Children's Home run by Barnardo’s in Oxfordshire

Unique reference number SC013143 Inspection date 02/05/2012 Inspector Maire Atherton Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

p.1

Date of last inspection 25/10/2011 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.1

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.

p.2

Brief description of the service

This service is run by a national children's charity. It provides care for up to five young people aged from 5 to 18 years who have special educational needs and/or disabilities.

p.3

The inspection judgements and what they mean

Outstanding : a service that significantly exceeds minimum requirements Good : a service that exceeds minimum requirements Adequate : a service that only meets minimum requirements Inadequate : a service that does not meet minimum requirements

p.3

Overall effectiveness

The overall effectiveness is judged to be good .

p.3

Overall effectiveness

The strong management and established staff team work well together to secure improved outcomes for children and young people. Staff provide children and young people with individual and consistent care that effectively supports and nurtures their personal development, leading to improvements in their behaviour and communication.

p.3

Overall effectiveness

The staff team have maintained positive relationships with young people and their families, giving them a strong sense of safety and so a secure platform from which to further grow and develop. Children are happy in their environment and staff enable them to exercise choice in many aspects of their daily life through the use of a variety of communication methods.

p.3

Overall effectiveness

The areas identified for improvement include staff training and induction. These are organisational issues that are largely determined by the registered provider. They are not currently having an impact on outcomes for children, but may do in the future. Another area for to improvement is to ensure that minutes from meetings reviewing children’s placement plans are available.

p.3

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.

p.3

Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that all persons employed receive training within appropriate timescales and tailored to reflect the needs of the young people resident. (Regulation 27 (4)(a)) 31/10/2012

p.4

Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):

p.4

Recommendations

 ensure that the induction process for new staff incorporates the Children's Workforce Development Council's induction standards (NMS 18.3)  obtain copies of minutes of reviews held for children and young people (NMS 25.8)

p.4

Outcomes for children and young people

Outcomes for children and young people are good .

p.4

Outcomes for children and young people

Children and young people continue to make good progress and develop increasing confidence in their skills. They have developed secure attachments with staff and demonstrate this in their interactions; for example indicating which staff they would like to be with at different times, to go in the garden, get a snack or do art work. Children develop and maintain effective communication skills using a variety of verbal and non-verbal communication methods which enable them to make meaningful choices in their day-to-day living experiences.

p.4

Outcomes for children and young people

Staff promote the health and well-being of the children and young people very well, seeking additional professional support, such as counselling or therapy for example, where this is an identified need. Young people demonstrate a good understanding of a healthy diet and the value of exercise. One young person said 'I am going on the bike for a bit to get some exercise' and did so. The meals provide a nutritious balanced diet for the young people. Meal times are social occasions where young people are encouraged and supported to contribute to the conversation, using their preferred means of communication.

p.4

Outcomes for children and young people

All young people have good school attendance and staff celebrate the achievements of the young people at school. Daily contact with school though home/school diaries is an effective way of sharing information about young people’s needs which may affect their learning.

p.4

Outcomes for children and young people

The wide range of needs of the young people in the home are very well known to and considered by staff in their interactions with the children and young people. Staff have a strong awareness of the significant challenges posed by the young people and recognise these behaviours as methods of communication. They then work with the young people to achieve more effective and socially acceptable communication methods which enables greater participation in the wider community.

p.4

Outcomes for children and young people

Children and young people develop and maintain independence skills by assisting with tasks around the home according to their age and ability. The staff team have a heightened awareness of the need for careful, considered transition planning and are actively pursuing this.

p.5

Outcomes for children and young people

Children and young people benefit from contact with family members, which is exceptionally well promoted and supported by the staff. Staff are considerate and creative in their approach so as to make contact, both at the home and off site, a positive and enjoyable experience for all involved.

p.5

Quality of care

Positive relationships exist between the children and young people and the staff team. There are good interactions, with children actively seeking out different staff members for particular tasks. This is managed very effectively by the staff team, fairly accommodating the wishes of the children and young people where this is possible. The staff promote relationships between the children and young people while recognising the limitations of this arising from their very diverse needs and communication skills.

p.5

Quality of care

The staff are skilled at gaining the views of the children and young people, using a variety of communication methods, including the interpretation of behaviour. Staff then ensure that the expressed preferences of children and young people influence what happens in the home; for example choosing activities offered and planning menus. Staff have promoted the welfare of young people by supporting them to make complaints; for example to social workers about contact arrangements.

p.5

Quality of care

Children and young people’s individual profiles are very detailed and are regularly updated. There is an ‘at a glance’ system that alerts staff when specific areas of profiles are updated, health or behaviour management for example. The outcomes detailed in the plans are aspirational with a step-by-step outline of what staff need to do to support the young person achieve the desired outcome. This is proving effective at improving self-care skills and developing independence. The staff team have established positive working relationships with family members that contribute effectively towards continuity of care and the achievement of positive outcomes. Examples include the involvement of family members in choosing bedroom colour schemes and activities.

p.5

Quality of care

Staff consistently promote the health and well-being of children and young people. Staff achieve this by ensuring that young people attend health appointments and in the development and maintenance of effective working relationships with healthcare professionals. For example, a mental health professional is scheduled to attend a staff meeting to discuss medication, its impact on children’s behaviour and why and how it should be recorded. Staff are familiar with and confidently implement the suitable systems for the safe receipt, storage, administration and disposal of medication. The management team is tailoring the organisational induction for staff in the safe handling of medicines so that it more closely fits the needs of this home.

