Children's Home run by Leicester City Council in Leicester

Unique reference number SC039025 Inspection date 07/08/2013 Inspector Catherine Honey Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 21/02/2013 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 run by the local authority and registered to provide care and accommodation for six young people. The home offers care and accommodation for young people who have 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 adequate .

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Overall effectiveness

Young people with complex needs have developed good relationships and strong attachments with staff. Staff are consistent in their approach with young people and create a pleasant, warm and friendly atmosphere in the home. However, there is not always a member of staff on duty who holds a first aid qualification. Young people are relaxed with staff and enjoy living in the home. Some young people have made significant progress in all areas of their lives. For others, progress is at a slower rate. Some young people still go missing from the home, although this is decreasing. Staff have a focus on education and all young people have education placements.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people’s files are well maintained and provide a clear picture of their time in the home. Staff follow safeguarding processes that protect young people, however not all significant events have been notified to Ofsted. When young people go missing, they receive a financial penalty as a part pocket money is withheld for a significant length of time. This is not a positive behaviour management strategy. The home’s behaviour management policy does not describe the use of sanctions clearly and is ambiguous. In addition, due to a door locking mechanism, young people do not always have free access to lounge areas.

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Overall effectiveness

The manager of the home is highly experienced providing clear leadership and support to staff. Staff are well supported and hold young people in high regard. Shortfalls in the training staff need to keep their skills up-to-date have been identified by the management team, however young people are not being cared for by appropriately trained staff.

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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 that at all times, at least one person on duty at the children’s home has a suitable first aid qualification (Regulation 20 (2) (e)) 29/08/2013

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure the imposition of any financial penalty, other than a requirement for the payment of a reasonable sum (which may be by instalments) by way of reparation is not be used as disciplinary measures on children accommodated in a children’s home (Regulation 17 (2) (g)) 29/08/2013

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Reg. Requirement Due date

17B (2001) keep under review and where appropriate revise the behaviour management policy. This is in relation to sanctions (Regulation 17B (2) (a) 29/08/2013

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure if any of the events listed in column 1 of the table in Schedule 5 takes place, the registered person shall without delay notify the persons indicated in respect of the event in column 2 of the table (Regulation 30 (1)) 29/08/2013

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that all persons employed by him receive appropriate training. (Regulation 27 (4)) 29/08/2013

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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 physical restrictions on normal movement within the home are not used unless this is necessary to safeguard children and promote their welfare and development (NMS 10.4)  ensure there is regular monitoring, in line with regulations, of all records kept by the home to ensure compliance with the homes policies. This is in relation to staff training. (NMS 21.2)

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Outcomes for children and young people

Some young people have made exceptional progress while living at the home. Others are making good progress in other areas of their lives such as in decreasing the number of times they go missing, with independence skills, their behaviour management and in health. An independent reviewing officer stated, 'My young person has made phenomenal progress. It's fantastic, like a different person.'

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people enjoy good health. Some young people have reduced their smoking since living in the home, have achieved weight loss and have a better understanding of healthy lifestyles. As a result, young people are increasing their positive decisions about healthy lifestyle choices. Some young people have accessed the therapeutic support offered by external professionals. This supports young people with their emotional health and well-being.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Some young people in the home, historically, have not attended educational establishments on a regular basis. Since living at the home, most young people have engaged consistently with educational activities and attend regularly. Some young people have taken GCSE exams and are engaging with independence skills training courses through their summer holiday period. All young people have plans for the start of the new academic year. This benefits their learning and development.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people maintain good contact with their families and friends. Where relationships are strained, staff support young people to maintain positive relationships. Young people generally engage positively with staff and there is a mutual respect shown. Through these positive engagements young people are gradually developing improved emotional resilience. This ensures that young people sustain attachments while living in the home.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people make very good progress in achieving independence goals. They are progressing well with budgeting, shopping and preparing food. Young people have developed skills such as using public transport independently. This effectively prepares young people for a successful transition to independence and adulthood.

