Children's Home run by Blackpool Borough Council in Blackpool

Unique reference number SC033611 Inspection date 25/04/2013 Inspector Stephen Trainor Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 05/02/2013 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Brief description of the service

This children’s home is operated by a local authority. It provides a short break care service for 10 children and young people with a disability.

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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

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Overall effectiveness

The overall effectiveness is judged to be outstanding .

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Overall effectiveness

The home's aims and objectives are clearly being fulfilled by management and staff who recognise the intrinsic value of children and young people as individuals. Children's very specific needs are extremely well supported through well-planned care that successfully promotes positive outcomes.

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Overall effectiveness

Children are supported in expressing their views by staff that use a variety of communication techniques. Consultation with everyone supporting the children is effective and contributes to the home's continuous improvement agenda. The home's management views change and challenge positively, seizing each opportunity presented to further enhance the quality of its services and improve working protocols. Some very specific targets are being set that enable children to become more independent. Improvements are clearly evidenced and these include Assessment and Qualifications Assessment Alliance (AQA) certificates that show exactly where the children have made progress.

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Overall effectiveness

The strength of this home lies in the stability and experience of the staff team together with the leadership and support from the Registered Manager. The staff learning and development programme is well coordinated and staff are able to keep their skills sets up to date. The children receive stimulating experiences from the highly focused and skilled workforce. Parents commented, 'Experiences provided at the service complement those gained at home and school', and, 'The staff are constantly playing, working with and interacting with the children and they make excellent progress.'

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Overall effectiveness

Excellent links are maintained with young people's families who are primary advocates for their children. Relationships are built on highly effective communication ensuring young people enjoy a positive experience of being away from home. Young people, their families and partners are all very positive about the care and support provided for young people. Young people thrive and make clear progress due to the high-quality interactions provided at the home. Young people are kept safe and made to feel safe. There are no safeguarding or behaviour management concerns. All staff had been carefully vetted and deemed suitable.

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Overall effectiveness

Comprehensive arrangements are outlined within placement plans designed to deliver individualised support. The assessment of need specifies the levels of support required. Plans make it clear that staff can only contribute towards the overall arrangements due to the amount of time that young people actually spend at the home as this is a short break service. Staff have a detailed knowledge of the young people they care for and this enables them to meet their complex and diverse needs. Staff remain highly motivated and provide a warm and extremely caring environment.

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Overall effectiveness

The manager of the home routinely monitors the quality of young people's care and the home's operation; she understands the home's strengths and takes action to rectify any identified weaknesses. The home has a detailed development plan. New ideas and work streams are constantly introduced to support the home's continuous development. Efforts are being made to gain as many views from children and those significant to them but more written evidence is needed, especially from in-house survey work. Improvements had been made with the amount of comments outlined in reports of monitoring.

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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 the views, wishes and feelings of people significant to the children are taken into account in monitoring staff and in developing the home. (NMS 1.7)

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Outcomes for children and young people

Outcomes for young people are outstanding .

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people are making excellent progress relative to their age, level of ability and the length of time they spend at the home as part of their short-break agreement. Many of the young people only visit the home for short periods of time but staff make good use of this time to ensure young people have the right support and guidance to enable them to develop their full potential. Social workers commented, 'Children are happy to attend - they (staff) meet children's individual needs', and 'The home offers children with all levels of need a chance of independence, to learn personal skills and access social activities and settings not always provided by family.' Parents confirm that they have full confidence in the ability of the staff to support their children when at the home.

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Outcomes for children and young people

This service has augmented learning and development through innovative ways including AQA certification that provide a measurable and very specific focus for each child. Communication methods are best suited to each child and this means guidance for children and young people is available in many different formats. On-going investment in the service takes place. Latest technology including I-pads is utilised and this undoubtedly enhances each child's development and options for communication. All staff are fully aware of individual's assessed needs and the quality of practice clearly meets needs. Children are making exceptional progress in developing skills and confidence.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people gain many positive experiences during their short breaks, and learn how to interact within a group setting. They learn how to make choices, make responsible decisions, keep themselves safe and, at the same time, have lots of fun with friends and staff doing stimulating activities. Progress is made in many areas and, as a result, young people continually develop and mature. A parent commented, 'The atmosphere and the outdoor areas are great. Children are taken on outings to get them use to the area and people around them and not just kept at the home.' Young people are very relaxed during their short breaks. A parent commented, 'My daughter can't wait to get there, she packs three days in advance.'

