Children's Home run by New Foundations Care Homes Limited in St Helens

Unique reference number SC406636 Inspection date 19/04/2013 Inspector Maria McGranaghan Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 23/01/2013 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Brief description of the service

The home is run by a private organisation and offers accommodation for up to six young people with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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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 good .

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Overall effectiveness

Young people make good progress in a home that provides a safe, happy and structured environment. Outcomes are significantly improved in educational attendance, achievement and the reduction in risk taking behaviours.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people attend suitable educational provisions combining academic studies with vocational learning. Progress is good. Young people express enthusiasm about their education and are proud of their personal progress.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people are safe and feel protected from significant harm. They have formed excellent relationships with staff and are extremely positive about their placement and the care they receive in the home.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people’s care is well planned. Placement plans clearly encapsulate individual needs and the services required to suitably meet them. Young people are supported by suitably qualified and experienced staff who offer a consistent approach in the care of young people.

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Overall effectiveness

The home is currently managed by an interim Registered Manager employed within the organisation. Monitoring systems are in place and provide suitable scrutiny in order to both maintain and enhance the performance in the home.

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Overall effectiveness

Despite these strengths there are weaknesses. Although a new home's manager has been identified through a recent recruitment drive, the home is currently operating without a permanent Registered Manager. Where a room search is required, records do not contain the appropriate information such as an itinerary and storage of any items removed. Consequently, the safety of young people’s belongings is compromised. Likewise, although records of the administration of medication are good, some non-prescribed medication that is no longer required is not routinely disposed of, creating a risk of cross contamination. Similarly, records of staff supervision are not routinely signed by the staff member in order to acknowledge that goals and targets are formally agreed. Furthermore, where damage has occurred or general maintenance is required, there is a delay in rectifying the issues identified. As a result, one requirement and four

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Overall effectiveness

recommendations are made at this inspection.

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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) ensure the appointment of an individual manager to the children’s home and where the appointment is made the person is deemed fit to do so (Regulation 7(1) 8 (1)) 17/05/2013

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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 a written or electronic record is kept by the home detailing the length of each supervision held for each member of staff and is signed by the supervisee and the member of staff (NMS 19.5)  ensure the home only carries out searches of a child, their room or their possessions in accordance with the homes guidance and that records clearly reflect any items removed and stored (NMS 3.20)  ensure staff receive sufficient training on health and hygiene with particular regard to the storage of homely remedies and the risk of cross contamination (NMS 6.7)  ensure the home provides a comfortable and homely environment and is well maintained and decorated (NMS 10.3)

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Outcomes for children and young people

Outcomes for young people are good . Young people make good progress in their education, emotional resilience and their understanding of their unique circumstances. Well planned and focused residential care plans identify target areas and are supported by consistent keywork sessions. Young people work in partnership with staff to review their work and comment on their progress. Young people say, ‘I know what I need to work on and the staff really help me. My keyworker listens and I feel like I am making good progress.’

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people’s health care needs are suitably assessed. Health care plans are in place and work together with targeted keywork sessions. Likewise, regular young people’s meetings and visits from external agencies enable young people to discuss health care issues in a supportive and open forum. As a result, young people are well informed and receive suitable guidance at a level they understand.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people’s views and opinions are encouraged and respected in the home. They regularly take part in the development and review all aspects of work undertaken with them in the home, including the development of a new personal development plan. The plan highlights young people’s feelings about their lives, the care they receive and the progress they make. Young people say, ‘I enjoy doing the plans as it helps me to think about things. I think that working with the staff helps me to feel less angry.’

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people are supported to attend appropriate educational provision. School reports highlight good progress and specifically recognise the support offered by staff in assisting young people to engage positively. Similarly, staff are consistent in promoting education as an important and essential feature in all young people’s lives. Provision is made for homework and this is supported by suitable books and educational materiel to aid continued learning. Consequently, young people now recognise the importance of education and are developing a sense of pride in their achievements.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people benefit from planned contact with family members. Staff maintain close links with families and involve them where appropriate in the overall planning of the young people’s care. One parent said, ‘fantastic staff, wonderful atmosphere, lovely care home, staff are helpful, keep me informed over my child, and have really helped us as a family.’ Detailed placement plans ensure contact only takes place with only those whom it has been agreed and arrangements are reviewed regularly.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Staff encourage young people to develop independence skills in accordance with their developmental age and abilities. Thorough assessments highlight individual tasks for young people to develop independent skills. Similarly, keyworker sessions help to ensure that appropriate steps are taken to maximise individual potential. This person centred approach assists young people to prepare for adulthood and equip them with essential life skills.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Planned and unplanned activities take place on a regular basis. Individual interests are encouraged and supported and include trips to the gym, football, family fun days and visits to places of interest. Young people have access to the internet and popular video games that are appropriately monitored by staff.

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Quality of care

Young people make good progress in a home that provides a stable and supportive environment. The dedicated staff team are truly in tune with the needs of young people and this is evident in the individualised approach to their care. Young people say, ‘staff are funny I get on well with them. I feel good living here.’ Young people are happy, relaxed and confident in the company of staff.

