Children's Home run by Bedford Borough Council in Bedford

Unique reference number SC409502 Inspection date 03/01/2013 Inspector Robert Hewston 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

The home is run by a local authority and provides short breaks for five children with physical disabilities, learning disabilities and sensory impairment.

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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 good progress .

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Progress

At the full inspection in July 2012, the overall quality rating for this service was good, meeting all regulations and national minimum standards. At this visit, the home is making good progress.

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Progress

This service demonstrates its capacity to improve due to the excellent arrangements introduced for young people to receive shared care. Information about young people is recorded in a more meaningful manner. Improved care plans for shared care and short breaks, give a clearer picture of young people’s primary care needs. These plans now show progress in young people’s independence and social skills. Care plans are more personalised and take account of the individual needs of each young person. Young people have a greater say in what staff record about them and have the opportunity to say if they agree or not. Staff have received training in the importance of good record-keeping to show how young people are listened to and respected. Consequently, young people and parents feel valued and are more involved in the decision-making processes.

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Progress

The progress of the monthly ‘voice’ meeting has given young people with little communication skill, an opportunity to have their wishes listened to. Staff have progressively improved their capacity to communicate with young people. They have invested time and effort in acquiring skills in a number of different communication methods. They now use these systems to arrange activities, menus and in-house events through consultation with the young people. One example is how they fed back when the local borough requested young people's opinions on facilities for the disabled in their shopping precincts. Another good example was how young people, through various forms of non-verbal communication, made their feelings clearly known about their expectations of the recent Christmas party. Staff have developed a high understanding of young people's likes and dislikes and are able to support them positively when their behaviour is difficult. This approach enables young people

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Progress

to build strong and constructive relationships with staff and their peers.

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Progress

A development plan is in place which identifies specific tasks to improve the home. The majority of tasks are either completed, or near to completion. For example, transition plans for young people are now implemented earlier, giving young people and parents more opportunities to understand and consider the move into adult care. The Registered Manager commented on how this helps to develop a clearer picture of young people’s potential for some form of independence and social activity. Young people make exceptional progress because the service provides them with a safe, nurturing and structured environment. Staffing levels are tenaciously managed and responsive to the service’s Statement of Purpose and the needs of the young people. There is an effective and stable group of core staff in the home. Additional staffing includes experienced staff who know the young people well. These staffing arrangements provide young people with permanency and consistency.

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Progress

Monitoring and quality assurance processes regularly support the development of the home. The Registered Manager continually gathers evidence from a wide range of sources to determine the quality of care and outcomes achieved. Checks of the records and the review of the quality of care, like the external monitoring visits to the home, include consultation with young people and provide an overview of the home’s day-to-day practices, with responses made to any actions set.

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Progress

Overall, young people continue to receive the necessary support and guidance from a well-supported team of staff who know each young person well. Very stable placements continue to exist because of the longstanding, caring and effective relationships staff have with young people. There is a clear determination, energy, and motivation to continuously improve the care framework of this home. Well- trained and forward thinking staff respect, value and enable young people to achieve their full potential. This successful approach promotes an effective, developmental and child-centred service.

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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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