Children's Home, Residential special school run by The Senad Group Limited in Derbyshire

Unique reference number SC404596 Inspection date 22/09/2011 Inspector Mark Ryder Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Residential special school (>295 days/year)

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Date of last inspection 01/03/2011 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 is a private residential college that is registered as a children's home. Most young people are placed for 38 weeks and are aged between 15 and 19 years old. The service accommodates up to 56 young people. All young people have a communication difficulty and may be diagnosed within the autistic spectrum disorder or Asperger's syndrome. The service is part of a larger organisation.

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Overall effectiveness

The overall effectiveness is judged to be good .

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Overall effectiveness

Personalised care is very well planned and takes account of the needs of all young people and young adults living at this setting. Young people make good progress in their educational development as well as having varied and interesting work placement opportunities. Young people feel and are safe. Staff present as competent and skilled in enabling young people to progress during their placements. A particular strength of this service is the excellent support for young people to develop their independent skills and move into adulthood.

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Overall effectiveness

The management of the service demonstrate their awareness of the strengths and weaknesses of this provision and have made significant impact recently on further developing the service and care of young people. For example, equality and diversity is integrated within all aspects of practice and assessment.

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Overall effectiveness

Some shortfalls have been identified at this inspection and requirements and recommendations have been raised in order to improve outcomes for young people.

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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 the provider shall appoint and put forward a registered manager (Regulation 7) 21/10/2011

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that children accommodated in the home are provided at all reasonable times with access to a telephone on which to make and receive calls without reference to persons working at the home (Regulation 15.4) 21/10/2011

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Reg. Requirement Due date

21 make suitable arrangements for the recording of any medicines 21/10/2011 (2001) with reference to drug errors (Regulation 21.1)

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) take adequate precautions against the risk of fire with reference to regular fire safety checks. (Regulation 32.1) 21/10/2011

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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's wishes and feelings are sought and taken into account in their health care plan (NMS 6.6)  ensure medicines which are kept in the home are stored safely with reference to the unlocked refrigerator (NMS 6.13)  ensure that the CRB disclosure is destroyed by secure means as soon as it is no longer needed. (NMS 16.4)

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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 have access to health professionals and are encouraged to keep appointments to maintain their good health. They exercise an element of choice and are able, for example, to choose the gender of their doctor if wish to. Emotional health needs are met through a range of supportive services and individuals. For example, young people have benefitted from therapeutic support due to a recent bereavement. Young people were able to speak to a psychologist and engage in activities to help them grieve and understand their loss.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people have a healthy and varied diet which many say they enjoy. Meals reflect the cultural diversity of young people living at this setting. Many young people they are able to help shop, plan and cook meals as part of their independent skills development. A number of young people commented that they found the independence they have as positive and rewarding. A young person wrote 'I have lots of choice and independence'.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Transitional arrangements are highly structured and enable young people to develop the skills and experience to live as independently as possible. Many of the young people aged 18 and above are able to live their lives as young adults with all the opportunities this affords. For example, driving a car or in full time employment. One young person wrote 'the good thing about living here is being independent'.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people gain significantly from the 24-hour curriculum of this service and achieve sometimes beyond what was first thought possible. For example, many young people have qualifications and awards that they did not expect to gain. Young people feel motivated to do well and understand the importance of education in their lives. A parent commented that 'our daughter has achieved far higher than our expectations'.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people have positive contact with their families with many returning home for weekends and school holidays. All have access to telephones and email facilities although technical difficulties restricts some young people in making calls without asking permission from staff.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people engage within the local community in a number of ways. For example, young people attend local youth centres, sports facilities and slimming clubs.

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Quality of care

Young people feel that staff support and help them in all aspects of their placement. Staff communicate with young people in a respectful and sensitive way. The welfare of young people is constantly reviewed and assessed. A parent said that they 'are very impressed with the level of care provided'.

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Quality of care

Education is strongly promoted at this setting. Therefore all young people attend education, training or employment opportunities and successfully achieve their targets. There are strong links between the organisation's tutors and care staff as well as with other school or college settings. Parents comment that they feel the school and residential staff support their children successfully to gain qualifications and training opportunities.

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Quality of care

Young people can express their wishes and feelings about their placements through key working sessions or resident meetings. Young people say they feel listened to and valued but health care plans do not always reflect that consultation has taken place. For example, some records do not identify that young people have been consulted about their medication, treatment or health support although staff and young people feel this is always discussed. The limited information regarding consultation within such plans may impact on future assessment of young people.

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Quality of care

Young people are able to make complaints and feel they are listened to. The revised complaints process provides young people with the opportunity to talk in confidence about their concerns. The complaint form includes photographs of staff who young people can approach. This enables young people to seek out staff to help them with their concerns and ensure that their complaints are addressed fully and without delay.

