Children's Home run by Positive Pathways Limited in Birmingham

Unique reference number SC410539 Inspection date 02/12/2010 Inspector Andrew Hewston Type of inspection Key

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Date of last inspection 29/06/2010 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 is one of a group of small children's homes in the Midlands. The home accommodates the placement of two young people from 10 years to under 18 years of age of either gender, who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties with challenging behaviour. The home is a detached two-storey property. The ground floor has two lounges, a kitchen with a dining area and a downstairs toilet with shower. A block-paved driveway in front of the house has car park spaces for up to four cars. At the rear of the house is a garden with a lawn and a patio area. The home is situated in a suburb to the north of the city centre. Public transport is available with bus routes and a railway station. A range of leisure activities are in the local area including a bowling centre, cinema, and swimming baths.

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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 was an unannounced key inspection of the home. Levels of care within the home are generally good. Young people's health needs are responded to by the staff team and additional health professionals are involved when necessary. Systems are in place to support the safety of young people, including the areas of recruitment and child protection. Staff respond well to behaviours such as absence without permission, bullying and health and safety checks.

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Summary

Young people are supported with their educational needs, and activities are organised in line with the young people's wishes. Plans are in place for the young people and contact is well organised. Young people live within a pleasant homely environment that is well cared for by both young people and staff. The staff team work well together and there are a range of ways that staff support each other.

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Summary

However, there are shortfalls which include insufficient recording and a lack of training in one area that could affect the outcomes for young people. Not all complaints are fully recorded and some records of restraint are not sufficiently clear. Not all of the staff team have completed training in restraint of young people and this is concerning due to the level of such interactions within the home. The proportion of staff who have achieved the National Vocational Qualification at level 3 is below the level the standards.

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Improvements since the last inspection

This is the first inspection of the home since its registration.

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Helping children to be healthy

Young people enjoy a wide range of varied meals that are appropriate to meet their needs. Mealtimes are pleasant social occasions that are times for discussions about young people's development and ongoing issues at the home and externally.

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Helping children to be healthy

Support for young people in relation to their health needs is appropriate. Plans are in place that identify individual health needs although it is not clear if these checks have been completed in all cases within young people's recordings. Staff are able to discuss how differing young people's health needs have been responded to through the involvement of external health professionals and support agencies. All young people are registered with the local General Practitioner, optician and dentist.

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Helping children to be healthy

Medication is appropriately administered and recorded to ensure young people's safety. Medication is regularly audited and staff have received training in medication administration. All medication is appropriately stored.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Although young people are generally kept safe within the home there are some recording issues and a lack of training that could be detrimental to their overall well- being.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people's privacy is supported by the staff team. All young people have their own rooms and there are systems in place to record if rooms have been searched.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people are aware of the complaints procedures within the home through discussions on their admission and information in the young people's guide. The telephone number relating to complaints is not correct, however. Internal complaints are recorded within a dedicated system, although complaints made by young people through external parties, relating to the running of the home do not sufficiently record how such concerns are resolved. All staff have received training in safeguarding procedures and have a good knowledge of these. The procedures are also clearly displayed within the home. Safeguarding concerns are responded to appropriately and fully recorded.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff respond swiftly to disagreements between young people and bullying is therefore minimised. Bullying behaviour is discussed within young people's meetings, however, young people state that they get on with each other most of the time. Arrangements are in place to respond when young people absent themselves from the home. This includes partial recordings of the incidents and discussions with young people on their return to the home. There is a lack of clarity in the paperwork relating to when young people have absented themselves. Protocols are in place with the local police regarding the reporting of missing young people. Staff promote young people's good behaviour through differing systems linked to individualised behaviour plans. Systems relating to the use of sanctions or positive rewards are in place and are known by the young people. Problematic behaviours are seen to be responded to through discussion within groups and on an individual basis.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Insufficient staff have been trained in the use of restraint within the home and this is concerning due to the level of interventions that have been used. Some of the recordings of behaviour management lack sufficient detail and have not been monitored sufficiently by the home's management.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff ensure the ongoing safety of young people through regular and rigorous health and safety checks. Information regarding the majority of checks is available within the home apart from the home's gas safety certificate. Fire safety checks and drills are completed appropriately although the fire risk assessment is not in line with the expectations of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. Risk assessments relating to young people and the activities that they are involved in are completed.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Robust recruitment procedures are in place that ensure the safety of the young people. All checks as required under the regulations are appropriately carried out. Where issues have arisen these are discussed within the recruitment process, responded to and recorded. Checks against the Disqualification for Caring for Children Regulations are also completed as part of recruitment procedures.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Young people receive a good range of individualised support through both the staff team and external professionals. All young people have access to an independent visitor and this has been used. All young people's needs are individually identified and supported through the placement planning system.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Young people are not currently involved with regular educational placements. This is due to the nature of their placements and previously exhibited behaviours. Staff are able to discuss a range of ways that they have attempted to get young people into different educational placements without success. Personal education plans from previous educational establishments are in place.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff provide a good range of activities for the young people to enjoy. Activities are completed both within the home and externally and young people are able to discuss different trips that they have been on. Young people are involved in the planning of activities.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Placement plans are in place and these show an awareness of the needs of the young people and how they are to be supported by the staff team while they are placed at the home. Placement plans are in line with the expectations of the standard. Young people are aware of their plans relating to how long they will be living at the home. For all of the young people the lack of clear organisation of their placements by the placing authority has affected the ability of the home's staff to develop an in-depth plan. No young people have had reviews while being in the home. Staff are able to discuss how they have supported previous review arrangements in the home. Young people state that they are confidant about their ability to attend their own reviews and staff state that this would be supported.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Contact arrangements are clear within young people's plans. Staff ensure that contact arrangements are fully supported and that supervised sessions are positive experiences for both the young people and their families. All contact visits are appropriately recorded within a dedicated system.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Young people are supported with making decisions regarding the running of the home through young people's meetings and regular key working sessions. All meetings are fully recorded and show that staff encourage young people to talk about the home and what they would like to change within it.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

