Children's Home run by North Lakes Children’s Service Limited in Cumbria

Unique reference number SC356907 Inspection date 25/11/2010 Inspector Anne Bannister Type of inspection Key

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Date of last inspection 09/03/2010 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 seven-bedded children's home is one of three run by the company. There is also a purpose-built school on site. It is a detached house with its own extensive grounds. The home has access to a range of local facilities in a nearby town. Young people living in the home also have access to the facilities available in the city, which is approximately 20 minutes away. The site provides education and care for boys aged 10 to 17 years who have emotional, social and behavioural difficulties, including learning difficulties within or outside the autistic spectrum of disorder. The home provides en-suite accommodation for seven young people and separate school facilities for up to 14 learners aged 10 to 17 years. Communal areas include two lounges, a games room, a dining room and kitchen.

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Summary

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

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Summary

This inspection is an unannounced full key inspection visit, looking at all the key national minimum standards. The outcome groups relating to being healthy, staying safe, enjoying and achieving, economic wellbeing and organisation are assessed and judged as good. The outcome for positive contribution is judged as satisfactory. The service does not provide documented evidence of all the work that staff are undertaking in order to promote positive outcomes for young people. Overall the quality rating is good.

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Summary

Young people benefit from good relationships with staff who provide clear guidance and act as positive role models. Young people are encouraged to maintain healthy diets. Young people are supported to attend education to enable them to meet their full potential. The home works closely with a range of outside agencies in order to meet the full range of young people's needs. Staff are supported within their roles by an experienced manager and have the opportunity to further develop their skills through ongoing training.

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Summary

Areas to be addressed relate the fact not all staff receive formal supervision. Night- time fire drills have not being undertaken and daily fridge temperatures are not always recorded.

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Summary

Six young people participated in the inspection by completing questionnaires and three young people contributed their views during the course of the inspection.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Following an action raised at the last inspection the company has revised its recruitment practice. No member of staff now commences duty until all checks and references have been completed.

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Helping children to be healthy

The young people enjoy varied, healthy meals. The weekly menu is planned with consideration for each young person's likes, dislikes and dietary needs. However, each young person can also choose a suitable alternative to the food offered if they prefer. Healthy eating is promoted. The food is well presented and meal times are ordered, social occasions. Food is appropriately stored and labelled once opened. Staff are trained in food hygiene. The chef is diligent at recording fridge and freezer temperatures. However, in her absence, the care team are not ensuring these checks are undertaken.

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Helping children to be healthy

There are clear systems in the home that ensure young people's health needs are well met. Comprehensive health plans are in place that are developed and well monitored by the school nurse. Young people are registered with primary health care services, such as the dentist and optician. This ensures routine health monitoring is in place. Partnership working with health professionals is part of the home's holistic work with young people.

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Helping children to be healthy

Staff are proactive in promoting health care needs and provide information to young people regarding health, healthy eating, smoking cessation and exercise. Young people are encouraged to maintain a healthy lifestyle and are enthusiastic about their involvement in different activities. This includes the promotion of physical activities, such as ice skating, swimming and football, which benefits their well-being.

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Helping children to be healthy

Staff have a good knowledge of the young people’s medication requirements. Medication procedures are organised and implemented to ensure young people benefit from safe practice and that their health needs are addressed. Records are well maintained. Staff are trained in first aid.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people are protected by effectively managed procedures and practices for promoting their welfare and safety. There is a thorough and robust staff recruitment and selection process and all care staff are trained in safeguarding children procedures. Staff are fully aware of the procedures regarding young people going missing and who to notify about serious incidents in the home.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

There are written behaviour management policies and procedures. Staff are trained in behaviour management and physical intervention. There are clear boundaries and an emphasis on promoting incentives and rewarding positive and improved behaviour. Young people are clear about what happens when their behaviour is not socially acceptable. They indicate they can be grounded or have to repay money for damage they cause to the home. Young people feel these consequences are fair. Records maintained show good accountability for when sanctions and physical intervention are used in the home. Young people are protected and supported by staff who promote and implement effective risk and behaviour management strategies in their day-to-day practice.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The privacy of young people is respected and young people enjoy their own private space. Young people understand and are protected by the clear written complaints procedure and the additional information included in the young people’s guide. The staff team express a good level of commitment to listening to and ensuring young people's concerns are taken seriously. There is an anti-bullying policy and young people say they feel protected because bullying is not allowed and there are consequences if it happens in the home.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The physical environment is well maintained and monitored in terms of health and safety, with comprehensive and detailed documentation. Fire safety procedures are checked, monitored and young people know what to do if there is a fire. Although the number of fire drills exceed statutory requirements, no night time fire drills have been undertaken.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Young people’s individual needs are identified and supported by staff who present a clear and enthusiastic commitment to developing individuality and supporting and encouraging young people to enjoy and achieve in both educational and leisure activities. Young people develop confidence in their personal identities, social relationships and academic achievements. Staff are sensitive to young people’s needs and their own ways of doing things. Staff provide individual support in individual key working sessions and also liaise with appropriate agencies in terms of more specialised needs.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The home offers full-time education to young people and has its own well resourced school. All young people have their own individual education plan and receive support and reward for their achievements. The education and care staff team promote opportunities in education, leisure activities and personal development to fully support young people’s achievements. Most young people are positive about the education support and progress they are achieving. Young people are also motivated by the range of activities available to them. Staff are fully committed to providing and supporting young people to try out different opportunities and they enjoy sport, cycling, quad, group games, playing chess, cooking, art, craft work and going out on a variety of trips.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Young people are supported and cared for by staff who have a good knowledge of their needs. Staff provide consistent care on a day-to-day basis resulting in improvement in the welfare, behaviour and safeguarding of all young people living at the home. All young people have placement plans which have recently been revised. However, the information in the placement care plans does not fully inform staff about or represent the actual day-to-day individualised support and care young people receive. Young people are supported to develop and maintain contact with family and friends but full details of these arrangements are not documented in their placement plan.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Young people know about their placement care plans and their plans for the future. They regularly meet with their key worker and have opportunities to discuss their needs, views, wishes and to attend meetings. Young people are involved in the running of the home. They have daily catch-up meetings after school and have fortnightly young people's meetings where they are encouraged to discuss issues relating to communal living.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Systems are in place to ensure that young people are able to move into and leave the home in a planned and sensitive manner. Pre-admission documentation is comprehensive and ensures that the home feels that they are able to adequately address the needs of the young person. Young people are supported when they move into the home, confirming that they receive a young person’s guide which is explained to them by their key worker. There are clear and supportive admission procedures to assist young people moving into this new environment.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

