Children's Home run by Care Afloat Ltd in Lancashire

Unique reference number SC006011 Inspection date 28/05/2012 Inspector Elaine Clare Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 15/02/2012 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 registered to provide care and accommodation for up to two children aged from eight to 17 years with emotional and behavioural difficulties. A private company owns and operates the home.

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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 all respects, young people receive high-quality and personalised care. Young people make good progress in all areas of their welfare and development, with some areas showing very good progress. For example, school attendance over a period of time has improved hugely. This needs to be maintained in the future.

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Overall effectiveness

There is a stable, well-trained staff team, led by an effective and efficient manager. Staff are well supported to meet young people's needs, which results in high-quality care.

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Overall effectiveness

Care planning is highly individualised and enables staff to focus on areas of need for each young person. Young people continue to engage in risky behaviours. However, staff work extremely hard to guide them to keep safe and to inform them of the effect their behaviour may have on their welfare and health. Some very good outcomes have resulted from helping young people to modify risky or anti-social behaviour; for example, by using anger management techniques.

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Overall effectiveness

The home engages in safe care practices, which are supported by robust polices and procedures. Young people say that they feel safe. Their families also say that they are kept safe and all professionals involved in their lives confirm that they are kept up-to-date with young people’s progress. Communication is a real strength of the home.

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Overall effectiveness

The home strives to embrace equality and diversity. Overall young people are supported to achieve a sense of personal identity. The home’s strengths are the skills within the staff team, good communication and achieving improved behaviours and school attendance. These strengths have impacted positively on young people’s life chances.

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Overall effectiveness

The manager has a very good understanding of the home’s weaknesses and strengths and how to address areas requiring development. Monitoring of the home is good but could be further improved with written comments within the Regulation 33 report on the views of young people, staff and other professionals on the service.

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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 staff receive appropriate training. (Regulation 27(4)(a)) 31/07/2012

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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

 consult with children, staff members and other professionals about young people’s welfare during the Regulation 33 visit. (NMS 21.1)

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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

The outcomes for young people at this setting are good, with some areas of excellent progress made. Young people say that they are aware of their placement plans and have contributed towards them.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people have access to some images around the home which reflect different cultures. Although there is scope for further development in this area, this means that young people are able to develop a positive self-view, emotional resilience and a knowledge and understanding of their background.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people say that they are involved in menu planning and occasionally cook their own meals. Young people receive a nutritious and balanced diet, with access to plentiful fresh fruit and vegetables. Although staff promote healthy lifestyles, some young people engage in a risky behaviours around tobacco misuse, which may have a negative impact on their health and welfare. Despite this, young people have made good progress, in that there has been a reduction in some of these activities and a willingness to seek further advice about giving up.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people benefit from appropriate contact with family, friends and other people who are important to them. Young people appreciate the staff’s efforts to help them keep in touch. One young person spoke really positively about the support they had received to keep in contact with their family. Contact records are up to date and are reviewed regularly.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people’s attendance at their educational facilities is good. This has improved significantly over time. Young people feel that they are making good progress and have aspirations for the future. Staff are proactive in making links with the education provider and they transport young people to their education daily. This ensures that educational placements are maintained.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people say that they are offered activities, although currently only a minimal number of these are taken up. They often choose to spend time with friends at the local park or stay in the home playing on the games console.

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Quality of care

Young people receive good-quality care, with some aspects being of a very high standard. Young people say that they have, in general, positive and constructive relationships with staff. This helps them to behave appropriately. Any difficulties with relationships are handled well, with appropriate strategies put in place to protect both the young people and staff.

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Quality of care

There are care plans in place and formal requests are made to the placing authority if necessary. The plans contain a wealth of information and include areas such as behaviour management and health needs. There is clear evidence that placement plans are being shared with young people. This means that staff are able to provide consistent care and young people are able to understand what the plan is for their care.

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Quality of care

Young people have access to a range of purposeful and enjoyable activities. Although staff work hard to engage young people in activities, this is proving difficult.

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Quality of care

Young people's physical, emotional, and psychological health outcomes are good, with some aspects very good. Staff work efficiently and effectively to ensure young people receive the correct professional input and services to meet these needs. Young people are comfortable in asking staff to accompany them to appointments. Young people’s dietary needs are fully addressed through a varied and balanced diet. Staff support young people within education well, achieving some very good outcomes. Staff communicate regularly with schools and take an active part in school time. Staff provide inspiration for young people and their future choices. They promote good school attendance and personal development.

