Children's Home run by Break Charity in Norfolk

Unique reference number SC025718 Inspection date 22/05/2013 Inspector Louisa Bayley Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 14/01/2013 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Brief description of the service

This children's home provides accommodation for up to four young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties and/or learning disabilities. The home is owned by a registered charity that also owns a number of other children's homes.

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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 adequate .

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Overall effectiveness

Young people in this home benefit from individual care plans, which are personalised to meet their needs. The staff team advocate on behalf of young people, to support them to enjoy equality of access to a range of services.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people have developed some good relationships with staff, building their trust and promoting their self-esteem. Young people’s relationships with each other are, at times, volatile. Staff have listened to and acted upon issues to ensure that young people are safe.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people say that staff ask for their views and listen to them. This has effected change and given individuals a sense of involvement in their care planning and education.

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Overall effectiveness

There have been some improvements since the last inspection, with four out of five requirements and the recommendation addressed by the manager. However, the inspection identified the following shortfalls; young people have not been involved in regular fire drills, young people and parents have not been consulted with as part of the monthly external monitoring and the manager has missed some internal monitoring checks. Although young people's safety has not been compromised, opportunities that are likely to promote their safety and well-being have been missed.

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Overall effectiveness

Areas identified for improvement are; ensuring that staff work to the home’s policies and writing and implementing a current development plan.

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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, by means of fire drills and practices at suitable intervals, that the persons working at the home and, so far as practicable, children accommodated there, are aware of the procedure to be followed in the case of fire (Regulation 32 (1)(e )) 12/07/2013

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) monitor the matters set out in Schedule 6 at appropriate intervals. (Regulation 34 (1)(a) 12/07/2013

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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 the views, wishes and feelings of children and those significant to them are taken into account in monitoring staff and in developing the home (NMS 1.7)  continue to explore with, and support, young people to prepare for the world of work or higher education (NMS 12.1)  prepare a written development plan, reviewed annually, for the future of the home, either identifying any planned changes in the operation or resources of the service, or confirming the continuation of the home’s current operation and resource (NMS 15.2)  ensure all staff’s work is consistent with the regulations and national minimum standards, the home’s policies and procedures, with specific reference to providing staff supervision as set out in the organisation’s policy and completing emergency lighting checks. (NMS 21.3)

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Outcomes for children and young people

Outcomes for young people are adequate .

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people develop an understanding of their background and develop emotional resilience as a result of key work sessions, engagement with a range of professionals and their relationships with staff. They have developed confidence in their skills and abilities in areas that interest them. These areas include music, gardening, outdoor work and voluntary work.

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Outcomes for children and young people

All young people access a range of health services to meet their identified needs. A social worker said of one young person: 'Socially and emotionally he is in a better place.' Despite the staff promoting information on health, young people have not reduced risk taking behaviours such as smoking.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people contribute their views on the care they receive and effect change as a result. They contribute to their reviews and express their wishes and preferences on future placements. They are involved in decision making in education plans, trips, activities and sanctions and consequences. This gives individuals a sense of feeling valued and listened to.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Outcomes in education vary for each young person. There are some positive achievements for some young people. For others, despite encouragement and support from staff, there is little or no attendance or engagement in education, work or training.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Within the home, young people contribute to residents’ meetings. They are encouraged and supported to put forward the views of their peers through representation on the organisation’s Care Council. This gives them a responsibility and a means of expression, taking forward the issues raised.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Individuals contribute to the wider community through voluntary work placements and a commitment to regular activities. This gives them an opportunity to develop social networks outside of the home and explore their interests.

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Outcomes for children and young people

The arrangements in the home ensure that young people benefit from contact with their families and friends. Staff support family contact and young people are able to have friends visit them at home. This helps young people to maintain and develop their familial relationships and friendships and stay in touch with people they identify with.

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Quality of care

Staff provide young people with good quality care. Care plans are centred around meeting individual’s needs and wishes and supporting them to achieve equality of access to services and opportunities. Individual needs and characteristics, such as religion and culture, are identified in the care plans. A member of staff said: ‘It is important that young people know we have them in mind and that we take an interest in their background and their history.' Staff have a good understanding of the importance of encouraging young people to express themselves through their clothes and their interests. This helps to reinforce young people’s views that staff treat them as individuals. Parents say staff keep them informed about the care their child receives. Social workers say the staff are diligent in ensuring there is good communication to support the care of young people.

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Quality of care

Key workers and staff consult with young people on all aspects of their care, to ensure they have an opportunity to express their preferences. Staff use regular key work sessions; they provide time away from the home to discuss how young people are feeling and any issues they want to raise. Where young people make requests that cannot be met, the staff ensure they discuss the reasons with the individual concerned. Young people value the relationships they have with their key workers. Comments from young people include: ‘I don’t think of her as a carer, I think of her as my mum’ and, ‘all of the staff do an excellent job.'

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Quality of care

Young people know how to make a complaint and have used the process when they had an issue. There has been one complaint from a young person since the last inspection. The manager responded promptly and took action to address the issue; the manager also kept the young person appraised of the situation.

