Children's Home run by Hampshire County Council in Hampshire

Unique reference number SC066277 Inspection date 08/03/2011 Inspector Merryl Wahogo Type of inspection Random

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Date of last inspection 03/08/2010 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 setting is owned and operated jointly by a Local Authority Children's Services Department and a National Health Trust. It is situated in an urban area of a city close to local transport and amenities.

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Brief description of the service

This short-breaks service provides care for up to nine children and young people aged between 0 and 17 years of age who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and may also have sensory impairment.

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Brief description of the service

Accommodation is provided within a single-storey building with appropriate adaptations and facilities for the children and young people who visit the service. Children and young people are provided with single bedrooms, specific and shared communal areas including activity and sensory facilities. Two specially equipped gardens provide opportunity for safe play, adventure and relaxation. An inner sensory quadrangle garden provides opportunity for tranquillity.

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Brief description of the service

There were eight children and young people at the unit at the time of 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 the unannounced interim inspection covering the staying safe outcome area. Standards remain exceptionally high in this home and no actions or recommendations have been raised as a result of this inspection. Staff pay particular care and attention to the details of each young person's needs as well as completing all health and safety checks. The absence of any complaints is testament to the high standards maintained by staff.

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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

Staff ensure young people's privacy in a number of ways. These include promoting their independent living skills, so that they can perform personal care themselves, when possible. They also include taking great care to understand the particular needs of each young person.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

There have been no complaints made to this home for over a year. Equally, no young person has gone missing from the home and there is no bullying. All this is a result of staff being attentive to the detail of young people's needs.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff safeguard young people's welfare well, both in terms of paying excellent attention to preventing health crises and with regard to child protection policies and procedures. Excellent risk assessments, covering a broad range of situations, for example exposure to the sun, support good practice in safeguarding.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

There are very few incidents in which staff feel the need to intervene physically to manage behaviour. When they do, it is firmly based in the training they have had and is very well recorded. Any interventions are also based in the behaviour management plan for that young person. These plans are so good that, combined with the young people's skill sets, staff never need to use sanctions. All this highlights the excellent level of individualised care in this home.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff, including the cook, are very good at ensuring that all health and safety checks are conducted as required. The manager also ensures that risk assessments are kept up to date and signed by parents or carers when necessary. It is particularly good practice that there is a personal evacuation plan for each young person, in the event of fire. This means that parents can be confident that their children are being kept safe.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The manager ensures, together with the local county council, that the recruitment process is thorough. This also contributes, in an important way, to the safety of the young people.

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