Children's Home run by Bristol City Council in Bristol

Unique reference number SC034184 Inspection date 21/02/2011 Inspector Thomas Webber Type of inspection Key

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Date of last inspection 26/04/2010 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 one of a number of children's homes operated by a local authority. The home provides care and accommodation for up to five young people of either sex, aged 15 years and over. The purpose of the home is to provide young people with life and social skills to enable independent living.

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Brief description of the service

The house is a detached property situated in a residential area of a city. The young people use local transport, with a bus stop being closely situated by the home, so that they can access the facilities of the city centre. There are also local shops and other facilities located within the immediate area.

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Summary

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

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Summary

This unannounced, key inspection took place over one day. The inspection covered all of the key standards for children's homes. This forms part of the annual inspection programme to examine the standard of care and services provided to young people. At the time of inspection, five young people were accommodated. However, only two of the four present participated in the inspection process.

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Summary

The home provides a good standard of care to young people which ensures that good outcomes are achieved for them. This is endorsed by comments made by young people, observations made and records seen.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Four recommendations were identified at the last inspection. These related to the need to make improvements in the recording of bullying, incidents where young people go absent without authority and fire prevention as well as staff supervision. The Registered Manager has taken prompt action to address most of these deficiencies to ensure compliance. However, the recommendation relating to fire prevention remains outstanding.

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Helping children to be healthy

The home actively provides young people with the opportunities to develop their independent living skills within a supportive environment. As part of the independence programme, staff provide young people with various stages of support to develop budgeting skills, the purchasing of food and the preparation and cooking of meals. Young people are also provided with suitable facilities for the safe storage of food.

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Helping children to be healthy

Young people live in a healthy environment where their health and emotional care needs are met. They are fully supported to either make and attend their own health care appointments or are supported to do so by staff, depending on their particular wishes. Records of these visits and their outcomes are maintained. Specialist support is available and provided to young people to meet their specific needs. Guidance and advice is readily available to young people on a range of health care issues and links to these services are available for easy access.

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Helping children to be healthy

The home ensures that the welfare of young people in relation to medication is safeguarded. Safe storage facilities for medication are established in line with best practice. Young people are able to maintain control over their own medication subject to a risk assessment and signed contract. They are also provided with lockable facilities for the storage of medication. Suitable systems are established for administration and recording of medication where administered by staff. All permanent staff have completed first aid and medication training.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The home actively promotes the rights of young people by ensuring that their privacy and dignity are respected. Young people's information is kept secure and staff understand the need to keep their information confidential as well as being clear about the limits of confidentiality.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Clear policies and procedures are established for dealing with complaints. This process is clearly understood by young people, who are supported to raise any issues of concern openly. The home has received seven complaints since the last inspection. All complaints are responded to and addressed without delay with suitable records being maintained for those complaints already investigated.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The welfare of young people is promoted and protected. Staff have access to the local safeguarding child protection policies and procedures and all staff have received training in this area of practice.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Measures are taken to protect young people from bullying. An anti-bullying policy is established which is conveyed to young people. Although some incidents of bullying have occurred, staff take prompt action to deal with them. Records are maintained of all incidents of bullying which now show the resolution and action taken.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

A clear system is established for the reporting and recording of any event where a young person goes absent without authority. Individual reporting protocols are established based on young people's particular needs and risks. Staff respond appropriately to all absences to ensure the safe return of young people at the earliest opportunity with all the relevant people being informed of these incidents. As a result of new recording formats, comprehensive records are now being maintained.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff assist young people to develop socially-acceptable behaviour through encouragement, reinforcement and positive behaviour incentives. Although staff are trained in the use of physical intervention, this method of control has not been used since 2007. In addition, sanctions are also rarely used. The records do not detail the duration of the sanction applied and some incidents are being inappropriately recorded in the sanction log. The lack of individual behaviour plans for young people means that staff are not provided with clear guidance and strategies on how to consistently address their specific behaviours where these are identified.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Robust health and safety policies and practice guidelines are established to ensure that the staff and young people are appropriately safeguarded. A tour of the premises identified no specific health and safety issues. Young people and staff regularly practise fire evacuation procedures and the various fire prevention and health and safety records are accurate and up to date. However, the time when fire drills are carried out is still not being recorded.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Previous records show that robust staff recruitment practices are established to ensure the protection of young people. New staff do not commence employment in the home until all the relevant checks are carried out. Two new staff have commenced employment since the last inspection. However, their records could not be checked at this inspection as they are held centrally by the authority.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Young people receive the level of support they require which also includes life and social skills training. This is linked to the stage each young person has reached within the home's independence programme. Although a key worker system is established, opportunities are readily available for young people to obtain support and discuss issues with any member of staff. Specialist intervention is also provided to meet the specific needs of young people.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The education of young people is actively promoted to enable them to reach their full potential. Young people are supported to engage in further education or seek employment to meet their specific needs. A flexible financial incentive/reward system is established for those young people who maintain good educational/training expectations. Opportunities are available for young people to undertake private study and computer facilities are available to assist them in this process. A clear system is established to support and monitor young people's educational progress.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Young people have established their own networks within the community and tend to use their leisure time visiting friends and members of their families. However, young people are supported and encouraged to pursue any activity they wish.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The needs of young people are assessed with suitable placement care plans having been established for them. These, together with other associated documents, outline the needs of young people and how staff will meet them on a day-to-day basis. Young people are fully supported and encouraged to attend either part or their whole review, depending on their particular circumstances. Young people's statutory reviews are held at the appropriate intervals and all relevant people are invited to attend. However, the official review minutes produced by the authority still do not state who is present at the reviews. The home is not involved in the production of these minutes and the deficiency lays with the authority.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Staff are committed to supporting young people to maintain the level of agreed contact between themselves and family members according to their individual circumstances. Any contact restrictions are clearly identified and recorded. Appropriate arrangements are in place for young people to make and receive telephone calls, as well as to meet all visitors, in private. Young people's families and their respective social workers are kept regularly informed of the progress made by young people and any matters relating to their well-being.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The home operates a culture of consultation, with young people being encouraged to contribute to, and influence, the way the home is run. Various forums are established, such as young people's house meetings and regular individual key sessions, which enable young people to raise and discuss any issues of concern. Young people are also encouraged to make decisions on a day-to-day basis.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Young people live in a welcoming, caring and supportive environment where a friendly and relaxed atmosphere has been created. Young people commented very positively about their experience of living at the home and the care and support provided by the staff.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

