Children's Home run by Esland South Limited in Greenwich

Unique reference number SC386134 Inspection date 28/05/2013 Inspector Cheryl Carter Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 06/03/2013 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Brief description of the service

This is a privately-owned children’s home for up to five young people who may have emotional and behavioural difficulties. The home offers flexible packages of care, including long-term care. One bed is for emergency admissions or respite care.

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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

This is a home in transition, having been taken over by a new company in the past year. This has resulted in changes in how the home is managed and a change of culture within the home. One impact of the change is that a number of staff has left the home and new staff have been recruited. There is a new Registered Manager and two newly appointed residential care staff. An improved focus on the care of the young people has meant that young people are thriving, happy and achieving their goals. Young people are actively involved in their care and contribute to the day-to- day running of the home.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people make good progress in all aspects of their lives. School attendance has improved where this has been an issue. Young people are healthy; have formed positive relationships with staff; and have maintained contact with their families. Young people's talents and interests are very well supported they are encouraged to pursue their interests so they feel positive about themselves and develop their self- esteem. This plays a great part in improving their life chances when they leave the home.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people's views about this home are very positive. They say that they feel that the staff really care about them. There are measures in place to keep them safe and as a result they feel safe.

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Overall effectiveness

To further improve the service the home should review its practice in respect of the evaluation of training provided to staff in relation to equality and diversity.

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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 staff are equipped to meet the needs of the children and purpose of the setting, and training keeps them up-to-date with professional, legal and practice developments and reflects the policies, legal obligations and business needs of the home. In particular ensure that staff have a better understanding of the Children's Act 1989 and the Care Standards Act 2000 (NMS18 .1)  ensure that the learning and development programme is evaluated for effectiveness at least annually and if necessary is updated. In particular ensure that staff have effective training on Equality and Diversity as well as attachments. (18.2)

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people make good progress in all areas of their lives. Attendance at school has improved and young people have moved from a pattern of non-attendance. They now maintain regular attendance and are taking a number of GCSE examinations. Others have aspirations to attend college in the new academic year. A social worker commented, in relation to a young person: 'She has gone from being a child who never attended school to one who attends regularly and is doing a number of GCSE exams.'

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people are healthy. They are encouraged to have regular check-ups at the dentists and opticians and keep any medical appointments so that their good health is sustained. They eat healthily and they are also encouraged to exercise. Advice is not always followed but staff continue in their encouragement to ensure that young people have the information so that they live healthy life styles. Information around smoking and substance misuse is available in the home.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people are happy and their self-esteem and confidence have improved considerably. A social worker said that she is very pleased with the progress her young person has made since being at the home. Young people have good relationships with the staff and their peer group. They have friends who visit them at the home. Contact with their families are promoted and supported which helps to promote a strong understanding of their backgrounds and a positive self-view.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people participate in varied activities in the community such as swimming and go-karting as well as some cultural exhibitions.

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Quality of care

Young people live in a home that promotes a caring and supportive environment. Relationships between the young people and the staff team are based on honesty, clear boundaries and opportunities to participate in the running of the home and the feeling that they are being listened to.

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Quality of care

Staff are understanding and professional when interacting with the young people. As a result young people are relaxed in their environment. The views, wishes and feelings of young people are actively sought through several forums. These contribute to and influence the way the home is run. One young person said: ‘I had the opportunity to interview the last member of staff that was recruited. There were two candidates and we picked one; and that was the one that was appointed.

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Quality of care

Young people spoke very positively about the care and support they receive. They understand how to complain and are fully supported to raise any concerns or worries openly. All concerns and complaints are suitably investigated and addressed. This demonstrates that the home listens to the concerns of young people and takes appropriate action.

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Quality of care

Social Workers are very positive that this home actively helps children to progress in education, health and in their personal development. Comprehensive placement plans ensure that young people receive individualised care. The home encourages young people to attend their statutory reviews. This allows them to have a voice in the care and support they receive. It also provides staff with opportunities to learn and to understand how outcomes for young people are improving.

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Quality of care

A therapeutic consultant provides staff with advice that helps them understand and manage the behaviour of the young people. This ensures young people’s emotional needs are very well met. Their individual health needs are also met as young people are registered with the appropriate local services, attend medicals and appointments. Medication is well managed and stored appropriately in a locked cabinet in the office. Staff have up-to-date training on the safe handling and storage of medication. All staff have an up-to-date first aid qualification so they can meet a child’s need for emergency assistance in the event of an accident.