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Quality of care

The staff team are proactive and persistent in encouraging young people to engage in education. They have regular links with education providers and good levels of communication to ensure plans are current and that young people’s needs are duly considered. Staff advocate on behalf of young people to enable them to access their right to education.

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Quality of care

Staff support young people’s physical and mental health by promoting links with health professionals. A social worker said: ‘There are good links with a wide range of health professionals and staff use the knowledge and advice of professionals to inform their practice.’

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Quality of care

Staff provide and facilitate activities for young people, according to their interests and preferences. Trips out include visits to the zoo, theme parks, local places of interest and informal activities such as going out for a coffee and a chat. Where young people have structured, community based activities, staff make arrangements to transport them to and from the activity. Activities in and outside of the home are based on young people’s wishes, ensuring they can pursue their interests and express their individuality.

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Quality of care

The home is well presented, maintained and decorated. It has the feel of a family home and has ample space for young people to spend time with each other and staff or alone. The home is located in close proximity to a number of services and facilities and staff ensure they facilitate travel arrangements as needed.

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Safeguarding children and young people

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

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people’s safety is promoted through sound risk assessments, links with key professionals and regular review of individual needs. There has been a decrease in the number of incidents of young people going missing and there have been no incidents of physical restraint. During incidents of young people going missing, staff ensure they request a visit from a social worker or independent person for the individual concerned. This gives young people the opportunity to discuss any issues they have and the reasons for them going missing.

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Safeguarding children and young people

There has been an issue of bullying, which the manager has dealt with taking action to assure the safety of the young people involved. A social worker said: ‘The issue of bullying has been taken very seriously and the young person has been listened to.’

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Safeguarding children and young people

Staff manage behaviour in a low-key way and work with young people to understand triggers. A social worker said: ‘The staff have worked hard to engage with other professionals to gain more insight into individual’s behaviours so they can manage them.’

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Safeguarding children and young people

Staff working in the home are subject to rigorous recruitment checks prior to taking up their posts. The records held reflect the checks that have taken place. This promotes safety by preventing unsuitable people from having access to the young people living in the home.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people receive fire instruction when they first move into the home. However, one young person has not been involved in a fire drill since their admission to the home and another has not participated in a fire drill since June 2011. Checks, such as of the emergency lighting, are not taking place in line with the organisational policy. An office door has been reported as faulty during testing every week since December 2012, however, the fault has not been resolved. A recent visit by the fire officer and also an independent fire company did not raise the office door as an issue. However, staff have not taken steps to discover whether the door should be repaired. Consequently, there is a potential for safety to be compromised.

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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 led by a permanent Registered Manager. The staff team are well established and have developed positive relationships with the young people.

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Leadership and management

Since the last inspection, there has been one complaint made by a neighbour. The manager has responded promptly, discussed the issue with the complainant and ensured they have received a written response.

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Leadership and management

Five requirements and one recommendation were raised at the interim inspection. The manager has addressed four of the requirements. Young people all have a copy of the young people’s guide and staff are recording sanctions and consequences. There is an adequate means of fire escape, supported by an externally commissioned fire risk assessment and a visit from the fire officer to assess the arrangements. Social workers and parents are consulted on the quality of care. There is no formal mechanism to gather their views, but those spoken to during the inspection said that staff ask for their opinions. The manager has ensured that he monitors the activities in the home and that young people can contribute to this. The manager has not met the requirement to ensure that staff and young people take part in regular fire drills.

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Leadership and management

The Statement of Purpose is an accurate reflection of the care and facilities provided by the residential provision. The document enables parents, staff and professionals to gain an understanding of the aims, approaches and ethos of the home and sets out what they can expect in regard to the way young people are cared for and outcomes are promoted.

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Leadership and management

External monitoring takes place on a monthly basis. However, during five out of six visits, the visitor was unable speak to young people to gain their views of the care provided. Additionally, despite regular attempts, the visitor has been unable to gain the views of parents. This means that the young people’s views do not contribute to forming an opinion of the care provided. Internal monitoring takes place on a monthly basis; however, some aspects of monitoring have been missed. An example of this is the fire checks. Had the monitoring reviewed this area, the shortfalls found during the inspection would have been evident. There is currently no development plan in place.

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Leadership and management

Staff use monthly reports to review progress for each young person. These help to demonstrate the impact that living in the home has had on individual outcomes. The records for each individual are securely stored and provide a good level of information. This will be helpful to young people if they choose to access their records now or in the future. There have been a minimal number of significant events; when they do occur, the manager notifies Ofsted without delay. This ensures that Ofsted, as a regulator, has an up to date view of events in the home.

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Leadership and management

Staff receive a sound induction and all staff have training in child protection, first aid, physical restraint and fire safety. Staff say that supervision is supportive; however staff do not consistently receive the frequency of supervision set out in the organisational policy. Consequently, staff do not receive the level of management oversight expected in order to effectively support 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 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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