Children's Home run by Aspire Child Care Ltd in Rochdale

Unique reference number SC413779 Inspection date 03/08/2011 Inspector Robert Curr Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 18/02/2011 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

This setting provides care and accommodation for up to two young people. One of the main aims of the setting is to provide a safe and structured environment for children and young people. The home provides care for young people who may need support with emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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Overall effectiveness

The overall effectiveness is judged to be satisfactory .

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Overall effectiveness

Some good planning processes are in place for young people. However, the plans describe some important matters arising from learning disabilities that are not fully understood by the staff team. This has the potential to disrupt the experiences of the young people and impact negatively on their welfare.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people have access to a range of activities that they enjoy and this helps promote healthy lifestyles. Young people benefit from aspects of the care given with good outcomes.

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Overall effectiveness

Staff relationships with young people at the home are consistent. There are good relationships and young people say ‘this is the best home I have lived in.’ Staff are not sufficient in number to care for young people. Training that helps staff provide a higher level of positive and safe care to young people is lacking. Staff are working towards a level 3 qualification and are very well supported through formal supervision. Staff have a clear understanding of child protection procedures in order to keep young people safe. Incidents of young people going missing or being absent when unauthorised are rare.

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Overall effectiveness

The environment provided is of a very high standard and this adds to young people's quality of care. Not all health and safety matters are managed well, meaning there are potential risks to the safety of young people. Some consultation does take place with young people but there is no clear process that shows how young people's views are used to make changes and improvements to the care provided.

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Overall effectiveness

Management monitoring is satisfactory. There is a process in place; however this does not identify shortfalls so improvements can be made and recording does not detail the quality of care of the provision to ensure that are good outcomes for the young people and that their welfare is safeguarded.

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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) make arrangements for all staff working at the home to receive training in fire prevention (Regulation 32 (1)(d)) 30/09/2011

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that all persons employed receive appropriate training, that is kept up to date, in learning disabilities, food hygiene and attachment disorders (Regulation 27 (4)(a)) 30/09/2011

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that consequences for unacceptable behaviour are clear to staff and children (Regulation 17 (4)) 30/09/2011

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Reg. Requirement Due date

17B (2001) ensure any measures of control in the children's home are recorded in a volume kept for the purpose (Regulation 17B (3)) 31/08/2011

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure the Registered Manager is in full-time day to day charge of the home (Regulation 7 (1)(b)(iii)) 30/09/2011

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure a sufficient number of suitably qualified, competent and experienced persons are employed at the home (Regulation 25 (1)) 30/09/2011

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure the system for monitoring the matters set out in Schedule 6 improve the quality of care provided; ensure the system provides for consultation with children, their parents and placing authorities. (Regulation 34 (1) and (3)) 30/09/2011

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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

 create a written risk assessment where only one member of staff is on duty; particularly identifying any likely risks to young people, staff and members of the public (NMS 17.9)  ensure there is a written development plan, reviewed annually, for the future of the home. (NMS 15.2)

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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 comment that staff are 'really caring' and 'really want to help you.’ All young people have complex needs and staff succeed in helping them develop a positive self-image. The placing social worker commented that there has been brilliant progression in such a short placement, and this is because the staff really understand this young person’.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people make significant health improvements that benefit their well-being considerably. Young people receive good encouragement to lead a healthy lifestyle. Young people benefit from nutritionally, balanced meals. Staff cater effectively for young people’s dietary needs, allergies and preferences. Young people learn to appreciate other cultures through food and restaurant experiences. Staff teach young people the importance of eating fruits and vegetables. This is further enhanced when young people help staff in cooking and preparing meals as well as snacks. Young people also engage in a variety of activities and physical exercise, one young person said they ‘love riding their bike and going horse riding.’

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people receive ongoing encouragement to achieve educationally. Staff assist young people with identifying and nurturing their talents and interests linking these to educational learning. Young people are engaged in the wider community. Various activities are tailored to the young people’s wishes. Examples of this include raising charitable funds for a project in Africa.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Where appropriate staff actively facilitate contact with families. Young people can meet with relatives at the home. Staff encourage young people to be self-sufficient and gain independent skills. Independent living skills are part of the daily routine. This includes preparing breakfast and taking some responsibility for other chores around the house.

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Quality of care

Young people quickly establish successful, mutually respectful relationships with staff. The warm, caring atmosphere provides a relaxing and consistent environment for young people. Young people appreciate the guidance, encouragement and help they receive from staff. The young people are secure in the ability of staff to act on their views and wishes. Young people state they are 'really happy here.’ Staff respond effectively to the individual needs of each young person.