The aim of the home is to provide care and accommodation for young people aged 15 years and above, with a focus on independence training and preparation for adulthood. One of the strengths of the home is the level of outreach support provided to young people who are spending the majority of their time living away from the home. Young people are very much appreciative of this. However, the lack of pathway plans established for young people given their ages was very evident.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

The home’s location, design and size are in keeping with its stated purpose and function. Young people continue to live in a homely, caring, supportive and welcoming environment which is maintained to a high standard being clean, tidy and comfortable. The home is also well furnished and decorated. Young people are provided with their own bedrooms which are personalised to their individual tastes. Alarms are fitted to all young people's bedroom doors which are only used where child protection issues are identified. Appropriate locks are fitted to young people's bedroom doors. In addition, young people are provided with a safe and lockable storage unit and a fridge/freezer within their bedrooms. A lockable cupboard is also available for each young person in the kitchen for the storage of personal food.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

The home provides young people with sufficient communal space to meet their individual and collective needs. A payphone is located in the quiet/computer room for their use. The home also provides sufficient laundry, bath, shower and toilet facilities to meet the needs of young people.

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Organisation

The promotion of equality and diversity is good. Diversity and equality are promoted well in all aspects of the service. Policies and procedures relating to equal opportunities are well established. The home promotes diversity and tolerance taking into account the individual needs of young people.

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Organisation

A clear statement of purpose is established which describes the level of service the home provides to young people. Copies of this document are readily available on request. A welcome pack (young people's guide) is also produced which provides young people with information they need to know about the home.

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Organisation

Young people are looked after by a staff team who are themselves suitably managed and supported in safeguarding and promoting the young people's welfare. Regular staff meetings and daily handover meetings are held. These forums ensure that staff are kept up to date with regard to any issues pertaining to young people and the running of the home. Improvements continue to be made to ensure that staff receive individual and formal supervision at the recommended intervals.

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Organisation

Young people are looked after by a stable staff team who are trained and competent to meet their needs. All staff have achieved the National Vocational Qualification at Level 3 in the Care of Children and Young People or its equivalent. New staff are provided with an induction programme and all staff are also supported and encouraged to increase their knowledge and expertise through attendance at appropriate training courses. This includes more specialised training to meet the specific needs of young people. Staff commented very positively about the training opportunities available to them.

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Organisation

The home is committed to providing sufficient staff on duty to meet the individual and collective needs of the young people accommodated. The home continues to provide a minimum of two members of staff on duty during the day, with three staff on in the evenings. Two staff also sleep in each night. Staff are sensitive to gender issues, particularly when dealing with young people of the opposite sex and clear arrangements are established in this area of practice. Young people also receive care and services from a staff team who have a variety of experience in the care of young people.

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Organisation

The authority ensures that the care and welfare of young people is continually monitored. This is achieved by monthly unannounced monitoring visits undertaken by the authority. Reports are produced outlining these visits and any action needed to improve the outcomes for young people.

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Organisation

The home is managed by a Registered Manager who is suitably qualified and experienced. The manager is supported by three assistant unit managers which enables them to effectively monitor the care provided to young people. Staff morale within the staff team has significantly improved since the last inspection with staff feeling well supported and work well as a team to ensure that young people receive continuity and consistency of care.

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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 suitable and comprehensive records are maintained of any sanction (NMS 22.10)  ensure that individual behaviour plans are established for young people to enable staff to respond in a consistent and appropriate manner (NMS 22.2)  ensure that the time is recorded for all fire drills (NMS 26.8)  ensure that pathway plans are established for young people. (NMS 6.4)

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