Children's Home run by Esland South Limited in Greenwich

Unique reference number SC386134 Inspection date 06/03/2013 Inspector Rosemary Dancer Type of inspection Interim Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 21/05/2012 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Brief description of the service

This is a privately-owned children’s home for up to five young people of either gender. Young people may have emotional and behavioural difficulties. The home offers flexible packages of care, including long-term care. One bed is for emergency admissions or respite care.

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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 satisfactory progress .

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Progress

The last inspection of the home was carried out in May 2012 and it was judged overall as an outstanding service. There were no requirements or recommendations made as a result of that inspection. This inspection was carried out to look at the level to which the home has improved the quality of care provided to the young people, to look at how young people are progressing and to assess the home's compliance with the regulations and national minimum standards.

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Progress

Overall the home has made satisfactory progress, especially in supporting young people to achieve improved outcomes in many areas of their lives. However, there have been three requirements and two recommendation made as a result of this inspection. None of these have a direct impact on the safety and well-being of the young people currently living in the home. The requirements relate to: keeping Ofsted informed about the aims and the purpose of the home by providing it with a copy of the Statement of Purpose; ensuring that the records relating to restraints are kept in line with the regulations so that patterns and trends can be monitored effectively; ensuring that all records are signed and dated so that it is clear who made the record and when it was made. The two recommendations relate to the frequency at which staff appraisals are held to ensure that training needs are identified in a timely way and monitoring the staff recruitment processes of the

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Progress

agencies, which occasionally provide staff to work in the home, to ensure they follow good staff recruitment practice.

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Progress

Over time some young people have progressed exceptionally well in all areas of their lives. For example, for one young person their extremely risky behaviour has diminished completely. This young person is fully engaging in her educational opportunities and predicted to do well in her GCSE exams. Young people, over time, develop high aspirations for themselves when previously they had none. For example, one young person is keen to learn to use a sewing machine so that she is able to design and make her own clothes. The home has ensured that she gets the necessary equipment to enable her to do this. Young people have developed a positive sense of self and experienced an increase in their self-esteem.

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Progress

Other young people, who have been recently admitted to the home, have begun to curb some of their more risky behaviours although they do continue to put themselves at risk on a daily basis. For these young people there are clear behaviour management plans and assessments of risk. These are geared to help them to begin to understand how their behaviour impacts on their safety and well-being and on their future life chances.

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Progress

Sometimes the home is not able to meet the needs of a young person and on these occasions the staff help young people move on to a placement better suited to meeting these.

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Progress

Young people continue to be supported to keep themselves well and healthy; for example by attending appointments for routine immunisations or in relation to their emotional needs.

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Progress

Young people say that they feel safe and cared for and feel very settled in the home. Risk assessments form the basis for managing all aspects of young people's care and safety and young people understand the reasons for rules and boundaries set for them even if they do not always follow these.

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Progress

Staff continue to work with young people patiently and sensitively and good relationships that are based on respect and trust have developed; this makes it easier for young people to fully engage because they know that staff care about them. Young people who have left the home have kept in contact with members of staff and self-report that they are successfully living independently; this is a good indication that some young people have found their time living in the home beneficial and that they have developed safe secure attachments to members of staff working there.

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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) provide a copy of the statement of purpose to HMCI of any revision of the statement of purpose within 28 days (Regulation 5(b)) 30/04/2013

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Reg. Requirement Due date

17B (2001) ensure that the use of any restraint all of the written records made which includes all points listed in Regulation 17B; with specific reference to including the full names of people involved, the time and duration of the restraint, any measures used to avoid a physical intervention and full details of its consequences and effectiveness (Regulation 17B (3)) 29/03/2013

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure every record in respect of each child is signed and dated by the author. (Regulation 28 (1) (c)) 29/03/2013

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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 that staff appraisals are carried out at least annually (NMS 19.6)  demonstrate that all applicable current statutory requirements and guidance have been followed in staff selection; this is with specific reference to ensuring agencies providing staff follow sound recruitment practices. (NMS 16.2)

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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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