Children's Home run by Platinum Services for Children (Residential Care) Ltd in Staffordshire

Unique reference number SC378181 Inspection date 06/12/2011 Inspector Denise Perry Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 06/12/2010 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

This privately-owned home is one of two children’s homes registered to provide care and accommodation for two young people of either gender with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Overall effectiveness

The overall effectiveness is judged to be satisfactory .

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Overall effectiveness

Young people are developing sound relationships with staff. The staff team present as positive and suitable in caring for young people. They bring a range of experiences with relevant backgrounds to adequately meet young people’s needs. Young people are able to access specific care to meet their cultural needs, including religious, language, racial and sexual orientation. Some young people choose not to engage in education or meaningful activities. However, staff continue to encourage young people to become involved in an attempt to improve young people’s social and economic development.

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Overall effectiveness

The systems for monitoring and evaluating progress and practice undertaken in the home need improving. In some cases young people’s care plans and pathway plans have not been received from the placing authorities meaning that their case files are not up to date. The impact of this omission means that staff are not provided with clear and concise information on how best to meet young people’s needs. Staff recruitment files do not evidence all recruitment checks being thoroughly carried out. For example, the recording of referee telephone calls on receipt of a written reference. This will contribute to young people’s safety.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people say that they feel safe living in the home and that they have adults they can talk to. This contributes to their general well-being and feeling of security. However, the number of unauthorised absences is concerning, as some young people are not returning to the home at agreed times. When staff are unsuccessful in encouraging young people to return they follow local and national procedures to minimise risks to young people.

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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 contributes to the development of each child's care plan, including the pathway plan for 'eligible' care leavers and works collaboratively with the young person's social worker or personal adviser in implementing the plan (NMS 12.2)  ensure the home's development plan is reviewed annually, for the future of the home, either identifying any planned changes in the operation or resources of the service, or confirming the continuation of the home's current operation and resources (NMS 15.2)  ensure all people working in or for the children's home have references checked to assess suitability before taking on responsibilities. Evidence telephone enquiries are made as well as obtaining references (NMS 16.1)  ensure visits of the home carried out under Regulation 33 include relevant checks set out in regulations and guidance and checks of any records of missing person's reports (NMS 21.7)

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Recommendations

 ensure management monitoring identifies concerns about specific incidents and identifies patterns and trends; and that the manager takes immediate action to address any issues raised by this monitoring. This is with particular reference to missing children and shortfalls arising from Schedule 6 and Regulation 33 monitoring reports. (NMS 21)

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Outcomes for children and young people

Outcomes for children and young people are satisfactory .

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people are helped by staff to develop their interest and understanding of healthy eating and independent living skills. Young people support this view and say, ‘staff have helped me with what I need to be doing, like budgeting, shopping, cooking and laundry’. However, in practice young people’s progress is minimal and the placing social worker and Registered Manager acknowledge this. Young people’s involvement in the completion of independent tasks is not sufficiently consistent to support their on-going life skills. The monitoring of food intake and variety of foods to assess progress is not effectively recorded by staff. This does not allow outcomes to be accurately measured. Some young people they are not fully prepared for a successful transition into adulthood.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Staff are unable to encourage some young people to engage positively with the wider community by being involved in physical and social activities. This is discussed with young people through informal and formal meetings and some improvement has been made. For example, one young person has made an appropriate friendship with a local child and her family. This is a step forward in developing young people’s confidence and social skills.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people admitted to the home are sometimes disengaged from education. The staff endeavour to promote and support young people to re-engage and to consider educational choices and options. As a result, young people have made contact with local colleges to enquire about enrolling on courses of interest. Young people are praised and encouraged for their achievements and this promotes their self esteem and confidence in their own abilities to progress. Young people are confident in welcoming and talking with visitors appropriately.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people are making satisfactory progress towards emotional resilience and understanding of their background. This happens through regular key working sessions, which address and support young people’s feelings and views of self and others. Staff accept young for who they are and their backgrounds and history are a respected aspect of their lives. This acceptance promotes an understanding of individual heritage, culture, and identity. Where appropriate the staff team promote contact arrangements between young people and their family. This helps them to maintain and develop appropriate relationships with people who will be important to them into their adulthood lives.

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Quality of care

The quality of the care is satisfactory .

