Children's Home run by Care Today Parallel Parents in Leeds

Unique reference number SC403890 Inspection date 18/06/2012 Inspector Russell Shackford Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 07/02/2012 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 children's home is one of a number that is owned and managed by a private organisation. It provides care and accommodation for up to four young people who have 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 good .

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Overall effectiveness

Young people enjoy good health because their health needs are effectively identified and services are provided to meet these.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people's education attendance is at least good and improving from their starting points. Taking into account both their attainment and progress from the starting point of their placement, young people are making good, and in some cases exceptional, progress towards their desired educational achievement targets.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people confirm that their views are genuinely sought and acted upon. The staff encourage them to make decisions about their lives and influence the way that the home is run.

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Overall effectiveness

Staff are well aware of young people's assessed needs. However, the quality of written placement plans is not good because they do not clearly outline, where necessary, how young people's needs will be met.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people say that they are confident to complain and understand how to do so. Any complaints received are clearly recorded to reflect the action taken by the staff and the outcomes.

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Overall effectiveness

The facilitating of contact is done well. Staff work proactively and positively with parents and carers to promote positive outcomes. Effective support is in place to help young people learn skills that they will need for later in life. Good fire safety practices help to protect the safety of people in the home.

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Overall effectiveness

The staff are experienced and sufficient in number. All staff have received training appropriate to the needs of the young people accommodated.

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Overall effectiveness

There are regular checks of how well care is provided at the home but better use of the findings would improve even further the existing placement plans and quality of care.

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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 each child’s placement plan is monitored by a key worker within the home who ensures that the requirements of the plan are implemented; in particular, by recording how, on a day-to-day basis, he will be cared for, and his welfare safeguarded and promoted by the home (NMS 25.2)  ensure that there are effective procedures for monitoring and controlling the activities of the home; in particular, the quality of the provision of care. (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

Young people benefit from the discussions and stimulating interactive activities that staff use to build relationships with them. As a result, young people gain good knowledge and understanding of their own backgrounds and future care plans.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people enjoy good health because their health needs are effectively identified and services are provided to meet these.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people's education attendance is at least good and improving from their starting points. Taking into account both their attainment and progress from the starting point of their placement, young people are making good, and in some cases exceptional, progress towards their desired educational achievement targets.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people benefit from clear contact arrangements, understanding when they will see significant people, which helps them settle and enjoy seeing their families. The facilitating of contact is done well. Staff work proactively and positively with parents and carers to promote positive outcomes. Young people say that staff have, 'helped me to improve relationships with my family and make good friends.’ It also helps young people to develop positive relationships with individuals from the same cultural background, which promotes their sense of identity.

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Outcomes for children and young people

The organisation has its own life skills plans for young people. These are implemented according to the level of maturity and understanding of the individual. Young people sometimes learn skills through taking part in the tasks of running the home, such as cleaning and cooking. Young people are also given help and support with social skills, laundry, healthy eating, budgeting, clothing care and shopping. One young person was looking forward to taking a driving test. Therefore, young people receive care and support which prepares them well for adulthood.

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Quality of care

Young people living in this home benefit greatly from an experienced staff group that demonstrates enthusiastically their commitment to addressing young people's care and safety needs. Staff say, 'the best thing about my work is being with and around the young people.’ Young people enjoy warm relationships with staff in the home and there is good rapport between them. Young people confirm this saying, 'I get on well with all the staff and they help you if you need things' and, 'there is always someone to talk to if you want.’ Staff speak in a proud manner about their young people and their achievements. Staff say, 'the manager makes use of the different strengths within the staff team, seeking and using their ideas to reinforce the ethos of the home which is about working effectively with young people.’

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Quality of care

The manager has well-developed systems for seeking the views of young people and others about the quality of care provided and the way that the home is run. Young people confirm that their views are sought and acted upon. Staff provide opportunities for daily group discussions, one-to-one key worker sessions, confidential sessions and visits from a therapist. There are also regular young people's meetings. Quality assurance monitoring includes opportunities for young people to comment upon the quality of care at the home. One young person said, 'I was asked if I would like to help choose the colours used to decorate the house', whilst another was pleased to have been involved in creating an activity planner around their preferences. Any cases where it is not possible to act upon young people's wishes this is carefully explained to them. Young people confirm this saying that, 'staff are fair', highlighting examples, such as not allowing age-inappropriate

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Quality of care

Young people say that they are confident to complain and understand how to do so. Any complaints received are clearly recorded to reflect the action taken by the staff and the outcomes. Staff have translated information on how to complain into other languages for the benefit of those young people who do not have English as a first language. Staff have also ensured that a telephone translation service is easily available to young people in the home.

