Children's Home run by Stoke-on-Trent City Council in Stoke-on-Trent

Unique reference number SC369840 Inspection date 19/10/2010 Inspector Trevor Hall Type of inspection Key

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Date of last inspection 04/03/2010 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 home forms part of a portfolio of services for children and families, operated by a local authority. The home provides care for up to two young people aged between 10 to 17 years on admission, who have significant social, emotional and behavioural difficulties. The home is a three bedroom semi-detached house, situated in a housing estate and the young people are able to access local leisure activities in the immediate neighbourhood. Staff provide transport to take the young people to those facilities that are available at a greater distance. The home provides each of the young people with an individual bedroom. To the rear of the building is an enclosed garden, which provides space for a range of activities. To the front of the building is a small garden; the home has no off-road parking facilities.

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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 full unannounced inspection that concentrated on key national minimum standards. Two young people were living at the home, none were present during the inspection, pre-inspection questionnaires were completed and contributed to the inspection process. The visit focused on areas relating to being healthy, staying safe, enjoying and achieving, making a positive contribution, achieving economic well- being and how staffing and management arrangements supported the operation of the home.

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Summary

The overall judgement for this service is outstanding. The home is outstanding in five of the six outcome areas judged. Young people are being looked after by a competent well trained team of staff. The Registered Manager provides strong and consistent leadership that is focused on meeting young people's needs. Young people live in a very stable home and they are fully consulted about their day-to-day care and support. Staff have effective partnerships with other agencies and professionals to ensure young people receive the services they are entitled to. Young people are very happy with the home and the staff that work with them.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The home's records of room searches now includes information as to whether the young person was present or not during the search.

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Helping children to be healthy

The home has excellent arrangements in place to make sure each young person stays fit and healthy. Young people's emotional well-being is also important to staff and they provide a consistent and focused approach to meeting individual needs. The Registered Manager and staff team are knowledgeable about each young person's circumstances and advocate effectively on their behalf when it comes to promoting their needs and accessing services. The home's records reflect strong and consistent partnership arrangements with community services and health care professionals.

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Helping children to be healthy

Young people are provided with a good range of healthy, nutritious meals in a relaxed family style atmosphere. Information about food values, exercise and healthy eating is shared to help promote positive lifestyle choices. Young people like the food provided and have regular input into menu planning and mealtime arrangements. In addition, they also enjoy a variety of foods that reflect diverse cultures and traditions.

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Helping children to be healthy

Young people's medication is managed safely by the staff team. The home's records reflect that medication is being administered according to prescription and labelling instructions. Staff practice is underpinned by first aid and medication training which helps to improve the teams knowledge and awareness regarding their responsibilities.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people live a stable and safe environment that successfully promotes and protects their welfare. The Registered Manager and staff team demonstrate a high degree of responsibility and accountability for the safeguarding arrangements within the home. There are very clear procedures in place for responding to any child protection or safe care concerns and these arrangements are reinforced by induction and refresher training for all staff in a number of key practice areas. All staff learn about what constitutes a child protection concern and who to report it to, they learn about the necessary skills needed to manage challenging behaviour positively and safely. Young people are very safe and treated fairly.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff respect young people's right to privacy and have good policies that indicate when it is permissible for staff to search young people's bedrooms. Currently records of such searches are not always countersigned by the young people, nor is their refusal to sign recorded.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Further positive steps are taken by the home to ensure safeguarding arrangements are robust and relevant to each young person's circumstances. Young people are discouraged from being away from the home without permission and staff use effective reporting systems to help reduce the possible risks associated with this kind of behaviour. Staff are vigilant with regard to all relationships and take action if bullying is suspected. The home's records comprehensively evidence that staff engage with young people frequently about matters that relate to their behaviour and conduct. There is a positive approach taken by staff, they are clear about social and behavioural boundaries that are expected but equally they are clear about each young person's needs and how they learn about what is and is not acceptable. As a result, staff are patient and mindful of their responsibilities to educate and focus on acceptable and improving behaviours that can be rewarded and praised.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people's protection is also very well promoted through safe recruitment, selection and vetting practices for all new staff. The service has a clearly defined system in place that ensures all necessary checks have been completed and are acceptable prior to any new staff member starting work in the home. A written record of this process is maintained for inspection and is followed in respect of all staff currently employed.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff listen to what young people have to say and this creates an atmosphere where any complaints or concerns are acted upon quickly. Young people have confidence in the home's ability to resolve any complaints or grumbles they may have. Listening to young people is a key feature of how the home keeps everyone safe.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Safe procedures are in place to protect young people from fire and prevention systems are regularly tested and serviced. Staff and young people undertake fire drills in excess of what is required. Regular servicing and maintenance is completed on all gas and electrical equipment. Certificates of Public and Employer liability insurance are displayed as required and all certificates and health and safety records are up-to-date and well maintained. Young people's home environment is monitored well and is very safe.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Young people are provided with a wide range of support that is tailored to help each individual in their daily lives and future plans. This is because staff get to know young people very well and this helps them to develop supportive, caring relationships that are based on individual needs. Young people are encouraged to freely express their wishes and requirements and this forms part of the home's daily routines. This results in staff providing very flexible support that is shaped to suit each young person's circumstances.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Young people also benefit from having regular one-to-one time with care workers so they can talk about the things that are important to them. Relationships with the care team are very positive and make a significant contribution to the progress and development of each young person.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff are knowledgeable and very aware of young people's backgrounds and family history and this helps to shape how each individual is supported to develop their own identity and independence. Staff operate in a non-discriminatory way and understand the importance of promoting social inclusion and the need to challenge any form of discrimination. The manager is continually assessing risks to determine levels of staff supervision and free time away from the home. These assessments help staff to individualise how each young person is supported to progress and develop.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Young people are treated as individuals with different needs so the home's support for their education is very different. Young people are either attending school, further education college or engaged in vocational training. The value of learning is promoted which means young people receive positive messages of support and encouragement. The manager and staff team take an active interest in all arrangements to ensure placements remain suitable and appropriate.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Young people are actively encouraged and supported to have their say about the care and support they receive as well as day-to-day arrangements and routines of the home. Conversations about these areas are frequent and demonstrate the home's commitment to involve young people through a range of different consultation methods. Young people's views are treated as being important and they are able to influence the way in which the home is managed.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Young people make a positive contribution to their placement and future plans whilst living at the home. They are happy in the setting's caring environment and have positive relationships with staff. The home has good placement plans that provide a comprehensive range of information about each young person's needs. Each placement is formally reviewed and the home provides a comprehensive report about each young person's progress and development.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Young people are able to maintain valued relationships with family and friends through agreed contact arrangements which are monitored and supported by the home. Records demonstrated that these arrangements are clearly described and any restrictions are discussed fully with each young person. Staff provide practical and individualised support to young people when they first arrive or leave the home.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