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Quality of care

Young people benefit from care planning which clearly outlines their needs, and care plans highlight young people's uniqueness. However, the lack of formal key working does not ensure that a record of young people's histories is developed or maintained , although staff are very knowledgeable about young people.

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Quality of care

Young people have access to routine and specialist medical help, particularly in relation to their psychological health. This has resulted in some positive outcomes, for example in reduced incidences of self-harm and running away from home.

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Quality of care

There is a satisfactory understanding of equality and diversity issues and staff challenge prejudices and negative attitudes. This educates young people by helping them become more self-aware and knowledgeable. Staff do not have a comprehensive understanding about people that have a learning disability. This does not ensure that people’s background and identity is fully understood.

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Quality of care

Young people are making positive progress in their lives. Placing authorities clearly state that they benefit from frequent communication because this enables them to efficiently monitor the quality of each placement. Young people know how to complain. Young people gave examples of issues they have raised that staff have addressed without delay. Staff have received refresher training in relation to complaints from the Registered Manager which further heightens their awareness. The management team have an 'open door' policy, which enables young people to easily approach staff with any concerns.

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Quality of care

Young people live in a very well maintained home and have their own bedrooms, which are personalised to reflect their individuality. Young people can relax in the communal lounge or the rear garden. The home is being continually maintained to provide a modern comfortable environment for young people.

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Safeguarding children and young people

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

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people confirm that they feel safe and there are no issues with bullying. Young people do not go missing from the home, but staff are aware of the measures to search, report and then return the young person to the home. All young people are risk assessed as to their individual needs and areas where they may be more vulnerable when absent from the home. The organisation has consulted formally with the local police and established agreed protocols for missing children.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people reside in a home which is physically safe and appropriately secure. Health and safety certificates verify the safety of the environment. Risk assessments identify different areas of risk. The home carries out regular fire evacuation drills, alarm tests and health and safety risk assessments. However, staff do not undertake training in fire prevention. This is not upholding the welfare and safety of young people, staff or visitors.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Staff's approach to behaviour management is inconsistent. In some cases, staff demonstrate effective skills and awareness of the use of appropriate sanctions. However, in other cases measures of discipline and control have not been recorded in the appropriate records. This could hinder the formal monitoring or assessment of whether the measures imposed contribute to positively shaping a young persons behaviour.

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Safeguarding children and young people

All visitors to the building are strictly monitored and they must identify themselves and sign in and out of the home. No general visitor is permitted to have unsupervised access to young people or the home. All staff are employed through formal interview and recruitment procedures. All statutory and reference checks are carried out to ensure that staff do not work with young people until all appropriate references are gathered.

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Leadership and management

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

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Leadership and management

The Registered Manager is not fully effective in her work, although she clearly supports staff to provide a stable home environment with good care outcomes for young people. The manager is not in charge of the home on a full-time day-to-day basis as she is also the Registered Manager of another home.

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Leadership and management

The home benefits from clear deputising arrangements in the absence of the manager. However, the deputy manager works excessive hours when working directly with the young people as part of the staffing hours and is also the deputy manager of another home.

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Leadership and management

The home has a Statement of Purpose that sets out the aims, objectives and services of the home. Although the stated range of needs of the young people the home can accommodate is clear in this document, staff training does not reflect the current needs of the young people living there.

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Leadership and management

The staff members all undertake mandatory training in key areas of practice. However, support and help around learning disability are not always forthcoming. This is because staff have little awareness of the possible emerging needs of the young people concerned.

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Leadership and management

Staff are supported to understand their duties, roles and the expectations upon them. Staff are motivated and enthusiastic in their role and this is evident in their relationships with the young people. The home currently employs only one residential support worker which means that young people do not receive support from a sufficient number of competent staff. Where there is only one member of staff on duty no risk assessment has been carried out to identify any likely risks to young people, staff or members of the public.

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Leadership and management

Staff receive appropriate supervision to ensure that they have the opportunity to develop their skills and their practice. Supervision is highly regarded by the managers and the staff say that they benefit of this support and guidance. Staff meetings take place and provide a good opportunity for staff to look at practice and share views and important topics. The needs of the young people are understood to some extent. Staff have limited understanding and knowledge around some young people’s individual and diverse needs in relation to their learning disability.

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Leadership and management

The manager carries out satisfactory quality assurance of the home through Regulation 34 monitoring. These reports are not sufficient enough to drive forward further improvement for the benefit of young people. Systems for monitoring the quality of care provided for young people, although regular, do not take into account young people's views, or those of their parents and other stakeholders. The monitoring processes that are in place have not dealt effectively with the issues identified in this inspection. The proprietors are planning future developments, by reorganising some aspects of organisation. Although the lack of a development plan means objectives and any progress is not explicit.

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Leadership and management

Equality and diversity practice is satisfactory .

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