Children's Home run by Leeds City Council in Leeds

Unique reference number SC033723 Inspection date 21/06/2012 Inspector Michael McCleave Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 09/02/2012 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

This is a purpose-built children’s home, which is operated by a local authority. The home provides medium- to long-term care for up to five young people of either gender, between the ages of 10 and 17 years, with emotional or behavioural 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

This home has experienced a great deal of positive change since the appointment of the manager. The main focus of caring for the young people has improved considerably. The young people are well cared for by staff who are committed to their welfare. There is a proactive approach to the provision of good quality care and for outcomes to be achieved for the young people.

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Overall effectiveness

Staff strive to ensure that the young people achieve good outcomes. All the young people are benefiting from staff encouragement and support to achieve socially and educationally. The attendance at school by the young people is good. The education achievements are good compared to their staring points when they initially moved into the home.

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Overall effectiveness

The young people feel safe at the home. Staff have a clear understanding of their safeguarding responsibilities. The young people enjoy very good relationships with the staff. The young people trust the staff. The views of the young people are valued at this home. For example, the young people wanted to raise chickens in order to provide free range eggs. This was listened to by staff and the project is now almost complete.

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Overall effectiveness

The management oversight at the home is appropriate and this ensures that staff are supported to carry out their complex tasks with each young person. The management of staff supervision and the operational systems is however, not consistent. For example, not all records have been signed or checked by a manager and some staff have not received regular monthly supervision. The areas requiring improvement have been identified by the manager and strategies are being implemented to bring about change in the overall monitoring and management of the home. This home demonstrates a capacity to improve.

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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 staff have access to support and advice, and are provided with regular supervision (NMS 19.4)  ensure information about the child is recorded clearly and in a way which will be helpful to the child when they access their files now or in the future. (NMS22.5)

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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

The staff encourage and support young people to feel confident about their abilities. Most of the young people have experienced a disruptive lifestyle prior to their admission to the home. For some young people their self-image and confidence is low. Staff have a clear understanding of their care responsibilities and work in a professional and sensitive way to support and encourage the young people to improve their self-confidence. As pointed out by a key worker, 'I help them to unpack their emotional baggage.' Young people, who initially lacked confidence, demonstrate a more positive outlook about themselves since moving into the home. The young people enjoy being part of this home and positive friendships have been developed between them.

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Outcomes for children and young people

The home is very active in supporting the young people to be a part of the wider community through participating in various activities. These include scouts, youth club, karate, swimming, drama and dance, camping trips and army cadets. This promotes their contact with other young people in the community and encourages friendships outside of the home.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Staff are very proactive in supporting the young people to appreciate the importance of a sound education in preparing them for adulthood. All the young people of school age attend regularly and effective professional links have been established by staff with the local schools. This means that any issues of concerns at school can be managed quickly before escalation into a more difficult situation. This is good practice. The educational achievement of the young people, based on their individual capabilities, is good compared to the situation prior to their admission to the home. Through positive support from staff the young people have achieved 100% attendance at school. The health of the young people is appropriately met and, where required, staff will ensure that any health related issues are dealt with through the local health services. The looked after children nurse is a regular visitor to the home and provides the

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Outcomes for children and young people

young people with advice and guidance on a range of personal matters, such as sexual health and relationships. This enhances the work of the staff who complement the work of the looked after children nurse. The management of the medicines administration is sound and all records are maintained in line with the local authority policy. The young people enjoy good health and they are encouraged to lead a healthy lifestyle through participating in activities of a physical nature.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Although there are no young people at present who are preparing for independent living, staff are aware of their responsibilities to ensure young people are fully involved in their care plans. Staff understand how to plan with the young people as they move towards independence. They offer support and guidance during this sensitive and emotional journey towards independent living. There is an acute awareness among staff of the importance of ensuring that young people are kept informed about their leaving care arrangements.

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Quality of care

Young people enjoy living at this home. They live in a safe caring environment where staff demonstrate a positive approach to their care. The young people are encouraged to aim high in their aspirations. This is an environment that is able to meet day-to-day challenges in a caring and sensitive manner.

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Quality of care

The young people enjoy friendly relationships with staff. This is built up through the trust and open approach culture that is a key part of the life at the home. Young people feel positive about their care and although staff are fully trained in restraint, staff are proud of the fact that this is rarely used. The young people behave appropriately and where tensions arise, staff manage these situations in a calm manner to diffuse difficult confrontations. This approach promotes positive behaviour among the young people.

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Quality of care

Staff encourage the young people to take responsibility for certain aspects of life at the home. For example, they plan trips to places of interest, choose the decoration for their bedrooms and plan meals. Staff are competent in engaging with young people at a level they understand. This is achieved through being open about situations and enabling young people to contribute in a meaningful way to their life at the home.

