Children's Home run by Radical Services Limited in Westmorland and Furness

Unique reference number SC061158 Inspection date 20/12/2010 Inspector Steve Pearson Type of inspection Random

p.1

Date of last inspection 03/09/2010 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.1

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.

p.2

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

p.2

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.

p.3

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.

p.3

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

p.3

Brief description of the service

The children's home is a two storey, three bedroom terraced house situated in a residential area and is within walking distance of the local town centre and a range of amenities. The front of the building has a paved area and there is a garden to the rear of the property. The ground floor contains a communal lounge, kitchen with dining area, utility room and conservatory. All sleeping accommodation, bathroom and toilet facilities are located on the upper floor.

p.4

Brief description of the service

The children's home is operated by a private company and is registered to provide care and accommodation for one young person of either gender aged from 12 years to 17 years of age. Any young person accommodated has their own bedroom. The other two bedrooms are utilised for staff sleeping-in and for office space.

p.4

Summary

The overall quality rating is satisfactory.

p.4

Summary

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

p.4

Summary

This was an unannounced, interim inspection. It assessed the key national minimum standards (NMS) associated with how young people are enabled to stay safe.

p.4

Summary

The inspection also assessed whether the registered persons had met the 10 requirements and seven recommendations made at the previous inspection on 3 September 2010. These were about the Statement of Purpose, the content of menus, the content of written policies concerning complaints and child protection, the poor state of the kitchen, training and the monitoring of quality.

p.4

Summary

At the time of the inspection, one young person was living in the children's home and they spoke to the inspector about the care they receive.

p.4

Summary

Arrangements for the promotion of safety are sound. Effective procedures are in place to ensure young people's concerns are responded to effectively. Satisfactory arrangements are also in place to ensure young people's welfare is safeguarded. However, the child protection policy does not contain all relevant information and so the staff are not being fully supported to be clear about reporting arrangements.

p.4

Summary

The Registered Manager and staff are effective at promoting positive behaviour and there are robust recruitment procedures in place.

p.4

Summary

The premises are maintained in a safe condition although occasional fire drills are not always conducted at night. Additionally, risk assessments are not always updated when significant events have taken place. This means there is less assurance that young people are being fully protected from potential hazards.

p.4

Improvements since the last inspection

The nutritional arrangements for young people have improved since the previous inspection. The Registered Manager and staff have devised a menu which is nutritional and which has been approved by a nurse with responsibility for looked after children. The staff record the menus in better detail which shows the food to be varied and healthy. The written policy about health promotion still does not contain all the recommended information and consequently a recommendation made at the previous inspection has been repeated.

p.5

Improvements since the last inspection

There have also been some improvements in the promotion of safety. The complaints policy has been revised to include the information required by legislation, although some information recommended by the relevant national minimum standard is absent. All the staff have completed a fire drill, the countering bullying policy has been upgraded and the staff have received training in countering bullying measures. The policies and procedures about young people who are missing have also been revised to include the information recommended in the national minimum standard.

p.5

Improvements since the last inspection

The child protection policy still does not contain all the information required by legislation. This means the staff are not being fully informed about how to respond to any allegations, suspicions or evidence of abuse. Consequently a requirement made at the previous inspection has been repeated.

p.5

Improvements since the last inspection

At the previous inspection, the registered persons were advised to make clear in a written policy how young people would be supported in education. The policy has not been amended and so the recommendation has been repeated.

p.5

Improvements since the last inspection

Young people are now better-prepared to live independently when older because the Registered Manager and staff involve young people in a well-structured leaving care programme.

p.5

Improvements since the last inspection

The premises are also now much-improved because a new kitchen has been fitted and a new floor has been laid. The kitchen is modern and well-equipped. A conservatory has also been added which provides extra space in the home.

p.5

Improvements since the last inspection

Some organisational arrangements have improved since the previous inspection. The Registered Manager monitors all the necessary aspects of care every month and addresses any identified shortfalls. The support for the Registered Manager has improved as he now receives regular formal supervision. The Statement of Purpose has been reviewed and is more informative. However, the Statement of Purpose is still unclear about the overall staffing arrangements because it does not set out the staffing policy. Consequently a recommendation made at the previous inspection has been repeated.

