Children's Home run by Esland South Limited in Hertfordshire

Unique reference number SC425418 Inspection date 13/09/2011 Inspector Joanne Vyas / Pete Hylton 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 privately owned home provides accommodation and care for up to four children, of either sex, between the ages of 10 and 17 years. The home can offer planned and emergency placements. The ground floor houses a lounge, dining room, conservatory, kitchen, laundry, staff office, staff sleep-in room and a bathroom. Each young person has their own bedroom. The home is situated within reach of nearby towns and local amenities.

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Overall effectiveness

The overall effectiveness is judged to be satisfactory .

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Overall effectiveness

This home is working hard to meet the needs of the young people and there are some good outcomes. However, there are also some areas for development and a number of identified weaknesses. The home provides a warm and comfortable environment for young people who can display challenging behaviour. A committed and dedicated staff team are satisfactorily addressing the majority of young people's identified needs. There are gaps in training for staff and some recording issues. Some safety checks are not completed and young people who are not in education do not have structured time during the day to further their education. Further identified weaknesses include lack of staff support and management monitoring.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people have made good progress in terms of access to evening activities and reduction in incidents requiring restraints. Young people are happy at the home. One young person said '’It’s nice to come to somewhere where they welcome you’.

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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) ensure that all events listed in column 1 of the table in Schedule 5 are notified to persons indicated in column 2. This specifically relates to notifying HMCI (Regulation 30.1) 14/10/2011

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) provide adequate means of escape in the event of a fire. This is in relation to all fire exits being clearly signed and identified to young people and staff (Regulation 32.1) 14/10/2011

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that any activities in which children participate are so far as reasonably practicable free from avoidable risks. This 14/10/2011 relates to weekly vehicle checks not being carried out (Regulation 23) 17B (2001) ensure that within 24 hours of the use of any measure of control, discipline or restraint, in a children’s home, a written record is made in a volume kept for the purpose (Regulation 17B.3) 14/10/2011

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that there are a sufficient number of suitably qualified, competent and experienced persons working in the home (Regulation 25.1) 14/10/2011

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that the routine of the home is organised to further children's participation in education. (Regulation 18.1) 14/10/2011

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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

 ensure children have access to independent advice and support from adults who they can contact directly and in private about problems or concerns, which is appropriate to their age and understanding. Children know their rights to advocacy and how to access an advocate, and how to contact the Children’s Rights Director (NMS 1.5)  encourage children to have their views recorded in records of sanctions, disciplinary measures or restraint (NMS 3.18)  ensure all staff are provided with regular supervision (NMS 19.4)  ensure all supervisions, including the manager, are recorded in a record kept by the home detailing the time, date and length. The record is signed by the supervisor and the member of staff at the end of the supervision (NMS 19.5)  ensure all records kept by the home are monitored in line with regulations to ensure compliance with the homes policies, to identify any concerns about specific incidents. Immediate action is taken to address any issues raised by this

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Recommendations

monitoring (NMS 21.2)  ensure all staff placed in charge of the home have substantial relevant experience of working in the home and successfully completed their induction and probationary periods. (NMS 17.5)

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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

Young people access a wide range of enjoyable and age appropriate evening activities. These activities are linked with promoting healthy lifestyles and are actively promoted by the home. Young people are encouraged to eat healthily and their preferences inform menu options. They enjoy varied and nutritious meals.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people lack a clear, organised and stimulating daytime routine; however, staff are working with schools and social workers to facilitate educational attendance. Young people state that they are bored and there are few planned daytime activities to stimulate, engage and educationally progress them. However, the acting manager is working hard to overcome barriers in promoting educational attendance. Young people have not benefitted from an advocacy service, to ensure their wishes and views are taken into consideration in all aspects of their care including education.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people have developed relationships within the local community and the police. This has enabled young people to access community based activities such as trampolining, Guides and dancing. A social worker reports that the young people are actively engaged in evening activities, are stimulated and enjoy participating. A social worker commented that 'progress has been fantastic'. Young people benefit and enjoy living in a homely atmosphere where friendship, engagement in evening activities and choice is promoted. For example, young people have stayed overnight with friends as well as entertained friends at the home.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people are making satisfactory progress in developing knowledge of their background. They benefit from positive family relationships and are encouraged by staff to sustain these. Young people's cultural needs are met, for example, specialist personal care is provided and access to cultural events. Young people benefit from positive relationships with staff and have their views listened to. Staff support young people with their developing independence skills for example, young people help to keep their bedrooms tidy and do their own laundry.

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Quality of care

The quality of the care is satisfactory .

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Quality of care

The home is well presented, comfortable and meets the needs of the young people. Young people have their own bedroom and there are clear boundaries in place about privacy and personal space. Young people are encouraged to share their views and regular house meetings ensure these views are recorded. One young person said 'staff go out their way to help you'.

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Quality of care

Young people have positive relationships with each other and enjoy spending time in each others company. Staff encourage positive relationships and there is a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere in the house. A young person said 'I like it and staff are really nice’.

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Quality of care

Medication is safely and effectively administered and young people are supported with attending medical appointments. This has led to improvements in young people's diets and awareness of their physical health.

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Quality of care

Young people know how to complain and their concerns are appropriately considered and dealt with. Young people have their wishes taken into account in the running of the home. A recent intake of new staff were interviewed by a young person as part of the recruitment process. This enables young people to feel that their views are heard and respected.

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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 report that they feel safe in the home. Staff manage risks to safety well and a range of strategies are used to de-escalate situations.

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Safeguarding children and young people

There have been very few restraints used. The majority of staff are trained in restraint and young people are encouraged to talk about their feelings following an incident. However, there have been occasions where staff on duty are not trained to physically intervene and subsequently young people and staff have been harmed. Additionally, restraint has been carried out but not recorded appropriately. The comments of young people have not always been recorded with regards to sanctions or restraint. Young people are asked if they require medical intervention but this is not always recorded.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people enjoy a relatively safe environment and are free to take appropriate risks. For example, a young person now accesses some activities independently. This means young people feel safe to pursue appropriate activities outside the home. Where young people indicate that they may run away from the home, staff talk with them about the consequences to promote their safety. However, the lack of fire signage means that young people may not be able to find their way out of a building in the event of a fire. Furthermore, weekly safety checks on the home’s vehicle are not consistently carried out, which may mean the vehicle is not safe to take young people out in.

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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

Young people are cared for by a mixed team of experienced and relatively new staff who are qualified or completing a qualification and caring. Agency staff are used as there have been staffing shortages over the summer, but these are usually the same staff so they know the home and the young people. Staff are supported through regular team meetings and access to the acting manager. However, staff supervisions have not been conducted regularly and records of these meetings are not always kept on their files.

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Leadership and management

The staff team clearly have the interests of the young people at heart and are well trained in most mandatory areas. However, some staff, who are still in their probationary period and left in charge of shifts, have not yet received training in physical intervention, fire safety and safeguarding children and young people. On one occasion, the lack of restraint training led to a serious incident where young people were put at risk. Furthermore, staff are not fully de-briefed about incidents, enabling them to reflect on their practice so they can manage challenging situations more appropriately if they occur in the future.

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Leadership and management

The manager is not currently registered with Ofsted but is about to submit her application to Ofsted for this home. The manager has been working as part of the staff team with young people and therefore has not been able to effectively carry out her management responsibilities such as effective monitoring. Additionally, incidents requiring notification to Ofsted under Schedule 5 have not been sent. Notifications have been sent to other relevant authorities and therefore, there is no evidence to show that this has had any impact on outcomes for young people.

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Leadership and management

Equality and diversity practice is satisfactory .

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