Children's Home run by The Rose Road Association in Southampton

Unique reference number SC042446 Inspection date 09/02/2012 Inspector Brian Mcquoid Type of inspection Interim Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 13/07/2011 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 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

The service offers short breaks for up to 12 children and young people with severe learning difficulties that may include physical disabilities and additional health problems. It is run by a registered charity which provides support and information services to children, young people and their carers throughout the area. The service is available to children and young people, of both sexes, aged between two years and 17 years. The unit consists of two residential areas located within a modern purpose-built complex that also contains a school and the offices of the charity. All those using the service are subject to a full pre-admission assessment aimed at identifying their care needs. This information is then used to determine if the service is able to meet their specific needs.

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Progress

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

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Progress

The service was last inspected in July 2011 when all areas were judged to be good. There were no statutory requirements arising from the previous inspection, however, there was one recommendation which related to the need to contact placing authorities to chase up outstanding reviews of young people's plans. Written evidence showed that this recommendation had been addressed satisfactorily. Regulation 33 reports are being forwarded to Ofsted as required and are seen to reflect positively on the service and how it operates on a day-to-day basis. Areas requiring attention are identified and always followed up during the next visit. Reports show the service is good at dealing with matters identified as requiring attention. A number of staff were spoken with during the inspection and all considered the service to be operating very effectively in the interests of young people. With a significant number of young people accessing the service having high

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Progress

levels of dependency, there are times when staff reported feeling stretched. They did, however, report that the care of young people is never compromised and that the manager will give permission for additional staff to be employed whenever necessary. Since the previous inspection the service has recruited additional bank workers and there has been a reduction in the use of agency workers as a result.

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Progress

Young people accessing the service continue to receive a very good standard of care which successfully addresses their individual and sometimes complex needs. Two parents spoken to during the course of the inspection could not praise the service highly enough and were extremely happy with the care their child was receiving. A student social worker on placement had been working at the service for approximately six months and was also extremely complimentary about the care that young people received. The student concerned showed evidence of an ongoing project they were undertaking to enhance the methods that staff use to consult with young people. This was seen to include use of a 'feelings board' and plans for a DVD entitled 'Involve Me' to be used as part of the staff training programme. Staff were observed to understand the needs of individual young people extremely well and all young people arriving at the unit from school were seen to be very happy to be

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Progress

there. They were all provided with the opportunity to relax and have a snack as soon as they arrived and then were later given choices about what they wanted to do. Some were observed to be making Valentines cards.

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Progress

The service has a development plan which is ongoing and subject to regular review, while the organisation has strategic aims, one of which is to continually improve the quality of the short break service and to ensure the five 'Every Child Matters' outcomes are met. There is very effective internal monitoring and the service displays a clear commitment to continual improvement and development of the service. Staff spoken to were extremely positive about the support they receive, however, not all were having supervision on a regular basis.

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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 all staff are provided with regular supervision by appropriately qualified and experienced staff. (NMS 19.4 )

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