Children's Home run by Capstone Care Provider Limited in Nottinghamshire

Unique reference number SC392712 Inspection date 04/09/2012 Inspector Julian Parker Type of inspection Interim Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 01/05/2012 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Brief description of the service

This privately-owned home provides care for up to two young people with emotional or behavioural difficulties.

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The inspection judgements and what they mean

Good progress The children’s home has demonstrated continued improvement in quality of care and outcomes for children and young people and where appropriate has addressed all requirements and the large majority of recommendations that were raised at the previous inspection. Satisfactory progress The children’s home has maintained quality of care and outcomes for children and young people and where appropriate has addressed all requirements and the majority of recommendations that were raised at the previous inspection. Inadequate progress The children’s home has failed to address one or more requirements and/or has not met the majority of recommendations and/or the quality of care and outcomes for children and young people have declined since the last full inspection.

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Progress

Since their previous inspection the service is judged to be making good progress .

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Progress

This home was judged as being inadequate at the last full inspection. Subsequent monitoring visits have ensured that imposed compliance notices in respect of adequacy of staffing and the safety and appropriateness of children’s activities have been adhered to.

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Progress

This interim inspection addresses the additional requirements made by the last full inspection not included in the compliance notices and the effectiveness of the home’s present leadership and management. Since the last full inspection the appointment of a Registered Manager to the home has addressed the majority of the concerns satisfactorily.

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Progress

A change to the registration of the home reducing its occupancy level has enabled a major reorganisation of the available physical space. Practically, this has provided a much needed communal lounge for young people’s enjoyment and additionally enabling greater interaction with staff. Reduction in occupancy levels has also enabled time for much needed redecoration, refurbishment and more general improvements to the property inside and out. The home is now clean, tidy and generally well decorated throughout. The physical changes to the building have however generated a revised fire risk assessment that has yet to be drawn to the attention of the authority fire and rescue service.

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Progress

Young people benefit from the delivery of care resulting from the changes introduced by the Registered Manager. Local authority placement plans, updated following Looked After Children (LAC) review confirm better clarity in how health and educational needs are now delivered. Improvements to young people’s diet, exercise routines and access to education, confirmed by the young person, his social worker and LAC review feedback indicate progress in pursuing positive outcomes. Each young person’s understanding of plans should, however, be confirmed by being signed at the earliest possible opportunity.

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Progress

Staff help support young people with their independent life skills as part of their transitional plan towards semi-independence. Young people talk enthusiastically about the benefits of healthy eating and actively engage in preparing their meals. One young person said, ‘I am being helped prepare for independence by cooking and helping look after myself….the staff come with me to the gym to help me keep fit. I really like it here now.’ This practical support helps to aid their successful transition into young adults and in preparing them for leaving care.

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Progress

Some young people have moved on from the home since the last inspection. Current residents do not present significantly challenging or unsafe behaviour resulting from unauthorised absence or going missing from care. Improved management guidance ensures that staff follow local safeguarding and missing from care protocols diligently updating young people’s risk assessments and behaviour management plans to document any change. This has meant that identified risks have been minimised to keep young people safe. For example, unambiguous contact arrangements and defined visiting arrangements for friends reduce potential and known risks to young people which could influence young people to abscond.

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Progress

Updated complaints procedures ensure that concerns arising about the practice of the home from whatever source elicit a quick and transparent response. Young people know that their voice will be heard if they have any concerns through their key worker sessions and by having access to advocacy information posted in the home and in their young person’s guide. Young people spoken with on this inspection raised no concern or complaint about their care. The Registered Manager has improved the home’s profile with its neighbours by face-to-face and letter contact to allay any legacy of concern inherited with his appointment.

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Progress

Young people’s case records demonstrate betterquality recording practice to fully comply with regulation. Records confirm improvement and progress in their lives. Access to post-sixteen education and independence target setting is in place. Behaviour management and daily recording shows that young people have grown in confidence and have developed meaningful and constructive relationships with staff. Staff help young people and their families to maintain their relationships and contact. This supports young people to maintain meaningful, safe links with people who will be important to them into their adult lives. Improvements made to the home’s internal monitoring and consultation systems assist the progress made since its previous full inspection. For example, the Registered Manager has completed a quality of care review, which monitors professional practice and outcomes for children. Feedback from staff, young people

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Progress

and social workers about the running of the home, and the service provided has helped inform shape and improve current practice. This review identifies further areas for ongoing improvement and action integrated into the home’s annual development plan. This in-house process contributes to improving the quality of care provision and young people’s outcomes.

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Progress

External monitoring of the home through Regulation 33, while being informative and effectively evaluating the home’s practice against its Statement of Purpose is presently insufficiently independent of the home’s day-to-day management to be neutrally objective. The home’s Statement of Purpose does not accurately identify casual staff employed by the registered provider deployed to the 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 that in the case of a child who is looked after by a local authority the registered person co-operates with the child's placing authority in agreeing and signing the plan for the child's placement prepared in accordance with regulation. Ensure that a copy of the most recent plan is held on file and signed by the young person(Regulation 12A(1)) 03/10/2012

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that the home shall be visited in accordance with this regulation by an employee of the organisation who is not directly concerned with the conduct of the home. (Regulation 33 (2)(c)) 03/10/2012

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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 Statement of Purpose is updated to reflect all changes to the operation of the home including amendments to staffing complement. (NMS 13)  ensure a copy of the revised Fire risk assessment is forwarded for the attention of the local fire and rescue service identifying the amendment to the layout of the building (NMS 21)

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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 progress made by the provider since the last full inspection, identifies any further strengths, any areas for improvement and makes judgements as outlined in the Inspection of children’s homes – framework for inspection (March 2011).

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