p.5

Improvements since the last inspection

Monitoring of the quality of care is not robust because the person who visits every month is not seeking the views young people. Consequently a requirement made at the previous inspection has been repeated.

p.5

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Generally speaking, the Registered Manager and staff promote young people's need for privacy effectively. Young people can lock their bedroom and all personal information is stored securely and treated with appropriate confidentiality. However, privacy is not being fully promoted because there is no window covering in the bathroom.

p.6

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people are fully supported to raise concerns and to have these dealt with effectively. Complaint forms are readily available if any young person wishes to use the formal procedures. The registered persons record any formal complaints appropriately, although no formal complaints have been made since the previous inspection. However, the written policy about complaints is not fully informative because it does not cover all the issues recommended by the national minimum standard.

p.6

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The staff receive training about child protection and the home maintains a copy of the registered provider's own policies and procedures and those of the Local Safeguarding Children Board. However, the home's own policies and procedures do not cover all the issues required by legislation. For example, it does not make clear who else must be contacted if the staff are unable to contact the registered person with their concerns.

p.6

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The children's home is a single bedded facility and so the risk of bullying is reduced, although a risk assessment is in place. Guidance is also provided to the staff about how to reduce the risks of bullying away from the home and young people receive guidance about cyber bullying.

p.6

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

It is very rare that young people go missing but suitable policies and procedures and recording systems are in place should this happen.

p.6

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The Registered Manager and staff clearly prefer to use reward rather than sanctions to encourage positive behaviour. Any sanctions, if used, are fair and recorded appropriately. Physical interventions are not used in the home when there is one-to- one staffing ratios.

p.6

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The premises are maintained in a safe condition. Professional technicians regularly service the electrical equipment, gas appliances and equipment for preventing, detecting and extinguishing fires. Appropriate insurance is also in place. Fire drills occur at regular intervals, although they are never conducted when young people are asleep or reasonably expected to be asleep. This means young people are potentially not as well-prepared to respond appropriately to any activation of the fire alarm during the night.

p.6

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The Registered Manager and staff conduct risk assessments of the hazards that may arise in the home and which may affect young people. However, they do not always review the assessments when significant events have occurred. There is, therefore, a concern that the procedures are not fully effective at helping to protect young people from harm.

p.7

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Appropriate arrangements are in place to ensure that staff recruited to work with young people are suitable and safe. Young people are fully included in the recruitment procedures and they have a say in who is selected to work in the home.

p.7

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.

p.8

Std. Action Due date

17 revise the written child protection procedure to be followed in the event of any allegation of abuse or neglect, with particular reference to the contacting of various agencies (Regulation 16(2)(f)) 01/02/2011

p.8

Std. Action Due date

26 ensure unnecessary risks to the health or safety of children accommodated in the home are identified. In particular this relates to the updating of risk assessments when significant events have taken place (Regulation 23(c)) 03/01/2011

p.8

Std. Action Due date

31 ensure all staff have completed training in fire safety and in issues of race, ethnicity, religion and culture (Regulation 27) 01/04/2011

p.8

Std. Action Due date

32 ensure that visits made by the registered provider include an interview, with their consent and in private, with children accommodated there. (Regulation 33) 03/01/2011

p.8

Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s):

p.8

Recommendations

 ensure the policy and written guidance on promoting the health of children in the home includes the matters set out in NMS 12.5 (NMS 12)  ensure adequate privacy is provided in the bathroom, specifically by providing a covering at the window (NMS 25.4)  revise the written complaints procedure so it makes clear the process that is followed for any complaint (NMS 16.3)  ensure that occasional fire drills are conducted at night. This means such drills should be carried out when young people are asleep or reasonably expected to be asleep (NMS 26.8)  revise the education policy to show how the home intends to promote and support the educational attainment of children throughout the time that they live at the home (NMS 14)  set out the staffing policy in the Statement of Purpose. (NMS 30.2)

p.8