Children's Home run by Hertfordshire County Council in Hertfordshire

Unique reference number SC379199 Inspection date 15/03/2011 Inspector Sandra Jacobs-Walls Type of inspection Random

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Date of last inspection 30/11/2010 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 is a long-stay children's home registered to accommodate six young people from the age of 13 to 17 years. The home's premises can accommodate wheelchair users and young people's bedrooms have en suite facilities. Young people have access to communal space and educational facilities. The home is situated in a residential area close to local amenities. The home and grounds are secure and parking is provided.

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Brief description of the service

The service is in the process of registering an additional bed with Ofsted which will allow a maximum of seven young people to be accommodated. Currently, six young people are in placement at the home, some of whom participated with the inspection process. Since the last inspection the newly appointed manager has commenced duties at the home.

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Summary

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

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Summary

This inspection was an unannounced interim inspection. The purpose was to gauge the home's success in addressing weaknesses highlighted at the last inspection and assess the home against key national minimum standards in relation to keeping young people safe and the management of the home.

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Summary

The home offers young people quality care and staff efforts to protect young people are good. There are effective systems in place to ensure young people's privacy is respected, that complaints and issues of safeguarding are managed robustly and that young people are protected from bullying. Staff have clear strategies in place to address behavioural issues and the home's building offers young people safety and security. This inspection found weakness in the recording of instances where physical intervention is used and the home's prompt sharing of monthly monitoring reports with Ofsted.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The last inspection resulted in three requirements, these were focused on staff's recording of medication, the review of the home's Statement of Purpose and staff's consistent use of sanctions. All the highlighted issues have been resolved satisfactorily.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff made good efforts to ensure young people are protected from harm and abuse. With regards to confidentiality, staff have access confidentiality policies and all young people's information is kept locked in the staff office. Young people do not have access to this area of the home. Electronically held information is password protected. Staff encourage young people to make decisions about the level of privacy they wish to enjoy at the home. For example, protocols are in place for some young people with regards to their morning wake up routines. Young people benefit from the home's room search and access to files policies which enhance young people's privacy. Young people comment that in general staff respect their privacy and feel that staff manage their information confidentially. Young people each have their own rooms and are responsible for their bedroom door keys. All young people's bedrooms

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

are equipped with en suite facilities, this ensures young people's privacy when washing.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The home has a very comprehensive complaints procedure in place and young people are aware of this procedure. Information about making complaints is available to young people via the home's young people's guide. The home's residents' meetings and individual key work sessions, periodically remind young people of the home's complaints procedure. Since the last inspection, one complaint has been recorded against the home. Staff managed the complaint promptly, sensitively and in accordance with written guidance. The home's monthly monitoring visit reviews all complaints received.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people benefit from the home's clear and comprehensive child protection policies and procedures. Young people feel safe while in placement at the home. Staff have access to formal child protection training, facilitated by the local authority. In addition staff have access to regular exploration of safeguarding issues in a number of differing forums such as team meetings and individual staff supervision. Since the last inspection there have been no incidents of a child protection nature, however at the time of the inspection staff had initiated a multi-agency professionals meeting to explore risks posed to a number of the home's current residents. Staff ensure that significant incidents are clearly documented and made available to relevant departmental personnel such as the allocated social worker. This is important to ensure there is a coordinated effort to address issues of child protection.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The home has policies in place that address bullying; there is a clear no tolerance stance towards bullying behaviour in the home and this is well known to young people. In recent months there have been a number of incidents involving bullying and staff have managed these sensitively and appropriately. Staff address issues of bullying using differing forums including residents' meetings, individual key work sessions and team meetings. Staff maintain good records of all instances of bullying in a dedicated log. Staff sensitively support victims of bullying and work with others to ensure any bullying behaviour cease promptly. The home has a designated member of staff who attends the meetings of a national organisation focused on exploring a wide spectrum of issues pertinent to bullying. Discussion and research have recently included developments in cyber and text bullying. Other members of the staff group receive cascaded information to help inform their practice and

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

enhance the prevention of bullying in the home.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The home has clear written policies and procedures in place that address young people who are away from the home without permission or who are deemed 'missing'. These are well known to the young people. Staff of the home share an effective working relationship with the local police; key police officers are periodically called upon to meet with staff and young people to explore a range of issues. Staff maintain clear records of incidents when young people are absent or 'missing'. These records indicate that action taken is consistent with written guidance.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff utilise creative strategies to encourage acceptable behaviour from young people. Staff have access to comprehensive behaviour management policies and their expectations of young people's behaviour is well known. Staff focus on involving young people in activities they can related to, open discussion and relationship building to encourage responsible behaviour. Where young people's behaviour remains unacceptable consequences are imposed. Young people have mixed feeling about the effectiveness of these consequences. Staff are familiar with measures of control that are permissible and staff maintain keen records of imposed consequences.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The home also offers an incentive programme that staff monitor on a daily basis. The programme culminates in a reward to suit the needs or tastes of individual young people. Staff regularly review with young people their progress and general discussions about behaviour management are held in group meetings. Young people's individual incentives are largely determined by them and so are meaningful. Staff are working towards involving young people in wider community based interests and events to promote a wider sense of taking responsibility for ones actions.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff make use of physical intervention when clear risks are posed to young people and/or others. All staff receive training in physical intervention, regular refresher courses are available and team meetings regularly review techniques and related issues. Where staff use physical intervention, staff maintain clear documentation. Staff records, however, do not consistently indicate the duration of the intervention as required by the regulations.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The home's premises provides physical safety and security, young people comment they feel safe in the building. Staff are diligent in ensuring that there are sound fire precaution measures in place and they maintain good records that confirm that fire equipment and systems are tested regularly for faults. Staff conduct fire drills regularly and relevant building risk assessments are in place.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

With regards to staff recruitment the organisation has clear policies and procedures in place that address the vetting and selection of staff. The local authority's human resources team is responsible for staff recruitment and the service does not keep staff personnel records on site. Therefore, this standard was not assessed on this occasion.

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Organisation

The organisation has recruited a well-qualified, experienced manager for the home. Young people benefit from the manager's sound leadership and management of the service. The manager is in the process of completing registration with Ofsted to become the home's Registered Manager. The home's overall monitoring systems are good. The Regulation 33 visitor continues to conduct monthly unannounced monitoring visits consistently. However monitoring reports are not promptly forwarded to Ofsted as required. Overall, young people benefit from a well run home.

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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

22 ensure that records of any restraint include information about the duration of the restraint (Regulation 17(4)(d)) 02/05/2011

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Std. Action Due date

33 supply Ofsted with a copy of all monitoring visit reports. (Regulation 33) 01/04/2011

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