Children's Home run by The Together Trust in Stockport

Unique reference number SC025739 Inspection date 17/01/2012 Inspector Mandy Williams Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 16/02/2011 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 owned and operated by a private organisation. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to four children and young people. The young people may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties or physical disabilities.

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Overall effectiveness

The overall effectiveness is judged to be good .

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Overall effectiveness

This is a good home where young people enjoy living and feel safe and secure. Young people have made good progress since moving here both socially and educationally, despite their sometimes difficult past experiences. Young people feel that they are consulted about things in the home and that they are treated fairly. There is evidence of some positive relationships between staff and young people, some that have endured over many years. This assists young people develop an emotional resilience that will help them cope better with presenting problems as they become more confident in the responses of those around them.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people benefit from individualised placement plans, to which they contribute themselves. These serve to ensure that all concerned are working with the young person towards meeting their targets and objectives. The home works well with other professionals and has good communication systems in place to keep those involved abreast of any issues affecting the young people.

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Overall effectiveness

The home is managed effectively. The Registered Manager has a good oversight of the issues in the home and maintains a strong interest in supporting the young people to achieve good outcomes. The staff team demonstrate a confidence in the management of the home and a real commitment to the young people. All placements in the home are planned and careful consideration is given to ensure the home is the most appropriate placement for the young person.

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Overall effectiveness

Although comprehensive in nature, the Statement of Purpose does not contain accurate registration details for the home or other specifics, such as sleeping arrangements if additional young people were to be admitted. The organisation are currently reviewing their registration requirements.

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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 that the Statement of Purpose consists of all the matters listed in Schedule 1, particularly that it accurately reflects the registration of the home, the sleeping arrangements for young people and the use of agency staff if required. (Regulation 4(1)) 29/02/2012

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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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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 living in the home enjoy good outcomes in terms of their health, education and emotional well-being. The young people resident in the home have often experienced a difficult start in life and have complex needs when admitted to the home. The home are committed to helping the young people develop a greater understanding of the difficulties that they have faced in their lives and in helping them develop coping strategies. The home has access to a psychologist that is available for staff consultation or for individual work with young people as required. This ensures that staff respond to young people in the most appropriate way.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people have access to a range of other health care professionals and staff pursue any health care needs appropriately. Young people are also encouraged to make informed choices about their own health, such as a decision to smoke or lead a healthy lifestyle. Young people enjoy a healthy and nutritious diet and are involved in the menu planning in the home. They are also encouraged to take part in the preparation of meals. This will help them develop skills that they will require when living independently in the future. Staff are also willing to alter menus according to the preferences of the young people, such as cooking a separate meal that does not contain onions.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people say that staff look after them well and 'that the staff try to help me'. They also confirm that they receive support with their education and in engaging in any activities outside of the home that they are interested in. Young people feel that staff are committed to them long term.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people are making good progress at school and there is the opportunity for young people to attend the organisation’s own educational provision. The home has developed systems to ensure good communication between them so that they are able to monitor young people's progress and provide a consistent approach. This helps the young person feel supported by the home and aids their achievement. Young people also receive support to access further education and the home promotes a work ethic. Small goals are set initially with the aim of engaging the young person to go on and achieve further. This helps the young person gain confidence in their abilities and improves their self-esteem. Some young people have successfully gained national examination awards.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people are supported to maintain contact with those important to them, such as family or friends. Sometimes this requires the home to facilitate the contact and at other times, young people are able to make their own choices due to their age. Young people have access to the house telephone if they need this and also have their own mobile telephones. This ensures that the young people are able to sustain relationships with those significant to them over time. This is of particular significance for those preparing for independent living, as they will require supportive relationships when they move on from the home.

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Outcomes for children and young people

The transition period to independence is an anxiety provoking time for many young people. The home try hard to instil in the young people the independence skills that will assist them with this, despite sometimes their reluctance to accept this inevitable outcome. Young people are routinely involved in cooking, cleaning and tidying the home, usually for small incentive rewards and in managing their own money. They have also been involved in some decorating of the home.

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Quality of care

Young people enjoy positive relationships with staff. Young people said that a good thing about the home was 'people have kept in touch with me even when they have left and I have known some staff for over six years'. This is of particular significance for some young people who have been let down by adults in their past. Staff act as positive role models for the young people and give consistent messages about appropriate behaviour, while still maintaining a sense of humour. Young people are also encouraged to consider the consequences of the decisions they make and the effects on others. This encourages young people to develop socially acceptable behaviour that they will require to live independently in the community.

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Quality of care

Staff actively seek young people’s views and they in turn influence the running of the home. Young people’s meetings are held regularly and the organisation is keen to promote the participation of young people. Young people in the home have been actively involved in the staff recruitment process and have had the opportunity to meet with the Children's Rights Director when he recently visited the organisation’s headquarters. Consultation with young people also takes place over day-to-day decisions about the running of the home, such as the décor and furnishings. This serves to reinforce to young people the message that their opinions are valued.

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Quality of care

Young people are aware of how to make a complaint and the home has an established procedure for dealing with these. Complaints are handled sensitively and young people are supported and kept informed about how they are progressing. This ensures that young people are confident that they have an avenue to express their views about any issue with which they are dissatisfied.

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Quality of care

Young people benefit from individualised placement plans that clearly outline their needs and the arrangements for meeting these on a daily basis. Regular consultation takes place with the young person and other professionals involved with them, to inform the regular review of these plans. This ensures that they are meeting the young person's presenting needs. Good communication between the staff team also ensures that young people are experiencing a consistency in approach, which assists them in meeting their assessed targets.

