Children's Home run by Strode Park Foundation for People with Disabilities in Kent

Unique reference number SC425786 Inspection date 04/02/2013 Inspector David Putnam Type of inspection Interim Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 15/08/2012 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Brief description of the service

This children's home provides care and accommodation for up to four children under short-break arrangements and to a further five children who live at the home. Facilities are in place to meet the needs of children who either have physical disabilities, learning disabilities or both. It is operated by a local charitable foundation.

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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 the home was judged to be good overall. Four requirements were made. Leaders and managers have ensured that the home has fully addressed all of these. A new restraint log has been introduced. This incorporates full details of expected recording that now matches the regulatory requirements. All staff have signed to demonstrate that they understand the change in practice. To date, no entries have been made in the new log as no children have been restrained since the last inspection. Instead, staff consistently promote positive behaviour in a number of ways, resulting in enjoyable experiences for children and young people.

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Progress

Significant improvement has been achieved in the supervision of all staff. While the home’s Statement of Purpose is not prescriptive regarding the frequency of supervision, staff now receive individual supervision on average once a month. As a result, all staff are now guided and supported to undertake their roles and improve the quality of service for the children in their care. Reports of monthly monitoring visits by an independent person and regular reviews of the quality of care undertaken by the Registered Manager are now routinely submitted to Ofsted. This provides the opportunity for the regulatory body to review these documents and monitor the service. The independent person who undertakes monthly monitoring visits only speaks with parents or relatives if they are on site during a visit. This means that their views are rarely considered when the visitor forms an opinion about the standard of care provided in the home.

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Progress

Reports resulting from reviews of the quality of care do not consistently incorporate the views of children, parents and placing social workers. However, extensive work is undertaken to obtain these views through questionnaires, including ones adapted to meet the communication needs of children and young people. Staff also demonstrate creativity in obtaining the views of children and young people within residents’ meetings. All responses are used effectively to identify improvements in the service and respond to the individual wishes and feelings of children and young people.

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Progress

Three recommendations were also made at the last inspection. These have also been addressed. The Registered Manager has met with specialist police officers to review the home’s policies regarding children missing from care. The efficacy of the home’s policies and protocols is confirmed. The vulnerabilities of children and young people living in the home and the need for a prompt and effective response are recognised. While it is extremely rare that children and young people go missing, staff fully understand the action they must take should this happen.

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Progress

Changes to the way in which personal data is stored now ensures that information relating to individual children and young people is kept safe and secure. Updated systems enable staff to access current records, readily retrieve recent records and easily trace older records that have been archived.

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Progress

Managers and staff continue to be sensitive to the needs of children and young people. They ensure that there is always an option to use an alternative space within the home. This enables children who live in the home permanently to choose to spend time away from others if they wish. Managers are also proactive in asking children and young people if they wish to move bedrooms to give them additional space. When children and young people are in favour of this, prompt action is taken to action their requests. Maintenance staff redecorate bedrooms and assemble new furniture to create a warm and homely environment.

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Progress

Leaders and managers demonstrate a continued commitment to improving the overall quality of care and outcomes for children and young people. Décor is improved through new flooring in some communal areas. Children and young people enjoy increased frequency and improved quality of contact with family members as a result of the proactive approach of staff. Young people are supported to prepare for transition to alternative accommodation that will meet their needs as they become adults. A commitment to move to locally sourced, seasonal organic produce ensures that children and young people enjoy healthy food of a high quality.

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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) interview, with their consent and in private, parents and relatives of children accommodated in the home as appears necessary in order to form an opinion of the standard of care provided in the home. (Regulation 33(4)(a)) 29/03/2013

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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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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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