The Banyan Tree

Unique reference number SC396186 Inspection date 15/12/2011 Inspector Linda Leeder Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

p.1

Date of last inspection 15/03/2011 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.1

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.

p.2

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.

p.3

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.

p.3

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

p.3

Brief description of the service

The home is a privately run and provides care for four young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties and learning disabilities.

p.4

Overall effectiveness

The overall effectiveness is judged to be outstanding .

p.4

Overall effectiveness

This home provides excellent quality of care to young people. The staff are enthusiastic, effective and consistently put young people first. This is shown in the encouraging outcomes that the young people have achieved in relation to their starting points at the placement. The young peoples care is highly personalised and innovatively planned.

p.4

Overall effectiveness

The young people are confident in sharing their views and speak of how highly they valued the staff at the home. The young people said that they had trusting relationships with staff and commented on how the staff had motivated, helped and supported them. All the young people felt that they are listened to and that their views were respected. Young people said that they are included in the planning of their lives in the home and for the future.

p.4

Overall effectiveness

The young people are safe in the home and the staff and management are effective in their ability to protect them from significant harm. The young people report that they feel safe and this gives them the confidence to significantly achieve and fulfil their plans and work towards continuing positive outcomes.

p.4

Overall effectiveness

There are no recommendations or requirements made during this inspection.

p.4

Outcomes for children and young people

Outcomes for children and young people are outstanding .

p.4

Outcomes for children and young people

Young people have developed a positive self-view and feel able to express themselves so that they can continue to increase their self-esteem. They are making excellent progress in developing emotional resilience. For example, young people have improved their mental health since being at the home and coming out of hospital so that they can now sustain and flourish in employment. This has given young people increased confidence and optimum outcomes that will support them as they move into adult life.

p.4

Outcomes for children and young people

Young people have superior care provided by the home in relation to their health. This includes their physical, emotional and psychological health. Young people understand the importance of healthy lifestyles and enthusiastically engage with staff to ensure that their health needs are met. This is shown in the persistent and creative programme used by the staff at the home to help young people with learning disabilities understand their health needs, alongside the emotional aspects of a healthy lifestyle. Young people thrive in the home.

p.4

Outcomes for children and young people

Education is highly valued in the home. Young people have 100% attendance in their educational provision and they achieve significant success taking into account their starting point at the time of the placement. For example young people are taking examinations despite their learning disabilities and emotional difficulties. The home's purposeful and motivating emphasis on education provides the young people with skills that they can use in building a successful future.

p.5

Outcomes for children and young people

Young people make a positive contribution to the home and their wider community. For example, young people have acted in plays and have performed in a signing choir. They also cook meals for the home under the supervision of the staff. This encourages the young people to make fruitful and confident choices in their lives that will benefit them as they move into adulthood.

p.5

Outcomes for children and young people

Young people are proactively encouraged to have appropriate contact with family and other people who are important to them. The home will go over and above what is expected of them to ensure that contact meets the needs of the young people. For example, the staff have efficiently and effectively organised travel to another country in order for young people to visit with family over the Christmas holidays. The home also ensures that they are creative and extremely sensitive to the needs of young people who do not have family contact.

p.5

Outcomes for children and young people

The home provides excellent outcomes for those who are making a transition into independence and adult life. For example, young people have sustained engagement in employment and others have successfully moved to semi-independent and independent accommodation and have continued at college. This provides young people with versatile and confident abilities for success in adulthood.

p.5

Quality of care

The quality of the care is outstanding .

p.5

Quality of care

Young people have constructive and warm relationships with staff. There is a good rapport between staff and young people and this is confirmed by the young people who said that they 'love the staff and they help'. The excellent relationships between staff and the young people was observed during the inspection and this was confirmed by the social workers for the young people who commented that the staff have a 'good understanding of the young people and how they work'.

p.5

Quality of care

The views, wishes and feelings of young people are actively sought and this influences the running of the home. However, staff are able to support young people to understand why it may not be possible to act upon their wishes at times. For example, at young people's meetings prospective new residents are discussed and the home use young people’s views to influence how they integrate a new young person into the home. Staff are sensitive when speaking to young people and comprehensively explain that the decision as to who ultimately comes to live at the home is made by the manager and staff.

p.5

Quality of care

Young people know how to make a complaint. Strategies have been put into place to assist and support young people with learning disabilities make a complaint should they wish. There have been no complaints made about the home since the last inspection.

p.6

Quality of care

The home cares for the young people in line with their individual placement plans and care plans. The plans are of exceptional high quality. Young people are actively encouraged to become involved with the planning process. This is seen in the pictures, photographs and written contributions that young people make to their care plans and is taken into account when organising the running of the home. For example, young people are able to tell the staff that they no longer wish to attend a club; this is listened to by the staff who arrange an alternative activity and adjust the routine within the home to accommodate this.

