Children's Home run by Thunderbolt Mobile Limited in Lancashire

Unique reference number SC055153 Inspection date 29/11/2011 Inspector Graham Robinson Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 14/02/2011 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 service provides activity-based intervention for young people who are experiencing a period of difficulty or crisis. Up to three individual placements for young people of either gender are provided. Placements are usually short term and are activity based.

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Brief description of the service

A planned yet flexible programme designed to meet a young person's individual needs and circumstances is agreed with placing authorities. Young people are cared for at various locations around the United Kingdom in accommodation that includes bunkhouses, youth hostels, campsites, canal boats and an ocean-going yacht.

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Overall effectiveness

The overall effectiveness is judged to be good .

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Overall effectiveness

Once settled into their placement, young people usually make good progress in relation to their starting points both socially and educationally. They benefit from having time away from a lifestyle that for many has been chaotic and at times full of risk. They are introduced to a nurturing, supportive environment that is underpinned with clear and consistent boundaries. Individual needs are well identified with plans and strategies in place to address them.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people are cared for by a staff team, who work positively and energetically to meet their needs in a non-punitive way. Flexible care packages delivered by a stable and relatively experienced staff team provide young people with a sense of security and a sense of direction. Young people’s welfare is promoted as a result of the safe working practices.

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Overall effectiveness

Good management, supported by consistent and effective levels of internal monitoring have assisted in the service progressing since the previous inspection. The strengths and weaknesses of the service are assessed and there are suitable plans for continued development.

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Overall effectiveness

Staff and young people enjoy good relationships with each other which enhance and underpin the progress being made by young people.

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Overall effectiveness

The external monitoring of the home has again failed to meet the regulatory requirements regarding the frequency of monitoring visits taking place. The young person's guide requires updating as it does not contain all the necessary information required, following the introduction of the revised children's homes standards.

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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 external monitoring of the service takes place consistently, within the required timescale. (Regulation 33) 31/12/2011

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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

 update and revise the young person's written guide to include the contact details for the Children's Rights Director and a young person's independent reviewing officer as well as updating the contact details for Ofsted. (NMS 13.5)

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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 are achieving positive outcomes in all respects. They receive high levels of support which allow them to prosper socially, educationally and in individual personal areas. The ethos and working practices of the service means staff work positively with young people, supporting and aiding them to achieve their personal goals and targets. Young people are given time away from the pressures being experienced prior to admission and in many cases, are re-introduced to their childhood. Their individual needs are identified and these are reflected in their plans and strategies.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people benefit from regular contact with family, friends and other appropriate adults, although for some, contact arrangements can be restricted for their own safety. Parents and social workers report the quality of care is good and young people’s needs are well met. In addition good levels of communication between parties ensure young people benefit from a co-ordinated approach to their care.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people have achieved good educational outcomes based on their starting points, although this can be dependent on the time a young person remains with the service. All young people have flexible education packages designed to meet their current and future needs. This ranges from regular attendance at a school operated by the company, to tutors visiting the places where young people reside. Young people are given every encouragement and support to re-connect and engage positively with their education. Young people enjoy good health and their health needs are positively promoted. Good health planning, underpinned by specific health plans, ensures individual needs are assessed and met. Young people are encouraged and supported towards a healthy lifestyle through diet and exercise; this impacts positively on their general health. All young people are registered with community-based health services to

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Outcomes for children and young people

access day-to-day health support. Where necessary, young people receive specialist interventions to support their emotional and complex needs.

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Outcomes for children and young people

The mobility of the service using a variety of bases for accommodation is well established, with young people actively encouraged to take full advantage of the range of community based resources available. Individual activity planners produced weekly allow young people to enjoy appropriate leisure activities. This provides them with a greater sense of perspective and appreciation of what is available to them within the community.

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Quality of care

Staff have the ability to form positive relationships quickly which encourages young people to settle and develop trust. Signs and symptoms of frustration or distress in young people are quickly recognised by staff, enabling them to manage situations quickly and sensitively before they escalate. A range of agreed, planned strategies are used by staff to support young people positively, rather than resorting to sanctions. This means the numbers of incidents linked to behaviour management are minimal, resulting in less stressful experiences for young people.

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Quality of care

Levels of communication between staff and young people are good which allows for the views, wishes and feelings of young people to be accounted for when future plans are being formulated. Young people confirm they continually discuss their day- to-day choices with staff which supports them to make appropriate decisions.

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Quality of care

Young people and their families are aware of how to make a complaint and are provided with appropriate information. The young person's guide, while informative, does not contain the contact details of a young person's independent reviewing officer or details for the Children's Rights Director. In addition the details for Ofsted are in need of review.

