Children's Home run by Hillcrest Children‟s Services (2) Limited in Telford and Wrekin

Unique reference number SC398377 Inspection date 21/09/2010 Inspector Andrew Hewston Type of inspection Key

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Date of last inspection 05/02/2010 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 a three-bedded unit offering care and accommodation to young people with a range of differing needs including services for young people who experience emotional and behavioural difficulties. The accommodation is within a semi-rural area, and consists of a detached bungalow, with individual bedrooms for all of the young people and sufficient bathrooms. Communal areas include a large lounge / dining room and kitchen. There is sufficient office space for the staff team and manager. Externally the house has a secluded garden that is well-maintained.

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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 key inspection that involved the examination of all the key standards, discussions with staff and young people.

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Summary

The staff care for young people well and are aware of their differing needs. Health and care planning is of a high standard ensuring that young people's development at the home is well documented. Young people are safe through robust systems that are known by staff and effective recordings although additional fire drills are necessary.

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Summary

Young people are supported with achieving at school and enjoy a range of activities. Staff work very well with young people on an individual basis although some development of how these are recorded is needed. The house is a pleasant environment to live in and is cared for by both the staff and young people.

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Summary

The staff team work well together and are supported by the manager.

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Improvements since the last inspection

There were no actions or recommendations made at the last inspection. Some notable improvement at the home since the last inspection include a reduction in the level of absence without permission reports and an improvement in relationships between the young people at the home.

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Helping children to be healthy

Staff ensure that the health needs of young people is a high priority within the home. All young people have health plans that support a healthy lifestyle and ensure that specific health needs are highlighted and responded to. Health information within the care plans are supported by objectives set in the young person's placement plans and also by information within the Looked After Children (LAC) documentation. Staff ensure that all young people are seen by a range of health professionals as part of their admissions process into the home and these appointments are fully recorded and acted upon where necessary. The home's staff and young people are supported by the organisation's psychologist. This support also extends to young people's families where sessions enhance family dynamics. Staff have recently worked hard to support a young person's fear of the dentist.

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Helping children to be healthy

All staff have completed training in medication administration and medication records are fully completed. Medication and the recordings are audited on a regular basis to ensure the safety of the young people. All required permissions are in place relating to first aid and health issues. All staff have completed training in first aid and when accidents occur these are appropriately recorded.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people's privacy is respected by staff and information about them is confidentially handled. There are individual bedrooms, which are lockable. Electronic monitoring may be utilised through a door alarm system, although permissions regarding this are sought from the placing social worker.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people have a good awareness of their ability to raise complaints within the home and these are fully recorded and responded to swiftly. Young people are given feedback with relation to complaints made and information is recorded within individual files to ensure young people are aware that their grievance is taken seriously. The manager is able to discuss recent complaints and the sensitive way that these are being resolved.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The welfare of young people is promoted and they are protected from bullying through good discussions within key worker meetings and young people's meetings. There are clear safeguarding procedures which are easily available to staff. Staff receive safeguarding training and show a good understanding of child protection issues. All concerns relating to safeguarding are fully recorded and passed to the placing social worker or local safeguarding board where appropriate. Systems are in place to respond to young people that absent themselves from the home without permission including a reporting protocol and full recording. The home has worked hard to significantly decrease incidents of absence for at least one young person since the last inspection. The home has an appropriate system for recording all behaviours that require additional measures of control by the staff, including sanctions and restraints. All are

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

appropriately cross-referenced between the young people's and the home's records. All responses to behaviours are appropriate and staff are trained in the use of restraint. Staff ensure that young people are rewarded for positive behaviours.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

A good range of health and safety checks are completed within the home to ensure the safety of staff and young people. Fire safety checks are completed regularly although there have been insufficient drills completed over the past year. Risk assessments are completed on a range of areas relating to young people including activities and absence without permission.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The organisation’s staff recruitment checks were inspected on the 10 May 2010 and show that there are robust procedures in place that ensure the safety of the young people. All checks, as required under the regulations, are appropriately carried out. When issues have arisen these are discussed within the recruitment process, responded to and recorded. Checks against the disqualification for caring for children regulations are also completed as part of recruitment procedures.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Young people are supported well by the staff team and professionals external to the home. All young people have access to an independent visitor service and therapeutic support. Staff ensure that young people who require additional external services are referred promptly.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

