Children's Home run by Quality Protects Children Ltd in Knowsley

Unique reference number SC405448 Inspection date 18/09/2012 Inspector Alicea Churchward Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 29/11/2011 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Brief description of the service

This home is registered to care for five children with emotional and behavioural difficulties. It is run by a private 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

Young people benefit from a home that provides a safe and comfortable environment. There is a strong and enthusiastic management team that supports and guides a caring and experienced staff group. It is evident that all staff enjoy their work and this positively benefits young people.

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Overall effectiveness

Notable improvements include the management of the home, the decoration of the home and forging positive relationships with the local area including the neighbours and police. In addition that young people have made positive friendships in the area.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people have positive views about the standard of care they receive and make good progress as a result of living at this home. They say ‘I really like it … it’s a really nice home … a safe place to live … staff are good … the manager is the best you can get ... it’s a decent placement.’ The home is good at ensuring that young people receive education and are supported within education. Young people’s achievements are celebrated within this home. This is underpinned by effective support from a caring and dedicated staff team.

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Overall effectiveness

The individual needs of young people are met through detailed care planning. The individual vulnerabilities of young people are fully identified and carefully planned for. This ensures that all young people are safe at the home. This is confirmed by a range of external professionals who comment on the professionalism of staff, putting the young person at the centre of their care and the progress young people have made since their admission to the home.

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Overall effectiveness

Areas for development identified at this inspection are repairs to some cracked and misted window panes, removing the numbers from young people’s bedroom doors as this is not consistent with a domestic setting. Improving upon how partner agency views are obtained to inform the development of the home and ensuring the independent visit reports to the home reflect that staff and young people are given the opportunity to speak to the visitor in private.

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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 Regulation 33 visit reports make specific reference as to whether young people and staff are given the opportunity to meet with the visitor in private. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)) 31/12/2012

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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

 Provide a comfortable and homely environment that is well maintained; with specific reference to repairing windows and removing numbers from young people's bedroom doors (10.3)  ensure that the home's whistle-blowing policy is made known to all staff (NMS 16.7)  ensure that the views, wishes and feelings of children and people those significant to are taken into account in monitoring staff and in developing the home (NMS 1.7)  ensure that records demonstrate that all children are familiar with and have practiced a fire drill so they know what to do in an emergency (NMS 10.9)

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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 towards developing a positive self-view, emotional resilience and knowledge and understanding of their background. They have access to specialised services provided by the organisation to help them to deal with their feelings and past experiences. Each young person has a dedicated key worker and regular discussions take place about matters concerning the young people. Sessions with key staff ensure that young people are able to explore their concerns, worries, anxieties and feelings. Strategies and progress are regularly discussed with the staff and young person. This enables young people to reflect on their experiences and reflect on events in their lives and ensures that staff are working closely together.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people understand the importance of healthy lifestyles and take responsibility for their own health. They are assisted to do this with support from staff. There is a lot of helpful information that young people can access in relation to health matters. They are encouraged to lead a healthy life style and have a balanced diet. The home has good links with a range of health agencies, including specialist services.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Generally young people are making good progress with their education and their attendance at school has improved in relation to their starting points. Staff have high aspirations of young people. They provide them with the encouragement and support they need to promote their academic progress. Some young people also have access to a school on site that they can attend if they are unable to attend mainstream school, this is working well it ensures that young people can access the national curriculum and achieve their educational potential.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people benefit from being able to make a positive contribution to their home through regular formal meetings and informally on day-to-day matters. To their credit the home has undertaken a lot of work with the wider community to promote positive relations with the neighbours, police and the local authority in which the home is situated. As a result the home has had some positive feedback and is viewed positively.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people have access to a range of activities within the home, including art equipment, books and entertainment systems. Activities in the local community are also promoted and designed to develop social interaction, independence skills and increase self-esteem.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people are supported and enabled to remain in contact with their families and friends, where appropriate. This helps young people to maintain relationships with those who are important to them and to maintain a sense of identity. Young people have also made positive friendships in the local area.

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Quality of care

Young people enjoy positive relationships with staff members which are based on mutual respect and understanding. Staff implement positive behaviour strategies to support young people to develop skills and positive relationships and to manage conflict. The organisation employs a clinical psychologist, who works closely with staff and individual young people, to assist them understand behaviours and employ strategies to manage these. The home has good behaviour management plans and individual risk assessments which are reviewed by the clinical psychologist and the staff in the home. These give a good outline of behaviours and strategies to manage them.

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Quality of care

The home has a detailed complaints process and young people are encouraged to voice their concerns. Staff listen to what young people have to say and they try to resolve promptly any issues they might have. One young person said, 'I'll talk to any of the staff’ if there are any worries or concerns. Young people are able to make their needs known and to raise formal complaints if they are unhappy about anything. This helps them to feel cared for and ensures that their opinions are valued.

