Children's Home run by Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council in Bolton

Unique reference number SC040723 Inspection date 05/10/2010 Inspector Helen Walker Type of inspection Key

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Date of last inspection 12/01/2010 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 children's home is registered to accommodate up to four young people of either sex between the ages of 10 and 17 years.

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Brief description of the service

It comprises two connected three bedroom semi-detached houses. It provides two lounges, a separate dining room, kitchen and utility room on the ground floor and two bathrooms both with bath and shower upstairs. All the bedrooms are single and there are two staff sleep-in rooms also used as offices during the day.

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Brief description of the service

Four young people live in the home and three took part in the inspection process.

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Summary

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

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Summary

At this full, unannounced inspection, the key national minimum standards in the all outcome areas were considered. The two recommendations made at the previous inspection were followed up and the outcome noted in the improvement section of this report.

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Summary

The overall outcome is that the home is judged as good with outstanding judgements in enjoying and achieving and positive contribution.

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Summary

The home is well-managed and has a consistent and qualified staff team. This helps to ensure young people have continuity of care during their stay. Young people have excellent levels of individual support. Staff are caring and knowledgeable about young people's needs and significantly promote young people's well-being.

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Summary

Young people consider their views and opinions are heard, and that staff are fair with them. Staff provide very good role models and significantly promote education and employment for young people.

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Summary

To further promote the well-being of young people the provider has been asked to improve the furnishings and fittings in some parts of the home. Also, to ensure young people are aware of the formal complaints procedure and how to use this.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection the provider was asked to ensure the record of bullying incidents detail the action taken and the strategy for managing it. Records have been updated and give full information about how staff manage such incidents and the action taken. This helps to ensure appropriate strategies are in place to promote the welfare of young people.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The provider was also asked to ensure that the premises are maintained in good order. There has been redecoration in communal rooms and young people's bedrooms. A comprehensive fire and smoke detection system has been installed. However, bedroom furniture, floor coverings and shower room have yet to be improved. Therefore, this recommendation is not met.

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Helping children to be healthy

Staff understand the importance for young people to have a good choice of well- balanced meals for a varied and healthy diet. Staff encourage young people to eat healthily and support them to shop and make meals in the home. Young people consider they have good skills in relation to cooking and baking. Fresh snacks such as fruit are readily available to the young people.

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Helping children to be healthy

The home has a suitably furnished dining room. This gives young people the opportunity to sit at the dining table and have meals in a social environment with the other young people and staff. Young people made comment about the family atmosphere when staff and young people eat meals together.

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Helping children to be healthy

Young people's health needs are well-considered. They have good advice and guidance about health and social matters. Young people confirm they have regular check-up visits to the dentist and optician, and see the local doctor as necessary. This enables their routine health needs to be met.

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Helping children to be healthy

The looked after children's nurse visits the home which allows young people the opportunity to discuss different health matters, for example sexual health and well- being. Young people say staff promote anti-smoking and the use of drugs. Some young people misuse drugs which impacts on their health and behaviour. Staff actively discourage this behaviour and involve specialist agencies to support the young people. However, not all young people readily engage with these services. Parents feel staff work really hard to promote the young people's health.

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Helping children to be healthy

Staff have a good awareness about the administration and storage of medication. Medicines are securely stored in the home and records are monitored to confirm appropriate practices are in place. Staff are qualified to administer first aid treatment as needed.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people have individual bedrooms which provide them with their own personal space. The young people's telephone, which allows them to make and receive calls in private, is currently out of order. Arrangements are in place for the repair of the telephone. Confidentiality is well-regarded and personal records are securely stored.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff are aware of the need to keep young people safe. They receive training and are familiar with safeguarding guidance. Staff follow this guidance in order to help to protect the young people from harm. Young people say they feel safe living in the home.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

