Children's Home run by One To One Crisis Intervention Ltd in Devon

Unique reference number SC068205 Inspection date 10/10/2012 Inspector Christina Maddison Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

p.1

Date of last inspection 09/02/2012 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.1

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.

p.2

Brief description of the service

This children’s home provides care and accommodation for one young person of either gender, who may have emotional or behavioural difficulties. The property is one of a group of services run by an independent company.

p.3

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

p.3

Overall effectiveness

The overall effectiveness is judged to be good .

p.3

Overall effectiveness

Young people make very good progress as a result of high quality of care given by staff at the home. The experienced manager and well-trained staff team provide a consistent approach to managing behaviour. They ensure that young people make progress and achieve positive outcomes by learning from the consequences of their actions.

p.3

Overall effectiveness

Young people are very happy living at the home and enjoy stable, long-term placements where they can mature and feel safe. Young people said that staff always listen to their points of view and include them in the day-to-day running of the house. This ensures that young people really feel as though it is their home, which gives them a sense of belonging. Young people are encouraged to be as independent as possible in all daily living tasks that they will need for the future.

p.3

Overall effectiveness

Young people have excellent attendance at school and are fully supported with their education. The staff team are committed to ensuring that young people achieve well educationally. There is no internet access at the home. However, young people are able to access the internet at the local library.

p.3

Overall effectiveness

Health care needs of young people are fully understood and training is available for staff if a topic arises that they need more information about. The home has good working relationships with health and social care professionals who provide health services and advice. This means that all physical and emotional health care needs of young people are fully met. Individual care needs are also fully met and there is a commitment to addressing young people’s cultural and religious needs. Parents and social workers are impressed with the quality of care provided at the home and the progress that young people have made, often in very challenging circumstances. One social worker said "the home provides an excellent quality of care and the manager and staff have a very good understanding of how to manage any behaviours."

p.3

Overall effectiveness

There is a commitment at the home by the manager and staff to continue to monitor and improve the quality of care provided for young people. There were no requirements or recommendations made at the previous inspection. One recommendation is made as a result of this inspection.

p.4

Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):

p.4

Recommendations

 ensure that young people have access to a range of educational resources to support their learning and have opportunities beyond the school day to engage in activities that promote learning; in particular, ensure that young people have access to the internet in the home. (NMS 8.1)

p.4

Outcomes for children and young people

Outcomes for children and young people are good .

p.4

Outcomes for children and young people

Young people make very good progress from their starting points when they arrive at the home. This is achieved through high quality individualised support in all areas of a young person's life.

p.4

Outcomes for children and young people

Young people's health care needs are fully met. As a result of healthy eating and exercise, young people have lost weight, become fitter and learned how to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Young people learn to be independent through being encouraged to plan menus, shop for food and help staff to cook meals. Young people also learn good personal care, household chores and how to use public transport.

p.4

Outcomes for children and young people

Educational achievement is very good and school attendance is excellent. Young people are helped to have high but realistic aspirations and are helped to access the appropriate educational facilities.

p.4

Outcomes for children and young people

Young people are fully supported to maintain contact with their family and friends. Staff encourage young people to become involved in a number of purposeful activities both in the home and in the community. For example, young people are successful members of a local football team and take a full part in the training schedule and matches. Young people have reduced their risk-taking behaviour. The home has successfully implemented behaviour management guidelines and encouraged young people to take responsibility for their behaviour, learn from their mistakes and the consequences of their actions.

p.4

Outcomes for children and young people

Young people said "I feel safe living here, I really like the house and staff help me. I like my school and can't think of anything that the home could do better."

p.5

Quality of care

The quality of the care is outstanding .

p.5

Quality of care

Young people thrive at the home. This is achieved through a very thorough assessment of needs. Effective care planning and high staffing ratios ensure that young people's complex and challenging care needs are fully met.

p.5

Quality of care

Staff have devised innovative ways of working with young people and have an excellent understanding of successful approaches. As a result, young people have made significant progress in all areas of their life.

p.5

Quality of care

Young people are helped to understand their life history and are encouraged to keep memorabilia of their time at the home. For example, young people have photograph albums, with pictures of enjoyable times that they have had with staff.

p.5

Quality of care

Constant and consistent monitoring of young people's progress and developing needs ensures that staff are able to evaluate young people’s progress on a regular basis. Young people are fully involved in this process. For example, young people are asked how staff can help them with any particular issues, such as going missing. Their views are sought as to how this can be resolved. This means that young people are able to learn to take responsibility for their behaviour and actions. Staff empower young people through their open and transparent ways of working.

p.5

Quality of care

Young people feel understood and cared for regardless of their individual needs or background. Young people said "all the staff are nice and listen when I have something to say, or an idea." Young people have access to an advocacy service and are part of house meetings where their views are welcomed and acted upon. Young people said that they helped choose the colour of paint for the lounge and their bedroom. Young people are also fully involved in choosing menus, activities and undertaking chores in the home.

p.5

Quality of care

Young people live in a quiet residential area on the outskirts of a large town. The home is well furnished in a modern style and young people benefit from living in a comfortable, homely and very clean environment. There is a good range of books and games for young people to enjoy and a small garden area they are able to use for outdoor activities.

