Children's Home run by Kirklees Council in Kirklees

Unique reference number SC033326 Inspection date 12/06/2012 Inspector Jacqueline Malcolm Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 19/12/2011 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 is owned and operated by a local authority. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for six young people who experience behavioural and emotional difficulties.

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The inspection judgements and what they mean

Outstanding : a service of exceptional quality that significantly exceeds minimum requirements Good : a service of high quality 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 live in a stable home environment. They are cared for by a supportive and diverse staff team, who have the competence and skills to care for them and say they feel well managed. Most young people feel safe. Positive relationships, between young people and staff, promote an open and honest environment where young people can discuss a range of issues with staff without fear or favour. Young people's needs arising from their culture and personal identity are positively met in conjunction with their wishes and feelings. Staff work proactively with young people to help them develop socially acceptable behaviour. Young people are supported to enhance their opportunities in relation to their health, education, leisure, contact and independence skills. Some young people like the home and most staff and some do not. Professionals describe the services provided by the home as 'good', and, 'okay'

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Overall effectiveness

and say that the home provides them with regular updates.

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Overall effectiveness

Management oversight is not sufficiently robust and does not allow for consultation with parents and stakeholders. One major area of concern is the practice of switching the electricity off in some of the rooms at night and locking the lounge and kitchen doors during school hours. These measures are intended to settle young people at night and promote school attendance. However, this is institutional practice. It is not child focused; it is not supported by the home’s Statement of Purpose or agreed as an acceptable and agreed measure in young people's care plans. This and some other shortfalls identified in this report impact on the young people and hinder aspects of their progress.

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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) keep under review and, where appropriate, revise the Statement of Purpose and children's guide and notify the HMCI of any such revision within 28 days; and supply a revised copy to each child accommodated in the home (Regulation 5(a)(b)(c)) 31/07/2012

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure the children's home is conducted to promote and make proper provision for the welfare of children accommodated there; in particular, make proper provision for the care, education, supervision and, where appropriate, treatment, of children accommodated there (Regulation 11(1)(a)(b)) 31/07/2012

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure the children's home is conducted so as to promote and make proper provision for the welfare of children accommodated there; in particular, review the practice of locking internal doors and restricting the electricity in young people's bedrooms (Regulation 11(1)(a)) 29/06/2012

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure any activities in which children participate are so far as reasonably practicable free from avoidable risks; in particular, ensure levels of risk are clear and consistent in relation to young people's risky behaviours (Regulation 23(b)) 15/06/2012

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) maintain, in respect of each child who is accommodated, a record in permanent form which includes the information, documents and records specified in Schedule 3 relating to that child and ensure the record is kept up to date (Regulation 28(1)(a)(b)) 31/07/2012

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that, in relation to the children's home, if any of the events listed in column 1 of the table in Schedule 5 takes place, the registered person without delay notifies the persons indicated in respect of the event in column 2 of the table (Regulation 30(1)) 31/07/2012

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that all parts of the children's home used by children are reasonably decorated, maintained and suitably furnished; in particular ensure repairs to the toilet and bathroom facilities are made (Regulation 31(2)(e)) 31/07/2012

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure the person carrying out the visit under this regulation, interviews, with their consent and in private, such of the children accommodated there, their parents and relatives as appears necessary in order to form an opinion on the standard of care provided in the home (Regulation 33(4)(a)) 31/07/2012

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Reg. Requirement Due date

34 ensure the registered person establishes and maintains an 31/07/2012 (2001) effective system for monitoring the matters set out in Schedule 6 at appropriate intervals and for improving the quality of care provided in the children's home and provide for consultation with children accommodated in the home, their parents and placing authorities (Regulation 34(1)(a)(b) and (3))

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) supply to the HMCI a report in respect of any review conducted for the purpose of paragraph 1 of this regulation. (Regulation 34(2)) 17/08/2012

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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 children understand how their views have been taken into account, and where significant wishes or concerns are not acted upon, they are helped to understand why (NMS 1.2)  ensure that where any sanctions, disciplinary measures or restraint are used, children are encouraged to have their views recorded in the records kept by the home (NMS 3.18)  review the written development plan for the future of the home, either identifying any planned changes in the operation or resources of the service, or confirming the continuation of the home's current operation and resources (NMS 15.2)  ensure staff have access to support and advice, and are provided with regular supervision by appropriately qualified and experienced staff (NMS 19.4)

