Children's Home run by Compass Children’s Homes Kent Limited in Kent

Unique reference number SC425071 Inspection date 26/06/2012 Inspector Janet Hunnam Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 12/03/2012 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 children's home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to six young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties. It is operated by a private organisation. Education is provided on site.

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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

At this newly registered home, young people receive high quality care, support and guidance enabling them to make good progress in improving their personal development, education and behaviour. Highly individualised detailed care planning provides effective strategies to meet young people’s specific needs. Staff are successful in providing a safe, structured, nurturing environment with clear boundaries and routines within which young people do well. Through positive, trusting relationships with staff, young people develop self-esteem and confidence in their abilities.

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Overall effectiveness

High levels of staff supervision and a culture of safety protect young people. Young people feel safe and looked after. They know there is always an adult available to safeguard them. Staff are continually aware of the vulnerabilities of young people and comprehensive risk assessments minimise the possibility of harm.

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Overall effectiveness

The manager provides support and guidance to staff enabling them to provide a consistent and committed level of care. Detailed record keeping and thorough monitoring systems support the provision of high quality care and assist in identifying areas for improvement.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people’s views are important in the running of the home and several methods are utilised to consult with young people about the care they receive. Young people have opportunities to make choices and take responsibility at an appropriate level. Staff are keen to promote young people’s independence skills. Young people are making excellent progress in developing daily living skills and this promotes their self-confidence and impacts positively on their future life chances.

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Overall effectiveness

There are some minor shortfalls in relation to the recording of restraint and sanctions but these do not have a direct impact on the welfare of young people. Although the manager is providing consistent advice, guidance and support for staff, no formal supervision has yet taken place.

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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

17B (2001) ensure that the written record of restraint made in the volume kept for the purpose includes confirmation that the manager has spoken to the child concerned and the person using the measure about the use of the measure (Regulation 17B (3) (h)) 03/08/2012

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Reg. Requirement Due date

17B (2001) ensure that the written record of sanctions made in the volume kept for the purpose includes the effectiveness and any consequence of the use of the measure. (Regulation 17B (3) (f)) 03/08/2012

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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 a written or electronic record is kept by the home detailing the time and date and length of each supervision held for each member of staff, including the registered person. Ensure that record is signed by the supervisor and the member of staff at the end of the supervision. (NMS 19.5)

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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 make good progress in a nurturing and supportive environment with clear boundaries and structures. The highly personalised support offered enables them to build trusting relationships with staff and feel valued and respected. Through having opportunities to take responsibility within the home, young people’s self- esteem and confidence in their own abilities develops. A young person has the role of young people’s environmental officer with responsibility for ensuring the home is clean and tidy. They are taking this role seriously and consequently improving their independence skills. They have a greater sense of self-worth through making a positive contribution to the home.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people benefit from keen attention to their heath needs. Detailed health plans identify their specific health needs and action required to ensure young people are healthy. Young people are beginning to understand the importance of healthy lifestyles. They appreciate the importance of a healthy diet and physical exercise. Support is available across a range of health issues such as smoking, drugs and sexual health, in line with the young person’s level of understanding and awareness of risk taking behaviour. Their emotional and psychological well-being is a high priority with specialist support available tailored to their individual needs. The organisation has therapists and input from a consultant psychologist to provide such specialised support.

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Outcomes for children and young people