Young people have pathway plans that give a basic awareness of the need to develop independence planning. Due to the lack of permanence relating to their placements, these plans have not been able to be followed through. Staff are aware of the need to develop young people's independence skills and young people are involved with some cleaning around the home and organising their own laundry.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

The home is a very pleasant environment that is taken care of by both staff and young people. Communal areas provide a homely atmosphere and furnishings are comfortable to meet the needs of the young people. Bedrooms are individually decorated in line with young people's requests and also personalised with posters. The outside of the house has a pleasant garden.

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Organisation

Young people have information about what they can expect from the home, how they will be cared for and who they are likely to share the home with. Parents and placing social workers have a clear statement on how the home operates. Consequently, all parties are well informed about the running of the home.

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Organisation

The home has sufficient staff and the Statement of Purpose includes a staffing policy in line with the standard. There have been some changes in the staff team since the registration of the home, although new staff are sufficiently supported. Staff are supported through an organised system of supervision and staff meetings. All of these are recorded and show that the staff team discuss how they can meet the needs of the young people in an effective way.

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Organisation

Staff are involved in a good range of training courses in addition to the National Vocational Qualification at level 3 course in Caring for Children and Young People. Sixty per cent of the staff team have completed this, which is below the expected level; all others are on course to complete the qualification within the next nine months.

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Organisation

Monitoring is completed throughout the home and includes checks of recordings relating to the care provision. Regulation 33 visits, Regulation 34 assessments and a robust daily checking procedure including areas such as petty cash and medication, form part of this monitoring.

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Organisation

The promotion of equality and diversity is good. Staff promote positive views regarding diversity. The promotion of equality is discussed within young people's meetings and the home has a clear policy addressing this.

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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

16 ensure all complaints regarding the home are fully recorded (Regulation 24(5)) 31/01/2011

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Std. Action Due date

22 ensure all restraints are fully recorded within 24 hours of the incident (Regulation 17(4)) 21/01/2011

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Std. Action Due date

31 ensure all staff are appropriately skilled in the use of restraint prior to their involvement in such actions. (Regulation 26(3)) 14/01/2011

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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):  ensure health plans clearly show when appointments have been completed (NMS 12.2)  ensure information relating to how to contact Ofsted in the event of a complaint is correct (NMS 16.5)  ensure all information relating to the absence of young people without permission is recorded, including the date of their initial absence (NMS 19.6)  ensure up-to-date risk assessments are in place relating to fire safety (NMS 26.3)  ensure sufficient staff have completed the National Vocational Qualification at level 3 in Caring for Children and Young People. (NMS 29.5)

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