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Quality of care

Effective policies and procedures are in place for managing behaviour, including strategies in de-escalation and distraction. Physical intervention is used only in exceptional circumstances. Young people have highly-individualised behaviour management plans in place, of which they are well informed. As a result, staff show a consistent approach in challenging negative behaviours. There have been minimal restraints since the last inspection.

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Quality of care

Young people say that they do know how to complain. The home has a comprehensive and effective complaints procedure. The views of young people are effectively sought through a wide range of avenues such as key worker sessions, questionnaires, house meetings and one-to-one sessions with the registered manager. Young people have access to advocacy services. This means that there is a culture of utilising young people's views to improve the quality of care. The Regulation 33 visitor, however, does not always ask for comments from young people during their visit. In addition, comments from staff and other professionals involved with the young people’s care are also not recorded.

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Quality of care

The home is maintained, decorated and furnished to a suitable standard. There is a current programme of decoration with much work being undertaken to improve fixtures like internal doors. Young people have personalised their rooms. This gives young people a sense of belonging.

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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, as well as their families and professionals, say that the home keeps young people safe. Young people say that they can talk to a variety of different adults if they feel unsafe. Company procedures, clear records and effective practice ensure that safeguarding young people has a positive impact on their safety in the home and within the community.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people's behaviours have improved significantly over time. Although minimal physical interventions have taken place, most staff are regularly trained to undertake them if necessary. Some training has lapsed but staff have been booked on the next available course. Staff confirmed that they would physically manage only as a last resort. Positive and proactive behaviour management strategies are consistently applied. As a result, there have been some excellent outcomes for young people, including improved anger management and a significant reduction in going missing from the home.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The environment of the home is secured to a satisfactory standard. Fire detection equipment is checked regularly and there is a fire evacuation plan. The home has effective fire safety measures in place to help to ensure young people’s safety.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Staff working with young people in the home are carefully selected and vetted to prevent the appointment of unsuitable people. Staff sometimes work with young people alone. The home conducts high-quality working alone risk assessments that highlight all potential risks and how they can be lessened.

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Safeguarding children and young people

There are good child protection procedures in place. Staff are confident and demonstrate that they know what to do and who to inform in the event that they have concerns about a young person's well-being. All members of staff receive training in child protection and safeguarding procedures. The Registered Manager ensures that the appropriate action is taken and all the relevant agencies are informed of any safeguarding issues.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Staff know and implement the procedure when young people go missing. High- quality care and behaviour management has seen a huge decrease in the number of missing young people over time. The home's procedures enable them to have liaison with the local police should anyone go missing. Should a young person go missing procedures in place allow staff to respond appropriately using specific risk assessments that detail when to alert the police, dependent on the particular vulnerabilities of each young person.

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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

Young people are cared for by a stable staff team, led by an experienced and efficient Registered Manager. The manager oversees the home's development plan and regularly reviews its contents in order to monitor the progress made. The manager has a clear understanding of the home’s many strengths and few weaknesses.

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Leadership and management

Feedback from professionals comments on the excellent communication between the staff and other agencies and on the professionalism of the staff team. The staff team is a definite strength of the home and results in young people receiving high-quality and consistent care.

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Leadership and management

The home employs sufficient staff representing a range of ages, ethnicities and both genders. Staff confirm that they receive regular, good quality supervision. Staff have completed all mandatory training and a training plan is in place for the forthcoming year. This equips them with the skills to meet young people's needs. However, some training has not been updated as regularly as it could be. This can have a limited impact on young people, should procedures or practice have changed over time, in as much staff could act in contradiction with current guidelines. An example of this is health and safety training is only implemented every five years. Another example is child protection training can go beyond three years before being renewed. The home has very good links with other agencies within the community, such as youth services, police and the Local Safeguarding Children Board. External agencies

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Leadership and management

provided very positive feedback about the home’s communication and care practices.

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Leadership and management

All records are stored securely. Appropriate documentation is in place to support the young people’s care.

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Leadership and management

The Statement of Purpose contains sufficient information to inform placing authorities of the service that is offered. Professionals are aware of what the home provides. The provider does consistently meet the aims and objectives in the Statement of Purpose.

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Leadership and management

Regulation 33 and 34 reports are completed monthly for monitoring the home. Regulation 34 reports have been submitted to Ofsted, and were seen at the inspection. Overall, both reports show good monitoring, although the Regulation 33 report does not fully evidence views of young people, staff and other professionals about the service. Both, however, indicate that the home is being effectively and efficiently managed.

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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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