A range of opportunities exists for young people to participate in decisions which affect them on a day-to-day basis and in the longer term. Each young person has an ‘Ideas Book’ where they record their views on the care they are receiving. For example, young people make suggestions about their own behaviour management when they are upset and staff transfer these suggestions into their care plans. After school meetings give young people the opportunity to reflect on their day and plan for the evening. During weekly young people’s meetings young people choose the weekly menu, discuss activities they would like and put forward their personal opinions. Consequently, young people are confident in putting forward their view knowing staff will listen and respond. Young people also contribute to their care planning process by completing consultation forms before their review meetings ensuring that their wishes contribute to the decision making process.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Educationally, young people are making good progress. They have excellent attendance at the school on site and enjoy their learning. The home provides effective support for their education through close liaison with school staff. As a result, young people are demonstrating progress in relation to their starting points and have support to fulfil their potential. Young people gain from living in a home that values and promotes education.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people are actively encouraged to widen their social experiences and develop their social skills in the wider community. With sensitive and thoughtful staff support for their specific vulnerabilities, young people attend such community activities as swimming club and youth club. This enables them to develop confidence in interacting with peers and to try new social activities.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Contact between young people and their families and people important to them has a high priority. Staff are extremely proactive in maintaining or re-establishing young people’s significant relationships. Strategies are in place to support young people before, during and after contact. Staff consult them in relation to what they would like to do and where they would like to go to meet their family.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people are acquiring the daily living skills necessary for them to be as independent as possible when they make the transition to adulthood. Staff support young people to develop practical skills such as shopping, managing their money, cooking, cleaning, laundry at a level commensurate with their ability and vulnerability. As a result, young people are making excellent progress in their practical skills.

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Quality of care

Relationships between young people and staff are extremely positive. Staff are patient, caring and friendly while maintaining boundaries, structure and routines. Staff receive consistent guidance and leadership from the manager to ensure the implementation of strategies to promote positive outcomes. Staff clearly understand the individual needs of young people. Young people recognise that staff care about them and within this nurturing environment they progress knowing that staff are always available to support them. A young person commented, ‘I can go to any member of staff anytime’.

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Quality of care

Staff actively seek the views of young people through after school meetings, young people’s meetings, young people’s questionnaire’s and young people’s ’Ideas Books’. Young people have frequent one-to-one sessions with staff where they can put forward their views. Staff value young people’s views and the manager ensures that their views actively inform their care plan. Young people know they can make a complaint if they are unhappy about something. Staff are responsive and issues are resolved without resort to a formal complaints procedure. Consequently, young people feel valued and respected.

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Quality of care

Care plans are highly individualised, detailed and comprehensively address all aspects of the young person’s care and identity. Thorough attention to young people’s specific needs with personalised strategies to meet these needs enable young people to develop and make progress. Young people are actively encouraged to be involved in setting their weekly targets for their reward scheme. Key work sessions and daily one-to-one sessions enable staff to address issues identified in the care plan. This intense support from staff impacts positively on outcomes for young people.

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Quality of care

The home effectively addresses all aspects of young people’s health needs. Staff receive training in therapeutic childcare. Monthly child focus meetings with a psychologist and therapist ensure that each young person receives the most appropriate individual support. Young people receive individual therapy appropriate to their needs and additional therapy such as speech and language therapy and occupational therapy as appropriate. Staff have training in first aid and the administration of medication. A robust system for the storage and administration of medication is in place. Young people are encouraged to lead a healthy life style with regular physical exercise such as bike rides, walks and healthy eating through the provision of home-cooked, nutritious meals. Education is valued and actively promoted in the home. Staff work closely with the education staff on site through daily handovers at the beginning and end of the

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Quality of care

school day. Education staff inform the home’s staff of homework set for the evening and staff build in support and time for homework into the routine for the evening. Staff sensitively manage the transition between school and home enabling young people to settle quickly into the evening routine.

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Quality of care

Staff appreciate the importance of young people participating in positive, enjoyable activities. They support and encourage young people to take part in activities in the home and the community and to develop peer friendships and relationships. Staff enable young people to choose activities related to their individual interests and arrange activities to widen their social experiences and social interaction.

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Quality of care

The home provides a high standard of spacious accommodation for young people. Furnishings and decoration are of a high standard. A large games room and a large well-maintained garden provide opportunities for recreational activities for young people. Young people personalise their bedroom giving them a sense of belonging.

