Children's Home run by Evolution Children Services Limited in Newcastle upon Tyne

Unique reference number SC382595 Inspection date 28/08/2012 Inspector Bill Drumm Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 22/03/2012 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 children's home is registered to care for up to five young people with emotional or behavioural difficulties. The registered provider of the home is a limited company.

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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

The home provides a warm, supportive environment in which young people can grow and feel safe. There are some good examples of personalised, individual care being delivered to young people who have experienced some difficult emotional times. The supportive environment allows young people to mature and to develop socially acceptable behaviour. Young people have developed from their starting points, especially with regard to their emotional well-being and, in some cases, relationships with family members. Education and training is given a very high priority. Young people are supported to attend regularly and to understand the importance of a good education. This helps them to achieve their maximum potential. The relationship between young people and staff was observed to be very friendly, warm and positive. Young people spoke fondly of staff, were able to share good humour with them and were at ease in their presence. Staff work hard to ensure that all young

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Overall effectiveness

people are kept safe and free from harm.

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Overall effectiveness

Feedback from staff, responsible social workers and other professionals involved with the home is very positive. The home is comfortable and well maintained throughout. The atmosphere created by the staff and young people is informal, friendly and cheerful. Staff have aspirations for the young people and are fully committed to ensuring they achieve their maximum potential. Young people know that staff genuinely care about them.

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Overall effectiveness

A requirement has been raised to ensure the detail in the Statement of Purpose is in line with regulation. Also there are shortfalls in some records and neither up-to-date pathway plans nor a development plan for the service are in 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

(2001) compile in relation to the children's home a written Statement of Purpose which shall consist of a statement as to the matters listed in Schedule 1. (Regulation 4) 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 that the registered person has a written development plan, reviewed annually, for the future of the home (NMS 15.2)  ensure that each child's placement plan is monitored by a key worker who ensures the requirements of the plan are implemented in the day-to-day care of the child (NMS 25.3)  ensure that each young person who is old enough has a comprehensive pathway plan in place to aid their transition into adulthood (NMS 12.2)  review each young person's placement plan to ensure that the reasons for their placement at the home are clearly understood by staff and young people and that progress in achieving their targets is fully recorded (NMS 25.1)  review the home's written records for recording instances of restraint to ensure they fully comply with regulations. (NMS 3.21)

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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 living at the home receive individualised help and support, which helps them to learn new things and to experience new activities. Young people are fully involved in making decisions about their lives and contribute toward decisions made about the running of the home. This helps them to grow in confidence and improve their self-esteem. Each young person has a key worker. Meetings between keyworkers and young people do take place. However, meetings between some young people and their keyworkers do not take place regularly. This means that the key working system is not fully effective in helping young people to achieve their agreed goals and to develop new ones. Young people are encouraged to become involved in the local community and further afield. Examples of this include, trips to the gym, meeting friends in the local community and a recent holiday to a local caravan park.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Members of staff display a committed approach to caring for young people and offer advice and support on how to stay fit and well. Young people are all registered with local primary health care providers, and any young people who are ill or suffer accidents are quickly attended to. Young people are encouraged to take regular exercise and are supported to use a range of community facilities and resources. There is a good approach within the home to promoting the health and well-being of young people. Young people are therefore able to understand the importance of staying healthy and in taking regular exercise.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people are supported to develop a positive self-image and to be aware of their own personal needs. They also receive a consistent level of help and support to learn new things and to develop their independence. Young people are encouraged to take part in budgeting, shopping for food items, meal preparation and to prepare their own snacks. The home has recently introduced a formal, structured programme for teaching young people daily living skills. This will help to equip them with the practical skills necessary to take care of themselves. However, those young people who are old enough do not have a comprehensive pathway plan in place. Young people may not therefore, receive the appropriate help and support necessary to make a successful transition into adulthood.

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Outcomes for children and young people

The education and training of young people living at the home is both promoted and actively supported by all staff. Young people are encouraged to undertake both vocational and non-vocational courses of study. Regular school attendance and the opportunity to learn new things help young people to achieve their full potential.

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Quality of care

The home provides a warm and supportive environment in which young people can develop both physically and emotionally. Care plans, and the assessment of the individual needs of young people have been carried out by placing authorities prior to young people moving into the home. In addition, the home has developed its own care plans for meeting the needs of young people. However, the home’s care plans do not provide sufficient, in depth detail of each young person’s specific needs. Members of staff may not therefore, fully understand the needs of young people.

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Quality of care

Regular monitoring and review of the care provided to young people takes place. This enables staff to evaluate the care they provide. Written records of all statutory reviews undertaken are available within the home. The changing needs of young people are met in a prompt and timely fashion.