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Quality of care

The care planning systems used within the home are good. The manager and members of staff monitor care plans and ensure the changing needs of young people are responded to appropriately. Written records are well maintained and any changes in need are identified and acted upon. Young people are assisted well to contribute to their care planning meetings; this ensures that their wishes and feelings are taken into account. Young people are actively involved in the decisions made within the home. As a result, they are fully involved in how they are cared for. Young people feel respected and valued as their views and opinions are taken seriously.

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Quality of care

The home provides a healthy environment where young people are able to access the services and support they need to meet their physical, emotional and psychological health needs. Attention is paid to ensuring that medical appointments are up to date. Health plans are clear about individual needs and young people have access to substance misuse and sexual health services.

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Quality of care

The home is decorated, maintained and furnished to a good standard; however some minor repairs are necessary to some misted conservatory windows and two cracked window panes. In addition young people’s bedrooms are numbered which this gives an institutional feel to the home. Young people have their own bedrooms which are decorated to meet individual tastes and needs. The staff have worked hard to improve the interior decoration of the home. Young people benefit from well- maintained garden areas. The home fits in well with other local properties as it is not distinguishable as a children's 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

Young people say that they are safe and feel safe both inside and outside of the home and are protected from significant harm. Young people are supported to take reasonable risks to promote their natural growth, development and maturity. Staff actively promote the welfare of young people living in the home. Staff work effectively in partnership with other agencies concerned such as the Local Authority Designated Officer and have strong links with the local police. They are clear about their role in protecting young people; but not all staff are aware of the organisations whistle blowing policy. There has been a reduction in young people going missing from the home. When young people have gone missing staff know how to follow agreed protocols to promote their safe return. Young people are well advised about the dangers of them going missing and they receive consistent support, to help them reduce their risk

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people say that the rules are fair. The use of sanctions and restraints are very low with the current group of young people. Staff are trained in positive behaviour management strategies which successfully manage and diffuse behaviours prior to behaviour requiring restraint. Records of restraint are clear, comply with requirements and are regularly monitored. Good behaviour management plans and incentives contribute towards young people attaining positive rewards for good behaviour; this is working well.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The home's recruitment process is thorough and helps to ensure that only those who are suitable to work with young people are employed. Young people are protected by the home's recruitment procedures and are kept safe from having unsuitable staff working within the home.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The home provides a safe environment for the staff and young people. Regular checks on equipment and installations ensure that the home continues to be safe. There are a range of risk assessments in place in relation to the building, fire safety and for individual young people. These documents are regularly reviewed; they are effective and further serve to protect staff and young people. Fire drills are recorded but do not reflect who was involved in the drill some entries note that 'all staff and young people' were involved, although they were not all on site at that time. It is not clear in the records that all young people have practiced what to do in an emergency.

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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

Since the time of the last inspection the organisation has appointed a new manager to the home who has recently become the Registered Manager. At the time of the last inspection two recommendations were made in relation to the behaviour management policy and minimising police involvement in the home. These matters have been fully addressed staff fully understand and implement both policies successfully; there is positive behaviour management and there has been no police involvement to manage behaviour in the home.

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Leadership and management

The Statement of Purpose has been revised to take account of a change in the circumstances of young people being referred to the home. This document and the children’s guide give a clear overview of what placing social workers parents and young people can expect from the service. Review of these documents is on-going.

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Leadership and management

The home's manager provides effective management and has systems in place to ensure that the quality of care is regularly monitored internally. Any problem areas which may be identified are attended to and appropriate action is taken. The organisation and the home have development plans in place. The home's manager and members of staff are aware of the home's strengths and weaknesses.

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Leadership and management

Questionnaires have been developed and sent to partner agencies to seek their views on the quality of care and informing the development of the home; however there has been a limited response. Young people have also filled in questionnaires but it is not clear how these views are taken into account in monitoring staff and in developing the home.

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Leadership and management

The organisation ensures that there is regular monitoring through Regulation 33 visits to the home. The reports represent detailed monitoring and any actions to be taken as a result; there are copies of these reports in the home. However visit reports do not currently make specific reference as to whether young people and staff are given the opportunity to meet with the visitor in private and the views of staff are limited. In discussion with the visitor this is done in practice. The directors of the organisation have devised a pledge for young people to improve the quality of care in the home.

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Leadership and management

Young people benefit from skilled, qualified and well-trained staff. Staff development is promoted through high quality training to enable staff to develop their professional practice. Sufficient staff are employed to meet the needs and numbers of young people living at the home. Staff report positively on the support they receive they say ‘support is brilliant … training really helped me to become confident … it’s a nice place to work … I do feel really supported … we have good out of hours support … if unsure about anything I can ask the management team anytime.’

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Leadership and management

Significant events are reported appropriately, the home is quick to report any concerns to the appropriate authority, to safeguard young people and protect them.

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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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