Children's Home run by Crystal Care Solutions Limited in Stoke-on-Trent

Unique reference number SC358638 Inspection date 07/10/2011 Inspector Katarina Djordjevic Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 15/02/2011 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 children's home is part of an organisation operated by a private company. The home is registered to care for one young person aged eight to 17 years, with emotional and behavioural difficulties. The home offers opportunities for the young person to develop socially acceptable skills and gain an understanding of independence. The home is a semi-detached house in a residential area and close to local amenities. There is a small mature rear garden and a side driveway which can accommodate three cars.

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Overall effectiveness

The overall effectiveness is judged to be good .

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Overall effectiveness

Young people receive a good level of care based on their individual needs and make real progress during their time at the home. This can be attributed to the strong leadership of the Registered Manager who supports and encourages a committed and experienced staff team. Excellent relationships exist between young people and staff. This coupled with excellent care records help to protect young people from the risk of harm. Young people spoke positively about being at the home. They feel safe and are supported to take risks based on their individual needs in a supportive environment.

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Overall effectiveness

Empowerment is at the forefront of practice within the home and every effort is made to enable young people to be at the centre of planning for their future and the day-to-day running of the home. Staff work tenaciously to ensure young people have every opportunity to enjoy and achieve in all areas of life. This involves working closely with other agencies and professionals. Feedback from social workers and independent reviewing officers is excellent. One professional commented that they felt the placement had been the best thing that had happened to one young person.

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Overall effectiveness

There are areas for improvement which include: ensuring there is a stable staff team, ensuring the Registered Manager has sufficient time to carry out her managerial duties, review the home’s budget to ensure there are sufficient funds to maintain the home to a good standard and enable young people to access a wider range of activities as they develop their confidence and interests further, and include in young people’s risk assessments where there are difficulties with young people following fire evacuation procedures.

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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 the employment of staff on a temporary basis does not prevent young people from receiving continuity of care as is reasonable to meet their needs (Regulation 25 (2)) 30/11/2011

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure there are sufficient funds for the purpose of achieving the aims and objectives as set out in the home’s Statement of Purpose. (Regulation 36 (1)) 30/11/2011

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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

 include in young people’s risk assessments where there are difficulties with young people following fire evacuation procedures (NMS 10)  ensure the Registered Manager has time allocated for managerial tasks on a regular basis. (NMS 17)

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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 receive a good standard of care which takes into account their age, gender, race, religion, culture and levels of abilities and disabilities. They are able to grow and develop in a nurturing and supportive environment. Young people benefit from a staff team who are clearly committed to enabling them reach their full potential in all areas of life.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people feel safe living at the home and are able to learn how to keep themselves safe. Open relationships with staff enable them to raise any concerns they may have, which further protects from the risk of harm and abuse. Young people make good progress in changing their behaviours and this gives them more freedom to be able to take an active role in the wider community.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people's physical and emotional health and dietary needs are clearly identified in their care records which are regularly reviewed. As a result, young people are able to enjoy good health and are able to access appropriate health services. This is further promoted by staff working very closely with other health professionals, and young people access health advisory and educational services. Consequently, young people receive the support, treatment, information and education they need which also helps them prepare for adulthood. Young people’s individual dietary needs are taken into account and they take an active part in menu planning and cooking meals which they thoroughly enjoy.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people are given every opportunity to make decisions about the running of the home and their future. Young people feel listened to and where they have made requests and suggestions and these can not be acted upon, staff have explained the reasons. This helps to build up trust and young people feel valued. Young people are clear about their plans for the future and what they are working towards. This is due to the inclusive style of care they receive and the innovative approach of the Registered Manager. For example, the Registered Manager contacted the independent reviewing officer and arranged for them to join young people and staff for tea the night before the looked after children review meeting. This enabled young people to discuss their views in a relaxed and informal way which best suited their needs.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people receive excellent practical and emotional support to maintain and develop family contact with families. As a result, young people are able to spend more time with their families.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people live in an environment where education is seen as important. They are actively supported and encouraged to engage in education which is based on individual identified needs. Young people benefit from staff working closely and strongly advocating on their behalf with other agencies to ensure they receive education based on their individual needs. Young people are therefore able to make progress with their education.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people are given a range of opportunities to develop independence skills based on identified needs, likes and levels of abilities and understanding. This includes day-to-day tasks such as: helping with cooking, keeping their bedrooms clean and tidy, washing, ironing and budgeting skills. Young people particularly enjoy many of the day-to-day tasks such as cooking. Additionally, work is ongoing with young people to enable them to live safely in the wider community and access community resources based on individual risk assessments. As a result, young people do make progress in preparation for adulthood.

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Quality of care

The quality of the care is outstanding .

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Quality of care

Care plans and associated records are of an excellent standard. They cover young people’s holistic needs and are regularly reviewed. This also ensures young people are receiving care and support based on their current identified needs. Regular contact is made with young people's social workers and weekly reports are sent to both the social worker and the independent reviewing officers. This helps relevant professionals to monitor young people's progress and to ensure they are receiving care in line with their agreed placement plans. Social workers and independent reviewing officers reported that communication with staff at the home is excellent.

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Quality of care

Contact arrangements are clearly recorded in young people's care records. The commitment of staff in enabling young people to maintain, and in some instances, re-establish relationships with young people’s families, is exceptional. Staff not only provide emotional support to young people and their families, where appropriate. but also practical support. As a result of the invaluable support from staff, young people are able to increase their contact with their families. This also helps young people to understand their background.

