Children's Home run by Bramley Care Limited in Surrey

Unique reference number SC028505 Inspection date 07/02/2013 Inspector Gavin Thomas Type of inspection Interim Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 20/07/2012 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Brief description of the service

The home is registered to accommodate four young males. The home is privately owned and is one of three children’s homes run by the service providers.

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Brief description of the service

The home provides a service to young men who may display emotional and behavioural difficulties and whose assessed needs include sexually inappropriate behaviour. All young people see a therapist weekly and attend therapeutic groups as part of the home's assessment and treatment programme. Young people go to the organisation's school if they are not in college or work experience.

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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

The overall effectiveness of the home was judged as 'Good' at the full inspection in July 2012. Since then, good progress has been made in addressing the two requirements and four out of the six recommendations made at the full inspection. The two recommendations not fully addressed do not impact on outcomes for young people; they mainly relate to administrative processes.

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Progress

A more robust process is now in place for ensuring that placing authority consents to the use of door alarms for safeguarding young people are in place. Recently devised consent forms are much more explicit and retained on young people's files. Details about the use of the door alarms are much clearer now in young people's care plans, and information on the use of alarms is specific to the needs of individual young people. This revised process now demonstrates more clearly why door alarms are used, particularly in the detail in individual care plans.

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Progress

The home's missing from care policy has now been examined and signed off by relevant professionals as being compatible with local Runaway and Missing from Home and Care protocols and procedures. Additional safeguards have also been put in place with the local police, so that in the event of a young person being from care a rapid response is assured. These enhanced measures now demonstrate more clearly the agreed procedures to be followed by staff and external professionals such as the local police.

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Progress

The home’s Statement of Purpose now gives more accurate information about staff working at the home. Additional information is also provided about other staff working within the organisation who are also connected to the home. The new manager was registered with Ofsted since the last inspection. However, the Statement of Purpose has not been updated to reflect this change.

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Progress

Since the last inspection, efforts have been made to increase the number of permanent staff and this process is on-going. Currently, unallocated shifts are covered by the staff team and bank staff who are consistent figures at the home and familiar with young people's needs.

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Progress

A written development plan is in place but focuses mainly on organisational aims and objectives. No progress has been made in updating this plan to make it more specific to this service. In practice there are clear examples of how the service is being developed, incorporating outcomes for young people and staff professional development. For example, significant work is being done in revising the independence programme; young people are being consulted on the different stages of this programme. However, the development plan in place does not provide a rigorous overview of how strengths and weaknesses are addressed. As a result, a recommendation is repeated to improve the annual development plan, to make it more specific to this home.

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Progress

Monthly monitoring of the home is undertaken by a person acting on behalf of the responsible individual. Reports for these visits are submitted to Ofsted in a timely manner. Matters identified for improvement are often rare and minor. Action is taken to address these matters but currently there is no uniform approach to demonstrating how these matters are addressed. Therefore, a recommendation is repeated to develop a more consistent way of evidencing how such matters are addressed.

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Progress

Young people are supported in a very open and respectful environment; this enables them to speak freely and without fear about their feelings, emotions, worries or experiences. In turn, this gives staff a better understanding of young people's well- being and if different or alternative types of support are needed to help them cope and manage their needs successfully.

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Progress

Young people and staff create a very 'chatty' and homely environment where everyone is valued. Structured routines give young people clarity about what is expected of them in a group situation. The atmosphere in the home is very inclusive with staff and young people responding to agreed boundaries. This ensures that all young people are appropriately supervised and engaging in meaningful activities. Young people contribute to daily household activities and this is extended to individualised activities to support young people in becoming more independent. Young people's 'free time’ is carefully monitored and supervised. The robustness of this process ensures that young people and those around them are safe.

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Progress

The significance placed on therapy and key working provides a strong basis for ensuring that young people's circumstances and needs are supported sensitively and effectively. Notifiable significant events are low in number and when such events do occur swift action is taken in addressing them with young people.

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Progress

Young people continue to benefit from a service which is tailored to their individual needs. Great emphasis is placed on ensuring that they are prepared to move on successfully. The requirement and recommendations identified at this inspection are mainly about endorsing and evidencing more rigorously the work being done in practice. They do not affect the outstanding quality of care.

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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) update the Statement of Purpose to include details of the current Registered Manager. (Reg 4(1), Schedule 1(3)) 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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Recommendations

 accelerate a review of the current quality assurance and monitoring systems to include a written development plan, reviewed annually, for the future of the home, either identifying any planned changes in the operation or resources of the service, or confirming the continuation of the home's current operation and resource (NMS 15.2)  further review the current process following monthly monitoring visits to demonstrate any action taken by the registered provider to address any issues of concern identified or raised at the time of the visit. (NMS 21.9)

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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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