Children's Home run by PIC Children’s Services in St Helens

Unique reference number SC022442 Inspection date 11/10/2011 Inspector Pamela Nuckley Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 28/03/2011 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

The home provides care and accommodation for one young person aged from eight to 17 years with emotional or behavioural difficulties.

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Overall effectiveness

The overall effectiveness is judged to be satisfactory .

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Overall effectiveness

Young people make appropriate progress in relation to their starting points. The home provides a satisfactory quality of care, with suitable individual plans for young people. Young people benefit from consistent relationships with their key worker. Key staff are motivated and demonstrate a continued interest in the welfare of individuals, which helps young people to feel comfortable whilst in their care. There is a good emphasis on young people developing educationally, with positive links with the schools that young people attend. Young people say they feel safe living at this home. Overall, the relationships observed between young people and staff are positive. The home demonstrates that the young people are at the centre of what the staff do ensuring that the best level of care is in place for each individual young person.

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Overall effectiveness

There is one requirements and five recommendations made as a result of this inspection. The main areas of concern relate to evidencing that a healthy diet is provided by the home and that young people have opportunities and access to a range of activities. The home does not include details of a young person’s culture and diversity within their placement plan or within their overall care. In addition, the home does not sufficiently ensure that young people understand their placement plan or that they are able to contribute to this plan and the running of the home. The home is not currently able to show that the selection and vetting of staff is fully rigorous to more fully secure the safety of 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 that children accommodated in a children's home are provided with food which is properly prepared, wholesome and nutritious and is sufficiently varied. (Regulation 13 (1) (a) (ii) (iv)) 25/10/2011

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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 that children pursue individual interests and hobbies. This includes taking part in a range of activities, including leisure activities and trips (NMS 7.2)  ensure that all children communicate their views on all aspects of their care and support (NMS 1.3)  ensure the views of the child, the child's family, social worker and IRO are sought regularly on the child's care, (unless in individual cases this is not appropriate) specifically in relation to consultation and gaining feed back (NMS 1.4)  ensure that children receive personalised care that promotes all aspects of their individual identity and are treated as an individual rather than a member of a group. Specifically, this is in relation to evidencing that a child's cultural, religious belief, sexual orientation, disability, faith, gender or ethnicity are explored (NMS 2.1)  ensure that the children's home has a record of the recruitment and vetting

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Recommendations

checks which have been carried out on those working (including volunteers) for the home which includes all that is laid out within the standard. (NMS 16.3 (a) (b) ( c) (d) (e) (f))

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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 have identified key workers and, benefit from one-to-one support which helps them to grow in confidence. The key worker system enables young people to focus on their goals, and key worker meetings occur both planned and spontaneously for young people to discuss their feelings. Staff’s understanding of the support young people need is adequately managed. However, young people say that leisure opportunities are not discussed with them and the home does not evidence that a range of opportunities are afforded to young people. Therefore, this could have an impact on young people accessing the community, engaging in their leisure or hobby pursuits thus not being stimulated socially.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people have good placement plans in place that reflect the care to be given but young people say that they are not aware of these plans and have not contributed to them. As a result, young people were unaware of what was recorded, expected of them or of future plans for them. Also young people’s views are absent within all documentation. If incorporated could show how they make a positive contribution to the home and the wider community. Young people say that their cultural needs are met as they are placed in their own community. However, religious needs, identity and diversity are not discussed and recorded within the young person’s documents. As a result, the home does not show that these are important factors within a young persons life and how they are addressed in everyday living.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people are supported to maintain the educational placement agreed with placing authorities as appropriate to their needs. Young people have an education plan and there are good links between the home and school. However, when young people refuse to attend school there is no alternative provision put in place. Therefore, this can be seen to be impacting on their sleeping pattern and their enthusiasm for the day.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people say that contact is important for them and that the home is excellent in ensuring that they see their parents and friends. Staff support young people to maintain positive and healthy relationships with family members, and other people important to them if appropriate to do so. Young people say that they contribute to decisions about contact. The home is suitable for young people to meet with their family privately.

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Outcomes for children and young people

There is a sound approach to promoting the physical and emotional well-being of young people. The manager is proactive in seeking services to assist a young person to maintain a healthy lifestyle both physically, sexually and mentally. Young people are registered at the doctors, dentist and opticians. Young people live in a healthy environment, and are able to access the services to meet their health needs. Although the menu is chosen solely by young people, the home does not demonstrate that it offers a sufficiently balanced healthy diet.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people learn independent living skills at their own pace. This might, for example, include assisting in meal preparation, household chores or budgeting skills. One young person says, ‘I cook most of my own meals and I think I am a good cook and I could look after myself when I go into independence’. Additionally, young people have a pathway plan in place when they are of an age to work towards independence. This helps to prepare them for a successful transition to independence and adult life.

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Quality of care

The quality of the care is satisfactory .

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Quality of care

Clear guidance is provided to young people regarding the expectation of appropriate behaviour, and through the house rules in the young people’s guide at the time of admission. The reward system is effective in its implementation and behaviour management plans are appropriate. These provide advice to staff for managing difficult and challenging behaviour. This means that young people are supported to behave appropriately as they are provided with boundaries and encouraged to take responsibility for their actions Staff demonstrate motivation and an interest in the welfare of individuals. Staff treat young people respectfully and a reciprocal respect is promoted. Young people state that they know how to complain and were able to list other professionals that they could contact if they were unhappy. The home has a complaint system in place and young people are provided with information regarding making a complaint. The

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Quality of care

home takes any complaint seriously and deals with it quickly and efficiently. This is reflected in the young people who say that they do not have to make complaints as the staff are approachable and listen to any concerns they may have. Relationships between staff and young people are friendly, positive and good natured.

