Children's Home run by Castle Homes Care Limited in Cheshire East

Unique reference number SC060590 Inspection date 20/09/2012 Inspector Sue Winson Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 29/03/2012 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Brief description of the service

The home, run by a private company, is registered to accommodate three young people, of either sex between the ages of 8 and 17 years. The home is registered for young people with emotional or behavioural difficulties. It is also registered as a school and provides education on the premises.

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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 make good progress in relation to their starting points across the majority of aspects of their welfare and development. This is achieved through highly individualised care planning and practice which focuses on the assessed needs of each young person. Their educational and health needs are very well promoted and they are effectively prepared for independence and adult life. Good communication and working together with parents and other professionals is a strength of the home and benefits the young people. Other professionals commented positively about the care provided and the progress made by young people.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people are positive about their care and the support they receive. They commented that staff, ‘helped me get into school’, ‘keep things confidential’, 'give me guidance and advice’ and are ‘nice and friendly’. They say that they are safe in the home and can voice their views and opinions. There is a strong focus on keeping young people safe, backed up by effective risk management.

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Overall effectiveness

The home is well managed and efficiently run. The staff team is stable and experienced and they work together under the positive leadership of the managers, to provide highly consistent care. The managers understand the strengths and weaknesses of the home and have development plans in place.

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Overall effectiveness

Three recommendations have been made in respect of supporting young people in transition, ensuring that they have information about their children’s rights services and to rectify some deficits in staff training. These do not affect the overall judgement of this inspection.

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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 young people have access to independent advice and support from adults they can contact directly and in private about problems or concerns, which is appropriate to their age and understanding. Specifically, ensure that they have information about how to contact Children's Rights Officers (NMS 1.5)  ensure that young people are supported during the transition to their new placement (NMS 11.8)  ensure that staff are equipped with the skills required to meet the needs of the young people and purpose of the setting, and training keeps them up to date with professional, legal and practice developments and reflects the policies, legal obligations and business needs of the home. (NMS 18.1)

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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 make good progress in developing a positive self-view and knowledge and understanding of their background. They recognise the progress they have made and are positive about the support they have received. This is achieved through highly personalised planning, with which they are consistently involved, and celebration of their achievements.

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Outcomes for children and young people

They enjoy good physical, emotional and psychological health. They have access to health professionals and have information about healthy living so that they can make informed decisions and choices. They know what constitutes a healthy diet, contribute to menu planning, and are involved in food shopping and cooking.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people have made considerable progress in education from their starting points at the time of placement. They attend schools which are geared to their needs, and in-house education prepares them well for integration to mainstream schools or colleges. They have some positive engagement in the wider community and access to leisure pursuits in line with their wishes and aptitudes. Daily living opportunities in the home ensure that young people build on their skills and are well prepared for independent living. They benefit from contact with friends and families and are well supported to make and maintain positive relationships.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people say they are helped to settle in when they first arrive and are shown around the area. The home does not consistently give young people information about children’s rights services, most notably when placing authority plans for moving on have been unsatisfactory. Staff do, however, provide support through their good relationships with young people, to assist with uncertainty at transition.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people have positive and appropriate relationships with staff, based on mutual respect. They say that they can talk to staff and that they know staff care about them. They commented that staff are safe people and talk to them about how to keep themselves safe, and follow them if they go missing. Incidents of young people engaging in risky behaviours has decreased. They know the rules and what is expected of them and they like the reward system. They said that the rules are fair and that you, ‘don’t lose everything but can earn things back’ after a sanction, by doing something nice.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people have people outside of the home who they can contact directly should they have any concerns, but were not aware of the roles and contact details of children’s rights services (both national and in their own local authorities). Young people have a voice and readily express their wishes and opinions. They are fully involved in day-to-day and more complex decisions about their lives and futures. All know about their plans, are involved in compiling them and add their comments and signatures to many of the records in the home. They have choices about which bedroom they want where possible; they like their rooms and enjoy buying items and planning decoration according to their wishes.

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Quality of care

Individualised care planning ensures that young people’s needs are fully assessed and plans are in place to meet them. Regular review and updating of plans means that they continue to make significant progress. Staff are active and inventive in engaging young people in individual work in line with their plans. Positive working relationships with parents, social workers, schools, health professionals, the police and others benefit the young people. Effective communication ensures that young people receive consistency of support. Healthy living is well promoted and young people have access to health professionals as needed.

