Children's Home run by Nottingham City Council in Nottingham

Unique reference number SC034900 Inspection date 28/01/2011 Inspector Rosemary Chapman Type of inspection Random

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Date of last inspection 01/09/2010 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 provides residential short-stay care for up to 11 young people with learning and physical disabilities aged eight to 19 years old. The home accommodates the young people in two units; the seven-bedded unit caters for young people with learning disabilities, and the four-bedded unit supports young people with physical disabilities or able-bodied young people who require a quieter environment.

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Brief description of the service

The home, which is run by a local authority, is located in a residential area close to the city centre, which facilitates easy access to a wide range of resources and promotes community inclusion.

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Brief description of the service

Eleven young people were using the service at the time of this inspection although 79 young people benefit from it during the course of a year.

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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 which focused on the Every Child Matters outcome area of staying safe. In addition, it monitored the progress the provider has made in relation to the one action and four recommendations raised at the previous inspection.

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Summary

The home continues to provide a good service to children and young people. Staff are very knowledgeable and committed to supporting young people in their care. They demonstrate a very thorough awareness of safeguarding issues and are appropriately trained in all aspects of this outcome area, with the result that children and young people benefit from a safe service which meets their needs.

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Summary

Two recommendations from the previous inspection have been repeated but these do not impact on the quality of the service which young people receive.

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Improvements since the last inspection

One action and four recommendations were made at the previous inspection. The action related to the arrangements for medication; specifically to ensure the temperatures of the medical rooms and the medication refrigerators are appropriate. Both medical rooms now have thermometers to enable the staff to monitor the temperature to ensure it is satisfactory. Both refrigerators are now equipped with thermometers and both indicate an appropriate temperature for the storage of medication. The recommendations related to maintaining records of menus, records of restraint, monthly monitoring of the quality of care by the manager and ensuring the insurance certificate names the specific home. There is now a clear system for recording any alternative meals served to enable better monitoring of an individual's food intake. Physical intervention is now recorded in a bound and numbered book. The Registered Manager delegates the monthly monitoring of records to an assistant

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Improvements since the last inspection

manager, and the national minimum standards do not allow for delegation. Although this is being carried out monthly, the records are not being signed monthly. Thus this recommendation is repeated. There was no evidence that the insurance certificate has been amended to include the name of the home so this recommendation is also repeated.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff in this home demonstrate a very strong understanding about the need to protect children from harm and promote their well-being. Outcomes for children and young people in this area are therefore good.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people benefit from a service which respects their privacy and the need for confidentiality. Staff demonstrate a very well-informed approach to these issues. For example, personal care is given in a way that respects a young person's dignity and which complies with their wishes. Each young person has their own bedroom, emphasised by their photo on the door; they can lock their room, and it is made clear that entering someone else's bedroom uninvited is not acceptable.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people are enabled to make complaints and express their views of the service through very clear procedures which are readily available. There is a very colourful display in the dining room which emphasises the importance of keeping safe and how young people can ensure that they are protected from harm. This is complemented by an appropriate complaints leaflet, endorsed by the young people from the home who are members of the council's Youth Parliament. Staff are very positive in their approach to complaints. They want to prevent them if possible, but should they receive a complaint, their wish is to resolve it to everyone's satisfaction. The manager shares any learning from complaints with the staff team to improve practice, demonstrating a very open and transparent approach.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff show a strong awareness of the need to safeguard children and are supported to implement this by clear written procedures and regular training. Bullying is addressed through increased supervision, appropriate and individual behaviour management plans and good communication, so young people are dealt with in a consistent and supportive manner. Instances where young people are missing without permission are rare but written guidance is available to staff so they know how to protect a young person should this happen.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Behaviour is well managed in this home. Each young person has an individual behaviour management plan which is regularly reviewed and implemented consistently. Any sanctions are appropriate, recorded and monitored for their effectiveness. Likewise, physical intervention, which is rare, is carried out by well- trained staff, appropriately recorded and monitored. The home offers an outreach service to young people who may benefit from extra input with their behaviour or to increase their independence. This is demonstrably effective in improving young people's behaviour, their relationship with their parents and their engagement with their peers.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people live in an environment which offers safety and security. All appropriate health and safely checks are carried out and recorded. Young people are protected from unsuitable people by the implementation of procedural safeguards. For example, all staff are subject to thorough recruitment checks, the identity of visitors is thoroughly checked and they are monitored while on the premises.

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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 the Public and Employee Liability insurance certificate specifies the name and address of the particular home (NMS 26.9)  ensure the home's records are monitored and signed once a month by the registered person. (NMS 33.1)

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