Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Birmingham

Unique reference number SC412175 Inspection date 30/11/2010 Inspector Jacqui Gosling Type of inspection Key

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Date of last inspection 18/07/2010 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

The home is part of the organisation's support plus service and forms part of the current residential contract agreement with a large local authority. The service is intended to provide remand and assessment support services to four young people of either gender, from the local area.

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Brief description of the service

Residential placements will deliver short to medium-term care for four young people aged 10 to 17 years who experience serious emotional and behavioural difficulties. The service is for young people who require high levels of support in a small, structured environment to ensure that their needs are properly met.

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Brief description of the service

The service offers assessment placements for young people and preparation for the next step in their lives whether it is a return home, a move to another placement or the transition to independence. The levels of support for each young people include high staffing ratios and the provision of an individual key worker.

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Brief description of the service

Each young person accommodated within the service is guaranteed an educational placement either within the local authority provision or through the organisation's own in-house education provision. Currently, one young person is living in this home.

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Summary

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

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Summary

This unannounced full inspection was undertaken to assess all the key standards in all outcome areas.

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Summary

The home provides a good standard of care overall and has many strengths. Young people benefit from the individual work that is done with them by staff in the home. Young people are encouraged to attend education even though they are only here for a short periods of time.

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Summary

Staff are competent and work well together. They are well trained for their work and have a good understanding of the specific needs of the young people they look after. They respond positively to behaviour that can, at times, be challenging so that young people are cared for safely.

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Summary

Areas for improvement identified in this inspection relate to ensuring statutory reviews are held for all young people as required and ensuring all staff receive supervision within required timescales.

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Improvements since the last inspection

This is the first inspection since the home was registered in July 2010.

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Helping children to be healthy

There are very effective systems in place to ensure that young people's health needs are effectively met. Staff are properly trained; assessments and health plans are clear so that health care is consistent. Young people are provided with a healthy diet and are encouraged to learn to plan, shop for and cook their own meals. This helps them to develop their understanding of a healthy diet and to promote independence skills. All medicines are stored securely and administered safely to protect young people.

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Helping children to be healthy

The young people receive good support from staff and a wide range of other appropriate professionals are available to them with regard to their health. For example, The service has access to a clinical psychologist, child psychotherapist and the provision of therapeutic intervention is an additional option should this be consistent with the young person's care plan. There are robust processes for multi- agency working and sharing and updating information within the staff team. This provides a very consistent approach ensuring that all aspects of health needs for individuals are met as far as possible. Young people's emotional well-being is also continually assessed and they are actively encouraged by staff to engage in the relevant support they need.

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Helping children to be healthy

All staff members have completed a first aid course. This ensures there is always a suitably qualified person in the home should the young people need assistance with a medical issue. The storage, handling and recording of medicines is appropriately organised and safe in the home. Consent has been obtained for the administration of first aid and household medicines.

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Helping children to be healthy

The dietary needs of young people are well met because staff provide them with healthy food and recognise individual young people's religious and cultural dietary requirements. For example, Halal meat and having separate cooking utensils. Young people are encouraged to choose and prepare meals, which promotes their independence. Staff also use meal times to promote the social development of young people and to help them to develop their knowledge of foods from different cultures.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people are benefiting from living in a home that has a good focus on safeguarding and protection matters. The home has an extensive range of operational policies and procedures that are used effectively to promote the safety and welfare of young people. The home has strong leadership that consistently promotes an environment where safety is acknowledged as important.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people are encouraged by staff to keep themselves and others safe. There are good arrangements in place to ensure staff are well informed about how to keep young people safe. Young people are protected because staff recognise and understand their role in child protection.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people's privacy and confidentially is respected by all staff. Staff are sensitive and aware of the need to only disclose or share information that is needed to meet young people's needs. The home has good policies in respect of staff entering young people's bedrooms and for conducting searches of these rooms when it is necessary to do so.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people know that inappropriate behaviour will be challenged. This makes the home a safe and comfortable place to live because expectations about behaviour and conduct are clearly communicated. Young people are able to raise concerns and complaints. Records show they are confident that the staff listen and act on what they have to say. The home manages complaints and concerns quickly and tries to resolve complaints in a manner young people both understand and can agree with. Records of complaints, both internal and external, identify clear outcomes.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The home follows the organisation's policy and procedures regarding young people who leave the home without permission; these practices comply with wider police protocol on absconding behaviour. Young people are actively discouraged from going missing and records demonstrate that procedures are being consistently followed. Staff focus on developing supportive and consistent relationships that encourage alternative and safer ways of behaving. Promoting young people's safety and protection is central to the operation of the home.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people are encouraged to achieve and maintain levels of behaviour that are socially acceptable and that will sustain them in the wider community. The home's records detail consequences used for inappropriate behaviour. Physical interventions are only used as a last resort to ensure the safety of young people and staff. Staff build positive relationships and focus on young people's achievements, rather than on just punishing misdemeanours.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The home has good policies, procedures and staff guidance in respect of recording incidents. These policies enable staff to recognise incidents that are significant, particularly if they include aspects of potential risk or harm to young people.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Positive steps are taken to keep young people, staff and visitors safe from fire and other hazards in the home. For example, risk assessments are completed in relation to fire and potential environmental hazards. All the fire systems are tested regularly and fire drills are undertaken in excess of statutory requirements. All visitors to the home are shown the fire exits upon arrival. This ensures their safety. The home's manager ensures that utilities, domestic equipment and vehicles are checked to ensure they are safe to use. The organisation's staff recruitment procedures are very robust. No staff are deployed into the home without first completing the required employment procedures; these procedures cover all the requirements of the relevant national minimum standards. The identity of all visitors to the home is checked before they are allowed entry to the home. These measures ensure that young people are

