Children's Home run by Lifetime Opportunities Limited in Lancashire

Unique reference number SC063103 Inspection date 20/05/2011 Inspector Sarah Oldham Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 05/01/2011 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

The home is run by a privately owned company and is registered for a maximum of five children and young people who have a learning disability. Long term accommodation is provided for those whose ages range from eight to 17 years. The property is purpose built and located in a semi-rural area. Externally there is an enclosed garden with football nets, a play house and a side garden with a swing. The home is situated in a gated complex with two other properties belonging to the organisation. Although the house is situated near a main access road with regular bus routes, the home also has its own transport to enable the young people to access schools and community facilities.

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Brief description of the service

Each young person has their own bedroom and most of these have en-suite facilities. The communal areas include a sitting room, dining room, kitchen and a playroom. There is also a garden and patio area.

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Overall effectiveness

The overall effectiveness is judged to be outstanding .

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Overall effectiveness

Young people are supported with all aspects of care in a positive, nurturing environment. Comprehensive care plans are in place to enable staff to have an excellent understanding of the individual needs of the young people. Young people are cared for by an experienced staff team. Young people say that they feel safe and are happy living at the home. There is excellent communication from staff at the home to schools, health, social workers and parents regarding how young people are progressing and achieving positive outcomes.

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Overall effectiveness

The promotion of equality and diversity is excellent, with staff ensuring that communication methods used are suitable for the young people and enable them to be fully involved in discussions about all aspects of care and support. As a result of this inspection, two requirements have been raised in relation to the young people having a separate phone line into the home and in relation to a risk assessment for heating within one en-suite room.

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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 that children accommodated in the home are provided at all reasonable times with access to the following which they may use without reference to persons working in the home, a telephone on which to make and receive telephone calls in private (Regulation 15 (4) (a)) 30/06/2011

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that all parts of the home to which children have access are so far as reasonably practicable free from hazards to their safety (this is in relation to the radiator within one of the en- suite bathrooms) (Regulation 23 (a)). 20/06/2011

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Outcomes for children and young people

Outcomes for children and young people are outstanding . The outcomes for the young people living at the home are outstanding. They benefit from individualised support and guidance to enable them to develop their skills and experiences within a nurturing environment. This assists to prepare them for moving onto adult service with a range of skills and experiences. Support is provided following consultations with the young person, their family, health, education and placing local authority social workers. This ensures that support provided is promoting the best interests of the young person and is sustainable. This enables young people to achieve well. Regular reviews demonstrate the progress that individual young people make and enable effective and achievable planning to be ongoing.

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Outcomes for children and young people

All young people are supported to maintain contact with parents. Staff support contact effectively by ensuring that transport is available and that any restriction to contact are clearly known. Parents responding to surveys were pleased with the support that they received with contact arrangements. In addition, young people can access the phone to contact parents or to receive calls. However, the main home phone, although hands free, is the only phone line into the home and does not ensure that young people have access to a phone at any time.

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Outcomes for children and young people

All young people attend education. Staff at the home have developed excellent links with schools and colleges and ensure that they support the young people to achieve positive educational outcomes. Staff attend education reviews, parents evenings and liaise with teaching staff to enable them to effectively support the young people. All the young people have a statement of special educational needs and a copy of these are maintained on individual care files. All of these are current and reflect the support provided to the young people. Staff from the home work closely with the schools with regards communication methods to ensure that the preferred communication method is used within the home. This promotes consistency for young people and enables them to develop communication methods where they can clearly express their wishes and views.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Health care needs of young people are positively promoted and all young people are registered with a doctor, dentist and optician within the local community. In addition, staff support young people to attend appointments with specialist consultants for children with learning disabilities. Comprehensive health care plans are in place for all young people and record all aspects of health needs. Medication is stored securely and staff responsible for the administration of medication have received appropriate training and guidance. Medication records are maintained and are clearly recorded. This ensures that young people are appropriately supported and safeguarded with their medication.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people are supported to access the local community to take part in a range of activities. Examples of this include swimming, cycling, both on road and purpose built bike tracks, going for meals out and shopping within the local town. Young people spoke positively about the activities that they take part in and say that they are supported to try different activities.

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Quality of care

The quality of the care is outstanding .

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Quality of care

The home is registered to provide care for young people with learning disabilities and complex needs. Some of whom have shared care, spending some nights per week at their own home and the remainder of the time at the home. Wherever possible, prior to moving in, young people have a series of introductory visits, commencing with a short visit and time extended at each visit, progressing to an overnight stay if required. This enables the young person to get to know the staff and other residents and enables staff to start to develop an individualised care plan.

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Quality of care

Young people and staff have excellent relationships. Staff use a variety of communication methods to ensure that the individual wishes and views of the young people remain at the centre of all planning. This includes supporting young people to develop a booklet entitled 'all about me'. This explains what things are important to them and how they like to be supported and cared for. These are in both written and pictorial formats and are ongoing throughout the time spent at the home. Detailed placement plans are in place and these provide clear details of individual needs, including identity, religious and cultural needs. Placement plans are working documents that are kept under review and updated to reflect current needs. The young people are actively involved in their placement plans as are family, placing social workers and education. This ensures continuity of care and support and the involvement of young people to ensure that they are listened to.

