Children's Home run by Shropshire Council in Shropshire

Unique reference number SC382730 Inspection date 19/07/2012 Inspector Julian Mason Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 07/03/2012 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

The home is a local authority provision that provides short-term placements for the purpose of assessment for up to four young people. Placements are normally for 12 weeks but this can be extended in exceptional circumstances.

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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 benefit from detailed, individualised care planning and care practices that ensure their needs are clearly identified and met. From the point at which young people enter the home, they are supported to make positive progress across all areas of their welfare and development. Young people have good relationships with staff; they feel able to contribute their views and wishes regularly about their plans for the future. Young people are listened to and this helps the staff team organise their daily care and support routines around individual needs. Young people feel protected and staff regularly discuss matters that promote everyone’s safety and well-being.

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Overall effectiveness

One good practice recommendation has been made. This relates to staff awareness of government guidance on the permissible measures that can be used to prevent a young person from leaving the home without permission.

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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 are aware of current legislation and government guidance on the measures they can take to prevent a child leaving without permission and do not exceed these. (NMS 5.3)

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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

Staff work effectively with young people to ensure that they are enabled to develop emotional resilience and to build confidence in their skills. Young people are encouraged to talk about their life experiences and backgrounds to help them understand their current circumstances. The staff team provide a safe and supportive environment where young people are encouraged to have a positive view of themselves. One young person stated, ‘I would like to say my stay at the home has been quite successful and quite appropriate.’

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people’s physical, emotional and social development needs are promoted well. They are educated and encouraged to have healthy diets and lead healthy lifestyles. Access to a variety of health services and professionals ensures continuing good health and well-being. Staff closely monitor young people’s health, providing timely and responsive interventions if they feel unwell. Staff work sensitively to try and help young people overcome any difficulties or anxieties they may have when they need to attend health appointments.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Staff are proactive and consistent in promoting the arrangements for young people’s education. They use the expertise and knowledge of education welfare officers who visit the home regularly to support the way in which young people’s needs are promoted. Staff work hard to ensure attendance is not disrupted when young people first arrive at the home. The team work in partnership with education providers and are focused on promoting young people's continued achievement. Young people’s education and learning arrangements are diverse. This is because staff have taken the time and energy to listen to each young person, helping to shape arrangements according to individual aims and aspirations. Young people are able to make progress from their staring points because of the help they receive from the staff team.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people are encouraged to pursue individual interests and hobbies as well as taking part in a range of leisure activities, day trips and seaside holidays. Young people's friends and family contact arrangements are well known which also includes necessary and agreed limits or restrictions. Family visits and phone calls are well supported because staff understand the importance young people place on these arrangements. Staff show a clear commitment to agreed arrangements even though contact may sometimes be challenging or difficult for young people to manage. Staff are patient and understanding and provide good emotional support in these circumstances.

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Quality of care

The quality of the care is outstanding .

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Quality of care

Young people experience positive and constructive relationships with staff and each other. Managers and staff provide an environment where stable and successful placements are expected for all young people irrespective of their backgrounds, circumstances or length of stay. Young people experience a very positive and inclusive approach to care and support that quickly engages and involves them in their plans of care and future arrangements. Staff place the well-being and care of each young person at the centre of their daily practice. They demonstrate this clearly to young people through the time they spend with them and the individual attention given to learning about their lives and experiences.

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Quality of care

Young people are regularly consulted about their care, daily routines and how the home is managed. The staff team know how young people are feeling because of the frequent but informal discussions that take place daily. This helps staff adapt and respond quickly to young people’s presenting needs, which demonstrates the team’s flexibility to changing circumstances and priorities. This is in addition to more formal key worker sessions and young people’s meetings where staff and young people share their views and information. Young people are very confident about the home’s ability to deal with any complaints that they may have although this has not been necessary for sometime. Young people are also very clear about who they can go to outside of the home if they are not happy about something. Young people’s rights are promoted well because staff advocate the importance of each young person knowing this information.

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Quality of care

Young people are consistently and frequently involved in the planning and review of their care. Written information is comprehensive, reflecting the diversity and histories of each young person. Plans positively address daily living arrangements and the aims of the placement. Young people are helped to prepare for meetings in a way that suits their own wishes and preferences. Staff play a pivotal role in promoting and prioritising young people’s involvement in planning and review meetings. One young person stated, ‘staff always try to encourage me to go to my meetings.’ Staff openly encourage and support young people to talk with their social workers, independent reviewing officers and advocates when there are issues that they want heard.

