Children's Home run by North East Lincolnshire Council in North East Lincolnshire

Unique reference number SC380956 Inspection date 22/07/2010 Inspector Jane Rushby Type of inspection Key

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Date of last inspection 05/11/2009 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 registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three children between the ages of eight and 17. The home provides a service for families with young people on the verge of coming into the care system and struggling to maintain their education. Accommodation is on a planned respite care basis and stays at the home are short breaks of one or two nights duration.

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Brief description of the service

As part of the local education services, an alternative learning programme independent of the home is offered on site during each week day until 5:00 pm, at which point the respite children’s home resumes its operation at this location

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Brief description of the service

The home has three single bedrooms and a shared bathroom upstairs along with staff sleep-in and office accommodation. Downstairs there is a lounge, play room, kitchen, dining room and shower room.

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Brief description of the service

The home is semi-detached with a private garden, there is restricted on street parking.

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Summary

The overall quality rating is satisfactory.

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Summary

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

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Summary

This inspection took place over seven hours with one inspector. This was a key inspection and all key standards were looked at. This is a satisfactory home with good features. Five recommendations are made as a result of this inspection. These arise from shortfalls in the planning, reviewing and monitoring processes. The outcome areas positive contribution and organisation are judged to be satisfactory. The remaining outcome areas are good.

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Summary

Young people benefit from being cared for by a staff team who are committed to providing sensitive care which improves life changes. Young people feel safe and listened to. They effectively contribute to decision making about their care. Practice relating to formal planning, reviewing and monitoring has not been sufficiently proactive which has increased the risk that needs are missed and impedes a clear focus on the aims and progress of the placements. At the time of the inspection there were no young people staying at the home. One young person visited the home and participated in the inspection.

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Improvements since the last inspection

There were no actions or recommendations arising from the previous visit.

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Helping children to be healthy

Young people benefit from nutritious meals and are supported to choose healthy options. Young people are encouraged to get involved with menu planning, shopping and cooking. Where young people have difficulties with eating, staff work sensitively and holistically to promote healthy eating within the context of positive overall lifestyle choices. Expert professional advice is sought where required. A young person said 'the food is nice, I have always liked it. They encourage us to eat healthy food, like vegetables'.

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Helping children to be healthy

Young people live in a healthy environment but there are shortfalls in that formal health care plans are not all in place. Staff do not have access to full information about young people's health care needs which has the potential to compromise their care. Some of the required information is available, this is not recorded in a clear written health care plan but located in different sections of the file. In spite of repeated efforts to do so, the home has been unsuccessful in obtaining some necessary information from other agencies. Staff are familiar with the emotional health needs of the young people they are looking after and work effectively with complex needs through effective liaison with other carers and medical professionals. Young people have their routine health appointments and treatment managed by their main carers. Physical activities to promote fitness, such as cycling, take place regularly. Young people feel they are encouraged to be healthy. One said 'I've never

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Helping children to be healthy

been poorly while I've been staying here. I sprained my knee, staff always look after me'.

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Helping children to be healthy

Young people's welfare is safeguarded by effective policies and procedures for administering medication, however, full information is not available regarding the conditions which are being treated. This also has the potential to impede safe and effective health care. Medication is securely stored and records accurately reflect medication stored in the home. A young person said 'whatever time I'm supposed to take medication they will bring it down so I can take it'.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people's privacy is respected and information is confidentially handled. Young people have a key to their room and their bedrooms are regarded as their private space. A young person said 'staff knock and say who they are, they wouldn't come in without knocking'. Where young people need support with personal care this is provided sensitively and medication is administered in private. Young people's records are securely stored in the office.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people know how to make a complaint and feel confident that they will be listened to. One commented 'I would tell a member of staff and they will tell the people higher up. I haven't made a complaint but I know how to'. Young people are given useful information about how to complain, including contact details from relevant external organisations, in the young person's guide to the home. There have been no complaints received at the home since the last visit.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people benefit from clear expectations of behaviour which robustly challenge any bullying. Staff have a good understanding of the potential for bullying behaviours and are alert to situations where young people may be vulnerable to racist or homophobic bullying. Young people did not identify bullying as a problem at the time of the visit but they felt that it would be dealt with by staff effectively should it occur. A young person said 'I haven't seen any bullying here. I haven't been bullied here. I would tell a member of staff and they would do their best to sort it out'. Staff plan short breaks by matching young people carefully to promote positive relationships. New staff are trained in safeguarding procedures during induction and staff demonstrated a thorough understanding of how to respond to allegations or disclosures of abuse. Young people said they feel safe at the home. One said 'I feel

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

safe here, I get on well with the staff. If I ask them to help me they would do it, they listen to me'. Young people who may go missing are protected by effective guidance which is carried out in practice. There have been no young people go missing from the home since the last visit.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people are supported to develop socially acceptable behaviour through constructive staff response to inappropriate behaviour. Young people are placed at this home to provide a short break for themselves and their main carers and the placement is used as an opportunity to work with any behavioural issues. Staff work hard to form positive relationships with the young people and there are clear boundaries and expectations as well as provision for the young people to enjoy and explore different activities and opportunities. There have been no sanctions or physical interventions carried out at the home since the previous visit. A young person said 'the rules are fine, I've never been in trouble for my behaviour'. Young people get on well with staff and feel listened to. The staff team meet regularly to monitor behaviour management strategies and make adjustments as required to achieve positive outcomes

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people are protected by effective health and safety procedures overall. Regular fire checks are conducted by staff. Young people participate in fire drills and are fully aware of the evacuation procedure. Risk assessments in respect of individual young people summarise clearly the potential for risks and strategies to minimise these. Generic risk assessments reflecting activities and circumstances involving the group are in place, however, these have not been dated or reviewed. This impedes effective monitoring of the effectiveness of risk management strategies in the light of the changing needs of young people.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