p.5

Quality of care

Young people benefit from being encouraged by staff to live a healthy lifestyle. Healthy eating and regular exercise is encouraged. As a result young people have lost weight, become a lot fitter and said that they understand the importance of a healthy diet and exercise since arriving at the home. Staff work hard to discourage smoking and offer young people advice on issues such as alcohol use and sexual health. Staff have a very good understanding of young people's individual health care needs and access appropriate training to further their knowledge. Medication is well managed and there are robust systems in place for the administration of medication. All physical and emotional health care needs are fully assessed and a plan put in place to meet them. Health care professionals are consulted if appropriate. This ensures that young people obtain all the necessary help that they need to achieve positive outcomes.

p.5

Quality of care

Staff successfully help young people stay in contact with their families. This involves staff transporting young people to visit their families and offering advice and support to families if needed. Parents said that they were fully satisfied with the care that the home offered their child and could not think of anything that the home could do better. Young people are able to invite friends and family to visit the home and staff ensure that they are made welcome.

p.6

Quality of care

Young people said that there are always lots of activities on offer, such as football, youth clubs and cinema trips. Any talents or skills that young people possess are fully nurtured and encouraged. This ensures that young people's energies are channelled into worthwhile and purposeful activities and helps them to increase their self- esteem through achievement.

p.6

Quality of care

Staff are proactive in ensuring that young people achieve well educationally. School attendance is excellent and staff help young people with their homework and ensure that young people have high aspirations. Staff closely liaise with schools and colleges to ensure that young people achieve well. Young people are unable to access the internet at the home. This means that young people are unable to undertake homework that requires internet access and are unable to learn to use social networking sites safely. Staff encourage young people to be good neighbours to other residents in the area. For example if young people have caused any nuisance, they are encouraged to write an apology and understand how their behaviour affects others. As a result of this positive intervention, young people have a good relationship with the local community.

p.6

Safeguarding children and young people

The service is good at keeping children and young people safe and feeling safe.

p.6

Safeguarding children and young people

Young people said that they felt safe living at the home. One young person said, "staff help me keep safe, even though I do silly things and do things I shouldn't do." Staff receive regular safeguarding training and are confident that they would be able to follow safeguarding procedures should the need arise.

p.6

Safeguarding children and young people

Behaviour management is a strength of the home. Staff feel supported to manage even the most challenging of young people’s behaviours through regular staff meetings, individual supervision and robust behaviour management plans. Young people said that they fully understood the reward system that is in place at the home and said that it helped them to behave well. The number of restraints has decreased and there have been no restraints made for some time. Staff are fully trained in safe restraint techniques. The reduction in restraints has been achieved through the successful use of behaviour management strategies and de-escalation techniques. Young people said that they thought that any sanctions made were fair and they understood why they had been put in place. Sanctions are regularly reviewed to evaluate their effectiveness and altered if they are not successful.

p.6

Safeguarding children and young people

Young people said that bullying is not an issue at the home. Young people know how to complain and said that any complaint they made would be taken seriously.

p.7

Safeguarding children and young people

The home has a robust procedure to manage any incidents where young people are missing. The home has effective links with the local police. This means that if a young person is missing, there is a procedure in place and police will assist the staff to locate young people. The number of incidents of young people being missing has decreased. Staff have worked hard with young people to help them realise the risks of being missing. They have involved them in finding a solution to the issues that cause them to go missing and consequently have helped them to change their behaviour.

p.7

Safeguarding children and young people

Robust, regularly reviewed risk assessments are in place for young people, staff, activities and the building. There are regular checks of the fire prevention equipment and young people and staff regularly take part in a fire evacuation practice of the home. Young people said that they knew what to do if there was a fire. Health and safety in the home is well managed and there are correct procedures and checks in place to ensure the health and safety of young people living in the home.

p.7

Safeguarding children and young people

The staff team at the home has been in place since young people arrived, so there is a consistent and stable team of staff. There have been no new appointments to the home since the previous inspection. The home has a recruitment procedure that ensures that only suitable people are appointed. Visitors to the home must sign in and are appropriately monitored.

p.7

Leadership and management

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

p.7

Leadership and management

The home benefits from having an experienced and skilled registered manager who has been at the home for a number of years. Staff said that they are well supported by the manager, who offers them regular supervision and an annual appraisal. This ensures that staff are fully supported to enable them to offer good quality of care to young people. The organisation encourages staff to attend training in a variety of topics that will equip them with the knowledge that they need to meet the diverse needs of the young people.

p.7

Leadership and management

The manager ensures that there is always the appropriate number of staff on duty at all times. High staffing ratios mean that staff are able to fully support and meet the care needs of young people. If staff are absent through sickness or leave, then staff that young people know from other houses in the organisation will cover the absence. This ensures continuity and consistency of care.

p.7

Leadership and management

There is a strong commitment to equality and diversity in the home. Staff understand the need to ensure that any religious, cultural or needs relating to sexuality are fully met. For example, young people are always offered the opportunity to attend religious services in accordance with their own faith.

p.8

Leadership and management

Young people benefit from effective management systems in the home. The quality of care is monitored through a variety of systems. These include surveys sent to placing social workers and parents. Young people are invited to give their views through house meetings and feedback forms that they are regularly given to complete. Comprehensive monthly monitoring visits are undertaken by an independent person and the manager undertakes rigorous checks of records and care on a regular basis. The manager is fully aware of the strengths and weaknesses of the home and has a development plan in place to address any identified areas to be improved.

p.8

Leadership and management

Any significant events at the home are notified to Ofsted and the appropriate authorities. There were no requirements or recommendations made at the previous inspection.

p.8

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.

p.9

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.

p.9