Children's Home run by Sheffield City Council in Sheffield

Unique reference number SC356868 Inspection date 15/12/2011 Inspector Russell Shackford Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 20/12/2010 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 children's home provides up to five long term placements for young people, aged from 12 up to 17-years-old on admission.

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Overall effectiveness

The overall effectiveness is judged to be good .

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Overall effectiveness

Young people living in this home benefit greatly from an experienced staff group who enthusiastically demonstrate their commitment to addressing welfare issues. Outcomes for young people are good because staff are persevering and supportive, creating opportunities for young people to reach their fullest potential. Education attendance and achievement, good health and socialisation are increased whilst criminal activity and anti-social behaviours are equally reduced.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people confirm that their views are genuinely sought and acted upon. The staff encourage them to make decisions about their lives and influence the way that the home is run.

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Overall effectiveness

Staff ensure that young people are looked after in a way that is particular to how they are and want to be. Educational needs are very well met with young people making good progress. The young people benefit greatly from the efforts of the staff to promote the value of education, and encouragement of good attendance.

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Overall effectiveness

The staff work closely with other services to meet the range of young people's needs. Placement planning is good and it is satisfactorily recorded and reviewed. Community participation is outstanding. The facilitating of contact is good. Good support is in place to help young people learn skills that they will need for later in life.

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Overall effectiveness

Good risk assessing and fire safety practices help to keep young people safe. Staff are experienced, well trained and competent. Young people clearly benefit from the good leadership provided by the manager to a cohesive and adaptable team. There is good monitoring to maintain and improve the quality of care in the home. The promotion of equality and diversity is outstanding.

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Overall effectiveness

There is a recommendation for improvement. This is about the quality of the records about 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 that the requirements of the placement plan are implemented in the day- to-day care of the child. For example, that action taken by the staff is clear in daily records and one-to-one records. (NMS 25.2)

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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

Staff support young people well, using talking and stimulating interactive activities to build relationships with them. As a result, young people gain good knowledge and understanding of their own background, they adapt well to new situations and their view of themselves is positive. Young people's progress and outcomes are good because staff are persevering and supportive, creating opportunities for young people to reach their full potential.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people enjoy good health because their health needs are effectively identified and services are provided to meet them. They are encouraged and supported to attend routine appointments with dentists, doctors and opticians, and where appropriate encouraged to take some responsibility for managing their own health needs. The young people’s health is closely monitored and record keeping is good, enabling staff to inform medical professionals of health progress. Specialist health workers are involved where appropriate to promote good health and discourage unhealthy behaviours such as smoking or drug abuse. Healthy activities take place such as instructor led tree top climbing, gym, coastal walks and dance games. Young people are given choices about their food and the food served is both healthy and nutritious. The staff are aware of individual children's likes and dislikes to ensure that they enjoy the food served. Matters arising from diversity are well managed. Staff

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Outcomes for children and young people

encourage young people to eat healthy foods and snacks. Young people confirm that they are involved in planning, shopping for and cooking meals.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Educational needs are well met with young people making good progress in attendance and achievement in their education. The staff have worked in a determined manner to ensure that appropriate placements are sourced quickly and as a result, young people's education is disrupted as little as possible in order that that they can continue to attend and achieve. Effective incentive schemes and the vigorous efforts and support of staff promote education and good attendance.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people are enthusiastic and proud to contribute to their local community in a variety of ways. Some young people have been publicly recognised for their efforts and achievements by way of nominations, awards and certificates presented to them. Examples of these include involvement in the young tenant scheme, community discos, youth club assistance, drama groups and assisting local councillors. Young people confirm that they are helped to keep in touch with people that are important to them and that they can have friends and family come to visit them. This is supported by staff who encourage contact and facilitate visits very well. This is done safely and sensitively.

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Outcomes for children and young people

The home has their own life skills plans for young people. This is implemented according to the level of maturity and understanding of the individual. Young people sometimes learn skills through taking part in the tasks of running the home, such as shopping, cooking, gardening and doing DIY tasks such as painting. Young people are also given help and support with social skills, laundry, cooking skills, budgeting, clothing care and shopping. Therefore young people receive care which prepares them well for adulthood. However, the evidence of this activity is poorly recorded and does not therefore reflect the efforts and achievements of the staff and young people.

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Quality of care

The quality of the care is outstanding .

