Children's Home run by Progress Children’s Services Ltd in Walsall

Unique reference number SC038526 Inspection date 14/02/2013 Inspector Linda Brown Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 27/06/2012 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Brief description of the service

The home provides care for up to five children and young people. This service is available to children and young people with a learning disability, a physical disability and/or sensory impairment. The service is operated by a private organisation.

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The inspection judgements and what they mean

Outstanding : a service of exceptional quality that significantly exceeds minimum requirements Good : a service of high quality that exceeds minimum requirements Adequate : a service that only meets minimum requirements Inadequate : a service that does not meet minimum requirements

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Overall effectiveness

The overall effectiveness is judged to be good .

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Overall effectiveness

The home provides a good service to the young people they accommodate. The often complex needs of the young people are carefully assessed and catered for by a well-managed, committed, enthusiastic and trained staff team. All aspects of care planning are highly personalised to meet the individual needs of the young people.

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Overall effectiveness

The home has recently reopened after a period of closure to enable the provider to complete some building work and refurbish the home. The manager is now registered with Ofsted.

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Overall effectiveness

The atmosphere at the home is welcoming, comfortable and happy. Young people make good progress in developing their skills, abilities and routines. Staff form positive relationships with the children and young people and are committed to providing them with a caring, safe and healthy environment to achieve good outcomes in all aspects of their lives.

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Overall effectiveness

Education is fully supported and achievements are celebrated. Families and professionals are positive about the home. Close working relationships with families has led to significantly improved outcomes for the children and young people.

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Overall effectiveness

The safety of young people is well managed. Regular checks of the home ensure that the physical environment is safely and appropriately maintained.

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Overall effectiveness

The management team continually develop and improve the care provided to the young people. Requirements and recommendations raised at previous inspections have been met. Five recommendations are raised as a result of this inspection regarding staffing, record keeping, equality and diversity, and Regulation 33 visits.

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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 children receive personalised care that promotes all aspects of their lives, with particular regard to care plans clearly identifying the cultural, linguistic, religious and gender needs of a young person (NMS 2.1)  ensure that there are clear arrangements for staff to deputise in the registered persons absence (NMS 17.4)  ensure that visits to the home carried out under Regulation 33 take place at least once a month (NMS 21.7)  ensure that entries in records are clearly expressed, with particular regard to consent forms. (NMS 22.4)

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Outcomes for children and young people

Outcomes for children and young people are good .

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people thrive within this nurturing and supportive environment. Success is rewarded consistently and young people respond positively to this approach. Young people enjoy access to a range of activities irrespective of the barriers of disability.

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Outcomes for children and young people

The health needs of young people are identified and addressed. Young people have their dietary needs met. Where young people have complex medical conditions, specialist training is provided for staff. Families and specialist services work closely with the staff team to ensure that staff have the knowledge, skills and appropriate resources to meet the individual health requirements of the young people. This Practice has led to improved outcomes in young people’s health.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people are making good educational progress. Staff work closely with education providers to ensure appropriate provision is available for young people. Effective communication between the home and school ensures that the progress which young people make is shared and celebrated. Likewise, any concerns are swiftly acted upon for the benefit of the young person.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Challenging behaviour is managed well. For some young people the introduction of structure and routine has resulted in good progress in managing challenging behaviour. Staff work closely with schools and families to promote consistency and further enhance the progress being made. Good relationships are formed between young people, their families and staff. This enables children and young people to sustain their relationships outside of the home. Families speak positively regarding the staff understanding and approach towards them stating that they are always made to feel welcome at the home. Families confirm that they are actively encouraged to be involved in all aspects of their children’s lives through regular communication and contact.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people are supported in expressing their opinions, feelings and wishes. Key worker sessions take place to provide young people with the opportunities to share their feelings and make choices. A range of communication methods are used by the staff and these ensure that all young people are able to participate.

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Quality of care

The quality of the care is outstanding .

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Quality of care

Parents and families comment positively regarding the welcoming atmosphere at the home. Regular communication takes place between families and professionals. Families are encouraged to take an active role in both the care planning and day-to- day lives of their children. Staff have an excellent knowledge and understanding of the moods, behaviours and individual needs of the young people. They are able to form positive and constructive relationships and demonstrate a continued interest in the welfare of individuals. Families and professionals speak with confidence regarding the willingness and approachability of the staff to discuss and resolve any issues. Effective partnership working means that all relevant information is shared between the home, families, professionals and placing authorities.