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Outcomes for children and young people

Staff maintain good links with young people's families, social workers and other support services. Parents and social workers confirm that staff are good at meeting the diverse needs of the young people and overcoming the challenges they may face. This means young people's life opportunities are not limited by the inequalities associated with their disabilities. The excellent ethos and culture established fulfils service aims and objectives.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Plans are of high quality and individual targets are being set and met. Staff remain clearly focused on achieving outcomes. It is clear that young people routinely attend meetings and reviews where they can express their views with confidence. There are occasions when young people cannot participate fully. Young people living at the home are treated fairly and staff practice is capable of supporting their individual needs. Young people gain tremendous benefits from the high levels of personal care and emotional support they receive.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Children and young people gain make excellent progress from the varied experiences provided. Experiences provided at the service complement those gained at home and school. As a short break service, the responsibility for young people's education remains with the parents and the local education authority. Staff know the educational arrangements in place for each resident and morning routines support attendance at respective schools. Effective communication enables teaching staff, parents and the home’s staff, to provide consistent care in the three different settings young people move between.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Arrangements for promoting young people’s health needs are extremely clear. Staff work in partnership with parents who retain primary responsibility for the health of their children. Handover meetings ensure staff are fully aware of any health concerns including specific dietary or cultural requirements, recent illnesses or medication needs. Young people benefit from access to both routine and specialist health services which are coordinated efficiently.

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Outcomes for children and young people

A parent commented, 'The staff are caring and show empathy to my daughter’s needs. They encourage her to be independent and make choices herself.’ Transition plans are being developed through statutory review procedures. Transition planning for the time that the young people move from the home to adult services is managed very well. The home's Registered Manager continues to be instrumental in shaping and improving the transition process. Programmes operated, routines followed and placement planning are clearly being linked at this service.

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Quality of care

The quality of the care is outstanding .

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Quality of care

The nature and extent of the assessments, prior to agreeing short breaks, allow the home and other agencies to construct the support needed around a comprehensive plan that considers the individual within a health and social context. A parent commented, 'The home is fantastic, the staff are amazing and understand my daughters needs fully. She is always happy and excited to go there.' The home is good at communicating with parents and staff's ability to empathise with parents assures positive relationships. Staff respect individuality and this allows children's personalities and self-help skills to improve considerably.

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Quality of care

Assessments identify the programmes of care and support to be followed. Detailed arrangements are outlined within placement plans designed to deliver individualised support. Plans are supported by AQA skills-based qualifications. The work undertaken by staff and management is of high quality and coordinated very well. Many parents express their appreciation for the added value that the service provides for their children and their family unit. Some comments outlining their views include: 'Can't talk highly enough about the service,' and 'They do a fantastic job.' The Registered Manager is committed to gathering more written views from parents, carers and partners. New ways of gathering views are being introduced to help in monitoring staff and developing the home.

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Quality of care

Young people are cared for by staff that always place their individual needs at the centre of their practice. Staff plan for young people's care and accommodation very well. Staff carefully assess young people's compatibility with other individuals visiting the home. Staffing rotas and staff deployment are managed well. Staff handovers ensure staff are very clear on the particular roles and responsibilities they have on each shift. All staff have relevant skills sets to support the children they are working with. Placement plans are underpinned by clear risk assessments. Staff consistently put these plans into practice ensuring young people receive a highly individualised service. This is particularly evident during morning and mealtime routines, complicated medicine procedures, and bathing routines. Young people are always afforded suitable levels of privacy.

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Quality of care

Relationships between young people and staff are genuinely warm and friendly. Young people respond with tremendous enthusiasm to the welcome they receive from staff and their friends as they arrive at the home. They are very quick to engage with their favourite activities and make themselves at home very quickly.

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Quality of care

Young people are provided with a wide range of enjoyable, stimulating and creative activities. Staff make good use of the resources available for young people within the home and the wider community. Trips out are planned frequently. Some extremely successful camping trips and visits to London have contributed to young people’s personal growth and development. The effort staff make in planning these events exceeds parent’s expectations and takes young people’s participation to a different level.

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Quality of care

Staff always see young people in a positive light and are fully committed to enabling them to overcome the difficulties they may face to lead safe, happy and fulfilling lives. Staff use excellent communication and interpersonal skills to develop positive and trusting relationships with young people in their care. There is transparent communication with parents. Parents confirm they have no cause for concern.

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Quality of care

Staff at the home ensure that young people know how to express their views including how to complain. Ways of enhancing young people’s communication are continually being introduced. A good example is with the efforts being made to translate information, including complaints, and survey questionnaires into different formats that are accessible to all children and young people.

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Quality of care

Staff support young people with their education when attending education reviews. Links with education are positive and a number of staff working at the home have also worked with or visited young people in their school setting. This provides excellent continuity of support.

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Quality of care

Healthy lifestyles are promoted. Medication is stored safely within a dedicated room and secure cabinet. Records are maintained on the administration of medication. There are clear policies and procedural guidance and these are followed in practice. All staff receive suitable training to support health and well-being and this maintains the high quality of care being provided. There are good collaborative links with many different health professionals and agencies. Parents confirm that they have every confidence that if their child was unwell the staff could care for them without any problems. Young people, completing their own questionnaires, confirm that staff look after them well if they are ill.

