Children's Home run by Positive Pathways Limited in Birmingham

Unique reference number SC410537 Inspection date 16/11/2010 Inspector Andrew Hewston Type of inspection Key

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Date of last inspection 29/06/2010 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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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 Crispins, 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.

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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.

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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

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Brief description of the service

This children's home is one of five homes within the organisation. It aims to meet the needs of children and young people presenting with complex behavioural, psychological and family problems, usually associated with inappropriate and risky behaviour to self and/or to others. It provides residential accommodation to two children and young people, either boys or girls, between the ages of nine and 18 years, who require intensive supervision, support, and therapeutic help in the community. The home consists of a lounge, dining room and kitchen, with a garden at the rear. There is accommodation for two young people and a sleeping-in area for two staff members with office space also used on the second floor of the building.

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Summary

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

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Summary

This was an unannounced key inspection and included discussions with all of the young people within the home and some of the staff team. All key national minimum standards were assessed under the Every Child Matters outcome areas. This is the first inspection of the home following it's registration due to a change in ownership of the organisation.

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Summary

The home offers a very good level of care to the young people and the staff are committed to ensuring positive outcomes for the young people. Young people are fully supported in their health needs and a healthy lifestyle is promoted. Recent changes in medication relating to controlled medication has not yet been fully completed. Young people are safe within the home due to robust safeguarding procedures and a good staff awareness of how to ensure that children are protected at all times. Some recordings relating to recruitment and privacy are however necessary. There are a good range of activities completed by the young people and they are fully supported with achieving through educational placements.

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Summary

Planning of care is appropriate and the staff work closely with placing authorities to ensure that all are aware of how best to work with the young people. Care is offered within outstanding accommodation and the level of support given to young people developing independence skills is high. The management of the home is strong and the staff team have a very good awareness of how to meet the needs of the young people.

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Improvements since the last inspection

No actions or recommendations were made at the last inspection of the home.

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Helping children to be healthy

Young people's health is appropriately supported by the staff team. Meals are pleasant social occasions and menus are developed through discussions with the young people to support their likes and dislikes. Young people on independence programmes are supported with buying and cooking their meals.

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Helping children to be healthy

Young people have health plans that highlight areas of necessary development. These are sufficiently thorough and show that the staff assist young people in attending health appointments. Young people's needs are responded to and there have been improvements in their health through professional input. The home's staff are supported through the organisations psychologist relating to individual young people. Appropriate links are in place with external health professionals.

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Helping children to be healthy

The home has appropriate systems in place to administer medication. Records are fully completed and audits of medication are completed on a regular basis. The home ensures that young people have the correct medication available and a non- prescribed medications list has been approved by the young people's doctor. Controlled medication is not stored and recorded in line with Royal Pharmaceutical Society guidance.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

There are a range of good systems in place to ensure the safety of the young people. Young people state that they feel safe at the home

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people's privacy is respected and staff show a respectful attitude. For example, young people know that staff only enter their bedrooms with their permission. Staff know how to manage confidential information and young people understand that this matters at all times. Permissions relating to the monitoring of specific phone calls are not available.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Arrangements for complaints are appropriate. There have been no complaints made to the home since the last visit. Previous complaints show that staff respond to concerns raised by young people effectively and in writing. Discussions are held with young people on admission to the home and in meetings to ensure that they are aware of how to make complaints. Robust systems are in place to support young people who have been bullied and regular discussions take place to ensure that young people are aware of how to respond to such behaviour.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

There are appropriate systems in place to safeguard young people and all staff have completed training in this area. Staff are aware of who to contact if allegations are made and how to respond if disclosures are made to them. Young people who are absent without authority are protected in accordance with written guidance. Young people are provided with high levels of supervision and where there are known risks this is clearly detailed in their risk assessment. There are clear preventative strategies put in place to avoid young people being absent from the home. Where young people's incidents of leaving the home without permission are high, the home is proactive by consulting further with the placing authority and social worker to help develop robust strategies to help reduce this risk.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The home is successful in helping young people to learn and develop socially acceptable behaviour through encouragement of acceptable behaviour and constructive staff responses to inappropriate behaviour. Differing behaviour management tools are in place to support young people. The majority of staff have completed training in the use of restraint and those that have not, are not involved in situations that may require such action. All measures of control are recorded within individual young people's records although there is no specific home's record relating to sanctions or restraint. The measures of control used within the home are appropriate to meet the level of understanding of the young people.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Good systems are in place to ensure the health and safety of young people and staff. Regular fire safety checks and drills are completed and a fire risk assessment is in place. Gas and portable electrical appliance checks are completed. There is no evidence of an electrical survey having been completed at the home over the past three years. All cleaning materials are appropriately stored and there are full risk assessments relating to the home and the activities that the young people are involved in to ensure that all aspects of care have been thought about.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The vast majority of recruitment information is in place and appropriate checks are available. The staff were employed prior to the registration of the new organisation and as such there are some recordings of recruitment information that are not fully in place. This is being responded to by the management team.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The support received by the young people is highly individualised and tailored to meet their needs. The staff ensure that young people are involved in group activities and school friends visit the home when appropriate. All young people have key workers with specific responsibilities to support young people within meetings and have regular discussions about a range of topics relating to their care. The staff ensure that young people have access to local advocacy services so that they are able to talk to an independent person if required.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Young people's education is fully supported by the home's staff and there are close links and information sharing between the educational placements and staff. Staff are involved with regular meetings at school and have helped to create work experience placements which are again fully supported by the staff. All necessary educational planning is in place. A good range of activities are organised by the staff through consultation with the young people. Young people are able to discuss activities that they have enjoyed including holidays, days out and a range of evening and weekend activities. All activities are risk assessed to support the young people.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Placement plans are in place for all young people and are highly individualised. There is some variation between the quality of plans but all meet the expectations of the standard with regard to the expected outcomes of the young people. Not all plans have been updated to show the developments that the young people have made and changes in areas such as contact. Young people state that they are aware that there are plans in place for them about the future and that they can talk to staff about these. A placing social worker states that the staff offer 'an excellent tailor made service'.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Full reports are available showing the staff's input into the review process. Young people state that they have been involved with reviews but there is insufficient evidence of this due to the lack of minutes from the local authority. Staff are able to discuss decisions that have been made as part of the review process and how these are being responded to.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Staff ensure that young people have regular contact with family in line with the expectations of the placing social workers. Supervised contact is conducted with appropriate professionalism and recordings show how staff have supported contact visits in a practical way as well as recording these fully.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