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Quality of care

Young people benefit from a service that is tailored to meet their individual needs. The often complex needs of young people are thoroughly assessed. Furthermore, care plans are very clear in how care is to be provided. This ensures that all staff are consistent and the needs of young people are met. Staff demonstrate a good understanding of the need to respect a child's privacy and dignity in all aspects of their care. The staff ensure that any changes made to plans are clearly noted on files. Staff are informed of changes through handovers and meetings. Plans and risk assessments provide staff with the guidance to manage individual behaviours in a calm, supported and consistent way.

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Quality of care

Staff ensure that the cultural, religious and dietary needs of the children and young people are addressed in day-to-day practice. However, these needs are not clearly identified in the home’s care plans. This lack of written information in care planning compromises the good practice taking place.

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Quality of care

There is an effective complaints system; no complaints have been received since the last inspection. Staff understand the young people well; they pick up signs through their moods and behaviours. Staff spend time with young people exploring their feelings and giving them the opportunity to share any concerns. Families actively advocate on behalf of the young people, in addition, an independent advocacy service is available if required. The management and staff actively promote the views and opinions of children and young people in all aspects of their care. Key workers spend time with young people and where appropriate use alternative communication systems to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to express their opinions.

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Quality of care

Young people are cared for by staff who are trained and committed to promoting and addressing their health needs. Staff work in close partnership with families and a range of services to ensure the young people are provided with the appropriate support services. Some young people have extremely complex care needs. Prior to an admission being made to the home the management ensures that staff are trained and have the appropriate skills to manage the health needs of the young person. Additional support for staff from professionals is available once an admission is made. Specialist equipment is also sourced to improve the quality of the care being provided, for example, additional bath aids are available which enhance a young person’s experience and comfort. Any health concerns, such as, dental or specialist referrals are actively followed up. This practice ensures that excellent medical support is provided to children and young people. Robust systems are in place to

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Quality of care

ensure the safe handling, disposal and administration and monitoring of medication. Staff who administer medication are appropriately trained.

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Quality of care

The management and staff work very closely with education provisions to ensure that the best outcomes for children and young people are achieved. Daily communication is received from schools either by phone call or in the form of a communication book. In order to provide consistency systems are introduced both at the home and school, for example, communication aids or behaviour management programmes. Staff support school events and encourage families to attend. Education achievements and progress are celebrated. Where education provision is not identified, staff work closely with education providers to ensure that appropriate provision is made. This shows that staff are committed to providing and supporting children with education and opportunities to reach their full potential.

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Quality of care

Young people enjoy access to a range of activities and experiences. The staff team work hard to ensure that young people are able to access the community, irrespective of the barriers that the young people face. For example, visits are made to parks and play areas with specialist equipment for children with disabilities or mobility issues so they are able to take part in activities. Activities are also available at the home. Young people have access to a sensory room, a cabin designed for art and craft work and a computer.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The service is good at keeping children and young people safe and feeling safe.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people are safe at the home. Young people are protected and are cared for by staff that understand their vulnerability and are aware of the procedure to follow in the event of a young person going missing. The high level of supervision reduces this risk. Young people have highly detailed risk assessments in place which are regularly updated and reviewed. This means that the individual vulnerabilities of young people are identified and appropriately managed. Any serious incidents, for example young people needing hospital treatment, are appropriately handled and notified to the relevant bodies.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Staff demonstrate a good awareness of the safeguarding procedures and a knowledge and understanding of the implementation of these procedures in their day-to-day work. All staff receive safeguarding training and are clear about the action they would take should a concern arise.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Behaviour is managed well. Behaviour management programmes are in place and staff work consistently to implement these plans. As a result, there have been no situations that would require a physical intervention or sanction. Staff are trained in diffusion and physical intervention. The management and staff are very clear that physical intervention would only ever take place as a last resort to protect or safeguard a young person. Should an incident take place appropriate systems are in place to record and monitor the event. Staff spend time with the young people and by understanding their moods and behaviours are able to manage situations in a calm and sensitive way. This means that young people are encouraged and supported to behave well.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The manager regularly supervises staff and also spends time working alongside staff with the young people. This enables the manager to observe staff practice and provide guidance and advice. Regular staff meetings also take place giving staff the opportunities to discuss their feelings, ideas and concerns. This further adds to the safe atmosphere as the manager is able to discuss practice with staff and further secure improvement.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people's protection is further supported by good health and safety routines and robust recruitment practice. Recruitment takes place in line with the provider’s recruitment and selection procedures. Visitors sign in and are checked on arrival and appropriate identification is required. This ensures that only suitable adults work or have contact with young people.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Regular fire tests and drills take place and equipment is checked and serviced within the required timescales. Young people are aware of the fire procedures. Regular fire drills take place at various times of the day and night. Evacuation plans and fire risk assessments are completed after consultation with the fire department.

