Children's Home run by Pebbles Care Limited in Leeds

Unique reference number SC417795 Inspection date 23/06/2011 Inspector Monica Hargreaves Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection N/A 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 children's home is owned and managed by a private limited company. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for no more than four young people. It provides short and long-term care to young people who have emotional or behaviour difficulties. There are four bedrooms used by young people and separate facilities for staff who sleep-in. There is a large lounge and a smaller lounge on the ground floor, with a separate kitchen and dining room. The house is a detached property with gardens to front, side and rear. It is located in a residential area that has good transport links.

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Overall effectiveness

The overall effectiveness is judged to be good .

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Overall effectiveness

This was the first inspection of this home since its registration. This is a well managed service that provides a good standard of care to young people. The manager gives good support and effective leadership to staff in the home and the work of staff and the care that is given to young people is closely monitored to ensure that the well-being of young people is promoted.

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Overall effectiveness

Staff are well trained and they have a good understanding of their role and of individual young people's needs. They make sure that young people's health needs are met and they give young people good support with their education so that they achieve to their individual potential and develop aspirations for their future. They also encourage young people to develop the practical and emotional skills they need for independence.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people enjoy positive relationships with staff which enables them to feel settled and to make good progress. They are confident about raising issues or concerns with staff. They are consulted about every aspect of their care and life in the home and feel that they are listened to. Young people say that they feel safe in the home and that they are well cared for. One young person commented that 'the staff are always there for you and are really caring' and another young person said that they 'really can't think of anything the home could do better'.

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Overall effectiveness

Three good practice recommendations have been made as a result of this inspection. These relate to the manager's qualifications, staff induction and the information that is given to young people about how to contact an independent advocate.

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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 that all young people understand how they can contact an independent advocate (NMS 1.5)  ensure that the registered manager gains a recognised qualification in management (NMS 14.2)  ensure that all new staff undertake the Children's Workforce Development Council's induction standards. (NMS 18.3)

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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

Staff give young people individualised support to ensure that their identified needs are met. Good records maintained by the staff team demonstrate clearly the care that is given to young people in the home and the progress that they make.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people enjoy good health. Their assessed health needs are identified in health plans and staff make sure that they get the support they need to stay healthy. Staff have good links with the looked after children (LAC) nurse who visits the home regularly. All young people are registered with primary health services and are supported at all routine and additional health appointments. This means that there is good oversight of their health needs. The LAC nurse supports staff in ensuring that young people have prompt access to any additional health service they require. Young people say that if they are ill, they are cared for very well. For example, one young person talked about the way staff had looked after them after an operation. The LAC nurse also made positive comments about the specific arrangements that the staff had made to make sure that the young person was well looked after at this time. Young people also say that staff talk to them generally about healthy lifestyles

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Outcomes for children and young people

and give them advice about issues such as healthy eating and exercise, substance use and sexual health. Staff make sure that young people are given a nutritious diet and they encourage young people to plan and cook meals. Mealtimes are social occasions where staff and young people eat together.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people say that staff are good at helping them to learn how to be more independent. They are supported to learn how to do practical tasks such as keeping their rooms clean and tidy, shopping for and cooking their own meals and learning how to make their own appointments. Staff also help young people to prepare emotionally for leaving care. Young people say that staff talk to them about living independently and help them to think about the support they will need and how they will sort out any problems they have.

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Outcomes for children and young people

There is good evidence from reports that young people make progress in education, for example, with much improved attendance at school and increased levels of attainment. Young people have aspirations for their future. They talk about their plans for further education, such as college and university and about the type of employment they hope to find.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Staff help young people to keep in touch with family and friends outside the home in line with their agreed care and placement plans. They provide practical support such as transporting young people to and from family contact visits and supervising contact when this is an agreed part of the young person's care plan.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Staff encourage young people to take an interest in and be part of community activities. For example, young people are supported to be involved in community and cultural festivals in the city and one young person is taking part in a sponsored cycle ride in aid of a national charity.

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Quality of care

The quality of the care is good . Staff demonstrate a good understanding of the specific needs of the young people they care for and they develop sound relationships with them. This enables young people to feel settled in the home and to make good progress. Young people say that they can talk to staff and that staff are helpful. One young person said about the home that 'the best thing about being here is the staff' and another young person commented that 'staff are always there for you'.

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Quality of care

There are good systems in place to ensure that young people are regularly consulted about every aspect of their care. Young people have regular key work sessions where they talk to staff about their longer term care plans and issues in their day-to- day care. Staff involve young people in writing their placement plans and they keep good records that show how care and placement plans are implemented and the progress that young people make. Young people are encouraged to read all their records and to contribute their views. One young person has written their own daily reports and staff say that they encourage all young people to do this.

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Quality of care

Young people take part in weekly house meetings where they talk about the daily life of the home. One young person said that these meetings 'are really good because they give young people a chance to talk about the things that are important to them'. They said that staff at these meetings 'help us to sort things out if there are problems'. The organisation has developed a young persons' participation group which includes representatives from all the homes owned by the organisation. This allows young people to have a voice in how the homes are run. These meetings are also attended by senior managers from within the organisation and young people feel that this is very helpful as 'they really listen'. This enables young people to understand that their views count.

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Quality of care

Young people know how to complain and say that they would feel confident about doing so. Although young people are given written information about how to complain, not all young people are aware that they can approach an independent advocate or how to do so. There has been one complaint from a young person since the home opened. The manager responded promptly and the issue raised by the young person triggered a review of how all young people are able to use the computer and have access to internet sites in a safe way. The way this response was managed confirms that staff take account of issues raised by young people in order to improve their experiences in the home.