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Safeguarding children and young people

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

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people benefit from a permanent, experienced and stable staff team. No changes had been made to the staffing structure between inspections. Recruitment practice is robust, ensuring only suitable people work with young people. Personnel information shows no staff start ahead of being in receipt of an enhanced Criminal Records Bureau check. Good practice ensures the vetting of visitors to safeguard young people.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The home provides young people with a safe place to stay. They are protected from hazards by a range of detailed health and safety procedures, risk assessments and routine fire and maintenance checks to ensure the premises are safe. Fire drills are undertaken regularly and the home is connected directly to the local fire station assuring a prompt response in the case of an emergency. In-house training is provided for staff enabling them to devise effective strategies for the evacuation of young people, giving consideration to their individual needs, including issues of mobility. Suitable levels of staff are maintained at all times and this means specific evacuation arrangements are in place to cover both day and night time routines.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people are well protected from harm. This is because staff give young people's safety the highest priority and are well trained in safeguarding. They are able to recognise the signs and symptoms of abuse, including issues relating to young people's personal circumstances and abilities. Staff know what to do if they are concerned about the safety of young people and will take decisive action to protect them. Staff work effectively with young people, their families and social workers to promote young people's welfare. The Local Authority Designated Officer confirmed that there are no safeguarding concerns.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people's individual plans clearly identify any risks they may face and outline effective strategies to ensure their welfare is protected. Staff have a clear understanding of young people's vulnerabilities relating to their level of understanding and disability. This enables staff to ensure young people are safe at the home and when out in the community. High staffing levels ensure young people receive the supervision and support they need to feel safe and protected from harm.

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Safeguarding children and young people

There is a calm, effective and gentle approach towards behaviour management. All staff are qualified and have many years of experience. Staff ensure children's safety is paramount and each staff member is trained in selected behaviour management techniques. Staff have developed a good understanding of the times and factors that contribute to young people becoming upset or frustrated. Well-planned and effective care practice ensures each child is protected from any form of bullying. The rare occasions when restraint is needed are comprehensively recorded. Each incident is discussed to ensure strategies and plans remain effective.

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Leadership and management

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

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Leadership and management

A parent commented, 'The service is really a second home to my child. All the staff are amazing. There is a friendly, welcoming atmosphere whenever I visit. My child loves going there and the staff go above and beyond what is required.' Young people are gaining tremendous benefits from placement experiences provided by a competent staff team. It is a strong, child-focused service that is conducive to young people developing and maximising their potential. The young people and their parents have full confidence in the staff and know who is responsible for them at all times of the day and night.

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Leadership and management

There is a clear vision for how the home should operate. Practice has been enhanced between inspections and is now fully in line with the inspection framework, evaluation schedule and grade descriptors, national minimum standards and regulations. Encouragingly, all levels of staff have a good awareness of these important documents. Records at this home show good clarity in how staff are managed. Staff confirm that supervision is taking place. All permanent staff have relevant qualifications. Systems for staff personal development and appraisal are well established and this helps staff to further enhance their skills. Challenging objectives are being set for staff as part of the management response when evaluating individual’s performance.

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Leadership and management

Clear partnership arrangements underpin all practice and there is tremendous satisfaction with the high-quality services provided. Young people develop meaningful and lasting attachments from the supportive management culture and the hard work of the staff. This service is managed by a highly experienced and fully qualified manager. Partners confirm communication is highly effective. Permanent records are produced to show how children's developmental needs are being met. These records run parallel to a comprehensive assessment of needs. Staff morale is excellent, energy levels high, enthusiasm infectious and all challenges are met head- on by a very attentive group of staff.

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Leadership and management

There is on-going consultation with partners. All levels of staff influence and shape the service with their ideas and initiatives. Practice is developed by a management team that is perceptive in identifying the home's strengths and the areas where it could perform better. A comprehensive written and verbal self-assessment of the service was provided by the Registered Manager.

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Leadership and management

The views of the young people and staff are captured during visits made to the home under the requirements of Regulations 33 and 34. Visitors to the service including local councillors have improved reporting between inspections to better capture comments and observations. The home's management team continually reflect on their practice and evaluate the home's operation. Monitoring reports make sense of the available data, help to plan future services and ensure continuous improvements. Some challenging targets are outlined within the home’s development plan.

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Leadership and management

Young people’s placements are very stable and the home's service history shows an excellent record in compliance. The one recommendation set at the last inspection is addressed and monitoring reports now provide more detail ant these help to form a clear opinion of the standard of care being provided. There is an effective system in place to notify persons and appropriate authorities of the occurrence of significant events. It has not been necessary to forwarded to Ofsted over the past 12-month period. There have been no concerns or complaints about the home between inspections.

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Leadership and management

Staff practice is supported by comprehensive written guidance, policies and procedures. These documents are also accessible through the local authority intranet. Information for children and young people is produced in different formats to support their communication needs. Electronic communication technologies support young people’s communication very well. The home's Statement of Purpose provides information in accordance with regulations. The ethos and working practices of the home meet aims and objectives and this means young people develop their potential as they experience their short breaks.

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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 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.

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