Children's Home run by North East Lincolnshire Council in North East Lincolnshire

Unique reference number SC380956 Inspection date 31/01/2011 Inspector Fiona Parker Type of inspection Random

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Date of last inspection 22/07/2010 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 registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three children between the ages of eight and 17 years. The home provides a service for families with young people on the verge of coming into the care system and struggling to maintain their education. Respite is agreed with young people and their families or carers. Stays at the home are short breaks of one or two nights duration usually within a two-weekly period.

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Brief description of the service

As part of the local education services, an alternative learning programme independent of the home is offered on the site during each week day until 5pm, at which point the respite children’s home resumes its operation at this location. The staff team work in the alternative learning programme and the respite provision.

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Brief description of the service

The home has three single bedrooms and a shared bathroom upstairs along with staff sleep-in and office accommodation. Downstairs there is a lounge, play room, kitchen, dining room and shower room.

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Brief description of the service

The home is semi-detached with a private garden. There is restricted on-street parking.

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Brief description of the service

The home is currently providing a respite service for four young people in total with two young people staying at any one time. One young person was present and contributed to this inspection.

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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 visit is an unannounced interim inspection to review the progress on the previous recommendations and assess the majority of the key standards in staying safe. As a result of this inspection the individual judgement for staying safe is good and the overall judgement remains satisfactory. This will be reviewed at the next full inspection.

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Summary

Overall young people benefit from positive stays which offer them some stability during difficult periods in their lives. The manager and staff team are caring and committed to promoting positive outcomes and choices for young people. Young people say they feel safe, listened to and they can come to agreements with the staff.

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Summary

There are three recommendations, two relate to appropriate record keeping in all the required logs. The third recommendation relates to making sure all young people have opportunity to practise an evacuation as well as this being explained to them. These shortfalls do not significantly impact on young people's care and experiences.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The previous inspection identified five recommendations relating to; written health plans; clearly detailed placement plans; reviewing and updating risk assessments; contributing to the review process and incorporating recommendations into the placement plan and for the registered person to monitor and sign records at least monthly.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Good progress has been made and the recommendations have been met. The manager has sought advice from sources in the local authority to improve the systems in the home. Each young person now has a written health plan and an overall placement plan which outlines their needs and the objectives for their respite stays. In addition positive handling plans outline needs and support. Each young person now has an indentified link worker who takes responsibility for contributing in reviews and updating placement plans. Plans are now updated in a timely way and are consistent with review recommendations. The manager regular reviews logs, records and risk assessments as part of monitoring the operation of the home.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people enjoy positive stays and benefit from the good relationships they have with the staff team, one young person commented 'its good here, it’s a good atmosphere'. Young people say their privacy is respected, they are aware of their rights and say 'yes I feel safe'. Young people are aware they can request their file to read their information, commenting ' I have read my file twice, I trust the staff not to put anything nasty'. Equally staff are aware of maintaining confidentiality and they make sure, where needed, conversations are private and records are always securely kept.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Good policies and procedures support staff with managing complaints, absences and safeguarding matters. Staff are appropriately trained in managing behaviours to support young people. Regular opportunities to refresh core training ensures staff keep up-to-date with their skills and knowledge. Staff can appropriately demonstrate they are aware of their responsibilities in safeguarding, including advising young people to keep themselves safe. As a result young people are appropriately protected during their stays. Due to the nature of the service, incidences and interventions are very low. Young people choose to access the service therefore there is a positive culture, for example negotiating agreements, a young person commented, 'we make an agreement on what time I get in'. As a result there are no unauthorised absences, no complaints and no need to exercise sanctions. Bullying is not a concern to young people, 'there

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

is no bullying here, everyone gets on with others, sometimes we mess about, if we go too far we say sorry'. The need for physical intervention is very low and currently not part of day-to-day practice. A suitable bound log is available to record interventions, however this does not include the duration of any restraint. In addition some wording in the central restraint log does not fully explain the context of behaviours and interventions, although in practice appropriate intervention has taken place. This information is however, clearly recorded in other records and there is no impact upon young people.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Good individual risk assessments outline the potential risks for each young person. Good strategies and actions suitably guide staff on minimising risks and focussing on safety where the need is assessed. In addition, risk assessments for the home, environment and activities further promotes safe stays for young people. A diligent approach to fire safety, through risk assessing fire safety, undertaking equipment checks and practising evacuations ensures staff and young people are safe. However, although young people know the fire evacuation procedure not all have had opportunity to take part in a fire drill.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Recruitment records are not assessed this visit. Suitable arrangements are in place for welcoming and managing visitors. Visitors sign in and out the home and the reasons for visits are clear. The majority of visits which do not involve young people are arranged for times when the home is not in use, therefore minimising disruption and any unnecessary contact with visitors.

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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 restraint is not used as a means to enforce compliance. In particular ensure restraint records are clearly written outlining the appropriate practice to comply with this standard (NMS 22.7)  ensure the separate dedicated bound and numbered book includes the duration of the restraint (NMS 22.9)  ensure children and staff know the emergency evacuation procedure. In particular all young people have opportunity to practice a drill to ensure they know and understand this in practice (NMS 26.7)

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