Children's Home run by Acorn Care (UK) Limited in Darlington

Unique reference number SC390751 Inspection date 26/04/2013 Inspector Nicholas Murphy Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

p.1

Date of last inspection 13/11/2012 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.1

This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

p.2

Brief description of the service

The home provides accommodation for up to five young people who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home is operated by a private company.

p.3

The inspection judgements and what they mean

Outstanding : a service of exceptional quality that significantly exceeds minimum requirements Good : a service of high quality that exceeds minimum requirements Adequate : a service that only meets minimum requirements Inadequate : a service that does not meet minimum requirements

p.3

Overall effectiveness

The overall effectiveness is judged to be good .

p.3

Overall effectiveness

The home provides an environment where young people are supported and nurtured. Staff take account of each young person’s individual needs in devising care plans and putting them into practice. Staff use individual key working sessions to consult young people about their plans and daily routines. In addition, group meetings enable young people to have a voice about how the home is run. For example, the refurbishment of the games room has been planned in close consultation with young people. This promotes ownership of the space and means that young people are more likely to value and look after it.

p.3

Overall effectiveness

The home’s strength in listening to young people’s views was recently acknowledged when it received an award for ‘Investing in Children’. One young person said, ‘this is one of the best care homes I’ve been in.’

p.3

Overall effectiveness

Young people can be challenging and sometimes cannot accept what staff are telling them. However, staff are patient in explaining why something cannot happen the way that young people want. This approach, and the obvious respect that staff have for each young person, ensures that relationships within the home are positive and constructive.

p.3

Overall effectiveness

Young people say that this is a home where they feel protected from harm. There is effectively no bullying, and the home’s systems ensure that safeguarding practice is consistent and effective. One young person said, ‘It’s a good place, comfy, safe and caring, a nice atmosphere.’ No statutory requirements or recommendations for improvement have been made at this inspection.

p.3

Outcomes for children and young people

Outcomes for young people are adequate .

p.4

Outcomes for children and young people

Most young people have progressed in becoming more responsible and understanding their emotions and feelings. One young person said: ‘I’ve improved since I’ve been here – I’m more mature.’ Young people are beginning to make sense of their often troubled family relationships. This means that they can cope with disappointment more effectively. A social worker said: ‘X is happy for the first time in a very long time.’

p.4

Outcomes for children and young people

Young people have a reasonable understanding of what makes for a healthy lifestyle. They have access to plenty of information and guidance both from staff and health workers. However, all young people currently smoke, despite support and encouragement to give up.

p.4

Outcomes for children and young people

School attendance for most young people is good. Some struggle to attend every day, although they have made improvements since moving in. Young people attend a mixture of mainstream schools, college, and alternative placements where they can undertake vocational training.

p.4

Outcomes for children and young people

Young people maintain contact with their families and other people who are important to them. The home supports this contact, following agreed plans in cases where the visits to, or by, family members must be supervised. This ensures that young people can benefit from seeing the people they care about while being kept safe.

p.4

Outcomes for children and young people

Young people have some skills in preparing food such as cakes and snacks. They are also encouraged to take responsibility for their own laundry and ironing. One young person who is due to leave the home soon has prepared for their move very well, and has a clear vision of what their adult life will look like.

p.4

Quality of care

Young people generally enjoy good relationships with staff and with each other. Staff use a nurturing approach, hand-in-hand with the application of clear boundaries and expectations.

p.4

Quality of care

The home consults with young people in a variety of ways. Young people express their views and aspirations in formal group meetings, individual key worker sessions and daily conversations with staff. The home has plans in place to involve young people in staff recruitment. This indicates the importance attached to enabling young people to have as much influence as possible over the running of home.

p.4

Quality of care

Care plans are clear and detailed, yet succinct. Key workers review and update them regularly. This ensures that programmes of care respond appropriately to events and incidents in the young people’s lives. Each care plan is tailored to the young person’s particular needs, taking full account of the young person’s culture and identity. A health worker who has a lot of involvement with the home said: ‘The health care plans for young people are excellent.’ The home works in close liaison with all health agencies. This makes it easy for young people to take advantage of all the services which can maintain and improve their well-being. Unfortunately, all the young people choose to smoke. However, staff work in persistent partnership with health professionals, offering advice, motivation, and information.

p.4

Quality of care

Staff assess each young person’s ability to look after themselves irrespective of their age. This helps young people to become more self-sufficient. One young person commented: ‘Staff have really helped me with getting ready to move on into independence. They’ve given me lots of support and made me mentally prepared to move on.’