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Quality of care

Young people have benefitted from improvements made to the environment and, as a result, enjoy accommodation which is homely and decorated to a satisfactory standard. A new kitchen and bathroom have been fitted since the last inspection. Young people are actively supported to personalise their rooms and choose the décor. However, the home does not have an allocated budget for ongoing refurbishment and so improvements are piecemeal and despite the best efforts of staff this prevents young people from benefitting from a home that is decorated and furnished to be good standard. Carpets in young people’s bedrooms, the staff office and the stairs are old and detract from some of the more positive aspects of the home.

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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

Safeguarding young people, while at the same time enabling them to prepare for adulthood, is of paramount importance and is embedded in day-to-day practice at the home. Staff fully understand their responsibilities in reporting any child protection concerns and the procedures to follow. Young people make progress in learning how to keep themselves safe and changing their behaviours. This is possible due to the skills and experience of the staff team who receive a range of training, the effective implementation of the home’s policies and procedures, close working relationships with other relevant agencies and robust monitoring systems. Young people are proud of the progress they make and this helps to build up their confidence and self- esteem.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Staff work tirelessly to enable young people to change their socially unacceptable and aggressive behaviours and become members of the wider community. Staff receive training in behaviour management which helps staff understand young people’s behaviours and how to work effectively with them. Emphasis is on promoting and rewarding positive behaviour. Detailed care records, close working with other professionals and robust monitoring systems result in young people being able to make significant changes to their behaviours.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people are further protected from the risk of harm due to the effective management of health and safety within the home. This is possible due to a range of policies and procedures which staff understand and implement; regular servicing and testing of equipment including fire safety checks and weekly health and safety checks. Fire drills are carried out and the evacuation procedure is explained to young people as part of the admission and induction process. Where there are difficulties with young people being reluctant to engage in fire drills, staff liaise with fire safety officers who visit the home to talk with young people. Young people’s risk assessments do not include when there is a reluctance to evacuate the building.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Robust recruitment practices and the vetting of visitors help to protect young people from the risk of harm and abuse. The recruitment of the right individual for the job is always seen as more much more important than filling a vacancy. Appropriate checks are carried out including enhanced Criminal Records Bureau checks, proof of identity and obtaining appropriate references. Young people are also encouraged to be involved in the recruitment of staff as much as possible, which gives young people a voice and makes them feel valued.

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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 home has a clear Statement of Purpose which outlines the home’s aims and objectives and the services provided. This ensures that informs young people, their families and placing authorities are clear about the services provided by the home. The Statement of Purpose accurately reflects the practice and registration conditions of this home. The home also has a young people's welcome booklet which is given to young people on admission.

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Leadership and management

As a result of strong management and a committed and experienced staff team, young people receive a good level of care based on their individual needs. The Registered Manager provides strong and clear leadership and direction. She is totally committed to ensuring young people receive the best quality care possible. Her management style is innovative, nurturing and supportive which staff fully appreciate. However, the Registered Manager is part of the shift system and does not have any shifts designated for specific managerial duties. This has the potential to hinder the home’s development and the ability to sustain continued improvements for young people.

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Leadership and management

Training and staff development is seen as a priority by the company and this ensures staff are able to meet the individualised needs of young people. Staff receive a range of mandatory training as well as training in specialist areas such as working with young people who sexually abuse, young people who are vulnerable to sexual exploitation and drugs awareness. Staff receive supervision at regular intervals. There is a clear induction process for new staff which includes working through the Children's Workforce Development Council induction. The home’s policies and procedures are currently being reviewed by an external company to ensure they meet the new national minimum standards.

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Leadership and management

Young people are supported by a staff team which is comprised of a good mix of gender, race, age, and experience. This helps young people learn about differences and they benefit from shared experiences such as different cultures and food. Staffing levels are based on the needs of the young people and are flexible to ensure staffing levels can be increased when necessary. However, in recent months there have been some staffing difficulties due to staff leaving and staff absences including sickness and annual leave. This has resulted in high numbers of different staff working at the home. Most of the staff are very experienced and have worked at the home before and there is no evidence to suggest this has had a negative impact on young people. This is testament to the skills of the staff team that young people have continued to make progress during this time. However a consistent and stable staff team is not fully in place to ,ensure continued improvement in the quality of

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Leadership and management

The home has a development plan which gives details of areas of development and targets for the future. However, an inspection of this and further discussion with the Registered Manager identified that the budget allocated to the home is quite limiting and hinders the continued improvement of the premises and has the potential to affect the range of activities available for young people. For example, items of furniture or decoration come out of this budget which means in effect the home has to save for items.

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Leadership and management

There is a clear system in place to notify appropriate authorities of all significant events relating to the protection of young people living at the home. This helps to further promote young people's well-being and protect them from harm.

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Leadership and management

There are very good internal monitoring systems which are carried out mainly by the Registered Manager. Some monitoring duties are also delegated to other staff as part of their professional development. This encourages shared ownership. These systems help to ensure young people are receiving care based on their current identified needs in a safe and secure environment. The home's internal monitoring systems are further supported by the monthly Regulation 33 visits which are carried out by the company's operations manager. A report is produced and a copy is sent to Ofsted as required.

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Leadership and management

Equality and diversity practice is good .

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