Children's Home run by Surrey County Council in Surrey

Unique reference number SC040642 Inspection date 25/02/2013 Inspector Jennie Christopher Type of inspection Interim Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 05/10/2012 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Brief description of the service

The children's home is owned and managed by a local authority. It provides accommodation for up to seven young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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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 with three recommendations made. The home demonstrates continued improvement in the quality of care provided and is committed to service development. A particular strength of the home is the enthusiastic and committed staff team who are supported by an experienced management team.

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Progress

At the last inspection recommendations made included ensuring young people had their views recorded regarding any sanctions and restraints. Modified records have specific space for young people to add their views and comments on the effectiveness of any restraints and sanctions. A further section has been added to confirm whether young people have had access to a medical professional after a restraint. This was also identified as a recommendation at the previous inspection. The last recommendation was to ensure window closures are safe and that they do not pose any danger to young people. The organisations estates team are currently considering possibilities of how to remedy this issue. Young people continue to receive thoughtful and well-planned care from a caring and competent staff team. Young people are positive about the care they receive and observed interactions suggest their relationships with staff are good. Young people

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Progress

are attending education and feel they are succeeding with support from staff. Young people identify bullying as an issue, but recognise that staff do all they can to support them to stop being bullied and stop bullying others. Strategies in place include group meetings to identify areas of concern and to discuss how the bullying makes individuals feel alongside anti-bullying contracts, which clearly state the consequences of continued bullying, including having to move on from the service. Young people also have individual sessions with staff to concentrate on why they are bullying and what they can do to recognise and change this behaviour. Young people also benefit from support from external specialist agencies to work through issues such as substance misuse and keeping safe. Staff have clear and consistent boundaries, which contribute to young people positively managing their own behaviour. However reports of notifiable incidents have not all been forwarded to

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Progress

Ofsted in a timely way. The culture within the home celebrates individuality and diversity, which includes promoting understanding of each other’s heritage and cultures. As a result, young people are cared for based on their individual identified needs.

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Progress

Since the last inspection, the staff and management teams have continued to evaluate the service and consider areas of improvement. As a result all policies and procedures have been reviewed. Further policies have been formulated to ensure all staff understand the importance of records and to empower them to feel confident in their recording systems should there be an absence of a manager. A review of the young people’s ‘How ya gonna live?’ independence work booklet has expanded on areas to consider. Young people suggest they have found this useful, and one is looking forward to moving into the onsite independence flat as a result. The home is undergoing renovation of many areas and young people have been involved in choosing colour schemes and furnishings. The assistant team manager is running the home effectively whilst the registered manager is on secondment. They have effectively managed admissions and challenged placements they feel as

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Progress

inappropriate or likely to have a negative impact on the group. A recruitment drive recently has secured three permanent members of staff, ensuring consistency in staffing.

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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 a system is in place to notify all appropriate persons and authorities of significant events within 24 hours. (NMS 24.1)

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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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