The Banyan Tree

Unique reference number SC396186 Inspection date 11/06/2013 Inspector Tracy Murty Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 24/01/2013 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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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.

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Brief description of the service

The home is a privately run and provides care for four young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties and learning disabilities.

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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 present as happy and secure living in this home. A particular strength of this home relates to its commitment to ensuring the educational and social needs of young people are met at all times. Young people benefit from care and support from a dedicated staff team and enjoy a wide range of activities and opportunities whilst living here.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people receive personalised care which takes into account their complex individual needs. The staff team receive regular supervision, training and annual appraisals which enables them to undertake their work with confidence and competence. The dedicated Registered Manager works hard to support staff and ensure that the needs of young people remain the focus of their work at all times. Placing authorities and education providers report satisfaction at the positive working relationship they have with this home and the commitment of the staff team to meeting young people's holistic needs.

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Overall effectiveness

A number of shortfalls were identified during this inspection. Three requirements and eight recommendations have been made as a result of this.

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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 any events listed in column one of the table in Schedule 5 shall without delay be notified to the persons indicated in respect of the event in column 2 of the table (Regulation 30(1)) 05/07/2013

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that the child's placing authority consents to the use of door alarms, that it is provided for in the child's placement plan and that the measure is no more restrictive than necessary, having regard to the child's need for privacy (Regulation 22(1)(a)(b)(d)) 05/07/2013

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that any activities in which children participate are so far as reasonably practicable free from avoidable risks. This is with specific reference for the need for detailed risk assessments in relation to missing from care. (Regulation 23(b)) 05/07/2013

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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 allegations against people that work with children are reported by the designated person to the LADO. This includes allegations that on the face of it may appear relatively insignificant or that have also been reported directly to the police or Children and Family Services (NMS 20.6)  ensure regular monitoring of all records kept by the home, to identify any concerns about specific incidents and to identify patterns and trends. Immediate action is taken to address any issues raised by this monitoring. This is with specific reference to the need for the Registered Manager to consider and respond to staff comments in the communications book (NMS 21.2)  ensure that where there has been a physical restraint, children are always given the opportunity to be examined by a registered nurse or medical practitioner (NMS 3.16)  ensure that the home has a written development plan, reviewed annually, for the

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Recommendations

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 that telephone enquiries are made as well as obtaining written references (NMS 16.1)  ensure that there is an effective system for reaching decisions as to who is appointed and the circumstances in which an application should be refused in the light of any criminal convictions or other concerns about suitability that are declared or discovered through the recruitment process (NMS 16.5)  ensure that children receive prompt feedback on any concerns or complaints raised and are kept informed of progress (NMS 1.6)  ensure that the home contributes to the development of each child's pathway plan and works collaboratively with the young person's social worker or personal advisor in implementing the plan (NMS 12.2)

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Recommendations

 ensure that the home regularly reviews incidents of challenging behaviour, examines trends or issues emerging from this, to enable staff to reflect and learn to inform future practice. This is with specific reference to the review and update of behaviour support plans. (NMS 3.21)

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people made good progress in this home. Staff support them to establish good routines and boundaries, which assists them with developing in confidence and resilience. They build positive relationships with the staff team which enables them to form and sustain meaningful attachments. One social worker said, 'The young person is really happy living here and is doing well. The staff have a good understanding of this young person's complex needs and are willing to work with her on meeting her needs.'

