Children's Home run by The Partnership of Care Today in Stockport

Unique reference number SC008607 Inspection date 22/09/2010 Inspector Mark Kersh Type of inspection Key

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Date of last inspection 11/11/2009 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 owned and managed by a private organisation. The home consists of two bedrooms, a staff office and sleeping-in room and a bathroom upstairs, and a lounge and dining kitchen downstairs. The house is situated in a residential area close to shops, public transport and community facilities. It is close to the town centre and is indistinguishable from surrounding properties.

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Brief description of the service

Two young people currently live in this home.

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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

At this unannounced full key inspection, all key standards were inspected. This is an outstanding service. Young people's health is promoted through healthy eating options and services available to meet individual health and medical needs. Young people are safeguarded and staff care about them and empower them to make safe choices. Staff work well with other professionals to promote safety, health and participation. Staff actively encourage young people to maintain positive relationships with families and welcome young people's friends in to the home. Care planning documentation is detailed and informative. Young people have excellent opportunities to prepare for adulthood. The staff team are experienced and demonstrate that they work consistently well to maintain a high standard of care to young people.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the previous inspection the Registered Manager was asked to ensure a written risk assessment is in place covering lone working. This risk assessment is in place and identifies comprehensively any potential risks involved with lone working and includes strategies for dealing with risk.

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Helping children to be healthy

Young people's individual dietary needs are very well met in this home. Young people learning independence skills are actively supported by staff to prepare their own meals, and young people are closely monitored for progress, and if needed, extra support is provided to enhance their independence skills. Staff provide well balanced home cooked meals for young people who are not on a full independence programme. Young people's food intake is closely monitored to ensure a well balanced diet and nutritional foods are consumed. Young people actively contribute in the planning of menus and are encouraged to identify foods which are healthy and good for them. Menus show what young people actually eat and include foods from different cultures. Young people have a gym membership and regular exercise is encouraged as part of a healthy lifestyle.

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Helping children to be healthy

Young people's health is thoroughly assessed on admission and staff follow and contribute to individual clear health plans. There is excellent information in relation to a range of health and social issues and strong links are maintained with specialist health services should young people require these. Young people are registered with doctors, dentist and opticians and staff support them to attend appointments. Young people's health is monitored by the looked after children's nurse and records show detailed assessments being carried out.

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Helping children to be healthy

Young people are protected by trained staff who are very effective and have a clear understanding of the medication policy. Medication is safely managed and an accountable system is in place. Young people do not have access to medication which is stored securely for their protection. All staff are trained in first aid and are able to respond promptly to any accident or illness, before professional medical advice is sought.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff respect young people and have developed strong and positive relationships because they listen well and take an interest in meeting their needs. Young people's privacy is respected and they can make and receive telephone calls in private. Staff demonstrate an excellent understanding in relation to confidentiality. Staff know how to deal with and share information which they are given in confidence for child protection purposes.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

There are highly effective systems in place to consult, listen and respond to complaints. There have been no complaints made or received following the last inspection. The home receives compliments from other professionals who acknowledge the excellent work being carried out by staff with young people. Young people receive information which tells them what to do if they have a complaint.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people benefit from a service that has an excellent focus on protection and safety and the manager provides highly effective leadership to staff in relation to any child protection issues. All staff are trained to recognise, respond and report any suspicions of abuse. Staff play a strong parenting role with the young people and are committed and focused about their safety. Staff are effective in addressing issues around bullying and currently there are no bullying issues. All appropriate authorities are notified of significant events.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff are proactive about managing issues of risk. There are clear plans in place to ensure potential risks to young people are identified and minimised. Staff work consistently well to behaviour management plans and are well trained in this respect. There have been no restraints for some considerable time and sanctions imposed are fair and agreed by young people. Staff actively ensure a safe return home when young people are absent without authority. Young people are seen by persons independent of the home, this enables them to discuss any concerns or reasons as to why they where absent without authority.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The environment is safely managed and all health and safety checks are carried out in a timely fashion. Regular fire and smoke alarm testing and evacuations are carried out and ensure young people, staff and visitors are safe from risk from fire. Staff and young people are trained in fire awareness and are clear about what to do in the event of a fire.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