New staff have been recruited since the last inspection and there are effective procedures in place to ensure that staff are thoroughly checked. Visitors to the home are vetted to ensure the safety of young people.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Young people benefit from a clear understanding of their individual needs. Young people can approach any staff member from the small staff team for advice and support. The young people who are placed have often received day care which is provided by the same team so the young person is usually known well by staff prior to admission. Young people are supported to develop an understanding of their own and other's identity in relation to their particular backgrounds and circumstances. Where needs and wishes may conflict, staff promote tolerance and encourage young people to respect and value difference. A young person said 'if I'm upset or cross I can talk to them. They listen to me'. Placement plans and other documentation identify any religious, ethnic or cultural needs.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Young people benefit from being supported to engage with and attend education placements. All young people placed attend education in a range of settings, including an alternative learning programme provided at the home. Staff promote education by providing practical support to enable young people to attend school and through effective liaison with education professionals. A young person said 'when it's time to get up they knock me up. They give me breakfast and make sure I'm ready for school'. Young people are also supported to engage with a range of activities and hobbies which promote inclusion within their community and increase their future life chances. Young people who are interested can participate in a bicycle repair and maintenance workshop, and all young people involved in the project have their own bicycle.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Young people's needs are assessed against clear criteria for admission, which require that a specific need is identified for residential care in the form of a short break. Young people's needs are recorded in a range of documentation and summarised in a placement plan. There is a shortfall in the plans in that they do not contain full information. Some information is available but this is scattered through young people's files and not presented coherently in a formal plan. Staff demonstrated a clear understanding of young people's complex needs, but these are not reflected in the plans. Plans are reviewed during child in need and other inter agency meetings. Review decisions are not formally recorded, which, together with the shortfall in placement plans, increases the opportunity of needs being missed and plans not being effectively updated.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Young people are supported to maintain contact with families and friends where appropriate, although young people having a short break do not usually see their families during their placement. Arrangements for contact are recorded within placement plans and family members are welcome to visit the home. Staff work extensively with families with the aim of achieving a shared understanding of the needs of young people and how these can be met.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Young people benefit from a sensitive and structured admissions procedure which ensures they become familiar with the home at their own pace. A young person said 'When I first came they showed me around. I had tea, then came back to sleep over. I felt OK here straight away'. Where young people need to move within their main placement, staff who are familiar to the young person from this service will facilitate the move by extensive involvement in planning and by visiting the new placement with the young person.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Young people benefit from effective consultation and are supported to make decisions about their lives. Staff spend time individually with the young people each time they visit the home to ascertain their views about their day to day care. Young people are confident about approaching staff, one said 'When I come here they talk to me about what I want to do, or what I want to eat. It's my choice'. As a result of listening to young people, changes have happened which include: planning for meals at the end of a short break rather than at the beginning, which enables young people to undertake their choice of activity as soon as they arrive; and the introduction of more environmentally friendly processes to reduce waste, which contributes to an improved quality of life.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

Young people benefit from care which promotes improved life chances and preparation for adulthood. There are no young people currently staying at the home who have a formal pathway plan, however young people have the opportunity for acquiring skills as they participate in daily life at the home and in the local community. Staff encourage young people to help prepare food, cook and attend to their personal care needs. Activities and progress are recorded on daily diary sheets and inform planning for future care.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

Young people enjoy spacious accommodation which is decorated and furnished to a good standard. There is a range of communal space and young people can spend time on their own if they want privacy.

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Organisation

The promotion of equality and diversity is good. Young people's individual and diverse needs are well known to staff. Staff are well trained in equality legislation and demonstrate a good understanding of the issues involved in practice. Staff ensure that opportunities are provided within the home and outside which support young people to increase their knowledge of the wider world and develop a respect for difference. Young people are enabled to make positive changes which promote their successful inclusion within the local community. The Statement of Purpose provides useful general information about the services and facilities available and the young person's guide summarises this information in an accessible way.

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Organisation

Young people benefit from being cared for by experienced, appropriately qualified and competent staff. The small staff team work closely together, communicate effectively, view the young people positively, and are committed to providing care which contributes to improved life changes. Staff feel well supported by a clear line management structure. The registered manager has recently applied for and successfully obtained a permanent contract for the manager role. Staff have either completed or will be enrolled on a national vocational qualification. There has been a delay in obtaining places on this course but this has been resolved and three staff members will be inducted in due course. There is adequate handover time to ensure effective communication between shifts. Staffing levels are increased to reflect the changing needs or numbers of young people when required.

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Organisation

Positive management contributes to a range of good outcomes for young people, but the management monitoring has not identified the shortfalls relating to the formal care planning and reviewing processes. Management has not been proactive in ensuring that staff obtain, record, monitor and review full information about young people's needs which has the potential to compromise the quality of care. The young people have permanent records of their progress which are securely stored.

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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 that each child has a clear written health plan (within their placement plan) covering all matters outlined under NMS 12.2  ensure written risk assessments are dated and regularly reviewed (NMS 26.2)  ensure the placement plan for each child sets out clearly the assessed needs of the child, the objectives of the placement, and how these are to be met by the registered person on a day to day basis. The plan includes all matters identified under NMS 2.1  contribute effectively to each child's placement plan review and child in care review, and ensure that the child participates as far as is feasible in their review process. He ensures that the agreed outcome of reviews is reflected as necessary in the day-to day care of the child as provided for in the placement plan (NMS 3.1)  ensure the registered person of the home monitors and signs the home's records at least once a month, to identify any patterns or issues requiring action (NMS

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