SC 040491

Unique reference number SC040132 Inspection date 08/12/2010 Inspector Chris Passmore Type of inspection Key

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Date of last inspection 11/08/2010 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 registered children's home provides respite care for children with autism. At any one time it provides regular, short-break care facilities for a maximum of four children, aged between five and 17 years. The service supports approximately 25 to 30 children in total. Children stay for varying lengths of time and frequency depending on their assessed needs. Most visit weekly, arriving after school and staying the night, before returning to their family after school the next day. Some stays are longer and can be at weekends or during the school holidays. Visits are regular so that children are familiar with the service and feel safe and secure.

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Summary

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

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Summary

This was a short-notice full inspection of the home against the key National Minimum Standards for Children's Homes. The service provides good care to children and they enjoy positive outcomes from their respite care experiences. The service is very good at meeting the diversity of needs demonstrated by the group of children receiving respite care. Staff know the children well and are able to adapt their approach to suit the individual. There is clear leadership and management and ongoing commitment to the development of services to children with individual needs. There is one recommendation as a result of this inspection that does not impacts significantly on the outcomes for children and young people.

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Improvements since the last inspection

There were two recommendations made at the last inspection. Both were to do with recording procedures and each recommendation has been acted on. There is now a separate complaints log to help maintain confidentiality and the duration of any physical intervention is clearly recorded. Both recommendations are now fully met.

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Helping children to be healthy

Staff promote the welfare of children and young people using the service by encouraging them to eat healthy food and participate in a range of activities that give them exercise and fresh air. There is appropriate guidance and training available to enable the safe handling of medication by staff during respite stays. Parents retain responsibility for all individual health care issues and if young person becomes ill during a visit it is usually for them to return to the family home. Meals provided reflect the choice of the individuals in respite on the day as well as their individual food tolerances. Staff are skilled at encouraging young people to try new foods or engaging young people to make choices about the content of meals taken while in placement.

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Helping children to be healthy

Young people attending at the time of inspection were happily engaged in individual activities after their day in education while they waited for dinner.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The service promotes the welfare of children and protects them well. Policy and procedure is underpinned by good practice and training. Children's individual needs are well known to staff who provide individually tailored approaches to respite care. Staff work together with parents and other professionals to protect children from harm and promote their wellbeing.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Sanctions are used infrequently and bullying is not an issue. Desirable behaviour is encouraged, reinforced and recognised. Safeguarding issues have been channelled appropriately as have complaints or concerns raised by parents.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The physical environment in which the service operates is well maintained. All staff appointments are subject to safe recruitment and selection procedures by the provider Organisation. These systems were inspected separately on 10 September 2010 and judged to be good. Visitors to the home are also checked in by staff. Parents have expressed positive views about the service as recorded in records retained at the home.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

As a respite service the main responsibility for education remains with parents and the local authority. This service supports children with their education by having them ready for school following a respite stay and by attending individual education reviews. Education reviews are usually followed by in-house reviews all of which contribute to building and continuing an up to date assessment of needs for an individual child.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

During the school holidays and at weekends there is an emphasis on respite stays being times for using the full facilities of the service and the local leisure amenities. As such the outcomes at this inspection were that children and young people enjoyed a variety of trips and outings arranged by staff. Children and young people are very much part of the decision making process about where to go and what to do.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Individual needs are identified through core assessment and discussions with parents. There are placement plans for all individuals using the service. There are in house reviews and education reviews but no statutory child in care reviews take place for this groups of children and young people. The Registered Manager is pro- actively trying to ensure that children in need reviews involve all essential stakeholders and that outcomes are meaningful. In house reviews are held with parents and outcome agreements feed into updated care plans.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Young people are consulted about the day to day operation of the service. They make choices about which bedroom they wish to have, what to eat and how they wish to spend their time. There are regular key worker sessions held to discuss individual progress and care on a one to one basis. According to age and understanding young people have the chance to contribute to the way the service looks after them and to review and amend their care plans. Young people are also consulted about larger projects that the service is undertaking and their views sought over issues such as what activity play equipment they would like to have in the garden.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Maintaining contact with parents, friends and family is not a major issue given the minimum time most children and young people spend in placement. Parents regularly phone in during a respite placement or children may use the office phone to contact home. Some young people have their own mobile phones but for most contact between home and respite is maintained through individual communication books.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

Children using the service adapt well to their time in the home. They are familiarised with the home through tea visits before having an overnight experience. Stays are for minimal periods; there are only four children at any time and a lot of time is spent out of the house, at school or on activities. When in the house there are plenty of age-appropriate games and toys to play with as well as outside activities such as the swings and soft-play areas in the garden. The new quiet area and sensory room have added to the facilities available to children and young people.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

Children and young people are encouraged to share staff time and the facilities of the home throughout their stays. There is continuous reinforcement of positive behaviour and the principles of communal living. Older groups are encouraged to take more responsibility for personal care and life skills such as stripping their beds in the morning or preparing their own breakfast. Staff use every opportunity to reinforce the principles of sharing and getting on with others. Day to day living activities like shopping, cleaning and meal preparation are also encouraged where appropriate to do so. These are all aimed at preparing the older young people for their transition to adulthood.

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Organisation

The organisation and leadership of the service is good with clear arrangements to cover the absence of the Registered Manager. Staff receive induction training as well as annual mandatory training and refreshers. There are opportunities for developmental training and these would be part of staff supervision and personal development.

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Organisation

Staff supervision records in relation to formal and informal sessions were up to date or showed improvements in frequency. It is evident from individual records that training is being undertaken. There is not, however, a comprehensive single record of training undertaken or planned that provides a clear and accurate piece of evidence that staff training is up to date. There is though a new electronic training matrix ready for completion.

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Organisation

The promotion of equality and diversity is good. Staff treat every young person as an individual and respond to a wide variety of needs with the same commitment and enthusiasm. There is an emphasis on enabling young people to achieve their maximum potential and to experience a range of opportunities.

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Organisation

There is good awareness and knowledge of the operating standards within the home and evidence to support the regular monitoring of standards of care being delivered is improved. There is evidence of additional checks being started but not having been maintained. For example the review of care plans to test consistency of content and accuracy of information. Similarly practice observations as part of supervision have not been frequent enough to count as meaningful evidence.

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Organisation

There are clear records relating to individuals and each respite or short breaks placement occasion. There are good communications maintained between staff and parents, through the individual communications books, by telephone or through direct contacts. The management of the home is pro-active in extending the network of contacts to include caseworkers and all appropriate stakeholders to ensure a comprehensive and regular review of each placement arrangement.

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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):  ensure a written record of all training for staff is maintained in the home (NMS 31.4)

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