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Quality of care

Admissions to the home are planned and the young person and their family, where appropriate, are involved in that planning. Young people can visit the home before they move in, to meet people and get information about the home. Staff find out about young people's differences, routines, likes and dislikes, strengths and needs. Staff are well aware of young people's assessed needs. However, the quality of written placement plans is not good because these do not clearly outline how young people's needs will be met. This impacts upon the ability of existing, new and occasional workers to provide agreed ways of individualised care and support to young people. Evidence of the progress made by young people is presented in a variety of forms with a weekly review and target setting session arising from it. Statutory case reviews take place within the required timescales to inform relevant people of the progress made by young people.

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Quality of care

Organised activities, such as football, motor biking, swimming and gym sessions, help to keep young people fit and healthy. Young people are encouraged to eat healthy foods and snacks. Young people confirm that they are involved in planning, shopping for and cooking meals. Young people say that staff ensure that their cultural needs are met. They make sure that there is always halal food available for young people. Staff have supported young people during periods of fasting and have cooked meals for them at specific times in order to enable them to meet the requirements of their religion and remain properly nourished. Staff support and encourage young people to attend routine appointments with dentists, doctors and opticians. Where necessary, staff commission individual support services involved in the health, care and behaviour support of the young people. For example, the looked after children's nurse visits the home regularly, undertakes health assessments and

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Quality of care

offers advice and training to staff and young people about health issues. Young people who need it have access to psychological services, which promotes their emotional well-being. Arrangements for dealing with medication are safe and all staff have received up-to-date first aid training to help ensure that young people can receive emergency treatment.

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Quality of care

The staff work in a determined manner to ensure that appropriate education placements are sourced quickly and, as a result, young people's education is disrupted as little as possible in order that that they can continue to attend and achieve. The staff have a good understanding of what young people do at school or college and what their levels of attainment are. The staff make every effort to encourage good attendance and ensure that the young people are well prepared for the education day. An education liaison officer within the organisation supports staff to provide supplementary learning opportunities in the home. Contact between the home and schools is frequent and effective. For some this includes a weekly telephone call or a visit by a member of staff to the school. This enables staff to support young people successfully with homework or personal targets. The staff’s close communication and support of other professionals working in education helps

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Quality of care

to sustain and increase the young people's time in the provision. As a result, young people are making either exceptional or good progress towards their desired educational attendance and achievement targets. One young person spoke enthusiastically about how they had increased their attendance sufficiently to be considered for a full-time place at a local school. Young people are able to pursue their particular interests and are supported enthusiastically and encouraged by staff to engage in leisure activities. For example, young people are involved in a number of sporting activities, such as judo, kickboxing, football and rugby. One young person described how staff help and support his superior achievements in judo by taking him to training and competition events around the country. Staff help young people to socialise and to build their esteem and confidence by supporting their individual choices. Young people enjoy

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Quality of care

playing out with friends in the local area as well as engaging in more formal activities. There is also a good range of books, DVDs and games available for education and entertainment.

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Quality of care

The staff appreciate that the individual young people may have needs arising from diversity. The young people receive individualised care and support. For example, staff have undertaken research to gain information about young people's religion and how they can support them to practise it. Staff identified a local mosque and support young people's attendance. Young people confirm that staff provide care and support to them in a way that is particular to them.

