Children's Home run by Prestige Adolescent Care and Education Limited in Staffordshire

Unique reference number SC420876 Inspection date 12/01/2012 Inspector Rachel Ruth Britten Type of inspection Interim Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 17/05/2011 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 progress made by the provider since the last full inspection, identifies any further strengths, any areas for improvement and makes judgements as outlined in the Inspection of children’s homes – framework for inspection (March 2011).

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The inspection judgements and what they mean

Good progress The children’s home has demonstrated continued improvement in quality of care and outcomes for children and young people and where appropriate has addressed all requirements and the large majority of recommendations that were raised at the previous inspection. Satisfactory progress The children’s home has maintained quality of care and outcomes for children and young people and where appropriate has addressed all requirements and the majority of recommendations that were raised at the previous inspection. Inadequate progress The children’s home has failed to address one or more requirements and/or has not met the majority of recommendations and/or the quality of care and outcomes for children and young people have declined since the last full inspection.

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Brief description of the service

This is a home that provides accommodation for up to four young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties. The home is part of a small group of privately owned children's homes in the area.

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Progress

Since their previous inspection the service is judged to be making good progress.

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Progress

The children's home has demonstrated continued improvement in the quality of care being delivered to young people. As a result of this, young people are well settled and have made good progress, particularly with respect to their emotional resilience, behaviour and relationships with others. The home has addressed all the requirements and recommendations raised at the home's first full inspection in May 2011. This work has been led by an effective manager. Young people are now benefiting from more involvement in the home and in their records. In addition the home's procedures are improved and the effectiveness of staff is enhanced. Furthermore, the manager exhibits enthusiasm and talent to devise new ways of reviewing and enhancing the quality of care being given. This is being aided by the use of comparative data to look for patterns and trends and to identify triggers and links between significant incidents and other factors.

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Progress

The home's overarching documentation has been improved since the last inspection. For example, the home's Statement of Purpose is kept up to date on the computer so that the number, qualifications and experience of staff are correctly portrayed to those enquiring about the home. Similarly, the children's guide now contains all the information required by the national minimum standards, for young people to exercise their right to complain and/or be represented. The manager continues to review the home's operation using Schedule 6 of Regulation 34 and has also devised and used a development plan for the home's operation. This plan follows the national minimum standards and has been used to ensure that all the requirements and recommendations raised at the last inspection were acted upon. It has proved effective for this, but staff and managers state that the length and generality of the plan reduce its usefulness. The impact upon young people of these documentation

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Progress

improvements is largely indirect. Nevertheless, staff are performing more cohesively because they have a better sense of the home's ethos and this positively impacts upon the consistency and quality of the care that they provide to young people.

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Progress

The home's safeguarding processes are improved by the changes made to procedures raised at the last inspection. For example, the visitors book is completed by all persons coming into the property, including directors of the company. The staffing level is now more robustly and accurately recorded at all times on the daily log. Medication records are more robustly completed. These improvements better safeguard young people from unsuitable people on the premises and the maladministration of medicines. They also safeguard all parties in the event of an allegation. Improvements to the procedures and records kept when a child goes missing help to ensure that incidents are known by placing social workers and given thorough consideration afterwards. This helps to better safeguard young people and help them to move on from incidents. Similarly, a written policy concerning the use of bedroom door alarms has been devised which balances young people's safety

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Progress

needs with their individual rights. Also, there is now more open and regular review of restrictions on communication, such as the handing in of mobile phones. These changes ensure that staff more appropriately balance young people's safeguarding needs with their rights to privacy and dignity. As a result, there is a more individualised and less institutional approach to risk management in the home.

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Progress

The home continues to be a very well maintained, spacious, comfortable environment for young people to live in. They are clearly at home here and welcome friends back to the house to meet staff and to play and relax. The previous issues regarding the drainage, rubbish disposal, kitchen equipment and bedroom door alarms have been fully resolved. In addition, the home displays more memorabilia of young people's own choosing, reflecting good times which they have enjoyed together. The relaxed and positive atmosphere in the home has been contributed to by much improved relationships between staff teams and young people. These result from the improvements to staff continuity, support, training and skill which have been achieved in recent months in the home. Morale is high and staff are committed to including young people much more in the running of the home and in decisions about their own targets and progress. This has been assisted by various changes to

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Progress

review, risk assessment and consultation forms that are used alongside young people. As a result, young people are more interested in reading their files because they can understand what is written and how records can show what is happening and where and how to make progress. Consideration of ways to include young people in the interview process for new staff would further include and value young people's views, wishes and feelings.

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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

 where practicable, provide appropriate ways for young people to be involved in the recruitment of staff in the home. (NMS 16.8)

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