Children's Home run by Bryn Melyn Care Limited in Shropshire

Unique reference number SC372661 Inspection date 23/05/2012 Inspector Julian Parker Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 20/03/2012 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 home is part of a range of young people's services within a private care organisation. The home is registered to offer care and accommodation to one young person with 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 good .

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Overall effectiveness

In this children’s home, care planning and childcare practice are highly personalised. This ensures that assessed needs are being addressed by following well-structured placement plans within a safe environment which is located sufficiently distant from former distracting influences. Young people are actively involved in the decisions that affect them on a day-to-day basis where these will not compromise their safety. Staff work in a considered and coordinated way with young people, their families, social workers and all other agencies involved in their lives. This ensures that young people receive the right level of help and the specific support they require to help them self- regulate their behaviour. Competent, well-trained and motivated staff, demonstrating the right balance of skills and experience, provide a very good quality of social care for young people.

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Overall effectiveness

Effective management, as demonstrated by the Registered Manager placing significant importance on the provision of a high standard of bespoke childcare practice, delivered by competent and committed practitioners, ensures that young people receive a good service. The competent use of the informative monitoring systems in place to review the quality of care provided enhances how outcomes for young people can be improved.

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Overall effectiveness

By presently being home based, the provision of education lacks a significant degree of direct tutor-led involvement, or clarity of direction, which could further inhibit academic achievement for young people. Shortfalls in the planning, clarity and recording of the present education provision, for young people, gives rise to two requirements. A recommendation is made in relation to the recording of young people’s activities and interests.

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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) promote the educational achievement of children accommodated in the home, in particular by ensuring that the children make use of education facilities appropriate to their age, aptitude, needs, interest and potential. This means that the educational timetable must include detail of learning aims and how they will be met (Regulation 18 (1)(a)) 25/06/2012

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) promote the educational achievement of children accommodated in the home, in particular by ensuring regular attendance at school and participation in school activities of children of compulsory school age. Where this is not the case the personal education plan or individual education plan should make explicit the timescale for inclusion. (Regulation 18 (1)(b)) 25/06/2012

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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 that the interests and hobbies of children are fully identified within their records. (NMS 7.5)

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Outcomes for children and young people

Outcomes for children and young people are good .

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people have gained insight and sufficient understanding, enabling them to start to address their problems and make meaningful progress in this children’s home. By responding to opportunities to take greater control of their lives, young people have started developing self-improvement skills and emotional resilience. Through achievement and praise, their self-esteem and perception of what goals are important in their lives have improved.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people demonstrate through the food and the activities they choose that they understand the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. They know about the health risks posed by smoking and the misuse of illegal substances, including how this inhibits their ability to make considered safe decisions. Acting upon adult guidance about choosing appropriate relationships has improved how young people keep themselves safe from illegal activity and potential physical harm.

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Outcomes for children and young people

The needs and requests made by young people significantly influence the home’s routine. Ongoing dialogue and more formalised key worker meetings ensure that the views of young people are included in all of the home’s recording and practice. By being sensitive to what particular factors influence acceptable social behaviour, staff are enabled to construct sensible daily plans designed to maximise the engagement and achievement of young people.

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Outcomes for children and young people

By accepting the importance of education, young people have actively engaged with bespoke opportunities for reintegration into a learning environment. Using established relationships with selected staff, re-established teaching currently takes place away from the formal school setting. By focusing on achievement and skills, key-stage outcomes are realised in practice but such measures are not presently sufficiently robust in their underpinning planning or administration. This absence of detail, including timescale, could lead to educational drift for young people and compromise the children's home registration.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people respond positively to the meaningful opportunities for enhancing life skills and developing personal confidence that are integrated into the home’s daily routines. Young people enjoy the practical tasks and support they receive during these early stages of preparation for eventual independent living. Staff engage in meaningful activities that help young people by providing the necessary knowledge and helping them rehearse the practical skills, such as cooking and gardening, that will help them cope with the future challenges of independence.

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Quality of care

Young people say that staff demonstrate care and concern about their welfare and that this has helped them keep out of trouble. One young person said that the move to this home had helped him break away from the young people who said they were his friends but led him into trouble. By helping him stay away from these peers, the staff had helped him to keep out of trouble and start to achieve more. He appreciated how staff had encouraged him choose how the house had been equipped to help him settle in and turn it into his home. One key worker had remained a stable and significant person in the young person’s life by remaining in his staff team throughout his moves between several children’s homes.

