Children's Home run by Evolution Children Services Limited in Newcastle upon Tyne

Unique reference number SC382595 Inspection date 15/11/2011 Inspector Leonard Hird Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 17/12/2010 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 registered to provide residential care services for up to five young people from 11 years old up to 17 years old. The main purpose of the home is to provide long-term care for young people and to help them prepare for independent living. The home is owned by a private company.

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Overall effectiveness

The overall effectiveness is judged to be good .

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Overall effectiveness

Young people are receiving good levels of personal support and care. Each young person has a named key worker assigned to them to ensure their needs are being managed, documented and recorded. Currently all of the young people are either going to school, taking part in other educational initiatives or are involved in post 16 training schemes. All of the staff team including the Registered Manager either have or are in the process of obtaining the relevant qualifications necessary for them to work at the home. The staff team have regular training, professional supervision and personal support from the manager and parent company. Young people and staff have developed friendly though professional working relationships with members of staff and this is enabling them to succeed at the home. All young people are encouraged to become involved in making choices about how the home is managed on a day-to-day basis. Good working relationships have been developed with placing

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Overall effectiveness

authorities and where appropriate young people’s families to ensure there full involvement. Regular team meetings take place and external monitoring is occurring to ensure a consistency care practice is occurring. Young people are actively encouraged and supported to lead a healthy and active lifestyle by members of staff. The young people indicate that they feel safe and comfortable at the home and that they have opportunities to prepare for independence.

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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 the registered person makes suitable arrangements for the recording, handling, safe keeping safe administration and disposal of any medicines received into the children's home(Regulation 21) 31/01/2012 (2001) ensure that all persons employed receive appropriate training, supervision and appraisal. In particular this refers to the training of staff in the application of the Award Scheme Development and Accreditation Network.( Regulation 27 (5a)) 29/02/2012

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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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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 good levels of support and advice from members of staff while living at the home. Positive support is given to all young people to attend and succeed at school as well as post 16 training placements. The home's parent company recently registered the home with the Award Scheme Development and Accreditation Network (ASDAN). This enables the home's staff to give some extra educational support to young people who are not in full time education. However, members of staff involved in this work do not have the appropriate training to ensure that successful outcomes occur for the young people.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Post 16 training courses are arranged under the auspices of organisations such as 'Tomorrows People' which help young people to prepare for independent living and in accordance with their 'Pathway Plan'. However, in some cases these plans were not available. The home has tried unsuccessfully to access these on behalf of the young people from the local authority concerned so that young people are aware of how they are going to be helped to prepare for the important transition into adult society. A young person commented that, 'they were not aware of having a local authority 'Pathway Plan' in place.’ Members of staff confirm that they have tried to contact the local authority concerned to try and make sure these plans are available but with little success. Active encouragement is given to young people by members of staff to prepare them for independent living by encouraging them to learn some basic life skills such as using public transport, preparing meals and budget

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Outcomes for children and young people

management. This help from members of the staff team linked to the various schemes they are involved with does provide a worthwhile stepping stone for their future life.

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Outcomes for children and young people

The home enables young people to have appropriate levels of contact with family and friends by providing an individual pre- paid mobile phone for each young person as well as a private landline at the home. As an extra method of maintaining contact with the home there is also a 'free phone' number for young people to keep in touch with home at any time. Records are maintained of all family contacts by the home and young people are encouraged by members of staff to appropriately involve their family in all aspects of their life. Transport is also provided by the home for young people to meet with their families as well as staff support for supervised contacts.

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Quality of care

Each young person has an individual key worker who assists them in their day-to-day life along with the management of their care plans. The care plan details how the home and young people working together with each other address issues such as health, education and the preparation for independent living. All of these plans are subject to regular monitoring by the Registered Manager as well as by the company’s Regulation 33 visitor. All of the young people are subject to regular statutory reviews and the home acts in accordance with any recommendations made. Key workers provide support for young people to attend these meetings, to ensure their views are taken into account. Parents’ guardians and carers where appropriate have opportunities to meet with members of staff, to discuss the care of their child in the home.

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Quality of care

The home provides guidance for staff on the management of health care for young people through its health policy and procedures. Young people’s individual health care and planning is managed by the key worker and this is supported by other members of staff. On each young person’s health plan file there is a medical consent form from parents or if appropriate the local authority to ensure that emergency medical treatment and medication can be given. The safe storage, administration, recording and disposal of medication helps keep young people safe. Members of staff are trained in first aid and the safe handling and administration of medication. A 'split script' is not obtained from the GP concerned to ensure that the correct procedures for the administration of prescribed medications are adhered to when young people go home for overnight or weekend visits. If young people are unwell they attend either the local health centre or make an appointment with their doctor.

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Quality of care

Young people confirm that when they are unwell the home looks after them.

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Quality of care

Members of staff and young people meet on a weekly basis to discuss what is happening in the home and records are kept of these meetings. The home operates an open door policy for young people to speak to any member of staff including the Registered Manager the Regulation 33 visitor or directors of the company.

