Children's Home run by Pathway Care Solutions Ltd in Nottinghamshire

Unique reference number SC390190 Inspection date 01/05/2012 Inspector Julian Mason Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 26/03/2012 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

This is a privately operated children's home. The home can accommodate up to three young people. The home is registered to accommodate children who may display emotional and behavioural 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 adequate .

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Overall effectiveness

Young people receive care and support that is matched to their needs and they feel safe living in the home. The Registered Manager and staff team are knowledgeable and aware of their role and responsibilities in terms of keeping young people safe. The value of education is promoted, although the progress some young people make in terms of attendance and achievement is not consistent. The Registered Manager has effective links with other agencies and services in support of young people’s development and plans of care.

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Overall effectiveness

The staff team are provided with support in their day-to-day work with young people but their performance or practice is not formally assessed. Not all staff have a level 3 qualification or have been trained in all key aspects of their work and new staff are not completing a recommended induction programme. The Registered Manager has systems in place to monitor the operation of the service and is aware of some of the home’s strengths and areas for improvement.

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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 provides a comfortable and homey environment and is well maintained, this relates to the lounge furniture (NMS 10.3)  ensure written risk assessments of the whole children’s home environment are made to ensure all potential sources of harm are identified (NMS 10.8)  ensure the home contributes to the development of each young person’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 that there is a record to show the date on which each recruitment and vetting check was completed and who carried out this check and that CRB disclosure information is destroyed by secure means as soon as it is no longer needed (NMS 16.4)  ensure there is a good quality learning and development programme which staff and volunteers are supported to undertake. It includes induction, post-qualifying

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Recommendations

and in-service training to enhance individual skills and to keep staff up-to-date with professional and legal developments. Staff are equipped with the skills required to meet the needs of the children and purpose of the setting, and training keeps them up-to-date with professional, legal and practice developments and reflects the policies, legal obligations and business needs of the home (NMS 18.1)  ensure new staff undertake the Children’s Workforce Development Council’s induction standards, commencing within 7 working days of starting their employment and being completed within 6 months (NMS 18.3)  ensure all existing care staff have attained a minimum level 3 qualification. All new staff engaged from the commencement of the national minimum standards (in April 2011) are to hold the level 3 Children and Young People’s Workforce Diploma which must include mandatory social care units; or be working towards

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Recommendations

the Diploma within 6 months of conformation of employment (NMS 18.5)  ensure all staff have their performance individually and formally appraised at least annually and this appraisal takes into account any views of young people the service is providing for. (NMS 19.6)

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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 are receiving care and support that is based on their individual needs and personal circumstances. The staff team help young people develop their confidence and emotional well-being because they encourage positive relationships within the home and wider community. Young people are encouraged and supported to develop their skills and make the right choices in their lives. Where outcomes for young people may be affected as a result of poor decision-making, staff work hard to influence and promote change. However, the influence the staff team have to affect change and improve outcomes is sometimes limited.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people’s health needs are being met to ensure their good health and well- being is maintained. Young people are encouraged to eat healthily and they contribute to menu planning which includes some of their favourite foods. Young people regularly access community healthcare services such as doctors, dentists and opticians. More specialist healthcare services and professionals are also accessed for those young people whose needs are more complex and long-term.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people are consulted about the range of activities they wish to participate in each week. Staff know young people well and their individual preferences. Weekly activity planners are produced for each young person and plans are changed when different choices are made.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Mixed arrangements for education are in place for all young people, which are based on individual needs. Some young people are preparing for their GCSE’s and extra help has been organised to support their revision and preparation. However, engagement and attendance for other young people is not occurring regularly so their progress and potential to do well is being hampered. The Registered Manager actively liaises with a range of professionals and coordinates efforts to influence and improve educational outcomes. Currently, and in spite of these efforts, non-school attendance for some young people remains. As a consequence of these circumstances, the staff are in the process of devising a new incentive programme to help young people with their attendance.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people are supported and encouraged to maintain family contact and appropriate friendships. Staff have access to a good range of updated information about contact arrangements and this helps to ensure that contact is safe and appropriate.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people are supported to learn the life skills necessary to take more responsibility for themselves as they get older and wish for greater independence. However, the staff team’s approach is carried out in the absence of any agreed plans or assessments of what young people need and would like to learn in terms of skills and knowledge. It is not clear how effective the home is at preparing young people for adulthood.

