Children's Home run by N H Care Limited in Birmingham

Unique reference number SC365366 Inspection date 25/09/2012 Inspector Amanda Ellis Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 29/02/2012 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Brief description of the service

This is a small three bedded children's home. The home caters for young people who have autism as a learning disability. The home is run by a private provider.

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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 from their time of admission to this home. Young people receive individualised care and support. They are given opportunities to experience and learn new skills and activities. This enables them to grow as individuals and develop their self-esteem and identity. They are encouraged to fulfil their individual potential both educationally and personally.

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Overall effectiveness

A highly competent and committed staff team delivers outstanding standards of care. Care arrangements and planning take into account the individual and diverse needs of young people. These effective systems, combined with nurturing relationships, mean that young people thrive and develop. Young people develop independence skills in readiness for their transition to adult care provision.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people feel safe in this home and with the staff who care for them. Individual behaviour management strategies enable young people to self-regulate challenging behaviour. Effective partnerships with placing social workers and other stakeholders are established and maintained. Parents and social workers are highly positive about the standards of care provided by this home.

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Overall effectiveness

The leadership and management of this home are good. There is a commitment to continual improvement and the staff team models this. Shortfalls were identified at this inspection in relation to the home's Statement of Purpose, submission of management reports, additional training and minor improvements to the interior of the home. These are set as requirements and recommendations at this visit.

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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

(2001) ensure the registered person shall keep under review and, where appropriate, revise the Statement of Purpose, particularly in relation to up-dating the homes staffing appendix, and ensuring future proposals/plans are current (Regulation 5 (a)) 30/10/2012

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) establish and maintain a system for monitoring the matters set out in Schedule 6 at appropriate intervals and improving the quality of care in the children's home. (Regulation 34 (1) (a-b) ) 30/10/2012

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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 the home provides a comfortable and homely environment and is well maintained and decorated including the removal of avoidable hazards as is consistent with a domestic setting (NMS 10.3)  ensure staff preparation and training covers health and safety issues, which include all staff being able to undertake car safety checks. (NMS 10.7)

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Outcomes for children and young people

Outcomes for children and young people are outstanding .

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people thrive and develop within this home. They benefit from significantly improved emotional resilience and a positive self-view. Young people develop positive attachments and relationships with carers. Their behaviour becomes significantly more positive and productive as a result of consistency in care and boundary setting. This results in positive transitions for young people to adult care placements.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people’s health and well-being are successfully promoted because the home provides an environment where their physical, psychological and emotional needs are met. Staff are knowledgeable and aware of individual needs. Young people have detailed health care plans as part of their wider placement plan. Young people receive routine health care to ensure they have good health outcomes. Young people with specific health issues receive appropriate support and care to meet their needs.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people have exceptional school attendance and make excellent progress in education. Staff ensure that attendance is supported and consistent. School and home staff have effective daily communication regarding young people. Young people benefit from the consistency in care which this provides.

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Outcomes for children and young people

The young people benefit from appropriate contact with family, friends, and other people who are important to them. The staff team work sensitively and flexibly to actively promote and support positive contacts. Specifically tailored contact arrangements are organised wherever possible, according to the needs of those involved, for the benefit of the young people. A social care professional commented: ‘They fully promote contact. They transport and support contact. They facilitate contact in the home and let the young person and family do activities together.’

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Outcomes for children and young people

The development of independence is encouraged with all young people. One parent commented: ‘Since he has been placed with them I have seen such progress…it is fantastic. He has come on a bundle. He is learning new skills that we never thought he would. He is learning how to be more independent’. Young people learn to take some responsibility for cleaning their bedrooms, managing their laundry, and helping with tidying the home. Independence skills form part of the daily routine of the home. This helps young people to develop appropriate self-care and independence skills in readiness for leaving the home and moving to adult care.

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Quality of care

The quality of the care is outstanding .

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Quality of care

Young people receive an outstanding quality of care at the home. Staff demonstrate dedication and commitment to their work. Young people flourish with the quality of care they receive. Young people develop positive and constructive relationships with the staff team and with each other. Young people thrive because of effective relationships with staff.

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Quality of care

Staff develop exceptionally effective partnerships with external agencies and social work services. One social worker commented: ‘I feel that they fully meet the needs of young people. I love the home so much; I leave my visit to the end of the day so I can stay in my own time. It has a lovely atmosphere…it is a nice environment for adults and children.’

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Quality of care

Young people make a positive contribution to the home through daily discussions, weekly meetings and contributing to decisions about their care. Management ensure the views of young people are reflected in the running of the home. Consequently, through different methods, the young people can express their views on the quality of their care.

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Quality of care

Staff are highly skilled at helping young people to understand why it may not be possible to act upon their wishes and to set clear boundaries. Young people’s behaviours improve and they learn socially acceptable behaviours because staff implement consistent rules and are clear about expectations.

