Children's Home run by Sheffield City Council in Sheffield

Unique reference number SC066747 Inspection date 28/09/2010 Inspector Russell Shackford Type of inspection Key

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Date of last inspection 10/02/2010 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 service is a children's home. It provides up to five long-term placements for young people aged between 12 and 18 years.

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Brief description of the service

The accommodation consists of five single bedrooms and spacious communal areas for eating, studying and relaxing. The home is in a residential area approximately four miles from the town centre and is close to public transport and schools.

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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 key inspection to check on all key standards and related regulations under the Every Child Matters outcome groups for young people. This is a good service with some outstanding features.

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Summary

Young people eat healthily and their good health is well promoted. Privacy is well facilitated in all aspects. Complaints are handled well. There are very good child protection policies, training and robust practices that help to safeguard the welfare of the young people. This is an area of outstanding strength.

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Summary

Staff are particularly good at making sure that young people are looked after in a way that is particular to how they are and want to be. Education and leisure needs are very well met, and the home works closely with other services to meet the range of young people's needs. This is an area of outstanding strength.

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Summary

Placement planning is good and it is well recorded and reviewed. The facilitating of contact is good. Good support is in place now to help young people learn skills that they will need for later in life. Good risk assessing and fire safety practices help to keep young people safe.

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Summary

Staff are experienced, well trained and competent. Young people clearly benefit from the good leadership provided by the manager to a cohesive and adaptable team. There is very good monitoring to maintain and improve the quality of care in the home. The promotion of equality and diversity is good.

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Improvements since the last inspection

There were no actions raised at the last inspection.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The registered person was asked to ensure that a minimum ratio of 80% of all care staff complete National Vocational Qualification at level 3 in caring for children and young people. All staff are receiving support to ensure that they are able to complete the qualification and the target is now met.

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Helping children to be healthy

Young people are involved in planning meals and shopping and have access to a well equipped kitchen where they often take part in preparing meals. The staff are aware of individual young people's likes and dislikes to ensure that they enjoy the food served. Young people are encouraged and supported to make choices about their food. Staff educate and encourage young people to eat healthy foods and snacks. The food served is both healthy and nutritious. The staff have a good understanding of food hygiene. This is supported by all staff holding food hygiene training certificates. Any food matters that arise out of diversity, such as allergies, intolerance or cultural preference are well managed. Themed food evenings are often used to expand the young people's tastes and knowledge of different foods and cultures. Therefore, young people enjoy healthy, nutritious meals that meet their individual dietary needs.

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Helping children to be healthy

The young people’s health is closely monitored and record keeping is good. There is detailed written guidance for staff on a wide range of young people’s health and medical matters to make sure that they understand about young people’s health and what their responsibilities are. A themed information board in the home has details of local agencies that young people can access for advice and information. Staff are trained in healthcare subjects.

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Helping children to be healthy

The home has established strong links with a variety of specialist health services, and there is much evidence of these being used to meet individual young people’s needs. The young people feel confident to speak to the staff about general and personal health matters. A holistic approach to health care underpins many of the activities and sessions organised by the staff team. This includes pamper nights, a range of physical activities and relaxation sessions.

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Helping children to be healthy

Young people confirm that they are supported and encouraged to engage in healthy activities. Examples highlighted include gym, football, cycling, swimming and walking. The staff have established good links and relationships with community- based activity providers. Therefore, young people's health needs are identified and services provided to meet the young people's needs and good health is promoted.

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Helping children to be healthy

Good policies and procedures around medication help to safeguard the welfare of young people. Staff are trained in medication matters to enable them to safely store, administer and record the medication that they are responsible for. Medication is securely stored. All staff have received training to enable them to provide first aid, if necessary. Therefore, young people's health needs are well met, and their welfare is safeguarded by the home’s policies and procedures for administering medicines and providing treatment.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Each young person has their own bedroom and a key to lock the door if they wish to. Washing and toilet facilities have good locks to maintain privacy in a safe manner. Young people have access to a private telephone which is free to use for reasonable periods. This ensures that young people’s privacy is respected and the payment method is convenient. Staff demonstrate a very good understanding of facilitating privacy for the young people. This is done very sensitively and safely. Details about young people's care is recorded and stored appropriately to maintain good levels of confidentiality.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Strong measures are in place to receive and act upon any complaints. All staff have received training on complaints, to ensure that they know what to do if there is a complaint about the service. The young people know how to make a complaint. Staff have explained the procedure and there is also information in the young people’s guide about how to complain. Staff are sensitive to young people's behaviour which may indicate that they are unhappy. The young people also have the support of an independent advocate who visits. The complaints records contain the required details. Therefore, complaints are well handled.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The young people's welfare is significantly enhanced by the organisations meticulous approach to child protection. The manager and staff have received child protection training and the provider has a good safeguarding procedure for staff to follow, in the event of any allegation or suspicion of abuse. Staff demonstrate excellent knowledge and understanding of the safeguarding procedures to promote and protect the young people’s safety. There are good links with the Local Safeguarding Children's Board and other child protection agencies. All staff have received anti- bullying and awareness training. A young people's council meet regularly to discuss the views of young people. This is attended by young people from the home. Therefore, the welfare of young people is very well promoted. They are protected from abuse, bullying and unauthorised absence. A robust response is made to any allegation or suspicion of abuse. This is an area of outstanding strength. All

