Children's Home run by Shropshire Council in Shropshire

Unique reference number SC382730 Inspection date 26/07/2011 Inspector Jacqui Gosling Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 03/02/2011 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 provides short-term placements for up to four young people. Placements are normally for 12 weeks but can be up to a maximum of 16 weeks in exceptional circumstances. The home aims to provide an accurate assessment of all young people based on the staff team’s observations while they are living here.

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Overall effectiveness

The overall effectiveness is judged to be good .

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Overall effectiveness

Young people are provided with a safe, secure, caring and stimulating environment, where they can develop and achieve physically, emotionally, educationally and spiritually. The dedication of staff means young people's individual needs are being met. Young people are equally afforded wonderful opportunities to develop social skills, talents and abilities and to spend time pursuing hobbies and interests to reflect their individual needs. Young people are flourishing from their starting point of their placements, across all aspects of their welfare and development.

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Overall effectiveness

There is minimal impact where recommendations emerge compared to the strengths in the welfare of young people. The management understand where they need to improve and are forming development plans as a way of evaluating strengths and countering weaknesses. Improvements have been made from the last inspection and provide a testament of the home's capacity to improve.

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Overall effectiveness

Staff have an excellent knowledge of the background and individual needs of the young people and proactively work to promote their confidence and develop their understanding of achieving life skills.

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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's physical health needs are met, specifically ensure clear arrangements are in place to ensure medication is available (national minimum standard 6.1)

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Outcomes for children and young people

Outcomes for children and young people are outstanding .

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people benefit greatly from a diverse staff team who provide them with individual support to enable them to develop confidence and a positive view of themselves. Key workers have an excellent knowledge of the background and individual needs of the young people and actively promote their confidence and understanding.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Heath needs are identified within the placement plans and a range of services are available to support and address the individual needs of young people. However, despite some young people taking medication on a daily basis the system for collecting their medication is not sufficiently robust. Staff promote a very healthy lifestyle and encourage healthy eating and regular exercise. This excellent practice ensures that the health needs of young people are identified supported and addressed.

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Outcomes for children and young people

All young people attend educational placements and are encouraged by staff who demonstrate a pride in the attendance achieved by the young people; some of whom had difficulty sustaining education placements prior to living here. Staff are committed to supporting the young people’s education and liaise regularly with schools to ensure that positive outcomes are achieved.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people are encouraged and supported to maintain positive relationships with the significant people in their lives. They understand the contact plans and arrangements that are in place, made at the time of the placement and are reviewed fortnightly. Staff work closely with families in line with placement plans, likewise, any restrictions are clearly noted.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Independent skills are developed at a level appropriate to the young person’s developmental age and needs. Young people speak very positively of their placements and the support they are receiving.

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Quality of care

Young people thrive within this nurturing and supportive environment. Young people's placement plans are child-centred and clearly identify their individualised needs taking into account culture, race, religion and gender. On going monitoring evaluates young people's progress over time and this is then used as the basis for statutory reviews and a report is forwarded to the child's social worker on a monthly basis.

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Quality of care

Young people say that they are always listened to and their wishes and feelings are actively sought and that they can very much influence the way the home is run. Staff will help young people understand if it is not possible to always act upon their wishes. Young people say ‘staff are there when you need to talk’. Young people benefit from a very competent and enthusiastic staff team who are able to provide good care and optimum support in their placement. Relationships between staff and young people are friendly, positive and good natured with lots of humour. There are clear procedures for making a complaint and young people are happy with the way staff respond to any areas of concern. One young person commented, ‘I have never needed to make a complaint but staff have told me how to do it. I have my guide as well, which tells me what to do’. Staff implement positive behaviour strategies with a creative reward system and consequences to any

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Quality of care

inappropriate behaviour which is seen 'as fair' by the young people.

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Quality of care

Staff are proactive and consistent in supporting the educational achievement of young people, engaging with their schools and successfully promoting their attendance. Staff work closely with educational professionals and this has established effective communication. This partnership approach is highly successful and enhances young people's educational prospects.

