Children's Home, Residential special school run by MacIntyre Care in Buckinghamshire

Unique reference number SC043994 Inspection date 26/02/2013 Inspector Emeline Evans Type of inspection Interim Provision subtype Residential special school (>295 days/year)

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Date of last inspection 14/11/2012 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Brief description of the service

This service is a residential special school for young people with severe learning disabilities and is run by a large independent organisation. The school accommodates up to 40 young people of either sex, usually on a 52 week placement basis. Due to the length of the young people's stay at the school it is required to be registered and regulated as a children's home under the Care Standards Act 2000.

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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 home was judged as adequate at the last full inspection in November 2012. However, since that time the home has demonstrated significant improvement in their quality of care for the children and young people. The home has suitably addressed all of the requirements and a large majority of the recommendations that were raised at the previous inspection.

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Progress

Since the last inspection, there has been a focus on building and developing the management team. An assistant head of care is now in post and this has resulted in a strong committed approach to provide a high quality service. Staff report that they are able to approach senior staff and management. Staff understand their roles and expectations placed on them and they are clearly passionate about promoting good outcomes for young people.

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Progress

The home has complied with the requirement made at the last inspection for the Statement of Purpose to be revised and this now includes a description of any electronic or mechanical means of surveillance of the young people and comprehensive information on the use of consequences. This has been developed into a detailed and informative document and gives parents and placing authorities a comprehensive overview about what to expect from the home.

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Progress

On the last inspection, a requirement was made in relation to recruitment records. Record keeping has been adjusted and future records will confirm all gaps of employment and employment histories are fully explored and documented during the interview process. In addition, the recruitment process has been revised. Applicants are required to evidence that additional checks to establish their suitability to work with children have been carried out when they have lived outside of the United Kingdom. The management team have also identified and requested this information from staff who are currently in employment.

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Progress

Following the last inspection the home has submitted their child protection policies and procedures to the Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB) for consideration. The LSCB has since scrutinised the procedures and have suggested additional information to be included. The Registered Manager has taken this advice into consideration and revised the home’s policies and procedures. This has resulted in current and up-to-date information being available to staff and therefore protects the young people from harm.

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Progress

The home has consulted the local fire and rescue service, to ensure adequate precautions are taken against the risk of fire and the suitability of fire doors and means of escape. The management team have worked with the staff team to ensure they are aware of the regulations around the risk of fire and that doors are not being propped open. Recently, work has been carried out to fit door closures on designated fire doors across the houses; this enables the doors to release automatically in the event of fire. The house which was providing temporary accommodation for young people is no longer in use. However, across some of the houses, repairs are needed and some of the houses are showing signs of wear and tear. This distracts from a homely environment. Therefore, this recommendation has been re-stated.

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Progress

Medication is no longer being stored in cabinets in young people’s bedrooms due to the home not being able to ensure the cabinets in use were sufficiently secure. Across the homes, it was observed that there are inconsistencies in the auditing process of medication and ensuring this is in line with risk assessments in place also in the security of medication paperwork. A recommendation is made to improve this area of practice.

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Progress

The home has improved the recording of any measure of control or restraint. All recording is now in line with regulations. A separate volume is now in place to record any instances of consequences. The behaviour support team has provided guidance and training to staff on the recording and use of consequences and physical interventions. This has resulted in the quality of record keeping being more consistent. The records seen were clear and comprehensive. Some staff have undertaken refresher training in mandatory areas and there is a comprehensive training programme in place. The team have worked hard to incorporate all the training information into one spread sheet. This is enabling them to identify training needs. However, some staff have yet to complete these refresher courses therefore this recommendation is re-stated.

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Progress

Monitoring of the home has developed into a robust process and actions identified from these systems are promptly addressed. There is an improved consistent approach to spending time with young people and the staff team to seek views and observe the quality of care provided. This is already proving valuable with a greater focus on consultation and more robust monitoring. Following the monthly monitoring visits from a designated person an action plan is now formulated. This involves consultation between the management team, the designated visitor and senior staff. Actions are then delegated to the appropriate people and deadlines set. This demonstrates there is a good capacity for improvement.

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Progress

Following the last inspection there has been a real focus on providing children with a range of opportunities and experiences both within the home and in the local community. Children have participated in a number of activities within a group and individually; these have included theme parks, meals out and walks. This has been achieved after consultation with parents and children themselves. This practice is enabling children to develop peer relationships and also to pursue individual interests and hobbies which they may not have previously experienced. The home has further worked on how it involves young people in consultation and now has a residential council in operation. All young people are supported to be involved and have a view in the running of the home. The council recently developed a wish list for support workers. This is now being used in the recruitment process.

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Progress

Young people’s welfare is enhanced by the relationships that exist between staff and young people. The staff are clearly very passionate about promoting good outcomes for young people and work as a team to ensure this is achieved.

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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 all written records in the administration of medication are kept securely and can not become detached (NMS 6.15)  ensure medication audits are carried out in line with the homes risk assessments (NMS 6.15)  ensure all areas of the home are comfortable and homely and avoidable hazards are removed (NMS 10.3)  ensure training is kept up-to-date to allow staff to be aware of practice and professional developments. (NMS 18.1)

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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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