Children's Home run by Cornerstone Children’s Homes Limited in Stockport

Unique reference number SC394478 Inspection date 06/12/2011 Inspector Michelle Moss Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 22/02/2011 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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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 privately owned and provides care and accommodation for no more than three young people of either sex, from 11 to 17 years of age with emotional and behavioural difficulties. The home accepts referrals for young people with various complex offending histories.

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Overall effectiveness

The overall effectiveness is judged to be outstanding .

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Overall effectiveness

The quality of care is the very best; the dedication and enthusiasm of all care staff means care is always child centred. Care staff make sure the home remains a vibrant place in which young people are able to get the tailored support they need to build up self-esteem, resilience and to deal with significant life challenges.

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Overall effectiveness

Not only has the home sustained its strengths since their last inspection, but it has also made improvements in other areas. This is most noticeable in the rigorous monitoring and evaluating the quality of care and also in developing links with specialist services. This openness to work closely with specialised services means healthcare, assessment, treatment and support is quickly secured and utilised effectively in the best interests of young people.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people are afforded every opportunity to forge strong relationships with care staff who are consistently interested in their welfare. Care staff are excellent role models, helping young people to increase their responsibility for sustaining good health care. This includes motivating young people to seek out information and making healthy decisions. Care planning is comprehensive and is capturing essential information about young people. This highly personalised approach is totally inclusive of the views of young people. This level of participation means young people play an active role in determining their care.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people feel safe and secure. Care staff recognise young people can be at different stages in their placements and feeling safe can take time given their past experiences and insecurities. The importance of building up young people’s trust and offering them a sense of belonging is a core value held within staffs’ practices. Young people report being afforded new opportunities to pursue their education and in doing so are increasing their chances to gain qualifications. Equally, young people confirm they pursue activities which are wide ranging and enjoyable.

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Overall effectiveness

The home has taken swift action to address the one previous requirement and in doing so, has further strengthened their provision of care for young people. There are no breaches in regulation emerging from this full inspection and only two minor shortfalls in meeting national minimum standards are identified. These are for recording of medication and working more closely with the local authority on behaviour management. The impact of these two shortfalls does not affect the considerable number of strengths in which young people’s welfare is the home’s primary concern.

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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 work is undertaken with the local authority that takes into account the home’s approach to control, discipline and restraint and how the approach of the home supports young people in developing positive behaviour (Volume 5, statutory guidance, paragraph 2.94)  ensure there is a written record of all medication and that medication is administered in accordance with the prescription. (NMS 6.13 and 6.14)

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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

The care staffs’ attention to the care of young people means nothing goes unnoticed. The care staff are quick at spotting and acting on any changes in young people’s physical, emotional or psychological health and putting in place additional support mechanisms to enable young people to get through difficult periods. This can include having access to councillors and therapists. This prompt response means young people are making remarkable progress given their starting points at the commencement of their placements. The high level of support enables young people to improve their low self-image and to build up emotional resilience.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Little by little, through personalised support, young people are building skills and abilities so they feel more ready to re-engage in learning and to be more able to face challenges in their lives. The immense interest care staff show towards young people’s education gives young people the boost they need to re-engage in formal study. This exceptional support is enabling young people to turn around their lives and to play an active role in determining their future. Young people respect this support and understand care staff want to help them. Young people have important relationships preserved by the dedication of the leadership and care staff, who work tirelessly to ensure safe and meaningful contact is secured. This is helping young people to sustain important family links which enhances their sense of identity.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Exceptional progress is noticeable after only short periods of time from young people commencing their placements, this is visible in young people’s level of motivation. Support goes beyond the age of 16 to help maximise every opportunity to gain qualifications and vocational skills. This is providing young people with both an academic preparation and also practical life skills that make them increasingly more prepared for adulthood.

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Quality of care

The quality of the care is outstanding .

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Quality of care

Young people are treated with dignity and respect at all times. They are empowered to make a positive contribution towards their lives. Their safety and well-being is of paramount importance to the home. Bullying and other instances of poor behaviour are managed effectively to help young people turn around their lives. Professionals who have regular involvement with the home have a positive view about the quality of care young people receive. They report that staff are always approachable and have young people’s welfare at the centre of their practice.

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Quality of care

Young people are actively participating in the development of their care including contributing to their pathway plans. Creative key worker sessions enable young people to safely explore emotions and learn about responsibility. There are substantial links sustained with education, health care and transitional services, to make sure all opportunities are fully explored to maximise young people’s life chances.

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Quality of care

Young people receive independent advice and guidance to help them in making informed decisions, including ensuring they have access to reliable and up-to-date information. Care staff actively help young people to gain access to their social workers and independent reviewing officers, especially when they are feeling vulnerable about their placement. The care staff recognise the importance of friendships, leisure activities and helping young people to stay safe and healthy when forging new relationships. This includes ensuring young people gain access to the right services and resources that will enable them to seek the required help.

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Quality of care

Considerable support is given to help young people take responsibility for maintaining their health and well-being. This extends to young people being supported to be aware of and take up universal service provisions. This includes dental care, stopping smoking services, therapy and counselling.