There are good systems in place to ensure that young people have the opportunity to make decisions about things that affect their lives and can contribute to the way in which the home is run. The views of young people are regarded as essential in developing quality of life at the home. Recordings of regular young people's meetings are responded to by the home's manager to ensure that they know that their requests are being considered.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

There are an excellent range of structures in place that support the development of independence skills. Planning for independence is highly individualised and the young people involved in this have a good awareness of what they need to do to succeed in the gaining of these skills. Independence skills range from personal hygiene to budgeting and travel training to ensure that they are sufficiently skilled to move onto their next placement. Young people are able to discuss how they go shopping, store food and their favourite meals that they cook. There is a high standard of furnishings and décor throughout the well designed home. All communal areas of the home are comfortable and homely and staff promote the individualisation of young people's rooms. Colourful and interesting photographs from activities are around the upstairs walls, while the downstairs areas are pleasantly decorated and appropriate to the cultural sensitivities of the young

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Achieving economic wellbeing

people. All communal areas are clean and tidy and young people help with some tasks around the house to develop independence skills. Young people are proud to show off their pets and talk about how lucky they are to be able to keep them at the home. They also discuss how they like their rooms.

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Organisation

The leadership and management of the home is good. The new manager shows a real passion for providing good quality care, support and guidance that makes a real difference for young people's lives. The management and leadership of the home is effective because all staff work cohesively as a team. As a result, the best outcomes for young people are being sought.

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Organisation

The home has in place a current Statement of Purpose and a young person's guide that describes what the home can offer in terms of care, support and guidance. Staff understand the importance of these documents and take time to explain them fully to young people. The statement includes a staffing policy that highlights the staffing structure and the minimum number of staff. Rotas show that there are sufficient staff available to meet the young people's needs. A good on call system is in place for when staff require additional support and the registered manager is not available.

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Organisation

Staff are supported by the home's management through regular monthly supervision. Staff meetings are held on a monthly basis and are used as a time to develop staff's knowledge through training as well as discussions relating to the development of the young people.

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Organisation

Staff are able to discuss differing training courses that they have been involved with and the majority of the staff team are appropriately trained up to the required standard. The rest of the staff team are in the process of completing this. The home is monitored on a regular basis by the regulation 33 visitor and the manager, who completes a monthly assessment of the home and developments within it.

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Organisation

The promotion of equality and diversity is outstanding. The staff fully ensure that differing religions and cultures are promoted within the home. Young people are exposed to differing themes relating to cultural events, festivals and ways of living, throughout their time at the home. Evidence is available of discussions with young people regarding differing cultures, including an awareness of poppy day, diwali and eid. Young people are taken to festivals of food and differing religious buildings to gain an awareness of the different ways that people celebrate their cultures.

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Statutory Requirements

This section sets out the actions, which must be taken so that the registered person/s meets the Care Standards Act 2000, Children's Homes Regulations 2001 and the National Minimum Standards. The Registered Provider(s) must comply with the given timescales.

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Std. Action Due date

13 ensure suitable arrangements are in place for the safe keeping and recording of controlled mediation (Regulation 2.1) 26/11/2010

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Std. Action Due date

9 ensure that appropriate permissions are in place for the use of telephone monitoring and this is also within the placement plan (Regulation 22) 03/12/2010

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Std. Action Due date

27 ensure there is evidence of all recruitment checks having been completed in line with Schedule 2. (Regulation 26.3) 03/12/2010

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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):

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Recommendations

 ensure an electrical survey is completed on the home on a three yearly basis (NMS 26.4)  ensure placement plans are updated on a regular basis and are consistent with plans prepared by the placing authority including contact arrangements (NMS 2.1)  ensure written copies of young people's reviews are available. (NMS 3.6)

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