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Quality of care

The home is clean and well maintained and located close to local amenities. Each young person has their own room which they are able to decorate to their choice. The home is well furnished. It provides a homely environment for young people where they can relax, watch television or entertain their friends.

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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

Young people are safe and feel safe at the home. The focus of the staff is to ensure that the atmosphere at the home is calm and the emphasis among the staff team is to diffuse any potentially difficult and challenging situations. The positive relationships developed enables staff to understand when there is a change in a young person’s behaviour or mood.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Each young person has a behaviour management plan and risk assessment which covers all aspects of risk, both generic and specific to young people. Staff are therefore able to work consistently for the benefit of young people and strategies put in place to minimise the risks. Risks assessments are reviewed and updated regularly. Staff have a good understanding of the needs of vulnerable young people and understand the procedure to follow in the event of a young person going missing. There are effective protocols in place with the local police and safeguarding services which are followed in the event that a young person continues to go missing. The incidents of young people going missing from the home has reduced since the last inspection.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Physical restraint is only used for the purpose of keeping young people safe and there has been minimal use of restraint in the home. The manager monitors all restraints and ensures that young people are spoken to following a restraint and that any issues are resolved. Restraint recording takes place in line with regulations. When sanctions are given to young people they are appropriate and fair. The use of positive rewards ensures that young people are encouraged to display acceptable behaviours. As a result young people’s behaviour has improved.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Staff have a good knowledge of the safeguarding procedures which are used in their day-to-day practice. Current staff has completed safeguarding training. The new manager has put in place a system to ensure that all staff receives regular refresher courses to ensure that their knowledge is current and know what action to take if there are any safeguarding concerns. There have been no recent incidents of bullying within the home. Staff have a good awareness of the signs of bullying and where required carry out key worker sessions which address any issues or concerns. Safeguarding arrangements are robust and children are safe.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Recruitment practices are robust for all staff involved working in this home and working for the organisation.

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Leadership and management

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

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Leadership and management

The home has undergone a period of uncertainty having been taken over by a new company. The change initially resulted in some unrest among the staff team which led to complaints to Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector (HMCI). These complaints have been resolved and the home now has a new Registered Manager. The home has made progress. There is now a more effective staff team and the management of the home has improved. Leaders and managers provide a service that promotes young people's welfare.

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Leadership and management

The staff team is diverse, particularly in relation to meeting children's identity and gender needs. Young people feel that they are living in a good home and they are very positive about their relationships with the staff and the independent visitor to the home. They are fully engaged in the home and have very active and fulfilling lives. Young people's opinions and views are actively sought and are used, for example, to develop the service and in recruiting new staff to the home, planning menus and also deciding where they go on holiday.

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Leadership and management

Managers are aware of the strengths and weakness of the home and this has led to improvements. Further improvements are planned within the home’s action plan. Monitoring of the home according to Regulation 33 are completed monthly and reports are sent to Ofsted. The manager of the home monitors the home against the Statement of Purpose according to Regulation 34.

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Leadership and management

The manager is enthusiastic and motivated to get the best out of the staff team. Staffing arrangements are flexible to meet the number and needs of young people accommodated. For example, extra staff are brought in to accompany young people to appointments and the minimum staffing level is also increased if the number of children in the home increases. This means that staffing levels ensure that there is always enough staff on duty to facilitate young people’s contact arrangements and activities.

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Leadership and management

Young people's records are maintained well so they have a history of their time in the home. Young people are encouraged to read their files so they can understand and make comment on what is written about them. This is used to good effect to help young people reflect on incidents when their behaviour has been challenging and to help them understand how their behaviour impacts on others.

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Leadership and management

Significant changes have been introduced to the home’s monitoring systems. This process ensures that staff practice is in line with expectations and action can be taken quickly to address any shortfalls noted. This has resulted in an improvement in the quality of recording and as a result, better communication, which has improved outcomes for young people.

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Leadership and management

Staff are very well supervised, and supervision is reflective to enable them to develop their practice. One member of staff said she receives monthly supervision which she finds very useful as it helps to energise her and gives her an understanding on where her practice need to improve. However staff understanding of equality and diversity and knowledge of the Children’s Act is limited. This could impact the service negatively if it is not addressed.

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Leadership and management

The manager has taken action to raise the number of staff who are qualified to Level 3 NVQ by enrolling those without the qualification on to courses. This will raise the number of staff already qualified from 60% to 90% within the next year. The new manager, who has been in post for the past seven months, has an action plan in place to further drive improvements in this home. For example, plans are in place to evaluate the findings of the quality assurance systems and include these in the development plans for the service.

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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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