Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Bradford

Unique reference number SC424141 Inspection date 23/06/2011 Inspector Michael McCleave Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 10/03/2011 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

Lister View is a six bedded detached property that provides care and accommodation for up to six young people of either sex age 10 to 17 years. The home is owned by a private company.

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Overall effectiveness

The overall effectiveness is judged to be good .

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Overall effectiveness

This home has only been operating for a short time and the staff team are gradually gaining in confidence and experience. The young people are very well cared for and staff are working hard to achieve positive outcomes for them. The individual needs of each young person is well documented in their records following assessments undertaken by the home's staff. There is a strong emphasis for ensuring that young people take an active part in their plans to enable them to comment about the quality of their care.

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Overall effectiveness

There is an open culture that encourages young people to have a say in the day to day life at the home. They are consulted about a wide range of issues and their views are valued. Relationships between the young people and the staff are good, and young people are confident in approaching any member of staff to express their thoughts or concerns on any matter.

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Overall effectiveness

The management oversight at the home is effective and this ensures that staff are supported to carry out their complex tasks with each young person. However some case records, do not contain all the required information from the placing local authority.

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Overall effectiveness

Overall the young people are making good progress in relation to their starting points, from when they were initially admitted to the home. This is a reflection on the positive commitment of management and staff.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people are safe living at this home and staff are aware of their safeguarding responsibilities.

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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 the manager regularly monitors, in line with regulations, all the records kept by the home (NMS 21.2)  ensure that the manager works with the responsible authority to share information about the children. (NMS 22.7)

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Outcomes for children and young people

Outcomes for children and young people are satisfactory .

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Outcomes for children and young people

The main focus of work with the young people is on achieving outcomes based on their care plans. Some of these plans do not contain all the required information from the placing authority. This indicates that management monitoring of key records has not been robust. Key workers, take responsibility for progressing strategies, in order to bring appropriate changes for the young people most of whom have come from disrupted home backgrounds. Young people’s self confidence and trust in adults was low when they were initially placed at this home. Staff have a realistic approach to their work with the young people and accept progress will initially be slow. They expect to see good outcomes as young people gain confidence in themselves and are able to deal with their personal issues.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Those young people who are in full time education are currently attending school. This is an achievement in itself and school reports are optimistic. Academic progress is steady, and it is expected that the young people will improve, as they become more confident. They have only been at their current schools for a matter of weeks and staff provide much support to help the young people to appreciate the value in education. Staff have developed good contacts with the schools. This partnership approach helps promote trust when having to deal with issues that arise involving the young people.

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Outcomes for children and young people

The young people are actively encouraged to take an interest in the life of their home and the wider community. They meet regularly with staff to discuss a range of issues such as menus, activities, visits to places of interest and other social events. This is intended to build up their confidence and to show that they can play an active part in making decisions. Some young people do not see any value in the meetings and staff work positively to encourage a more active involvement. In order to encourage an interest in the wider community, the young people are raising money for a charity through a raffle. This is an initial step for the young people in looking beyond their own personal world.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Contact is positively supported as part of the care young people's plans. Staff take an active part in supporting them during contact visits as required.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people who are preparing for independent living are kept fully involved in their plan. This can prove to be a problematical area of work, especially when young people want to go straight into their own accommodation, and the staff feel they are not ready for this level of responsibility. This brings into focus the rights of young people to make decisions, and the views of professionals who take a different line. Staff work professionally with the young person concerned to support and to advise and guide them during this sensitive and emotional journey towards independent living.

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Quality of care

The quality of the care is good . The young people and staff enjoy very good relationships based on trust that has been built up over the time since the young people moved into the home. There is a positive friendly atmosphere at this home. Young people are comfortable when staff are around. The young people behave appropriately, and where tensions arise, staff manage these situations in a calm manner which helps to diffuse difficult confrontations.

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Quality of care

The involvement of the young people in the life of the home focuses on giving them every opportunity to take responsibility for certain aspects of day-to-day running of the home. This takes place through the weekly young people’s meetings and more generally at social times throughout the day. The staff feel strongly that the young people should have ownership in the life of the home and as one member of staff commented, 'this is their home and we must listen to their views'. Staff are competent in engaging with young people at a level they understand. This is achieved through being open and honest about situations and enabling young people to contribute in a meaningful way to their life at the home.

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Quality of care

Young people know how to make a complaint and this is appropriately covered in the young people's guide. This contains information about their rights and includes details of independent organisations that can be contacted if required. The staff take pride in the good relationships established with the young people, and any issues or concerns are managed at an informal level through discussion.

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Quality of care

Each young person is allocated a key worker who has responsibility to ensure that the overall care and emotional needs are met. The local authority care plan forms the basis of the home's assessment planning system. Care plans form the basis for the complex work with the young people in order to bring about changes and to improve their lives. Although the home has been in operation for only three months, staff are clearly aware of their responsibilities in providing high quality care for the young people. Some of the care plans however, are temporary documents requiring updating by the placing authority.

