Children's Home run by Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council in Dudley

Unique reference number SC038500 Inspection date 26/10/2012 Inspector Pete Hylton Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 01/02/2012 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Brief description of the service

This home is operated by the local authority. The home can accommodate up to four children and young people.

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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 outstanding .

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Overall effectiveness

The views of young people are actively sought by staff and these views influence changes in the home. For example, consultation with young people has improved communal areas of the home and new activity equipment has been purchased. Relationships between staff and young people are excellent.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people’s attendance at school improves tremendously given their starting points and they make excellent progress at school and in the home. A nurturing staff team ensure that the educational needs of young people are well met. Young people enjoy access to a wide range of leisure activities and make excellent progress in developing and maintaining healthy and active lifestyles.

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Overall effectiveness

Effective safeguarding procedures ensure that all young people are safe and feel safe at the home and are not at risk of harm. This can be attributed to the effective implementation of robust safeguarding procedures. Serious incidents are extremely rare and where they do occur, they are robustly and effectively managed. The staff team ensure that all young people are actively encouraged to achieve their potential. Care plans are carefully reviewed and adapted where necessary.

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Overall effectiveness

The home is exceptionally well managed and monitored. The Registered Manager ensures that all areas of the home are rigorously checked and any defects are swiftly resolved. The home’s development plan recognises areas of strength and details improvements needed to further develop outcomes for young people.

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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

All young people regularly attend school and are making excellent progress. This is effectively underpinned by excellent support from the home. Young people are supported in developing their key academic skills; for example, young people regularly read with staff and always complete their homework. As a result, young people have made significant educational progress. A young person commented ‘the staff help me with my reading and I have improved a lot since I have been here.’

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people are safe as they do not display risk taking or harmful behaviours and they do not go missing from the home. They make excellent progress in changing their socially unacceptable behaviours. All young people develop an age appropriate sense of safety and are able to take risks in line with their age and understanding. For example, some young people spend time unsupervised at the local park and go shopping with their pocket money. All young people develop the necessary skills based on their individual needs in preparation for adulthood. For example, young people help to prepare meals, make drinks and snacks and complete domestic tasks within the home.

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Outcomes for children and young people

All young people lead active and healthy lifestyles and participate in a wide range of activities. Young people enthusiastically pursue sporting activities and have made exceptional progress in some cases. For example, young people are members of local sporting clubs and now regularly play competitive matches. Young people’s talents and achievements are recognised by the staff team and this helps to improve young people’s confidence and self-esteem. Furthermore, this enriches the existing positive and nurturing relationships with staff. Young people also enjoy cinema trips, playing games at the home, youth groups and regular holidays.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people maintain contact with their families where appropriate and sustain and improve relationships with people who are important to them. Young people are able to discuss their feelings and concerns in confidence with an independent visitor. This ensures that young people are able to discuss all areas of their lives including any concerns or worries they may have. This further contributes to young people’s safety and well-being. A young person commented, ‘the staff help me to talk about things that bother me and I think about stuff now and don’t get angry.’

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Quality of care

The quality of the care is outstanding .

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Quality of care

Young people benefit from a highly skilled, well trained and motivated staff team. Relationships between young people and staff are excellent and are built on mutual respect. Young people similarly enjoy spending time with each other. They enjoy living in a home that is spacious, exceptionally well presented and resourced to meet their needs. A young person commented, ‘it is really good here.’

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Quality of care

Young people are encouraged to maintain contact with their family and friends, where appropriate. A social worker commented, ‘the arrangements for maintaining contact with families are excellent.’ A detailed and age appropriate young person’s guide contains the contact details for a range of support services. Young people are empowered to freely contact somebody if they are concerned or worried. Complaints from young people are rare and where they do occur, they are swiftly and sensitively managed.

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Quality of care

The staff team respond to the needs of young people and where necessary, make changes to the home. For example, young people expressed concerns over being able to take turns on the home’s computer console. All young people discussed and agreed a system to ensure everybody was able to have equal access to this activity. Young people truly feel listened to and respected. Comments from young people include; ‘staff listen to us and change stuff if we are not happy’ and ‘staff help me with things that bother me.’

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Quality of care

A cook prepares meals for young people which are healthy, nutritious and varied. Young people are encouraged to choose their own meals and their specific dietary needs are accommodated. They enjoy mealtimes and staff model a socially inclusive atmosphere at all times. All young people are encouraged to develop their independence through making their own breakfasts, drinks and snacks.

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Quality of care

The views and wishes of young people, parents and social workers are sought and recorded in highly detailed and individualised care plans. The staff team provide personalised care to young people built on a thorough exploration of their individual needs. The cultural needs of young people are explored and supportive interventions are delivered where necessary. For example, where young people are unaware of appropriate skin care, the staff team support and advise with meeting this need. Furthermore, young people are encouraged to recognise and celebrate people’s differences and their individuality. A range of age appropriate literature is provided in the home and young people are encouraged to learn about different faiths, customs and cultures. This enables and encourages young people to develop a respectful tolerance and understanding of each other, the diverse staff team in the home and wider society.

