Children's Home run by N H Care Limited in Birmingham

Unique reference number SC432966 Inspection date 25/01/2012 Inspector Elizabeth Tanner Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 27/07/2011 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

This is home is part of a private children's care organisation and is registered to accommodate four young people with learning disabilities of which one child may also have a physical disability. The home offers emergency, short-term and long- term placements.

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Overall effectiveness

The overall effectiveness is judged to be good .

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Overall effectiveness

This home provides a good standard of individualised care for young people. It provides a homely and caring environment for young people.

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Overall effectiveness

The staff are motivated and committed to high quality care. Their enthusiastic practice assists young people and they make good progress in relation to their starting point. Young people appear relaxed and happy and their needs and views are central to the running of the home. Significant efforts are made to ensure young people are able to express their wishes and feelings about the care they receive.

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Overall effectiveness

Promoting equality and diversity is central to the practice in this home and is an outstanding feature. Young people develop in emotional resilience and improved behaviours.

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Overall effectiveness

Procedures are monitored and regularly reviewed and the management and staff are keen to develop the service. However, there is a shortfall in respect of the notification to Ofsted of a significant event. Recommendations are also made about improving the recording in respect of dispensing medication; the accuracy of fire risk assessments; ensuring procedures for young people missing from home are compatible with local police protocol; and ensuring matters reported to the police are also reported to the Local Authority Designated Officer.

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Overall effectiveness

There is one statutory requirement and four recommendations made as a result of this inspection.

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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 events listed in Schedule 5 are notified as required. (Regulation 30) 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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Recommendations

 ensure the home's missing from care procedures are compatible with and have regard to Runaway and Missing from Home and Care protocols as managed by the police or by the local authority (NMS 5.6)  ensure there is a written record of all medication. This is with particular regard to the central recording of controlled drugs within the home (NMS 6.15)  update the home's fire risk assessment in relation to the locking of the front door and strategies in place to promote the safety of children (NMS 10.8)  ensure concerns that have been reported to the police and placing authorities are reported to the Local Authority Designated Officer of the local safeguarding board. (NMS 20.6)

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Outcomes for children and young people

Outcomes for children and young people are outstanding .

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people have made exceptional progress at this service and comments from families about the home include 'the home is marvellous',' brilliant-absolutely brilliant' and that their child is 'happier now than he has ever been in the past nine years'. Young people progress and improve their behaviour with fewer aggressive outbursts and calmer experiences and routines. They develop emotional resilience because of a more meaningful understanding of their background and their involvement in day-to- day experiences.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people are able to express their views and make sense of their experiences and relationships because the home uses communication that is appropriate to the young person. Young people have improved verbal communication skills and are supported with symbols and pictures. They are enabled to participate effectively in home life and feel more confident because they can make sure their needs and personal preferences are known. For example, they like the food because they choose the menus and help to prepare the meals and this includes promoting and meeting their cultural needs.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people benefit from improved physical and emotional health. Social workers identify clear improvements because health is well managed and staff work with young people and parents to assist and promote healthy eating, active lifestyles and better understanding of medical needs. Young people are more involved in their health care because together with staff and sometimes parents they attend medical appointments and are supported in differing and challenging surroundings. Families and social workers comment about how well young people present in their appearance and attitude. Comments about young people include 'so well looked after' 'always looks nice… looks healthier' and 'health is well managed'.

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Outcomes for children and young people

The young people settle quickly and progress because they have established routines and boundaries. All young people enjoy their daily tasks, they and the staff are proud of their achievements. They develop skills and confidence to help them to contribute to the running of the home and to maximise their potential for independent living.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people attend and enjoy education. They look forward to going to school and participate in a wide range of after school activities. They also benefit from the close working relationship between staff and teachers. Young people do well because staff know the individual needs of each young person and positively reinforce their achievements and efforts to improve. Young people and parents particularly value how they are included in activities, including trips out and having meals in the home.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people develop excellent emotional resilience because contact with family and friends is successfully promoted, managed and significantly improved. This allows young people to make significant progress by developing a sense of identity and positive self-view. Contact is supported by staff working in partnership with other professionals to support positive and safe outcomes. Staff are highly active in maintaining links with family members and family members are extremely complimentary about the staff. Their comments include 'I've not been to visit the home as not able to travel but staff bring the young person to me...they always include me' and 'it is like we are one big happy family… everything is coming together'.

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Quality of care

The quality of the care is outstanding .

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Quality of care

Young people's needs are effectively met because staff know and understand the young people extremely well. Staff are sensitive to the individual needs of young people and seek to empower young people through key work sessions. One parent said 'The staff support my child and me. Always asking him and me what we need'. Staff are committed and enthusiastic in their care for the young people. Young people look forward to spending time with staff.