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

significant events at the home have been notified to the relevant authorities including Ofsted.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Behaviour management plans are used. They contain good, individualised details for staff to follow when managing young people's behaviour. Sanctions are relevant and reflect the age and understanding of the young people. They are reviewed regularly for effectiveness. Physical restraint is rarely used to manage behaviour. Staff are trained in the provider’s policy and authorised techniques. The training is designed and delivered in a manner that ensures that as much as possible, incidents are managed without the use of physical intervention.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Reducing unnecessary risks to young people is a high priority at the home. Consistently high quality written risk assessments are recorded to enable staff to know what action to take to minimise the risk to each young person during their known and likely activities. These are reviewed regularly. The manager takes a very proactive approach to managing risks, ensuring that staff practice and the home environment are as safe as possible. Staff talk in a determined manner about their commitment to ensuring that the young people's welfare is safeguarded. They use local knowledge and contacts to support their efforts. Other agencies are used to support and complement the work of the staff. There is very good evidence that this collaborative approach to minimising risks results in very good outcomes for young people. This is an area of outstanding strength.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

All staff, regular visitors and young people have been involved in regular fire drills. All staff working at the home have received up-to-date fire safety training, to enable them to minimise the risks to young people in the event of a fire at the home. The fire safety check records are up to date and accurate. Therefore, young people's physical safety from fire in the home is well protected.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

All staff have been appropriately recruited and undergone suitable Criminal Records Bureau checks to help ensure that they are suitable to work with young people.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The young people receive superb personalised care and support appropriate to their needs. The records contain details of individual support services involved in the health, care and education of young people. The home has links with a wide range of helping agencies and the provider commissions services to fit the young people’s needs. The staff appreciate that the individual young people have a range of needs arising from diversity. All staff have received training around equality and diversity. Individualised approaches to communication, providing information and goal setting are well planned and recorded. Themed events are used to promote diversity and introduce young people to different forms of religion and cultural differences. This is an area of outstanding strength.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Education and employment is a very high priority and it is vigorously promoted. Staff make a lot of effort to encourage young people's good attendance at their various education or work providers. Young people are well prepared for the education or work day. If any young person is unable to attend school, very good alternative arrangements are in place that allows a child or young person to continue to be educated at the home. This can include home tuition and or work experience. Individualised education plans detail young people's targets and progress is very well evidenced. There is space, resources and facilities at the home, to enable the completion of homework or other learning opportunities. A computer is available for the young people to use for educational purposes. Therefore, the education and employment of young people is actively promoted as valuable in itself and as part of their preparation for adulthood. The very high quality practice around the current

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

young people's education and employment is an area of outstanding strength.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Each young person has a rich, varied and imaginative activity plan, which is devised from their own indicated preferences. Young people are also encouraged and supported to try new activities. This helps to enhance many aspects of young people's lives. Examples highlighted include music workshops, dance, picnics, painting, song writing, gym, 'bake off', camping, shoe box charity donations, cycling proficiency, swimming, cinema, arts and crafts. There is also a good range of books, DVDs and games available for learning and entertainment.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Within the activity plan, all young people have the opportunity to gain certification or accreditation in a range of activities and life skills. Following external assessment, some young people have been presented with achievement awards.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Young people's involvement is supported by staff who explore their individual choices, likes and dislikes. The staff have established very good links and relationships with community-based activity providers. Therefore, young people are able to pursue their particular interests, develop confidence in their skills and are supported and encouraged by staff to engage in leisure activities in and out of the home. This is an area of outstanding strength.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The home's referral system enables the manager to fully assess the needs of the young people concerned and to take into account the likely effects of their admission upon the existing group of residents. Admissions to the home are planned and the child or young person and their family where appropriate are involved in the planning. Young people may visit the home before they move in. There is a young people's guide to the service provided at the home. It is produced in a variety of formats. Therefore, young people are able to move into the home in a planned and sensitive manner.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Consistently good quality placement plans are used. These are supported by the use of behaviour management plans, individualised daily routines and activity plans. Young people are at the heart of the care planning and they confirm that they have been fully consulted about their plans. The plans are well written, incorporating clear instructions for staff to follow and good quality risk management strategies. The daily records reflect very well the content of the care plan and the action taken by the staff to meet the identified needs of the young person. Focused one-to-one work is also undertaken to enable young people to seek guidance, advice and support on any matter. Key workers monitor the care plans and produce monthly summaries of progress. Further internal reviewing takes place in light of changing behaviours and the information recorded. Therefore, young people have their needs assessed effectively and comprehensively. Written placement plans outline how these needs

