Children's Home run by Channels and Choices Kent LLP in Kent

Unique reference number SC385631 Inspection date 08/03/2011 Inspector Helen Lee Type of inspection Random

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Date of last inspection 30/06/2010 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 children's home is a newly built detached house in a semi-rural area. There is off-road parking in front of the home and a garden to the rear. The home is registered to care for three young people aged from eight years to 17 years. There is single room accommodation for young people. The home is located close to local shops, a mainline train station and bus services.

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Brief description of the service

Three young people are currently living in the home. One young person was present during the inspection and greeted the inspector, but declined further discussion.

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Summary

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

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Summary

This unannounced interim inspection looked at the outcome area of staying safe and the progress the setting has made with the requirements and recommendations made at the last inspection in June 2010. The home demonstrates that care is in place for each individual young person. Young people's welfare is enhanced by the good relationships that exist between staff and young people. However, staff recruitment practices are not robust and information on staff members' previous working histories does not meet requirements.

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Summary

At this visit, one requirement was made regarding the recruitment processes of the home to ensure that the registered person does not allow any person to begin working at the home unless the home has full and satisfactory information available. Additionally three recommendations were made at this inspection. These were in respect of consulting with the local fire authority regarding fire precaution measures, such as the non-use of emergency lighting; the location of the fire-building plan and the change of use to the upstairs of the premises; for the registered person to ensure that any electrical installation checks which are completed every three years are recorded at the home, and for the registered person to record planned responses to a range of foreseeable crises.

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Summary

The overall judgement remains good, as not all outcome areas have been inspected at this visit, and the home has made some progress following the last inspection with regard to the one repeated requirement concerning staff recruitment practices.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection, the home was rated good and two requirements were made. The action regarding recruitment practices has been repeated following this inspection, and this detail is included in the staying safe section of the report. The requirement that led to improvements and which is covered in the main body of this report, related to ensuring that the risk assessments are comprehensive and robust. This has resulted in a better awareness and a review of risks to ensure that young people are proactively kept safe, through identifying actions which are effective at reducing the level of risk.

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Improvements since the last inspection

In addition, five previous recommendations were made. The one recommendation that led to improvements and which is also covered in the main body of this report, related to ensuring that staff accurately record any episodes of restraint. This has enabled the monitoring of trends and patterns to be more accurate and has provided opportunities to reflect upon the review of practice regarding physical interventions.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The home promotes the rights of young people by ensuring that their privacy is respected and information is confidentially handled. Young people's records are appropriately stored. Staff members await invitation before entering young people's bedrooms and they are particularly sensitive at times of washing.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people feel comfortable in raising any concerns. Clear policies and procedures are established for dealing with complaints. Staff support young people to raise any issues of concern openly and the process of making a complaint is clearly understood by them. The home has not recorded any complaints from the young people since the last inspection. However, several areas of informal concern raised by the young people were not represented in the home's complaints book and therefore not subject to monitoring by the registered person.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people live in a safe environment where their welfare is promoted and they are protected from abuse, with clear safeguarding processes and procedures. All staff receive training, supervision and guidance to cover safe caring, managing behaviour, recognising signs of abuse and ways of boosting and maintaining the young people's self-esteem, although some senior staff have not accessed local authority safeguarding training. Staff take prompt action to deal with any incidents of bullying, and polices and procedures ensure the young people are protected. Incidents of absence without authority are taken seriously by everyone in the home. When young people are absent from the home without permission, the staff deploy effective measures to search, report and return the young people to the home.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people enjoy positive and supportive relationships with staff members. The staff are knowledgeable about the sanctions used within the home. The young people are supported to comment and sign incident records, to show their awareness and understanding about any physical intervention or sanction used and to record how they felt. On occasions, the young people themselves have determined the sanction for themselves. Yyoung people are given opportunities to discuss incidents and their views on any unsafe behaviour individually and as a group. Training in positive handling techniques for staff is up to date. The recording of restraints has improved to ensure that the duration of the restraint can be clearly monitored.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people live in a home which is a safe and secure environment; with all checks and health and safety requirements met. However, the home did not have evidence of electrical installation checks being completed, although the registered person confirmed verbally that this had occurred. Also, the home does not record planned responses to a range of foreseeable crises, such as the recent bad weather, to ensure safety and security. Regular checks and drills are completed to reduce any risks from fire hazards. However, the fire authority had not been consulted following a change of use to some of the upstairs rooms. The home did not have a record of the local arrangements agreed regarding the home not requiring emergency lighting. The home has a clear and effective system in place for maintenance reporting.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The staff personnel files mainly contained all the required information. Although the home has begun to retrospectively complete the required information, the system is not yet robust. The file for one of the newest members of staff did not contain a full employment history, with a written explanation of any gaps, or verification of the reason why employment had ended, when working with children or vulnerable adults. There was some evidence on the file of the registered person seeking full and satisfactory information.

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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

27 obtain for all staff, before they start work at the home, full and satisfactory information as set out in Schedule 2. (Regulation 26, Schedule 2) 06/04/2011

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Std. Action Due date

27 obtain for all staff, who are working at the home, full and satisfactory information as set out in Schedule 2, specifically to include employment gaps and enquiries regarding previous employment with children or vulnerable adults. (Regulation 26, Schedule 2) 06/05/2011

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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

 ensure all complaints are included in the complaints book to be signed off by the Regulation 33 visitor (NMS 16)  ensure senior staff are assisted to access local authority safeguarding training (NMS 17)  consult with the local fire authority regarding fire precaution measures, such as the non-use of emergency lighting, the location of the fire-building plan and the change of use to the upstairs of the premises (NMS 26.8)  record planned responses to a range of foreseeable crises (NMS 26.4)  ensure that any electrical installation checks which are completed every three years are recorded at the home (NMS 26.4)

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