p.5

Quality of care

Children and young people's education is successfully promoted by the staff team. They have established good working relationships and effective communication with the schools. Staff attend school reviews, visit children in school to observe different communication systems in operation and arrange for school staff to come to staff meetings to share communication methods.

p.6

Quality of care

Children and young people are offered a good range of leisure opportunities, both in the home, the local community and wider society. Young people attend after school clubs, go to the local shops and enjoy trips in the home's minibus. In the home there is a range of resources including a sensory room, a play room, arts and crafts materials, books, toys and music.

p.6

Quality of care

The personalised care that each young person receives successfully promotes all aspects of young people’s lives irrespective of their disability, ethnicity, faith, gender, language or sexual orientation.

p.6

Quality of care

The home is located in a residential area with easy access to local resources and facilities. The property is decorated, furnished and maintained to a good standard. The garden areas are easily accessible and provide children and young people with space to spend time outside and use the play equipment. Young people have personalised their bedrooms, reflecting their needs and interests. Artwork by and photos of young people decorate the walls of the house.

p.6

Safeguarding children and young people

The service is good at keeping children and young people safe and feeling safe.

p.6

Safeguarding children and young people

Children and young people indicate that they feel safe and well cared for in the home. They move and interact confidently and freely around the home and are at ease with staff. Staff receive safeguarding training, are familiar with and know how to use the child protection procedures. The organisation is making changes to the format of the safeguarding training which means that some staff have not had refresher training in the past year. In addition the training is general and does not contain a specific component for safeguarding children with disabilities.

p.6

Safeguarding children and young people

The staffing levels, the vigilance of the staff team and their in-depth knowledge of the young people ensures that they are properly supervised thus successfully minimising opportunities for bullying, accidents and young people going missing. Any behaviour by young people that could be interpreted as bullying is appropriately managed and recorded by staff. Children and young people’s behaviour is generally good. Staff respond consistently to any undesirable behaviour through the use of the individual strategies outlined in each child and young person’s behaviour management plans, underpinned by appropriate behaviour management training. These strategies are used to very good effect, for example, staff removing additional stimuli and speaking in a quiet, unhurried voice until the desired outcome is achieved. Staff have requested and obtained additional behaviour management training to support them in dealing with

p.6

Safeguarding children and young people

a particular issue. Staff readily praise young people for their achievements; for example, 'good listening' and 'good signing', and also use rewards. This consistent approach has led to a decrease in the number of incidents of physical intervention in the home. Also, there have been no sanctions used in the past six months.

p.7

Safeguarding children and young people

Young people are protected by robust recruitment practices and the implementation of good health and safety routines; providing them with a safe and secure environment. Regular fire tests and drills take place, and equipment is checked and serviced within the required timescales. Young people have a personal evacuation plan and visitors are briefed on the evacuation procedure when they arrive. There is a robust risk assessment framework, both general and individual to children and young people that is implemented in practice.

p.7

Leadership and management

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

p.7

Leadership and management

There is a strong management team effectively led by the Registered Manager. The manager adopts an inclusive approach and ensures all staff know that their contribution is essential in achieving the best outcomes possible for the children and young people in their care. The whole team communicate a sense of striving for improvement and the very thorough monitoring report outlines the progress made, both across the service and for individual children and young people. The business development plan highlights the next steps to be taken to secure further improvement and progress. The statement of purpose is up to date and accurately reflects the service provided for young people.

p.7

Leadership and management

Staff are enthusiastic and committed to the young people in their care. They have formed good relationships with young people and speak positively about them. All the children and young people benefit from one-to-one staffing, with an additional member of staff available to provide a degree of flexibility and two-to-one support when necessary. Thus ensuring there are sufficient staff to supervise young people, support attendance at appointments and participation in activities. Staff communicate effectively using daily handovers and regular staff meetings to discuss and monitor the progress of individual young people. Staff recognise the individual strengths of the children and young people in their care and also identify areas for development; for example working towards securing independent advocacy for young people.

p.7

Leadership and management

Staff are well supported by regular supervision, team meetings and annual appraisals. There is an organisational induction process for new staff, however it is unclear if this incorporates the Children's Workforce Development Council's induction standards. The charity has identified a range of mandatory training for staff. However the Registered Manager has identified that the reliance on one trainer, for example for safeguarding and behaviour management, means that the training does not always take place within the desired timescales. In addition opportunities for specialist training, in relation to the specific disabilities of the young people placed are infrequent due to budgetary constraints and staff availability. To try and address this shortfall the staff adopt a creative approach. For example, one member of staff is attending an autism training course and will feedback the information to the rest of

p.7

Leadership and management

the team. Also, other professionals are invited to attend team meetings and there is a range of relevant books available for staff to borrow. Staff have either attained or are working towards the relevant level three child care qualification.

p.8

Leadership and management

Young people's files are stored securely and are well maintained so as to contribute to an understanding of the young person's life. These are well supplemented by the use of photographs and other memorabilia which are kept safe for young people. Reviews take place as required but the home, despites requests, does not always get a copy from the independent reviewing officer. As a result staff may not always have up-to-date information about children and young people’s placement plans.

p.8

Leadership and management

The manager undertakes regular monitoring of the home as required and monthly external monitoring visits are carried out by the registered provider visitor, which includes consultation with and observation of children and young people.

p.8

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.

p.9

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.

p.9