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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 have experienced trauma, abuse and neglect, which have impacted on their ability to form and sustain positive attachments. Young people benefit from placement stability, good advice and support that strengthen their ability to develop positive self-esteem and emotional resilience. Young people engage well and some have made positive attachments with most staff and are comfortable about talking about their life prior to coming into care. This helps young people gain a good understanding of their background.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people are well supported to ensure their good health. Contact with the looked after children nurse ensure that young people have up-to-date health needs assessments and their health needs are identified and followed up. All young people are registered with health professionals and have health plans. Young people identified as having mental health needs have appropriate access to services, such as the child and adolescent mental health team and counselling services. Young people are actively encouraged and supported to attend their health appointments, which improves their health. Young people benefit from open and honest discussions with staff about smoking, drinking, drugs and sexual health issues. Staff respond appropriately, offer sound support and monitor.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people benefit from staff who place a high value on improving their life chances through education. Staff go the extra mile to ensure that young people attend their educational provision, such as taking young people to school themselves, if necessary. Each young person has access to a computer and sufficient space to do their homework. However, despite these positive practices, school attendance ranges from excellent to poor. Young people understand the importance of a good education and show great learning potential, but some refuse to attend school; this impacts on educational outcomes.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people enjoy a good range of leisure activities in the home and the community. They are involved in activities, such as swimming, ice skating, cinema, gym, bowling and play station. Young people and staff go on trips to places, such as Alton Towers and recently had a party to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. Photos around the home and in young people's possession act as a reminder of their activities. Young people have friends who may visit them and some young people are allowed overnight stays at their friend’s homes. This is positive and contributes to young people’s social development. Young people’s identity and heritage is promoted when they have contact with appropriate family members.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people benefit from good support to help them develop independence skills. Young people have pathway plans, a weekly budget and are encouraged to take responsibility for their daily tasks. Some young people are progressing further than others. However, it is not clear if young people have seen their final pathway plans because they are not signed to show they understand and agree with the contents.

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Quality of care

Young people enjoy positive and constructive relationships with most staff and with each other. This promotes appropriate behaviour most of the time. Staff, like responsible parents, have high expectations for the young people, but also include laughter and banter. There is some positive engagement, respect and trust shown by some young people towards staff, which is noted in the open discussions that young people have with staff. Some young people say that they relate well with some staff more than others. Young people are encouraged to take responsibility for their actions. In particular, staff help young people to confront their anti-social behaviours and make amends with the people they have offended in the community.

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Quality of care

Young people’s views are regularly sought about their care and the running of the home. This is through statutory reviews, young people’s meetings, informal discussions and key-work time. Some young people are members of the children in care council. This is good because it enables young people to influence and shape the way that the local authority cares for them. However, not all young people feel that their views influence the running of the home. For example, young people live within the home’s rules and boundaries. This is important given the number and needs of the young people. However, not all young people think that the rules are fair, saying that some are 'too strict'. Young people raise their dissatisfaction, but do not always feel listened to. Examples include, staff practice of switching off the electricity in some young people’s rooms at night and during school hours; locking the lounge and kitchen doors. The rational for this practice is to settle young people

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Quality of care

at night and promote school attendance. This is institutional practice. It is not supported by the home’s Statement of Purpose or agreed as an acceptable and agreed measure in young people's individual placement plans.

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Quality of care

Bullying is well managed and monitored when staff know about it. Good use of restorative justice meetings enable young people to take responsibility for their behaviour and apologise. No formal complaints have been made since the last inspection. Young people know how to complain and some have made representation in the past. Young people have access to external professionals, such as children’s rights, social workers, Regulation 33 visitor and an online confidential counselling service.

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Quality of care

Young people are involved in the development of their care plans. Young people’s needs, arising from their cultural background and personal identity, are identified and positively addressed, which promotes equality, diversity and respect. Young people are able to express themselves in their dress, food and religion with confidence. Young people who move to other placements are supported to make the transition in a planned and positive way.

