Children's Home run by Enhanced Young Persons Care Limited in Middlesbrough

Unique reference number SC455864 Inspection date 26/07/2013 Inspector Deborah White Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 11/03/2013 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

This children home provides care and accommodation for up to eight children with emotional and behavioural difficulties and mental disorders. The home is operated by a private provider.

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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

This is the first full inspection since the home was registered on 12 March 2013. There are a number of areas where outcomes and the quality of care are progressing and improving, which show the home is working towards providing an effective service. However, an overall judgement of adequate is made as there as some shortfalls in some standards of care.

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Overall effectiveness

Children are happy and settled and have progressed from their starting point. They are confident, articulate and understand why they are living at a children's home. Children say they feel safe and stakeholder feedback for this inspection is positive. Children are healthy and enjoy a wide range of meaningful activities.

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Overall effectiveness

There are some positive aspects in quality outcomes. Written residential and healthcare plans are good and staff have formed positive, nurturing, relationships with the children. There is some good inter-agency working that provides children with the support they need.

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Overall effectiveness

Staff morale is good and the staff team are motivated and committed to improving outcomes for children. Children are consulted, and are confident in expressing their views and opinions.

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Overall effectiveness

No children are currently in full-time school, further education or employment. The provider has arrangements in place to offer some educational activities but plans to have a registered school on the premises have not progressed from proposals made during the registration process. There are some omissions in staff training and not all staff employed in senior roles have previous experience working in a children's home.

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Overall effectiveness

There are some positive elements in how behaviour is managed and there is good progress in this area of practice. However, the records to record restraints do not adequately comply with regulation.

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Overall effectiveness

Monitoring at the home is developing positively, with some effective monitoring systems in place. The Registered Manager is working with the regulation 33 visitor to improve the home's performance. However, there are currently no written development plans in place to steer planned improvement.

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Overall effectiveness

There are three requirements and four recommendations arising from this inspection, which do not at this time significantly compromise children's welfare.

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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) promote the educational achievement of children accommodated in a children's home. In particular, pursue the initial registration proposal that the children's home will have a registered school located within the children's home (Regulation 18 (1)) 30/09/2013

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Reg. Requirement Due date

17B (2001) ensure that within 24 hours of the use of any measure of control, restraint or discipline in a children's home, a written record is made in a volume kept for the purpose that includes all the elements listed in this regulation (Regulation 17B (3)) 06/09/2013

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that there is at all times, a sufficient number of suitably qualified, competent and experienced persons working at the children's home (Regulation 25 (1)) 01/10/2013

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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 following any measure of restraint this is carefully recorded with full details by the staff involved (Children Act 1989 and Guidance and Regulations Volume 5; Children's Homes paragraph 2.102)  ensure that where a restraint is used, children are encouraged to have their views recorded in the records kept by the home (NMS 3.18)  ensure existing care staff attain the level 3 Children and Young People's Workforce Diploma (NMS 15.5)  ensure there are clear effective procedures for monitoring and controlling the activities of the home, which in particular, includes a written development plan that shows the home's progress and improvement (NMS 21.2)  ensure that the staff training and development programme is updated to include relevant training. In particular child sexual exploitation and behaviour management. (NMS 18.1)

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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

Children have settled into their new home and are getting along together. They know why they need to live away from their home and family and have formed good bonds with staff. Children are developing their confidence and self-esteem, which promotes positive feelings of well-being. Children are healthy and are aware of the benefits of a healthy diet and exercise. They help choose and prepare nutritious meals and enjoy walking and going to the gym. The current resident group spend time taking care of their appearance, doing their hair and make-up and dressing nicely, which shows they are taking pride in themselves.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Children attend regular healthcare appointments at the doctors, dentist and opticians. Where appropriate, children are supported by specialists who work closely with them. They are helped to talk about sometimes difficult problems in their lives so they can understand why events have happened. Children enjoy lots of activities and fully engage to use their leisure time positively. They have fun outings and enjoy their hobbies and interests in the home. This helps children to socialise and feel part of the local community. Children said, 'We have a laugh and have had trips to the beach in the hot weather which has been good.'