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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 state they feel safe and are safe at the home. Close supervision within a culture of safety protects young people. Staff have a sound understanding of safeguarding issues.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Detailed individual risk assessments identify young people’s particular vulnerabilities and strategies are in place to safeguard them from harm. Young people contribute to this process through their ‘Ideas Book’ where they put forward suggestions for managing their behaviour. Staff implement these suggestions through their risk assessments and care plan. For example, a young person suggested that when he is getting upset he would like staff to sit down, talk to him and stroke his hand. Staff report this is a strategy they use which often helps the young person to calm his behaviour. Positive behaviour management plans are in place for controlling incidents of challenging behaviour with detailed preventative and risk reduction measures identified. Staff apply these strategies consistently, resulting in young people feeling protected. The safety of young people is a high priority and influences all decisions

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Safeguarding children and young people

relating to young people. As a result of close staff supervision, young people do not leave the home without permission, though procedures are in place if there is such an incident. The policy includes the local police protocol in relation to young people absent without permission ensuring that the risk of harm is minimised.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Staff promote positive behaviour through a reward scheme. Targeting change to meet young people’s developing needs. In managing behaviour, restraint is a last resort and staff have training to safely and effectively use physical intervention when all de-escalation strategies are unsuccessful. Staff also have training in Non-Violent Resistance (NVR) as an intervention for aggression and self-destructive behaviour. Reports following incidents of physical intervention are of high quality and include all required details. However, the restraint log does not include confirmation that the manager has spoken to the young person and staff member involved in the restraint. The manager closely monitors incidents of restraint and regularly examines patterns and trends. The recording of sanctions does not include a record of the effectiveness of the measure.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Staff at the home are carefully selected and vetted before commencing employment. A robust recruitment process includes all necessary checks on prospective employees to protect young people. The home has effective links with external agencies and staff promptly refer any issues relating to young people’s welfare.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The home is well maintained with no identifiable health and safety risks. All required fire safety checks regularly take place with frequent fire evacuation drills including young people. Risk assessments are in place relating to fire safety and the physical environment. A food safety management system is in place. All such health and safety measures ensure young people are safe within the home.

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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 Registered Manager supported by an established senior management team effectively manages the home. In the short period since the home opened, the manager has implemented very good recording and monitoring systems that underpin the high quality of care for young people. The consistent support and guidance for staff is ensuring that clear boundaries and structure are constantly applied by staff to the benefit of young people. A development plan is in place focusing on building a strong stable staff team, effective forums for communication, staff training, and monitoring outcomes for young people. Regular staff meetings and detailed shift handovers ensure staff have current and relevant information in relation to young people.

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Leadership and management

Systems for monitoring the home are in place and a detailed regulation 33 Report covers the first month of operation. The manager uses this report as a tool for continuing improvement in addition to closely monitoring all records at the home. The manager identifies shortfalls and addresses these promptly. Records evidence the action taken. These effective processes ensure high quality care, demonstrate a capacity to improve and support good outcomes for young people.

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Leadership and management

A suitable Statement of Purpose is in place providing clear information on the service provided. The home meets the aims and objectives and provides holistic therapeutic care, education and therapy as an integrated package of intervention for traumatised young people whose development has been considerably damaged by their early life experiences.

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Leadership and management

High levels of staffing ensure young people receive the support they need to make progress and to feel safe. Staff report that management is supportive and they receive appropriate training. In addition to mandatory training, staff have training in therapeutic childcare. On-going regular child focus and adult focus meetings with therapists and psychologists help to inform their practice relating to individual young people and support them to deliver high quality therapeutic childcare. New staff have a comprehensive induction programme, which includes the Children’s Workforce Development Council’s induction programme for staff. Though staff are receiving consistent support and guidance from the manager, formal supervision is not being recorded.

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Leadership and management

Record keeping is a key strength. Records show in detail young people’s history, their experience at the home, their individual needs and progress they are making. These records are stored securely.

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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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