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Quality of care

Individual plans reflect assessed needs based on detailed and well recorded information. Placement plans are regularly reviewed and include the views of young people and their parents. Plans also refer to the culture, religion and disability for each young person. Young people are positively supported to follow and worship their religion. A young person said 'I am able to go to church and have quiet time to pray'.

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Quality of care

Medication is organised and administered safely. Staff receive suitable training in this regard and practice reflects a high degree of competence and understanding of managing the procedures well. Therefore young people are given medication is a safe and well managed way. Records have been updated to include when young people are not at the home as identified at the last inspection. However, information with regards to medication errors are not always fully recorded to ensure safe protocols are followed in all occasions. Whilst medication is stored securely in one room, medication kept within a fridge is not locked. Although this poses a potential risk the fact that young people cannot access the medication room ensures some level of protection.

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Quality of care

There is a range of recreational activities that young people enjoy and benefit from. Exercise is promoted by staff. Young people are able to access a well equipped gymnasium within the school grounds as well as a climbing wall, swimming pool, sensory and soft play areas. Young people were very pleased with the level of activities available to them. A young person wrote 'the good thing about living here is that I can go skating'.

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Quality of care

The residential areas within the school and the satellite home nearby provide young people with accommodation that is secure, well designed and maintained to a good standard. Young people are able to personalise their own rooms as well as contribute to the decisions on, for example, the colour scheme of communal rooms.

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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

The environment is physically safe although inconsistent fire safety checks potentially compromise those who live at the setting. For example, there are a number of days over the last three months in which the fire systems have not been checked. However, electrical and gas installations are maintained within timescales and regular fire drills take place which young people understand and respond to. Visitors are notified of the evacuation procedures.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people are safely cared for and feel able to talk to staff about any concerns they may have. For example, staff are aware of and have received training in effective safeguarding practice to reduce the level of risk to young people. There is a whistle-blowing policy that is made known and available to all staff which outlines their duty to report on the safety, rights or welfare of any child within this setting. Historical child protection concerns have been appropriately dealt with. A young person wrote 'I always feel safe at this home'.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people who are missing are reported in line with the organisational and local protocols. The service refers to national guidance and research in respect of such incidents and therefore the level of young people missing or absent without agreement of staff is very low at this setting. Staff are, however, clear about their responsibilities in the event of young people missing.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people feel that rules are fair and understand the reasons for such boundaries. A young person wrote 'the rules are well structured'. Staff receive training and guidance on how to manage young people's behaviour and reduce the level of physical restraint. The level of such intervention is, therefore, low.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people are protected because bullying is managed well with staff alert to this behaviour and ready to intervene. Young people expressed some difficulties with their peers although the situation is being effectively managed by the staff and senior management. For example, young people are able to talk openly about their relationships to staff about other residents and feel that they are listened too.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Recruitment and staff selection practice is rigorous ensuring that all staff are suitable to work with young people through an effective checking and vetting process. All staff who work at this setting have a CRB check before commencement of their employment. Therefore, young people are kept safe by staff who have been suitably vetted

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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

Young people confirm they have received a copy of the children’s guide and that staff had explained what they can expect from their placements. A guide is available to young people in a suitable format and provides residents with an understanding of the rules and routine.

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Leadership and management

Young people benefit because managers and senior staff recognise and respond to individual and diverse needs of young people. This ethos is clearly evident within staff working practices. For example, staff work within a social model of disability ensuring that young people have the opportunities and freedom to develop as any other young person would. A parent wrote that staff are 'very caring and knowledgeable who meets our child's needs'

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Leadership and management

Young people are looked after by staff who receive effective guidance. For example, they receive regular supervision and annual appraisals. Staff are supported by an established good quality learning and development programme. Existing staff are suitably qualified and new staff undertake the children's workforce development council's induction standards which have been modified based on the services own procedures. Staff demonstrate a high level of commitment and professionalism in their work with young people with complex needs.

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Leadership and management

The previous three recommendations made at the last inspection have been suitably addressed which has improved outcomes for young people. These refer to health and safety requirements, recruitment procedures and recording of medication.

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Leadership and management

The manager is aware of the strengths and development needs of the service. A detailed development plan includes a range of areas in which the service wishes to improve upon. Monitoring of the service is robust and provides clear and focused recommendations that the manager and staff respond to. This rigorous approach is seen as a critical and important process to continue to develop the service to meet the needs of young people.

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Leadership and management

Records are clear, up to date and stored securely. However, CRB disclosure documents are not all routinely destroyed from files when not needed or after national guidance timescales have elapsed in accordance with CRB retention policy and national minimum standards.

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Leadership and management

This service has not had a registered manager in place since May 2011. Although there is now an acting manager in post, Ofsted has yet to receive an application. Therefore, the home is presently run by a manager in which fitness has yet to be assessed.

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Leadership and management

Equality and diversity practice is good .

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