Children's Home run by Aspris Children’s Services Limited in Herefordshire

Unique reference number SC062223 Inspection date 18/05/2011 Inspector Martha Nethaway Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 06/01/2011 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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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 to assess the effectiveness of the service and to consider how well it complies with the relevant regulations and meets the national minimum standards.

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About this inspection

The report details the main strengths, any areas for improvement, including any breaches of regulation, and any failure to meet national minimum standards. The judgements included in the report are made against the Inspections of children’s homes – framework for inspection (March 2011) and the evaluation schedule for children's homes.

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The inspection judgements and what they mean

Outstanding : a service that significantly exceeds minimum requirements Good : a service that exceeds minimum requirements Satisfactory : a service that only meets minimum requirements Inadequate : a service that does not meet minimum requirements

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Brief description of the service

This home provides seven places for young people of either gender aged from 11 up to the age of 17 years. Young people admitted to the home have significant care needs and behaviour problems. Young people are able to attend mainstream education but the majority of those placed attend the company's registered school based on the same site. This children's home is in a large detached property surrounded by spacious grounds on the outskirts of a small town.

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Overall effectiveness

The overall effectiveness is judged to be good .

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Overall effectiveness

The home is effective and provides personalised, well planned care by taking full account of the individual needs of young people. The home promotes positive outcomes for all young people. Staff offer effective support, help and guidance for young people.

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Overall effectiveness

The views of young people about the quality of care in the home are regularly sought. Staff are committed to providing good quality care which is child focused. The quality of the relationships between staff and young people in the home are good. Young people are safe and feel safe.

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Overall effectiveness

At this inspection three areas were identified for improvement relating to record keeping, access to dental care and staff supervision.

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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 person(s) must comply with the given timescales.

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure a written record is kept of the administration of any medication to any child. (Regulation 21 (2) (c)) 30/06/2011

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Recommendations

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

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Recommendations

 ensure children have prompt access to a dentist, when they need it (NMS 6.4)  ensure staff have access to regular supervision. (NMS 19.4)

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Outcomes for children and young people

Outcomes for children and young people are good .

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people are developing a positive self-view, emotional resilience and knowledge and understanding of their background and confidence in their skills. Young people are benefiting because the staff provide a safe and nurturing environment so that they learn and develop to become more confident individuals. As young people progress with their placement within the home, they develop a good sense of security and begin to trust adults around them.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people's physical health, emotional and psychological health is being effectively promoted. Young people live in a healthy environment that encourages them to make healthy choices. There is good emphasis on health prevention and health promotion. This includes proactively addressing issues on alcohol, smoking and substance misuse. Young people receive a good level of education and intervention because staff play a central role in dealing with these areas. For example, information is displayed in an accessible format so that young people can openly discuss these areas with staff. Young people receive good physical care and this contributes positively to young people’s improved self-image. For example, young people are encouraged to develop good hygiene routines and self-care. Young people’s medication is stored safely although written records show the occasional gap when medication has been administered. This has the potential to compromise

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Outcomes for children and young people

All young people are attending school. Young people are achieving at school. Many of the young people have experienced significant problems at school previously. Staff are skilled at helping young people because they have a clear awareness and understanding of the complex issues that young people face in education. Staff are good at helping young people to manage tensions that arise in relation to behaviour. During the school day, if teaching staff require extra support, the residential care staff are at hand to help.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people are making a positive contribution to their home and the wider community. One young person commented, 'I really like doing my voluntary work at the dog rescue centre.'Young people are being encouraged to be an active member of events, such as the gym, pool and football clubs. Some young people have entered competitions because of their good levels of talent and skills.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people benefit from appropriate contact with family, friends and other people who are important to them. This helps young people to develop a proper understanding of their identity and origins. Young people have good, regular and consistent contact. Staff ensure that young people are clear from the outset about the contact arrangements. Staff are good at providing any assistance that young people and families need including practical support with venues, personal meetings and visits away from the home. Staff maintain clear records of all contact visits and these outcomes help inform the monitoring and management of contact arrangements.

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Quality of care

The quality of the care is good . Young people broadly enjoy positive and constructive relationships with staff and with each other, and generally behave appropriately. Young people's unacceptable behaviours related to physical and verbal aggression is being supported with good degrees of success. As a result, this helps young people to move forward with their lives. For example, staff provide clear strategies to help deflect threatening behaviours when working with young people. This is underpinned by good guidance from the company's therapy team.

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Quality of care

Young people feel that their views, wishes and feelings are actively sought and that they influence the running of the home. Staff are in regular discussions with young people on a daily basis. One of the strengths of the home is staff are there in the morning with young people before they get ready for school and likewise when they return home. For young people, this helps with continuity of communication, care and support. They know and understand that what has been agreed in the morning, will be followed through, when they return from school. Young people also have the added benefit of having regular key worker sessions which specifically focus on areas that are significant to them. Young people are also participating in young people's house meetings. Staff help young people to understand why it may not be possible to act upon their wishes in all cases.

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Quality of care

Young people understand how to make a complaint. Staff explain that young people's right to be heard is actively supported. Young people are very confident with approaching the registered manager directly if they are unhappy, concerned or worried and frequently do so. One young person said 'I will go and see him and I always want to complain about this home.' There is always a genuine response from staff to resolve young people's concerns at an early stage. The home has the insight to understand that complaints help to detect flaws and the home knows about its responsibility to solve them.

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Quality of care

Young people are cared for in line with their individual placement plan. The contribution of the home to those plans is of a good quality and involves young people and people who are significant to them. The home has a tried-and-tested placement plan programme which is reviewed monthly for each young person. Each month, a monthly progress report is shared with the social worker and young people are aware of this. This focuses on the progress being made with young people and attention is given to how care, support and guidance is being developed.

