Children's Home run by Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council in Dudley

Unique reference number SC038500 Inspection date 19/10/2011 Inspector Pete Hylton Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 24/02/2011 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 home is operated by the local authority. The home can accommodate up to four children and young people.

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Overall effectiveness

The overall effectiveness is judged to be outstanding .

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Overall effectiveness

This is an outstanding children's home. Children are exceptionally well cared for by a committed, well trained and experienced staff team.

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Overall effectiveness

The manager ensures that the highest standards of care are maintained at all times. Rigorous and regular monitoring supports an ethos of continuing improvement. Plans for the development of the service are realistic and challenging.

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Overall effectiveness

Children make excellent progress at school and are fully supported in attending. Well planned and varied activities are offered at the home and children benefit from active and healthy lifestyles. The achievements of children are celebrated and they are encouraged to participate, enjoy and achieve.

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Overall effectiveness

Behaviour management is excellent and a range of creative strategies are used to promote positive behaviour. Although restraint is used only when necessary, the recording book allows inappropriate reasons for restraint to be recorded. The use of sanctions is appropriate, however, children do not always have their views recorded in the records kept by the home.

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Overall effectiveness

Children are kept safe and a range of protective measures are appropriately used within the home. Children's safety is paramount and a range of protective measures are in place. The use of monitoring devices on bedroom doors is not explained in a specific written policy although all relevant parties are aware and agree to their use. Serious incidents are not always notified to the appropriate bodies in line with the regulations.

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Overall effectiveness

The home environment is warm and fully meets the needs of children. Great care has been taken in providing a suitable environment. A member of staff commented that it was like, 'a home from home.'

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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

17A (2001) ensure that a measure of restraint is only used on a child accommodated in a children's home for the purpose of preventing injury to any person, preventing serious damage to the property of any person (Regulation 17A (1) (a,b) ) 02/12/2011

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that if any of the events listed in column 1 of the table in Schedule 5 takes place, the registered person shall without delay notify the persons indicated in respect of the event in column 2 of the table. (Regulation 30 (1) ) 02/12/2011

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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 where any sanctions, disciplinary measures or restraint are used, children are encouraged to have their views recorded in the records kept by the home (NMS 3:18)  ensure that where specific measures, including electronic devices, are used to monitor children, there is a written policy that sets out how they should be used, how they promote the welfare of children, how children will be informed of their use, how legitimate privacy of children will be protected and how children will be protected from potential abuse of such measures. (NMS 10:5)

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Outcomes for children and young people

Outcomes for children and young people are outstanding .

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Outcomes for children and young people

Children participate in a wide range of activities in the home and make excellent progress. In some cases, progress has been phenomenal. Children now access activities without staff supervision, for example, attending local sporting clubs. This has led to massive improvements for children and they are able to achieve in these activities in line with their peers.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Children make very good progress at school. Improvements in behaviour have meant that children are achieving and incidents are minimised. A teacher commented in relation to support from the home, 'settling into a new class has been excellent.' Children are supported in achieving at school through being encouraged to complete homework. This has led to improvements in literacy and numeracy for children. Furthermore, close support by the home has enabled children to access activities they would not try before, for example swimming. Attendance at school and other planned activities is exceptionally good. The staff team fully support and encourage children in attending and excellent communication between all parties ensure that children receive continuous care. This enables them to make excellent progress and ensures that all events are recorded and their achievements celebrated.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Children have made exceptional progress in understanding their backgrounds. Life story work and the use of memory boxes further helps children to develop an excellent sense of identity. Relationships with family are fully supported and promoted where appropriate. Children are able to maintain and improve their relationships with friends and family members.

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Quality of care

The quality of the care is outstanding .

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Quality of care

Children benefit from a warm and caring atmosphere. The recent kitchen refurbishment has vastly improved the home environment. Children are able to move freely around the home and it is spacious, well decorated and maintained. Photographs of staff and children are used throughout the home and further add to the homely feel.

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Quality of care

Excellent links between home and school ensure that children are supported in making progress. A teacher commented that, 'the help and follow up from the home is lovely.' Clear and effective communication between home and school ensures that all relevant information is shared. Staff closely support children with homework and progress has been excellent. The staff have an ethos of supporting education and this shows in the improvements made by children at school. A member of staff commented that, 'we focus on literacy and this has helped loads.'

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Quality of care

The home is well equipped to meet the needs of children. They benefit from a wide range of activities including computers, outdoor equipment and various toys. Children are able to access age appropriate activities in the local community and make excellent progress in this regard. They are actively involved in choosing their activities.

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Quality of care

Children are exceptionally well cared for and their individual needs are fully met. Health needs are addressed and medical advice is sought and acted upon where necessary. Detailed and careful recording ensures that all health concerns are acted upon swiftly, robustly and appropriately.

