Children's Home run by Broadlands Hall Limited in Suffolk

Unique reference number SC060936 Inspection date 03/10/2012 Inspector Linda Leeder Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 13/03/2012 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

This privately owned children's home provides care, accommodation and education for up to 11 young people with learning, emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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Brief description of the service

There is a large education building, which is inspected by Ofsted, in the grounds of the home.

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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 good quality care to young people with specialised needs. Effective individualised care plans benefit young people and promote positive outcomes. Young people have made significant progress in all areas. Staff consistently and comprehensively implement effective frameworks which support young people’s behaviour, health, education, social and safeguarding needs. This, together with the positive relationships that staff have with young people and the excellent liaison that takes place with outside agencies, provides outstanding outcomes for young people.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people say they are happy living in the home and enjoy the time they spend with staff. The staff place young people's well-being at the centre of their practice. The home uses positive behaviour strategies which benefit young people. The strategies encourage young people to manage and change their own behaviour so that they can use this in other situations as they move into adult life.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people state that they feel safe. The home has robust procedures in place to ensure that young people are kept safe from harm. The home provides good care with regards to bullying. Staff are knowledgeable about young people's issues and difficulties and this ensures that young people are kept safe.

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Overall effectiveness

The home does not have a Registered Manager at present. However the management team have an excellent knowledge of young people. They successfully enthuse and motivate staff. The acting manager has a good knowledge of the value and impact that the service has on the lives of young people and has positive plans to further improve the care provided for young people. There are concerns about the quality of monitoring of the quality of care and of recording of physical restraints, although these have minimal impact on young people at present.

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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 the registered person shall establish and maintain a system for monitoring the matters set out in Schedule 6 at appropriate intervals and improving the quality of care provided in the children's home. (Regulation 34 (1) (a) (b)) 04/01/2013

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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 entries in records are legible, clearly expressed, non stigmatising and distinguish as far as possible between fact, opinion and third party information with particular regard to the recording of physical restraints. (NMS 22.4)

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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 make exceptional progress in all areas. Through their participation in activities, young people develop a positive self-view and emotional resilience and their self-esteem improves. Young people have a knowledge and understanding of their background and culture. Staff encourage them to express these in the activities they participate in and by personalising their rooms. Young people are proud of their achievements and these are celebrated by using photographs, pictures and through discussions with staff and other important people in their lives. These achievements are recorded in photographs around the home, in monthly reports to parents and social workers and in their life story books.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people benefit from a healthy lifestyle. Young people are encouraged to enjoy activities outdoors and take regular exercise, for example, cycling. The home provides nutritious and fresh food. Young people are encouraged to try different types of food and are discouraged from eating foods that do not benefit them nutritionally. Young people develop strategies for improving their emotional and psychological health by attending regular counselling sessions. Some of the young people staying at the home are unable to verbalise their emotional and psychological needs, however, staff are skilled in recognising changes in behaviour that indicate a change in their emotional and psychological health.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Excellent documentation and individual daily support plans identify the educational needs and personal attainments of young people. Attendance at school or other educational provision is exceptionally good. Young people make inspiring progress in small, but highly significant steps. For example, using music to understand thoughts and feelings has given young people the skills to move forward and achieve.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people make a positive contribution to their home and wider community. They participate in a wide range of purposeful activities, such as camping, sporting activities and environmental issues. The ample space both within the home and surrounding rural grounds allows young people to use their energy productively and safely. Participation by young people in local celebrations and activities provides the benefit of acceptance, friendship and increases their self-esteem.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Contact between the young people and their families is positively encouraged, well supported and competently managed. For example, social workers report that young people can make difficult decisions to reduce contact to enable relationships to remain positive and beneficial. The home welcomes young people's friends and family to the home when this is appropriate. This has ensured that young people have access to significant people in their lives while keeping young people safe.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people are encouraged to be as independent as possible. Young people achieve significant skills, taking into account their starting point at the time of placement that benefit them in daily living. For example learning to perform part of their own personal care or managing their own money promotes independence and a positive self-view. Young people become increasingly independent outside of the home and engage in positive activities which are important for the future. This increases their social skills and confidence.

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Quality of care

The quality of the care is outstanding .

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Quality of care

Young people have excellent positive and constructive relationships with staff. Young people report that 'they found it difficult at first but staff are good and helped control [young person's] anger.' Staff have built good trustworthy and respectful relationships with young people and this has encouraged young people to behave appropriately with staff and other young people in the home. These relationships give young people the building blocks for future relationships and positive behaviour in the future. Intricate and versatile behaviour management plans are followed diligently by staff and this has successfully bought about positive changes in young people. Social workers commented that staff 'have endless ideas about managing young people's behaviour in a safe and appropriate way. I am really impressed about the arts and crafts box, the thoughts and feelings book and also their firm but fair approach to

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Quality of care

managing young people's expectations.' Staff are enthusiastic and celebrate each little success that young people achieve. This contributes to exceptional outcomes.

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Quality of care

Staff give young people ample opportunity to express their views, wishes and feelings. The home has regular good quality residents' meetings which the young people organise and record. This ensures that they can put forward their views regarding the running of the home and the young people say that they feel listened to in this respect. Young people know how to make a complaint. However they also know that it is not always possible to act upon their wishes. Independent reviewing officers report that proactive staff encourage attendance at review meetings and have recently 'upped their game and have improved relationships with parents, communicated well and have improved behavioural strategies.' This gives young people the opportunity to express views about their care and shape their own futures.

