Children's Home run by Kirklees Council in Kirklees

Unique reference number SC033367 Inspection date 02/11/2011 Inspector Michael McCleave Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 13/01/2011 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 can accommodate six young people aged 10 to 17 years. It is a home for young people who are vulnerable, and for different reasons are unable to live with their families. The home is a purpose built two storey detached house run by the local authority.

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Brief description of the service

The first floor of the house has individual children's bedrooms with hand wash basins, bathroom, toilets and shower room. The ground floor has a lounge, kitchen with dining area, utility room, computer room, staff office and manager's office. A conservatory at the rear of the house provides an additional lounge area. There is an enclosed grassed garden to the rear and front of the house. To the side of the house is driveway with car parking for several cars. The home is approximately 10 minutes bus ride from the town centre. There are general shops at the end of the road and the home is on a bus route. A secondary school is in walking distance and leisure facilities, such as the cinema and swimming baths are a bus ride away.

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Overall effectiveness

The overall effectiveness is judged to be good .

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Overall effectiveness

This home has recently experienced change with a new manager being appointed. Nevertheless, the main focus of caring for the young people has not been diminished. The young people benefit from staff who are committed to their welfare and there is a positive approach to the provision of good quality care for the young people.

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Overall effectiveness

Staff work positively to ensure that young people achieve good outcomes socially and educationally. For most of the young people educational achievements are good compared to their staring points when they initially moved into the home. However, this is not universal and for some young people education is not deemed by them as important in their lives; this is an area for improvement..

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Overall effectiveness

The young people live in a safe environment and staff have a clear understanding of their safeguarding responsibilities. The young people enjoy very good relationships with the staff and a trust and respect has been established between them.

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Overall effectiveness

The management oversight at the home is effective and this ensures that staff are supported to carry out their complex tasks with each young person. Some records however, do not contain all the required information. The areas requiring improvement has been identified by the new manager and strategies are being implemented to bring about change in operations.

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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 who are not in school have access to appropriate education and training, so they can be supported and enabled to resume full time education (NMS 8.8)  ensure that the children's guide informs how a child can contact their independent reviewing officer, the Children's Rights Director, Ofsted if they wish to raise a concern with inspectors (NMS 13.5)  ensure that the home has a copy of the personal education plan for each young person resident at the home. (Children Act 1989 Guidance and Regulations Volume 5: Children's Homes 2.118)

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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

The young people at this home are supported and encouraged by staff to develop their self confidence and to take advantage of opportunities that will enhance their lives. Staff help and encourage the young people to develop trust in the adults caring for them. This has proved successful among the current group of young people who feel confident in their relationships with the staff at the home. Respect for diversity is a key part of the ethos at the home. Staff have worked successfully with the young people to respect cultural differences. Trust and respect between some young people and staff from minority ethnic backgrounds have been positively established.

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Outcomes for children and young people

The home ensures that young people are able to access appropriate services to help them with personal and emotional issues. Health care needs are appropriately met and the looked after nurse is available to offer advice and guidance on any health related matters.

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Outcomes for children and young people

The progress of young people to achieve their educational potential is varied. Most are attending school and all indicators point to these young people progressing appropriately within their capabilities. However, the home has not received copies of personal educational plans (PEP) for all young people from their school. Some young people are not engaging in full time education and there does not appear to be any clear plans in place to manage this situation.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people are actively encouraged to take an interest in the life of their home. They meet regularly with staff to discuss a range of issues such as menus, activities, visits to places of interest and other social events. This is intended to build up their confidence and to show that they can play an active part in making decisions. Young people enjoy these events. Contact is positively supported as part of the young people's care plans. Staff take an active part in any contact if required. The views of young people are a major determinant is any contact arrangements.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Those young people who are preparing for independent living are kept fully involved in their plan. Staff work professionally with the young person concerned to support and to advise and guide them during this sensitive and emotional journey towards independent living. There is an acute awareness among staff of the importance of ensuring that young people are kept informed about their leaving care arrangements.

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Quality of care

Young people enjoy positive friendly relationships with staff. This is built up through the trust and open approach culture that is embedded at the home. Young people feel positive about life in the home and although staff are fully trained in restraint, this is rarely used. The young people behave appropriately, and where tensions arise, staff manage these situations in a calm manner to diffuse difficult confrontations.

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Quality of care

The involvement of the young people in the life of the home focuses on giving them every opportunity to take responsibility for certain aspects of day-to-day running of the home. This takes place through the weekly young people meetings and at social times. The staff feel strongly that the young people should have ownership in the life of the home. Staff are competent in engaging with young people at a level they understand. This is achieved through being open and honest about situations and enabling young people to contribute in a meaningful way to their life at the home.

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Quality of care

Young people know how to make a complaint and this is appropriately covered in the young people's guide. This contains information about their rights and includes details of independent organisations that can be contacted if required. However, information about Ofsted is outdated and the guide does not have the details of the independent reviewing officer or Children's Rights Director. The staff take pride in the good relationships established with the young people, and any issues or concerns are generally managed at an informal level through discussion.

