Children's Home run by Liverpool City Council in Liverpool

Unique reference number SC035969 Inspection date 24/02/2012 Inspector Michelle Moss Type of inspection Interim Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 06/10/2011 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Brief description of the service

The children's home is managed by a local authority providing short-term breaks for children between the ages of eight and 19 years. The home cares for up to seven children with learning disabilities and physical disabilities at any one time. Many of the children use non-verbal methods of communication.

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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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Progress

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

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Progress

This interim inspection has focused on the progress the home has made since their last full inspection undertaken in October 2011, when they were judged to be satisfactory.

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Progress

The home has taken swift action to address nearly all previously identified shortfalls. As a consequence of this action, there is a stronger focus on supporting children’s behaviours that takes into account individual risks of harm. Clear strategies are now captured in children’s placement plans to help staff sustain a consistent approach to care. Also, there is a clearer written log for capturing all physical interventions. Where physical intervention is used, the lowest level of intervention is applied and is aimed at helping minimise the risk of self-harming.

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Progress

There is continuing strengthening of support of the local authority with respective roles and responsibilities of senior staff and managers clearly defined. The care staff are sustaining a climate of mutual respect with children and parents. Parents continue to hold the home in high regard and describe the staff as warm and always welcoming. Parents feel reassured by the genuine care their child receives and feel confident their child is safe. This reassurance gives them piece of mind.

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Progress

There is increased vigilance in areas of health and safety. This includes staff carrying out daily inspections of the premises and having access to risk assessments that cover the whole premises. The home’s Regulation 33 visits are also more rigorously applied and include time being given by visitors to listen to, consult with and involve children in their assessment of the provision of care. This increased inclusion is enabling children to influence decisions and share experiences. Nevertheless, children are still not being encouraged to contribute to records made by staff when discipline measures are used, such as when staff apply a sanction as an attempt to modify behaviour. This lack of opportunity leaves the views of children hidden.

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Progress

There are increased lines of communication with parents and carers in relation to the home’s use of monitoring devices. This has included obtaining formal consent when a listening device is used to monitor a child’s welfare. Furthermore, the home has produced a policy on the use of monitoring devises that takes into account how the home promotes the welfare of children, how children will be informed about the use of these devices and how legitimate privacy of the child will be protected.

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Progress

There is increased diligence in the care of medicines to ensure the time of when medication is administered is clearly logged. This is creating a more concise audit to validate children are receiving their medication in accordance with their doctor’s instructions. Nevertheless, there is still the occasional slippage in sustaining concise records. For example, records can be found missing the instructions for administrating a medicine and the prescribed dose.

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Progress

Children are benefiting from improved comfort in their physical environment after areas of the home have been enhanced through a re-decoration programme.

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Progress

Considerable work has commenced to ensure care plans are better matched against the needs of individual children. This has included more careful monitoring of health records to ensure they remain up to date. The Registered Manager has brought in a systematic approach for reviewing the placement plan. This has included extensive work being undertaken to eliminate barriers that have hindered staff gaining access to key information about children’s social, welfare and health needs.

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Progress

The home’s prompt action to address all breaches in regulations and the vast majority of the national minimum standards, has meant only one recommendation has been reissued.

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):  ensure, where any sanctions or restraints are used, children are encouraged to have their views recorded in the records kept by the home (NMS 3.18)  make sure records are kept for the administration of all medication and includes the administration instructions and required dosage. (Volume 5, statutory guidance, paragraph 2.54)

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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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