Children's Home run by Phoenix Children’s Homes Limited in Devon

Unique reference number SC403234 Inspection date 12/01/2011 Inspector Jim Palmer Type of inspection Random

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Date of last inspection 15/06/2010 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 operated by a private company which also operates a number of other homes in the locality. The organisation provides care and education for young people with behavioural and emotional difficulties. Young people placed are from a variety of locations across the country.

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Brief description of the service

It is a large three storey town house situated in a town centre location on a busy road close to all local shops and amenities. A local college is within walking distance and secondary schools are accessible on foot or by public transport.

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Brief description of the service

The home provides planned or emergency long-term care and is staffed in accordance with the current needs of the young people. The home prepares older young people to leave care and live more independent lives.

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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 interim inspection to assess the progress in implementing the four recommendations arising from the previous full inspection. Additionally each of the key standards in the staying safe outcome group were judged. No other standards were inspected. One young person was present at the time of the inspection. Since the last inspection there have been a number of changes to the staff team and a recent change of manager. The recently appointed manager is aware of a number of areas of weakness that need to be addressed.

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Summary

A strength of the home is the ability to be flexible and responsive to the individual needs of young people. However, some young people say they would like greater structure to their day.

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Summary

Only one of the previous four recommendations has been met. At this inspection one has now been made an action, and two are repeated. In addition a further five new recommendations have been made. The quality of a number of recordings, including the administration of medicines, complaints, restraints and sanctions are areas that require improvement. The monitoring of the functioning of the home has not always commented on these issues.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection four recommendations were made. One recommendation that all young people be given access to educational facilities according to their abilities has now been provided to for each young person. However, some young people find it difficult to maintain a full time college course despite the support offered by staff. The remaining three recommendations have not been met.

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Helping children to be healthy

Young people are encouraged to eat a balanced and healthy diet; however, this advice is frequently not followed. Staff prepare one cooked meal each day to ensure that young people are receiving a partially balanced diet. However, the records of meals actually eaten do not reflect a balanced diet with a high level of meals recorded as declined or as a repetitive meal that is high in fats and carbohydrates. Despite the efforts of staff to encourage a healthy diet the recommendation made at the last inspection that records demonstrate a healthy and balanced diet has not been achieved.

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Helping children to be healthy

Each young person's medicines are securely stored in the home and are clearly labelled and stored separately ensuring that young people are only given medicines prescribed for their use. On the day of the inspection the stocks of medicines held accorded with the records of medicines held. However, the controlled drugs records held for each young person has numerous alterations to the stock figures. Many are not signed by the person making the alteration and no explanation for any alteration to the record is provided. Subsequent audits of the records do not query the altered entries. This could lead to incorrect dosages being administered. Some non controlled medicines are recorded in the same book as controlled drugs. Not all medicines returned to the pharmacy have suitable receipts for their safe return; this could lead to possible misuse, particularly for controlled drugs. This is despite all staff

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Helping children to be healthy

having received training in the administration of medicines.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The privacy and confidentiality of young people continues to be promoted by staff who have an effective understanding of the privacy and confidentiality policy which is unchanged since the full inspection. All staff receive training as part of the induction programme and guidance is available to staff on information sharing and data protection. All young people have keys to their own bedrooms and are able to keep personal possessions safe. Young people have their own mobile telephones and may also request the use of the office telephone which they are able to use in private.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The complaints procedure is unchanged since the last inspection. All young people are given guidance on how to make a complaint and young people say that they know how to raise any concerns they may have about the service. Staff are provided with training on how to support young people in making a complaint and how to record any complaints. Since the last inspection when there were no complaints, two complaints are recorded; however, there are four entries in the complaints records. These are follow up actions arising from the original complaints, however, the recording is very brief and lacks specific detail about the nature of the complaint. The outcome of the complaint investigation is unclear. Not all information regarding each complaint is held in the home.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The welfare of young people is promoted by robust safeguarding policies. All staff continue to receive training in safeguarding awareness. Local safeguarding children guidance is available to staff along with contact details. One child protection referral is recorded since the last inspection.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff remain vigilant about the risks of bullying, and discussions are held in key working sessions and house meetings about incidents of bullying, however, the last house meeting was held in October as young people frequently decline the opportunity of a meeting.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

There are six incidents of absence from the home recorded since the last inspection. Each young person has an individual plan that identifies the level of risk presented by any absence and the home has an agreed protocol with the local police. All young people are given the opportunity to talk about any reasons for leaving the home with staff, parents or placing social workers.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The home has a system of notifying appropriate agencies of any significant events and notifications are received by Ofsted when appropriate. There is a new manager appointed to the home and the previous manager now works elsewhere within the company. The company are in the process of notifying Ofsted of the management changes, which occurred in late December.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The behaviour management policy is unchanged since the last full inspection and continues to support young people in managing their behaviours. All young people have positive handling plans which identify trigger points for behaviours and strategies for managing them. The use of any sanction or use of physical restraint is recorded in separate hard bound books. However, some entries are poorly recorded in both documents, with on occasions the reason for imposing a sanction recorded as 'bad behaviour' and in the restraints record two of four entries recorded as 'behaviour'. The records are regularly monitored but no comment on the quality of recording is made.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The use of comprehensive risk assessments for individuals, the premises, activities and equipment continues to promote the safety of young people and staff. The fire safety risk assessment is in need of renewing, however, all fire safety equipment is tested regularly by staff and by external fire safety consultants. Five fire drills have been held since the last inspection, however, the time of the fire drill is only included in one entry, therefore it is not possible to establish if any have taken place at night.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff recruitment records are held at the company head office. These are regularly inspected and are found to be good. They were not looked at on this occasion.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Each young person is encouraged to undertake a programme of activity that includes work experience, attending local colleges or gaining life skills. The company works successfully with young people who have previously had long periods of school or college non attendance. However, some young people find it difficult to maintain a full time college course despite the support offered by staff.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

There is an informal process for supporting young people to develop life and social skills, in order to support their transition to adulthood. However, not all young people have pathway plans in place by their placing authority; the recently appointed manager is requesting this from all placing social workers. No young people have a comprehensive leaving care plan or a structured leaving care plan from the home which accords with any placement plan despite the recommendation from the previous inspection. Not all young people have a fully structured life skills or work programme, and say that their weekdays could be more structured and planned.

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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

13 keep an accurate record of all medication, prescribed and non- 31/01/2011 prescribed. (Regulation 21(1))

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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 the record of menus as served demonstrates the provision of a suitable and varied diet (NMS 10.4)  ensure that any regular refusal to take prescribed medication is referred to the prescribing practitioner (NMS 13.7)  ensure that a written record be made and kept that details the name of the person making the complaint, the date of the complaint, the nature of the complaint, action taken and the outcome (NMS 16.3)  ensure that the use of any restraint is recorded and includes the details of any behaviour requiring restraint (NMS 22.9)  ensure that the record of any sanction imposed includes the details of the behaviour leading to the imposing of any sanction (NMS 22.10)  ensure that the person monitoring the record books records any comments on the appropriateness of sanctions and restraints (NMS 22.11)  ensure that the record of fire drills includes the time of each drill in order to

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Recommendations

demonstrate that some drills take place at night (NMS 26.8)  ensure that there is a comprehensive leaving care plan for each young person that accords with the pathway or transition plan for the young person in each case. (NMS 6.1)

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