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Outcomes for children and young people

No children are currently in school; however, they are making progress from their starting point. Some children have not felt able to attend school for a while but they are working with staff at the home to help establish a school routine and to start learning again. There is a classroom where school lessons help children acclimatise to a structured environment to prepare them for mainstream school and lots of meaningful educational activities are showing children they can achieve. A social worker said, 'Education at the home is a good resource. My child has been out of school for a while and they are now doing some schooling, which is very good progress.'

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Outcomes for children and young people

All the children have good independence skills and are learning about group living and working together to make the home a pleasant place to live. They are helpful and enjoy shopping and cooking; skills that are important in later life. A child said, 'I do cooking and cook for the staff sometimes. I enjoy cooking, especially cakes.'

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Quality of care

The home is starting to develop good quality care and have made progress since registration. The new staff team are starting to bond and team build, and are identifying individual roles and strengths. Staff report that moral is good and they are learning lots about working in a children's home.

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Quality of care

Staff have formed positive relationships with the children which provides emotional security and helps children form appropriate, trusting bonds with the adults who care for them. Relationships with children are seen a strength by social workers who were consulted during this inspection. A social worker said, 'The staff have really supported my child who has previously not engaged. It's so good to see my child happy and smiling, they were very withdrawn before. I think the home is very good, and the staff work hard.'

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Quality of care

Staff regularly talk to and consult with children to ascertain their thoughts and feelings. Children's meetings are convened regularly to talk about living at the home, and children have planned key worker sessions that give them private one-to-one time. Children are encouraged to take part in their placement reviews so they understand why they live at the home and what their long term plans are. The children spoken to during this inspection are articulate and have a lot of good ideas about improving the home. This shows children have the confidence to express their views. A staff member said, 'We do key worker sessions and talk a lot informally. It is important children have their say, and it's something we promote here. It is important to listen to children.'

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Quality of care

Staff work closely with community healthcare services to provide children with the care and support they need. They are developing good networks and professional relationships with other agencies that are supportive and advisory. The home provides additional support with a visiting psychologist. This gives children full access to psychological support and guidance. Healthcare plans are comprehensive and show children's needs and how these will be met. Risk management for healthcare is good with detailed risks recorded to ensure staff are aware of how to minimise risk- taking behaviour.

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Quality of care

There are some educational arrangements in place that are supporting children who are not attending school. Staff and an education coordinator are being creative to engage children, and some children are attending more formal lessons to help prepare them for a planned return to school, college or work. However, not all children are achieving their full potential. Additionally, the provider at registration expressed an intention to have a registered school at the premises but as yet there is no application to register in progress. This potentially compromises children, of a school age, from experiencing the beneficial social and educational aspects of being in school. Activities are very important at the home and staff plan a range of varied hobbies, interests and outings that engage children in positive pursuits. Keeping children busy and occupied helps them learn to be active and they benefit from new experiences.

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Quality of care

Children see activities as a strength of the home and they are learning to have fun and see the options and advantages of spending their free time positively.

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Quality of care

Children live in a home that is furnished and decorated to a high standard. There is ample space for communal living and private time. The grounds are extensive, and provide a safe area for outdoor activities. The home is spotlessly clean and welcoming.

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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

Children report that they feel safe and feedback from social workers is that that safety at the home is good. Staff receive child protection training and know what to do if they think a child is at risk. The Local Authority Designated Officer has no concerns about the home and local police, who work with the home, report improvements in looking after children who are at risk of going missing.