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Quality of care

Young people enjoy sound relationships with staff and interactions are generally positive. Staff talk fondly about young people and try to meet their individual needs and placement plan. However, lack of pathway plans and care plans means that staff do not have clear direction on how best to meet young people’s needs. This means that young people are not afforded with maximum opportunities to achieve to their full potential.

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Quality of care

Young people’s interests and talents are recognised and encouraged by staff. However, young people have withdrawn from meaningful activities and as a result are disengaged. Staff work hard to support young people to access health services, such as general practitioners, dentist and specialised services. Key working sessions cover health needs and evidence advice and guidance provided to young people. Some young people choose not to access health services. As a result their potential to lead full and healthy lifestyles is not optimised.

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Quality of care

Some young people experience individual difficulties in progressing educationally. Staff provide young people with opportunities to explore this further during planned sessions. They help young people who have opted out of college to understand the importance of continuing their education or seeking employment. This is helping young people to understand and take responsibility to enhance their future prospects.

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Quality of care

Young people are confident and able to express their views, wishes and feelings to staff. The home actively supports young people to have a say in the running of the home. This is done through key working sessions, young people’s meetings and daily discussions. Young people say that they know how to make a complaint but have never needed to. A young person said, ‘this is the best home I have lived in, and I’ve been in many. I love the manager, she’s brilliant and the staff have helped me with what I need to be doing’. This means that young people are valued and know that their opinions and views matter.

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Quality of care

The home is well maintained and sets homely standards. Young people’s rooms are personalised, decorated and furnished in a way that is comfortable for them, so that they feel valued and safe.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The service is satisfactory at keeping children and young people safe and feeling safe.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people report that they feel safe living in the home and can talk to their key workers when they are concerned. Staff undertake child protection and health and safety training as part of their induction to contribute to keeping young people safe from harm. However, the on-going number of unauthorised absences means that young people are not always safe. To address this, the manager and staff work closely with the police and follow local safeguarding procedures to minimise risks to young people. This means they take appropriate action when they have any concerns about a young person and now communicate with the placing authority’s emergency duty team to report these incidents.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Staff use positive sanctions to promote good behaviour and only use physical restraint as a last resort. Young people are developing some understanding of appropriate behaviour within the home and this is due to the positive role modelling displayed by staff, who talk calmly and respectfully to young people. Young people do not always make wise choices of activity and friendships in their local community. As a result they are not fully learning and developing personal strategies for themselves and not reinforcing improved self esteem and self control.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The home has established health and safety routines to keep young people safe. Young people are provided with written information on fire evacuation procedures and general house rules to follow and confirm that they are familiar with these. The home’s recruitment procedures are good, but there are inconsistencies in the recording of telephone verification within staff files.

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Leadership and management

The leadership and management of the children's home are satisfactory .

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Leadership and management

The home is adequately managed and is meeting the Statement of Purpose. However, there are shortfalls in the administration within the home. Young people's files lack key pathway planning information, which means aims and objectives of the placement are not sufficiently met. The home’s development plan has not been reviewed in line with the National Minimum Standards and the home’s capacity for continuing improvement was not clearly demonstrated. This has potential to impact on the quality of care provided to young people.

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Leadership and management

There are no rigorous systems to monitor or review how the overall quality of care is implemented and evaluated. Regulation 33 monitoring reports identify areas of improvement needed but lack evidence of action taken by the manager. Further these reports do not include routine examination of missing person’s reports. This is a current issue within the home and effective monitoring mechanisms were not sufficiently evidenced. The manager also completes internal monthly monitoring of the home. However, the detail of these reports do not identify that all areas have been monitored adequately. This means there are no sound systems to identify areas of weaknesses where action could be taken in the interest of young people.

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Leadership and management

A previous recommendation for improving the number of staff with appropriate qualification in working with children has been met. The existing staff team hold relevant qualifications and new staff have either completed, or are now in the process of completing the level 3 Children and Young People’s Workforce Diploma. One staff member said, ‘I feel extremely well supported, it is a fantastic place to work’. The staff team are carefully selected and bring a wide range of experience and knowledge. This contributes to young people’s placement plans and they can benefit from the well supported staff team.

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Leadership and management

The manager and staff promote equality and diversity in their daily practice. Young people have direct access to information on religion, ethnicity, disability and sexual orientation. The staff are proactive and meet young people’s unique needs well. This means that young people are valued irrespective of their backgrounds or histories.

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Leadership and management

Equality and diversity practice is good .

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