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Quality of care

Detailed risk assessments are completed for all aspects of daily living and ensure that young people are supported to participate in activities in a safe way, rather than being restricted from taking part. This enables young people to engage in activities and to develop individual skills.

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Quality of care

The complaints procedure is in pictorial format and this enables all young people to know how to make a complaint. Staff also arrange for independent visitors for young people through an advocacy service. Information is also available regarding Ofsted and Children's Rights.

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Quality of care

There is ample room in the home, which provides opportunities for young people and the staff supporting them to sit together if they wish to do so. In addition, there is an activities room where young people can access a computer and a variety of games, painting and craft material. Each young person has their own bedroom with en-suite facilities. Bedrooms have been personalised to reflect individual taste and young people are very pleased with them. Young people say that they are happy living at the home and were very proud to show the inspector around.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The service is outstanding at keeping children and young people safe and feeling safe. Outstanding systems are in place to safeguard and protect young people. Staff receive regular training to update their knowledge and have a full understanding of safeguarding policies, procedures and actions they should take if an incident arises. Thorough risk assessments are completed for each young person. These are reviewed very regularly by the manager and staff team to help ensure that they remain effective in helping to protect young people. Discussions are held with young people during key worker sessions and children's meetings to ensure that they are aware of who to talk to if they feel worried about anything. All young people have an understanding of bullying and that it is not acceptable. Young people confirm that they do not feel bullied, but would be able to talk to staff if they were. Information is

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Safeguarding children and young people

available throughout the home in both written and pictorial formats regarding bullying, complaints and what to do in the event of a fire.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The manager and staff have completed comprehensive information and risk assessments for each young person. This includes risk assessments that take into account a young person's potential to go missing and their vulnerability should they do so. Staff have liaised with the local police and ensured that each young person has an emergency card when they leave the unit. Staff have clear understanding of the procedures to follow in the event of a young person missing. There have been no incidents of young people missing from the home. Young people are able to have visitors to the home and staff are aware of the importance of ensuring that all visitors are known and identification is sought, therefore safeguarding the young people who live there.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people are supported to develop appropriate behaviours. Sanctions are used sparingly and clearly explained to the young person the reasons for them being imposed. Sanctions are recorded in both written and pictorial formats to enable young people to understand and to be able to contribute their views and feelings about sanctions. This has also been developed in relation to physical interventions. The incidents of these have reduced and young people are aware that if they are used, it is to promote and secure their safety or the safety of others. The recording system also is in written and pictorial formats enabling young people to clearly contribute their views. All staff have undertaken training in the use of physical intervention and refresher training is undertaken to ensure that all staff have the necessary information, skills and knowledge to undertake this correctly.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people benefit from a permanent, experienced and stable staff team. The addition of two new members of staff have completed the staffing complement. Appropriate recruitment policies and procedures are in place and details of suitable checks, showing that staff are re-checked every three years, are available on site.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Staff and young people are protected with a range of risk assessments which are regularly updated. However, one en-suite shower has a radiator situated next to the shower. Whilst this radiator has been temporarily disconnected, a risk assessment has not been completed regarding whether the young person is aware of the risk of a burn if the radiator is touched, should it be reconnected, when getting into or out of the shower or whether the radiator is appropriately situated. Service contracts for fire, gas and electrical equipment are in place. Young people participate in regular fire drills and understand the evacuation procedures. Regular checks are taking place to the fire alarm, smoke detectors and emergency lighting systems.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Individual risk assessments, coupled with coping strategies are in place for each young person and these are reviewed and updated regularly. All young people confirm that the unit is a safe place to live.

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Leadership and management

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

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Leadership and management

The manager has the necessary skills, experience, qualification and understanding of the needs of the young people to ensure that a clear vision of how the home operates is known and responded to positively by all staff. Staff are supportive of the management team and work closely with them to promote positive outcomes for the young people. Excellent links have been made with parents, placing social workers, schools and health professionals to ensure that the needs of the young people are consistently supported. The home operates in accordance with the Statement of Purpose and this document is made available to all interested parties.

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Leadership and management

The internal monitoring of the unit is outstanding with a comprehensive monitoring report being completed monthly. The report not only reviews the home's own performance, but identifies areas for continued improvement. Regular, external monitoring of the unit is taking place and covers the required areas, which includes contact and discussion with young people. In addition, the views of young people are gained using pictorial questionnaires. This ensures that the views of all the young people living at the home are sought. Questionnaires to parents, social workers and schools are also sent out on an annual basis to gain their views and how the service is meeting the needs of the young people.

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Leadership and management

The staff team are provided with excellent levels of support and supervision as well as opportunities for training and development. Staff who do not hold the National Vocational Qualification Level 3 in Caring for Children and Young People are currently completing this. This will ensure that all staff hold a relevant qualification. All staff complete an induction training programme and core mandatory training courses, including safeguarding, physical intervention, first aid and food hygiene. This enables staff to have the skills to effectively support the young people living at the home.

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Leadership and management

The manager understands the strengths of the home and areas where it could perform better. A written team plan is in place, which details the areas for improvement. The home has an excellent record in compliance and has responded positively to inspection. At the previous inspection there were no requirements or recommendations made.

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Leadership and management

Young people live in a home where staff provide excellent levels of care and support. This benefits the young people as they gain skills and knowledge, within their own individual abilities, to prepare them for adulthood. Equality and diversity practice is outstanding .

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