Children's Home run by Liverpool City Council in Liverpool

Unique reference number SC035969 Inspection date 10/01/2011 Inspector Michelle Moss Type of inspection Random

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Date of last inspection 09/07/2010 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 children's home provides short-term breaks and respite care for boys and girls between the ages of eight and 19 years. The home cares for up to seven young people with learning disabilities and physical disabilities at any one time. Many of the young people use non-verbal methods of communication. The home is a purpose- built detached property, within easy distance of local parks, cinemas, shops and schools.

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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 two actions and five recommendations raised at the last key inspection. In addition, a specific focus was placed on reassessing outcomes under staying safe. The home has addressed all previous shortfalls and in doing so have enhanced the delivery of care and increased their safeguarding of children and young people.

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Summary

The staff team are sincere in their care of children and young people. They are sensitive to their changing needs and provide tailored support which is reflective of individual situations. There is one minor shortfall arising from this inspection. This relates to fire safety. However, this weakness does not outweigh the continued strengths of providing a child focused service of which children and young people's care and welfare is always staffs' top priority.

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Improvements since the last inspection

There is ample evidence of continuous good progress being made by the home to address previous shortfalls. As a consequence of this commitment, ancillary staff are now being provided with the same child protection and safeguarding training has care staff. Anti-bullying practice is now more interwoven into behaviour management. There are better detailed risk assessments on countering bullying and staff have received specific training that is helping them recognise links between behavioural traits and potential bullying. As a consequence, early intervention for countering bullying is better established. Inconsistencies in recording of restraint logs have been addressed. This has meant care staff are better at keeping more accurate records to demonstrate if a restraint is applied, the timing of the intervention is always kept to the minimal and used as a last resort.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Improvements have been made to ensure personal information about young people is kept secure. This includes having suitable locked cabinets for holding children and young people's files. This is helping to ensure their personal information is appropriately protected. First aid boxes are now monitored and maintained with adequate stock to ensure if required in an emergency they are fit for purpose. This is in turn helping enhance the provision of welfare.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Notifiable events are now being sent into the correct authorities in an agreed timeline.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children and young people are supported by dedicated staff who help them feel and stay safe whilst they choose to stay at the home for a short break. There is an effective anti-bullying procedure in place that enhances the welfare of children and young people. For example, staff have recently received training on countering bullying and are more informed about procedures they are required to follow if any form of bullying traits are identified. This early intervention is helping to strengthen the welfare of children and young people. Clear procedures on the management of behaviour are developing and records for physical interventions are increasingly detailed. The care staff continue to recognise the use of physical restraint is a last resort measure and utilise skills such as de-escalation and distraction techniques before considering any use of physical intervention.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

There is a good system in place to monitor, record, and prevent risks to health and safety at the home. For example, regular monitoring is maintained on hot water temperatures accessed by children and young people. However, the fire precautions are not rigorously applied to all areas of fire safety. For example, although weekly testing of the fire alarm system is consistent, fire drills are not taking place at least four times a year, of which none have occurred in the last six months. Also, there are limited records to show how the home is making sure the means of escape routes are regularly inspected to check they remain fit for purpose. For example, locks are fitted to some escape routes without a plan to how the keys will be available. Furthermore, the home's fire risk assessment is not assessing the different levels of needs between children and young people in the event of a fire, especially

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

those children and young people with additional needs. These shortfalls weaken the fire safety within the home which is integral to keeping children and young people safe. More positively, the premises and grounds are subjected to inspection and risk assessment to ensure the environment is maintained to a safe level in which the needs of children and young people are being taken into account.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

There continuous to be comprehensive procedures in place to ensure the vetting of staff and monitoring of visitors remains thorough. This includes all staff having their Criminal Records Bureau checks periodically repeated and all visitors required to sign in and out of the home. In addition, all care and ancillary staff are provided with child protection and safeguarding training, which they apply in their practices. They use this knowledge effectively to protect the welfare of children and young people. The home has not had a child or young person go missing from their care. Nevertheless, procedures are in place that cover the action staff would be required to take in the event either a child or young person was to go missing. The procedures take into account the vulnerability of children and young people and the required action to secure their safe return.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff are sensitive towards promoting the privacy and dignity of children and young people. There is an effective complaints procedure, which is available in different formats to reflect children and young people's methods of communication.

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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

26 ensure adequate arrangements are in place for evacuation in the event of a fire. This must include undertaking fire drills and practices at suitable intervals. (Regulation 32 (1(a)(c)) 11/02/2011

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