staff. The staff team includes centre staff, outreach staff, kitchen and domestic staff, and a handyman. Staff aim to provide a flexible service in collaboration with other agencies that meets the changing needs of children and young people who have disabilities and their families.

p.4

Summary

The overall quality rating is outstanding.

p.4

Summary

This is an overview of what the inspector found during the inspection.

p.4

Summary

This full unannounced visit was undertaken at the weekend and benefitted from input from four young people. The overall quality rating remains outstanding. All areas of care are covered. Last time, no actions or recommendations were made. On this occasion, two recommendations are made, firstly regarding improving fire safety measures and, secondly, regarding improving the risk assessment process. It is to the credit of all concerned that particularly high standards are being maintained, especially as the service has recently re-located to another property.

p.4

Improvements since the last inspection

No actions or recommendations were identified last time.

p.4

Helping children to be healthy

Children and young people enjoy a particularly high standard of nutritious meals that address their dietary and practical requirements. Because of the temporary, respite nature of the service, there is a reduced emphasis on children and young people learning cooking skills. However, domestic-style kitchenettes are used regularly. Professional cooks, as well as care staff, ensure meals are freshly prepared on site and include fresh fruit and vegetables. Equipment and presentation is adapted appropriately and sensitively to meet individual needs. Staff ensure that each child and young person benefits as much as possible from the social opportunities provided by mealtimes.

p.4

Helping children to be healthy

Children and young people present a range of complex health needs and these are extremely competently addressed by staff. Individual needs vary substantially and staff ensure they are fully familiar with all issues. As a result, children and young people benefit from excellent care that provides discreet and thorough attention to all their needs. These high standards are represented by the excellent attention given to the medication that a high proportion of children and young people use. Extremely thorough systems ensure that all the procedures are applied correctly. For example, all administration is undertaken by two staff and time is programmed into the daily schedule to ensure that medication for new admissions is obtained in advance so it can be checked. This ensures accuracy and continuity of administration.

p.5

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people benefit from excellent levels of privacy not just in terms of the privacy afforded by their own bedrooms but also the manner in which their care is provided. Staff are careful to respect each individual’s right to a high level of confidentiality. To some extent this has been improved in the new building because there is more space and each child and young person has their own en-suite, which is excellent.

p.5

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Effective communication with both children and young people and their families help to ensure that any concerns by parents in particular are addressed at an informal level; no formal complaints have been received since the last inspection. On the other hand, there is a large number of messages of appreciation. The service is effective in seeking information from service users and parents. Such communication also translates into effective education of children and young people, for example, regarding bullying, about which excellent work is undertaken in anti-bullying workshops. The separation of children and young people into age groups is also positive in this regard.

p.5

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff continually praise children and young people and sanctions of any sort are avoided. Behaviour management overall is excellent. Individualised systems are used to encourage positive behaviour, for example, with rewards such as stickers. These are logged. Parents and school staff are kept informed of incidents and progress both verbally and through note books. All negative incidents are followed up with children and young people to ensure they learn as much as possible. Occasions when formal restraint is required are minimal. This is a major benefit to children and young people and a credit to staff who are adept at avoiding and deescalating difficult situations. Social workers report 'excellent liaison and communication with written copies of intervention programmes and plans'. Children and young people are closely supervised and this contributes to high levels of safeguarding and also their protection from being absent without authority.

p.5

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Special attention is given to high risk occasions when children and young people are being transferred between locations. For example, there are particularly close links with schools from where staff often collect and return children and young people. This high level of communication also applies if there are any concerns although it is to the credit of all concerned that the number of formal notifications about serious incidents since the last inspection is nil.

p.6

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The property has been completely refurbished and safety and security measures are completely up to date and of a high standard. Checks and tests occur frequently. Fire drills occur at a particularly high frequency to ensure that all children and young people have some familiarity with the noise and the process. However, realistic difficulties such as may arise from individual needs, night-time complications and the need to use alternative routes are not sufficiently considered. This means the level of safety for everyone in the event of an emergency is good but not as high as possible. On the other hand, the selection and vetting of all staff is particularly thorough and this helps to ensure that high standards of care are provided.

p.6

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children and young people thoroughly enjoy attending the resource centre. It provides an essential break for both them and their families, who remain responsible for their day-to-day care. The service cares for few children and young people from Black or minority ethnic groups, although this work is being developed. However, any needs arising from culture or religion are met well. Staff are adept at adjusting their service to meet the needs of each group that attends, which means altering activities and programmes according to ages and needs, for example. Staff are fully aware that it is important for children and young people to have an enjoyable experience and that plans must be flexible. This means, for example, that on Saturday mornings some teenagers may decide to stay in bed, which leads to plans being altered accordingly.

p.6

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

All risks are fully assessed and checked with parents and social workers. However, this thorough process is too simple and gives false conclusions in some cases. This shortfall tends to lead to risks being over emphasised. This, plus the short-term nature of the service, means it has a low impact on children and young people in the respite part of the service.