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people develop a good understanding of their emotional, psychological and physical health whilst living in this home. Staff support them and ensure that they attend all routine and specialist healthcare appointments. This has led to improved physical and emotional health for young people in this home. The staff team actively encourages young people to attend all relevant health appointments and to appreciate the value of meeting their health needs at all times. Young people in this home do not engage in risk taking behaviours such as smoking or drug/alcohol use. Healthy lifestyles are promoted by the staff team and young people respond well to this.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people's attendance and engagement in education in this home is good. From their starting points, young people develop an increased appreciation of the value of education and take personal pride in their achievements. The staff team also support young people proactively in their education by assisting them to complete homework and attend all relevant meetings with them. Young people speak positively about their educational provisions and achievements. They take part in educational trips and learn a lot from such events. They display an increased awareness of such areas as social history and speak with pride of what they have learned in school. Staff promote education for young people in this home and ensure that homework and set tasks are completed in a timely manner. Some young people also attend homework clubs, which further enables them to complete set tasks and enjoy a sense of personal achievement.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people who present with any unsafe behaviours are helped to develop their self-esteem and confidence in this home. High staffing ratios ensures that young people receive the direct support and supervision they need at all times. Detailed placement plans set out the needs of each young person and how those needs should be met. Staff encourage and support young people to take part in a wide range of social activities, which further assists them in developing social skills and confidence. Young people receive high levels of supervision in this home due to their complex needs. This provides them with additional security and protection from engaging in any potentially unsafe behaviours.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people feel supported and enabled to have contact with their family and significant others whilst living in this home. The staff team demonstrates a detailed awareness and understanding of the needs of each young person in relation to their extended families. Staff support and provide supervision for contact meetings where appropriate and enable young people to keep in touch with significant others. Young people are also actively supported by the staff team to form and maintain friendships with peers. Staff work closely with education providers to try and promote contact for young people with friends from school at this home. One school praised the home for working to ensure that a young person had the same social opportunities as other young people, including having friends over to visit.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people undertake some work with staff to assist them in developing skills necessary for a move to independence. Staff support some young people to develop skills in shopping and cooking meals for themselves. This supports them in their transition into adulthood. Young people also take part in agreed tasks in the home each day, including washing up, tidying away and cleaning. This further promotes their sense of independence and increases their practical skills.

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Quality of care

Young people engage well with the staff team and present as feeling secure with them. Staff demonstrate a detailed knowledge and awareness of the needs and presenting issues for each young person. Staff use personalised strategies to ensure that the holistic needs of each young person are met at all times.

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Quality of care

Young people have felt able to raise concerns with staff and make complaints about the care provided to them. Young people have not always received prompt feedback about specific complaints raised by them or of the outcome of such complaints. Young people feel consulted on in other areas of how the home is run. They are consulted in relation to menu planning for the home each week and in deciding how the home is decorated and furnished. They take part in regular house meetings, with staff ensuring that a wide range of topics and issues are discussed and recorded. This enables young people to make an active contribution to how the home is run and how services are developed.

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Quality of care

Staff have access to generally good planning documentation for each young person in this home and use them to assist in meeting their needs. Recent changes to the format for placement plans has led to more detailed and focused plans for each young person. Some relevant young people do not currently have a pathway plan in place. This reduces the ability of staff to ensure that work is done with young people to prepare them for their move to independence. Some behaviour support plans for young people have not been regularly reviewed or updated. This further reduces the ability of the staff team to ensure that they monitor the progress made by young people or ensure that plans reflect their current needs.

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Quality of care

Young people receive appropriate health care and input to meet their specific needs. This includes mental health services and art therapy, which is provided by the organisation. Over time, young people's emotional and physical well-being improves due to such provision. One education provider reported a noticeable improvement in the emotional well-being of one young person since moving to live at this home. They stated that the young person presented as much happier and of plans to involve the art therapist to further improve their emotional and psychological health.

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Quality of care

The educational attendance of young people is good. Staff support them to attend each day and in completing any homework set. Staff also attend all relevant meetings and reviews for the young people. Young people therefore feel very supported and learn the importance of education and learning whilst living in this home. Young people report enjoying school and talk animatedly about their day. The staff enable young people to share what they have done each day, during the evening meal. This promotes a real sense of pride and value for young people in this home.

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Quality of care

They take part in a wide range of activities and outings whilst in education and also with staff from the home. Such activities has included trips to local museums, horse riding, swimming, clubs and holidays abroad. Young people clearly appreciate the wide range of experiences they have access to and gain in confidence and self- esteem as a result. All activities take into account the cultural needs of each young person and any expressed or known needs in relation to their gender, religion, disability or ethnicity.