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Leadership and management

The leadership and management of the children's home are good .

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Leadership and management

Young people benefit from living in a home that is well managed. The Registered Manager is experienced, motivated and fully committed to improving the standard of care provided to young people. There are policies, procedures and guidance for staff available in all outcome areas. Staff are able to demonstrate a good knowledge and understanding of these policies and implement them in their daily routines. The home's Statement of Purpose is up-to-date and contains all required information. The home is meeting its aims and objectives and provides an excellent quality of care to children and young people. A children's guide is available in different communication formats and an easy to read booklet for families is also available discussing the day-to-day routine of the home.

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Leadership and management

The home has recently reopened after a full refurbishment, several staff are new and completing a detailed induction training programme to include all the mandatory training. Staff are committed and enthusiastic about the service they provide to young people and in addition to the mandatory training, they are keen to develop their knowledge and skills through the range of training that is available to them. Staff also comment that they have a very supportive and strong team despite working together for a relatively short period of time. This means that young people are cared for by staff who have the appropriate knowledge and skills to care for the individual needs of young people.

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Leadership and management

The manager also oversees the management of the sister home which is located close by. Senior staff are in post to deputise during her absence. However, annual leave and vacancies have resulted in a shortage of senior staff available to oversee the home’s management when the manager is working at the sister home. Staff leading shifts are experienced and there has been minimal impact on the young people. However, the lack of senior cover available does place additional pressures on the manager and staff team.

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Leadership and management

The manager is committed to improving the service. One requirement and two actions were made at the interim inspection in February 2012. A further inspection took place in June 2012 when there were no children on role and therefore the systems that were introduced to address the shortfalls were not examined in practice. The requirement regarding the safe storage and administration of medication is met. One recommendation regarding gaining young people’s views is also met. Action has been taken to address the third requirement regarding the views of families and other stake holders using the service. Families and placing social workers are actively involved in the decision making and care planning at the home. There are systems in place to monitor the daily lives of the young people currently living in the home. Regular and detailed internal and external monitoring of the service takes place. Copies of the Regulation 33 external monitoring reports are sent

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Leadership and management

to Ofsted. Detailed reports are produced and an action plan is completed by the manager to address any shortfalls identified. However, external monitoring visits to the home are not always completed monthly. For example, reports received for November and December 2012 show that the visit actually took place in January 2013. This means that visits to the home are not taking place on a monthly basis in line with Regulation 33.

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Leadership and management

The Registered Manager is fully aware of the strengths and weaknesses of the home and is keen to continually develop the service delivered to young people. The manager completes her internal monitoring monthly and takes action to address any shortfalls. After the refurbishment the home reopened in November 2012. The manager is currently completing the six monthly Regulation 34 report to identify the improvements and progress being made at the home.

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Leadership and management

Young people's files are well structured, contain relevant information and are stored in an appropriate and safe place. However, action is not always taken to ensure records are completed accurately. This is with particular regard to consent forms that, although signed, do not state whether or not permission is granted for a particular activity.

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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 main strengths, any areas for improvement, including any breaches of regulation, and any failure to meet national minimum standards. The judgements included in the report are made against the Inspections of children’s homes – framework for inspection and the evaluation schedule for the inspection of children's homes.

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