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Quality of care

The home provides a healthy environment where young people are able to access the services and support they need to meet their physical, emotional and psychological health needs. The home's health care planning involves all health professionals so that young people's wellbeing is being promoted. However, there is a local variation with the home not accessing any local dentists and the registered manager is pursuing this matter further so that expectations are met, such as a more regular dental appointments.

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Quality of care

Staff are proactive and consistent in supporting the educational achievement of young people. Staff are successful with promoting young people's attendance. The home promotes a broad learning experience and staff are periodically involved in the young person's education, such as off site educational based activities.

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Quality of care

A range of purposeful and enjoyable activities are available to young people. The home provides a good range of indoor and outdoor equipment which supports and develops their hobbies and interests. Young people are also encouraged to be involved in sports and youth activities outside of the home environment. This embraces young people to be involved in constructive activities and helps to enhance social skills and self-confidence.

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Quality of care

Needs relating to the young person’s cultural background and personal identity are identified and positively addressed in both daily living and care planning. The home ensures that the policies and practice reflect a positive value of differences and diversity. Staff are sensitive, responsive and accessible to the needs of young people.

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Quality of care

The home is appropriately located, designed and maintained. All young people have their own room which promotes their right to personal space. Young people live in a safe and pleasant home with ample space in a suitable location where there is access to the necessary facilities for a range of activities which will promote their development.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The service is good at keeping children and young people safe and feeling safe. Young people are safe and feel safe. The home and staff contribute well to safeguarding the welfare of young people. Young people feel protected because the staff ensure effective implementation of policies, procedures and good care practice. Staff promptly refer child protection matters and action is taken to promote the welfare of young people at all times. Staff are provided with effective opportunities to update their professional training related to safeguarding. Young people know and understand that there is a zero tolerance to bullying. When bullying events happen, staff are decisive in their immediate response and help young people to reflect, learn and change. Staff actively implement the home's policy on anti-bullying and the system for monitoring events is good, overall.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people rarely go missing and if they do, they return quickly. The actual number of events is extremely low. This is a clear indicator of the hard work that staff undertaken in preventing and stopping young people from going missing. Young people know and understand why there are risks around leaving the home without the permission and agreement of the staff. Young people are fully aware of risk taking behaviours and staff are good at highlighting to young people, what the unintended consequences can be.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people's positive behaviour is promoted, and restraint is only used, in strict accordance with the legislative framework, including the accurate and clear recording of restraint and the reasons for its use. The number of times that restraint is used is very low. Staff work tirelessly to deal effectively with young people's turbulence and frustration in expressing their emotions. Staff are adept at working successfully with complex and challenging behaviours because of the clear policies, procedures and training. Staff are calm, constructive and honest with young people. Young people achieve small changes and over time there is a gradual improvement with their unacceptable behaviours.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Staff working with young people in the home are carefully selected and vetted. There is monitoring of people to help prevent unsuitable people from having the opportunity to harm young people. This is underpinned by the company approach which robustly implements the home's stated policy and is evidenced by comprehensive record keeping.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Investigations into allegations or suspicions of harm are handled fairly, quickly, and consistently in a way that provides effective protection for young people.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The environment is physically safe and appropriately secure, taking account of the needs and characteristics of the young people cared for. There is a good awareness among young people of the fire safety precautions because at least once a month young people take part in a fire drill. Young people are additionally protected because the home gives priority to risk management. All young people have a personalised risk assessment that is reviewed as circumstances change. Some young people are supported to take some calculated risks which help cultivate their ability to take less impulsive risk taking behaviours. Over time they develop a healthy respect for risk which is a good thing. For example, some young people are managing to use public transport as part of developing their independence. The management of health and safety is given a good priority by the management team at the home. Staff take particular effort to ensure hazards are minimised so that the

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Safeguarding children and young people

welfare of young people is being effectively promoted.

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Leadership and management

The leadership and management of the children's home are good .

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Leadership and management

The home is effectively and efficiently managed. The senior management team is supportive and determined to provide good quality care. The registered manager has a very visible presence in the home and manages to get the best from staff and young people alike. Young people have daily contact with senior managers of the company, so their views and feedback serve as a continual reminder that they have a voice and will be listened to. The provider meets the aims and objectives in the Statement of Purpose. All young people, staff and the placing authority are clear about the aims and objectives of the home and what services and facilities it provides. The home is adequately resourced, indicating the financial viability of the provider. The home is effective at improving the outcomes for young people living at the home. The work taking place at the home is outcome focused. Young people are provided with good, safe and secure placements where small and big changes are

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Leadership and management

The home demonstrates a capacity for continuing improvement, based on its track record and performance since its previous inspection. The home has good systems in place to monitor and review performance and brings about change and improvement. The registered person actively and regularly monitors the quality of care provided, including consultation with young people about their welfare. The leadership and management of the home understand the strengths and weaknesses of the home and have a clear development plan in place.

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Leadership and management

The home employs a sufficient number of staff who are appropriately trained. The home is currently recruiting staff to cover a small number of vacancies. Staff attend regular team meetings and good consistency is achieved with handover between shifts. Staff are supervised and supported, although some gaps with staff supervision do exist. This has not diminished the productive staff work ethic or the good staff morale. Staff receive good quality training to enhance their individual skills and to keep them up to date with professional and legal developments. The company provides a programme of training called 'foundation for growth' which covers core and additional professional training for residential care. Training is given a good priority by the home and by the company.

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Leadership and management

Records are clear, up to date and stored securely, and contribute to an understanding of the young person’s life. All significant events relating to the protection of young people accommodated in the home are notified by the registered person of the home to the appropriate authorities and appropriate action is taken following the incident. Equality and diversity practice is good .

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