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Quality of care

To positively influence changes of behaviour, individualised strategies, underpinned by recorded plans, practically assist young people to evaluate the consequences of their actions. This helps them to understand where there are behavioural shortcomings and how to address them. Consistent boundaries, clear expectations and age-appropriate interventions have resulted in improvements to behaviour. Conflict is consequently minimised, when compared to that in previous placements, appropriately managed by the strength of relationships that enable diffusing, meaningful dialogue rather than reliance upon the use of sanctions.

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Quality of care

Young people know how to make their concerns known and how to use both the provider’s and placing authority’s complaints process. Practical support is provided by access to external advocates, social workers and ongoing familial contact. Concerns raised about staff members receive transparent and where necessary external independent investigation that includes appropriate levels of feedback for young people. By actively listening to concerns raised by young people, the manager has made effective changes to the delivery of care within the home to safeguard both young people and staff.

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Quality of care

Placement plans for young people confirm that the home identifies and addresses measurable outcomes for young people that promote their holistic well-being, safety and include the importance of cultural background. Plans made with young people confirm that staff communicate proactively with other agencies and professionals to secure positive outcomes for young people. For example, positive liaison with the police assists in safeguarding young people from inappropriate peer group associations. Active liaison with placing authorities endorses the present alternative package of educational provision; however, these measures do lack the degree of recorded structure and timescale to confirm their compliance with minimum standards.

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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

The well-being and safety of young people are central to this home’s practice. By presenting a non-judgemental approach prioritising acceptable social behaviour and safeguarding practice, the staff team effectively help young people to recognise and address the behaviour that places them at risk. Young people are encouraged to reflect upon the consequences of their behaviour. Accepting guidance from in-house therapists, residential staff and outside agencies has enabled young people make more considered decisions, cease their unauthorised absence and concentrate upon their immediate future.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Comprehensive recording confirms active liaison between the home, placing authorities and local children’s services, using the Local Safeguarding Children Board procedures. By having access to independent advocates external to the home, young people’s rights are respected. One young person confirmed that his long-term relationship and trust of his key worker provided him with someone who he could confide most of his concerns with.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people live in a physically safe environment. An extensive range of health and safety procedures, risk assessments and preventive checks effectively protects them. Staff carry out regular fire drills to ensure the premises are safe and young people know what to do in case of an emergency. Although not fully inspected on this visit, the provider follows a robust recruitment and selection process ensuring that staff working with young people are suitable and well qualified so that they can work with young people safely on their own. Young people say that staffing commitment and willingness to be involved in activities helps them feel cared for and safe.

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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 is operated in accordance with its Statement of Purpose, confirming that it is well organised and its staff are efficiently led. A comprehensive Statement of Purpose document provides young people, their families and social workers with a clear description of the services and support provided by both the home and the registered provider. The provider’s welcome guide for young people is readable and presented in an age-appropriate format. In-house versions develop the content of this document, personalising it to be more related to individual need.

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Leadership and management

The manager and staff team demonstrate a very strong commitment to providing a consistent high quality of service tailored to address the individual needs of young people. This encourages young people to invest in the home and, in doing so, progress markedly across the many aspects of their lives, including accepting education, sustaining their emotional development by engaging with therapists, practicing age-appropriate independence skills and by moderating behaviour to keep safe.

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Leadership and management

The close working relationships and good communication between the staff team contribute to the effectiveness of daily routines and help to provide young people with safe routines in a nurturing environment.

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Leadership and management

Staffing numbers, though usually at a one-to-one level, provide sufficiently for the level of support needed to promote recreational activities, visits and to attend important appointments. Young people benefit from not being over supervised or scrutinised when proving they can repay staff trust.

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Leadership and management

Through the provision of training and regular supervision staff are regularly supported by their qualified and experienced manager. All staff are properly trained and maintain their skill levels, ensuring they are up to date with changes in practice requirements.

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Leadership and management

Effective management systems are in place to monitor the service and the plans made for the young people living in the home. Monthly visits on behalf of the provider present the provider and the Registered Manager with a regular assessment of the home’s performance against its Statement of Purpose by identifying areas requiring further attention. Alongside the findings of the home’s internal monitoring systems, adjustments are made quickly by the team to ensure the home adapts quickly to address any shortfalls. These systems contribute valuable data that informs the objectives in the home’s annual development plan. The home’s written records are securely stored; data is carefully protected and provides a comprehensive but practical picture of young people’s needs, including diversity, development and progress. Young people’s records contain up-to-date information about them, including the relevant documents provided by or requested

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Leadership and management

from placing authorities such as the reporting of significant events. Some minor shortfalls do exist, created by the under recording of the full extent of recreational activities and interests enjoyed by young people.

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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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