p.5

Quality of care

The home provides a range of well-balanced and varied meals for young people. Staff discourage young people from over-reliance on snack and convenience foods and some young people have difficulty in accepting the need for a healthy diet. However, staff are enthusiastic and creative in showing young people how good simple foods can be.

p.5

Quality of care

The home has a good relationship with the range of education and training providers attended by young people. The occasional difficulties around attendance or behaviour are managed effectively by timely communication between the staff and the schools. Young people therefore know that the home and schools will work together to address any issues.

p.5

Quality of care

Staff enable young people to take part in a range of activities. In addition to in-house leisure and recreational pursuits, there are opportunities to use facilities in the community. Staff are determined in encouraging young people to spend less time on console games and more on activities which provide exercise and fresh air. The home is spacious and comfortable. It enables young people to spend time in private or socialise with each other and staff.

p.5

Safeguarding children and young people

The service is good at keeping children and young people safe and feeling safe.

p.5

Safeguarding children and young people

Young people report that they feel safe in the home. They can approach staff with any concerns and know that they will be listened to and acted on if necessary. Staff are alert to the possibility of bullying and challenge it immediately. In addition, the home promotes a strong anti-bullying ethos in which young people are actively involved. The prominence given to bullying makes this a home where it is not a major issue.

p.5

Safeguarding children and young people

The number of times where young people go missing has varied over the time since the last inspection, but overall has reduced. There had recently been a higher number of missing episodes. However, young people were only absent for short periods, and the home worked proactively with the police and other agencies to address the problem. As a result, the situation has been brought under control.

p.5

Safeguarding children and young people

Staff manage behaviour through the use of incentives and encouragement. Sanctions are used thoughtfully and constructively, not just as punishment, but also to show young people the desired way of behaving. For example, reparation is used in response to any damage caused to the fabric of the home. However, the quality of relationships that staff have with young people is the most important factor in managing behaviour. Even when young people are challenging and negative, staff are skilled in using negotiation and compromise to reach a mutually beneficial outcome. This positive and patient approach to behaviour management means that physical restraint hardly ever needs to be used.

p.6

Safeguarding children and young people

A social worker commented: ‘Staff are very consistent in how they treat X, they negotiate rewards and consequences but do this consistently as a staff team.’ Another said: ‘If X had been placed anywhere else they would have been discharged by now, such is the level of their confrontational behaviour. The home has stuck with them.’

p.6

Leadership and management

The leadership and management of the children's home are good .

p.6

Leadership and management

The Registered Manager has a visible presence in the home. She makes herself available to young people and provides clear leadership to her staff. In addition, the Registered Manager makes sure that case files and other records are well organised and maintained. This thorough management approach ensures that plans and strategies are implemented as agreed. As a result, young people know that they will receive a consistent response from all members of staff.

p.6

Leadership and management

The Registered Manager monitors the performance of the home closely. She has a particular focus on the achievement of good outcomes for young people. For example, monthly records of indicators, such as school attendance and missing episodes are highlighted in red, amber or green type. This helps staff to immediately see where young people are struggling and take appropriate remedial action.

p.6

Leadership and management

The home had an interim inspection in November 2012, when it was judged to be making satisfactory progress. Two recommendations were made at that inspection, and both have been addressed. The Registered Manager now sends summaries of internal monitoring reports to Ofsted. This ensures that the regulator is aware of how well the home achieves good outcomes for young people. A bespoke cover has been made for the television in the lounge. This protects it whilst looking attractive, thus adding to the homely feel of the room. The provider is committed to maintaining and improving the physical condition of the home. Repairs are carried out promptly and to a high standard. This conveys to young people that they are valued and that they deserve to have the benefit of good facilities. The staff team is very well organised and provides good support to meet the needs of young people at all times. Seniors who work across both teams lead the two staff

p.6

Leadership and management

shifts. This helps to ensure greater consistency by reducing the likelihood of two separate staff cultures developing within the home. As a result, individual programmes of care are followed for each young person no matter who is on duty. The quality of team working is further enhanced by the absence of any need to use agency staff. This is because staff willingly adjust their own working pattern to cover any unforeseen gaps in the rota. This demonstrates the commitment of the staff to the welfare of the young people. Staff are well supported, both by regular formal supervision and training which is refreshed as necessary. This ensures that staff have the right skills and resilience to support young people with complex needs and help them progress.

p.7

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.

p.8

About this inspection

The report details the main strengths, any areas for improvement, including any breaches of regulation, and any failure to meet national minimum standards. The judgements included in the report are made against the Inspections of children’s homes – framework for inspection and the evaluation schedule for the inspection of children's homes.

p.8