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Quality of care

The home is a large end of terrace house that is well decorated, furnished and homely in appearance. Young people's rooms are decorated and personalised by the individual concerned. Each of the lockable bedrooms is carpeted and furnished appropriately There are good levels of separate bathing, showering and toileting facilities in the home for use by the mixed gender group of young people. The home's well decorated spacious lounge and dining areas are well used by the group. Young people indicate they are happy with their living areas.

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Quality of care

The home provides a range of healthy eating opportunities for young people to choose from and this helps in the promotion of the health and physical well-being of the young people. Specialist dietary needs and different cultural requirements can be catered for as required. The staff who help in the preparation of food at the home have a qualification in food hygiene and ensure that the appropriate records are kept. Menus are planned by staff and young people on a weekly basis but these can be easily changed if needed. The home has access to a qualified nutritionalist for advice and guidance if there are any queries about a young person’s dietary needs or requirements. Young people were pleased with the quality; choice and quantity of food available at the home.

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Quality of care

Throughout the inspection, young people and staff worked well together. There is a relaxed atmosphere in the home and working relationships were friendly and professional.

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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, with the support of the staff team, are positively encouraged to take responsibility for their own safety while residing at the home. There are good systems in place to protect and safeguard young people from harm. Members of staff receive regular training in child protection, the countering of bullying, addressing complaints and behavioural management. The staff team are aware of the home 's policies, procedure and guidance in these important areas as well as their own roles and responsibilities in their implementation. The home's independent Regulation 33 visitor commented, 'I have observed good relationships between staff and young people and staff are always mixing with the young people as well as appropriately challenging behaviour if required'. The home has good working relationships with the relevant partner agencies as well as with the young people’s families where appropriate, to help keep them safe while residing at the home.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The home's records indicate that there have been no allegations or suspicions of abuse made and only four physical interventions have been recorded since January 2011. Very few sanctions have been given since the last inspection. Young people are benefiting from how the staff team deploy their positive intervention skills in helping them to manage their sometimes challenging behaviour. Young people indicate that the home provides them with a safe and comfortable environment to live in and they are confident that they can discuss any matter with their key worker or other members of the staff team

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Safeguarding children and young people

The home has a zero tolerance policy towards bullying behaviour. Young people are fully aware of this and indicate that if bullying incidents do occur the staff and manager speedily address them. Members of staff encourage young people to respect each other and to understand that bullying in any of its many forms is unacceptable. Young people confirm they are aware of how to contact different independent youth support organisations such as Child Line, if they feel they are being bullied or have any concerns.

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Safeguarding children and young people

There are corporate policies, procedures and agreed protocols in place on the action to be taken when young people go absent without authority. Records are maintained of all incidents of young people missing from the home including those when a young person has failed to return to the home by an agreed time. Following a young person going missing ,members of staff respond positively to them on their on their return to the home to ensure their safety. The welfare and safety of young people is protected by the home's selection and recruitment process. The home follows a clear policy on recruitment in line with the Department for Education (DfE) guidance. A record of the recruitment process showing CRB checks, references and the interview process is maintained on each member of staffs personnel file.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people are safeguarded by up to date health and safety policies, fire risk assessments and trained staff. The home and the young people are protected by regular monitoring of electrical, household gas appliances, fire drills and the safe storage of materials hazardous to health. Maintenance issues are quickly identified and dealt with by members of staff to ensure young people are protected from potential hazards.

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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

Members of staff are committed to ensuring young people enjoy positive outcomes and relationships while living at the home. The staff team and Registered Manager are innovatively encouraging young people to access education and training programmes to help them achieve their potential. The home has a clear commitment to anti-discriminatory practice and fully supports young people’s social and cultural needs. All of the staff team are committed to ensuring young people receive good levels of care to enable them to succeed in life.

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Leadership and management

The home 's manager is currently undertaking further managerial qualifications and is experienced in the day-to-day management of a children's home. There is an informative and up-to-date Statement of Purpose and Young Person’s Guide available at the home that details how the home is managed on a day to day basis. Both of these documents contain information on how to make a complaint, contact independent youth advocacy groups as well as how to contact Ofsted. The Young Person’s Guide is provided on admission to the home and is available in different formats that can be adapted if necessary to meet the needs of the young person concerned.

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Leadership and management

The home has a number of different quality assurance programmes in place, including the monthly unannounced visit by the company’s appointed representative. The company and the home 's manager receive a written report after each visit and respond accordingly to any recommendations made. The Registered Manager assisted by senior members of staff undertake weekly and monthly quality assurance checks to ensure the home is delivering a good quality of care for the young people and where issues are identified from these checks they are quickly acted upon.

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Leadership and management

The staff team is sufficient in number, experienced, motivated and competent to meet the often diverse and challenging needs of the current group of young people. Staffing levels are set to meet the individual and collective meets of the young people. Members of staff are receiving good levels of support, supervision and training to ensure their professional requirements and development are met. All of the staff team are enthusiastic and committed to ensuring young people receive good levels of support and care while residing at the home.

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Leadership and management

Young people's care records are appropriately managed and reflect the good levels of care and support delivered. Quality assurance systems within the home ensure that records are securely kept, well maintained, monitored and reviewed on a regular basis.

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Leadership and management

Equality and diversity practice is good .

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