Children's Home run by New Foundations Care Homes Limited in St Helens

Unique reference number SC406636 Inspection date 01/02/2011 Inspector Maria McGranaghan Type of inspection Random

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Date of last inspection 29/09/2010 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 service is a children’s home and can accommodate up to six children from 10 to 17 years of either gender with emotional and behavioural difficulties. It is a large detached property with gardens to the front and rear. It is close to bus stops, two local railway stations, local schools, shops and other amenities. The accommodation includes two lounges, a games room, a computer room, kitchen and dining area and single bedrooms for all children. One young person living in the home was part of the inspection process.

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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

The visit was an interim inspection and was unannounced. The inspection looked at how well the service safeguards and protects young people's welfare. It also looked at the progress made from the eight actions and five recommendations from the last key inspection about: staff training; staff supervision; protection of children; monitoring the running of the home and consultation with young people.

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Summary

Outcomes for young people are satisfactory. The young people have positive relationships with the staff and are confident that they will be listened to and heard, their privacy respected and their personal needs met within the home. However, the home continues to still not have a robust system for adequately managing the safety of the young people and consequently actions and recommendations have been restated within this interim inspection and additional recommendations made.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The home has taken some positive steps to make improvements in the young people’s welfare. Staff recruitment files show that employment history is now being checked. This ensures that suitable staff are employed within the home. Some improvements have been made in developing the health care plan, this ensures that ongoing medical complaints are actively managed and monitored within the home. Similarly, details of the young people’s individual religious persuasions are recorded within the care plan. Staff provide young people with information on their nearest place of worship and this enables young people to continue to practice their faith. Notifications are now being presented on time thus ensuring all serious events having a direct impact on young people are actively monitored both internally and externally.

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Improvements since the last inspection

However, limited progress has been made by the home in monitoring all matters as set out in schedule 6. There is insufficient evaluation and consequently good practice matters are being over looked. For instance: risk assessments; unauthorised absence and staff files, specifically a written record of essential information for each staff member. Limited progress has also been made in the area of staff training. These continued shortfalls mean that young people are not afforded the opportunity to be care for by sufficiently equipped staff. Supervision is irregular, specifically for newly employed staff and rota’s are not available in order to assess the competency of staff taking the lead on shift. Consequently individual learning needs and practice matters are not consistently monitored or evaluated.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people’s privacy is respected and information is confidentially handled. Staff promote mutual respect and knock on bedroom doors before entering. Young people can make telephone calls, talk to staff and see visitors in private. Young people were aware of the room search policy although there have been no recent occasions where this has been necessary. Confidential information is securely stored in the staff office.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people know how to complain and are confident that their concerns will be listened to and addressed appropriately with clear written responses. The children’s guide provides additional contact points for support agencies should the young people wish to have their complaint heard independently. This practice ensures that young people are provided with appropriate information and choice.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff undertake child protection training in order that they are able to respond appropriately to allegations or suspicions of abuse. Individual risk assessments have been developed and capture specific concerns for the young people in order to reduce the likelihood of risk. However, inconsistent practice within the home reduces the effective management of risk. For example, individual risk assessments are in place for young people missing from home but do not inform the day to day practice of the staff. Consequently the lack of vigilance and monitoring of young people means that procedural guidance for reporting a young person as missing, ensuring their swift and safe return, is not always maintained.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff encourage socially acceptable behaviour and use methods such as incentives for attendance at school and rewards for good behaviour. There is policy for restraint and the young people confirm they are aware of this, there have been no recent occasions where restraints have been necessary. Staff recognise the young people as individuals and respect their personal abilities and take this into account when attempting to address poor behaviour. However the home does not provide a clear behaviour management procedure or strategy in order that behaviour is consistently managed independently by staff. For example, staff have to resort to using external agencies to exercise control in the home on some occasions.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Incidents of bullying are recorded as taking place in the community and risk assessments have been put in place to reduce further risk. However, there is a lack of strategy within the home for countering bullying including, staff training, young people’s meetings and clear staff responses. Risk assessments are not clearly understood by staff and are not used consistently to inform practice. Consequently staff are insufficiently trained in order to recognise and respond to the issues of bullying and young people do not have a consistent approach to their behaviour or the opportunity to learn alternative ways of managing this

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The physical environment is safe and secure and ensures the young people’s continued protection by undertaking regular fire drills and tests and maintaining electrical and gas safety. Environmental risk assessments are in place and this ensures that regular checks are undertaken by staff and matters of concern reported upon.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The staff demonstrated a sound awareness of protecting young people from visitors. The protocol used to vet visitors to the home ensures that the young people’s safety is not compromised. However the information about staff working at the home does not correspond with essential information required in schedule 4(2).

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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

31 ensure staff receive training appropriate to the work they perform. This must include all training set under appendix 2 of the national minimum standards (Regulation 27(4)(a)) 29/04/2011

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Std. Action Due date

33 ensure all matters set out in schedule 6 are regularly monitored by the Registered Manager at appropriate intervals (Regulation 34(1)(a) and Schedule 6) 31/03/2011

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Std. Action Due date

27 ensure a record is held that shows in respect of each person working at the home all essential information is obtained ( Regulation 29(1) and Schedule 4(2)) 31/03/2011

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Std. Action Due date

28 ensure all staff receive appropriate supervision (Regulation 27(4)(a)) 31/03/2011

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Std. Action Due date

17 ensure that procedural guidance clearly demonstrates the systems required in order to protect children and minimise risk of abuse. (Regulation 11(1)) 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

 make sure procedural guidance for staff clearly demonstrates the systems required in order to protect and minimise the risk of abuse whilst the children and young people are living in the home. (NMS 17.7)  make sure staff are provided with training in awareness to bullying. Also, that risk assessments are in place of the times, places and circumstances in which the risk of bullying is greatest (NMS 18.2 and 18.5)  make sure measures of control and disciplinary measures are based of establishing positive relationships with children which are designed to help the child. (NMS 22)

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