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Quality of care

Excellent and thorough support plans outline detailed assessments for each young person. Plans accurately reflect young people's needs, their starting points and chart their progress. Staff work proactively with young people to update plans, this enables young people to recognise and fully benefit from the progress they have made. All cultural and religious needs are identified and addressed. Significant people are involved in planning for young people. Parents report that the home 'Recognises my role as his mother, they will let me know when there is something good to celebrate and so includes all his family in any progress.' This makes young people feel valued and cared for.

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Quality of care

Young people participate in an extensive range of activities and leisure facilities. These are individually tailored to the needs and wishes of the young people and have competent staff who are knowledgeable and encouraging of young people's choices. Young people attend the local judo clubs, enjoy caring for pets or horses, socialise with their peers whilst on a camping holiday and participate in environmental projects. This gives young people successful and interesting activities that can broaden and extend their life experiences.

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Quality of care

Education and training are highly valued by the service. Staff are encouraging of young people's learning and there is excellent communication between the home, school, college and parents to ensure that children's educational needs are clearly identified and supported. This ensures continuity and consistency of care and education.

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Quality of care

The home is located in a rural area with plenty of space for the young people to use positively. This is a large home. The home is clean and any maintenance issues are dealt with promptly. It is presently undergoing decoration to make the home feel more homely and there are plans to encourage young people to personalise their own rooms.

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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 are protected from harm, including neglect, abuse and exploitation. Comprehensive and extensive individual risk assessments recognise the vulnerabilities of each young person and identify protective factors. All staff are proactive in their approach to child protection. Parents say that, 'Staff are very good at keeping him safe and he is very happy at the home.' The service makes good use of investigations into allegations of harm or accident and puts into practice, lessons learnt from these investigations. Investigations are handled fairly and effectively. This ensures that young people remain safe while enabling them to take reasonable risks as part of their development.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The home has a robust response to young people who go missing and towards incidents of bullying. Young people rarely go missing and if they do, they return quickly. Young people who do go missing are protected as far as possible and responded to positively on their return. The home does not tolerate bullying and has clear procedures regarding this issue. Young people have confidence in the staff and their ability to work with the bully and with the victim of bullying to resolve and stop any harmful behaviour.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Physical restraint is rarely used in the home. The home has clear policies in relation to restraint. There are some minor issues regarding the recording of restraints although this has had minimal impact on young people within the home. The home uses a wide range of effective behaviour management techniques and the young people respond with positive behaviour. Staff are knowledgeable about the individual needs of young people and how they can encourage good behaviour. This provides an ethos within the home where positive behaviour is expected, young people receive respect from staff and therefore the young people respect others.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The home provides good quality staff. The home has competent procedures for vetting and monitoring staff. Staff have good quality and generally regular supervision. There is a good varied staff team who provide a wide range of experience and expertise. For example some staff have good quality skills in providing a warm and homely listening ear whereas others have skills in providing an active but unobtrusive time in which to listen to young people. This gives an individual approach and so enables young people to choose how to discuss issues and therefore ensuring that their needs are met.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The home has robust procedures for fire safety, which include evacuation procedures that all staff and young people participate in. Regular checks are undertaken on the homes fire alarm system and the homes utility services. The service provides a safe environment for young people. The home is well maintained and has plenty of space for young people to interact safely.

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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 is effectively and efficiently managed. The Registered Managers post is currently vacant. The service has recruited a manager, who has been in post since June 2012, and is in the process of applying for registration with Ofsted. There is evidence of effective improvement in the abilities and qualities of the staff, and outcomes for young people. The provider meets the aims and objectives in the Statement of Purpose, and young people, staff and placing authorities are clear about the aims of the home and the services it provides.

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Leadership and management

Requirements and recommendations from the previous inspection have been addressed. The home has obtained consents from placing authorities for use of electronic monitoring devices. The home has a robust procedure for monitoring all staff and young people involved in evacuations in case of fire. The current manager consults with young people as part of any monitoring of the quality of care. For example this is demonstrated by the comments from independent reviewing officers, who report that the acting manager has a good knowledge of the young people's needs, views and wishes. However there are concerns about the quality of the system for monitoring and subsequently improving the quality of care provided in the home. This has minimal impact on young people at present, but could affect the quality of care provided for young people in the future. Visits undertaken under Regulation 33 are now displayed and discussed with staff and managers for them to

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Leadership and management

Management systems are effective. Staff make positive comments about the manager’s strong and supportive leadership of the service. They feel supported and all see significant developments in their own personal and professional confidence and competencies. Staff say they are supported with consistent and regular supervision. They are given good opportunities to formally discuss their role, professional development and the impact on working with young people with challenging needs. Their on going professional development is supported by a comprehensive, good quality training programme.

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Leadership and management

Concerns and complaints do occur. However, when they do, they are efficiently addressed and resolved. The home uses issues raised from these complaints to improve practice and procedure, in order to provide better care for young people. For example, activities outside the home are planned in advance and any equipment needed for the activity is sourced beforehand.

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Leadership and management

The home makes good use of risk assessments, key working sessions and care plans for young people. Policies and procedures in the home ensure the involvement of young people. They encourage the development of independence skills and improvements in young people's behaviour. For example pictorial daily support plans allow young people to understand and anticipate their day and therefore reduce anxiety and stress which can affect behaviour. The home works effectively with other agencies and is proactive in chasing reviews and visits from responsible authorities. Social workers report that the home provides regular, clear and comprehensive written information that benefits young people and supports the successful advocacy it provides for them.

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Leadership and management

The home is adequately resourced and there is evidence of improvements in the physical structure and décor of the home on a regular basis.

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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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