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Quality of care

The young people live in a home that is very well located near to shops, leisure, education and employment opportunities. It is on the main bus route to the nearby city centre. The interior and exterior of the home are in a good state of structural and decorative repair. There are spacious communal areas where young people can relax and enjoy watching television, using the computer or playing electronic games. The home also has a dining area where members of staff and young people enjoy a meal together. Young people are encouraged to take a pride in the quality of their living accommodation by helping to keep the home clean and tidy and by personalising their own rooms. There are a number of photographs on the walls that reflect the events and activities that young people have enjoyed with staff; for example, trips to the coast and theme parks. There is a good maintenance and repair programme for the building, furniture and equipment, and any damage is repaired

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Quality of care

promptly. The garden is well maintained and safe. The home is clean and there are homely touches throughout.

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Safeguarding children and young people

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

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people say that they are safe and feel safe, confirming that they are supported to learn how to keep themselves safe and learn about risks. One young person said, 'I feel very safe here, the staff talk to me about how to keep safe.’ Where particular risks are identified, consistently well-written risk assessments are recorded to help the staff understand what action to take to minimise the identified risks. This develops young people’s understanding and the reasons adults are concerned. As a result, young people say that they feel cared for and protected. Children and young people are not at risk of harm and do not engage in damaging, risk-taking behaviours. The provider has very good safeguarding systems and procedures for staff to follow in the event of any allegation or suspicion of abuse. The manager and staff have received child protection training which includes elements of child exploitation and

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Safeguarding children and young people

online protection. Staff demonstrate a very good knowledge and understanding of the safeguarding procedures to promote and protect young people’s safety. A nti- bullying training is provided for staff and effective policies and procedures support this. Young people say that bullying is not accepted and that it is often on the agenda of their meetings to make sure everyone is aware of this.

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Safeguarding children and young people

There is good written guidance for staff to follow in the event of unauthorised absence. This is supported by good-quality, individualised risk assessment records. There is evidence that the frequency with which children and young people go missing is minimised and, where applicable, has reduced over time.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Sanctions are relevant and reflect the age and understanding of the young people. Any sanctions imposed are reviewed regularly for appropriateness and effectiveness. Personalised behaviour management plans are used. These contain good, individualised details for staff to follow when managing young people's behaviour. It is very rare that physical restraint is used to manage behaviour at the home. Staff are trained in the provider’s de-escalation policy and authorised intervention techniques. Record keeping is good and there is evidence that it is monitored well to identify patterns or trends that can be used to support young people further.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Regular fire safety checks, general checks and maintenance arrangements ensure the home is physically safe and is kept safe. All staff have received up-to-date fire safety training to enable them to minimise the risks to young people in the event of a fire at the home. One young person confirmed this saying, 'I have been involved in fire drills to make sure I know what to do if there is a fire.'

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Safeguarding children and young people

All staff are appropriately recruited and undergo suitable Criminal Records Bureau checks to ensure that they are suitable to work with young people.

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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

A Statement of Purpose is available to inform professionals and members of the public about how care is provided at the home. There is a good children’s guide which is appropriate to the age and understanding of the children accommodated. Staff have translated information into other languages for the benefit of those young people who do not have English as a first language. They have also ensured that a telephone translation service is easily accessible to young people in the home.

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Leadership and management

There is a consistent core staff team which has a range of skills and experience among its members. They are supported, when required, by occasional workers employed by the organisation. Staff say, 'the manager makes use of the different strengths within the staff team, seeking and using their ideas to reinforce the ethos of the home which is about working effectively with young people'. New members of staff receive good-quality induction training before commencing work with the young people. There is good written guidance for staff. Management support and supervision are described as, 'very good' by staff, who clearly value the beneficial contributions of the manager.

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Leadership and management

The young people are receiving care from competent staff that are experienced and appropriately trained to meet their needs. All staff are trained in a wide variety of safety and childcare subjects. An ongoing programme of regular refresher training is provided in a range of subjects to enhance the staff team's competency to meet the needs of the young people.

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Leadership and management

The manager has systems to monitor practice and reports and evaluates the administration systems of the home. This includes weekly placement plan reviews and frequent canvassing of relevant parties for their comments. This is supported by regular unannounced visits from the provider to help monitor and improve the quality of care at the home. Service development plans are derived from this monitoring. However, leaders and managers do not make optimum use of the range of monitoring activities relating to the quality of care provided and improving outcomes for children and young people. This is because the shortfalls in the content of placement plans relating to how young people should be supported and cared for have not been adequately identified or addressed.

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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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