Children's Home run by Crossway Services Limited in St Helens

Unique reference number SC068206 Inspection date 07/03/2011 Inspector Caroline Jones Type of inspection Random

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Date of last inspection 29/04/2010 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 service is one of a network of children's homes maintained by an independent children's home provider. The home is a mid-terraced property that is situated within a mile of a town centre and all required shopping and leisure facilities.

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Brief description of the service

The home provides a placement for one young person, supported by a staff team of four. The home was occupied at the time of the visit and the young person and staff contributed towards the inspection.

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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 an unannounced interim inspection and the national minimum standards relating to the outcome area staying safe were inspected. The recommendation made following the last inspection was also examined.

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Summary

This is a high quality service that provides young people with a safe and caring environment in which to develop. There is a dedicated and competent staff team who champion young people's individual needs and strengths without prejudice. Young people are encouraged to thrive and benefit from sensitive and caring practices: they comment, 'I feel safe here, they accept me for who I am.'

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Summary

There is one recommendation made in relation to staying safe, however this does not have a detrimental effect on the outcomes for young people.

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Improvements since the last inspection

One recommendation relating to the outcome staying safe was made following the last inspection. This has now been addressed and all staff have completed refresher training in physical intervention.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff respect young people's right to privacy and confidentiality. Young people have their own bedrooms with lockable doors that can be overridden in case of an emergency; furthermore staff gain permission before entering. All documentation is securely stored and young people have access to a private telephone. This affords privacy and dignity to young people. There is a policy in place for undertaking room searches pertaining to the individual circumstances of young people, although there have been no instances necessitating this since the last inspection.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff are proactive in promoting young people's right to complain, which encourages them to express their views openly. Young people fully understand how to raise any dissatisfaction and they have access to children's rights officers and advocates if necessary. Written records are available to show complaints are listened and responded to, however, there have been no complaints since the last inspection.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff and young people report no incidents of bullying and staff are fully aware of the home's anti-bullying policy. There is excellent supervision by staff allowing them to act promptly if any bullying arises. This keeps young people safe.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff have a thorough knowledge and practical experience of safeguarding young people, which they use to good effect in their robust responses to young people's individual needs for protection. Staff encourage young people to keep themselves and others safe and work constructively with professional agencies to manage potential harm and risks to young people. Comprehensive risk assessments, placement plans and care plans are all in place to ensure young people's safety is effectively supported.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff are well aware of the measures to take if young people are missing from home without permission. However, records do not indicate that young people are provided with an independent person on their return home. This means that the home cannot demonstrate how it provides young people with the opportunity to raise any concerns about the circumstances that may have caused their absence, with a person independent of the home. There have been no incidents of young people missing since the last inspection and despite the lack of recording young people are protected and safeguarded.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

All staff receive guidance and training in positive behaviour management strategies and all recordings of sanctions and physical interventions are appropriate and regularly reviewed. Young people are supported to develop socially acceptable behaviour through the fostering of positive relationships with staff and the emphasis upon encouragement and praise; physical intervention is not used. These excellent practices encourage stability for young people and minimise the potential for placement disruption. Young people live in a home where health and safety matters are a priority in ensuring a safe, clean and secure environment. Written records clearly show that staff carry out routine health and safety checks around the premises and safety and insurance certificates are up to date and displayed. Regular fire drills take place to ensure young people and staff are aware of an emergency evacuation route in the

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

event of a fire. Risk assessments identifying health and safety matters are reviewed to continually improve practices for the safety and welfare of young people.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Recruitment and vetting procedures that help safeguard young people from potential risks of unsafe persons are in place. A rigorous recruitment process, Criminal Records Bureau and reference checks are all undertaken before any appointment of staff is made. Staff are also subject to an induction and a period of shadowing shifts with an experienced member of staff, this ensures the fitness of the practitioner in providing care to young people. Records of visitors are maintained and identification is requested where appropriate ensuring that the safety of young people is foremost.

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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):  ensure that, on retuning to the home following a period of absence without authority, the child is seen if possible by someone independent of the home (such as the young person's social worker) to consider the reason for being missing from home. Where this is not possible, make sure the reasons why are recorded. (NMS 19.4)

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