Children's Home run by Bryn Melyn Care Limited in Shropshire

Unique reference number SC372652 Inspection date 21/01/2011 Inspector Julian Parker Type of inspection Random

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Date of last inspection 08/09/2010 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 single occupancy children’s home specifically developed to offer accommodation and care to a young person with emotional and behavioural difficulties being prepared for independence. The semi-detached family style home is unobtrusively located on a residential estate in a large rural community. The home affords easy access to all major amenities, education and recreational facilities.

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Summary

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

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Summary

The purpose of this unannounced interim inspection was to follow up on recommendations made at the last inspection and to assess key standards under the outcome area of staying safe.

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Summary

The home continues to provide a good level of care to young people. The actions made at the last inspection are commented on in the improvement section of this report.

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Summary

Safeguarding systems promote the well-being of the young people living at the home. Young people's behaviour is encouraged and managed positively. Young people respond positively to consistent routines, staffing and the rewards and incentives used in the home which support them to develop acceptable social skills.

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Summary

Young people make their views known through their behaviour and show that they are listened to. The home environment is being maintained well apart from the access and frontage. Systems are in place to ensure appropriate health and safety checks are carried out.

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Summary

At this inspection one action has been raised.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection the registered person was required to ensure that the exterior of the home, the driveway and frontage, was maintained in a good state of repair. This action has not been addressed and creates a visually poor first impression of the home for children and visitors.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff show respect for the privacy of young people and for maintaining appropriate levels of administrative and practical confidentiality. Young people are aware of the situations where staff are required to share information with other professionals. Young people are provided with numerous opportunities to add comments to their daily records.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people are provided with their own room and their private space is respected. Young people are fully aware of the circumstances in which staff may ask to search their rooms. This process is fully recorded and young people are invited to add their comments.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The home has a complaints procedure with information about it being made available to young people in their guide. Staff always take seriously any concerns and complaints made by young people and have responded quickly to them. Young people know how to make a concern known, although the present resident has not needed to make a formal complaint while living at Pleasant View. Staff deal with any emerging concerns in accordance with the registered persons directions. Procedures are also in place to receive concerns and compliments from third parties in a transparent style.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff have guidance and training to help them respond in a formal manner to any allegations or serious concerns about young people's safety. The home has clear procedures for reporting and responding to child protection concerns and will contact the local safeguarding team for taking advice or making referrals. Training for staff in child protection is updated by the registered person's rolling training programme. The manager monitors all child protection concerns and keeps appropriate safeguarding records. This ensures that everyone who needs to know about specific risks and concerns are kept informed of what actions are being taken and their eventual outcomes.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The welfare and safety of young people is promoted through the application of the registered provider's formal policies and procedures. There is an anti-bullying policy in the home and the wider service provision that staff and young people are made aware of. Young people have written details included in their guide and know what to do and who they can talk to if they were bullied. Staff receive training about dealing with bullying behaviour during their induction period. This informs their workplace practice. Young people living at the home are regularly visited by a visitor from an independent advocacy service. The home has a written procedure identifying the action to take when young people go absent without authority. Staff will actively look for young people where this is appropriate. They will arrange to collect young people whose whereabouts are known and welcome home any young person upon return. Young people can, if they

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

choose to, speak with an independent person about the reasons they may have for going absent from the home. No unauthorised absences have been recorded.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The home notifies all those persons and appropriate authorities listed in Schedule 5 of any significant event that has occurred that includes young people. Where required and in accordance with individual care plans, significant people in the lives of young people are also informed.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff base their management of young people's behaviour principally on the encouragement and reward of acceptable behaviour. Young people are regularly made aware of the house rules prior to, on admission and while living in the home. Young people know what the standards of acceptable behaviour are.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Sanctions and physical restraints have been rarely used and few have been recorded for the young people currently in placement. Staff receive regular statutory training that acknowledges the continuum of behaviour management. This can include situations where the reasonable application of an accredited form of physical restraint is considered necessary. This is balanced by the home being minimally staffed reflecting the findings of behavioural risk assessments. All behavioural incidents or applied sanctions receive prompt review by the home's Registered Manager.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Sanctions have been recorded appropriately and include detail of reparation for deliberate damage. On occasion privileges have been withdrawn from young people for short periods of time. The use of specific sanctions is monitored by the manager to evaluate the effect on the behaviour of young people. Young people can make comment upon receiving sanctions. There is a reward system in place and young people confirm through their conduct that this approach encourages good behaviour.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The home uses risk assessments to evaluate all aspects of its practice and home safety. Risk assessments are taken into account when planning daily activities in the home and for all types of trips out. All staff and young people know the fire safety instructions and there is an effective awareness of fire safety in the home. Fire drills are carried out regularly and detailed records are kept. The home has appropriate levels of insurance cover.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The home employs effective systems for the monitoring of all visitors to the property. No stranger is allowed unsupervised access to the home and all formal visits are announced. The service's recruitment and selection process has been inspected separate to this visit confirming rigorous procedures are in place to safeguard young people by informed staff selection.

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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

23 maintain the premises to a good standard; in particular ensure that the exterior of the home is maintained in a good state of structural repair. This includes the driveway and frontage to the home. (Regulation 31(2)(d)) 21/02/2011

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