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Quality of care

Young people are encouraged to maintain active lifestyles and are able to access a wide range of activities. This is due to the energetic, highly motivated and active staff team who actively seek to provide new and varied opportunities. Clear and consistent education routines are promoted by the staff. All young people regularly attend school and receive exceptionally valuable support in completing their homework, reading and other school related tasks.

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Quality of care

Young people enjoy living in a spacious home, communal areas are pleasantly decorated and a homely feel is maintained throughout. Photographs of young people are on display around the home and they personalise their bedrooms and help to choose ornaments and decorations. The gardens are equally pleasant and well maintained.

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Safeguarding children and young people

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

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Safeguarding children and young people

A vigilant and responsive staff team ensure that young people are safe and feel safe at the home. The individual needs and vulnerabilities of young people are thoroughly explored and recorded in highly individualised risk assessments. Young people do not go missing from the home and none of the young people engage in risk taking or criminal behaviour.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Robust and effective recruitment practices ensure that adults working at the home are thoroughly vetted prior to employment. This helps to protect young people from the risk of harm and abuse. Young people benefit from a staff team who are regularly trained in safe care practices. All staff are trained in first aid, food hygiene, fire safety, child protection and physical intervention. This training is regularly updated and a member of the home’s senior care staff is an accredited restraint trainer.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Restraint is used only where necessary and for the purposes of keeping young people safe. Recording of these incidents is highly effective and rigorously reviewed by the Registered Manager. The views of young people are fully explored and recorded following restraint and sanctions. This enables young people to reflect on their behaviour and discuss areas of concern with the staff team. This in turn, enables the Registered Manager to review the effectiveness of the home’s approach to managing behavioural incidents. A new reward system has been implemented in the home and this has led to a reduction in sanctions and an increase in positive rewards. The behaviour of young people has improved as a result of these measures.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The home has established procedures in place for notifying relevant bodies about serious incidents. Since the last inspection, there has been one such incident which was appropriately managed, notified and resolved. This related to medication records in the home and the outcomes for young people were not negatively affected. The Registered Manager’s response was swift, appropriate and ensured that the safety of young people was fully promoted at all times.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The physical environment is safe; it is appropriately secure and exceptionally well monitored and managed. A range of discreet safety measures are employed, with the full knowledge of young people, parents and social workers. For example, all doors in the home automatically close in the event of fire and young people’s bedrooms are monitored by electronic alarms. This ensures that staff are alerted to young people leaving their rooms in the night and this further enhances their safety. The home has specific policies in place for these measures. Fire safety is well managed and all young people are practiced in safe evacuation at different times of the day. All required safety checks are completed and young people benefit from living in a home that is safe and protects them from harm.

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Leadership and management

The leadership and management of the children's home are outstanding . An experienced and ambitious Registered Manager leads a staff team who are highly motivated and committed to helping young people make progress. This is reflected in the range of improvements the home has made since the last inspection in February 2012. The purchase of additional recreational equipment has enabled young people to access a wider range of opportunities. For example, in consultation with the young people, musical instruments, camping equipment, games and new bicycles have been purchased. The Registered Manager has also consulted with young people about décor in the home and the garden. This has led to further improvements in the appearance of the home.

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Leadership and management

The one recommendation from the last inspection in February 2012 has been fully addressed. The young person’s guide now includes the contact details for the Children’s Rights Director and as a result, young people are able to make contact if they so wish. The management of the home is excellent. The staff team are passionate about their work and the Registered Manager nurtures their enthusiasm through regular meetings and discussions about improvement. A robust development plan clearly sets out the planned improvements and the staff team are clear on the strengths and weaknesses of the home. Regular and robust monitoring ensures that staff maintain a high standard of communication and that written records are securely stored, clear, up to date and relevant to the needs of young people. Progress and concerns are carefully documented and excellent communication between the home, parents, schools and social workers ensures that progress is

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Leadership and management

celebrated and concerns are resolved. A social worker commented, ‘The manager is excellent and communication with the home is also excellent.’

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Leadership and management

Staff are clear in their roles and responsibilities and their training needs are carefully and diligently identified and met. All staff are trained to the required level and are up to date with all necessary training. High quality supervision meetings ensure that all staff are able to discuss their practice, their ideas for improvement and any concerns. As a result, young people are cared for by a staff team who are highly motivated, well trained and enthusiastic about their work. Staffing levels meet the needs of young people, ensure that they are safe at all times and enable them to access a wide range of home and community based activities.

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Leadership and management

The Registered Manager ensures that the health and safety of young people is appropriately managed. The organisation regularly monitors the home through monthly visits. Young people and staff are consulted with and a report is produced which evaluates the standard of care. This is shared with the Registered Manager and staff team and further drives improvement in the home. In addition to these visits, the Registered Manager completes regular monitoring reports and takes action where necessary. The one serious incident since the last inspection was appropriately managed and the Registered Manager ensures that the staff team are clear in their responsibilities and effective in their practice with regards to safeguarding young people.

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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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