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Quality of care

Young people are supported to access services to meet their holistic health needs. Not all young people choose to access services that promote their emotional and psychological needs; however, staff continue to provide encouragement and support.

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Quality of care

Young people who do not access education are supported with a view to re-engaging them with the support of education partners. Staff advocate on behalf of young people and attend relevant meetings. Young people have personal education plans. However, incomplete education statements do not provide staff with sufficient information to support young people’s educational needs.

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Quality of care

The home is clean, well-furnished and decorated. However, some damage in the toilet and bathroom has not been attended to. Some young people have shopped with staff to buy items for the home. Young people have their own room, personalised by them. Some young people have lost their room keys and it is not clear to them how long they need to wait for a new one. This means that young people rely on staff to ensure their room is opened and locked. The home is addressing this issue. Not all young people like their home environment. One young person said that the home does not smell or look like a home.

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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 are safe and say that they feel safe most of the time. Young people benefit from stable placements and most have developed some open and honest relationships with staff, which has led to some positive discussions. In particular, young people look out for each other and they approach staff with their concerns about young people's activities about which they think staff should know. Staff responses have enabled them to act on concerns and safeguard young people.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people are protected from harm, including neglect, abuse and accidents. Young people, vulnerable to sexual exploitation, are positively monitored in conjunction with the child sexual exploitation professionals. However, not all risk assessments in relation to sexual exploitation are consistent with the risk levels indicated in young people’s other plans that relate to the same issue. This lack of clarity undermines the otherwise positive work done in this area to safeguard young people.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people are safeguarded by the missing from home protocol and staff support. Staff make positive efforts to contact young people on their mobiles to ensure their safety and welfare and encourage their safe return. Young people return quickly and in some instances young people inform staff where they have been.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people are rarely restrained. However, when young people have been restrained, their views are not recorded, so it is not clear how they feel about being restrained.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Health and fire safety checks are up to date and the building is secure. This ensures a physically safe environment for young people to live.

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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 Statement of Purpose meets most of the home’s aims and objectives. However, it does not include all current practices. This is evident in some institutional practice in the home. The Statement of Purpose does not make reference to the use of external surveillance on the premises. This means that social workers, stakeholders and parents or people with parental responsibility are not fully informed about services delivered to young people. The young people's guide was updated in 2009. It does not sufficiently inform young people about their rights, such as contact to their independent review officer and the Children's Rights Director at Ofsted.

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Leadership and management

The Registered Manager is ably supported and deputised by two senior staff. They know the young people well and support the team. Staff are friendly, diverse, competent and experienced. They are committed to ensuring young people's safety and well-being and represent positive role models. Staff are committed to promoting equality and diversity. They ensure young people respect each other’s differences, learn from each other and do not discriminate. Staff receive regular training and have opportunities to obtain further qualifications to develop their practice. Staffing shortfalls are currently met by agency and casual staff who are known to the young people. Staff say that they feel supported to care for young people and they are regularly supervised and appraised. This is with the exception of frequent casual staff who are not regularly supervised.

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Leadership and management

Management oversight is intended to ensure that the home effectively and efficiently meets the Statement of Purpose. The Registered Manager is aware of young people's needs and their progress, and regularly monitors the quality of care. However, monitoring does not recognise that some practices are restrictive and institutional and is not made explicit to all interested parties. Monitoring has not identified that notifications to Ofsted have not been sent, so it is not clear what action was taken at the time. Parents, relatives and professionals are not asked for their views to enable the manager to form a view about the quality of care. No reports on the quality of care have been submitted to Ofsted to show how the home continues to improve. Monitoring on behalf of the provider identifies strengths and areas for development. These visits do not incorporate consultation with parents, relatives and carers to

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Leadership and management

form an opinion of the standard of care.

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Leadership and management

At the last inspection, the home was judged to be making good progress. No requirements and recommendations were made. The development plan is in a draft format, but it does not go far enough to show how the home will drive improvement and ensure child-focused practice.

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Leadership and management

Young people’s files are generally well maintained and provide good information about young people's development and progress. This is with the exception of some outdated and missing documents that do not fully inform staff. Young people's information is stored securely and young people can access their files.

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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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