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Quality of care

Young people living in this home benefit greatly from an experienced staff group who enthusiastically demonstrate their commitment to addressing young people's care and safety needs. Young people confirm this saying that, 'staff are always there to talk to and they support you in the things you need to do to become independent'. The staff team are persevering and supportive, innovatively creating opportunities for young people to reach their full potential. Staff speak in a proud manner about their young people and their achievements. Young people enjoy warm relationships with staff in the home and there is good rapport between them. Staff discuss difficult issues with young people and challenge inappropriate behaviours consistently and sensitively. One member of staff reinforced this, stating, 'I am confident that each young person is able to talk to the staff about any matter'. One young person described relationships with the staff as, 'good and caring', while another described

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Quality of care

Young people confirm that their views are genuinely sought and acted upon. The staff are innovative in the way that they help young people to make decisions about their lives and influence the way that the home is run. Staff provide opportunities for daily group and one-to-one discussion, key worker sessions and visits from independent advocacy services. There are also regular young people's meetings. Quality assurance monitoring by the manager includes opportunities for past and present young people to comment upon the quality of care at the home. Examples of young people's choices acted upon include: activities, personalising bedrooms and future placement planning. One young person chose colours and items from magazines before coming to live at the home and those choices had been acted upon when they arrived. Any cases where it is not possible to act upon young people's wishes are carefully explained to them. Young people confirm this saying

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Quality of care

that, 'staff are honest and fair', highlighting examples such as smoking in the home and staying out overnight. The staff handle complaints well. They ensure that the young people know how to complain if they wish by explaining what to do. There is also good, clear information in the children’s guide about how to complain. The staff assist young people in making complaints if necessary and they understand their role as advocate. Young people confirm that staff make it clear to them that they can tell people outside of the home if they are unhappy and provide information and contact details of independent advocate services. All complaints are clearly recorded to reflect the action taken by the staff and the outcomes.

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Quality of care

Admissions to the home are always planned and the young person and their family, where appropriate, are involved in that planning. They can visit the home before they move in to meet people and get information about the home. Young people have their needs assessed well and good quality written placement plans outline how these needs will be met. Their placement plans are very well recorded with good detail to inform the staff what they need to do to meet the identified needs of individuals. Staff find out about young people's differences, routines, strengths and areas for development and use different agencies and resources to help them to meet the young people's needs. One staff said, 'care plans are easy to follow, we keep them relevant by regularly discussing them with young people and at team meetings'. Effective incentive schemes are used where appropriate. Participation in activities in and out of the home is partially evidenced using photographs. These are

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Quality of care

transferred to memory books for young people to take with them when they leave the home. Focused one-to-one work also provides young people with guidance, advice and support. However, the daily records and one-to-one records do not always reflect the content of the care plan and show the full extent of the action taken by the staff to meet the identified needs of the young person.

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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. Following reviews, placement plans are updated in a timely fashion. The reviewing system includes participation in the statutory reviews, internal reviews of the placement plan and discussions with the young person in key worker sessions. Key workers monitor the placement plans and produce monthly summary reports. Statutory case reviews take place within the required timescales to inform those working at the home and others of progress made by young people.

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Quality of care

The staff appreciate that the individual young people may have needs arising from diversity. The young people receive very good individualised care and support. The staff commission individual support services involved in the health, care and education of the young people. The home has links with a wide range of helping agencies, and very good practice has helped to quickly provide services to suit each individual young person. Young people confirm that staff provide care and support to them in a way that is particular to them. Staff are aided in providing good quality health care by external professionals in emotional health. They provide support directly to young people and indirectly by advice supplied to the staff team, to aid positive outcomes for the young people. Examples include support for emotional health and discussion with the specialist nurse for looked after children. Good policies and practice around the storage, handling, administration and disposal of medication

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Quality of care

Young people's education and employment is a very high priority and it is vigorously promoted. Staff see it as valuable in itself and as part of the young people's preparation for adulthood. The staff work closely with education and other agencies to secure good quality education or work placements. Staff make a lot of effort to encourage good attendance and young people are well prepared for the day. A notable area of strength is the staff’s close communication and support of other professionals working in education or work placements to sustain and increase the young people's time in the provision. They achieve this through establishing close working relationships and communicating regularly about progress and individual targets. Staff provide transport and class support if needed. Achievements are communicated to parents to ensure that young people's positive behaviour is highlighted to them. Staff promote the additional benefits of being in education or

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Quality of care

work, such as socialising. There are space, resources and facilities at the home to enable the completion of homework or structured home-study programmes. A computer is available for the young people to use for educational purposes and well- monitored internet access is available.

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Quality of care

Young people are able to pursue their particular interests and are enthusiastically supported and encouraged by staff to engage in leisure activities. Staff attempt to enable young people to socialise and to build their esteem and confidence by supporting their individual choices. The staff have established very good links and relationships with community based activity providers. Examples of organised activities include: trips to London and a show, gardening, spa days, theme parks, camping, holidays abroad, karaoke nights, themed cooking nights and trips to the coast. One young person described the range of purposeful activities as, 'the best thing about the home'. There is also a good range of books, DVDs and games available for education and entertainment.

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Quality of care

The young people live in a home that is very well located near to shops, leisure, education and employment opportunities. It is on the main bus route to the nearby city centre. The interior and exterior of the home are in a good state of structural and decorative repair. There is a good maintenance and repair programme for the building, furniture and equipment, and any damage is repaired promptly. The garden is well maintained and safe. The home is clean and there are homely touches throughout.

