Children's Home run by Lincolnshire County Council in Lincolnshire

Unique reference number SC042950 Inspection date 05/07/2013 Inspector Caroline Oldham 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

The home is a six-bedded children's home run by a local authority. It caters for young people who present emotional and 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

The staff team is well established and they know the children and young people very well, so are able to provide personalised, well-planned care. Each child or young person has a clear, very detailed care plan, designed to meet their specific needs. Although this plan followed through into the day-to-day care, this is not well documented. Given their starting points, children and young people are making very good progress and their behaviour is improving. Children and young people currently do not record their views on any measure used to manage their behaviour.

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Overall effectiveness

Children and young people acknowledge that they are well cared for; they respond well to the clear rules and expectations; They re-engage with school and their attendance is excellent. There is some opportunity to prepare for independence but this is informal and ad-hoc. Children's and young people's health needs are generally very well met and their health and wellbeing are improving.

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Overall effectiveness

Leaders and the manager have thorough systems in place to monitor progress, and are fully aware of the home’s strengths and weaknesses. There is a good system for monitoring maintenance and repairs but this work is not carried out speedily. Social workers, parents and children have a good understanding of the purpose of the home. Staff feel well supported through team meetings and supervision and training.

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Overall effectiveness

There are good risk assessments and safe working practices which help to keep children and young people safe. Risk-taking behaviour is significantly diminishing, and young people are learning to keep themselves safe. Overall, young people make significant progress in keeping themselves safe, and avoid dangers.

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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 home is well maintained (NMS 10.3)  ensure that each child's Placement Plan is monitored by a key worker who ensures that the requirements of the plan are implemented in the day-to-day care of that child (NMS 25.2)  ensure that children are supported to prepare for moving into their own accommodation; develop practical skills and develop financial capability (NMS 12.1 d-f)  make sure that where any sanctions, disciplinary measures or restraint are used, children are encouraged to have their views recorded in records kept by the home. (NMS 3.18)

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Outcomes for children and young people

Children and young people come to the home with a broad range of complex needs. They often struggle with accepting boundaries and restrictions, and find the change difficult. However, many, given their starting points, make fantastic progress, for example, achieving almost 100% attendance at school from a starting point of non- attendance. Others go on to exciting careers in agriculture or the Arts. Young people make comments such as: 'They (the staff) have really helped me here, wish I had come here ages ago.' Staff say they help young people improve their self-image but this work is not always written down. Generally children and young people start to build up relationships, to treat others with respect, and to value themselves.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Children and young people's health is generally good, due to the healthy lifestyle that they are all encouraged to enjoy. When young people wish to stop smoking, or lose weight, staff support them in conjunction with specialist advice.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Staff work together with the Leaving Care Team to help young people to prepare for independent living. All children and young people are encouraged to cook, clean their rooms, do their laundry and help around the house. Skills are tailored to the needs and abilities of the young person, so for some it might be learning to travel by train, for another it might be learning to cook. But the previous system of formal qualifications to recognise progress is currently not in place and so young people do not get the formal recognition of their progress. However, many young people successfully move on into independent or semi-independent living.

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Outcomes for children and young people

The staff are very supportive in helping children and young people establish and maintain contact with family, friends and other people who are important to them. They welcome visitors to the home and work with children and young people to enable them to have meaningful relationships. Consequently some relationships have been rekindled and support given to all concerned. This helps children and young people understand their past, and value their relationships.

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Quality of care

Young people say that they like the staff and they form friendships with other young people within the home. The staff build a good knowledge and understanding of the children and young people in their care and help them to form relationships, learn respect and develop confidence. For example, from their knowledge of children and young people, staff say how their demeanour improves over time and they now 'have a happy look in their eyes and a smile on their face'. Those children and young people that have left keep in contact and make return visits; they confirm that they have made good relationships and firm friendships.

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Quality of care

Where appropriate, children and young people are actively involved in decisions that affect the day-to-day running of the home. This is done through regular group meetings and conversations. This includes the opportunity to choose bedroom decoration, how and when they receive allowances for clothing, group activities, hobbies and holidays. A recent project involved researching the purchase of a static caravan. Some young people take pride in tending an area of the garden and all are involved in daily chores to keep the home looking well cared for. This help the children and young people to see this provision as their home and how their involvement can influence decisions.

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Quality of care

All children and young people have clear, comprehensive placement plans that set out their specific, individualised needs. The plans include any relevant information about disability, and religious and cultural backgrounds. There are Individual Crisis Management Plans which are updated monthly to look at safety concerns, current issues, behaviours of concern and intervention strategies. Social workers are kept updated via monthly summaries. However, evidence of key work sessions are not always recorded; consequently it is not always clear that the issues identified in plans are being followed through and that children and young people are making progress.

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Quality of care

The home has excellent working relationships with the local police and maintain good relationship with neighbours. They work very well with other agencies, community groups and schools. This ensures that any potential difficulties are quickly resolved, and children and young people see the police and the local community as people who are there to support them.

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Quality of care

When a child or young person is initially admitted, they are registered with local health professionals. Staff are proactive in progressing ‘forensic assessments’, where children’s holistic needs are assessed to benefit their potential future arrangements, for example, fostering. When young people raise medical issues appropriate appointments are arranged. When they need mental health support, staff ensure that they get the appropriate care they need. All children and young people are encouraged to be active and some enjoy skateboarding and swimming. All are encouraged to eat a healthy diet, and where weight gain is an issue, to join a slimming club. Consequently children and young people have plenty of opportunities to keep healthy.

