Children's Home run by The Caldecott Foundation Limited in Kent

Unique reference number SC037309 Inspection date 25/01/2011 Inspector Helen Lee Type of inspection Random

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Date of last inspection 10/05/2010 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

The home is a purpose-built house registered as a children's home to provide care and accommodation for seven children aged between eight and 17 years. The home is located within rural grounds. The children either attend the home's school, within the grounds, or a local mainstream school. A garden surrounds the home providing recreational space for the children.

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Summary

The overall quality rating is satisfactory.

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Summary

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

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Summary

This interim, unannounced inspection looked at the progress the setting has made with the requirements made at the last inspection in May 2010. This related to improvements to medication administration and recording, staff training, supervision and recruitment. In addition the quality assurance visits to the home were checked. The focus of the inspection was to look at staying safe and assess whether the previous requirements had been met, therefore only staying safe was inspected on this occasion. Being healthy, enjoying and achieving, positive contribution, economic wellbeing and organisation were not looked at during this inspection. The provision has taken appropriate steps to address the previous seven out of the eight requirements. The overall judgement remains the same as the last inspection report as not all outcome areas were fully inspected.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The registered person has taken appropriate steps to improve the administration and recording of medication within the home. The home's frequent internal and external audits of the medication demonstrate that medication is stored safely and securely and disposed of in line with the home's policy. The manager has accessed a higher level of accredited training for the management team of the home. Staff fully understand their roles and responsibilities with regard to medication; this is reinforced through appropriate ongoing medication training and supervision. Therefore children's health is safeguarded by the home's procedures for administering medicines.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The registered person has improved the recruitment process and subsequently enhanced the home's system ensuring it is more robust.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The registered person was asked at the last inspection to improve the training, supervision and performance management of staff. The home has recently been able to provide stability of staffing and a high input of training, supervision and support for example, in regard to medication. Therefore there has been an improvement in the staffing of the home. However, the home has not achieved the minimum target of 80% of care staff completing a national vocational qualification.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The registered person was also asked at the last inspection to improve the quality assurance for the home. This action has been repeated because interventions do not contain clear evidence of being robustly evaluated to ensure their effectiveness. Monitoring systems are being developed by the manager, such as with incidents and restraints, to scrutinise and measure the performance of the home and this will enable good staff practices which benefit those living at the home. However, there is not an effective cycle of review, analysis, planning and action. There are areas which are being monitored purely from a quantity and not quality perspective. Hence, the opportunity to further develop reflective practice within the team is being hindered.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Routine daily practice ensures that written information is securely stored and shared appropriately. Children confirm their privacy is respected and this includes access to their bedrooms, washing facilities, and enjoying telephone and electronic contact with family and friends in private. However, the home's policy does not include all of the procedural guidelines, such as child protection implications and washing of clothes.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children know how to complain and make representations. The home's process is presented in a written format and staff spend time verbally explaining this procedure to further ensure the children's understanding. Complaints are taken seriously and appropriate action is taken. Comments from children include, 'talk to an adult and they sort it out.'

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The children are well protected against possible sources of harm and abuse. The organisation has a dedicated safeguarding manager who retains a lead role across all of the homes. All staff receive regular, ongoing safeguarding training. They understand the safeguarding procedures and know how to make appropriate referrals, consultations and notifications in the best interests of the children. Additional meetings are held with appropriate staff to consistently monitor safeguarding concerns. These are reviewed to continuously improve the work with the children. Following the last inspection the home has updated and improved its child protection policy.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Bullying and absence without authority are taken seriously by everyone in the home. Additional meetings may be held if necessary to address any bullying concerns. Individual risk assessments and behaviour management plans readily identify a young person's vulnerabilities with regards to bullying and when they are missing from the home; this heightens staff awareness. The home creates an atmosphere where bullying is known to be unacceptable and children confirmed this. Staff are aware of bullying tactics and have recently reviewed new guidance on this area. However, the home's policy, although recently reviewed, has not been implemented by the home and therefore opportunities for staff and children's input regarding definitions and strategies to prevent bullying have been hindered. Also, new types of bullying such as cyber bullying are not included in the current policy at the home.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff are keen to promote positive behaviour and conduct through good role modelling. Staff are good at managing the children's behaviour and support them to develop socially acceptable behaviour. Children are benefitting from positive emerging relationships with staff based on mutual respect and understanding. There are clear professional and personal boundaries in place for both the individual and the group. The staff are knowledgeable about the sanctions used within the home. The home has an agreed code of conduct which the children have been consulted on. The children are supported to comment and sign incident records, to show their awareness and understanding about any physical intervention or sanction used and to record how they felt.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The children live in a home that provides a safe and secure environment. Safe working practices are established. There are sound arrangements in place to keep children safe from risk of fire. Fire safety systems are routinely checked and serviced. Staff and children understand the fire evacuation procedure and practise this regularly. Records show which staff or children have been included in a drill.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The recruitment process is managed by central staff that ensure all checks are carefully processed and followed up appropriately. This is an improved and subsequently enhanced system. Children are suitably protected because visitors to the home are effectively monitored and the staff recruitment process is robust.

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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

34 maintain a system for improving the quality of care provided in the children's home which provides for consultation with children accommodated in the home, their parents and placing authorities. (Regulation 34) 31/03/2011

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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 procedural guidelines include all of the elements required such as washing of clothes (NMS 9.2)  revise the policy and procedures on countering bullying to ensure they reflect the issues related to this home, are known to the young people and staff and are effective in practice (NMS 18.2)  ensure overall competence of staff, both as a group and on individual shifts, is satisfactory in relation to the fulfilment of the home's Statement of Purpose (NMS 29.1)  take appropriate action on recommendations or issues of concern raised in Regulation 33 reports (NMS 32.3)  ensure that a minimum ratio of 80% of all care staff have completed a suitable qualification or begin working towards them within 3 months of joining the home (NMS 29.5)  ensure that any trends and patterns addressed in Regulation 33 reports are explored. (NMS 32.2)

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