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

safeguarded from unauthorised individuals. Thorough health and safety procedures are in place. As a result regular checks, fire drills and good risk assessments maintain safety in relation to fire and potential environmental hazards.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Young people are provided with the personal, social and emotional care they need. They benefit greatly from the individual work that is done with them by staff in the home and the support offered by the wider organisation. Individual care plans are holistic and detailed, so that staff understand the young person's needs and can make sure that they receive the support they need. The home's effective key working system ensures that young people have a specific member of staff who is responsible for the implementation of their care plan. There is good communication within the team; all staff are kept informed of each individual young person's progress. This ensures that young people receive consistency in the advice, care and support they are given.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff are very positive about the value of education and daily attendance at school is an integral part of the life of the home. This encourages young people to understand that their education is important. Staff provide appropriate support and encouragement to young people to help them to succeed and reach their individual potential.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Staff work closely with the young people to develop professional and constructive relationships within which, the implications of their behaviour can be discussed and examined on an individual and group basis. These relationships, in partnership with the placing authority, relevant professionals, the young person and family forms part of the work with the young people placed at the home and help to produce a professional assessment of their current and future needs.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Young people are encouraged and supported to make decisions about their lives and to influence the way the home is run. All young people are assisted to communicate their views in discussion with their key carers and during young people's meetings. Therefore, young people benefit from receiving support from staff that is focused on their needs and achievements.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Young people have their needs assessed and written plans recognise the need for different routines during the week and at weekends. The records show that staff respect and value young people's diverse needs and have a proactive approach to working with external agencies and other professionals. Consequently, all young people receive the individualised care they need whilst living at the home.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The manager and staff work very proactively and liaise with young people's local authority representatives regularly. However, for some young people their statutory reviews have not been undertaken within required timescales.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

In accordance with their care plans young people are encouraged to maintain contact with members of their families. Staff clearly understand how important communication and contact with their family is for the young people and support their contact arrangements including encouraging family members to visit the home.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

Young people are all encouraged to learn practical skills that will benefit them in later life. This is done at a pace that is appropriate to their individual needs. Young people help to choose menus and cook meals and are encouraged to keep their own rooms clean and tidy.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

Young people receive adequate allowances to cover personal requisites and clothing and are well-informed about their entitlements due to good arrangements and systems in place to manage allowances, personal needs and pocket money.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

This is a large and comfortable care setting, which is decorated and furnished to a high standard. The home creates a pleasant homely living environment ensuring that staff are able to support the social, educational and personal needs of each young person. Young people's needs are being effectively met.

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Organisation

The promotion of equality and diversity is outstanding. Staff have a good understanding of the importance of promoting the principles of equality in the home. They receive appropriate training and the organisation has relevant policies to guide their practice. The home marks religious festivals and celebrations to help young people to gain an understanding of other cultures. There is a clear commitment in the home to ensuring that young people are given care that is tailored to meet their individual and specific needs.

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Organisation

Information about the work of the home is provided in the Statement of Purpose and young person's guide to the service. These documents are clearly written, so that young people, placing social workers and others involved with the home, can understand how the home works and how young people are cared for. Young people benefit from being looked after by a competent team of staff who are well supported by their manager. But not all staff receive supervision within required timescales. The organisation demonstrates a strong commitment to ensuring that staff are properly trained and qualified, so that they understand the needs of the young people they look after. Records confirm that staffing levels are as described in the Statement of Purpose and that they are appropriate to the needs of the young people in the home.

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Organisation

The care team works well together. There are staff of both genders and different ethnicities, so that young people have appropriate role models. Gaps in rotas are well managed, so that there is continuity and young people are cared for by staff who know them.

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Organisation

There are established management systems in place to ensure that the welfare of young people is promoted and good standards of care are maintained. The work of the home is monitored by the Registered Manager and an independent visitor, on behalf of the provider. Reports of the monitoring process inform practice and improve the care provided to young people.

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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 placing authorities are contacted to request emergency and statutory reviews when due for any young person, if the placing authority has not arranged the review (NMS 3.3)  ensure all new staff receive one-to-one supervision at least fortnightly during the first six months of their employment, specifically all staff receive supervision as required and the written record always details the length of each supervision (NMS 28.2 and NMS 28.3)

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