Children's Home, Residential special school run by The Hesley Group Limited in Doncaster

Unique reference number SC008015 Inspection date 07/12/2010 Inspector Russell Shackford Type of inspection Random

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Date of last inspection 28/06/2010 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 home and school for young people with learning disabilities. The home can accommodate up to 33 boys and girls, aged from 11-years-old up to 17- years-old. The school is separate to the living accommodation but it is only a short walk across the campus to the classrooms.

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Brief description of the service

Young people are accommodated in a number of houses and flats. Each house has its own name and identity. All houses and flats have a bathroom, kitchen, dining room and lounge. Young people have individual bedrooms. The most recently built property has en-suite bathrooms to the bedrooms. Each accommodation unit has an enclosed garden. The home is set in 14 acres of open countryside, approximately one mile from a village and five miles from the local town centre.

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Summary

The overall quality rating is outstanding.

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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 random unannounced inspection which focused upon the Every Child Matters area of staying safe. Young people's privacy is very well respected and this is done sensitively and safely. Complaints are well handled. There are excellent child protection procedures and practice, which help to safeguard the welfare of the young people. This is an area of outstanding strength. Behaviour management policies and practice are very good. Risk assessments are consistently well recorded and reviewed. Fire safety procedures and practice is good. All staff have been appropriately recruited and undergone suitable Criminal Records Bureau checks.

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Improvements since the last inspection

There were no actions or recommendations raised at the last inspection.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people's privacy is very well respected and this is done sensitively and safely. Young people requiring personal assistance have it provided in a manner which maximises privacy and dignity. Details about young people's care are recorded and stored to maintain their confidentiality. Young people have access to a private telephone, which is free to use for reasonable periods.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Complaints are well handled. Staff are sensitive to young people's behaviour which may indicate that they are unhappy. Measures are in place to receive and act upon any complaints. All staff have received training on complaints which ensures 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. An accessible complaints symbol book is available to young people who can use it to show staff if they are unhappy about something or somebody. A similarly accessible poster alerts young people to use the book. The young people also have the support of an independent advocate. The complaints records contain the required details.

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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 meticulous approach of the organisation 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 Board. An independent safeguard forum has been established and independent safeguard visitors are employed to visit and report on the young people's safety and welfare. All staff have received anti-bullying and awareness training. A young people's council meet regularly to discuss the views of young people. Safeguarding is a standing item on the agenda. Therefore, the welfare of young people is very well promoted, they are protected from abuse, bullying and

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

unauthorised absence and a robust response is made to any allegation or suspicion of abuse. This is an area of outstanding strength.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

All 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

The behaviour management policy promotes the use of praise, encouragement and de-escalation of behaviours. The policy is constructive and reflects the age, understanding and individual needs of the young people concerned. Physical restraint is sometimes used to manage behaviour. Staff are trained in the provider’s policy and authorised techniques. Staff are supported in retrospective analysis of the use of restraint and this is recorded. Staff use clearly recorded behaviour management plans. These plans are intensively reviewed by a multi-disciplinary team who offer well designed, progressive strategies for staff to implement. Physical restraint records contain the required details and they are recorded as required in a volume kept for that purpose. There is very good monitoring and analysis of the records to ensure that restraint is always the last resort.

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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. Comprehensive written risk assessments 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.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people's physical safety from fire in the home is well protected. All staff 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. Personalised evacuation strategies are recorded for each young person. These take account of the young people's differing responses to the situation. The fire safety check records are up to date and accurate.

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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. Managers and senior staff have undertaken safer-recruitment training to help ensure that staff are suitable to work with young people.

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