Children's Home run by Stoke-on-Trent City Council in Stoke-on-Trent

Unique reference number SC369840 Inspection date 18/02/2013 Inspector Katarina Djordjevic Type of inspection Interim Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 03/10/2012 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Brief description of the service

This children's home is registered to provide care and accommodation for two young people of either gender with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home is operated by the local authority.

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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 full inspection in October 2012 the overall quality rating for the service was judged as outstanding. No requirements were made. One recommendation was made regarding providing training on autism for staff. This recommendation has now been addressed. Since the last inspection staff meetings are used to develop staff’s knowledge about autism; this has become a regular agenda item. Information on certain conditions relevant to young people living at the home has been provided for staff. These meetings allow staff to explore information, in addition to benefiting from consultation with other invited professionals, in relation to individual behavioural needs. This means that staff are provided with information and guidance, which increases their level of understanding and ability to meet young people’s individual needs.

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Progress

The home has made good progress since the last inspection and has clearly demonstrated a commitment to continually improve the quality of care provided.

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Progress

Temporary management arrangements have recently been implemented due to the Registered Manager leaving. The organisation is in the process of recruiting another manager. Additionally, there have been a number of staff changes within the team. It is testament to the skills of the management team and staff that this has not affected the delivery of care.

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Progress

Young people are happy; they really do benefit from living at the home and make good progress. They continue to receive excellent individualised care and support which takes into account their age, gender, sexual orientation, race, religion, culture and communication and language needs. Staff are skilled and totally committed to ensuring that young people can reach their full potential and that their life opportunities increase.

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Progress

Young people feel safe at the home. They have open relationships with staff which enables them to raise any concerns they may have. This helps to protect them from the risk of harm.

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Progress

Young people’s behaviour is very good. The ethos of the home is on respecting each other and accepting each other’s differences. Young people’s positive behaviour and achievements are always recognised and rewards are given when appropriate. This makes young people feel valued and increases their self-esteem. Young people know what is expected of them and do not engage in socially unacceptable and activities that place them at risk. Restraint is not used and sanctions are not often used.

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Progress

The importance of education is actively promoted and is embedded in the day-to-day practice in the home. As a result, young people also believe that education is important and with staff support they work very hard to achieve their potential. Young people’s attendance is excellent. Staff are strong advocates and work closely with schools and education provisions to ensure young people get the best from their time there. Staff have recently instigated monthly meetings with one school to improve communication between the home and school. This ensures staff and education staff understand what is happening in young people’s lives and what may be affecting their performance.

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Progress

Young people make progress in increasing their independence skills given their starting points. This includes acquiring practical daily living skills as well as becoming more emotionally resilient. Young people’s confidence and self-esteem has improved due to the support and experiences they have had since being at the home. Some young people are now able to cook their own meals confidently and competently. One young person has recently been to the local shops on their own and attended their statutory review meeting for the first time.

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Progress

Quality assurance systems within the home continue to be robust and effective. This ensures young people receive the care and support they need and are protected from the risk of harm. There is a clear commitment from the staff team and the organisation to continually improve the quality of care. The form used for the Registered Manager’s monthly checks has been improved to ensure monitoring is even more robust. Additionally, a new management monitoring tool has also been introduced where managers from the organisation’s other children’s homes carry out a quality audit. This audit is carried out on a quarterly basis and covers a comprehensive range of areas.

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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) appoint an individual to manage the home and submit an application to Ofsted to register the manager in accordance with Part II (12)(1) of the Care Standards Act 2000. (Regulation 7 (1)) 31/03/2013

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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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