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Quality of care

There is a clear procedure for dealing safely with young people’s medication and the staff team are all trained in first aid. The home's arrangements for the storage and administration of medication are good. These procedures protect young people well.

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Quality of care

Young people are fully consulted and invited to their review meetings. Placement plans reflect current assessment of need. There is a suitable level of detail within young people’s placement plans and the information is known and implemented by staff. Young people say that they are prepared for their review and are encouraged by staff to attend their reviews.

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Quality of care

The home has good links with local schools and alternative places of education and staff are proactive and consistent in supporting educational placements. However, when young people are consistently refusing to attend their allocated school or placement there is no alternative plan in place. As a result, young people feel that they have nothing to get up for and this is impacting on their sleeping patterns.

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Quality of care

The accommodation provides a clean and tidy home. Young people live in a quiet residential area. The property blends into the neighbourhood and resembles a family home. Young people have their own bedroom, which they can personalise to their own taste. Their bedrooms reflect their interests and have posters and other mementoes in. Young people say that their privacy is respected by staff knocking on doors and awaiting an answer. They also thought that any information about them was kept confidential.

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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

There are sound arrangements to safeguard young people, and their general welfare is promoted by the care arrangements provided by the home. Young people acknowledge that they feel safe living at this home. Staff receive safeguarding training and are aware of reporting procedures in the event of a child protection incident or disclosure. Young people recognise and value the support provided by their key worker, who they feel able to turn to if feeling troubled. They can also identify other agencies that can give them advice and support. This means that young people have suitable access to trusted adults, both from inside and outside the service, whom they can talk to. There is a high level of recorded incidences of young people going missing from the home since the last inspection. However, the home has a robust procedure in place if a young person does go missing from the home. The home also has good links with

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Safeguarding children and young people

the local police coordinator on ‘missing from home’. They have also demonstrated that they are proactive in initiating strategy meetings when concerns have been raised whilst a young person is missing from home or after a number of periods of them being missing. Individual risk assessments reflect the level of concern that staff follow. Procedures include ensuring young people are provided with an opportunity to talk about the reasons why they left the home when they return. Young people say that staff respond to them in a caring manner on their return and that staff show that they care about their safety.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The home has clear individual risk assessments for young people to guide staff around their responses to different situations that a young person may present. This aids staff to support positive behaviour, de-escalate conflict and supports staff to manage their responses and feelings. Staff are trained in de-escalation restraint techniques. There have been no physical interventions since the last inspection. The home's system for recording restraint is fully in line with the regulations.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The home maintains satisfactory checks on prospective staff, which are clearly recorded. However, not all checks have been fully completed on all staff, such as verifying references and not all records show the qualifications and training that staff have undertaken. The manager understands that, by tightening these procedures further young people will be fully safeguarded from unsuitable persons. Each staff member’s employment is subject to a suitable induction and staff say that they receive regular supervision and appraisals. Visitors to the home sign the visitors book and are monitored whilst on the premises.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The home’s health and safety control measures are suitably refined to provide a safe environment for young people, staff and visitors. Fire drills are carried out and records are kept of regular fire equipment checks. This ensures the physical safety of young people accommodated at the home.

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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 provider meets the aims and objectives in their Statement of Purpose. Staff are developing a stable and structured environment for young people. Young people benefit from one-to-one staffing, enabling them to have the necessary individual attention.

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Leadership and management

The staff provide an acceptable level of care, ensuring they themselves have the necessary training and support to work effectively. Training programmes include all mandatory training with new staff completing an induction during their probationary period. Young people are looked after by staff who are trained and competent to meet their needs. There are various systems to monitor the quality of care. This includes monthly visits by the independent monitoring visitor and the manager who compiles the checks in line with Regulation 33 and 34. Reports highlight the strengths and weakness of the home. The home has a development plan to address them. This practice indicates the home is being monitored well and that the manager is proactive in addressing any shortfalls identified. However, these documents need to include consultation with young people, demonstrating that young people influence the running of the home.

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Leadership and management

The core staff are experienced and appropriately trained to support individual needs. Rotas demonstrate that a consistent staff team are employed. Young people benefit from the services of permanent staff within the organisation, to whom they are well known and this provides consistency of care. Formal regular supervision provides opportunities to discuss professional development and plan actions to meet the needs of young people. Regular training in safeguarding and physical intervention, ensure staff are suitably trained in areas that match the needs of young people.

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Leadership and management

Young people’s records are sufficiently organised. These records include most of the historical documents and their current documents, which help their carers to provide a suitable level of care. Records contribute to an understanding of the young person’s life.

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Leadership and management

The home can demonstrate a capacity for continuing improvement. The manager has updated some documentation in line with the new Children's Homes National Minimum Standards and from feedback given at inspections from sister homes. This shows that the manager is proactive in developing the service provided.

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Leadership and management

Information relating to significant events affecting young people’s safety is notified to relevant agencies, this includes Ofsted and the safeguarding team from the local authority. This ensures concerns about young people’s safety are shared by the home to help protect individuals from harm.

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Leadership and management

Equality and diversity practice is satisfactory .

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