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Quality of care

A range of purposeful and enjoyable activities are available to young people. The home offers sufficient room for young people to engage in a variety of activities as well as other rooms if the young people want privacy. The gardens surrounding the home are large, offering excellent space for young people to participate in games and activities. There are chickens, which young people help to care for. Young people are encouraged to participate in the community and their interests and hobbies are fostered. This leads to personal accomplishment and helps young people build their self-esteem.

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Quality of care

The accommodation provides a pleasant, warm and comfortable home and young people comment they enjoy living here. Furnishings and décor are of a good standard and there is an ongoing development plan for maintenance and decoration. Young people's bedrooms are being personalised to their own tastes and requests for any changes to the accommodation are dealt with promptly. Young people are extremely positive about the quality of their home.

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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. Young people receive quality care which is personalised and tailored to meet their needs.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The service is outstanding at keeping children and young people safe and feeling safe.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people all say that they feel very safe at the home and they demonstrate a good awareness of the fact that the staff focus strongly on promoting their safety. Staff receive regular and wide ranging training in safeguarding. As a result, they demonstrate a sound understanding of the action to take should they have any concerns about a young person's safety or well-being. Partnership working with external partners, for example, the local designated safeguarding officer, means that the staff’s knowledge and understanding of child protection is continually being developed.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people missing from care episodes have reduced significantly. One placing social worker said 'I cannot fault the work done by staff. Clear boundaries are set and the staff follow the written plans. There has been a reduction of missing episodes which is exceptionally positive'. There is an open approach to complaints from all sources, and staff successfully support young people to use accessible democratic processes to make their views known. As part of this process staff skilfully enable young people to understand the views of others. Staff work hard to protect young people from the impact of bullying, anti-social or intimidating behaviour and young people are clear about their right to feel safe from this.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The quality of relationships between staff and young people is outstanding and reinforces the very caring atmosphere that can be witnessed throughout the home. Young people are assisted to develop appropriate behaviour through the home's behaviour management policy and strategies. Staff are very comfortable with their role of setting clear understood boundaries whilst maintaining a high quality of relationship between themselves and young people.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The home is a safe and well maintained environment. There are established systems and structures to maintain safe practices and fulfil health and safety obligations. Young people express confidence in the safety and security of the home. Environmental risk assessments are in place and these ensure the home is fully informed of potential hazards in order to reduce risks. There are safe recruitment procedures within the home. New staff are suitably vetted and are unable to commence working with young people until all of their checks are back.

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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

A real strength of this home is a strong, well experienced and child-centred management team. The manager and deputy have a commitment to driving up standards of care and recording practice. Staff have good support and guidance through a clear management structure. This structure is successful at meeting its aims to foster social awareness and mutual respect within the home and wider community. It achieves this by encouraging a happy and caring atmosphere through a professional and motivating environment.

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Leadership and management

The home has taken action to address requirements and recommendations rising from the previous inspection. The home now maintains a record of all complaints made by children and young people in the home and any action taken as a result. Staff have all received training in the complaints procedures. Although only one complaint 'grumble' has been made since the last inspection, the new procedure and training ensures that that the complaint procedure is now robust. Portable electrical appliances have been tested as required. This ensures that they are safe for young people to use. Appropriate written records are now made of the circumstances of all incidents of young people leaving the home without permission or their whereabouts being unknown. There are now procedures in place to ensure that reporting children missing complies with agreed policy with partner agencies. For example, the police. When young people return from a period of being missing from the home they are

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Leadership and management

seen by a person independent of the home as soon as possible.

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Leadership and management

There is a clear staffing structure with clear lines of accountability in the home and in providing a stable and structured environment for young people. Staff are well supported and have regular supervision and staff meetings. Staff duty rotas and the manner in which staff are deployed confirm that the home keeps sufficient staff on the duty rota at all times.

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Leadership and management

The home offers care and accommodation for young people in line with its Statement of Purpose and stated objectives. There is an appropriate young person's guide, and young people confirm they have read it. The manager and responsible individual regularly consider the running of the home and young people's individual needs to maintain care levels. Young people’s needs, development and progress are well recorded to reflect their individuality. There is genuine interest and commitment to young people.

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Leadership and management

Equality and diversity practice is good .

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