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Quality of care

There is a clear expectation that young people will engage in education, some having access to the in-house schoolroom. The teacher is very much part of the staff group and maintains a timetable geared to the national curriculum, so that young people are well prepared for integration to mainstream education. Her knowledge of schools and other local provisions ensures that young people gain appropriate educational placements. Staff are undergoing training to increase their skills in supporting learning. They maintain positive relationships with schools and colleges in the best interests of the young people.

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Quality of care

Staff work to make and maintain positive working relationships with parents and family members. As a result, social workers reported increased parental involvement in reviews and planning meetings. Parents are asked for their views and have made positive comments about the care the home provides. Staff ensure that contact arrangements are adhered to and transport young people, or welcome families to the house.

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Quality of care

Positive behaviour management is effective in supporting young people to take responsibility for their own behaviour. Staff discuss each young person and their behaviour management strategies in detail at daily handovers and staff meetings, which results in consistency of care. Young people are cared for within a nurturing atmosphere with predictable, organised routines and clear expectations, to which they respond positively. Few sanctions are applied, and often young people are involved in discussions about appropriate sanctions. They value and enjoy the reward system which gives them clear goals, and they choose their own rewards.

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Quality of care

The views and wishes of the young people are central to the running of the home and delivery of care. They are involved through individual consultations, house meetings and as part of day-to-day life. Young people know they have a right to complain, and their concerns have been addressed and their opinions on the outcomes sought.

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Quality of care

The arrangements for the administration of medication are safe and effective in protecting the young people. The home does not carry stocks of non-prescription medication, preferring to consult with doctors when necessary. However, not all staff have had the opportunity to update medication training.

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Quality of care

The home is appropriately located, designed and maintained. Young people personalise their rooms and chose furnishings for communal areas. They benefit from easy access to public transport and a range of local amenities.

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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 say they feel safe in the home. Comprehensive risk assessments and risk management plans, compiled in conjunction with social workers and police, inform and guide staff in keeping them as safe as possible. The particular vulnerabilities of young people are recognised and they are informed about the risks they take. Staff maintain an appropriate balance between the need for independence and safeguarding. Where necessary, multi-agency meetings take place to discuss the safety of young people. The home has successfully reduced the incidents of children who go missing from care. Should young people go missing staff follow them, search the local area and try to contact them by phone. In some instances, young people have been further protected by parents’ involvement in trying to locate them.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people’s relationships with staff, staff training and positive behaviour management strategies result in most challenging situations being diffused without the need for physical intervention. Restraint is rarely used and records demonstrate it is only used as a last resort for safety reasons. Young people are protected by staff being vigilant and alert to the potential for bullying. Young people are confident that any bullying issues would be addressed. The environment is physically safe and secure and regular checks take place to ensure it remains so. Recruitment practices safeguard the young people and no new staff have been employed.

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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

The home has a stable, skilled and experienced staff group who are committed to improving outcomes for young people. Team meetings and handovers ensure effective communication which results in continuity of care for the young people. In addition, young people benefit because staff willingly work additional shifts to cover absences, so agency staff are rarely used. Adequate resourcing of the service, sufficient staffing levels and effective shift planning ensures that young people’s needs are met.

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Leadership and management

The home is effectively organised and run by experienced managers who lead by example and provide effective support and supervision to staff. Staff commented on their availability and accessibility. Open communication ensures that the young people gain from reflective practice and the staff’s involvement in the development and improvement agenda. Generally staff training is satisfactory, though staff have not had updates in medication and food hygiene. The training programme does not include a wider range of training indicated by the needs of young people, such as life story work, self-harm and police protocols about missing from care. Their practice in these areas, however, is responsive to children’s needs.

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Leadership and management

The Statement of Purpose is clear and reflects the functioning of the home. Young people are well informed by their guide to the home, which has contributions from young people. The home is well monitored and all significant events are notified promptly to the appropriate authorities. The recommendation from the last inspection has been addressed. Visits take place under Regulation 33 and now include consultation with parents, so they are better involved in their children’s lives, where appropriate. Comprehensive reports are provided. The manager monitors the records and signs that she does so, and in addition uses supervisions and observations to ensure good quality practice.

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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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