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Quality of care

Clear placement planning and target setting ensures young people’s needs are consistently met and regularly reviewed. A multi-agency approach assists to highlight the changing needs of young people in order that appropriate steps are taken to address them. Consequently, young people make progress in the home.

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Quality of care

Staff effectively address young people’s educational needs through proactive relationships with partner agencies. As a result, young people’s engagement has significantly improved with attendance and achievement consistently enhanced.

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Quality of care

Staff have worked hard to re-shape the culture within the home in order that young people’s behaviours are both consistently and suitably managed. Risk assessments, behaviour management plans and targeted keywork sessions are developed to suitably challenge behaviour and offer alternative strategies to assist young people. Incentives and rewards, such as days out and shopping trips replace previous monetary rewards and this has proved effective in reducing the purchase of prohibited substances. Young people say, ‘I didn’t like it at first, but I understand now. We expected to get money for doing the things we should already be doing. Now we earn treats for doing well and making progress.’

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Quality of care

Young people know how to complain. Information is provided in the young people’s guide and organisational complaints documents. Procedures for managing complaints ensure they are handled fairly and investigated thoroughly by the manager or external nominated person.

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Quality of care

Young people live in a spacious home that blends well into the community. Young people are central to making the house into their home and play a significant role in the decision making process around décor and furnishings. However, where damage has occurred or general maintenance is required this is not routinely addressed and impacts on the general appearance of the home.

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Safeguarding children and young people

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

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Safeguarding children and young people

Staff undertaken child protection training in order that they are able to respond to suspicions or allegations of abuse. Focused risk assessments are in place and encapsulate individual risk factors for young people. Risk assessments are regularly reviewed with young people and are central to the work undertaken in the home. As a result, young people are afforded the opportunity to understand where risks have reduced or indeed escalated. This process assists them to develop ownership of their behaviour and supports them to understand how to make positive change in their lives.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people are supported to live together and to respect each other. Where there is a concern that bullying is taking place, suitable systems are in place in order that the appropriate action is taken to remedy to situation. For example, records of specific keywork sessions and young people’s meetings highlight the staff commitment in maintaining a bully free home. Likewise, de-escalation and re- direction techniques are used to defuse situations between young people. This has proven successful as the use of physical intervention is minimal in the home.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people live in a home where their safety and well-being is protected. Detailed individual ‘missing from home’ plans are in place and this ensures the correct procedures and strategies are implemented without delay. Likewise, external agencies work with staff and young people to ensure a consistent approach is maintained should a young person go missing from home. Since the last inspection, there have been no young people missing over night from home.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people confirm they understand why a room search may be necessary such as the removal of prohibited substances or potentially harmful material. Room search is undertaken as a last resort and is infrequently used in the home. However, records fail to clearly state what has been removed or where it is being stored. Consequently, the safety of young people’s belongings is compromised by a lack of a robust and transparent record.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The home employs a robust recruitment procedure that ensures young people are looked after by staff that are appropriately checked in order to work in the home. Visitors are appropriately vetted and this helps to make sure that young people are protected while in their home.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Staff promote young people’s on-going protection by undertaking regular fire drills and service tests making sure that all faults are suitably addressed. Good monitoring systems are in place and include the safe administration of medication. However, homely remedies such as creams that are no longer in use are not routinely disposed of and pose a risk of cross contamination.

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Leadership and management

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

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Leadership and management

The home is currently overseen by a Registered Manager employed within the organisation. Appropriate steps have been taken to recruit a manager while informing Ofsted of the interim management arrangements for the home. The home is currently operating without a permanent Registered Manager but a new manager has been appointed.

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Leadership and management

The home meets the aims and objectives of the Statement of Purpose, and young people and their social workers are clear about the service and support the home provides.

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Leadership and management

Monitoring systems are improved and provide a suitable audit of the overall care provided in the home. Regulation 33 visits are undertaken at regular intervals and provide the home with a detailed independent view of the developmental areas and progress made in the home.

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Leadership and management

Staff receive suitable support from the interim Registered Manager. Supervision takes placed regularly and serves to identify training needs and personal development targets. However, records of supervision are not routinely signed by the staff member. Consequently, developmental areas are not formally agreed by staff members.

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Leadership and management

Staff receive suitable training in order to work effectively with young people. Staff qualifications include NVQ at level 3 and 4 and an Introduction to Management at level 4 for senior care staff. Staff say, ‘we have a rolling program of training and we can suggest external training. We are very well supported and receive really good training.’

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Leadership and management

Young people are looked after by a competent staff team who have a wide range of skills and experience that are well matched to the needs of young people. The numbers of staff on duty are sufficient to meet the needs of young people in the best possible way.

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Leadership and management

The staff demonstrate a strong commitment to delivering good child care practice tailored to the individual and personal needs of young people. The effectiveness of this approach is measurable in the good progress young people have made in their educations and reduced risk taking behaviours.

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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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