No complaints have been made since the last inspection. Young people consider staff listen to them and there are forums to allow them to raise any issue they are unhappy with. However, young people say they are unsure about how to access the formal complaints procedures to resolve matters. Young people have regular contact with people they can talk to who are independent of the home, such as health and educational professionals.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff encourage young people to develop appropriate and acceptable behaviours. Staff promote a positive culture within the house which includes an emphasis on celebrating achievements and an ethos of respect. For example, education success is fully recognised.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff receive support and training to assist them to deal properly with challenging behaviour. Staff talk very positively about their work with the young people. No recent physical interventions and few sanctions indicate they are skilful to resolve issues before behaviour escalates. Young people say staff are fair with them and do lots to help them. Parents say staff actively engage young people to participate in meaningful activities, such as education. Young people talk of the support they receive to obtain employment and further their education.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Good procedures are in place should young people go missing from the home. Staff record unauthorised absences fully, with details of the action taken to try to ensure the young person's safe return. Young people are made aware that bullying is not tolerated in the home. They say they 'get on well together' and there is no bullying at this time.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The home environment is well-maintained with systems in place for health and safety checks to be carried out. Young people and staff are aware of the fire evacuation procedures and know what to do in the event of a fire in the home.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Robust recruitment and employment checks are carried out by the provider to verify staff are suitable to work with young people.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Young people have excellent levels of individual support from staff, including a key worker. Staff provide good role models and use a range of interventions to raise young people's confidence, self-esteem and social skills. Staff are extremely knowledgeable about each young person and fully aware of how they are to meet their individual needs. Young people say, ' I can talk to all the staff, they know me well and I'm really settled'.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Young people talk positively about the time spent with staff and the support they receive to do the things they want to do. Staff have strong links with a range of services outside the home, to ensure that additional resources are available to young people. This includes health, education and youth offending agencies. Parents say staff are excellent in the way they maintain communication and keep them informed of their child's care and education.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Education is seen as a particularly important part of young people's lives and is actively promoted by staff. The routine and ethos of the home is for all the young people to attend school or achieve employment. Staff work closely with education agencies to enable young people to reach their potential.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff are very proactive to empower young people to seek work and career opportunities. For example, young people say staff helped them to distribute their curriculum vitae. From this some young people found suitable employment. Personal education plans set out goals and educational achievements so that staff are aware of how to action and support them.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The home has facilities to support the young people's learning, such as books, board games and quiet areas in the house. Young people have access in the home to a computer with internet access and can use this for homework or in leisure time.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Placement plans clearly identify young people's individual care needs. Plans are very informative and monitored to enable good outcomes for young people. Staff are particularly knowledgeable and familiar with the plans which significantly support them in their work with the young people. Young people are fully involved in the care planning process.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The home has systems in place for the statutory review of young people's care. Key workers take account of young people's views and encourage them to attend review meetings. Young people say they now attend meetings so that they have a say in decisions that affect their future. Young people's placement plans are updated and show the outcomes and actions required from the meetings in order for staff to provide appropriate care.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Contact arrangements are significantly promoted so that young people continue to have positive links with those that are important to them outside of the home. Young people's family members consider contact and communication is a real strength of the home.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Admissions to the home are usually planned and involve a visit by the young person to meet staff and view the home. Where admissions are short notice, staff discuss the placement with the young person so that they are familiar with the routines of the home. Staff try to adequately prepare young people for leaving the home and ensure that there is a planned ending to the placement.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Young people are asked their opinions about issues that affect their daily lives and future. This includes their views about aspects of the running of the home such as menus and activities. Young people personalise their bedroom and have recently chosen decorations. They are exceptionally pleased they have their choice of wallpaper which gives their room a welcome feel and ownership. Consultation is important for staff to obtain young people's views and those of their family. Newsletters and questionnaires ensure their views are heard.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Young people say; 'really well supported, have children's meetings, they consult with me and listen to what I want'. Parents say; ' we think the home provide an excellent service for stability, liked the newsletter, staff are brilliant and extremely helpful'. This significant level of consultation helps to improve young people's quality of life.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

Young people benefit from staff that encourage them to learn skills that will help them as they move towards leaving care and independent living. Opportunities in the home allow young people to undertake household tasks and to gain an understanding about looking after themselves.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

The home uses an independent training plan to support young people to learn basic living skills. Staff take account of young people's age and ability to ensure they feel able to participate in the home's independence programme. Pathway plans are in place for those approaching independence and outline how staff are to assist them towards adulthood. Good advice and support is given about educational opportunities and practical matters, such as housekeeping, budgeting and employment.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

Each young person has a 'journey file' which outlines their achievements and time spent at the home. This contains many photographs and memorabilia which is a tangible record of their life in the home.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

Young people have bedrooms with doors they can lock. However, there are instances of thefts from the home and young people are unhappy that these happen. Discussion with the manager confirms that better security arrangements are to be put in place to prevent further theft.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

The home is comfortably furnished and there have been real improvements in the decoration of the home. The budget previously allocated for major refurbishment is no longer available to the home. Therefore, staff and young people have been instrumental to improve the decorations on a limited budget. However, bedroom furniture, some bed mattresses and the shower room are in poor condition.

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Organisation

The Statement of Purpose accurately reflects what the home offers and the care staff provide. This is made available to young people, parents, and social workers. The young people's welcome guide is presented in a child-friendly way and provides useful information about services and facilities available to them.

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Organisation

The promotion of equality and diversity is good. The staff group provide very good role models for young people in relation to values and attitudes in life. Staff treat young people as individuals and their assessed needs are very well-considered. Young people have support to achieve their potential in life.

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Organisation

Young people are comfortable and at ease with the staff. The good humoured banter between them is evident. Overall the atmosphere is relaxed and the relationship between the young people and staff is excellent with firm but fair boundaries.

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Organisation

A permanent staff team provide consistency of care to the young people. Staff receive training to enable them to carry out their roles effectively. Adequate number of staff are on duty to care for the young people. To increase staff competency and skills, further training to meet the more specific needs of the young people is given. Training includes; working with children who have suffered bereavement, mental health awareness and drugs awareness. At least 80% of staff who work at the home has a relevant childcare qualification. This helps to inform and support staff in their work with the young people.

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Organisation

Very good management systems help to ensure the home runs to the benefit of the young people. The manager monitors the paperwork in the home and also staff care practice. A deputy manager is in post to support the manager in his work. Monthly reports from an independent visitor to the home contribute to the effective running of the service.

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Organisation

Young people's progress is appropriately and permanently documented. Records are securely stored and contain good evidence of their history and development.

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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

24 ensure all parts of the children's home are suitably furnished and equipped, kept clean and maintained, in particular young people's bedrooms (Regulation 31.2) 25/01/2011

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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 young people are aware of the complaints procedure. (NMS 16.2)

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