Children's Home run by Progressive Futures Care Limited in Knowsley

Unique reference number SC431931 Inspection date 01/05/2012 Inspector Sonya Robinson Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 29/11/2011 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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Brief description of the service

The home provides care and accommodation for up to three young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties, between the ages of ten to seventeen. The home is managed by a private company.

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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

This is this home's first full inspection since registration. The home owner and Registered Manager understand the strengths and weaknesses of the home as a new service and they are committed to continually improving this service and outcomes for young people.

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Overall effectiveness

The home takes positive steps to meet the diverse and complex needs of the young people placed. The main strengths come from the strong links with specialist services, such as mental health and the placing authority social workers. This promotes development in aspects of personal, emotional and health education and citizenship. Staff ensure that young people receive an individual service designed to meet their personal needs. The home values the rights of individuals to respect and dignity.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people are able to make their views known and have a say in what happens in the home. They are involved in decisions about what food they eat, what they do in their spare time and how their room is decorated. Young people are safe living at the home. Social workers who have placed young people within the home state that the 'service is generally good.’

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Overall effectiveness

The home has a friendly atmosphere where everyone usually gets along and young people mostly enjoy positive relationships with staff. Staff are helpful and they enjoy spending time with the young people.

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Overall effectiveness

As a result of this inspection, three requirements and three recommendations are made. These relate to risk assessments, information within young people's files, internal monitoring of the home and staff training.

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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 that all parts of the home to which children have access are so far as reasonably practicable free from hazards to their health and safety, specifically ensure all relevant environmental risk assessments have been undertaken and implemented (Regulation 23 (a)) 30/06/2012

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) maintain a system for the monitoring of matters in Schedule 6 at appropriate intervals and supply to the HMCI a report in respect of any review conducted by him for that purposes, such as 6 monthly intervals (Regulation 34) 30/06/2012

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure a system is in place to notify without delay all authorities listed in schedule 5 of significant events, specifically Ofsted. (Regulation 30 (1)) 30/06/2012

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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 information about the child is recorded clearly and in a way which will be helpful to the child when they access their files; in particular all relevant information regarding incident reports and minutes from meetings should be noted within these files (NMS 22.5)  ensure that children and young people need to have the opportunity to take risks proportionate to their age (Volume 5, statutory guidance, para 2.61)  ensure that there is a good quality learning and development programme which staff are supported to undertake, such as attending specialist training to promote the needs of young people placed. (NMS 18.1)

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Outcomes for children and young people

Outcomes for children and young people are adequate . The staff support young people well by talking, and using activities to build relationships with the young people. As a result, young people are gaining a knowledge and understanding of themselves, they are adapting to new situations and their view of themselves. Feedback from young people is that 'staff are ok'. Young people's progress at the home is adequate because the home is following young people's local authority care plan, while specialist care is being sought. However, the home's documentation within young people's files is not consistent and incident reports and notes from meetings are not always in place despite appropriate action being taken.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people have good general health because their health needs are effectively identified and services are provided to meet them. They are encouraged and supported to attend routine appointments with dentists, doctors and opticians. The young people’s health is closely monitored and staff continually work with young people and inform medical professionals of progress. Specialist health workers are involved where appropriate to promote physical and mental health. Healthy activities take place such as walking and going on days out to the countryside.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people can choose their food, and the food served is both healthy and nutritious. The staff are aware of individual young people's likes and dislikes to ensure that they enjoy the food served. Staff encourage young people to eat healthy foods and snacks. Young people go shopping with staff and are able to choose freely items for the menu and weekly treats.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Education attendance and achievement are satisfactory in relation to individual ability for young people placed. Staff are consistent in supporting educational achievements. Young people have support and encouragement to ensure that they attend school and positively address challenges and barriers to educational progress and achievement. This ensures preparation into adulthood and prepares young people for the wider world.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people benefit from appropriate contact with family. At times, staff will supervise contact for some young people; this is managed in a sensitive manner to secure the required levels of safeguarding. Young people are supported to develop their independent living skills.

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Outcomes for children and young people

An activities programme has been developed to provide opportunities for young people to develop new skills, with support and encouragement from staff. This enables young people to develop their confidence, such as completing adventure trail courses. This enhances their self-worth, resilience and self-esteem.

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Quality of care

The consultation systems with young people are satisfactory; there are young people's meetings taking place alongside more informal discussions between staff and young people. Young people are helped to develop socially acceptable behaviour by the use of praise and the implementation of boundaries. Young people know what standards of behaviour are expected and this has resulted in young people demonstrating an increasingly mature and responsible approach to how they conduct themselves. Staff ensure that young people have access to information about how to make a complaint, such as in the children's guide and by having access to independent advocates.

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Quality of care

Staff have an understanding of young people’s complex health needs and closely monitor young people. They also ensure young people get suitable medical advice and treatment when young people are feeling unwell or if they are concerned about young people’s emotional well-being. Staff support young people to be active and take regular exercise, for example, by going to the gym.