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Safeguarding children and young people

There have been incidents of children going missing but these are significantly reduced. The provider has spent time with the staff team to ensure the home's missing children procedures are followed and police are introducing a new risk assessment format to improve responses to missing, vulnerable children. Staff have an awareness of the risks associated with children at risk from child sexual exploitation, but they have not as yet received training in this area of safeguarding.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Staff are developing their understanding of restricting children's liberty in a children's home. As a result there has been good progress made to ensure children's rights regarding their liberty are understood and respected. Behaviour management is also improved. Staff are promoting good behaviour by using praise and rewards rather than sanctions, that may be viewed by children as punitive. There are individual behaviour management plans in place that are known by staff and children know the home's expectations.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Questions about the appropriate use of restraints have been raised with the provider, prior to this inspection, following the receipt of a notifiable event. At this visit there has been very good progress made and all staff are clear when a child in a children's home can, and cannot, be restrained. Children do not see restraints as an issue, and understand that sometimes restraints are needed for their own safety. Social workers are informed of all restraints and did not raise any concerns about behaviour management. All staff are trained in safe handling and the behaviour management policy is compliant with regulation.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The restraints log has recently been updated to improve the quality of recording. There are some good entries that are descriptive and tell the story of why children need a physical intervention. However, there is some important information missing from the current format that has resulted in some actions not being fully recorded. For example, restraints are not described in detail, the duration of each restraint is not clear and there is no section to record the effectiveness of the restraint. Additionally there is no section in the log for children to record their views, should they wish to do so. The log shows a reduction in the frequency of restraints and that children are restrained only as a last resort. This shows the home has responded positively to previous notifiable events and takes issues around restraint seriously.

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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

There are strengths and weaknesses in the management of the home. Overall leadership and management are improving at a satisfactory rate. There are clear management arrangements in place and all staff are aware of their role and responsibilities. Feedback from the staff team is good and since registration the provider has demonstrated a motivation to improve and develop the service. Most of the senior staff, who take responsibility for the home in the absence of the manager, have management experience in other settings but not all have experience working in a children's home. Senior staff are supported by the Registered Manager and there are on-call arrangements in place for advice, support and guidance, which is currently effective. However, should a complex social care related problem arise there may potentially be issues around staff having sufficient and relevant social care experience.

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Leadership and management

Staffing levels are good and provide children with high levels of support and supervision. There is a good gender mix that provides positive adult role models. Staff rotas are clear and detail which staff are on duty and the hours they work. Not all staff have an appropriate level 3 social care qualification to ensure they have the right underpinning knowledge to work in a children's home. However, the provider has acted upon this and all staff who do not have the qualification are registered on a level 3 Children and Young People’s Workforce Diploma.

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Leadership and management

There is a staff training programme in place that is based on the needs of the children and outcomes from staff consultation and formal supervision. Statutory training is up to date and where appropriate refresher training is booked. The home have invited fellow professionals to deliver training in specific areas to support good practice, for example, where children have specific healthcare needs. However, there are some relevant training areas that have not been delivered at the time of this inspection to ensure all staff are fully equipped to understand some aspects of the children's behaviour.

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Leadership and management

Monitoring systems at the home are showing promise. The Registered Manager is regularly checking practice at the home and safeguarding records. The Registered Manager regularly supervises and supports staff who work directly with children to monitor their performance and how children respond. There are good systems where incidents are fully de-briefed, which identify strengths and good practice and any lessons to be learned. This demonstrates a positive approach to developing staff and monitor childcare by using reflective practice. The Registered Manager is starting to identify the strengths and weaknesses at the home, which is positive. However, there is no clear development plan in place to improve the home and outcomes. The absence of a plan poses a possible risk that the service may drift where there are no clear actions or goals identified.

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Leadership and management

The regulation 33 monitoring is working well. The visitor consults with children and staff and has started to approach parents for their views. Reports are submitted to Ofsted and show what actions are needed, and taken, to continually develop and improve the home.

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Leadership and management

The quality of notifications to Ofsted has improved since registration. The recording is detailed and informative. Staff at the home communicate with Ofsted, giving updates of any changes or developments where significant events have occurred. This shows the home is operating in an open and transparent way.

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Leadership and management

There are good links and inter-agency working protocols emerging as the home develops. Feedback from visiting professionals and social workers identify good joint working as a developing strength. Staff actively seek advice and information from other professionals, which develops good communication and staff awareness of effective working together. Children's files are very neat, easy to audit and well organised. All private records are stored securely to protect children's confidentiality.

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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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