Children's Home run by London Borough of Barnet in Barnet

Unique reference number SC033805 Inspection date 04/01/2011 Inspector Seka Graovac Type of inspection Random

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Date of last inspection 26/05/2010 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 is a local authority's children's home. It supports up to six young people between 12 and 17 years of age. The Statement of Purpose describes the aim of the home as ‘providing high quality care in a safe environment in which young people are listened to and treated with dignity and respect'. The home is located close to local schools, leisure services and transport links. The building is detached with communal facilities on the ground floor and bedrooms on the first floor. There is a private room for meetings and for visitors. Each young person has his or her own bedroom.

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Brief description of the service

At the time of the inspection, four young people lived in the home. However, two of them were with their families and one preferred to stay in their room during the inspection. One young person contributed to the inspection process by talking with the inspector in private. The young people also contributed their views through a written survey that was carried out by Ofsted prior to the inspection.

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Summary

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

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Summary

This was an unannounced interim inspection. Its main aim was to reassess the quality of the safeguarding at the home.

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Summary

The main inspection finding is that the home continues to provide a physically safe and emotionally supportive environment to young people. Young people's welfare is effectively promoted. A recommendation has been made that the management reviews the current written guidance for dealing with complaints. This is recommended with the view of making the home's internal procedure clearer and the good practice more explicit.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The quality of the service was last time inspected by Ofsted in May 2010. The home was assessed in line with a full range of the relevant national minimum standards. It was judged that the service was good. However, the management was asked to ensure that all complaints are recorded including the actions taken and outcomes. This has been achieved. The improved record keeping appropriately supports good practice and monitoring.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Good health and safety procedures ensure that the environment is physically safe. The risk assessments are regularly updated. Frequent maintenance checks ensure that any identified risks are minimized. The fire safety awareness in the home is high. This is achieved through regular fire drills that include young people and staff. All staff are offered the opportunity to become fire wardens.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The procedure for visitors protects young people effectively. The council's thorough staff recruitment procedure ensures that only people suitable to work with children are employed to work in this home. The robust procedure for using agency staff provides further assurances that only suitable people have unsupervised access to children and young people.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The council's induction and on-going training programmes for staff include information on health and safety, safeguarding, behaviour management and promotion of children's welfare. Staff also have access to clear written guidance that promotes good practice when dealing with safeguarding concerns and allegations, bullying, young people's challenging behaviour and when absent without authority. The stability of the staff team contributes to the consistency of good practice. Under the supportive management, staff work together to keep young people safe and to promote their welfare effectively.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The clear reporting procedures appropriately link with the children's social services and other agencies, such as the local police and health services. The home actively participates in strategy and review meetings. Staff ensure that young people are offered appropriate support that does not stop them from taking controlled risks, but encourages the safest possible practice.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Both the staff and the young people describe the atmosphere in the home as one of mutual respect. Clear boundaries are known to young people. The system of rewards and sanctions appropriately promotes constructive behaviour and is justly implemented. When young people return home after being absent without authority, they are responded to positively. The young people report that after many broken placements, they have found their home.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The written information on young people is securely stored and confidently handled. Young people are enabled to access it and to make comments. The home appropriately promotes young people's privacy. The young people know how to complain if they are dissatisfied with any aspects of the service. They feel listened to and appropriately supported by staff. A comprehensive council's procedure for making comments, compliments and complaints about children's services is in place. Although the home's actual practice when dealing with complaints is good, its own written guidance is fragmented and not detailed.

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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

 review and update the home's current written guidance on dealing with complaints so that it clearly includes all information specified in the national minimum standard. (NMS 16.5)

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