Children's Home run by The Partnership of Care Today in Stockport

Unique reference number SC008487 Inspection date 04/05/2012 Inspector Angela Whiteley Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 21/03/2012 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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Brief description of the service

The home is one of a number of children's homes owned by a private company. The home provides care and accommodation for up to six young people, who may be experiencing emotional and/or behavioural difficulties, and learning difficulties.

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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 Adequate : a service that only meets minimum requirements Inadequate : a service that does not meet minimum requirements

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Overall effectiveness

The overall effectiveness is judged to be good .

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Overall effectiveness

Young people’s progress at this home is negatively affected by their age and their wish to make informed decisions about key areas of their lives. This impacts on the outcomes that are achievable for some young people. Staff demonstrate their commitment to supporting and advising young people and continue to work imaginatively to provide opportunities for young people to succeed and encourage them to make positive choices in preparation for their adult lives

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Overall effectiveness

Young people say this is a good home to live in and they feel safe. They benefit from good relationships with staff and each other and have developed positive attachments. Young people say they are listened to and, as a result, changes are made for their benefit. Parents and social workers consider young people are well cared for and that staff, ‘try hard’ to help young people change their behaviours. A social worker said staff are ‘very professional’ and felt progress was hindered by limited engagement from some young people.

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Overall effectiveness

Staff provide personalised and well-planned care through detailed risk assessments and care plans to meet young people’s individual needs. Documents are reviewed regularly to keep young people safe in a supportive environment. However, 'eligible' care leavers are not having the opportunity to contribute to their pathway plans as the placing authority has not shared the relevant documents with the home.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people’s individuality is respected and promoted to help develop a positive self-image. Staff encourage young people to develop new skills and emotional resilience at their own pace in preparation for adult life. Plans do not always confirm if young people learn a range of skills for leaving care. The manager demonstrates strong leadership having developed a committed and knowledgeable staff group who aspire to support young people to achieve better outcomes. However, not all young people are willing to access the support available.

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Overall effectiveness

Further areas for improvement include; the inclusion of missing reports in the monthly visitor report, the content of the Statement of Purpose to take account of Schedule 1 and repair and maintenance work within the home and garden to present a more homely environment. The breach in regulation has minimal impact on the young people.

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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 the home's Statement of Purpose consists of a statement as to the matters listed in Schedule 1, in particular the age range and sex of the children for whom it is intended that accommodation should be provided and whether it is intended to accommodate children who are disabled, have special needs or any other special characteristics. (Regulation 4 (1) Schedule 1 (8) (a) (b)) 01/06/2012

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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 and grounds are well maintained; in particular the shower room, holes in the wall and ceiling of young people's bedrooms, the cleanliness of areas outside the bedrooms, the safety of a bedroom light switch and lounge electric socket and the tidiness of the front and rear garden areas (NMS 10.3)  ensure the home contributes to the development of each child's care plan, including the pathway plan for 'eligible' care leavers and works collaboratively with the young person's social worker or personal advisor in implementing the plan (NMS 12.2)  ensure visits to the home carried out under Regulation 33 include relevant checks set out in regulations and guidance, including checks of the records of missing person's reports. (NMS 21.7 and Volume 5, statutory guidance paragraph 3.12)

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Outcomes for children and young people

Outcomes for children and young people are adequate .

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people’s health including their physical and emotional well-being is fully promoted by staff. Young people have access to specialist health professionals to enable individual health needs to be met. However, some young people choose not to engage with these services or have attended only a single appointment. Some young people will not attend routine medical appointments which may compromise their health in the future. Young people have good information about anti-smoking and the effects of drug use. Some young people have accepted support to reduce their use but have not given up. Young people enjoy a healthy balanced diet using a diverse range of foods that staff help them prepare.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people are helped to understand and address the impact their life experiences have had on the behaviours they exhibit. Not all young people are willing to accept that their behaviours need to change and that their risk taking behaviours place them at significant risk of harm. The focus for this home is positive behaviour management which has been effective as there have been no incidents of physical restraint.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Staff have promoted and supported young people with their education; however, a lack of regular attendance at school and college means some young people are unable to achieve their potential. Some young people have accepted the need to complete their final GSCE examinations to pursue college placements. They are supported by staff with their attendance and assisted to secure the further education placements of their choice. Young people are encouraged to access a range of social and sporting activities but do not take full advantage of these opportunities. Some young people prefer to make their own arrangements, which is actively encouraged and supported by the staff to help young people retain a positive self-identity and belonging.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people are encouraged to develop the skills they will need in independence, including managing their own finances through opening a bank account and managing weekly allowances. Recording the skills they achieve for leaving care is not evident as pathway plans are not up to date.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people use email, social network sites and their personal mobile telephones to maintain contact with family and friends. Young people have good support from staff to maintain regular contact visits to their family and friends, some live a significant distance away and have agreed overnight stays.

