SC 040491

Unique reference number SC040132 Inspection date 18/12/2012 Inspector Janice Hawtin Type of inspection Interim Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 17/07/2012 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Brief description of the service

This registered children's home is run by a local authority and provides short breaks for children with autism. At any one time it provides regular, short-break care facilities for a maximum of four children. Children stay for varying lengths of time and frequency, depending on their assessed needs.

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The inspection judgements and what they mean

Good progress The children’s home has demonstrated continued improvement in quality of care and outcomes for children and young people and where appropriate has addressed all requirements and the large majority of recommendations that were raised at the previous inspection. Satisfactory progress The children’s home has maintained quality of care and outcomes for children and young people and where appropriate has addressed all requirements and the majority of recommendations that were raised at the previous inspection. Inadequate progress The children’s home has failed to address one or more requirements and/or has not met the majority of recommendations and/or the quality of care and outcomes for children and young people have declined since the last full inspection.

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Progress

Since their previous inspection the service is judged to be making satisfactory progress .

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Progress

At the full inspection in July 2012, the overall rating was judged to be good with an outstanding judgement for the quality of care provided. Three requirements and four recommendations were made to further improve the quality and standard of the service provided. The majority of these have been addressed and the home continues to provide a high quality of care and improved outcomes for children and young people. An additional requirement and one recommendation has been made as a result of this inspection.

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Progress

To safeguard the welfare of children, the Registered Manager has continued to take appropriate action following any significant events. These events have been notified to Ofsted as required for quality assurance purposes. Improvements in the provision of Regulation 33 reports to Ofsted also contributes to external monitoring of the service and quality assurance.

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Progress

The updated Statement of Purpose now includes the qualifications of people working at the home, the procedure for dealing with incidents where a child goes missing and a description of electronic monitoring devices used in the home. Detail of the relevant experience of people working at the home and qualifications and experience of the Registered Person are not included as required. The Registered Manager is also in the process of updating this document to provide clear information about the arrangements for the supervision of staff.

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Progress

The removal of some health and safety signage has improved the homeliness of the environment. In addition the manager has sought guidance from a health and safety professional and is considering the advice given in trying to reduce the number of signs needed while continuing to comply with workforce regulations.

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Progress

Considerable developments in practice and policy have seen improvements in the quality of supervision. This new format includes a pre-supervision document for staff to complete which supports reflective practice and personal development. The introduction of group supervision amongst peers allows staff to pool expertise, reflect on practice and share knowledge. There continues to be gaps in the frequency of formal supervision for staff, reducing the opportunities to develop practice and ensure accountability. Particularly during school holidays staffing numbers are not sufficient to provide supervision alongside the additional services to children.

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Progress

Attention to the privacy and dignity of children has improved, staff are paying full attention to the home’s policy around the use of night time monitoring. Consequently this monitoring has reduced significantly and is only used where supported by assessment of risks and agreed with parents as part of regularly reviewed care plans.

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Progress

Given the nature of some of the children using this service it is not appropriate for all to be involved in fire drills. Some children have been involved in evacuations and additional training for staff including regular practice evacuations (with staff playing the role of children) ensures both children and staff can get out quickly in the event of a fire.

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Progress

This service remains dedicated to the needs and development of children with autism. Parents confirm the quality of the service provided and can readily list the improved outcomes for their children. Amongst several very positive comments one parent said ‘these people understand autism and know what they’re doing’.

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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

4 Include in the Statement of Purpose detail of all the matters as 28/02/2013 (2001) listed in Schedule 1, particularly relevant experience of persons working in the home, qualifications and experience of the registered provider, and arrangements for the supervision of employees (Regulation 4(1))

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that all persons employed receive appropriate supervision. (Regulation 27 (4)(a)) 31/01/2013

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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 the overall number, competence and deployment of staff especially during school holidays can fulfil the homes responsibility to provide regular supervision to employees. (NMS 17.1)

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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 progress made by the provider since the last full inspection, identifies any further strengths, any areas for improvement and makes judgements as outlined in the Inspection of children’s homes – framework for inspection.

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