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Quality of care

The framework for care is effective because staff work closely with social workers and other professionals involved in the young people's lives. All professionals contacted as part of the inspection confirmed that partnership working was a strong part of the service. Staff have also challenged the quality of care being provided by other professionals. A young person was given a food that was culturally unacceptable in another setting. Staff challenged and monitored the situation. This indicates excellent awareness of individual care and respect for cultural background. There is significant involvement of young people influencing the running of the home. Young people choose menus and help cook. A young person said 'they choose what to eat at the young person's meeting'. He says 'the food is good and the staff are good at cooking'. The young people are extensively involved in decisions about decoration throughout the building. Staff give consideration to what decoration or

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Quality of care

furniture may make a young person feel settled. This involvement develops each young person's sense of being cared for and valued.

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Quality of care

Young people are informed about the home because the guide for young people is readily accessible in the home. Staff confirmed that regular key work sessions ensured young people had an opportunity to discuss any concerns. The young people have access to advocates, ensuring they can make their complaint outside the home should they so wish. When young people cannot have a request met, work is undertaken to ensure they understand why. A young person confirmed that he understood why a request had been refused. This consultation means young people feel respected. Staff provide a respectful and nurturing environment which allows young people to make significant strides in all areas of their development.

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Quality of care

Young people's health is promoted by registration with appropriate health care providers. Young people receive support from the mental health services where necessary as well as audiology and paediatric care. A relative of a young person said 'He looks so well and always looks nice. He looks healthier'. Young people enjoy a range of activities both in the home and local community. This is tailored to suit their individual needs and enable them to have fun. Staff structure activities for one young person around a particular interest. This demonstrates an imaginative approach to care and develops feelings of self-worth. Staff work closely with schools and attend meetings with educational professionals. They support completion of homework tasks when appropriate and have specific books of an appropriate level for the young people.

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Quality of care

The home offers a warm, friendly and homely environment. It is clean and well maintained. Young people's rooms are personalised and privacy respected. Young people benefit from a staff group who have an excellent understanding and sensitive approach to their individual needs regarding their health, disability, ethnicity and family backgrounds.

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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 cared for in a safe and secure environment. There are clear and well understood risk management strategies in place which promote the welfare of young people. Staff are appropriately trained to promote positive behaviour which is consistently rewarded. Because of this young people feel safe and secure. One social worker said 'The young person is safe and secure at the home. Mum is satisfied with this so in turn feels more secure'. There are few incidents of physical interventions and these are reducing. Records show that sanctions are few. Young people are protected from bullying. Staff are vigilant with regard to relationships in the home and good supervision means that there are limited opportunities for this to occur.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people rarely go missing from this home. When they do go missing there are accurate risk assessments in place to ensure a speedy and effective response. Because of this the likelihood of harm is reduced. The home has not confirmed if its procedures are compatible with the local authority or police protocols and it is recommended this be done.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Staff are clear about their responsibilities in relation to safeguarding young people's welfare and staff are encouraged to keep their knowledge up to date by attending appropriate training. Child protection incidents at the home are dealt with appropriately. This ensures that young people are protected from abuse.

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Safeguarding children and young people

There has been a failure to notify Ofsted of a significant safeguarding allegation. Liaison with the local social work team was carried out in a timely manner but referral was not made to the Local Authority Designated Officer at the start of the ensuing investigation. This means children and young people in other settings may not have been effectively protected.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people are protected with robust recruitment procedures. Members of staff are carefully selected, vetted and monitored to prevent unsuitable people working at the home. There is careful vetting of visitors to the home to prevent young people being exposed to potential harm

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people live in a home that provides physical safety and security. There are no hazards to compromise young people's welfare. Fire safety checks are carried out at regular intervals although the fire risk assessment needs to be adapted to reflect the fact that external doors are locked. All maintenance work and required testing happens on a regular basis.

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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

Young people are cared for by an enthusiastic, highly motivated and diverse staff team. Staff comment that they enjoy working at the home and feel supported by the management team. The staff clearly have the interests of young people to the fore. Staff morale is high and practices effective because staff confirm supervision is regular and supportive. They have access to regular training and development which enables them to develop their skills which directly impact on and assist young people.

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Leadership and management

Any physical damage to the home is quickly addressed. This makes the building a comfortable environment for young people. Records are kept securely. Medication is dispensed in a safe manner with robust systems of auditing and signing in place. To improve existing good practice it is recommended that a book is provided for the recording of medication centrally.

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Leadership and management

The manager makes good use of a range of monitoring activities such as Regulation 33 and 34 reports to ensure the home operates to a high standard. Recommendations in Regulation 33 reports have been acted upon. Other monitoring includes attendance at meetings with other professionals. The home's Statement of Purpose accurately reflects the aims and objectives of the service.

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Leadership and management

The records in the home are clear and up to date with evidence that the needs of young people are at the centre of the planning and development of the service. For example, key work sessions are regular and specific to the young person. Team meeting minutes remind staff to discuss issues relating to religious choice and preference.

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Leadership and management

The manager says a development plan is in place but it was not available on the day of inspection. Discussion with staff confirms there is good understanding of the strengths and development area.

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Leadership and management

There have been two appropriate notifications to Ofsted but one significant omission which should have been notified. This omission has had limited impact on the safety and care of the young people in the setting and safeguarding action was taken appropriately.

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Leadership and management

Equality and diversity practice is outstanding .

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