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Quality of care

The home is located in an urban area, with a wide range of local resources for young people to access. Young people benefit from a spacious and clean living environment. Their rooms reflect their personal likes and the maintenance and upkeep of the home is good throughout. Young people clearly take pride in their home and enjoy the homely atmosphere which has been created.

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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 present as feeling safe, both within and outside of the home. High staffing levels ensures that vulnerable young people receive supervision and support at all times. There have been no reported incidents of young people going missing from this home since the last inspection. However, missing from care protocols and risk assessments for young people do not contain sufficient information. In the event of a young person going missing, assessments and protocols would not provide sufficient or detailed information to assist staff in knowing how to respond.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The recruitment and selection of staff is not sufficiently robust and could lead to unsuitable people working at the home. Records of decision-making in relation to new staff does not reflect robust or sufficient scrutiny of potential new staff or of how decisions have been made to employ them if concerns are identified. Telephone verification of references have not been undertaken for new staff.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Investigations into allegations or suspicions of harm are handled fairly, quickly and consistently by the management team. However, not all have been reported to the local authority designated officer. This could further lead to young people not being adequately protected from actual or potential harm.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Positive behaviour is promoted by the staff team with young people at all times. Behaviour support plans require regular reviewing, updating and dating, which has not consistently been completed by staff. Young people are not routinely offered medical attention following the use of physical restraint. There have been occasions where multiple restraints have been used, with young people not being offered medical attention following such restraints. Young people are encouraged to comment and sign records relating to the use of restraint, which is positive.

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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 Registered Manager demonstrates an understanding of the key strengths and weaknesses of the home. There has been recent issues relating to staffing of the home. The Registered Manager's states this has had an impact on her ability to sufficiently dedicate time to core management tasks. However, there is sufficient staffing in place to meet the needs of young people at all times.

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Leadership and management

Staff report satisfaction at the level and quality of supervision and support provided to them. They demonstrate a detailed awareness of safeguarding and their role in ensuring that young people are protected from harm at all times. Staff receive regular supervision and annual appraisals. They undertake training and development which equips them with the necessary skills and competence to perform their roles.

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Leadership and management

Two requirements were set at the last inspection, both of which have been fully met. New recording for the use of physical restraints has been implemented. This enables staff to more accurately record details of the use of restraint in relation to methods used and staff involved. The regulation 33 visitors now ensures that discussions are held with young people during each visit and are recorded in detail.

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Leadership and management

The home has recently reviewed and updated its Statement of Purpose. This now reflects the recent changes to staffing and also makes reference to the recent installation of door alarms in the home. Placing authorities have not been asked to give their consent to the use of door alarms and their use is not sufficiently detailed in all placement plans. There is also insufficient evidence of risk assessments being undertaken for each young person about the use of door alarms to reflect the reasons for its use. The children's guide contains all the required information and is child-friendly in content and format.

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Leadership and management

The Registered Manager has a development plan in place. The plan does not set out the future plans for the home or any planned changes in the operation or resources of the service. It does not present as a working document which has been reviewed on an annual basis. This has an impact on the Registered Manager's ability to accurately reflect what the strengths and weaknesses of the home are or to take action to improve service provision.

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Leadership and management

The Registered Manager has failed to ensure that all relevant notifications of significant events have been sent through to Ofsted in a timely manner. The staff team also use a communications book to report any issues or concerns relating to their working day. The Registered Manager has not ensured that these have been regularly considered or formally responded to. This would further enable the Registered Manager to monitor all records kept by the home and to take action on any identified issues of concern.

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Leadership and management

Health and safety checks are undertaken on a regular basis by the staff team to ensure the on-going safety of staff and young people. The home is well maintained, decorated and furnished and provides a welcoming and homely environment for young people and staff.

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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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