Children's Home run by Roundhouse Care in Staffordshire

Unique reference number SC425859 Inspection date 14/12/2011 Inspector Jacqui Gosling Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 28/04/2011 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

The home is one of two children's home operated by the same private organisation. The home provides care for up to three young people between the ages of 10 and 17 years, with emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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Overall effectiveness

The overall effectiveness is judged to be good .

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Overall effectiveness

This is the first inspection since the home was registered in April 2011. This is a good service that positively impacts on young people’s lives. The key strengths of this service are the staff and the quality of the record keeping. Staff are enthusiastic; they are trained to appropriately understand the complex needs of young people well. The home provides personalised care, taking full account of the individual needs of each young person, whilst promoting positive outcomes for all young people.

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Overall effectiveness

Staff help young people to develop by providing good support and encouraging young people to engage and become self-confident. The manager understands the strengths and areas of further development for the home. The staff focus on the individual and the home is child-centred. Young people are safe and feel safe. The quality of the relationships between staff and young people in the home nurtures empowerment.

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Overall effectiveness

The home provides good consistent and planned care, which means that the outcomes for young people are good. Young people make good progress through their placement. Young people and staff recognise and celebrate progress and achievement. Young people are happy in their placement, and feel that the service helps them within all areas of their lives. Young people benefit from good relationships with staff and feel that the adults care about their welfare. Sound safeguarding practice promotes the safety of young people who say they feel safe.

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Overall effectiveness

Areas for development include, the Statement of Purpose does not detail all staff and their qualifications. The staff have not fully risk assessed individual young people's needs, for example, to some kitchen equipment, specifically knifes when they are working towards independence skills.

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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 there is an environment and culture, to promote models and support positive behaviour that all staff understand and implement, specifically restrictions to access to kitchen equipment being fully risk assessed before being implemented (NMS 3.2)  ensure the Statement of Purpose is reviewed at least annually, specifically the number, relevant qualifications and experience of persons working at the home. (NMS 13.3)

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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 assisted to develop their own identities through supportive staff and the ability to enjoy their personal interests in the community. Young people enjoy a balanced diet and are encouraged to have active lifestyles, this helps to keep them healthy. Young people access suitable medical and mental health services, which include confidential appointments with their own doctor and other health care providers. For example, counselling services. This means they receive personalised and age appropriate healthcare.

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Outcomes for children and young people

None of the young people are of statutory school age but they are attending further education colleges. When young people struggle with their timetable commitments staff support them to liaise with their college to adapt their programmes. Therefore, through the commitment of staff, some young people are making good progress taking into account their progress from their starting point at the time of placement.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people are well informed and consulted over their own placement plans and included in decisions about changes that may affect their future. This promotes a collaborative culture within the home, which gives young people a good degree of control over their life. Young people make good use of independent or accompanied access to the community. Activities and resources include access to local services, for example, shopping for clothes, personal requisites and groceries to help young people prepare for independent living.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people can make good use of opportunities to practise and develop life skills, at their own personal pace. This means that individuals manage their own money, use public transport and complete domestic chores which help them prepare for adulthood. The home promotes a positive ethos that fully embraces diversity and difference. As a result, young people begin to truly appreciate the significance of differing values and are actively learning to have respect for one another.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people are able to maintain contact as deemed appropriate by the placing authority with families, friends and other people who play a significant role in their lives. Individual plans contain information regarding contact and details of family who may visit the home. Risk assessments help identify any contacts which need supervision, this helps keep young people safe.

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Quality of care

Young people enjoy good relationships with staff and benefit from individual support in line with their needs and wishes from both staff and independent specialists. Young people say the staff are ‘great’. Staff encourage young people to develop skills linked to their ability, which are highlighted in detailed care plans. Staff are able to communicate very well with young people. Consequently young people enjoy positive relationships with staff.

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Quality of care

Young people are able to pursue their particular interests, develop confidence in their skills and are supported by staff to engage in leisure activities independently. Young people have access to transport provided by staff and public transport. This enables them to access activities in the community and visit their family and friends.

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Quality of care

Young people in the home are appropriately placed there. Young people's needs are thoroughly assessed and care plans outline how these needs are met. Care plans contain detailed information which is updated appropriately and includes all relevant information regarding young people’s needs. Records include information about care, diet and the level of support individual young people need.

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Quality of care

Young people’s needs and development are reviewed regularly in the light of their care and progress at the home. Staff, young people and family if appropriate contribute effectively to young people's reviews. This ensures that any decisions are implemented into the daily care plan. The report for the review provides up to date information, through discussion of young people’s individual needs and wishes. Young people confirm they are able contribute to their review and planned care.

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Quality of care

Young people are encouraged and supported to make decisions about their lives in line with their individual needs. Staff communicate effectively with young people which results in them being able to respond, making their needs known. As a result young people are helped to make decisions about their lives and influence the way in which the home is run.