All young people are involved with education to some degree and the staff support differing young people's educational placements. The home and school work closely to ensure that individual education plans and behaviour plans are linked with the care provision. Home and school staff provide reports for educational statement reviews and looked after children reviews.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Activities are planned for and young people state that they are happy with activities although wishing that they were allowed more free time. Young people are able to discuss a range of trips and holidays that they have been involved with. The staff are not sufficiently vigilant to ensure that young people have age-appropriate DVD's or videos.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Planning for the young people is very well organised and shows that staff have a good awareness of the differing needs of the young people. Objectives are recorded to ensure that young people's needs are then being met through practical steps including consultation with external professionals. All placement and care plans link to the LAC documentation that is provided by the placing authority to ensure a consistency of care. Plans are reviewed on a regular basis and young people are encouraged to take a part on the review process. Staff complete thorough reports for reviews.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Contact arrangements form part of the placement and care plans. These are discussed on admission to the home and ensure that constructive relationships are maintained between young people and their families. Staff support contact arrangements through transporting young people and supervising meetings when required. All contact meetings are suitably recorded.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Young people have a strong input into the running of the home through regular meetings. These meetings include discussions regarding menus, redecoration and how the home's budget could be spent. A new format for young people's meetings ensures a greater structure to the meetings. There is a good system of organised key worker meeting topics that ensure that pertinent issues are discussed with young people. Recording of these meetings is generally good but the dating and referencing of these is confusing and does not allow for clear examination of the ways that meetings are completed.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

Young people receive care which helps them prepare for adulthood. They are encouraged to develop skills such as shopping, cooking and managing their money. There is no structured system for the development of independence skills, and young people aged 16 and over do not currently have pathway plans in place.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

The house provides a homely environment for the young people. Bedrooms are appropriately personalised and communal areas are clean, well furnished and comfortable. Some decoration is necessary within the dining room area although this is planned for. The home has sufficient space for people to spend time either on their own or as a group.

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Organisation

Young people are supported by a staff team that are skilled and caring. The home has an up-to-date Statement of Purpose which clearly states the role of the home and how young people are cared for. There is information regarding a range of aspects relating to the home to inform placing social workers and parents. The statement includes a staffing policy including shift times and expected staffing ratios. A young person's guide to the home is available in paper and CD ROM format; this gives a clear indication of some basic rules and contact numbers for external agencies if they require additional support. Information relating to faith is not up to date.

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Organisation

Staff are well supported by the management and organisation. They receive regular training in a range of areas, and key qualifications such as food hygiene, restraint and first aid are updated on a regular basis to support the safety of the young people. All staff receive regular supervisions and appraisals with a personal development plan to examine future training needs. All new staff complete a thorough induction course prior to starting working in the home. The staff team is made up of a range of experienced and trained staff.

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Organisation

There is a robust system for monitoring recordings and incidents within the home. This is achieved through a staff monitoring tool as well as the managerial Regulation 34 monitoring procedures and external monitoring through the Regulation 33 visitor. The manager ensures that any areas highlighted needing responding to are rectified in a timely fashion.

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Organisation

The promotion of equality and diversity is good. Staff have an appropriate awareness of the need to support young people on an individual basis. Differing themes relating to the promotion of equality are discussed within key worker sessions including sexuality to increase young people's awareness of diversity.

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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

26 ensure sufficient fire drills are completed that include both staff and young people (Regulation 32). 08/10/2010

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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 young people do not have access to DVD's or videos that are not appropriate to their age (NMS 15.8)  ensure key worker meetings are fully recorded and referenced (NMS 8.3)  ensure pathway plans are in place for young people aged 16 or over (NMS 6.1).

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