Children's Home run by Surrey County Council in Surrey

Unique reference number SC040628 Inspection date 25/11/2011 Inspector Jennie Christopher Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 18/03/2011 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 is managed by the Local Authority providing care and accommodation for up to seven children and young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties of either gender.

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Overall effectiveness

The overall effectiveness is judged to be outstanding .

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Overall effectiveness

The home has very high aspirations for the young people in its care. Constantly updated individual placement plans and risk assessments clearly demonstrate how the young peoples social, emotional and health needs are met. Young people receive excellent support from a stable and cohesive staff team that enables them to improve confidence and self-esteem.

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Overall effectiveness

The young people have appropriate relationships with the staff and feel that they support them and keep them safe. They feel listened to and that they are invested in their progress. Consistency of staff approach to young people ensures clear messages and appropriate boundaries are maintained.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people’s views are actively sought and considered in all aspects of their care. Young people talk positively about the home and range of activities available. Those leaving care are prepared for independent living with a practical moving on programme and use of studio style apartment within the main building.

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Overall effectiveness

Social workers commented positively about the service and the progress young people have made through dedicated staff support.

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Overall effectiveness

Further development is recommended in the inclusion of new monitoring device and consultation with young people in the Statement of Purpose, updating the restraint log in line with new requirements and submission of manager’s monthly checks to Ofsted.

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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 Statement of Purpose consists of all the matters listed in Schedule 1. (Regulation 4 (1)) 30/12/2011

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure a summary of all matters monitored in Schedule 6 are forwarded to Ofsted. (Regulation 34 (2)) 30/12/2011

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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 young people are given the opportunity to discuss incidents of restraint they have been involved in or witnessed and that it is recorded in the volume for this purpose. (NMS, 3.17)  ensure when a restraint is used, young people are encouraged to have their views recorded in the records kept by the home. (NMS, 3.18)

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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

Young people make significant progress in most aspects of their lives and receive highly individualised support, enabling them to have improved confidence, self- esteem and have a better understanding of their abilities. Support from staff enables young people to take positive steps to manage their issues. All young people are valued and respected as individuals.

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Outcomes for children and young people

All aspects of physical and emotional health are promoted. Young people have a good awareness of the importance of good health and healthy lifestyles. Young people who smoke are encouraged not to, with some following cessation plans. Young people are generally healthy with limited use of prescribed medication.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Attendance at school, alternative education and college is exceptional. Young people who are struggling to attend are supported to complete work provided by school and maintain contact with designated teachers. Educational achievement for young people is positive and in line with their peers. Courses studied provide qualifications needed to access college courses and those who have left compulsory education are succeeding in local colleges. One young person who has completed community service has enjoyed the experience so much that they have requested they continue this as work experience, which staff and social workers are arranging for them.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people are encouraged to maintain friendships in the community independently or with staff support as appropriate. Staff facilitate family contact and one social worker commented that they support contact ‘even when it is far away, as they see the importance for the young person’. One parent said the home had ‘helped build bridges’ between her and her child for them to have contact again. Within the home young people, develop a wide range of practical skills for independent living. Young people help with daily chores, save money and completed their own laundry. There is a studio apartment in the building to prepare for independence, which young people like. A young person said she liked her steps towards independent as ‘it is more grown up’.

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Quality of care

The quality of the care is outstanding .

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Quality of care

Young people enjoy excellent and constructive relationships with staff and are supported to build relationships with their peers. Young people interact enthusiastically with staff and each other with appropriate challenge when needed.

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Quality of care

Young people are listened to and are supported to express themselves. Staff were actively supported a young person to contact a teacher at school to give her views regarding the support she was receiving from them. Currently, some young people are involved in organising a looked after children’s awards ceremony, which they discussed enthusiastically. Young people are routinely consulted on aspects of their daily living, such as what activities to do and décor of the home. Group and individual work is used to ensure young people understand when their wishes cannot be met and the reasons for this.

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Quality of care

Staff consistently have high aspirations for the young people and support their educational placements with robust communication between home and school. Conversations and emails are well documented, with a support outcomes focus. Those moving on from school have been supported to attend local colleges. One young person described that staff had ‘really helped and supported’ her in this. Young people, to complement their educational, social and emotional needs, enjoy a wide variety of activities from rock choir to football.