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Quality of care

Social workers speak very highly about the home, the say 'they (the staff) are just wonderful' and 'excellent'. This is because they offer clear rules and boundaries, and keep children safe in the way that they manage behaviour. Social workers say that they are kept fully informed and their messages are passed on to all the staff team, so that everyone is informed. Social workers feel that they all work well together, and so create 'a circle of professional support around the young person'. They give many examples of how staff are sensitive to the individual needs of the young person, whether it is sorting out all the issues to enable a young person to attend their prom night, or promoting their independence through the use of train travel.

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Quality of care

All children and young people of school age are in education and attend regularly. Each person has provision which is appropriate to their individual needs. Staff champion the individual needs of each child or young person, for example, arranging day release placements for some, and negotiating home tuition for others. This ensures that children and young people remain motivated to engage in learning, and to find subjects that interest them. Therefore, some young people leave the home with enthusiasm and excitement to enter their chosen careers.

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Quality of care

The home is well placed close to the centre of the town which is served well by public transport. There are shops and other facilities close by. It is generally well cared for, although gardening and on-going repairs are not quickly attended to, so the grass can become very long and repairs left unattended to for months. This means that young people don ot benefit from a well maintained home. The layout is spacious, and pictures and ornaments make the home look cosy and attractive. Outside there are good areas for children and young people to play.

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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

The children and young people come to this home with some very high risk-taking behaviour. The staff team work very hard to keep them safe and ensure that their needs are appropriately met. Consequently children and young people's risk taking behaviour decreases over time, and they say that they feel safe. The home has excellent working protocols with the police for when a child or young person goes missing. As they settle into the home such behaviour diminishes and now it is a rare event. Consequently, children and young people are significantly reducing their risk taking behaviour, and they feel safe and secure.

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Safeguarding children and young people

All staff receive safeguarding training, and their practice and knowledge is good. Staff are very clear about how they would deal with any issues of concern. There are comprehensive risk assessments for every young person, and these are regularly reviewed and updated. If a child or young person makes an allegation of concern, they are listened to and action is swiftly taken. Where there are concerns of possible bullying behaviour staff are quick to implement strategies to keep young people safe. Thorough investigation and decision making ensures children and young people are kept safe and cared for appropriately.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Children and young people are very clear about the rules and expectations of the home. Some admit that staff don't 'just let you get away with it, they are good here'. However, sometimes children and young people need some physical intervention from staff to stop them from harming themselves, property, or other people. At all times, staff use the minimum intervention and these incidents diminish as children and young people accept the rules and expectations. Sanctions are given for poor behaviour and are closely monitored by the manager. They are mainly instigated for reparation for damage. However, there is no record of children or young people views; this is a missed opportunity for them to reflect on their behaviour and the implications. Children and young people have incentive schemes with rewards for achieving good behaviour. For example, settling at bedtime for one week gives a child or young person a trip to the shops to choose some ornaments for their

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Safeguarding children and young people

bedroom to make it more homely. Given their starting points, children and young people make excellent progress in managing their behaviour.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The staff recruitment and selection process is rigorous, and comprehensive checks are made to ensure that young people are always cared for by appropriately experienced staff. There have been very few changes to the staff team since the last inspection, which ensures that children and young people are cared for by a consistent team of staff who know them well.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The environment is monitored by a system of internal safety checks and risk assessments. In addition, services such as electricity, electrical appliances and fire fighting equipment are regularly checked by the appropriate professional companies. Consequently, children and young people live, and are cared for, in a safe environment.

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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 Registered Manager is well liked by the staff, and the children and young people. Young people say: ‘I think she does a great job, and she is a good manager.' The registered person carries out comprehensive monthly monitoring visits, and the manager also has a system of internal audits.

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Leadership and management

There is an excellent compliments and comments system which children and young people use well. In addition, any complaints are handled quickly and resolved speedily to ensure that children and young people are kept safe. Significant events are always notified appropriately to the relevant authorities, and appropriate action taken following an incident. The recommendation and requirement from the last inspection have been fully met. It is now clear why police have been involved in incidents in the home, and sanctions are closely monitored by the manager to ensure these are appropriate. Consequently the home is well managed, and the senior management team have an excellent grasp of how the home is operating and its strengths and weaknesses.

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Leadership and management

The staff team feel well supported and are able to meet the objectives of young people’s care plans. All staff have additional responsibilities, drawing on their skills and areas of expertise. They say that they love their work and that they feel valued. All staff receive regular monthly supervision and regular training. Team meetings are on a regular monthly basis and well attended; they are opportunities for staff to hold comprehensive discussions about the children and young people, and where further strategies may be decided such as managing behaviour.

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Leadership and management

The staff say that generally they work well together, and strive to provide a consistent approach in their work. It is strength of the provision that the staffing levels are adjusted according to children and young people’s individual needs. Consequently the staffing ratio varies and is flexible. For example, at times waking night staff, rather than sleeping-in staff are employed to ensure that children and young people are kept safe. All staff are suitably qualified or working towards professional qualifications. The home is financially well resourced.

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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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