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Quality of care

Young people are provided with a healthy environment where they are able to access the services and support they require to meet their physical, emotional and psychological needs. Staff are knowledgeable and aware of individual needs and listen to what young people have to say about their own health and well-being. Staff have highly effective partnerships with community services and can call on professional help quickly if needed. Young people are also able to access helping services confidentially if they want to do this without the help of staff.

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Quality of care

Young people benefit from living in a spacious, well-furnished and comfortable home that is kept safe and well maintained. Although its location is rural, young people and staff can access many local services and facilities by a short car journey or using nearby public transport. Young people are able to personalise their bedrooms and can arranged their own space to suit their individual choices and tastes. The home’s communal areas are nicely decorated and provide enough space for young people to spend time together or on their own.

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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 feel safe in the home and with the staff who look after them. One young person stated, 'this is a very safe place.' This is because there is a good balance between protecting vulnerable young people and enabling them to take appropriate risks as part of their growth and development. Staff continually assess risks and carry out written assessments as a way of helping to identify and address young people’s specific safety needs. Staff are very open and honest with young people resulting in all aspects of their behaviour and possible risks being considered and discussed.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people are encouraged and supported to behave well. Although formal sanctions are sometimes used to address poor conduct, the staff team tend to focus on the use of praise and rewards to encourage patterns of good behaviour. As staff get to know young people, they are able to develop individualised programmes that help them focus on more risky behaviours that need to change. The use of physical intervention is minimal as staff use their training and experience to reduce the risks of having to use this method of control. The Registered Manager closely monitors the measures used to ensure their appropriateness.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Some young people have significant histories of being missing from care and some of this behaviour has continued since arriving at home. Staff use their developing relationships with young people to influence safer behaviour as well as maintaining levels of supervision that helps to ensure young people’s whereabouts are known. A number of incidents relating to young people leaving the home without permission have involved staff using physical interventions for short periods following an escalation in challenging or risky behaviours. Although the home’s staff complete written records of such events, it is not clear if the practices staff use to try and prevent young people from leaving the home contribute to the need to use physical restraint.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Staff are carefully selected and vetted and behave responsibly and protectively towards young people whose well-being they genuinely care about. Staff are trained in child protection procedures and understand the necessary practices to safeguard vulnerable young people.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people and staff are provided with a safe environment in which to live and work. Regular checks on equipment and installations ensure that the home continues to be safe. There are a range of risk assessments in place in relation to the building, fire safety and for individual young people. These documents are regularly reviewed and actions fully implemented to ensure good standards of health and safety for staff and young people.

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Leadership and management

The leadership and management of the children's home are outstanding . Young people benefit from living in a well-managed home that is organised to achieve the best possible outcomes for each young person. Managers and staff are clear about the aims and objectives of the service, which is communicated effectively to placing social workers, young people and their families. This process is supported by an informative Statement of Purpose and young person's guide. Information in the guide is age appropriate, accessible and explored with young people before they arrive at the home or at the point of their placement. Every effort is made to ensure all young people have a full understanding of how the home operates and what young people can and should expect from managers and staff. This approach helps young people make a very positive start to their stay in the home, as they know from day one how they will be looked after and supported.

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Leadership and management

The qualified staff team are very well informed about each young person and clearly understand their roles and responsibilities. Staff know who they are accountable to and what tasks and responsibilities are delegated to them. They feel well supported by the Registered Manager and the home's deputy. There are effective support structures in place such as regular supervision that ensures continuing staff development and good quality practice. Day-to-day support is excellent as managers and seniors are always around to help and guide the team. Staff appraisals are completed annually and are part of the home’s wider cycle of evaluating the home’s performance. One member of staff stated, ‘I have always had an appraisal and quite enjoyed these as they reflect on my role over the last twelve months and it is nice to be told if I am doing well in my job.’

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Leadership and management

The staff team have access to a wide range of training and development opportunities and are very positive about what is available to them. Staff training is closely monitored to ensure all mandatory training and refresher training is completed within defined timescales. In addition, the staff team have access to a further range of training that relates directly to young people’s needs and circumstances. Some staff are also accessing key skills training in numeracy and literacy to help maintain and improve the home’s commitment to professional record keeping.

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Leadership and management

The home's monitoring systems are robust. This includes a range of management activities that draw together information about how well the home is operating in meeting young people’s needs. Social workers, young people, parents and staff are encouraged to express their views about the quality of care provided. For example, young people have recently been asked to feedback their views on the staff team. Visiting professionals are asked about what they think of the service and how it might be improved. One member of staff stated, ‘My manager is open and will listen to ideas the team puts forward and will take ideas further if he feels these can help improve on what we do already.’ Staff are continually encouraged to review their practice and provide feedback during team meetings. This practice in embedded into the routines of the home to determine agreed solutions and alternative strategies in support of each young person’s progress and achievements.

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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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