Children's Home run by Essandore Limited in St Helens

Unique reference number SC066218 Inspection date 20/09/2012 Inspector Sonya Robinson Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 23/01/2012 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Brief description of the service

The home offers accommodation for young people from 10 to 17-years-old, in the registration category of children with learning disabilities and physical disabilities.

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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 adequate .

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Overall effectiveness

Young people are cared for in a warm and nurturing environment with clear boundaries. As a result, they have obtained good outcomes and are making very good progress in relation to their starting points across all aspects of their welfare and development. For some young people, this progress is extremely good and this view is shared by external professionals.

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Overall effectiveness

Staff are aware of the individual needs of the young people and young people are all positive about the quality of the care that they receive. That care is enhanced by a strong commitment by staff to principles of equality and diversity. Although, some documentation is inconsistently completed which means that the quality of care is adequate.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people and professionals report a strong sense of safety in this home. Staff demonstrate a good working knowledge about safeguarding. They work sensitively with young people to help them to understand and encourage socially acceptable behaviour. This helps to prepare young people for adulthood.

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Overall effectiveness

Management arrangements are adequate and create an environment where young people are able to make positive changes. Managers effectively tackle weaknesses with a view to securing improvement. However, this inspection has identified several minor shortfalls. These relate to the exploration of additional staff training with regards to autism spectrum disorder; general household maintenance, generally as a result of having new door handles fitted, young people daily event records not being consistently completed and the Statement of Purpose and young people's guide has omissions and minor inaccuracies. These have not impacted on the good outcomes achieved by the young people in this home.

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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 all children's records contain all of the information specified in schedule 3 and that they are up to date; signed and dated by the author of each written entry (Regulation 28, Schedule 3) 31/10/2012

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) update and revise the Statement of Purpose and the children’s guide (Regulation 5) 31/10/2012

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that a record in the form of a register, in respect of each child accommodated in the home includes their address on leaving the home. (Regulation 29 (1) Schedule 4 (1)) 31/10/2012

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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 (NMS 10.3)  ensure that the learning and development programme is evaluated for effectiveness, in particular with regard to staff training regarding autism spectrum disorder. (NMS 18.2)

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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 are making good progress in all areas of their lives. They are growing in confidence, becoming more independent and showing greater emotional resilience. They feel settled and are more able to build and maintain relationships. They are making significant and continuous improvements in their behaviour, health, education, quality of contact with their family, independence and confidence in taking part in a wider range of activities in the community, for example going for meals out. Some young people do at times struggle to manage their feelings and behaviour, but are more able to overcome the problems they are facing. Staff sensitively help them to understand more about their backgrounds and experiences.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Disabled young people, including those who do not communicate verbally, participate in the decisions that affect their lives. They make day-to-day choices about what they have to eat and what they do in their spare time. Young people also understand and accept that their wishes cannot always be met. They respond positively when this is clearly explained. They also make more complex decisions about the support they receive and the plans for their future. For example, one young person is fully involved in the selection of possible future places to go onto, as they prepare to leave the home, into adulthood.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people are becoming more independent appropriate to their abilities and level of understanding. Young people are routinely involved in the running of the house; this includes going shopping, helping to prepare meals and tidying-up, helping with the laundry and using money. Young people are becoming more confident in their skills, including baking and communication.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people enjoy healthy lifestyles. Their disabilities are not barriers that prevent them from understanding the importance of being healthy. They take more responsibility for their own personal care, enjoy healthier diets and love physical activities such as swimming and walking. They have access to a full range of health services and receive excellent support with any health problems, for example specialist mental health services.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people enjoy school and the level of attendance is good. They are making good progress in developing their knowledge and skills, including improving their communication skills and reading. Schools report that young people are growing in confidence in their abilities, are less anxious and are coping remarkably well with new challenges. For example, one young person is coping very well having recently started at a more specialist school. From time-to-time some young people struggle in school, but this has not prevented them from attending and taking part in the full range of school activities. Young people also enjoy a full range of stimulating and enjoyable activities and social experiences. They especially enjoyed going on holiday to Wales, attending theatre trips, potting plants, jigsaws and undertaking arts and crafts.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people benefit from regular and appropriate contact with their families. This is enabling them to maintain and develop relationships with the people who are important in their lives. Staff work hard to ensure that young people find seeing their families a safe, positive and enjoyable experience. Social workers say that 'communication with parents is very good.' Staff are aware that young people and their families sometimes may find seeing each other stressful and make sure they are suitably and sensitively supported.

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Quality of care

The quality of the care is adequate . The consultation systems with young people are good, there are regular young people's meetings taking place, alongside more informal discussions between staff and young people. Staff ensure that young people and others have access to information about how to make a complaint, such as through one-to-one discussions with young people and within the Statement of Purpose for parents and relevant authorities.

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Quality of care

Young people are helped to develop socially acceptable behaviour by the use of praise and the implementation of boundaries. Staff have a good understanding of young people’s complex health needs and closely monitor young people. They also ensure young people get suitable medical advice and treatment when young people are feeling unwell or if they are concerned about young people’s emotional wellbeing. Staff support young people to be active and take regular exercise.

