Children's Home run by Suffolk County Council in Suffolk

Unique reference number SC037281 Inspection date 21/01/2013 Inspector Deirdra Keating Type of inspection Interim Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 11/10/2012 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Brief description of the service

This home provides medium- and long-term placements for up to seven young people who have emotional and or behavioural difficulties. The home is owned and operated by a local authority.

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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 last inspection in October 2012 the home was judged as good. The home has made improvements in response to recommendations made; these are detailed in the developmental plan. The staff team have remained focussed on improving the interior decor and furnishings of the environment. This has resulted in a homely and freshly decorated house in which young people are happy to live in.

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Progress

Young people spoken to during the inspection say that they are happy with the home. They have a good rapport with the staff and spend quality time with them. This was clear from the young people thoroughly enjoying the winter weather with staff. Young people benefit from lasting attachments to staff and this supports them as they make decisions affecting their lives. Improvements to the home have been made in consultation with young people whose preferences influence colour schemes and new resources.

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Progress

The home has maintained a settled period despite having significant placement changes. Staff have worked hard to settle new young people and build up trust using effective communication. This has been key in helping young people settle. Outcomes for young people are good and continue to improve particularly in terms of attending education and reunification into mainstream education provision.

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Progress

The manager has addressed the previous recommendations. Some changes to details in placement plans continue to be made appropriately. The supervision record is maintained and this is monitored by the manager alongside other key records. This ensures consistency of approach and safeguards young people. Sensitive records are stored more securely while enabling young people appropriate access. The recommendation regarding staff training has presented some difficulty. Applications for courses are being processed, although places are yet to be confirmed. The training and development programme booking system and the availability of some courses have resulted in some problems with access to training. This could potentially impact on staff practice and in turn the quality of care provided to young people.

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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 learning and development programme enables staff to keep up to date with professional developments and reflects the purpose, policies and legal obligations of the home. (NMS 18.1)

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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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