Children's Home run by BREAK in Norfolk

Unique reference number SC060743 Inspection date 16/02/2011 Inspector Paul Clark Type of inspection Random

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Date of last inspection 23/11/2010 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

The home is part of a registered children's charity which was established in 1968 and which is overseen by a board of trustees. There are five children's homes within the organisation, and two Family Assessment Units all situated in the same region. The charity also provides respite care services for disabled children. The home provides long-term accommodation for four children and young people, of either gender. They can stay at the home until they reach 18 years of age.

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Brief description of the service

The home is a six-bedroom, three-storey house. There is a medium-sized garden at the rear of the building. It is set in a small seaside town and is only a few miles from a busy holiday centre with all its additional attractions and amenities. The house is indistinguishable from others in the area.

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Brief description of the service

The Registered Manager has currently been seconded to a senior position within the organisation and the deputy manager is acting into this role.

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Summary

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

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Summary

This interim, unannounced inspection focused on the outcome groups of being healthy, staying safe and organisation and on the improvements taken in response to the recommendations made at the previous inspection. It found that this children's home provides a good level of care for the young people accommodated. Staff work well as a staff team and receive regular training in key aspects of their role. Issues arising from this inspection relate to the need for the home to ensure that records of fire evacuation drills contain the time that the evacuations take place, that placing authorities are reminded of their responsibility to provide young people with pathway plans and that a minimum of 80% of care staff achieve a National Vocational Qualification at Level 3 in Caring for Children and Young People or equivalent.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The areas of necessary improvements identified at the previous inspection were as follows. The home had to ensure that at least four fire drills, including the evacuation of staff and children from the building and fire drills held at night, take place and the record of fire drills includes the time of the day. The inspection found that the records do not contain the times that fire drills take place and, therefore, this recommendation remains.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The home had to ensure that the bathroom is maintained in a high state of decorative repair. The bathroom has been decorated since the previous inspection and the décor and fittings are now of a high standard. At the time of the inspection the sink basin was blocked and the home was awaiting a plumber to rectify this.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The home had to ensure that a minimum of 80% of all care staff have completed their National Vocational Qualification at level 3 in Caring for Children and Young People, or equivalent. This has not been achieved and, therefore, remains a recommendation.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The home had to ensure that each child's file contains a copy of their personal education plan or pathway plan and that there are systems in place to notify placing authorities in writing if they have not made such plans. This had not been done and, therefore, remains a recommendation.

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Helping children to be healthy

The home has arrangements in place which promote the health and well-being of young people placed. Children are involved in the weekly construction of a menu plan. This is based on their personal food preferences and on principles of healthy eating directed by staff. The menu plans indicate that a balanced, nutritious and healthy diet is provided and this often contains meals from a range of international cuisines. Young people who express an interest are involved in purchasing food and in food preparation under the guidance of staff. Staff are trained in food hygiene as part of their core training. The food preparation areas are kept in a well-ordered, clean and hygienic condition. An environment health officer inspected the kitchen areas in January 2009 and the home has applied all of the recommendations of that inspection. The provision of a healthy diet where young people have involvement in food choices and food preparation helps to promote both good health and

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Helping children to be healthy

All young people's case files contain a record of their health history. All young people are registered with a local general practitioner, dentist and optician and routine medicals are carried out. All staff are trained in first aid as part of their core training and this training is updated every three years. There is a well-stocked first aid box in the home. There are suitable arrangements in place for the safe storage of medication and staff are trained in the recording and administration of medication. The provision of a well-trained staff group in the areas of first aid and medication administration helps to keep young people healthy and safe. The home will ask placing authorities to refer young people to the local Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) team if they have any concerns about a young person. The home has a clearly written policy on smoking. Young people and staff are not

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Helping children to be healthy

allowed to smoke on the premises. One of the young people placed who smokes has been referred to local health services to help them quit smoking. The young person's guide gives the contact details of agencies who will support young people with drug or alcohol problems.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