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Quality of care

The home’s procedures for managing medication are put into practice to ensure young people’s welfare is promoted and protected. Staff are trained in first aid and handling medication. They have a clear understanding of the home’s procedures and a detailed knowledge of each young person’s medication. Medication is securely stored. Staff make sure that young people only have medication specifically for them and take it in line with the prescription instructions. The individual needs of young people are identified, and specialist needs are met by external support as necessary.

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Quality of care

Educational needs are met and special educational arrangements are made. Young people are positive about their own arrangements and staff are involved in supporting educational plans for each of them, with the relevant authorities. This means that young people are attending education specific to their needs and complex disabilities.

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Quality of care

Young people are cared for in line with their local authority care plan and the home liaise with carers and parents to promote continuity of care. Social workers say that 'on the whole the placement is extremely positive' and another said, 'my young person is spending more and more time interacting with others' and 'staff are very good at following things up.' However, young people's daily records are inconsistently filled out, for example a specific bedtime routine was not documented along with some gaps within the young people's records regarding day or night time observations. This was addressed by the Registered Manager during the inspection and staff were reminded of the importance of young people's documentation.

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Quality of care

Young people are encouraged to follow their particular interests, such as listening to music, going for meals out, attending cultural and educational events and shopping for clothes in-keeping with their peers and the season. As a result young people are able to build confidence in their abilities and experience different social, cultural and ethnic backgrounds.

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Quality of care

Young people live in a location, in reach of schools, leisure facilities, public transport and shops, that are important for their development. The size, layout and design of the accommodation meet young people’s needs. The home also has a regular maintenance programme in place. However, the home has recently put new door handle and locks on all the doors and filler is still evident on each door and a couple of bathrooms are suffering the effects of wear and tear. This detracts from the homely environment that the home is trying to create.

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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 communicate a strong sense of being safe in the home. They say that they can talk with staff if they are sad or worried. Also that staff will help and look after them. This is further endorsed by young people's social workers who say that they have 'absolutely no concerns whatsoever' and 'definitely, my child is safe there.'

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people have care plans that identify their individual risks and protective factors. These are regularly monitored and reviewed to reflect progress or when new concerns are identified. For example, some children and young people can display extremely challenging behaviour at times. This risk is carefully monitored at all times in consultation with relevant agencies and with the individuals themselves. As a result, this risk is minimised and well managed.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The home has an effective missing from home policy that is compliant with the local police protocol. Due to the complex disabilities of the young people placed, young people have constant supervision in and outside of the home. There have been no episodes of young people going missing from the home. Staff are competent in recognising the particular vulnerabilities of young people in their care. For example, staff work appropriately at the pace of the young people which is tailored carefully to their emotional and cognitive abilities. As a result, their choices are respected and they flourish as individuals.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Positive, friendly and professional relationships between staff and young people underpin effective behaviour management based on praise, incentives and individual targets. This results in minimal use of physical restraints. Also, rewards, instant praise and encouragement is used rather than sanctions. Staff monitor young people carefully to ensure that young people are not subject to any type of bullying behaviour.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The home environment is physically safe and appropriately secure. Regular testing of gas and electrical appliances and the implementation of health and safety risk assessments ensure that children and young people, staff and visitors are sufficiently safeguarded.

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Leadership and management

The leadership and management of the children's home are adequate .

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Leadership and management

The home is run by an experienced and qualified Registered Manager, who is supported by a competent deputy, who the staff speak positively of. There is also a positive relationship between young people and staff which is evident within their everyday interaction. There is a nice rapport that enables young people to experience fun and the development of their social skills. The Statement of Purpose that sets out the aims and objectives of the home and a young person's guide is in place. However, both of these have omissions such as social worker details within the children's guide and the updated staffing structure is not documented within the Statement of Purpose.

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Leadership and management

There was one requirement and two recommendations made at the last inspection and these have been addressed. As a result, behaviour management is more clearly documented and reviewed. Also, a missing from care protocol has been established with the local police as detailed in the standards for children's homes. This means that there are further safeguards in place to protect children and that overall the home is making steady progress.

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Leadership and management

A representative on behalf of the organisation undertakes regular monthly visits to look at the overall effectiveness of the home and copies of these reports are regularly sent to Ofsted. Monitoring of records is also undertaken by the Registered Manager and helps to identify some of the strengths and weaknesses within the service.

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Leadership and management

Young people's records are securely stored and provide a picture of each child’s life in the home, including their likes and dislikes. However, records in relation to the admission and discharge of young people has not always been consistently updated. Partnerships are forged with the school and parents by working together in the best interests of the young people. Additionally, there are systems in place to notify relevant people if significant events occur within the home.

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Leadership and management

Young people are supported by sufficient numbers of staff to meet their needs; all of which have completed, or are undertaking, an appropriate qualification in childcare. Staff receive regular supervision in which their performance is monitored. Also, regular staff meetings take place where staff may seek additional support and advice regarding the care of their young people. There is a rolling programme of training in place including refresher training; however staff say that some training particularly around autism could be more in depth. This was taken on board by the Registered Manager who now intends to review and renew this training.

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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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