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Quality of care

Young people are central to the placement planning process and the comprehensive and inclusive plans demonstrate this. Young people know how they will be cared for and what the plan is for them. Successes are celebrated creatively with small rewards and acknowledgments from staff. Plans are continually monitored and updated to reflect the changing needs of the young person. This is done in consultation with the young person, social workers, parents and other significant people.

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Quality of care

Young people are consulted on menus with the emphasis on young people making home cooked foods. Young people experience a range of foods from different cultures and the healthy eating theme continues to active lifestyles with an emphasis on joining in activities around the home such as football, basketball and going on walks. There are close links with health professionals in the community, ensuring young people's physical and emotional health is maintained. Medication is stored appropriately and there is a robust system to ensure safety when administering. In case of emergency, there are qualified first aiders on site at all times. The home is well resourced and located, with bedrooms reflecting the individual interests and tastes of young people. Social areas have consumer electronics in line with their peers. The lounge is homely and inviting and young people and staff commented on the ‘family atmosphere’ in the home. Individual cultural needs are

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Quality of care

addressed in line with their wishes regarding faith, gender and background, and robust support available for young people who may be confused about their identity.

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Quality of care

Young people know how to make complaints and these are well documented and responded to fairly and in a timely manner. There are excellent anti bullying policies in the home, which have been used effectively to support individuals.

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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

Young people say they feel safe in the home and that staff keep them safe. Staff take positive steps to prevent bullying by persevering and supporting young people to report it. Young people feel staff stop bullying in the home and have supported them when it has happened at school.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people rarely go missing from care and when they do a robust missing from care policy, that is supported by the local authority and police force is followed. On return significant support is put in place to prevent the young person feeling they need to leave without permission again, including work on safety and keeping safe. Young people who have histories have going missing are supported through robust plans agreed with social workers and parents. One social worker commented that the home ‘put everything in place the young person needed not to feel they had to go missing’, including extra staff. The continual amendment of risk assessments and placement plans reflect this.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Positive behaviour is promoted and young people are encouraged to reflect on their behaviour and consider how it affects others in the home and what strategies can be put in place to prevent it happening in the future. Sanctions are fair and proportionate and when appropriate can be revoked for positive behaviour. A young person commented that sanctions had helped them ‘learn not to do it again’. Staff are trained in positive behaviour management strategies with an emphasis on de- escalation and diversion. Incidents of restraint are recorded clearly and accurately, although they are not in line with new requirements.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The welfare of young people is fully promoted and they are protected from abuse or harm. Staff are aware of the homes child protection procedures and have an excellent understanding of their role in responding to concerns or disclosures. There are no recorded incidents, although professionals meeting when concerns have arisen have ensured issues have been managed sensitively and appropriately. The organisations recruitment policy ensures that young people are protected from harm by robust personnel checks. Positive steps are taken to ensure that young people are generally safe from fire and other hazards and risk assessments are robust and thoughtful to ensure young people are able to enjoy age appropriate activities.

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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 home meets the aims and objectives that are set out in the Statement of Purpose. Staff have access to this and understand the main functions and ethos of the home. However, there are two areas missing from the Statement of Purpose as set out in Schedule 1. The young people’s guide provides clear information in a friendly and appropriate format that can be adapted depending on individual needs.

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Leadership and management

The home is effectively managed by a committed team and is continually striving to improve. Implementation of a new monitoring system has enabled the registered manager to analyse data more effectively. Young people benefit from being cared for by the consistent and enthusiastic staff team who receive high quality training including level three and four qualifications and comprehensive induction. Staff receive quality, challenging and evaluative supervision and appraisals. A summary of this data is not forwarded to Ofsted regularly.

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Leadership and management

The manager has an excellent understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the home through the assistant team manger and the effective and evaluative monthly monitoring of the home and records. All notifiable events are thoroughly recorded and forwarded to Ofsted promptly. The management team actively seeks the views of young people, their families and other stakeholders via questionnaires to consider new ways of improving the provision. Recommendations from the previous inspection have been and acted upon and any changes implemented.

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Leadership and management

Equality and diversity practice is outstanding .

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