Children's Home run by Hopscotch Care Limited in Lancashire

Unique reference number SC432741 Inspection date 14/11/2012 Inspector Anne Bannister Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 27/03/2012 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Brief description of the service

This privately owned children's home is registered to accommodate and care for five young people of either sex who experience emotional and behavioural difficulties. The home accepts emergency placements and can offer care to young people on a short, medium or long-term basis.

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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 living in the home have made good, steady progress from their starting points on admission. Young people are cared for by a staff team, who work positively and energetically to meet their needs in a non-punitive way. Staff demonstrate a good understanding of safe working practices, linked to young people's individual needs. As a result these working practices ensure young people’s welfare is promoted.

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Overall effectiveness

Education, training and employment are actively promoted and supported. Through their hard work and perseverance staff have successfully managed to integrate two young people back into education which will support their transition into independence. Young people are encouraged to become involved in a range of activities around the home and within the local community. This helps young people to develop their self-confidence and social skills.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people feel listened to and feel they can talk freely with staff about any problems or concerns they may have. Young people and members of staff have good relationships which are based on mutual respect. Young people are keen to share their positive views about living in the home. The home is pleasant and welcoming and meets the needs of the young people. Feedback for this inspection from young people, staff members and other professionals is very positive.

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Overall effectiveness

The management and organisation of the home are good. This and the effective levels of communication between staff promote consistency of working practices. One professional indicated that she was very pleased with the placement as, 'staff are very nurturing and the young person is responding well to clear, consistent boundaries.' The strengths and weaknesses of the home are assessed and there are suitable plans for continued development.

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Overall effectiveness

One requirement and one recommendation have been raised as a result of this inspection.

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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 if any of the events listed in column 1 of the table in Schedule 5 takes place, the registered person shall without delay notify the persons indicated in respect of the event in column 2 of the table. In particular full details of safeguarding referrals made to the local authority must be notified to Ofsted. (Regulation 30(1)) 17/12/2012

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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

 ensure that where a child goes missing and there are concerns for their welfare staff arrange a meeting between the child and the responsible authority in private to consider the reasons for the child going missing. In particular records maintained by the home should indicate that the child is offered the opportunity to speak with someone outside of the home about the reasons they went missing. (NMS 5.9)

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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 achieving positive outcomes in all respects. They receive good levels of support that allow them to settle into the home following admission and then go on to make progress both socially and educationally. The ethos and practices of the home are supportive and encourage young people to reach their full potential. Young people’s individual needs are identified and these are reflected in the plans and strategies in place for them.

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Outcomes for children and young people

From admission all young people are encouraged to participate in an individualised programme of education. Incentives successfully encourage and improve attendance. Where young people are beyond school leaving age, they are assisted and encouraged to engage in further education. The strong links developed by the home with local colleges means young people can gain access to relevant courses. For example, two are involved in courses to support them into employment. These links, coupled with an expectation from staff that young people will engage positively in their education, gives young people the opportunity to achieve good educational outcomes.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people living at the home are treated fairly and staff practice supports their individual needs. Staff have the skills, motivation and abilities which enable them to form positive working relationships with young people and to sustain them in periods of difficulty. Young people gain benefits from the good levels of emotional support they receive. This is particularly evident in supporting young people experiencing loss and also those needing support to maintain positive relationships with family.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people's health needs are positively promoted. Good health plans ensure individual needs are assessed and met. All young people are registered with community-based health services to access day-to-day health support. Specialist interventions for specifically identified health needs are in place to support positive outcomes for young people. Young people are given opportunities to improve their lifestyles through diet and exercise. They are provided with information and given every encouragement and practical support to modify certain aspects of their lifestyle, such as tobacco, drugs and alcohol use. As a result, most young people enjoy improvements in their general health.

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Quality of care

Young people benefit and thrive in a supportive and nurturing environment. Their individual needs are clearly identified in care plans and individual risk assessments. Regular reviewing of the plans and strategies in place ensure young people’s needs are current and well met. Young people know what staff are aiming to help them achieve and are familiar with the plans in place for them. They benefit from having close, caring relationships with staff, who work openly and communicate positively with them. As a result young people are cared for in a trusting atmosphere which allows them to develop greater confidence in themselves and others.

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Quality of care

Young people's behaviour significantly improves from the how they present on admission. They appear relaxed and confident in their placements. They are given opportunities to develop self-knowledge and self-help skills which in turn improves their self-esteem and self-confidence. Young people confirm that their views, wishes and feelings are routinely sought by staff. Young people influence aspects of the home’s operation, for example, through young people's meetings, regular individual sessions with key workers or direct contact with the manager who seeks young people's views on all aspects of their care. Young people and staff are relaxed in each other’s company, which leads to good levels of communication taking place on a daily basis. This encourages and supports young people towards making appropriate and more informed decisions about themselves and their future.