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Quality of care

Young people say they receive good quality care from a motivated and committed staff group. Young people approach staff without hesitation and can converse freely. Their views and feelings are central to both care planning and the day-to-day running of the home.

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Quality of care

Relationships between staff and young people are positive, they have developed over a long period as most young people have lived at the home for some time. Staff work proactively to promote opportunities for young people to succeed. They are realistic in setting targets as they recognise some young people may struggle to achieve when they are in crisis or where their level of engagement is compromised. Sanctions and episodes of going missing from this home have reduced over recent months. Some young people are reluctant to accept there are risks involved when they are reported missing from home and have chosen to continue this behaviour. Bullying is not an issue in this home. Young people know how to make a complaint if they are unhappy with any aspect of their care.

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Quality of care

Staff promote young people’s education, activities, health support services, diversity and cultural needs. Not all young people wish to take advantage of the opportunities available to them, which impacts on the outcomes they can achieve. Some young people will complete their GSCE examinations before securing further education courses.

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Quality of care

Young people have good access to services that promote health and well-being but some young people do not want to engage with the services at this time. Young people are assessed to self-medicate and have responsibility for their own medication. Young people are able to develop in a caring and nurturing environment commensurate with their age and understanding.

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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 say they feel safe in the home and can talk to any staff member if they are concerned about anything. Young people are looked after by staff that understand safeguarding procedures and have been suitably trained to take a highly proactive approach to any concerns. There are no child protection referrals for this home. Individual risk assessments and behaviour management plans are in place, which assist staff to protect young people.

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Safeguarding children and young people

When young people go missing from home, staff follow the procedures and protocols to assist the young person’s safe and quick return home. Staff have developed good links with the police, the ‘missing from home’ officer and the community support officer.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The staff team are trained in the appropriate use of physical intervention but rarely need to use it preferring techniques of de-escalation and humour which are more effective. The home’s records support this as there are no restraints recorded since the last full inspection. Positive behaviour is encouraged and this is reflected in the few sanctions that are imposed which young people say are fair and effective. Well-established recruitment and selection processes ensure that young people are cared for only by those who are deemed safe and competent. Young people enjoy a safe and secure environment. There are good health and safety systems in place. Regular practice evacuations ensure young people know how to exit the building safely and quickly in case of an emergency.

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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

The home benefits from strong leadership from an experienced Registered Manager and assistant manager who deputises in the manager’s absence. Young people benefit from the home’s strong commitment towards staff training and development. The consistent staff group have a broad range of experience and knowledge which ensures they have the skills needed to provide good quality care to young people. Staff receive monthly supervision and support which ensures they have the opportunity to develop their practice to best meet the young people’s needs. Staff say they feel well supported by their management team.

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Leadership and management

The home is appropriately resourced and employs sufficient staff to meet the needs of the young people currently placed. Any shortfalls in staffing levels are covered by existing staff or those from other homes in the organisation that are familiar with the young people. This ensures young people are cared for by staff that know them and can effectively respond to their needs. Social workers say communication with staff is good and involves regular sharing of information about young people’s care needs both in writing and verbally.

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Leadership and management

The home has a comprehensive Statement of Purpose which outlines its aims and objectives; however, it does not fully meet the requirements of Schedule 1 of The Children’s Homes Regulations 2001.

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Leadership and management

Robust monitoring systems ensure that young people enjoy good standards of care. A review of the monitoring systems will drive forward further improvements which will benefit young people as the monthly visitor report has not taken account of the missing from home records. Young people’s records are effective in helping them understand their experiences, decision-making and life events during their time at the home. The omission of pathway plans hinders young people’s full understanding of their care journey. No recommendations or requirements were raised at the last inspection.

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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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