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Quality of care

Young people receive a children’s guide which contains information on their care, advocacy, contacts and the details for Ofsted. There have been no complaints since the last inspection. Young people know how to make a complaint to staff and outside agencies. The complaints procedure is on the notice board in an appropriate format; the weekly children’s meetings ensure that complaints are included. Young people have access to their own telephone to make private calls with relevant details for children’s rights organisations. Young people are listened to and their views taken into consideration.

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Quality of care

Care planning, risk assessments and behaviour management plans are comprehensive, detailed and up to date. Written plans reflect the individuality and diversity of children. There is a clear commitment to promoting equality and diversity, which ensures the promotion of individual needs. Young people receive consistent care because their care planning is clear and detailed. This provides staff with clarity to provide effective support to children.

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Quality of care

Young people benefit from a staff team who focus on making sure that their social, emotional and psychological health needs are met. The management and staff team have a good knowledge of services available to young people within the community. Staff routinely liaise with relevant health care professionals to ensure all health needs are met.

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Quality of care

Young people are encouraged to try new activities. They have weekly routines which include a balance of activities which fit around education. During school holidays the young people engage in a broad variety of leisure pursuits, which include trips to range of places of interest, outdoor activities and many social activities. These opportunities provide young people with a range of ways to explore their talents and skills and thereby build confidence and self-esteem.

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Quality of care

The maintenance and the décor of the home is generally of a good standard. The home is comfortable, however some alterations are necessary to ensure a more homely environment. Young people’s bedrooms are individualised and young people have choice in their decoration preferences. The home offers opportunity for both privacy and social engagement. The home is clean and tidy and has a relaxed and pleasant feel to it which is consistent with family living.

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Quality of care

The promotion of equality and diversity is a key strength of the home. A social worker commented that: ‘The staff team demonstrate enthusiasm and commitment to ensuring all young people’s individual needs are met.’ Young people are encouraged to understand their own individuality and to respect and celebrate the diversity of others.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The service is good at keeping children and young people safe and feeling safe. The systems in place to promote the safety and welfare of young people are good. Personalised risk assessments and robust policies and procedures help to keep young people safe. Staff receive regular training in safeguarding and demonstrate a good understanding of the actions to take, should they have any concerns about a young person's safety or well-being.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Staff are skilled in enabling young people to develop more socially acceptable behaviours. This means young people can be more actively involved and accepted within the wider community. There have been no incidents of physical restraint since the last inspection, with the home adopting strategies to manage individual behaviours through diversionary and de-escalation techniques.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people state that they feel safe and secure living at this home. There have been no incidents of young people missing from this home. However, staff are clear about how to respond to a young person missing from the home, by following the local police and multi-agency procedures.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Staff employed to work in the home experience a rigorous selection process prior to taking up their positions. There have been two newly recruited staff members since the last inspection, with the inclusion of the new manager.

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Safeguarding children and young people

There have been no allegations, no complaints and no reported incidents of bullying within the home since the last inspection.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The home is physically safe for the young people. Health and safety is prioritised with routine maintenance procedures in place. Robust monitoring of visitors to the home further ensures the protection of young people from potential harm.

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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 new manager in place who has applied to be the registered manager. The manager is a highly experienced and knowledgeable professional who has direct experience in working with young people with autism and learning disabilities.

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Leadership and management

The home has a clear statement of purpose and children's guide which inform young people, their families, and placing authorities about the services provided by the home. The statement of purpose reflects the registration conditions for this service. However, the home’s current planning and staffing list is not up to date

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Leadership and management

Young people benefit from a home that has maintained good standards since the last inspection. There was one requirement made at the last inspection and this has been fulfilled with the recruitment of the new manager. The manager demonstrates a commitment for continual improvement. The development plan reflects extensive practical proposals for continued improvement, with an emphasis on child-centred practice. The manager understands the strengths and weaknesses of the home and takes action to tackle weakness and make improvements.

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Leadership and management

A key strength of the home is the dedication and commitment of the motivated staff team. A social worker has commented that the staff team are an ‘asset to the home’. They are cohesive, enthusiastic and have vast experience within young people’s residential care. This means that young people receive sound and safe care.

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Leadership and management

Young people benefit from effective management and monitoring of the home. Each month an independent person appraises the home through a comprehensive monitoring visit. This system ensures that young people receive a consistently good quality of care. In addition, the management team monitors the quality of care provided to the young people on a monthly basis. Copies of the management reports should be sent to Ofsted for consideration twice a year. However, this has not been completed to date.

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Leadership and management

Staffing levels provide consistent levels of support which meet the needs of the home and the young people in placement. The management team ensure a reliable presence, providing support on shifts and an on-call service. Staff participate in a training programme which is relevant to the young people’s needs. Supervision is regular and staff receive annual appraisals. This means staff are skilled and supported to meet the needs of all young people in their care.

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Leadership and management

Young people and staff records are of a good quality. Records are clear, up to date and stored securely. All notifications are carried out as required and appropriate action is taken to follow procedures and ensure that young people are protected.

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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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