Children's Home run by Appletree Treatment Centre Limited in Westmorland and Furness

Unique reference number SC033268 Inspection date 29/10/2012 Inspector Bill Drumm Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Residential special school (>295 days/year)

p.1

Date of last inspection 26/03/2012 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

The home accommodates up to 12 young people of either gender with emotional and behavioural difficulties. It is provided by a private 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 adequate .

p.3

Overall effectiveness

The staff and manager provide individualised care to young people which is supportive and effective. They are very enthusiastic about the care they provide and have high aspirations for the young people in their care. This helps young people to feel comfortable, learn to enjoy their childhood and to develop appropriate behaviour. Young people have developed from their starting points, with regard to their emotional well-being and relationships with others. One young person’s social worker said, ‘I have seen some remarkable changes in my young person and this is down to the hard work all the staff have done.’ Staff, actively encourage young people to continue this progress and to achieve the best possible life chances.

p.3

Overall effectiveness

Young people also make excellent progress in their education and health. Attendance and achievement at school is actively encouraged and all success, no matter how small, is celebrated. Young people are involved in after school clubs and have hobbies and interests outside of the home. One young person’s social worker said, ‘The young person I have at this home is one of the most challenging and damaged that I have worked with, yet they’ve settled into the home and school really well’.

p.3

Overall effectiveness

Young people generally behave well and get on with each other and with the staff. Young people all have incentive charts and rewards to help them develop positive behaviour. Punitive measures such as sanctions are rarely used to encourage young people to moderate their behaviour and the use of restraint is also infrequent. Young people do not regularly go missing or run away from the home. However, on the rare occasion when this has happened the written records relating to the young person’s absence have not been completed accurately. This means that, the whereabouts or circumstances of a young person being missing are not fully documented. The staff team provide consistent care and support to young people to help them learn new things and to enjoy being children. The staff team are all qualified. However, they do not all receive regular, formal supervision and new staff have not completed the Children’s Workforce Development Council’s induction standards. In

p.3

Overall effectiveness

addition, robust checks of references provided by new staff have not been carried out. This means young people could be at risk of exploitation or harm.

p.4

Overall effectiveness

The manager and provider separately monitor the quality of care to identify improvements that may be necessary. The manager’s checks are not as thorough as they should be. Gaps in recording young people as being missing from home and in in the vetting of new staff have not been picked up. Patterns of behaviour cannot therefore be identified and young people are not fully safeguarded.

p.4

Overall effectiveness

As a result of this inspection, Ofsted has made three requirements and three recommendations which address these reported shortfalls.

p.4

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.

p.4

Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that no person starts work at a children's home until such time as full and satisfactory information is available in relation to him in respect of each of the matters specified in Schedule 2 (Regulation 26 (3)(d)) 31/12/2012

p.4

Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that all persons employed by him receive appropriate training, supervision and appraisal (Regulation 27 (4)(b)) 31/12/2012

p.4

Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) maintain a system for improving the quality of care provided in the children's home. (Regulation 34 (1)(b)) 31/12/2012

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 written records kept by the home when a child goes missing detail action taken by staff, the circumstances of the child's return, any reasons given by the child for running away from the home, and any action taken in the light of those reasons (NMS 5.10)  review the home's Statement of Purpose to ensure it is regularly updated to accurately reflects the experience of the staff team (NMS 13.3)  ensure all new staff undertake the Children's Workforce Development Council's induction standards, commencing within seven working days of starting their employment and being completed within six months. (NMS 18.3)

p.4

Outcomes for children and young people

Outcomes for children and young people are good .

p.5

Outcomes for children and young people

The life chances of young people are greatly improved by living at this home and from the care they receive. They are supported to learn through doing and to experience new activities. Young people enjoy playing sport, helping in the local community and taking part in theatre productions. Some young people have also successfully taken their cycling proficiency test. Within the limits of their understanding, young people are actively involved in decisions that affect their lives. All young people attend school. Their achievements are monitored closely and all success is celebrated. One young person’s social worker said, ‘My young person settled really well into school, which is something I wouldn’t have thought possible a while ago’. Regular school attendance and participating in new activities helps young people to learn, to achieve their full potential and to grow in confidence.