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Quality of care

The home’s procedures for managing medication are put into practice to ensure young people’s welfare is promoted and protected. Staff are trained in first aid and handling medication. They have a clear understanding of the home’s procedures and a detailed knowledge of each young person’s medication. Medication is securely stored. Staff make sure that young people only have medication specifically for them and take it in line with the prescription instructions. The individual needs of young people are identified, and specialist needs are met by external support as necessary.

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Quality of care

Educational needs are met and special educational arrangements are made as necessary. Young people are positive about their own arrangements and staff are involved in supporting educational plans for each of them, with the relevant authorities. This means that young people are attending education specific to their needs.

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Quality of care

Young people are cared for in line with their local authority care plan and the home liaise when appropriate with carers and parents to promote continuity of care. Young people are encouraged to follow their particular interests, such as being listening to music, attending cultural and educational events and shopping for clothes in keeping with their peers and the season. As a result young people are able to build confidence in their abilities and experience different social, cultural and ethnic backgrounds.

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Quality of care

Young people live in a location, in reach of schools, leisure facilities, public transport and shops, that are important for their development. The size, layout and design of the accommodation meet young people’s needs. The home also has a regular maintenance programme in place. However, environmental risk assessments within the home are limited in number and detail.

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Safeguarding children and young people

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

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people live in a safe environment where they are protected from harm. Young people did not wish to speak with the inspector during this inspection. Though through questionnaires stated that generally they were safe. They also stated that there is currently no issues around bullying. Other professionals informed that the home is a safe placement for the young people who live at this home.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Staff demonstrate commitment to preserving the confidentiality, dignity and privacy of young people and they have knowledge and understanding of safeguarding issues. The home takes steps to make sure that young people missing from home are protected. If young people go missing, staff will try to find them. Staff are aware and do not exceed the measures they can take to prevent a child leaving without permission under current legislation and government guidance. The home has developed positive links with the local police and follow agreed local protocols regarding young people missing from care. Incidents are recorded appropriately. Risk assessments are in place detailing individual needs and agreed strategies to support and protect young people. However, detail is lacking about young people taking appropriate risks which would be agreed by a reasonable parent subject to age, understanding and ability.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Staff praise young people when they do well and reward them. Staff assist young people to learn to manage their behaviour and solve problems. Physical intervention of young people has not been used in, or by the staff of this home. Recording systems for sanctions show that staff are reasonable in their approach when applying consequences. This have resulted in a large number of rewards given within the home. Rewards have included CD's, extra clothing and beauty treatments to promote self worth and esteem.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Staff carry out fire drills, to ensure the premises are safe and young people know what to do in case of an emergency. The recruitment and selection of people working at the home is very thorough to make sure young people are protected. Also, there are suitable systems in place to ensure that visitors to the home are suitably checked and supervised to protect young people.

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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

The home is managed by an experienced and qualified Registered Manager. The home has a business plan in place which includes an improvement agenda. This demonstrates that they want to continue to improve their service and the outcomes for young people in their care. Staff say that they are supported by the Registered Manager and have a clear understanding of their role and responsibilities. They confirm that when they need support and guidance the manager is available and helpful. Staff are well supported on a daily basis and they are consistently receiving one-to-one supervision on a regular basis.

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Leadership and management

At the last interim inspection in November 2011 no requirements or recommendations were made. This is the home's first full inspection since registration in August 2011. The home has a clear Statement of Purpose that sets out the aims of the home and how it will operate. Young people receive a children's guide to the home. Both of these documents contain relevant up to date information. For example, the children's guide contains details of the Children's Rights Officer at Ofsted along with information about independent reviewing officers and social workers. The guide is written in a child friendly format and includes pictures in order that young people of various ages and abilities can access this.

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Leadership and management

The management of this service demonstrate a commitment to delivering childcare practice tailored to the individual and personal needs of the young people they look after. Social workers feedback has been that, 'young people are safe' and that the 'Registered Manager always takes on board any issues raised'.

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Leadership and management

Young people are looked after by a staff team who are caring. The numbers of staff on duty are sufficient to meet the needs of young people. This includes the support they need for activities and personal care. However, staff do not always have the necessary training to meet some of the complex needs of the young people currently placed.

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Leadership and management

The Registered Manager consistently monitors the running of the home every month. However, these lack detail regarding any trends or patterns and a 6 monthly review has yet to be undertaken and submitted to Ofsted. The owner of the home visits every month to monitor how well young people are being cared for. The home has a positive relationship with the local community and professionals. The home has systems in place to review for example, the quality of care provided and health and safety within their annual development plan.

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Leadership and management

Young people’s records contain relevant documents from placing authorities. They are regularly reviewed in accordance with young people's individual needs and are stored securely. There are systems in place to notify relevant authorities of significant events that may occur within the home or with regards to the young person placed. However, Ofsted has not been consistently notified, although all other parties were informed and appropriate action was taken to ensure young people's safety. This has not impacted on the well-being of young people placed.

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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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