Children's Home run by Barnardo’s in Oxfordshire

Unique reference number SC013144 Inspection date 12/02/2013 Inspector Bridget Goddard Type of inspection Interim Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 15/10/2012 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Brief description of the service

This residential short-break service caters for up to six children or young people at any one time. The service is provided by a national charity in partnership with a local authority and a primary care trust. Children and young people can therefore be provided with care and health packages. Most of the children and young people using the service have complex health needs, or are on the autistic spectrum and have associated challenging behaviour.

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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 October 2012 the home was judged as good overall. Two recommendations for improvements were made at that inspection, and these have been fully met.

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Progress

The first recommendation concerned ensuring that the home assists young people to put forward their views, wishes and feelings as part of the review process. The manager has discussed this with her staff, and a new initiative has been put in place. On the standard review documentation there is now a new paragraph detailing the young person's view of their short break stays. This means that the review group can now systematically take the young people's views into account.

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Progress

The second recommendation concerned ensuring that the views of young people and those important to them are taken into account in monitoring and developing the home. The home has consulted young people over what sort of equipment they would prefer. They have done this both with individual young people and with the general group over updating common areas, such as the sensory room. The home has consulted in ways that take account of individual young people's communication needs, and has been able to successfully act on expressed preferences.

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Progress

The home has also prepared an appropriate questionnaire to go out to parents, seeking their views on the service delivered and has also developed a strategy to deal positively with low returns as necessary. Participation initiatives have been underpinned by involving the whole staff group in a useful session looking at various ways of encouraging involvement. This clear focus on enabling participation demonstrates both effective leadership and staff commitment.

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Progress

Staff vacancies have been satisfactorily filled and the leadership team have a strategy to cover short-term staffing shortfalls with known staff. This helps ensure consistency of care for young people. All staff have now had two days face-to-face safeguarding training, and this will be supplemented on an annual basis. The home has clearly maintained its very good standard of care, and is well-placed to effectively respond to new young people and the complexities they present.

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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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