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Quality of care

There are effective procedures in place, which ensure that any complaint will be efficiently addressed without delay. Young people know how to make a complaint and feel confident appropriate action will be taken, although no complaints have been made since the home opened.

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Quality of care

Young people in placement are well-presented and have appropriate clothing and belongings to meet their individual and cultural needs. They receive pocket money and appropriate allowance to help purchase clothing and essential personal requisites. Money held for young people is managed appropriately.

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Quality of care

Young people live in a bright, modern home which provides ample space to meet their needs. All parts of the home are well presented, decorated appropriately and homely and young people have age appropriate furniture in their bedrooms and ample storage for personal clothes and belongings. The home is spacious, clean and homely with a garden for young people to enjoy.

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Quality of care

Young people enjoy healthy, nutritious meals that meet their dietary needs. They comment they can plan, shop and prepare meals and if necessary staff offer them support. This helps them to develop independent living skills. Young people’s dietary cultural needs are well met.

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Quality of care

Young people live in a very healthy environment where their health needs are identified and services provided to meet them. Files contain health information and details of the child's general practitioner, dentist and optician. Staff support and encourage young people to access external health professionals in line with their individual needs. Records of appointments with health professionals are clearly maintained ensuring the physical, emotional and mental health needs of young people are met.

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Quality of care

Young people’s health is safeguarded by the home’s policies and procedures for administering medicines and providing treatment. Medication is securely stored within the home and designated staff are trained to administer medication safely. Clear records are maintained for the administration of medication.

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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 confirm that they feel safe and protected within the home. They say they can openly talk to their carers over their worries and concerns, and feel that the staff listen and care about their welfare. The home has clear and well understood risk management strategies in place, which recognise the personal vulnerabilities of young people and provide suitable strategies to manage any associated risks. The staff group is proficient at recognising and managing risk taking behaviour and individual risk assessments are in place to help keep young people safe. However, some assessments do not fully promote models and support positive behaviour. For example, kitchen knifes are automatically locked away, when the young people are assessed as posing low risks in the kitchen.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people are protected from bullying. Staff are vigilant with regard to relationships within the home and good supervision levels mean that there are limited opportunities for bullying or inappropriate relationships to develop.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people's privacy is respected when washing. Young people say they get enough privacy and use their bedrooms and upstairs lounge to have time away when required. There is clear guidance in place for staff to adhere to when working with individual young people and restraints are rarely used. Young people are assisted to develop socially acceptable behaviour through encouragement and positive responses from staff.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people live in a home that provides physical safety and security. There are no hazards to compromise young people's welfare. Fire safety checks are carried out at the required intervals and evacuation records evidence response times and the names of people involved in fire evacuation. All maintenance work and required testing happens on a regular basis.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Staff are clear about their responsibilities in relation to safeguarding young people's welfare and staff are encouraged to keep their knowledge up to date by attending appropriate training. Staff are confident and clear about the action to take following any child protection incidents. This ensures that young people are protected from abuse. Child protection incidents at the home are dealt with appropriately and all professionals including Ofsted, notified within appropriate timescales.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people are protected through the systems that are in place that prevent absence without authority. This ensures their safety. There are systems in place to notify the appropriate authorities of any significant events. The home works with local police and local authority to help keep young people and the community safe.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Members of staff are carefully selected, vetted and monitored to prevent unsuitable people working at the home. There is careful vetting of visitors to the home to prevent young people being exposed to potential harm. Records confirm all visitors sign in and out of the building.

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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 managed and organised well by the registered manager, who is suitably experienced. This helps to keep young people safe and secure. Staff have access to regular training programmes, to help them meet the needs of young people accommodated.

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Leadership and management

Young people are guided through and know what services they can expect from the home, how they will be cared for and who they are likely to share the home with. A clear statement of how the home operates is available for parents and others needing this information. The home's Statement of Purpose covers matters as outlined in Schedule 1 of The Children's Homes Regulations. However, the number, relevant qualifications and experience of persons working at the home is not fully complete. Young people's records are stored appropriately in a locked offices to protect their confidentiality and staff understand the importance of confidentiality.

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Leadership and management

Young people receive care and support from trained and competent staff. The roles and responsibilities of staff are clear. They receive mandatory training which includes child protection, health and safety and first aid. All staff in the home have completed National Vocational Qualification at Level 3 in caring for young people or they are working towards a relevant qualification. Staff are well supported and have regular staff meetings and supervision. These are well recorded and cover a good range of information, including the development of the young people and general staff notices.

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Leadership and management

Staff are sufficient in number and qualifications to meet the needs of the young people. Young people receive individual support reflected in the good staffing levels. As a result young people benefit from good support to meet their individual needs.

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Leadership and management

The management team has an appropriate system for monitoring and signing records as part of the internal quality assurance. Regular Regulation 33 visits take place to provide additional quality assurance mechanisms and involve consulting with young people wherever possible.

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Leadership and management

Young people enjoy the stability of a well run home with a stable staff team and experienced registered manager.

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Leadership and management

Equality and diversity practice is good .

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