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Quality of care

Young people are receiving good quality care because the home’s staff team work in partnership with each young person. Staff know young people well and they are able to use this knowledge to tailor their care and support in a way that suits the needs and risks of each individual. Well-established and supportive relationships exist that are used to promote acceptable behaviour within the home and wider community. Staff are aware of young people’s histories and backgrounds and use this to help shape and individualise their care. For instance, staff may approach young people’s behavioural difficulties in a different way because of their very different needs.

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Quality of care

Young people feel they are listened to and can make a contribution to the running the home. Formal systems of consultation, such as house meetings, are not currently established so staff use more informal methods to talk to young people about their care and daily routines. The home’s records reflect some of this consultation so managers can assess levels of involvement and engagement. Young people know how to make a complaint if they are not happy about any aspect of their care. Although no complaints have been made recently, young people are confident that any issues raised will be dealt with quickly.

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Quality of care

The staff team have access to a compensative range of good quality information about young people. Specific plans are produced that include young people’s own reflections on such areas of as their identity, family history, culture and sexuality. Written information about young people’s needs is updated reflecting new or changing needs and risks.

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Quality of care

Young people benefit from the home’s location as it is near many community facilities and transport links associated with a suburb of a large city. Young people like their home and feel it meets their needs. The communal areas provide a clean, tidy and comfortable environment but some of the lounge furniture is a little worn. Environmental risks are assessed and reviewed to ensure any potential sources of harm to young people are identified and reduced. However, not all actions taken to reduce risks are included in the written assessment so it is not clear how often or how well particular risks are being assessed or reviewed.

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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 are safe and feel safe in the home and with the staff who look after them. Relationships between staff and young people are generally good and behaviour in the home is managed well. Staff receive training in how to manage behaviour and this is clearly focused on the use of de-escalation techniques. Staff are patient and sensitive with each young person and take account of individual circumstances to support proportionate and fair responses.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Physical interventions are only used as a last resort and are very low in number and duration. Records are made of these events so the Registered Manager can monitor the use of this method of control. The Registered Manager is in the process of improving these records to encourage and improve feedback from young people about these events. Young people sometimes receive formal sanctions for poor behaviour and records show that the measures taken are fair.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The staff team use their well-established relationships with young people to positively influence behaviours and attitudes. Generally, young people do not leave the home without permission or go missing, with only one event of this nature occurring within the last six months. Staff follow agreed procedures and focus on gaining the return of young people as quickly as possible.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people are protected by robust selection and recruitment procedures for new staff. Managers determine the suitability of all applicants before they start work in the home, which is evidenced by well-organised personnel files. Following the recruitment process, some records are retained in personal files that are not necessary, although this has no impact on the assessment of a new employee’s suitability.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people’s health and safety is monitored and supported by regular checks and assessments of the home’s environment, fixtures and fittings. Fire safety is also promoted by regular checks and tests of fire prevention methods and equipment.

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Leadership and management

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

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Leadership and management

Managers and staff are clear about their roles and responsibilities. The Registered Manager is very knowledgeable about young people’s needs and organises the home’s routines around the changing circumstances of each young person.

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Leadership and management

Young people’s needs are being met by sufficient staffing levels. Staff attend formal supervision meetings occasionally to support and guide them with the work they do with young people. Day-to-day support from managers and seniors is also available to help staff through the routines of each day. However, staff do not have their performance individually or formally appraised, new residential child care workers are not starting the Children’s Workforce Development Council’s induction standards within seven days of starting their employment. Furthermore, not all existing care staff have attained a minimum level 3 qualification and the information that the home holds about core and mandatory training for staff is not accurate. It is not clear if all staff have completed the necessary formal training or have had their competency formally assessed in key areas of their practice. The Registered Manager has already recognised some of these shortfalls and is working with other managers

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Leadership and management

in the organisation to improve training and development. For instance, the organisation’s learning and development programme is being evaluated for its effectiveness in terms of meeting the needs of staff who look after young people.

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Leadership and management

The Statement of Purpose is made available to those people who have an interest in the service. For instance, it gives parents and placing social workers an overview of what the home sets out to do for young people. Young people receive a copy of the children's guide when they move into the home, which gives useful information about the home's expectations. It also provides recently updated contact information for organisations that promote children’s rights and advocacy.

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Leadership and management

The Registered Manager carries out regular monitoring activities across a range of records and to assess how well young people’s needs are being met. This activity is in addition to regular visits by an organisational representative who also monitors the operation of the service. Reports of these visits are produce and shared with the Registered Manager as well as being sent to Ofsted as required. The Registered Manager responds to any shortfalls highlighted and this information may also be added to the home’s existing development plan, which highlights areas that need improvement or further development.

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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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