p.6

Quality of care

The home provides a dynamic and highly active healthy environment. Young people have access to appropriate services and the home is forward thinking in this respect. For example, the home has efficiently organised psychological assessments of young people well in advance of important decisions. This assessment will then provide accurate and purposeful planning for young people in the transition to independence and care in their adult life.

p.6

Quality of care

Staff are delighted to support young people's educational achievement. The staff have high aspirations for young people. The staff celebrate the young people's achievements and share in the young people's enthusiasm when they succeed in education. For example, staff attend young people’s plays and school activities and motivate young people by reinforcing their success through consistent praise and positive attention.

p.6

Quality of care

The home is creative in providing purposeful and enjoyable activities for young people. Young people have a wide range of opportunities and these include activities, such as horse riding and trips to historical places. The home has developed connections to summer camps in the United States of America enabling young people to have the opportunity to experience these camps. The home is resourceful with staff time. The rota is organised to give top priority to stimulating and motivating activities for young people.

p.6

Quality of care

The home meets the needs of the young people's cultural background and personal identity. For example, young people are encouraged to celebrate religious festivals that they celebrated in previous care situations as this has given the young people comfort and helped them settle into their present home environment in a positive manner.

p.6

Quality of care

The home has sufficient space for young people and is well maintained. The home is comfortably decorated and the young people have input into how their rooms are decorated. The home has a warm and comforting atmosphere provided by the staff and young people. The home is located in a residential terrace and has good facilities nearby.

p.6

Safeguarding children and young people

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

p.7

Safeguarding children and young people

Young people are safe and feel safe in the home. They are protected from significant harm including neglect, abuse, exploitation and accident. Young people have said that being at the home is the 'safest' they have ever been. Young people said that staff have worked closely with other agencies to ensure their safety.

p.7

Safeguarding children and young people

Young people have not gone missing from the home since the last inspection. However, there are robust procedures in place to ensure that young people return quickly, are protected as far as possible and that responses on their return are positive.

p.7

Safeguarding children and young people

There has only been one restraint since the last inspection. This was appropriate and used in accordance with the legislative framework. Recording of restraints and the reasons for its use are accurate and clear.

p.7

Safeguarding children and young people

There have been no allegations of suspicions of harm. However, there are robust procedures in place that provide for the protection of young people and staff.

p.7

Safeguarding children and young people

Risk assessments and care planning are exceptionally comprehensive. They encourage positive growth and development in all areas of care without putting young people at unacceptable risk. For example, young people who work late are collected from work but are expected to walk or take the bus to work on their own when it is safe to do so. This promotes purposeful independence whilst providing appropriate care and protection. Staff are exceptionally skilled at providing young people with support, advice and information around all areas of protection. This ensures that young people understand the importance of their own protection. Staff encourage the young people to be self-motivating in examining their protection needs as they move to independence.

p.7

Safeguarding children and young people

Young people have a safe and secure environment which meets their individual needs. The home has competent and comprehensive procedures for fire safety, first aid and utility installation checks. The staff in the home understand the importance of the procedures and ensure that these checks are completed on a regular basis. The home is in a good state of repair.

p.7

Leadership and management

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

p.7

Leadership and management

The home is exceptionally effectively and efficiently managed. The registered people understand the strengths and weaknesses of the home and have systems and plans in place to improve. The staff and the management team have shown that they are continuously looking to improve the home and this has been especially noticeable since the last inspection. For example, staff have regular meetings that focus on the needs of the young people and they are encouraged to voice ideas that are considered and implemented by the management team. The home has high expectations of good practice. There is comprehensive monitoring of the quality of the care provided by the staff. For example, the manager has made difficult but confident decisions about the quality of the staff and whether they should continue to be employed by the home. Social workers for the young people report that the management of the 'home is of very good quality'.

p.7

Leadership and management

The home meets the aims and objectives in its Statement of Purpose. The young people, staff and placing authority are clear about the objectives, services and facilities that the home provides.

p.8

Leadership and management

The home has sufficient staff employed in the home. The staff team is consistent, long standing and of high quality. Staff have thorough training in many areas to ensure that they can meet the needs of the young people. This includes child protection, infection control, non violent intervention and communication. The home also provides training that encourages versatile and innovative practice to meet the individual needs of the young people. This includes training in post traumatic stress disorder, autism and person centred thinking.

p.8

Leadership and management

The staff report that they are given substantial support and have comprehensive and regular supervision. For example, staff on probation are given formal supervision every two weeks. However, when a staff member requested that this level of supervision remain once they passed their probation this was provided to the member of staff until they felt confident in their work. This ensures that staff have the support to provide good quality, confident care to young people.

p.8

Leadership and management

The home has excellent, clear and up to date records that are stored securely. All records are monitored to ensure that they are relevant and provide an accurate and extensive understanding of the young person's life.

p.8

Leadership and management

Equality and diversity practice is good .

p.8