All staff have been appropriately recruited. This ensures the risk of young people being exposed to potential abusers is minimised because of the safe recruitment processes that follow best practice guidelines. The home operates a signing in and out book to safely manage any visitors to the home.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Young people receive excellent support that meets their individual needs. Staff meet a diverse range of young people's needs and their approach is open and they share a consistent commitment to ensure an understanding of young people. Staff do not make assumptions about diverse needs and practice is impressive with detailed records showing how the promotion and individual needs of religion, race, culture and gender are to be met. Key workers take responsibility for ensuring young people's needs are consistently met and all staff address health, social, leisure and sexual issues sensitively.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Education is actively promoted and young people have excellent attendance at school and project based training. There is good communication between staff and educational provisions, which ensure positive outcomes for young people. Staff actively encourage young people to get involved in a good range of leisure activities within the home and out in the local community. There is a good range of resources in the home of which some are educational and others fun. There are regular trips out, social events and support to use local facilities. There is sufficient funding to allow young people to carry on with their preferred interests and hobbies.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Outstanding assessment of need and placement planning documents enable staff to provide high quality care to young people. Individually tailored care packages are set out to be regularly assessed and reviewed. Daily achievable targets are set and staff provide young people with support to meet these. Young people are consulted, their views listened to and acted upon. Staff use a variety of different methods, such as, quality assurance and monitoring visits, participation in the regular statutory reviews and on a daily basis through key worker sessions and informal conversations. Questionnaires are completed by young people, their parents and placing social workers all of which reflect positive comments about the care and support the staff provide.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Young people know their arrangements for contact with family and friends. They maintain valued relationships of all significant people in their lives. Staff are committed to supporting young people's contact arrangements and strive to build positive relationships with families. This enables them to have open discussions and make recommendations for ensuring young people get the most out of contact with family.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Admissions to the home are planned. The manager considers carefully the needs of any prospective young person and whether these needs can be met alongside those of young people already placed. Referral information is scrutinised for this purpose and if information is lacking the manager contacts placing authorities for more information prior to placements being agreed. Young people preparing to move on from the home know their plans and receive a high level of support in transition.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

The home has developed an excellent preparation for independence training that is tailored to meet the needs and level of development of young people. This focuses on helping young people to build up the skills they need to be as independent as possible in the future, and is based on research carried out by the manager. Arrangements are in place to monitor young people's achievements or to provide extra support if needed. Excellent leaving care packs are in place, which young people will take with them into adulthood. These provide young people with good sources of information and support networks.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

The home is situated within a local community with shops and recreational facilities close by. The environment is welcoming, warm and adequately decorated. Young people have a say in the décor of the home and have personalised their bedrooms. The home is kept clean and there are homely touches throughout. Toilet and washing facilities provide young people and staff privacy. There is an action plan in place for a planned refurbishment to create additional living space. All risks have been assessed and there is no need for young people to vacate the home when this work commences.

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Organisation

There is a clear Statement of Purpose in place that reflects practice and facilities in the home well. The young people's guide is colourful and informative of the care they can expect to receive. Both documents are available within the home.

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Organisation

The promotion of equality and diversity is outstanding. Staff provide quality and individualised care to young people with a diverse range of needs. This is evidenced by the detail level of care planning and response to individual need. Young people are cared for by a team that offers an equal balance of age and gender. Staff have completed training and there is evidence of a commitment to equality and diversity, which in practice is followed. There are excellent sources of information available to staff and young people in relation to festivities and cultural faiths.

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Organisation

All staff receive regular supervision which allows them to identify areas of professional development and discuss young people's individual needs. Regular training provides staff with relevant legislation guidelines. Young people benefit from the effective leadership of all staff within this home and this is fully supported by the manager. There is a strong commitment of sustaining parental roles and staff are enthusiastic and are good role models to young people. Young people receive consistency and continuity from a stable staff team. All of the staff have completed their National Vocational Qualification at level 3 in the Caring for Children and Young People.

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Organisation

The manager has an effective system to monitor, report and evaluate the administration systems of the home, ensuring what staff record is recorded well. Monthly independent monitoring visits take place where the views of young people and staff are sought in relation to the quality of care provided. Reports following such visits show no identified actions and this demonstrates the quality of care being provided.

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Organisation

The manager has the necessary qualifications and experience to carry out their role. There are clear arrangements for qualified and experienced staff with supervisory experience to deputise in the absence of the manager. There is a business plan in place and staff and the manager are clear in maintaining high levels of care.

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Organisation

Young people's case files and other information written about them is of a high standard. This facilitates excellent communication with other professionals. Young people's case files provide them with information and history of their time spent in the home.

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