Children's Home run by Fairfield Residential Limited in Cheshire West and Chester

Unique reference number SC397987 Inspection date 30/01/2012 Inspector Graham Robinson Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 10/02/2011 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

This privately-owned home provides long tem accommodation for up to two young people with learning disabilities and/or Autistic Spectrum disorder.

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Overall effectiveness

The overall effectiveness is judged to be outstanding .

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Overall effectiveness

All young people are in long-term placements and have benefitted considerably by living in a stable environment that is meeting their specific needs. They have made, and continue to make, excellent progress in relation to their starting points, both socially and educationally. They live in a nurturing, supportive environment that is underpinned with clear and consistent boundaries. Individual needs are well identified with updated plans and strategies in place to address them. Young people are cared for by a small, dedicated and stable staff team who understand their individual needs and have the capability to meet them positively and creatively. Staff work collectively to provide a consistency of care, using sound working practices to keep young people safe. This ensures young people’s welfare is promoted. Excellent internal and external management of the home stimulates the enthusiasm of staff and channels their efforts effectively. The strengths and weaknesses of the home are

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Overall effectiveness

assessed and there are suitable plans for continued development. However, the homes statement of purpose does not give a clear account of the current overnight staffing arrangements.

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Overall effectiveness

This is a child-focused service that recognises and addresses young people's specific needs effectively. Staff and young people enjoy excellent relationships which develop high levels of trust and enhance the progress being made by young people. The inclusion of young people into community life and activities is one of the outstanding features of the home.

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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 children’s home has a clear statement of purpose. Particularly, that it accurately reflects overnight staffing arrangements. (NMS 13.1)

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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 are achieving positive outcomes in all respects. They receive high levels of support which allow them to prosper socially, educationally and in individual personal areas. Young people’s individual needs are identified and these are reflected in their plans, strategies and individual risk assessments. The ethos and working practices of the home are aimed at working positively with young people, helping them to achieve their personal goals and targets. Young people benefit from regular contact with family, friends and other appropriate adults. Staff work flexibly to co- ordinate and facilitate contact arrangements. Parents and social workers report the quality of care as outstanding, with all aspects of young people's specific needs being well met. In addition, excellent communication levels between parties ensure young people receive a cohesive approach to their care.

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Outcomes for children and young people

All young people are in full-time education attending community based schools that cater for their specific needs. Daily routines are in place to promote and assist in young people's education. Young people attend regularly with appropriate transport arrangements in place. Excellent levels of communication between respective schools and the home ensure that young peoples educational needs are being met. The general health of young people is good and their health needs and requirements are being promoted positively. Excellent, detailed health plans ensure individual needs are assessed and met. Young people are encouraged and supported towards a healthy lifestyle through diet and exercise, which impacts positively in their general health.

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Outcomes for children and young people

The home is well established within the community and actively encourages young people to take full advantage of the resources available. Disability is not viewed as a barrier and young people are fully integrated into numerous community based groups and participate in a wide range of activities. This provides young people with a sense of inclusion. Young people's responses to each activity are now being recorded and evaluated. This is a recent initiative that provides further evidence of the progress and development young people are making.

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Quality of care

The quality of the care is outstanding .

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Quality of care

Staff are skilled at recognising signs and symptoms of distress in young people, enabling them to manage situations quickly and sensitively before they escalate. A non-punitive approach, linked to a range of agreed and planned strategies are used to work through any difficulties being presented. The strong relationships that exist between staff and young people allows for this successful approach, which in turn, helps to build trust and mutual respect. Staff actively seek the views, wishes and feelings of young people, which go some way to them contributing to certain aspects of the home’s operation. For example, young people are encouraged to make choices when attending young people's meetings, by their key worker and in everyday communication with staff. Young people benefit and thrive in a supportive and nurturing environment. Excellent planning documentation, strengthened with individual risk assessments clearly

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Quality of care

identify individual needs. This includes identity, religious and cultural needs. Plans and risk assessments are reviewed and updated regularly, ensuring that young people’s current needs are well met. Staff work openly, transparently and communicate positively with young people. Staff and young people genuinely enjoy each other’s company, resulting in young people experiencing a relaxed atmosphere where they receive care in a calm, child-centred environment.