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Quality of care

Care plans underpin the complex work with the young people in order to bring about changes and to improve their lives. Weekly reports prepared by key staff give a clear indication on what has taken place for each young person and there is some evaluation of these reports. Young people live in a clean well maintained home where their health care needs are fully met. Health service resources are provided as required and based on the young person's health plan. Good links have been established with the looked after nurse and local services to meet the physical, emotional and psychological health needs of the young people. There is an emphasis on healthy eating and young people are encouraged to take part in outdoor activities. They have free access to council sporting facilities and are encouraged by staff to take advantage of this facility.

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Quality of care

Educational achievement is a core activity at the home and every encouragement is given to young people to promote their attendance at school. The staff have had some significant success in supporting some of the young people whose attendance has improved markedly, when compared to their starting point before moving into the home. Staff work positively to support young people to value education. However, for a minority much work is still required.

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Quality of care

The home takes a proactive stand on diversity and the culturally mixed staff team, is an excellent example of how the home values diversity. Young people who require specialist consideration on religious or cultural needs would have these met by the home. Staff have been trained in equality and diversity and they have a very clear awareness of the need to challenge any disrespectful comments or offensive actions from young people. Staff spend quality time with young people discussing topics relating to culture, respect for differences, tolerance and understanding.

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Quality of care

Young people live in a home that is located near local public transport routes leading to the town centre. They enjoy single bedrooms that are suitably furnished and which they can choose their own décor. There are two comfortable lounges with televisions and a computer for young people to use with access to the internet. The dining area and well equipped kitchen enable the young people to help prepare meals and to eat together as a social occasion.

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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

Young people live in a safe and caring environment. They feel confident in the ability of staff to keep them safe and protected from harm. Young people know how to invoke the complaints procedure and are aware that any complaint will be investigated. It is a reflection of the trust in the staff by young people that any issues can be dealt with informally. Where appropriate, the home uses the restorative justice approach to resolve most issues affecting young people. This is regarded by staff and young people as an effective method of problem solving and is a good example of equality and diversity where young people are fully involved in solving issues at the home.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Should a young person go missing from the home, there are robust procedures and risk assessments in place to guide staff on the actions to follow. There is an emphasis on a positive and welcoming response to the young person on their return and to ascertain the reasons for their absence.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The behaviour of the young people is good. This is down to the positive culture prevailing at the home of respect and the good relationships between staff and young people. Although staff are trained in physical restraint, this is not a notable feature at the home. Staff base their approach to behaviour management on de- escalation of tense situations through calm dialogue with the young people. Staff are very clear that restraint is a last resort in order to prevent harm to the young person concerned. This is a commendable approach and a good demonstration of equality and diversity through trust and respect that has been developed between staff and young people.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The safety and well-being of the young people is enhanced by the robust recruitment and selection procedures in place. Staff are appointed following a rigorous procedure that includes Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) checks, interview, an assessment day and being observed on a live shift in a children's home. Through this robust process, the home works to prevent unsuitable adults from working with children and young people. This is very good practice.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The home is a safe environment with good quality locks on entrance doors and secure windows with restrictors. All electrical, gas and domestic appliances have been appropriately checked for safety.

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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 manager has been in post a short period and is currently assessing the working activities at the home. The two deputy managers ensure that the day-to-day operations continue to be carried out effectively by the staff team. The home is well managed and there is evidence to demonstrate that the new manager is committed to continuing improvement. The recommendation made at the last inspection relating to safeguarding training for staff has been complied with. This has ensured that all staff are now trained to promote the safety of the young people.

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Leadership and management

The commitment to equality and diversity is good. There is a positive approach taken at the home to working with young people in a professional and non-stigmatising way. Any race or cultural issues are dealt with sensitively by staff through discussion with the young people. The staff team is a culturally mixed race group and this is a strength at the home. This is clearly and environment where respect for all cultural differences is emphasised and young people are encouraged to follow the example set by staff in the area of diversity.

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Leadership and management

The Statement of Purpose outlines the services provided at the home. However, information about Ofsted is outdated. The children's guide is appropriately designed to be child friendly and provides the young people with appropriate information about life at the home. This document includes details about the children's rights service and how to make a complaint. There is nevertheless, no reference to the Children's Rights Director or how to contact the independent reviewing officer. The manager is aware of these omissions and has taken steps to ensure that the required amendments are made.

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Leadership and management

The management at the home recognise the importance of a well supported and trained staff team. Formal supervision is scheduled for all staff. These are opportunities for staff to have their individual performance monitored and to identify training and development needs. This ensures that young people are cared for by staff who have a clear understanding of their responsibilities which is backed up with appropriate training.

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Leadership and management

The records maintained about each young person give an account of their background and progress at the home. These records contribute to an understanding of the young person's life. The manager is responsible for monitoring the quality of records and a system is in operation to ensure that key documents are checked for quality standards on a regular basis. These are well maintained containing detailed information showing progress made against the care plans. The home encourages young people to read their case records and to add their own comments if they choose. This demonstrates a positive approach to equality and diversity.

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Leadership and management

Equality and diversity practice is good .

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