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Quality of care

Young people benefit and thrive in a supportive and nurturing environment that removes the pressures experienced from their previous lifestyle. Good planning documentation clearly identifies individual needs, including cultural, religious, language, dietary & racial needs. Regular review and update of plans ensure young people’s needs are current and well met.

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Quality of care

Young people benefit from strong relationships with staff and they all genuinely enjoy each other’s company. Staff work openly, transparently and communicate positively with young people. As a result, young people enjoy a relaxing environment and receive care in a trusting atmosphere where they engage with adults in a positive way.

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Quality of care

All accommodation in use is risk assessed and is designed to meet the individual needs of young people. Most of the accommodation in use is used regularly, although new accommodation is introduced and utilised at certain times. Wherever young people are located, there is opportunity for privacy. Photographs accumulated and kept by young people reflect their positive experiences.

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Quality of care

Staff promote healthy lifestyles in a variety of ways. Young people actively engage in a wide range of activities, individual interests and leisure pursuits which introduces them to new experiences. For example, one young person has developed a real passion for fishing, while at the same time, giving up smoking. Young people's diet not only reflects their current tastes but encourages them to eat healthily. They are encouraged to try unfamiliar foods, appreciate different cultures and try international cuisine. Individual cultural and medical dietary needs are fully met.

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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 are cared for safely and feel safe. Systems are in place to ensure that should safeguarding issues arise, prompt referral is made to external agencies. This ensures young people are appropriately protected. The service has established links with local safeguarding agencies and retains the safeguarding procedures for the various placing authorities. This results in young people’s welfare and safety being promoted positively. All staff have undertaken initial safeguarding training and refresher training forms part of the core staff training programme. Overall safeguarding awareness and practice, coupled with a multi-agency approach keeps young people safe.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people live in single occupancy accommodation and say that bullying is not an issue of concern to them. However, staff are alert to young people’s specific needs and monitor them closely to minimise incidents.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Staffing numbers working directly with young people are based on risk and a young person's individual need. As a result, serious management behavioural incidents are rare. This shows in the low number of missing from home and additional measures and incidents of physical intervention taking place, reflecting the stability of young people's placements.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people are supported through upsets, challenges and frustration, with staff able to work positively to diffuse most difficult situations without the use of physical intervention. However, good internal monitoring of incidents ensures young people’s individual strategies are kept under review and adapted. As a result, serious incidents are rare.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The staff team is stable with no new staff recruited since the previous inspection. Appropriate recruitment policies, procedures and practice are in place, with any new staff being suitably cleared prior to taking up their posts. This ensures only suitably checked people have contact with young people.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people are protected with a range of risk assessments which are reviewed regularly and updated if necessary. Young people are familiarised with the fire procedures for the various locations they stay at. Where appropriate, safety checks to maintain a safe environment are regularly undertaken. Each young person has their own individual risk assessment, coupled with coping strategies. This assists in providing and promoting a safe environment for all young people. Individual strategies are updated in light of reviews of young people’s risks and progress. Young people confirm they feel safe at all times.

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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 service is well organised and managed. The manager receives good support from the staff team and her manager. She is enthusiastic, child focused and has a clear vision of how the service should develop and progress. The staff team, who work flexibly, are child centred and supportive of the ethos, aims and working practices developed by the service. They understand their role and responsibilities and work with the support of the management team to address young people’s needs.

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Leadership and management

Staff receive regular supervision and appraisal to improve their knowledge and working practices. Allied to this, staff meetings are taking place with more regularity and consistency than previously noted. Staff have opportunities to attend core training events to update their knowledge and skills and are doing so with greater frequency. This ensures they possess the competences and skills to effectively meet young people’s diverse needs. This whole area has improved significantly since the previous inspection.

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Leadership and management

The internal monitoring of the service is taking place regularly, meeting with regulatory requirement. Monitoring reports are comprehensive and ensure practice is accountable. Reports appropriately review performance and identify areas for improvements. Young people contribute to monitoring and can discuss their views.

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Leadership and management

The manager is well supported and demonstrates an understanding of the strengths of the service and areas in need of improvement. Following recommendations carried over from the previous inspection, improvements have been made in the following areas. All staff have now completed positive intervention training, risk assessments identifying hazards are being reviewed regularly and where necessary, updated, the formal supervision programme for staff is being implemented with greater consistency and all staff are now working towards gaining an appropriate professional qualification.

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Leadership and management

However, a requirement made at the previous inspection is repeated. This is due to a lack of consistency in the frequency of external monitoring visits taking place. This is an unusual service to manage due to its flexibility and the extent of its operation geographically. The manager and core of the staff team have worked together for nearly two years and continue to review and revise working practices. The ethos, aims and working practices of the service provide young people with highly personalised care that meets their specific needs and circumstances. They live in environments that allow them respite from previous difficulties and space to consider their future plans.

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Leadership and management

Equality and diversity practice is good .

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