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Quality of care

Regular reviews of care plans and excellent communication with parents, social workers and teachers ensure that care plans are current and appropriate. Children are encouraged to attend their reviews and advocates regularly visit the home to speak to children. Furthermore, the manager and staff regularly hold discussions with children to seek their views on all matters relating to their care. This is further enhanced by regular and recorded meetings with children and their key workers. The views of children are central to the running of the home. Children are regularly consulted with and changes made in light of these consultations. For example, some children wanted the coat pegs lowering and this was immediately resolved.

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Quality of care

The achievements of children are celebrated and they are encouraged to achieve in all activities. Staff support children in accessing a wide range of activities and ensure children are able to fully participate. An excellent example is staff watching football matches that children are involved in. Children benefit from excellent relationships with staff. There is a genuine feeling in the home that staff care about the children.

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Quality of care

All meals are well planned, healthy and varied. Children are fully consulted in menu choices and healthy eating is actively promoted. Mealtimes are a social occasion and children are encouraged to sit and chat with staff. This further promotes the warm and caring atmosphere in the home. Regular themed food evenings take place. This helps to support children understand different cultures. For example, a map of the world is used to show children where different foods are from. Furthermore, the diversity of the staff group is reflected in specific activities with the children.

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Quality of care

Equality is modelled by a staff team which is diverse and responsive to individual need. Staff use creative strategies such as watching racism awareness films with the children to further promote equality. Stereotyping is effectively challenged and children are encouraged to attend activities they wish to pursue. For example, staff supported a child who was teased at school for going to dance classes. A child commented that they 'like everything (about the home).'

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Safeguarding children and young people

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

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Safeguarding children and young people

The home is safe and appropriately secure for the needs of the children. The use of electronic devices which alert staff to a child leaving their room at night are used in the home. This helps to keep children safe and ensures that staff are able to support children in the night. There is no written policy which governs how these are to be used. However, children, parents, social workers and other professionals are aware of their use in the home.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Positive behaviour strategies include reflection, diversion and positive rewards. This helps to ensure that children are aware of appropriate behaviour. Sanctions given to children are fair, proportionate and regularly reviewed. Children do not always have their views recorded about sanctions given.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Recording of restraint is accurate and appropriate. However, the recording book for restraint does not meet the regulations. Inappropriate reasons for restraint can be recorded although no occasions of this have occurred. A recent incident which necessitated the Police being called to the home was not notified to the appropriate bodes. Nevertheless, children have not experienced negative outcomes as a result.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Good relationships with the local Police further enhance the feeling of safety in the home. The manager has a robust approach to monitoring incidents. Daily checks are carried out on all records relating to safeguarding. In the absence of the manager, senior staff complete this. Children and staff are always given the opportunity to discuss their feelings following any incidents and support is always appropriately provided. A member of staff commented that, 'we work consistently, have firm boundaries, good routines and reward positive behaviour.' Staff are fully encouraged and supported to disclose their concerns relating to the safety of the children. The manager commented, 'staff have clear lines of who to contact and who to report to with any incidents.'

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Safeguarding children and young people

Staff are thoroughly vetted before being employed. This further promotes the excellent safeguarding practice used in the home. Rigorous checks are standard for anybody present in the home. The manager commented that, 'this ensures that the safety of the children is always taken into account.'

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Leadership and management

The leadership and management of the children's home are outstanding .

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Leadership and management

The manager leads a staff team who are very focused on improving the service. Regular team meetings ensure that communication is excellent between staff. The senior team meet regularly and information is shared amongst the whole staff team. The recommendations from the previous inspection have all been addressed. This has led to changes in practice and has further benefitted children. For example, fire drills are conducted in the evening and the children's guide to the home is much improved.

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Leadership and management

The home's development plan is regularly reviewed by the manager. There are ambitious plans for further developing the home and manager is keen to further enhance the service offered to children and their families. An excellent example of planned development is closer links with the authority's fostering support service. This will further enhance the service given to children and families. Identification of the home's strengths and weaknesses clearly identifies how the home is going to improve the service given to children.

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Leadership and management

Staff receive regular supervision and feel supported by the management of the home. A good quality training programme ensures that staff development is a priority. This means that children are cared for by a suitably trained and well motivated staff team. The manager is very involved in the day to day running of the home and uses direct observation and engagement with the children to monitor the quality of care provided.

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Leadership and management

Health and safety is given high priority and is closely monitored. There are systems in place to address concerns and regular checks ensure all areas used by the children are appropriately safe. Regular monitoring visits are undertaken by the organisation. This supports continual improvement and the manager completes monthly reviews of the service. A strong senior team within the home supports the manager in developing the service. Equality and diversity practice is good .

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