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Quality of care

This home is warm, welcoming and bright, with staff and young people mixing freely with each other. The relaxed atmosphere created in a modern building, gives an excellent first impression of the home and the people in it. The levels of repair, equipment, fixtures, furnishings and décor are of a high standard. Each young person has their own bedroom, which is fitted out and personalised to reflect both the taste and the needs of the occupant. Photographs and mementoes on display reflect young people’s positive experiences. Staff promote healthy lifestyles in a variety of ways. For example, through exercise and choice of diet. Young people benefit from healthy meals which are organised and treated as sociable occasions. Young people are encouraged to try unfamiliar foods, appreciate different cultures and try international cuisine. Any individual cultural and medical dietary needs are fully met.

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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

Young people are cared for safely and feel safe. This is endorsed by the positive responses received from family members and social workers. Appropriate systems are in place to keep young people safe. All staff have received training in safeguarding matters, ensuring they have the knowledge to deal with any issues appropriately, should they arise.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The young people have lived in the home since it was first registered. They live in a stable, safe environment into which they are well settled. There have been no serious incidents linked to behaviour management since the previous inspection. Should any occur, appropriate recording systems are in place. Comprehensive, individual risk assessments support plans and strategies to deal with young people's behavioural patterns. As a result of this and the approach taken by staff, there have been no incidents of physical intervention, unauthorised absence or use of sanctions since the previous inspection.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The staff team has worked together for some time, with only one staff member recruited since the previous inspection. Appropriate recruitment policies, procedures and practice ensure all new staff are suitably recruited and cleared prior to taking up their posts. The home has a policy in place to re-check longer serving staff every three years. This ensures only suitably checked people have contact with young people. Young people are protected by a range of risk assessments which are regularly updated. Young people participate in regular fire drills and can safely exit the home if needed. Each has their own evacuation plan, ensuring that their specific needs are fully accounted for when emergency procedures are practiced. Safety checks to maintain a safe environment are regularly undertaken. Individual risk assessments, coupled with coping strategies, promote a safe environment for all young people.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Individual strategies are updated in light of reviews of young people’s risks and progress.

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Leadership and management

The leadership and management of the children's home are outstanding .

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Leadership and management

Since the previous inspection, an existing senior staff member has moved into the role of manager. This has provided a continuity of practice and stability and benefitted young people. Staff are enthusiastic and supportive of the manager, the home's ethos, aims and working practices, which they have helped to establish. They understand their role and responsibilities and work with the support of managers to address young people’s needs. Information about the home is generally good, but the staffing arrangements have recently changed and the home's statement of purpose does not give a clear account of the current overnight staffing. Staff receive regular supervision and appraisals to improve their knowledge and working practices. All staff have attained appropriate professional qualifications. They have opportunities to attend the active core training programme and recognised specialist areas are identified as part of individual training needs. This ensures staff possess

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Leadership and management

the competencies and skills to effectively meet young people’s diverse and complex needs.

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Leadership and management

Both the internal and external monitoring of the home take place regularly, meeting with regulatory requirements. Monitoring reports are comprehensive and ensure practice is accountable. Reports appropriately review performance and identify areas for improvement. Young people contribute to monitoring and their views are taken account of. The manager recently introduced a weekly overview of the home, which supplements the internal monitoring which takes place monthly. The reports produced improve the depth of evaluation taking place and is viewed as outstanding practice.

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Leadership and management

The manager is well supported and demonstrates understanding of the strengths of the home and areas for improvement. A written development plan is in place, which details the areas of improvement achieved over previous years. A new plan is currently being formulated. The home has a good record of compliance and has successfully addressed the two requirements and two recommendations carried over from the previous inspection. As a result, there has been an improvement in obtaining written consents from placing authorities regarding surveillance and in recording responses and outcomes following a complaint. In addition, all staff have undertaken safeguarding training and the homes visitors’ book is being used appropriately. The ethos, aims and working practices established in the home allow young people to benefit from highly personalised care that meets their specific needs. Young people are settled in their placement and are thriving in all areas. They live in an

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Leadership and management

energetic, lively environment where staff are working cohesively with families and other professionals to address their individual needs.

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Leadership and management

Equality and diversity practice is outstanding .

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