Children's Home run by Pathway Care Solutions Ltd in Nottinghamshire

Unique reference number SC051739 Inspection date 20/12/2011 Inspector Catherine Ross Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 11/03/2011 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 registered for three young people with learning disabilities. The home is part of a private organisation which has several homes within the area.

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Overall effectiveness

The overall effectiveness is judged to be satisfactory .

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Overall effectiveness

Young people all enjoy their time at the home. Young people have made good progress in relation to their starting points and are engaging well in education. Each young person is viewed very positively for their differing personality attributes and needs. Therefore, the care delivered is very individual and young people can make good progress in relation to their starting points. The acting manager understands the strengths and weaknesses of the home and seeks opportunities for improvement.

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Overall effectiveness

Weaknesses were identified with the use and recording of sanctions, the recording of restraint and the access for young people to a telephone. The home remains in breach of its conditions of registration as it is currently caring for young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties. Further areas for improvement include supporting staff to understand their reactions to young people's behaviour, the locking of doors leading to restriction of liberty and the gender mix of the staff group.

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Statutory Requirements

This section sets out the actions which must be taken so that the registered person/s meets the Care Standards Act 2000, Children's Homes Regulations 2001 and the National Minimum Standards. The registered person(s) must comply with the given timescales.

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure the following shall not be used as disciplinary measures on children accommodated in the home: any punishment involving the deprivation of food (Regulation 17 (2) (b)) 20/12/2011

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Reg. Requirement Due date

17B (2001) ensure that where a measure of restraint is used on a child the record must include the duration of the measure of restraint (Regulation 17b (4) (a)) 13/01/2012

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Reg. Requirement Due date

17B (2001) ensure that within 24 hours of the use of any measure of control, restraint or discipline, a written record is made in a volume for the purpose which shall include the items listed in the regulation (Regulation 17b (3) (a-i) 13/01/2012 (2001) ensure that children accommodated in the home are provided at all reasonable times without reference to persons working in the home access to a telephone on which to make and receive telephone calls in private (Regulation 15 (4) (a)) 13/01/2012

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Reg. Requirement Due date

2000 ensure the requirement to comply with a condition of registration is met with reference to caring for children with emotional or behavioural difficulties. (Care Standards Act 2000 section 24) 31/01/2012

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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 that where any sanctions, disciplinary measures or restraint are used, children are encouraged to have their views recorded in the records kept by the home (NMS 3.18)  ensure that the liberty of any child is not restricted as a matter of routine (NMS 3.19)  ensure staff understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the emotions and behaviours presented by children (NMS 3.9)  ensure staff support children’s social and emotional development and enable children to develop emotional resilience and self-esteem (NMS 2.2)  ensure the staff group who are in day-to-day contact with children includes staff of both genders whenever possible. (NMS 17.10)

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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 enjoy positive experiences at this home and present as relaxed and comfortable. Young people's progress is good taking into account both their attainment and progress from their starting point at the time of placement. Young people have opportunities to increase their confidence, broaden their horizons and take part in new experiences. For example, a weekend away at a coastal holiday resort was thoroughly enjoyed. A young person was able to go abroad for the first time this summer. The young person's concerns about air travel were dealt with sensitively and the young person's trip was successful. These measures enable young people to develop a positive self view and emotional resilience

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people's individual interests and needs are used creatively in the education they receive. For example, a young person who is interested in jewellery making has been able to learn about website design and budgeting by incorporating this interest into education. Young people who have struggled with their attendance at school now receive schooling at the home. Education workers confirm these sessions are reviewed regularly and gradually increased at a rate the young people feel comfortable with. Young people have ambitions to attend college. When young people are not engaged in education sessions, they are encouraged to maintain a routine and be involved in constructive activities around the home or in the community.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people get advice and help to lead healthy lifestyles and support to attend health appointments. Young people receive excellent support from staff to aid them in improving their health and personal hygiene. Staff provide them with a healthy diet and aid them in gaining an understanding of healthy balanced eating, for example, young people are able to talk about what constitutes a food healthy option. Young people engage in opportunities for exercise which are tailored to their individual needs such as swimming or ice skating or a walk around the block.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people are making progress towards gaining independence skills. Young people who are affected by disability recognise the importance of gaining skills in independence and make good progress in this area. All young people complete daily tasks towards independence as appropriate to their age. For example, young people are able to develop skills in laundry tasks, preparing food and keeping their bedrooms and communal areas clean. This also helps young people develop a sense of responsibility for their home.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Contact with family, friends and other significant people is promoted. Contact arrangements between family members are supported by staff who work in partnership with other professionals such as social workers to support young people. Young people benefit from high levels of contact with their families and those that are important to them. Innovative contact arrangements are made such as a young person's family being offered the opportunity to spend a special occasion at the home. This enables the young person to have an extended period of contact and to build on and maintain relationships.

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Quality of care

The quality of the care is satisfactory .

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Quality of care

Young people confirm they feel they are listened too and that their requests and ideas influence the running of the home. Young people are encouraged to put forward their wishes and feelings. Monthly meetings give them the opportunity to express their views. Young people are involved in menu planning. This gives the young people the opportunity to be involved in decision making in their home. Young people's meetings are used as a way to gather young people's views and opinions and give young people the opportunity to make their voices heard. Staff meetings are usually held a few days after the young people's meeting to allow requests and questions raised by young people to be discussed.

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Quality of care

Young people are cared for in line with their placement plans and needs identified at the point of referral. Staff are sensitive to the individual needs of young people. Young people have access to all the appropriate services to meet their health needs. Adaptations to support young people with their needs have been made for the home, for example, the extension of a handrail on the stairs. Physical exercise is actively encouraged to enable young people to develop a healthy lifestyle. Where young people have specific health needs, they are supported to understand them by staff enabling them to take responsibility for their own health. Young people enjoy the meals and healthy snacks provided.