Young people receive adequate allowances to cover personal requisites and clothing and are well informed about their entitlements due to good arrangements and systems in place to manage allowances, personal needs and pocket money. The care team are responsible for ensuring young people maintain an appropriate stock of essential clothing. Once these are established and maintained, the young people are at liberty to save their money for special items of choice. Pocket money is clearly recorded and paid to young people on a weekly basis.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

Young people living at this home are appropriately supported to prepare for leaving the home whether this is to return home, to alternative carers or to move into independent living. Young people, when appropriate, are provided with properly constituted pathway plans, agreed by the placing authorities which give focus to preparing young people to appropriately leave the home. Preparation for leaving care and acquiring the skills for successful semi-independent living are an integral part of the care packages currently being provided by the home.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

Young people live in a well-furnished property with good domestic style facilities. The home is located in a city location and has good access to all local amenities.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

Overall, this is a homely and comfortable care setting which is decorated and furnished to a very good standard which creates a pleasant living environment. The home provides the right environment to ensure the social and personal needs of each young person are being met.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

A programme of maintenance and repair is ongoing, however, this does not impact on the care young people receive. There are good systems in place that recognise maintenance issues and those with health and safety implications are rectified as a priority with evidence that demonstrates the owners invest generously in the home.

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Organisation

Young people live in a well managed home where they are consistently supported to achieve clearly defined outcomes that are outlined in individual plans of care. The Registered Manager provides effective and professional leadership through practical day-to-day contact and supervision of the staff team. Information about the home's operation is clearly reflected in the Statement of Purpose. The young person's guide also provides the right information in a readable format that describes what can be expected from the home.

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Organisation

Young people are cared for by an experienced, well trained, diverse and competent team who are all qualified to the necessary level consistent with their role and responsibilities. Young people are consistently cared for by the same group of staff which is a real strength of the home's operation. This results in all staff being very familiar and knowledge about each young person's needs. Care and support is to a consistently high standard.

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Organisation

The promotion of equality and diversity is outstanding. Staff are provided with clear guidance about anti-discriminatory practice and how this is translated into the daily operation of the home. The service provides an environment where differences are acknowledged and prejudice or discrimination on any grounds is actively challenged.

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Organisation

The Registered Manager has clear processes in place to monitor, audit and evaluate the quality of care being provided. In addition, external monitoring visits are carried out by elected members and local authority representatives who provide information about the home's operation. Parents and placing social workers are also provided with ways of expressing their views and opinions about the care young people receive. Young people have dedicated records that are stored safely and securely. The records reflect the necessary information needed to evidence each young person's care, support, progress and development.

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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 young people are afforded the opportunity to sign the room search log, there refusal should also be recorded (NMS.9.8).

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