Children's Home run by North Yorkshire Council in North Yorkshire

Unique reference number SC034189 Inspection date 23/11/2011 Inspector Deborah White Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 20/01/2011 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

This children's home offers care and accommodation for six children aged 13 to 17 years who experience emotional and behavioural difficulties. The home is provided by the local authority.

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Overall effectiveness

The overall effectiveness is judged to be good .

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Overall effectiveness

Children receive good personalised care that meets their needs. Children feel listened to and contribute to their care and the operation of the home. Children generally feel safe and know how to complain. relationships with staff are positive and educational outcomes have progressed well from each child's starting point.

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Overall effectiveness

Some areas of the home are not decorated and maintained to a satisfactory standard to provide a homely environment. Records for children going missing are not completed in full and not all child protection concerns have been notified to Ofsted. There is some bullying in the home that has not fully been addressed to ensure children are not threatened by their peers.

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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 the home is well maintained and decorated (NMS 10.3)  ensure written records kept by the home when a child goes missing detail the reasons the child went missing and any action taken in light of those reasons (NMS 5.10)  ensure children do not identify bullying as a problem in the home (NMS 3.11)  ensure all significant events relating to the protection of children are notified to the appropriate authorities (NMS 24).

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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

Children have detailed individual plans that identify their needs and how these will be met to ensure they receive good care. Plans are regularly reviewed by a key worker so they are current and relevant. Children contribute to their care to give them a voice and they are actively involved in their placement reviews so their feelings and wishes are taken into account in important decisions in their lives. Children are confident and sociable, which helps them feel part of their community.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Children contribute to the running of the home by participating in regular meetings and one-to-one sessions with their key worker. Children have access to the services they need and are involved in their local community to combat feelings of social isolation. Children's health needs are met and they know about healthy living to promote life long healthy living.

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Outcomes for children and young people

There are some very good educational outcomes for children. Bespoke educational packages ensure all children are offered choices that meet their needs and there is additional support from educational services to help all children achieve. Where children are not in school they are offered educational activities during school hours to give them a regular school routine. This helps children make a smooth transition into formal education.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Children are happy with their contact arrangements to help them maintain important relationships in their lives. Families are made to feel welcome in the home and parents are supported to make them feel included in their child's care. Children are supported to make the transition into adulthood and young people, who have left the home, have succeeded in positive placements within the community. Children benefit from additional outreach support when they leave the children's home to ensure they feel secure in their new home and employment.

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Quality of care

The quality of the care is outstanding .

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Quality of care

Staff are genuinely committed to each child and have high, positive inspirations for all children. Staff see each child as unique with individual strengths and the potential to achieve in their lives. Relationships are positive and based on mutual respect. A professional consulted as part of this inspection said 'Children have very good relationships with staff. Feedback from the children is always positive. Staff are very supportive and will go the extra mile, they are very committed'.

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Quality of care

Regular children's meetings offer a forum for children to have their say about how the home operates. The meetings are also used to help children resolve any conflicts within the resident group in an open, honest way. This helps children develop assertiveness skills and confidence. A child said 'we have meetings every week, they ask us about the home and we can say what we want'. Individual key worker sessions give children planned time to talk about any concerns or worries they may have in a private setting. This helps children feel relaxed to talk with staff they know and trust. An Independent Reviewing Officer said 'Children are consulted very well and staff work hard to ascertain their views. Staff are supportive in review meetings to help children say how they feel'. Children know how to complain and feel they can talk to the manager if they have any worries.

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Quality of care

Case files are individualised and very well organised. Placement plans are regularly reviewed to ensure they are current and relevant. Care plans are evaluated to ensure children receive the care they need. Good recording and detailed plans enable children know what their future holds and why they are living in the children's home. Staff promote equality and diversity in all areas of their practice and give children a positive view of their background and personal identity.

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Quality of care

Children have access to a wide range of services to meet their needs. Staff network locally to ensure children access services in the community and there are some excellent service level agreements between agencies to provide children with holistic care. Staff access professional sources for ongoing advice and guidance to ensure their day-to-day practice is appropriate and individual to each child. Children are supported into education and experience a range of positive activities to develop their confidence and self esteem.

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Quality of care

The home provides children with a safe place to live. It is located within the community so children do not feel socially isolated. Each child has their own room to provide privacy and there are adequate communal areas to socialise and have private visits. The home is generally decorated and furnished to a satisfactory standard but there are some areas of wear and tear and damage that do not reflect a homely environment.

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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

Children generally feel safe and know what measures staff will take if they are worried or concerned about them. Staff receive regular child protection training and know how to identify signs of abuse. Staff work with safeguarding agencies to promote staying safe outcomes and there are protocols in place to safeguard vulnerable children who go missing. Records are kept to monitor the incidents of children who go missing but they do not include the details of why a child has run away or what actions have been taken in the light of those reasons. This important information may help to identify any triggers as to why a child has run away to prevent further episodes.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The home operates a zero tolerance to bullying behaviour, however there are some ongoing problems with bullying in the current resident group. Restorative justice techniques are used to help children understand how bullying impacts on vulnerable children but the measures to counter bullying are not fully successful. Records of child protection concerns are maintained but not all incidents have been notified to Ofsted to allow for monitoring safety in the home between inspections.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Children are encouraged to behave in a socially acceptable way to help them relate to their peers and the adults around them. Restraints are rarely used and police are only involved to manage behaviour where there is deemed a risk to children or the staff on duty. Incentives are used to promote positive behaviours and staff engage children to talk about their behaviour as a group and individually. This helps children develop empathy and an understanding about how their behaviour impacts on themselves and others.

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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 home is effectively managed to provide children with a stable environment. Staff know their roles and the management reporting systems in the home. There are arrangements in place for staff to deputise in the absence of the manager and staffing levels meet the needs of the current resident group.

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Leadership and management

The recommendation from the last inspection is met and the leaders and manager know the home's strengths and weaknesses. Staff receive the training they need to meet the children's needs and feel supported in their roles. There are satisfactory systems in place to monitor the home's performance and children are asked their views about how the home is operated. There are adequate resources available for the home's operation and children feel their personal allowances are fair.

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Leadership and management

Children's records reflect their lives and tell their story of their time living in the children's home. All records are stored securely to protect confidentiality and children know they can access their records if they wish to do so.

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Leadership and management

Equality and diversity practice is good .

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