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Quality of care

Young people benefit from a daily routine and a weekly planner that outlines all activities and appointments for the week ahead. Young people are supported to attend their educational provision and provided with the tools to do so. Outside of school, young people are encouraged to take part in a range of recreational activities in the community. Such activities may include swimming, horse riding or attending the gym. However, the current group of young people prefer to spend time in the home watching the television, playing on computer games, baking or doing art and craft activities. Some also choose to spend their leisure time with family and friends. Young people also have the opportunity to take part in a range of events organised at the organisation’s headquarters. In recent months these have included, cultural theme nights such as Caribbean and Mexican, as well totem pole making and a carol singing service. This helps young people consider issues, such as how others live and

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Quality of care

offers them the opportunity to engage with other young people in a social setting.

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Quality of care

The home is located in a quiet residential area and furnished to a good standard. It is homely and welcoming as well as clean and well maintained, with the exception of some minor repair work required in one bedroom. The Registered Manager is addressing this. Young people are able to personalise their own bedrooms and are involved in choosing colour schemes and furniture for the home. This assists them in developing a sense of belonging to the home.

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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 are well cared for and say that they feel safe living in the home. The home has a number of procedures designed to safeguard young people and staff demonstrate a good understanding of these. Staff receive regular refresher training in safeguarding and there is a particular emphasis on this as part of the induction programme for new staff. The home has a bullying policy, although young people confirm that bullying is not an issue in the home.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people are confident in talking to staff about issues that are concerning them. Staff provide young people with good advice about how to address issues such as personal safety and inappropriate relationships but ultimately young people are encouraged to make their own informed decisions. Social workers confirm that the home is good at informing them about any matters of concern that need addressing on a more formal basis, as well as young people's general progress.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The home takes the appropriate action should young people go missing from the home. There are clear procedures to follow and staff try to locate the young person and make contact by ringing them on their mobile telephones to ensure that they are safe. The home has a named police officer for liaison and young people are offered the opportunity to speak with their social worker or an independent advocate on their return.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Staff are trained in behaviour management and new staff on induction are instructed not to engage in any physical restraint until they have undertaken the relevant training. The home has unfortunately needed to implement restraints on a regular basis in order to protect those that they are caring for. These are however recorded appropriately and include all the required details. Importantly, young people say that that the home follows the rules on restraint. The Registered Manager has introduced a system that gives the young person an opportunity to comment on the restraint incident following the event, as this was a requirement at the last inspection. The Registered Manager has dealt with this sensitively and this record stands as a separate document with cross-reference to the restraint volume. This is so that young people do not feel additional stress by having to confront the full details of the

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Safeguarding children and young people

event again. The home are caring for some emotionally delicate young people and this action appears appropriate in the circumstances. The Registered Manager also has systems in place to monitor the use of restraint and can demonstrate that the frequency that this type of intervention is required is indeed decreasing.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Similarly, sanctions are used by the home as a means of assisting young people to understand that there are implications to their actions. These are again recorded appropriately in a volume designed for the purpose and relate to the incident for which they were imposed. For example, a contribution to the cost of replacing an item that was broken in anger or pocket money being supervised for a period of time when previous monies entrusted to a young person have been spent inappropriately. Young people have the opportunity to comment although generally report that they feel the system is fair.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Staff recruitment processes in the organisation ensure that employees are suitably vetted prior to commencing work with children and systems are in place to ensure that checks are updated when required. Visitors to the home are required to sign in the visitor's book and they receive appropriate supervision while on the premises. This supports the view that the home takes steps to protect young people from those who may pose them harm.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people live in a physically safe environment, as regular safety checks and environmental risk assessments are undertaken. Young people know what to do in the event of a fire and a recent risk assessment has resulted in light fittings in the home being replaced with ones where the light bulb is not visible and the shade resistant to smashing. This serves to alleviate the potential risks to young people.

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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 has a competent and experienced manager that is well respected by staff, young people and social workers who are involved with the home. The home largely meets the aims and objectives of its Statement of Purpose. However, the registration details are not entirely accurate, the potential sleeping arrangements for four young people are unclear and it does not refer to the need to use agency staff in the event of staffing difficulties.

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Leadership and management

The one requirement from the last inspection that related to the recording of restraints has been met and in an appropriate manner to meet the needs of the young people who are resident in the home. Both the internal and external monitoring of the home are undertaken robustly and records of both have been forwarded to Ofsted routinely. These have served to highlight issues in the home that need to be resolved, such as timescales in which to complete staff member’s annual appraisals and the monitoring of restraints. The home also has a comprehensive development plan in place that serves to drive forward positive improvements for the home. This identifies targets for both the staff group and the young people resident in the home.

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Leadership and management

The home is appropriately resourced and employs a sufficient number of staff. There are currently two staff vacancies that the Registered Manager is in the process of recruiting to. While the home benefits from some very experienced and long standing members of staff, there have been a number of changes in recent months and the Registered Manager has needed to employ agency staff to ensure sufficient cover during this period. They are appreciative of the need to stabilise this situation so that young people are enabled the opportunity to build positive long term relationships and are hopeful that they have now achieved this.

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Leadership and management

The organisation is committed to providing training opportunities for staff to assist them in meeting the needs of the young people that they are caring for. The Registered Manager utilises the assistance of a training matrix so that they are able to address any training requirements as they become due. New staff undertake an induction programme that includes mandatory training elements, as well as familiarisation with routines and procedures in the home. Staff receive regular supervision and annual appraisals that allow them the opportunity to reflect on their practice and focus on objectives for the future. This serves to keep them interested and motivated as well as ensuring that they deliver the most appropriate care to young people.

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Leadership and management

Records are appropriately maintained and kept securely. Staff are committed to maintaining young people’s files and in keeping detailed records of their work that includes the views of the young people. This is important as they contribute to an understanding of the child's life and ensures that decisions and future planning are based on sound information. Equality and diversity practice is good .

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