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Helping children make a positive contribution

will be met and are very well implemented.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

There is a system for reviewing the placement plans of the children and young people at the home. This system includes participation in the statutory reviews and multi-disciplinary meetings. Statutory case reviews take place within the required timescales. This ensures that the young people's needs and development are reviewed regularly in the light of their care and progress at the home.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Young people’s contact is promoted and facilitated. Staff confirm that young people can keep in touch with people that are important to them and that they can have family come to visit them.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Very good means are provided frequently, for any young person to make their wishes and feelings known regarding their care and treatment in the home. Staff describe ways in which young people are encouraged to make decisions about their lives and influence the way that the home is run. This includes key worker sessions, visits from young people's rights and advocacy services and daily discussion. More broadly, young people attend 'Chilli Pep' and 'ACE' meetings where they can represent the views of young people in care. Nobody is assumed to be unable to communicate their views. Young people confirm that they feel that their views are important and they are listened to. Therefore, young people’s views are sought and acted upon.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The manager makes every effort to achieve continuity of staffing, such that young people's attachments are not overly disrupted. The young people have good relationships with the staff. They were observed enjoying friendly, respectful banter, as well as praise and encouragement from the staff.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

Where appropriate, young people have leaving care pathway plans. The content of these is incorporated into the young person's placement plan. Younger people are taught day-to-day life skills according to their level of maturity and understanding. They learn skills through taking part in the tasks of running the home, such as shopping, cooking, following budgets and doing simple DIY tasks. They are also given help and support with social skills, laundry, clothing care and cleaning. Therefore, young people receive care which helps to fully prepare them for adulthood.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

All parts of the home are clean and maintained in a good state of decorative repair. The garden area is safe and well maintained. There is a good system and procedure for the completion of maintenance and repairs. Therefore, young people enjoy homely accommodation, that is decorated and maintained to a good standard.

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Organisation

Before admission, the staff provide as much information as they can about the home to young people so that they know what to expect if they come to live there. Young people confirm this. A very good Statement of Purpose is available to inform professionals and members of the public about how care is provided at the home. There is a satisfactory children’s guide to the Statement of Purpose.

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Organisation

The staff team has a range of skills and experience among its members. Young people clearly benefit from the good leadership provided by the manager to a well established team. Staff are supported by a comprehensive set of good detailed policies and procedures. Staff refer to written guidance frequently during discussion and give examples of how it is implemented in practice. Good systems and procedures ensure staff receive regular appropriate training and supervision, with their performance and personal development being appraised annually. The team present as cohesive, supportive and adaptable.

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Organisation

All staff are trained in a wide variety of safety and childcare subjects. An ongoing programme of regular refresher training is provided in a range of subjects to enhance the staff's competency to meet the needs of the young people. All staff are registered on an appropriate National Vocational Qualification course and they are given good support to complete it. The target of 80% of staff having achieved National Vocational Qualification at level 3 in Caring for Children and Young people is met. Therefore, the young people are receiving care from competent staff that are experienced and appropriately trained to meet their needs.

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Organisation

The manager has an effective system to monitor, report and evaluate the administration systems of the home ensuring what staff record they record well. Robust quality assurance processes are regularly carried out by persons independent of the home, and any areas of weakness identified are promptly acted upon. These highly effective evaluations ensure the standards within the home remain high.

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Organisation

Young people's case file records and other written documentation is of a good standard. This facilitates good communication with other professionals as well as ensuring young people have a permanent and secure record of their history. Good cross referencing of all documentation enables the management team and staff to evaluate and monitor young people's progress.

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Organisation

The promotion of equality and diversity is good. This is achieved through the good contribution the home makes to ensuring young peoples diverse needs are met. The Statement of Purpose and children's guide makes clear the home's commitment to equality and diversity. Equality and diversity training has been completed by all staff. Young people, parents and placing social workers actively contribute to written plans which set out a good individualised approach to care, health and safety. The staff understand and value people's differences and they encourage young people to do the same.

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