p.5

Outcomes for children and young people

Young people have regular formal and informal meetings with staff within the home. These meetings help young people to understand why they have to live at the home, what living at the home is meant to achieve and how they are making progress toward their identified goals. They also provide an opportunity for staff to monitor the care they provide and to explain to young people any changes that may be needed to their care. These meetings also give staff a formal arena for congratulating and praising young people on their continued progress. Meetings between staff and young people are fully recorded and the wishes and feelings of young people are captured. This helps both staff and young people to determine what areas of development they need to concentrate on next.

p.5

Outcomes for children and young people

Health outcomes for young people are very positive. Young people are registered with all relevant primary health care providers and specialist health care advice and support is given to those who need it, when they need it. Young people engage positively with all health care providers, which helps to safeguard and promote their well-being.

p.5

Outcomes for children and young people

Young people receive help and support to develop their self-esteem and a positive self-image. They are encouraged to become involved in the local community and further afield. Examples of this include undertaking the cycling proficiency test, attending a street dance group and participating in a community theatre.

p.5

Outcomes for children and young people

Family contact, or contact with those who are important to the young people are actively encouraged and supported. Since coming to live at the home, several young people have developed strong, positive links with their families and foster carers. One young person’s social worker said, ‘I have seen some remarkable changes to my young person and its’ down to the hard work and dedication of the staff at the home.’

p.5

Quality of care

The home provides a very warm, friendly 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. Care plans are regularly reviewed to help ensure the changing needs of young people are highlighted and their individual needs continue to be met. Members of staff fully understand the needs of young people.

p.6

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. One young person’s independent reviewing officer said, ‘I’m really pleased to see the progress they’ve made. They were positive about the placement and able to describe their trust in named individuals.’ Another independent reviewing officer said, ‘The staff are always well prepared for reviews, they demonstrate a capacity to reflect on the young person’s strengths, needs and challenges over time. The reports prepared for the meetings are always of a good quality.’ Written records of all statutory reviews undertaken are available within the home. The changing needs of young people are fully understood and met in a prompt and timely fashion.

p.6

Quality of care

Young people's files are detailed and well ordered. Written information retained within the home provides a clear and extensive record of each young person's life there as well as the help and support carried out by staff. Relationships between young people and staff were observed to be relaxed and friendly. Staff support young people to become involved in the running of the home, within the limits of their age and ability. Regular meetings are held with all young people and they are able to discuss how the home is run and to identify any improvements that can be made. Young people know that their opinions are listened to. Within the home there is a culture of promoting each young person's rights and involvement in an extensive variety of hobbies and activities. This includes hill walking, cycling, drama and street dance. This helps young people to develop their confidence and self-esteem.

p.6

Quality of care

The home has a very detailed admissions process in place with all admissions being carefully planned and arranged at the young person’s pace. This helps young people to feel confident about moving into the home and reduces any anxiety they may be feeling. Members of staff are fully committed to ensuring each young person enjoys a positive experience while living at the home and is able to flourish both physically and emotionally. One young person said, ‘I really like it here. We do lots of different things and it’s really nice’. A young person’s social worker said, ‘So far I have not found any negatives at all within the placement’. Young people enjoy living in a quiet rural area with larger towns nearby. Each young person has their own bedroom and they are encouraged to make them as comfortable and personal as possible and to keep them clean and tidy. Young people have access to a wide range of activities which includes board games, books and arts

p.6

Quality of care

and crafts. Young people were observed to be fully involved in preparing for bonfire night and Halloween. One young person said, ‘I’m dressing up as the mummy, I wonder how many bandages I’ll need’. The home has a dining area where members of staff and young people socialise and enjoy meals together. In all, the home provides a very comfortable and pleasant environment for young people to enjoy.