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Quality of care

Care staff are consistently and effectively challenging barriers to help young people re-engage in education and to be part of their community and wider society. Proactive and imaginative ways are found to help young people make progress in their lives, despite difficulties in their past and current lives. This commitment comes from care staff who pull out all the stops to give young people every possible chance. This includes care staff reinforcing to young people that their role is to help them succeed and that they will not give up on them.

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Quality of care

Arrangements for dealing with medication are established. However, the recording system is not rigorous enough to provide a concise audit of prescribed medication. The home does not provide an accurate log that demonstrates young people get their prescription medication in accordance with doctors’ instructions. Care staff proactively work with every young person to ensure they receive individualised support to match their personal circumstances. This includes helping them to understand how to protect themselves, feel protected and to be protected. Young people confirm they are able to complain about the standard of care they receive without fear of becoming a victim due to making a complaint.

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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

The home provides young people with a safe and nurturing environment. This includes protection from hazards associated with fire, water and electrical safety and from going missing from care. The recruitment of care staff is meticulous and means those who are applying to have regular contact with children and in positions of trust, have rigorous checks, so that their suitability is validated. Care staff are trained in all aspects of safeguarding young people. They are alert to their vulnerabilities, risk of harm and knowledgeable about how to implement child protection procedures.

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Safeguarding children and young people

There is a strong value given to creating a positive relationship with young people that generates a culture of openness and trust. Irrespective of young people’s ethnicity, faith or history, this commitment by staff means young people make real progress from their starting points. When setbacks occur, extra support is never far away, with care staff quickly picking up on young people’s insecurities.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people receive substantial guidance and support on sustaining law-abiding and positive behaviour. This positive message enables young people to make better life choices that significantly improve outcomes for their future. Care staff provide clear direction about acceptable behaviour and only use physical intervention as a last resort. When used, it takes into account the young person’s age and the seriousness of the situation. When young people experience periods of instability, there is a slight increase in the use of restraint. Each incident is clearly recorded and gives a full account of the intervention used by staff. These records show that before restraint is considered, the care staff will use de-escalation and re-direction as their first line of support. Where risky behaviour intensifies, the home will actively consult young people’s responsible authority to formulate strategies that help manage the

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Safeguarding children and young people

risk and avoid the placement breaking down. Local safeguarding services have, however, not been clear about home’s approach to control, discipline and restraint because the home has not liaised about how they support young people to develop positive behaviour.

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Safeguarding children and young people

There are well-written risk assessments with clear action plans to keep young people safe. The care staff take the main responsibility for implementing these measures and ensure they remain under review. These include assessing all past offending history, countering bullying and missing from care. The home has well established links with the local authority and police and follow locally agreed protocols for young people going missing from care and for referring safeguarding concerns, so that the welfare of young people remains paramount.

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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 leadership team act with integrity and determination to ensure young people are afforded every opportunity possible to thrive and benefit from their placement. Young people experience genuine caring, consistent and secure relationships with care staff who are committed, trained, experienced and are themselves supported. Young people acknowledge that care staff are there to support them; as their own confidence grows, they increasingly thrive on the opportunities available.. There is a wealth of knowledge that emanates from the top. Every staff team meeting is a haven of opportunity for staff to pool knowledge and ideas on how best to support young people and prevent placements breaking down. The staff care practice is embedded in the belief that young people are children first and should be afforded every opportunity in which to thrive. Young people recognise this and appreciate the staff efforts.

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Leadership and management

Care staff receive the very best training, support and resources to enable them to understand the developmental, psychological and health needs of young people. Joint working is common place. Multi-agency partnerships are forged with health, courts, police, placing authorities and schools, all working together in the best interests of young people. Care and pathway plans are drawn up in multi-disciplinary partnership. These records are regularly reviewed and updated to reflect the changes in needs. Young people positively contribute to these records including expressing their feelings.

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Leadership and management

The management play an outstanding role in promoting the care of young people including undertaking regular visits to the home, to offer staff professional guidance and support. Time is always given to securing the views and feelings of young people. Young people appreciate this engagement and make positive remarks about the management’s contribution to their care.

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Leadership and management

The Registered Manager carries out rigorous regulation 34 checks. These are supplemented by the home’s external regulation 33 visitor who repeats these checks and provides an additional quality assurance mechanism These visits include securing the views of young people. The home has a clear, accessible and comprehensive Statement of Purpose that clearly sets out its aims and objectives. These objectives are evident in everyday practice, ensuring young people feel safe, protected and well cared for.

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Leadership and management

The deployment of staff is matched to the needs of young people and ensures they receive the support necessary for them to thrive. The inspiring imaginative work to get young people back into education, training or employment is significantly enhancing young people’s self-confidence and self-worth. From everyone commencing their placements, they are all making remarkable progress, something young people themselves are proud of. The home has taken action to address one requirement raised at their previous inspection. This has seen the introduction of stronger procedures on the monitoring of medication stock. This prompt action demonstrates the home's capacity to improve.

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Leadership and management

Equality and diversity practice is good .

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