Children's Home run by Step-A-Side Company Limited in Gloucestershire

Unique reference number SC030650 Inspection date 12/03/2013 Inspector Thomas Webber Type of inspection Interim Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 15/02/2012 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Brief description of the service

This children's home is one of two run by the same limited company. The home currently provides long term and respite care and accommodation for a maximum of five children and young people with emotional or behavioural difficulties, or learning disabilities.

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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 overall rating for this home was judged as good at the last full inspection carried out in December 2012. However, the quality of care provided to young people was rated as outstanding. No requirements or recommendations were identified for improvement at that inspection.

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Progress

The home is extremely well managed where the manager continually exercises strong and effective leadership. This ensures that young people continue to receive a very good standard of care and support. The manager ensures that excellent staffing levels are maintained throughout the day and night to meet the individual and collective diverse needs of young people accommodated. Additional domiciliary staff are provided to accommodate the young person who regularly receives respite care. Young people are well cared for by a stable and qualified staff team. This contributes to ensuring that young people receive stability, continuity and consistency of care. In order to further enhance the skills and knowledge of the staff, they are being provided with opportunities to receive more specialist training such as bereavement and loss and sensory awareness. Young people continue to maintain regular school attendance. A range of educational

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Progress

placements are used which are tailored to meet their individual needs. Staff support, together with the well-established routines and expectations within the home, motivate young people to attend school. Staff work very closely with young people's educational placements to ensure that effective communication is maintained between them. Positive and consistent reports are received from the schools in relation to the progress achieved. However, where any difficulties arise, these are promptly addressed.

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Progress

The home is, generally, well maintained, being clean, tidy and comfortable. There are plans to refurbish and redecorate the kitchen and utility area this summer. The timing for this work to be completed is when the young people are on holiday. This will avoid unnecessary disruption to their lives. Some further redecoration to other parts of the home is also planned to be undertaken. This is to enhance the living environment of young people. The under-floor heating to the outhouse has now been fixed. This enables young people to now fully utilise the additional communal space available to them. The premises, as a whole, provide young people with good facilities to meet their needs. They are provided with their own bedrooms, which are personalised to their individual tastes. They are also provided with good bathing and toilet facilities to meet their individual and collective needs. Suitable locks are

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Progress

provided to these facilities to promote their privacy and dignity.

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Progress

Young people live and thrive in a warm, caring, nurturing and supportive environment. Excellent relationships are forged between staff and young people. The high staffing levels and personalised care young people receive enable them to make very good progress. Staff, under the leadership of the manager, are highly committed and motivated to review and revise their day-to-day working practices in order to improve the overall delivery of care provided to young people.

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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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