Children's Home run by McRae Residential Care Services Limited in Croydon

Unique reference number SC025813 Inspection date 01/09/2011 Inspector Caroline Wilson Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 17/02/2011 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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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 privately-owned home is registered to care for up to eight young people (boys) who have emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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Overall effectiveness

The overall effectiveness is judged to be good .

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Overall effectiveness

Leaders and managers have a very good understanding the strengths and weakness of the home and ensure that they keep updated with legislation and practice issues that promote the needs of young people. Young people make good progress in relation to their starting point across all aspects of their welfare and development, underpinned by effective support from staff to meet individual young people's needs. Staff in the home demonstrate a good understanding of safe working practices which meet individual young people's needs. The home has a separate educational service that young people can access, which provides young people with an outstanding environment in young people can learn.

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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 are making good progress in respect of developing their emotional resilience. In the relatively short space of time since they have been placed, social workers have noted a big improvement in young people attendance at statutory reviews and in their confidence in airing their views about plans being made for their future. Staff work diligently to promote positive images and exposure to stereotypes in instances where young people have a negative self image. This is in order that they can positively embrace themselves and gain acceptance of themselves.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Social workers have also noticed improvements in the frequency and quality of contact between young people, their families and friends. Young people also make informed choices of how they spend their spare time and engage in activities outside of the home which helps them to engage with the wider community. Activities pursued, such as going to the gym and martial arts, help promote young people's sense of achievement and enjoyment. No limit is put on the variety of activities that young people can participate in. The manager states that it is important that young people are provided with a range of opportunities to try new things in order to expand their horizons, as education is not just about going to school.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people have access to a range of health services and receive good support with any health issues that they may have. Young people who are of an age and/or who have the understanding are encouraged to administer their own medication, with the support of staff if required. This helps promote young people's developmental skills in taking responsibility for caring for themselves and to help them to be self sufficient in living good, healthy lifestyles. Young people are also provided with support and information to help them to have good physical, emotional and psychological health, in respect of matters including sexual health and drug and alcohol misuse.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people are making good progress in respect of their educational attainment. Professionals have noted improved school attendance and contact with young people's educational provisions since the start of their placement. Staff understand their responsibilities for enabling young people to overcome educational barriers. They work closely with the educational authority to ensure that young people who are not on roll are supported and enabled to resume full time education. The home has an advantage over other homes in this respect, as part of their organisation includes a school, which provides excellent educational facilities for young people without a school placement.

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Quality of care

Staff have a good understanding of young people and always place their well-being first. They have a good understanding of the young people that they work with and ensure that they provide them with good, individualised support and guidance. Placement meetings are held soon after young people's arrival in order that they can ascertain young people's support needs. Staff use the information that they have obtained to compile their own placement plans that set out how the young people's needs shall be met on a day-to-day basis. Services are then put in place that meets their individual needs, particularly in respect of their health, education and contact arrangements.

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Quality of care

Young people are supported to live healthy lifestyles. Staff have good links with services within the local community, such as the looked after children (LAC) nurse, which ensures that young people receive regular health checks. Staff are trained in the administration of medication and first aid in order that they can provide primary medical care in the event of a medical emergency.

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Quality of care

Young people know and understand what behaviours are expected of them. Relationships are based on mutual respect and staff work consistently with young people to help them develop appropriate responses to situations that they may face. Key work sessions are undertaken to help young people to understand the impact that unsociable behaviour will have on their future in respect of opportunities that may be available to them. As a consequence, the reporting of significant incidences have been minimised. Information of how make a complaint is easily accessible to report any concerns that they have that may have an impact on their well being, including bullying, safeguarding concerns and how to make a complaint so that their welfare is promoted. Complaints by young people and others in the community are taken seriously and progressed in timescales, Staff work well with young people and others and use the information to improve the service that that they offer.

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Safeguarding children and young people

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

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Safeguarding children and young people

Staff view young people's safety as a priority and take good steps to ensure that they feel safe and that they are protected from harm. Staff are regularly trained in safeguarding matters and show a good understanding of how to recognise and respond to any allegations or suspicions of harm.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Staff know and understand the signs and the impact of bullying to young people and effective monitoring is in place to prevent incidences taking place. This subject is regularly discussed with young people during 'Teen Talk' sessions, where young people get the opportunity to air their views about the care that they are receiving as well as any issues that they may face as a result of living in a group setting.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Staff have good knowledge and understanding of the risk factors that relate to individual young people. These are identified in their care plans. Risk assessments are in place which ensures that any issues are effectively managed both in the home and the wider community. Staff balance the need for protection with young people to take reasonable risks as part of their growth and development.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Incidents of young people going missing and being recorded as unauthorised absent are rare. Staff ensure that they have information with regards to young people's networks, so that appropriate steps can be taken to locate them in instances where they are unauthorised absent. Where this occurs, staff remain in regular telephone contact with young people and they are debriefed by staff and the police on their safe return home in accordance with the Runaway and Missing from Home and Care protocols.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Restraints are only used in incidences to prevent likely injuries to young people, others and property. Careful records are recorded in a book kept for this purpose. Information from these records is kept in order that staff can review young people's behaviour and can respond promptly to any issues or trends that may emerge. Good care is taken to ensure the right matching of young people in the placement in order that the home can meet their needs.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people live in a physically safe environment. Staff undertake regular health and safety checks, including weekly fire equipment testing, to ensure that these are effective in the event of a fire taking place. Relevant inspections are also undertaken by external organisations, such as the electrical and gas testing to ensure that equipment in the home is well maintained and fit for use.

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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

The manager has the appropriate qualifications and significant experience of working with young people within a residential setting. As a consequence, he evidences a very good understanding and expertise in meeting individual young people's assessed needs. Both he and his staff team demonstrate a strong commitment to promoting and safeguarding the welfare of young people. They ensure that the individual needs of young people are met and this is evidenced in the progress that they have made in the relatively short period since they have been placed.

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Leadership and management

The home evidences a capacity for continued improvement. The statutory requirement to ensure that weekly fire testing takes place has been met. The manager also shows a good understanding of the strengths of the service and the areas for further improvement.

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Leadership and management

The manager is very good at ensuring that he is kept up-to-date with new legislation and practice development. He also sees the benefits of having student placements in the home as their presence is beneficial in helping staff to challenge and question practices that operate within the home to ensure that they are providing the best possible care for young people. Regular discussions take place with staff with regards to young people's progress and practice issues during supervision and team meetings. Supervision sessions take place at intervals that are in accordance with national minimum standards in order that staff have the relevant skills and knowledge to meet the needs of young people. Staff state that supervision is an important part of the work that they do as it provides them with a good understanding of how to respond well to the needs of young people as well as highlighting any developmental needs that they may have. The good outcomes

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Leadership and management

evidenced in young people’s progress illustrates that staff have put what they have learned effectively. There is always a sufficient number of competent staff on shift at any one time that ensures that the individual needs of young people can be met.

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Leadership and management

Arrangements for the training of staff is good. They are kept up to date and informed of training courses that are offered. Staff have access to a wide range of good quality training that are provided to them by local authorities, as the home is on the 'preferred providers' list of a number of local authority consortiums. This ensures that staff have the relevant skills and understanding of how to meet the needs and promote the welfare of young people placed.

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Leadership and management

Regular monitoring of the home is undertaken to ensure that the home is operating in accordance with its Statement of Purpose. This includes Regulation 33 visits by an independent person as well as Regulation 34 monitoring by the acting manager at the home. This monitoring is effective in ensuring that the home continues to provide a good service for young people by ensuring that any recommendations are quickly acted upon. Equality and diversity practice is good .

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