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Quality of care

Healthy lifestyles are promoted. There are clear policies and procedural guidance and these are followed in practice. All staff receive suitable training to support their health and well-being and this ensures a good quality of care is provided. Medication is stored safely, and records are maintained on the administration of medication including prescribed and non-prescription medication. There are good collaborative links with many different health professionals and agencies. This allows helpful guidance and support to be provided when young people are most in need.

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Quality of care

Young people preparing to move on from the home have pathway plans in place. Young people are supported well by the staff during this period of transition. The home is in the process of developing independence programmes as their first residents prepare for their move to independent living.

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Quality of care

This home is well furnished, welcoming and homely. Each young person has their own bedroom that they are encouraged to personalise. Young people have access to a computer and have access to the internet both for educational and social usage. There is a television in the lounge where young people can relax. The home also has a dining area where members of staff and young people routinely socialise and enjoy meals together.

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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 they feel safe and well protected in the home. Bullying is not identified as an issue by them and they are confident that if it should occur staff would deal with it promptly. Young people describe positive and significant relationships with staff that give them confidence that there is always someone they can talk to should they have any concerns.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Members of staff receive regular training in child protection. Young people's welfare is protected through the application of the home's safeguarding policy, risk assessments and reporting procedures by members of staff. All of the staff demonstrate a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities in keeping young people safe. The Registered Manager demonstrates a strong understanding of the legislation in respect of safeguarding. She ensures, through discussions in team meetings and training on issues such as child exploitation, that staff develop and retain their knowledge and awareness of current issues impacting on young people's safety and well-being.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people do, on occasion, go missing from the home and when this does occur staff act swiftly to report the matter and locate the young person concerned. Staff are familiar with locally agreed protocols and procedures and work closely with the police to ensure young people are found and safely returned to the home. Young people state that on their return staff encourage them to reflect on the potential dangers associated with their behaviour and alternative choices they could make in future. This means that young people have an increased awareness of the risks they may place themselves in and have the opportunity in the future to make safer decisions concerning their personal safety. Comprehensive records detail staff's response on young people's return to home. However, they do not evidence whether young people are given the opportunity to speak to someone outside the home about the reasons for their absence.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Staff are skilled and trained in using behaviour management techniques and favour de-escalating potential situations and challenging behaviours to avoid the use of physical intervention. The success of the strategies they employ is evidenced by the fact that there have been no incidents resulting in the need for physical intervention since the home was registered. All staff receive regular and refresher training in positive handling techniques to ensure they retain the skills necessary should they need to resort to physical intervention to promote the safety and well-being of young people in their care.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The home provides a safe living environment for young people. Health and safety checks of the property are appropriately maintained, ensuring that young people are not exposed to any obvious and avoidable risks. Regular servicing of equipment and routine safety checks maintain a safe environment. Young people know what to do in the case of an emergency and can exit the home safely. Staff implement a range of risk assessments to identify and minimise hazards on activities both within and outside the home.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The home has robust procedures in place to deal with the recruitment and selection of staff, ensuring that all staff are carefully vetted in advance of taking up appointments in the home. All visitors are required to show suitable credentials before being admitted to the property. These measures help to ensure young people are looked after by suitable people and are protected from potential abuse.

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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 well organised and managed. The Registered Manager has good communication skills, is child focused and has a clear vision about how the home should develop and progress. The staff team work well together, are enthusiastic and supportive of the ethos, aims and working practices developed by the home. They understand their role and responsibilities and work with the support of the manager to address young people’s needs.

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Leadership and management

Members of staff are receiving good levels of support, training and supervision to maintain their professional development and monitor their performance. The manager is suitably qualified and provides effective leadership for the staff team to enable them to ensure young people are given the opportunities to succeed in life. Staffing levels are meeting the current needs and numbers of young people living at the home and are being increased as the home reaches full capacity. Staff either have or are training for appropriate professional qualifications or are completing induction prior to commencing professional training. Staff regularly participate in core training events to update their knowledge and skills. This ensures they possess the competences and skills to effectively meet young people’s diverse needs.

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Leadership and management

Progress has been made in addressing issues raised at the last inspection. This includes responding to the one requirement and one recommendation made. The Statement of Purpose now details the experience and qualifications of staff working in the home. The young person's guide has been updated to ensure young people know how to seek support from an advocate or the Children's Rights Officer.

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Leadership and management

Care practices help young people to develop self-awareness and ability in a safe, supportive environment. The Registered Manager understands the strengths and weaknesses of the home and has a development plan in place to address them. The Registered Manager undertakes monthly quality assurance checks to ensure the home is, and continues to, deliver a good quality of care for the young people and where issues are identified from these checks then they are quickly acted upon.

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Leadership and management

Unannounced monitoring visits are undertaken on a monthly basis by the company's appointed representative. A written record of the visit and its findings are provided to the company and Ofsted. The findings of each visit are shared with the Registered Manager to ensure that the quality of service is maintained and, if necessary, improved for young people. However, these checks had failed to identify that the Ofsted had not been notified of serious incidents necessitating calling the police to the home.

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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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