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Safeguarding children and young people

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

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Safeguarding children and young people

Staff describe safeguarding young people as 'a big priority' and state, 'our care extends beyond the home into other areas of young people's lives'. Young people's welfare is very important and central to practice. Young people confirm that they are supported to learn how to keep themselves safe and learn about risks. Where particular risks are indentified, consistently well-written risk assessments are recorded to help the staff understand what action to take to minimise the identified risks. In addition, the manager has established good links with the local safeguarding service from whom he can seek advice if necessary. The manager considers what local resources may further support young people, for example, community police and therapeutic services. A notable area of strength is staff ability to engage the young people in talking through any identified concerns to develop their own understanding of these and the reasons adults are concerned. As a result young

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Safeguarding children and young people

people's risk-taking behaviours reduce and they feel cared for and protected. Young people confirm this with examples such as, 'the staff talk to me a lot about keeping safe and sticking to my agreed coming in times'. An information display around the telephone area has details of local agencies that young people can access for advice and information.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Staff use team meetings to ensure that everyone is up-to-date about how to promote and protect the young people's safety. The provider has very good safeguarding systems and procedures for staff to follow in the event of any allegation or suspicion of abuse. The manager and staff have received child protection training which includes elements of child exploitation and on-line protection. Staff demonstrate good knowledge and understanding of the safeguarding procedures to promote and protect young people’s safety. Anti-bullying messages are displayed and the subject is regularly discussed at young people's meetings. There is good written guidance for staff to follow in the event of unauthorised absence. This is supported by individualised risk assessment records. The manager secures good multi-agency working and protocols to ensure a holistic approach to safeguarding. This ensures all agencies are vigilant and work to current plans to offer protection for young people.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Personalised behaviour management plans are used. They contain good, individualised details for staff to follow when managing young people's behaviour. Sanctions are relevant and reflect the age and understanding of the young people. They are reviewed regularly for effectiveness. Physical restraint is very rarely used to manage behaviour. Staff are trained in the provider’s policy and authorised techniques. Record keeping is good and there is evidence that it is monitored well to identify patterns or trends that can be used to support young people further. Physical interventions quickly cease to be a strategy with young people once they settle in the home.

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Safeguarding children and young people

All staff working at the home have received up-to-date fire safety training to enable them to minimise the risks to young people in the event of a fire at the home. This is supported by regular fire safety checks to help ensure that young people's physical safety from fire in the home is well protected. Good checks and maintenance arrangements ensure the home is physically safe and is kept safe.

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Safeguarding children and young people

All staff have been appropriately recruited and undergone suitable Criminal Records Bureau checks to ensure that they are suitable to work with young people and staff confirm this.

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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

A Statement of Purpose is available to inform professionals and members of the public about how care is provided at the home. There is a good children’s guide to the statement which is appropriate to the age and understanding of the young people accommodated. Young people contribute to its content and appearance. Young people receive a copy of it before they come to live at the home so that they know what to expect if they choose to live there.

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Leadership and management

There is a consistent staff team which has a range of skills and experience among members. New members of staff receive good quality induction training before commencing work with the young people. Staff refer to written guidance frequently during discussion and give examples of how it is implemented in practice. Management support and supervision are described as 'very good' by a staff team who clearly value the beneficial contributions of the manager.

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Leadership and management

The young people are receiving care from competent staff that are experienced and appropriately trained to meet their needs. All staff are trained in a wide variety of safety and childcare subjects. An ongoing programme of regular refresher training is provided in a range of subjects to enhance the staff team's competency to meet the needs of the young people.

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Leadership and management

The manager has a system to monitor, report and evaluate the administration systems of the home. The recordings are in good detail to aide evaluation of the findings. This is supported by reports from an independent visiting officer. Any action points raised by them are quickly acted upon. Therefore, there is good monitoring of the quality of care for the young people in the home.

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Leadership and management

Young people's general case file records and other written documentation are of a good standard. This facilitates good communication with other professionals as well as ensuring young people have a permanent and secure record of their history. Young people's individual case files are confidentially stored and are arranged in a manner that makes them useable by staff and yet accessible to young people. The young people know that they can have access to their records. The young people’s individual case records reflect their development and progress.

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Leadership and management

The promotion of equality and diversity is outstanding. Staff ensure that young people are looked after in a way that is particular to how they are and want to be. This is particularly evident around health, safety, culture, diet, leisure and education. Young people are encouraged to keep a participation book record of the diverse activities and events that they have been involved in. This is used to reflect upon the differences young people encounter. All staff have received equality and diversity training and they demonstrate a very good understanding of the subject and how they promote it in practice. Young people's cultural and religious needs are taken into account during the care planning and review process. Staff have a good understanding of individual young people's needs and ensure that these are met effectively on a practical and emotional level. Staff also demonstrate excellent practice around equality and diversity through their attitude towards it and by giving

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Leadership and management

examples of this in practice, such as the value of education and achieving potential. Young people have access to a team that is balanced in terms of race, age, background and gender, and have access to a variety of services in the local and wider community.

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Leadership and management

Equality and diversity practice is outstanding .

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