There are robust systems and policies in place which help to keep young people living in the home safe. The home has clearly written policies on safeguarding children, bullying, the use of sanctions and restraints, responding to complaints and on the action to be taken in the event of a young person going missing. Staff have to read these policies and sign a dated record that they have understood them. Staff have a good understanding of these policies. Staff receive training on safeguarding children and on the use of physical restraint. A record is kept on the application of sanctions and a separate record is kept of incidents where physical restraint has been applied. These records are monitored by the home's manager on a monthly basis. There are effective behaviour management systems in place. Young people agree that methods applied by the home to respond to misbehaviour are fair and reasonable. No safeguarding

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

children issues have occurred since the time of the last inspection. No complaints have been received since the time of the last inspection. Young people are informed by discussion with their key worker and information in the young person's guide about how they may make complaints, including their right to make complaints directly to Ofsted. Young people who may frequently abscond will have written risk assessments in place. The home has notified Ofsted when significant incidents occur as described by Schedule 5.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

There are effective staff vetting and recruitment systems in place. No visitor to the home is given unsupervised access to young people. All young people have their own bedroom door keys and staff always knock before entering bedrooms. All young people's personal files are kept under secure conditions to ensure their confidentiality.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The organisation employs a health and safety officer who conducts regular inspection visits on the safety of the home. Regular monitoring inspections of the living environment helps to ensure that young people are kept safe. The home has a member of staff who acts as the designated fire safety officer. The home has a record of its measures to ensure fire safety; these were generally adequate. No evacuation drills have been carried out since the time of the previous inspection. Although staff stated that those fire evacuation drills previously carried out had occurred during darkness, the fire drill records did not contain the times of the evacuation drills and, therefore, it was not possible to verify that night time evacuations had been carried out.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The case files of children placed contain Personal Education Plans (PEP). One young person over statutory school age did not have a pathway plan in place and there was no evidence that the home had chased the placing authority for this. This outcome group was not fully inspected during this interim inspection.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

This outcome group was not inspected at this interim inspection.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

This outcome group was not fully inspected during this interim inspection.

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Organisation

The management and organisational systems in place provide a good level of information for all stakeholders and help to identify the services of care for the young people accommodated. The home has a clearly-written Statement of Purpose which is regularly updated and which details the home's aims and objectives. The organisation also has a website which informs stakeholders and provides them with a range of information about the home. There is a young person's guide which is written in a user-friendly format and which gives young people comprehensive information about day-to-day living in the home.

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Organisation

There is a suitable number of experienced and suitably trained care staff on duty by day and by night to care for and to meet the needs of the young people accommodated. Care staff receive monthly one-to-one supervision and there are monthly team meetings. A little under 80% of care staff have completed their National Vocational Qualification at level 3 in Caring for Children and Young People, or its equivalent. However, those staff without this qualification are registered as candidates for this award. There is a comprehensive induction programme for newly- appointed staff which includes training in areas of the necessary core skills. The organisation has its own training and development section which provides this training. All newly appointed staff undertake the Children's Workforce Development Council (CWDC) course for workers in residential care.

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Organisation

It is the stated intention of management that future care staff will undertake a qualification in social pedagogy. All staff undertake an annual performance development appraisal which identifies their training and development needs. The organisation has a service agreement with an independent counselling service which staff can access free of charge and in confidence. A well-trained and supported care staff team provide children with good quality care.

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Organisation

The Registered Manager is shortly to return from seconded duties to return to full- time management of the home. The Registered Manager is suitably qualified. Monthly Regulation 33 monitoring visits are conducted by an independent professional appointed by the organisation and written reports are sent to the home identifying actions to be implemented. The organisation conducts an annual review of the quality of care in a Business Continuity Plan. Ongoing monitoring and review of the service helps to ensure that young people's care is being continually reviewed.

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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 at least four fire drills, including the evacuation of staff and children from the building and fire drills held at night, take place and that the record of fire drills includes the time of day (NMS 26.8)  ensure that a minimum 80% of all care staff have completed their National Vocational Qualification at Level 3 in Caring for Children and Young People, or equivalent (NMS 29.5)  ensure that each child's file contains a copy of their personal education plan or pathway plan and that there are systems in place to notify placing authorities in writing if they have not made such plans. (NMS 14.2)

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