Children's Home, Residential special school run by Hesley Services Limited in Doncaster

Unique reference number SC035687 Inspection date 09/02/2011 Inspector Russell Shackford Type of inspection Random

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Date of last inspection 26/11/2010 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 service is a residential school that accommodates young people aged eight to 17 years who have complex needs and severe learning difficulties, including autism. It is a school providing over 295 days of residential care per year the whole school is registered as a Children's Home. It is situated in a rural village approximately five miles away from the local town centre.

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Summary

The overall quality rating is outstanding.

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Summary

This is an overview of what the inspector found during the inspection.

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Summary

This was a random unannounced inspection which focused upon the Every Child Matters area of staying safe. This is an outstanding service. Young people's privacy is very well respected and this is done sensitively and safely. Complaints are well handled. There are excellent child protection procedures and practice, which help to safeguard the welfare of the young people. This is an area of outstanding strength. Behaviour management policies and practice are very good. Risk assessments are consistently well recorded and reviewed. Fire safety procedures and practice is good. All staff have been appropriately recruited and undergone suitable Criminal Records Bureau checks.

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Improvements since the last inspection

No actions or recommendations were raised at the last inspection.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Details about young people's care are appropriately recorded and stored to maintain their confidentiality. Young people have access to a private telephone, which is free to use for reasonable periods. Staff demonstrate very good understanding of facilitating privacy for the young people. Young people requiring personal assistance have it provided in a manner which maximises privacy and dignity. Parents and young people confirm that this is done sensitively and safely. Therefore, young people's privacy is very well respected.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Measures are in place to receive and act upon any complaints. All staff have received training on complaints which ensures that they know what to do if there is a complaint about the service. The young people know how to make a complaint. Staff have explained the procedure and there is also information in the young people’s guide about how to complain. An accessible complaints symbol book is available to young people who can use it to show staff if they are unhappy about something or somebody. Staff are sensitive to young people's behaviour which may indicate that they are unhappy. The young people also have the support of an independent advocate. The complaints records contain the required details. The meticulous monitoring of complaints ensures that all concerns are captured and acted upon. Therefore, complaints are very well handled. All significant events at the home have been notified to the relevant authorities including Ofsted.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The young people's welfare is significantly enhanced by the organisations meticulous approach to child protection. The manager and staff have received child protection training and the provider has a good safeguarding procedure for staff to follow, in the event of any allegation or suspicion of abuse. Staff demonstrate excellent knowledge and understanding of the safeguarding procedures to promote and protect the young people’s safety. There are good links with the Local Safeguarding Children Board. An independent safeguard forum has been established and independent safeguard visitors are employed to visit and report on the young people's safety and welfare. All staff have received anti-bullying and awareness training. An anti bullying scheme is in place which raises young people's awareness through information and activities. A young people's council meet regularly to discuss and represent the views of young people. Staff describe this initiative as 'fabulous'.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The members wear identification badges to assist other children in knowing who to approach to have their views aired. Anti bullying is regularly included on the forums agenda. Staff with specific language skills have been appointed to ensure that young people can communicate their views more easily. Therefore, the welfare of young people is very well promoted, they are protected from abuse, bullying and unauthorised absence and a robust response is made to any allegation or suspicion of abuse. This is a notable area of outstanding strength.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Behaviour management policies and practices ensure that no measure of control is excessive or unreasonable. Staff confirm that they are supported in managing behaviour through regular supervision and training. The training includes interventions which supports staff to respond to both the feelings and behaviour of the young people. The staff are becoming increasingly confident in their approach to behaviour analysis and examples of them using their own data to interpret behaviours and adapt practice were highlighted. Staff describe this technique as 'brilliant' and they enthuse about the very positive outcomes for the young people. There is ongoing monitoring of behaviour management practices which includes opportunities for staff to be reflective. The records have also been revised to include more details of the differing incremental techniques employed before the last resort of physical restraint is used. Staff are supported by the provision of clearly recorded

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

behaviour support plans. These plans are intensively reviewed by a multi-disciplinary team who offer well designed, progressive strategies for staff to implement.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Reducing unnecessary risks to young people is a high priority at the home. Consistently high quality written risk assessments enable staff to know what action to take to minimise the risk to each young person during their known and likely activities. These are reviewed regularly.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

All staff and young people are involved in regular fire drills. All staff working at the home have received up-to-date fire safety training to enable them to minimise the risks to young people in the event of a fire at the home. Personalised evacuation strategies are recorded for each young person. These take account of the young people's differing responses to the situation. The fire safety check records are up to date and accurate. Therefore, young people's physical safety from fire in the home is well protected.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

All staff have been appropriately recruited and undergone suitable Criminal Records Bureau checks. Managers and senior staff have undertaken safer recruitment training to help ensure that staff are suitable to work with young people.

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