The daily life of the home provides a range of opportunities for young people, appropriate to their age, to develop knowledge and skills within an emotionally supportive environment. They are encouraged to take responsibility for domestic chores, including keeping their room tidy, helping at mealtimes and sorting out their laundry. Young people are encouraged to budget their pocket money and set up savings accounts.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

For the first time since registration the home is caring for some young people who are preparing to move onto independent living. Young people are assisted to develop skills, which will prepare them for independent living. Young people undertake vocational education awards which develop their independence skills. Staff are contributing to pathway plans being developed by local authorities.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

Young people live in a well-maintained and comfortable home. The location of the home is convenient for schools, leisure facilities, transport and other community facilities that are important for young people's development. Young people enjoy homely accommodation, decorated and furnished to a high standard, providing good facilities for their use. They also benefit from the provision of their own individual, lockable, en-suite bedrooms.

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Organisation

The home has a Statement of Purpose that contains information about the aim and objectives of the home. This is reviewed on an annual basis or sooner if there has been any changes to staffing or facilities. This document is made available to parents, carers and placing authorities to enable them to have information about the home. There is also a young person's guide in place. This is provided to the young people, detailing the services that the home provides.

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Organisation

The promotion of equality and diversity is good. All the home's recording systems take account of potential needs in relation to young people's diversity, such as, identity, race, culture and religion. Staff have a good understanding of the importance of promotion of equality and diversity and the impact this has on young people. This ensures that the home provides an environment where the value of equality and diversity is understood, promoted and celebrated.

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Organisation

The home has recently appointed a manager, but he has yet to be registered with Ofsted. He is an experienced and knowledgeable deputy who has been promoted internally. The manager is supported by the Director of Care and two experienced and competent team leaders who deputise in his absence. The staff team have a range of skills, qualifications and experience. They ensure each young person is cared for in a holistic way.

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Organisation

A comprehensive induction programme is in place for all new staff and covers basic training, including child protection, promotion of positive behaviours and physical intervention techniques. All care staff receive formal supervision on a regular basis and staff spoken with find this very useful. In addition, informal supervision is provided and staff are clear about their roles and responsibilities. However, ancillary staff and the school nurse are not receiving formal supervision. Staffing levels at the home are good and the staff team in place provide a consistent level of staffing for the young people. This ensures that young people benefit from a well supported and stable staff team providing continuity of care from members of staff that they know and have developed positive relationships with.

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Organisation

There are quality assurance systems in place to monitor the performance of the home against its Statement of Purpose so that standards of care are maintained. This includes the manager monitoring the necessary records, and visits to the home by an independent visitor to undertake comprehensive assessments of how the home is functioning. Reports from these visits are maintained at the home and provided information about how well the home is delivering care and support to young people living there. They enable the manager to have an overview of how the home is running and bring to light any issues that require action to be taken to improve the care and support provided for young people. Copies of these reports are also provided to Ofsted in accordance with the Children's Homes Regulations 2001.

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Organisation

Young people's care files are detailed and maintained to a good standard. All staff at the home are required to read these files to ensure that they have the appropriate information and knowledge to provide individual support to young people.

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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

10 ensure that unnecessary risks to the health and safety of children accommodated at the home are identified and as far as possible eliminated. In particular this relates to the need for fridge and freezer tempretures to be taken and recorded each day (Regulation 23c) 31/12/2010

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Std. Action Due date

28 ensure that all staff employed receive appropriate training supervision and appraisal. In particular this relates to the need for ancillary staff and the school nurse to recieve regular supervision (Regulation 27.4a) 31/12/2010

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Std. Action Due date

26 ensure by the means of fire drills and practices at suitable intervals, that the persons working at the home and,so far as practicable, children accommodated there, are aware of the procedure to follow in case of a fire. In particular this relates to the need to undertake an annual night time fire drill (Regulation32.1e). 31/12/2010

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