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Quality of care

Young people's files are detailed and well ordered. Written information retained within the home provides an extensive record of each young person's life there as well as the help and support carried out by staff. Young people are involved in the running of the home. Young people are able to discuss how the home is run and to help identify any improvements that can be made. Young people know that their opinions are listened to and that they can influence change within the home. Within the home there is a culture of promoting each young person's rights and in ensuring they are able to participate in a wide range of activities. This helps young people to develop their confidence and self-esteem.

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Quality of care

The home has a detailed admissions process for young people, which includes those young people who are placed in an emergency. Members of staff are committed to ensuring each young person enjoys a positive experience while living at the home and is able to develop both physically and emotionally. Where at all possible, young people are encouraged to visit the home prior to admission in order to meet staff members, any other young people living there, to ask any questions they may have and to familiarise themselves with their surroundings. This process helps to overcome any anxieties the young person may have and to ensure the home can meet their needs.

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Quality of care

Young people enjoy living in a residential area close to the city centre. Each young person has their own bedroom and they are encouraged to make them as comfortable and personal as possible. Young people have access to a computer and computer gaming equipment. There is a television in the lounge where young people can relax. The home also has a dining area where members of staff and young people can socialise and enjoy a meal together. In all, the home provides a comfortable and pleasant environment for young people to enjoy.

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Quality of care

Young people are encouraged to enjoy a healthy lifestyle. Individual dietary needs are catered for and members of staff have undergone training in safe food hygiene. Each young person has written consent forms in place in order for members of staff to administer medication or first aid where this is necessary. Members of staff have also had training in the safe handling and administration of medication. The welfare of young people is, therefore, safeguarded.

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Quality of care

Relationships between members of staff and young people were observed to be very warm and friendly. Members of staff actively strive to provide an environment in which young people can be happy and flourish. Young people spoken to said, ‘the home’s great.’ No complaints have been made by young people; they make good progress and appear happy living at the home.

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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

There are clear systems in place within the home to safeguard young people and young people themselves said they felt safe and looked after. There have been no occasions since the last inspection when a young person has been missing. In addition, there are no recorded incidents of bullying having occurred within the home. The manager and all members of staff are fully trained in safeguarding and receive regular refresher training to keep their skills and knowledge up to date. This helps to ensure they are both confident and competent in dealing with any safeguarding issues should they arise.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Members of staff actively promote a culture of positive behaviour within the home and young people are supported to take responsibility for their actions. Restorative techniques are adopted in favour of punitive measures such as sanctions and restraint. Although no restraints have been used at the home for a considerable period of time, the written records of restraints used does not comply with national minimum standards. This means that if a restraint were to happen the full details of the event would not be retained.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The home's manager carries out regular checks of the home's fire systems, smoke detectors and emergency lighting. Young people take part in fire drills and the time at which fire drills take place are fully recorded. Young people live in a safe environment because the home has a thorough and systematic approach to risk management. Risk assessments are clear, focused and regularly reviewed. Regular checks of gas installations and electrical equipment also take place.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people benefit from a stable staff team. There has been one new appointment since the last inspection. The home operates a thorough, detailed and robust recruitment policy. This helps to ensure young people are looked after by suitable people and are protected from potential abuse. Visitors to the home are asked to identify themselves on arrival and to sign the visitors’ book.

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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's manager is an experienced and well respected professional who provides effective and competent leadership. Staff members are motivated and actively encouraged to create new opportunities for the young people living at the home. The home meets the aims and objectives set out in its Statement of Purpose. However, the Statement of Purpose does not include clear information about the skills, qualifications and experience of the staff team, those of the home’s manager or the responsible individual. Placing authorities will not know what skills of the staff team are and how they can be utilised to help young people.

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Leadership and management

The home’s manager provides daily support to the staff team and regular formal supervision. This helps staff members to know what is expected of them and to feel supported in their work. Young people receive consistent care from a well-supported staff team. Members of staff understand each young person’s individual strengths and needs. Working practices are consistent in enabling young people to develop both physically and emotionally, in increasing their self-esteem and in helping them to achieve their potential. Young people are supported to learn new skills and to participate in how the home is run. The organisation demonstrates a commitment to training all staff and in ensuring their training is kept up to date. This helps to ensure staff members retain the skills and competencies they have and are encouraged to develop new ones.

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Leadership and management

Young people live in a home that is effectively managed. The home's manager provides effective management and has systems in place to ensure that the quality of care is regularly monitored. Problem areas which may be identified are quickly highlighted and swift action is taken. The manager does not have a detailed development plan for the home. The manager and staff do not know what the strengths and weaknesses of the home are and what improvements they wish to make.

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Leadership and management

Monitoring visits from someone independent of the home take place every month. The person undertaking these visits talks, where possible, to staff and young people. In addition, and where possible, the visiting officer talks with the parents or relatives of young people themselves. These visits help to ensure that the home is run properly and that young people are well cared for. In addition, the knowledge and understanding of parents and staff about what strategies may work to help young people develop their independence and mature is borne in mind.

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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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