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Quality of care

Young people live in a clean well maintained home where their health care needs are fully met. Health service resources are provided as required and based on the young person's health plan. Good links have been established with the looked after nurse and the psychiatric services in order to meet the physical, emotional and psychological health needs of the young people. There is an emphasis on healthy eating and young people are encouraged to take part in outdoor activities such as horse riding, swimming and walks.

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Quality of care

Educational achievement is a core activity at the home and every encouragement is given to young people to promote their attendance at school. The staff have had some significant success in supporting some of the young people whose attendance has improved, when compared to their starting point before moving into the home. Strong links have been established with schools and staff engage proactively as required. Work is continuing with those young people who are no longer in full time education encouraging them to consider gaining qualifications in further education. This is intended to improve their opportunities for employment. The home takes a proactive stand on diversity and the culturally mixed staff team, is an excellent example of diversity. Young people who require specialist consideration on religious or cultural needs would have these met at this home. Staff have been trained in equality and diversity and they have a very clear awareness of the need to

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Quality of care

challenge any disrespectful comments or offensive actions from young people. Staff spend quality time with young people discussing topics relating to culture, respect for differences, tolerance.

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Quality of care

Young people live in a home that is located near local public transport routes leading to the city centre. They enjoy single bedrooms that are suitably furnished and they can choose their own décor. There are two comfortable lounges with televisions and a computer for young people to use with access to the internet. The dining room and well equipped kitchen enable the young people to help prepare meals and to eat together as a social occasion.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The service is good at keeping children and young people safe and feeling safe. There are good systems in place to ensure the safety of the young people. The young people feel safe living at the home and are confident in making a complaint if required. Staff are appropriately trained in safeguarding, and they are fully aware of the procedures to follow. Professionals, independent of the home, report that the young people are very well cared for by staff who take their safeguarding responsibilities seriously. Should a young person go missing from the home, there are robust procedures and risk assessments in place to guide staff on the actions to follow. There is an emphasis on a positive and welcoming response to the young person on their return and to ascertain the reasons for their absence.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The behaviour of the young people is good due to the positive culture of respect prevailing at the home and the good relationships between staff and young people. Although staff are trained in physical restraint, this is not a notable feature at the home. Staff base their approach to behaviour management on de-escalation of tense situations through calm dialogue with the young people. Staff are very clear that restraint is a last resort in order to prevent harm to the young person concerned. This is a commendable approach and a good demonstration of equality and diversity through trust and respect that has been developed between staff and young people.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The safety and well-being of the young people is enhanced by the robust recruitment and selection procedures in place. Staff are appointed following a rigorous procedure that includes Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) checks, interview, an assessment day and being observed on a live shift in a children's home. Through this robust process, the home works to prevent unsuitable adults from working with children and young people. This is very good practice.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The home is a safe environment with good quality locks on entrance doors and secure windows with restrictors. All electrical, gas and domestic appliances have been appropriately checked for safety.

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Leadership and management

The leadership and management of the children's home are good . There is a positive approach taken at the home to working with young people in a professional and non-stigmatising way. Any race or cultural issues are dealt with sensibly by staff through discussion with the young people. The staff team is a culturally mixed race group and this is a strength at the home. All staff are required to undertake equality and diversity training and this adds to the knowledge base of the staff team. This is clearly and environment where respect for all cultural differences is emphasised and young people are encouraged to follow the example set by staff in the area of diversity.

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Leadership and management

Although having only been operational for a short period of time, the manager has established a unit that is functioning appropriately. Staff are clear about their duties and there is child focused culture prevailing at the home.

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Leadership and management

Young people have established a trusting relationship with the staff and confirm they are satisfied with their care at the home. They feel that their views are listened to and that if they have any issues or concerns, these can be raised with any member of staff at the home. It is evident that staff have been selected for their commitment to good child care and to make a difference to the lives of the young people in their care.

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Leadership and management

The manager, supported by a deputy, is responsible for monitoring the quality of care at the home. This is carried out at a formal level based on regulatory requirements, and through day-to-day consultation with the young people. The emphasis on quality assurance is additionally demonstrated by a weekly key performance indicator report prepared by the manager. This includes any shortfalls in service provision and identifies how these are to be addressed. The current financial audits of the home clearly indicate that the manager is operating efficiently in line with the budget set for the home.

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Leadership and management

The company recognises the importance of a well supported and trained staff team. Formal monthly supervision is scheduled for all staff. These are opportunities for staff to have their individual performance monitored and to identify training and development needs. This ensures that young people are cared for by staff that have a clear understanding of their responsibilities which is backed up with appropriate training.

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Leadership and management

The home is operating to the Statement of Purpose in respect of staffing numbers. There are sufficient staff on duty to ensure the safety and well-being of the young people each day. The manager and deputy work together as a team, thereby ensuring appropriate management oversight supporting staff and providing effective leadership. Records are well maintained, although some do not have all the required information included from the placing authority. This is being addressed by the manager.

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Leadership and management

Equality and diversity practice is good .

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