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Quality of care

In order to ensure the young people have an understanding of their past and present situation, they encouraged to keep a memory box. This consists of important items that are a part of their life experience prior to coming into care and during their time at the home. Young people know how to make a complaint and this is appropriately covered in the children's guide. This contains information about their rights and includes details of independent organisations that can be contacted if required. The staff take pride in the good relationships established with the young people, and any issues or concerns are generally managed at an informal level through discussion.

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Quality of care

Care plans underpin the complex work with the young people in order to bring about changes and to improve their lives. Monthly reports prepared by key workers give a clear indication of progress for each young person.

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Quality of care

Health service resources are provided as required and based on the young person's health plan. Good links have been established with the looked after children nurse and local services to meet the physical, emotional and psychological health needs of the young people. The young people are supported and encouraged to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Young people gain pleasure in maintaining a vegetable plot in the rear garden of the home. This supports healthy eating at the home.

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Quality of care

The staff work proactively to support the young people with after school work and encourage them to value their educational opportunities.

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Quality of care

The home has a positive approach to diversity. Where young people have specialist religious or cultural needs, these would be met by the home. Most staff have been trained in equality and diversity and they have a very clear awareness of the need to challenge any disrespectful comments or offensive actions from young people.

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Quality of care

The home is located near local public transport routes leading to the city centre. They enjoy single bedrooms that are suitably furnished and for which they can choose their own décor. There is a comfortable lounge with a television and a computer for young people to use. The dining area leads onto a conservatory where games equipment is located. Although an old design building, the home has a pleasant ambience.

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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 feel safe living at this home. They have established a positive trust in the staff and are confident in speaking to any member should they have any concerns or worries about their safety. The young people are protected and kept safe by the local authority safeguarding procedures and practices that are in place. There are risk assessments completed for each young person. These identify the appropriate strategies to manage any safeguarding situation. Positive behaviour is promoted based on the strong trusting relationships existing between staff and young people. Bullying is not currently an issue at the home. However, staff are fully aware of their responsibilities to manage such situations if this was to occur. All applications for young people to have a place at the home are subject to an assessment by the manager as to the likely impact of their behaviour on the other young people at the home. This promotes the safety and well-being of the young

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Safeguarding children and young people

All staff are clear about their responsibilities in safeguarding. They are trained in the safeguarding procedures of the local authority. There are no current issues or concerns about the present group of young people going missing from the home. All staff are familiar with the missing person's procedure. The staff recruitment and selection process is thorough, requiring a full assessment and checks of all applicants for work. No appointment is confirmed until all checks are completed. These measures positively enhance safety at the home by preventing unsuitable adults from working with vulnerable children.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The environment is physically safe. There are clear procedures to enable staff to manage fire safety emergencies. Fire safety checks and full evacuation procedures are completed as required. Doors have good quality locks preventing unauthorised entry and windows have restricted openings. These robust measures help to maintain a safe environment.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Training in safeguarding is mandatory for all staff and this ensures that professional practice is up to date. All fire safety procedures have been correctly carried out and equipment fully checked. These measures promote the safety of the young people and staff.

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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 manager provides effective leadership and is committed to changes that improve services for the young people. The manager is aware of the strengths and areas requiring development at the home. Strengths include having a team of enthusiastic staff experienced in residential child care, the provision of good quality care and staff who have a positive outlook in achieving good outcomes for the young people. Areas for improvement, identified by the manager, include engaging staff more fully into taking responsibility for the evidencing of their work and to ensure that the day-to- day operations of the home are more efficient. The home demonstrates a capacity to improving performance and the requirement made at the last inspection concerning specific training has been complied with.

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Leadership and management

The Statement of Purpose clearly sets out the aims of the home and this document reflects the work and services provided.

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Leadership and management

Staff development and training is a weakness. Although the staff are encouraged to improve their skills, the training opportunities are somewhat limited for residential staff. All staff have completed the required qualification for the National Vocational Qualification at Level 3 in Caring for Children and Young people, or the Diploma. However, those staff who wish to extend their skills and competences have limited opportunity to do so. For example, some staff are currently paying for their own training to become qualified therapists. This will benefit the organisation when they have completed their training.

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Leadership and management

Although the home has a policy for all staff to receive formal monthly supervision, this schedule is not always managed effectively. This means that some staff do not have their work monitored in depth at regular intervals as required by the local authority. This could impact on their efficiency providing care for the young people.

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Leadership and management

The external monitoring of the home is carried out every month as required by the regulations. In addition, the manager undertakes a review of the operations of the home every six months. However, some documents are not monitored regularly by the manager. For example, some records have not been signed and therefore do not indicate the author or if the manager has seen these records. This omission could impact on the care provided to the 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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