Children's Home run by Surrey County Council in Surrey

Unique reference number SC370703 Inspection date 25/01/2013 Inspector Jennie Christopher Type of inspection Interim Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 12/07/2012 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Brief description of the service

The service is owned and run by the local authority, providing short breaks for up to 20 young people with learning disabilities.

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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 last full inspection in July 2012, the overall quality rating for the service was judged as outstanding with four recommendations made. The service demonstrates continuity in the quality of care provided and a focused commitment to service development. A particular strength of the home is the sensitive and individualised approach to meeting young people’s needs, while challenging them to learn new skills.

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Progress

At the last inspection recommendations were set regarding gaining young people’s views after sanctions and ensuring they had access to a medical professional after restraints. The records of sanction and restraints now include these areas. However due to the service’s behaviour management approach, there have been no sanctions or restraints for a considerable time. A recommendation set that staff should have two references, even when it is an internal application cannot currently be determined as met. There have been no new appointments of internal staff since the last inspection. However, the acting manager has requested a copy of the personnel file of a bank member of staff who works for the organisation to ensure she has proper oversight of the individual’s personnel checks. The final recommendation asked that the time and length of supervision be recorded. The overview sheet of supervision now contains this. The start and finish time of supervisions is on

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Progress

individuals copies of supervision notes, but is not contained within the overview document.

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Progress

Young people continue to receive highly individualised and well-planned care from a committed and enthusiastic staff team. Young people have a positive view of the care that they receive and observed interactions suggest their relationships with staff are good and that they feel safe. Staff have clear and consistent boundaries, which enable young people to positively manage their own behaviour and learn new skills. The high staffing ratio ensures young people benefit from the support and attention they require to experience new activities while keeping safe. The culture within the service celebrates individuality and diversity. As a result, young people receive quality care and support based on their individually assessed needs.

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Progress

Since the last inspection, the Registered Manager has taken a seconded position. The deputy manager has become the acting manager and has started the Registered Manager application process. The service is currently considering how it will operate in the future and during these uncertain times the acting manager and senior management team have provided support to the at times anxious staff team. This has ensured that young people have continued to benefit from the high quality and effective care they have been used to. The acting manager has several plans in place as to how rooms within the building could be better used to provide further positive experiences for young people using the service, such as improved soft play and sensory areas and making greater use of the music facilities on site. Young people are encouraged to be involved in this process and their views are acted upon when appropriate. The building remains homely and functional, however the kitchens

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Progress

which are well used by all young people, are not in keeping with the high standard of decor and maintenance in the rest of the building. Six monthly monitoring by managers demonstrate consultation with young people, staff and other significant people, but have not been forwarded to Ofsted when completed. The service continues to provide evaluative reports of independent monitoring visits and act promptly on any recommendations made.

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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 the home is well maintained and decorated, with specific regard to the kitchens (NMS 10.3)  provide reports of the manager's monitoring of the home to Ofsted six monthly. (volume 5, statutory guidance, paragraph 3.14)

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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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