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Quality of care

Young people say they feel supported by staff in relation to their education. Young people are supported to be out of bed and ready for their education sessions. Young people feel staff are interested in their education and provide opportunities for them outside of the classroom to learn. Education providers confirm there is good communication from staff regarding young people's educational needs.

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Quality of care

Young people enjoy spending time in their highly personalised bedrooms which are furnished with comfortable bedding and chairs. The décor of the house makes it feel like a home and young people have been involved in picking colours for their bedroom walls. On one occasion where the paint colour used was not to the young person's taste, the room was quickly repainted. These measures give young people a sense of belonging.

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Quality of care

Young people engage in key working sessions with allocated members of staff which enable them to explore their concerns or learn about new things. A young person stated 'the time I spend with staff was one of the best things about the home'. Young people's relationships with each other and staff are generally appropriate. However, where young people have used derogatory language or hold negative attitudes towards particular members of staff it is unclear how young people are learning, for example, that racism and bullying are unacceptable and not tolerated in society.

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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 said that they feel safe living at this home. Staff are aware of young people's vulnerabilities and use creative methods to support them to feel safe when they are out in the community. Staff have access to care plans and risk assessments which are informative and enable staff to reduce risks. Risk assessments enable staff to keep young people safe. Staff receive training in safeguarding and are aware of the procedures to follow in the event of a safeguarding concern.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people are supported by staff to manage their behaviour positively. However, when young people display behaviour that challenges, staff do not always react in a way that is reasonable or fair. Staff can become overwhelmed despite plans being made amongst the staff team to provide each other with breaks. As a result, staff are not being supported to manage their own feelings and responses to the emotions and behaviours presented by children. Sanctions and physical intervention are used as methods of behaviour management. Records show the frequency of restraint for some young people decreases the longer they are in placement. The frequency of the use of sanctions is low, however, when sanctions are used they are often used for the wrong reasons. The intentional deprivation of food as a disciplinary measure for poor behaviour is unreasonable. Taking away a young person's access to a telephone as a sanction is also

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Safeguarding children and young people

unreasonable. Recording of sanctions is not clear and is confusing. The effectiveness and consequence of the measure is not always recorded. Young people are not encouraged to add their comments on the use of the sanction or on the use of restraint to the home's records. Restraints are not always recorded in the correct place and on those restraints that are recorded, the duration of the restraint is often missing. This poor recording and poor use of behaviour management techniques has the potential to put young people at risk of harm.

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Safeguarding children and young people

There is a phone kept in the office for young people to make telephone calls and young people were observed using the phone to call relatives. When young people are feeling angry or upset, staff talk to them about how they are feeling and the appropriateness of making phone calls to loved ones when they are feeling emotional. This is a reasonable approach. However, young people are not always able to use the phone to call their social workers when they want to and the restriction of the use of a telephone has also been used as a sanction. This is a restriction of young people's ability to communicate and could put young people at risk.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The system for administration of medication within the home is efficient and robust. Staff are trained in the safe administration of medication. Records of the disposal of medication are kept. There is excellent practice in cross referencing the whereabouts of medication if it is taken off site. These measure help keep young people safe.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The environment in which young people live is safe. Risk reduction does not lead to an institutionalised feel. Regular fire drills are carried out to ensure staff and young people know evacuation procedures. Other health and safety measures such as electrical testing are carried out at required intervals. Weaknesses identified as part of health and safety checks, for example, after a fire inspection, are quickly rectified. As a measure of safety, front and back doors to the property are kept locked. However, by locking the doors young people's liberty is being restricted. The home holds the appropriate information on staff recruitment with the majority of details being held at the organisation's head office.

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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

At the previous inspection, the registered person was asked to make improvements in several areas. A requirement was raised regarding the home's condition of registration for the care of young people with learning disabilities. The home is presently caring for young people with emotional and behaviour difficulties. Therefore this requirement has not been met. A requirement was made regarding the home informing appropriate persons of the instigation and outcome of child protection matters. This requirement has been met. An application has been submitted for the registration of a manager of the home with Ofsted. Staff have received suitable training in physical intervention and staff supervisions are regular, meaning staff are better supported to provide safe care to young people.

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Leadership and management

The home is currently managed by a manager who has applied to be registered with Ofsted. A social worker commented on the 'very good communication from staff who are always calling and e-mailing'. The staff team is made up of a mix of experienced and new members of staff. Those members of staff new to the home have been enrolled on the Children's Workforce Development Council's induction standards. They confirm they have received a comprehensive induction including mandatory training on safeguarding and first aid. New staff confirm they feel confident in their role and are well supported. The staff team at the home is predominantly female. Young people would benefit from having more male members of staff to enable them to have contact with a range of appropriate role models and opportunities to respect difference and diversity.

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Leadership and management

The acting manager makes good use of tools to monitor the quality of care. Monitoring under Regulation 34 is carried out monthly by the acting manager. This ensures the home operates to a satisfactory standard. Regulation 33 monitoring takes place monthly and clear consultation takes place with young people, parents and staff to ensure there is a good overview of the home. The home has a development plan which reflects the plans, aims and objectives for the forthcoming year, there has been progress made in staff development as well as with the maintenance of the home. Young people are given an age appropriate copy of a guide to the home on admission to the home. The guide informs them about the daily routine of the home as well as details of the complaints policy and telephone numbers of agencies to contact such as Ofsted.

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Leadership and management

The home is adequately resourced to meet young people's needs. All records relating to young people are stored safely to enable information to remain confidential. Significant events relating to the protection of children have been notified to the appropriate authorities and appropriate action is taken as a result.

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Leadership and management

Equality and diversity practice is satisfactory .

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