p.6

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Given the respite nature of the service, there are excellent links with colleagues in the education service. Staff have up-to-date information about education targets and ensure that behaviour and other programmes are as consistent as possible between agencies. Communication occurs when children and young people are transferred from school to the resource centre, but also at reviews and six-monthly visits by staff to school, which is excellent practice. Most activities with the children and young people are educative and this extends to the recreational part of their care. Staff ensure that activities include physical exercise and stimulation in a variety of ways, whether in-house with arts and crafts or on outings. Children and young people have benefitted from a programme of residential trips with friends and staff during the recent summer holiday period, which shows particular commitment and organisation by the staff team.

p.6

Helping children make a positive contribution

New children and young people experience gradual and sensitive introductions to the centre. This practice is based on sound principles that were used very effectively recently when children and young people left the old centre and were introduced to the new one. This complicated activity provided a smooth transition that also exposed children and young people to new and constructive experiences. Staff ensure that similar care is taken with transitions to adult services and a member of the team is designated to oversee the process, which is excellent practice.

p.7

Helping children make a positive contribution

Before and after admission, children and young people have their needs assessed particularly thoroughly. Records show that each person’s complex needs are identified and properly summarised with targets set for development. Assessments include a wide range of specialist staff, such as occupational and speech therapists. Staff, and key workers especially, ensure they remain familiar with these plans so they can be addressed on each shift. Progress is then reviewed internally by the staff team, with other professionals and parents, and also at statutory reviews. Importantly, all discussions and conclusions are relayed to children and young people in appropriate formats so they contribute and understand as much as possible. This also applies to day-to-day decision making when staff use a variety of communication systems with children and young people.

p.7

Helping children make a positive contribution

The review process is only part of the effective communication with families. Staff are excellent at supporting families and face-to-face and telephone contact occurs frequently. The centre offers an increasingly wide range of packages to families, including emergency support, youth clubs, sibling groups, holidays, as well as respite care. This high level of contact means that respite care is more effective for children and young people but also helps to ensure continuity of their care at home. During their short stays there are appropriate ways for children and young people to keep in touch with home, such as a wheelchair accessible phone booth.

p.7

Achieving economic wellbeing

Given the remit of the service and the fact that most of the children and young people are in the legal care of their parents not the local authority, they receive excellent support towards adulthood. Each part of the care they receive at the centre encourages and supports the development of skills that they will use in adulthood. Transition planning is excellent and external; independent advocacy is not only readily available but routinely provided.

p.7

Achieving economic wellbeing

Children and young people benefit from an attractive, fully refurbished property that is well-located and meets its various purposes well. It is colourful and airy and has easy access throughout, with wheelchair facilities on the ground floor. It is homely in parts and has an excellent level of presentation. Fittings and furnishings are of a high domestic standard and bedrooms are themed to an exceptional level.

p.8

Organisation

The promotion of equality and diversity is outstanding. As described above, the service pays highly effective attention to individual needs. Excellent individual files show that every child and young person has their rights addressed and their opportunities maximised. Skills and self-confidence are encouraged so that independence and access to the community is as full as possible. Community involvement is given a high priority as is the opportunity to mix with peers. Gender issues are appropriately addressed by a mixed-gender team. Children and young people attend community events and themed events occur in-house around cultural and religious festivals. Steps are underway to foster greater involvement in the centre by local minority groups and progress on this already provides mutual benefits. The philosophy of the service is the 'Every Disabled Child Matters' and this is stated in the Statement of Purpose.

p.8

Organisation

The Statement of Purpose is reflected in the information provided to children and young people who are guided through and know what services they can expect from the centre. Recent excellent work in this area ensures children and young people, as well as parents and other stakeholders, understand the evolving functions of the service. In particular, the organisation is aiming to offer an increasingly proactive service that is more able to meet individual needs. To this end, respite care now only operates at weekends and holidays but other services, such as support in the community, have increased.

p.8

Organisation

Young people benefit from a positive and calm atmosphere, which shows there is highly effective leadership and organisation. Staff are well managed, with clear delegation of tasks. They receive excellent support and guidance, whether it is on individual shifts or at annual appraisals. This is a critical feature that is also evident in the excellent supervision and training of staff; some staff, for example, are trainers in their own right. A high proportion of staff have a professional qualification and their ongoing training is thorough. Most supervision meetings are undertaken by senior staff but the manager also undertakes annual supervisory meetings with each member of staff, which is good practice. Staff meetings are a key form of communication and method of achieving consistent practice. Also, night staff undertake day shifts occasionally, which is an important contribution to their consistency and supervision.

p.8

Organisation

Staffing levels are also carefully managed so that children and young people always have a good level of support. Equally important however is the high level of competence of the team members who display confidence and effectiveness. Children and young people are helped to understand which new members of staff are coming on duty and this contributes to the smooth running of the centre.

p.9

Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s):

p.9

Recommendations

 ensure children and staff know the emergency evacuation procedures for the home, including those for use at night, in case of fire, with regard to individual children’s needs and various scenarios (NMS 26.7)  ensure that appropriate risk assessments are made, with regard to including the likelihood of occurrence and severity of the hazard. (NMS 7.9)

p.9