p.7

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.

p.7

Quality of care

Relationships between members of staff and young people were observed to be very caring, warm and friendly. Members of staff take pride in trying to provide an environment in which young people can be happy and flourish. Young people spoken to said, ‘The home’s great.’ Staff spoken to said, ‘It’s a joy to come to work and to see how the young people progress and move on. It’s sad when they go but we know it’s for the best.’ Young people make good progress and appear happy living at the home.

p.7

Safeguarding children and young people

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

p.7

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. There have been two occasions since the last full inspection when a young person has been missing. Staff acted quickly to determine the young person’s whereabouts and to ensure their safety. However, the written records relating to these incidents do not provide a comprehensive record of the reasons why the young person went missing or the all actions taken by staff. This means that staff are unable to analyse the circumstances surrounding the young person going missing nor can they consider how to minimise these in future.

p.7

Safeguarding children and young people

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.

p.7

Safeguarding children and young people

Young people are encouraged to take responsibility for their actions and to understand how their behaviour affects others. Each young person has an incentive programme in place to encourage positive behaviour and to reduce the need for sanctions. One young person’s social worker said, ‘I went out with my young person into town for a couple of hours. He was wonderful he was happy, extremely well behaved, polite and helpful. I’m not sure what you offer for rewards but I think they definitely deserve a pat on the back.’ Where absolutely necessary, restraint or holding of young people is also used at the home. The written records of restraints were inspected and they show that young people are held for the minimum amount of time necessary. In addition, the restraint records have recently been reviewed to fully comply with national minimum standards. This means that when a restraint is used the full details of the event are retained. Members of staff actively promote a

p.7

Safeguarding children and young people

culture of positive behaviour within the home and young people are supported to take responsibility for their actions.

p.8

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 electrical equipment also take place.

p.8

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 robust recruitment policy. However, the most recently appointed member of staff commenced their duties in the home, prior to all satisfactory character references being received by the home’s management team. This does not help to ensure young people are looked after by suitable people and are fully protected from potential abuse. Visitors to the home are asked to identify themselves on arrival and to sign the visitors’ book.

p.8

Leadership and management

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

p.8

Leadership and management

The staff team are enthusiastic, caring and fully motivated in helping young people to be happy and to achieve their maximum potential. One young person’s social worker said, ‘Staff are able to maintain consistency of response. They focus on praise and give clear explanations to young people when asking them to do something. This helps raise their self-esteem.’ The home’s manager provides competent leadership and the home meets the aims and objectives set out in its Statement of Purpose. However, the Statement of Purpose does not provide clear information about the experience of the staff team. This means that placing social workers will not be fully aware of the diverse interests and backgrounds of the staff team.

p.8

Leadership and management

Staff commented that they feel happy in their work, that they work well as a team and that regular staff meetings take place. However, not all staff receives regular, formal supervision. Additionally, not all new members of staff have been enrolled onto the Children’s Workforce Development Council’s induction standards. This means that staff may not feel fully supported in their work and staff, do not fully develop their skills and competencies.

p.8

Leadership and management

Young people live in a home that is adequately managed and the home's manager has systems in place to ensure that the quality of care is regularly monitored. However, the monitoring systems used, have failed to pick up shortfalls in the recording of young people who have been missing from the home and in relation to the character references of new staff recruited to the home. This means that the monitoring systems are not as robust as they should be.

p.8

Leadership and management

The manager has a written development plan for the home. The manager and staff know what the strengths and weaknesses of the home are and what improvements they wish to make.

p.9

Leadership and management

Regulation 33 visits take place and Ofsted is provided with written reports in a timely manner. The reports are quite informative and give a general overview of how the home is performing between inspection visits. There are discussions with young people and staff. In addition, and where possible, discussions take place between the independent visitor and the relatives or family members of young people. This means that their views about how the home is run or how the young people are looked after take place and their opinions and suggestions for improvement are borne in mind.

p.9

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.10

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.10