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Quality of care

Staff have a very positive view about the value of education and are keen to help young people to achieve to their individual potential. Young people say that staff help them with education. For example, they make sure that young people attend school or college every day, they provide transport when this is needed and help to resolve any difficulties that young people have at school or college. Teachers said that staff provide excellent support to young people. They commented that staff are good at keeping in touch with school and letting them know if there are difficulties for young people at home. They also say that staff contribute fully to education meetings and have provided support to young people in the school setting when this was requested. Young people are given many opportunities to be involved in activities that they enjoy and are also encouraged to try new ones. The organisation has an activities

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Quality of care

co-ordinator and young people from this home are able to take part in a number of pursuits that are supervised by suitably qualified staff. For example, they are able to do mountain biking, gorge walking, orienteering and indoor climbing. Young people are also encouraged to take part in schemes that enable them to achieve recognised awards such as the Duke of Edinburgh award.

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Quality of care

Young people benefit from living in a homely environment that is spacious and very well maintained. The home is comfortably furnished, clean and tidy and is kept safe. It is located in a quiet residential area and has good transport links and access to local facilities. Young people themselves say that they like their home and they take an obvious pride in their environment.

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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 sound arrangements in place to ensure that young people are cared for safely. Staff know how to identify and manage safeguarding concerns in order to keep young people safe because they are trained in child protection issues and the home has a detailed policy to guide staff practice. There is clear evidence that safeguarding issues are well managed. Young people themselves say that they feel safe in the home. They say that there is no bullying and that they generally get on well together.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Staff have a good understanding of the specific needs of the young people they care for. They develop detailed risk assessments and management strategies for each young person. These address all aspects of their care and welfare and ensure that staff work consistently with young people. Records show that risk assessments are reviewed very regularly by the manager and staff team so that they remain effective in helping to protect young people.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Care staff also develop positive handling plans for young people so that possible triggers for difficult or challenging behaviour can be minimised. Staff work effectively to support young people and they behave well towards each other and towards staff. Young people say that staff treat them fairly and feel that staff care about what happens to them. There have been no restraints at all since the home opened and sanctions are minimal.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The manager has established good links with the local police and the Local Authority Designated Officer for safeguarding in order to promote safe care through good partnership working. The home has a sound procedure for managing unauthorised absences, that is in line with the police and local authority protocol and staff know what to do if a young person goes missing. Although there have been occasions when young people have gone missing from the home, there is good evidence that these are reducing over time.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The organisation's robust recruitment practices protect young people as they ensure that all staff are thoroughly vetted and assessed as suitable before they start work in the home. The identity of all visitors to the home is checked before they are allowed in and their presence in the home is monitored by staff. These systems also contribute to ensuring the safety of young people in the home.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people benefit from living in an environment that is kept safe. All gas, electrical and fire equipment is regularly checked to ensure that it is in good working order. The home itself is regularly checked and well maintained so that potential hazards are identified and removed. Staff are trained in fire safety procedures. Young people confirmed that they take part in fire drills and that they know what to do if there is a fire or other emergency.

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Leadership and management

The leadership and management of the children's home are good . The home is well managed. The manager is experienced and provides good leadership to the staff. There are appropriate arrangements in place to ensure that the home continues to be well managed in the manager's absence. Staff receive regular supervision and feel that they are well supported by the manager and senior staff in the home. The manager has a qualification in care that meets the standards, but has not yet gained the required qualification in leadership and management.

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Leadership and management

Young people benefit from being cared for by staff who are competent and who have a good understanding of their role. The organisation requires all staff to gain a qualification that is relevant to their work and provides the resources to support this. A number of the care team are qualified and the newer staff are working towards achieving a qualification. All staff are given an induction when they start work, but the home has not yet implemented the Children's Workforce Development Council's induction standards. Staff say that training opportunities are good and the records show that staff are given appropriate training to help them to develop the knowledge and skills they need for their work with young people.

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Leadership and management

There are effective staffing arrangements in the home which ensure that there is continuity of care for young people. There is an established team of permanent staff and gaps on the rota are generally covered by part-time staff working additional hours. Records confirm that if agency staff are employed, these are individuals who work regularly in the home and who therefore know the young people. This promotes consistency of care. Young people themselves say that they know all the staff who look after them and they and visiting professionals say that there are always sufficient staff on duty in the home. Young people say that this means there is 'always someone there for us to talk to'.

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Leadership and management

The home has a clear Statement of Purpose that gives good information about how the home works and how young people are cared for. There is good evidence from this inspection that the home works in line with this document. The young person's guide to the home is clear and informative. Young people also have access to a DVD produced by the organisation. This is a lively presentation by a group of young people from within the organisation. It gives young people lots of information about being in care and reassurance about the help they will receive from staff. Young people spoken with during the inspection were enthusiastic about the DVD and said that it was helpful to hear how other young people feel about being in care.

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Leadership and management

Robust management monitoring arrangements ensure that good standards of care are maintained. For example, the manager makes regular checks on records, supervises staff and talks to young people, their families and professionals about how young people are cared for. Monthly checks are also done by a senior person who is independent of the home. The manager addresses any shortfalls that are identified during these checks to improve the quality of care that is given to young people. The manager has a written development plan in place that shows the work that the home intends to do over the next year to continue to improve the service.

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Leadership and management

The home maintains clear and detailed records about the care of young people. Each young person has an individual file that they are encouraged to read and contribute to. Information from other records is appropriately cross referenced into young people's files so that they have a history of their time in care and in this placement. All records are stored securely in the office to protect confidentiality.

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Leadership and management

Equality and diversity practice is good .

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