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Quality of care

Young people enjoy constructive relationships with staff. Their views are heard through regular house meetings, key working sessions and one-to-one discussions with staff. This demonstrates to young people that their views are listened to. This aids the development of young people’s attachments but also increases their communication and negotiation skills and sense of self-worth. Young people have regular key sessions with their allocated worker. Life story books are used to demonstrate young people's journey through their time at the home. This provides them with opportunities to discuss their current situations and personal circumstances. Young people say that staff listen to them and it helps to talk things through. This offers young people formal personalised guidance and helps build emotional resilience.

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Quality of care

Young people benefit from assistance and encouragement from staff to attend all appointments ensuring that their health care needs are all identified and met. Where necessary to address more complex problems, young people are assisted in engaging with services, which can support their psychological and emotional health. There is a good range of purposeful activities on offer and engagement is generally positive. Staff actively encourage young people to engage in activities such as walks, swimming and trips to a theme park. This promotes young people's personal and social development. Staff provide a healthy environment and offer consistent support to young people who have identified health goals such as trying to lose weight. This benefits young people's overall well-being. Not all shifts have a member of staff on duty who is trained in first aid. On one occasion, a member of staff without an up-to-

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Quality of care

date first aid qualification applied basic first aid to a young person. This meaning young people may not receive appropriate care should they sustain an injury. This practice is not safe.

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Quality of care

Staff work proactively with external agencies to achieve continuity of care. This includes social worker, health professionals, and also youth offending services. This ensures consistent and effective partnership working which promotes good outcomes for young people. An independent reviewing officer stated, 'Staff have high thoughts and aspirations for young people.' Individualised care plans are detailed and capture the unique needs of young people. Staff work creatively to learn about different cultures and celebrate diversity in the home. Needs relating to the cultural backgrounds of young people are identified and positively addressed day-to-day.

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Quality of care

Efforts have been made to make the purpose-built building feel homely and ample pictures are displayed of staff and young people giving young people a sense of belonging. A door to a lounge area is occasionally locked during the day, although staff open this at young people's request, young people do not have free movement around their own home.

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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 say they feel safe living in the home. Staff demonstrate a sound awareness of safeguarding policies and procedures.

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Safeguarding children and young people

At times, some young people go missing from the home. Steps taken by staff are in line with agreed protocols and these appropriate actions help protect young people. There are extremely close working relationships with the police, placing social workers, external professionals who work with young people who are at risk and heath care professionals. Information which may be useful to the police in protecting young people is shared consistently. This demonstrates appropriate multi-agency working for the protection of young people. In addition, staff work directly with young people to educate them on risks; discuss health care and reasons why they go missing. This practice help equip young people will skills on how to keep themselves safe. Practice in this area is strong.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people generally shows positive behaviour. Young people are encouraged to reflect on their negative behaviour through use of sanctions. The effectiveness and any consequence of the use of sanctions is not recorded in the log in line with regulation. This is a shortfall in recording rather than practice as sanctions are reviewed for effectiveness in other ways such as through monthly monitoring. Young people have the opportunity to discuss sanctions with the manager and staff to suggest alternatives or compromises. For example, where young people are asked to pay back the cost of damage through reparation, they have the chance to complete positive jobs around the home in order to more quickly make amends. This has included planting up the flower beds and a vegetable patch. This is a positive behaviour management strategy which helps young people value their surroundings.

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Safeguarding children and young people

However, where young people go missing, part of their pocket money is withheld by staff. Although young people can eventually use their withheld pocket money on items agreed by staff, the money is often withheld of a number of weeks. Using of pocket money in this way is a financial penalty and is not a positive behaviour management strategy. In addition, the behaviour management policy does not clearly describe appropriate sanctions and is ambiguous in parts meaning staff do not have clear guidance on the application of sanctions.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people are protected by sound health and safety routines and this is a priority of the home. Maintenance issues are promptly addressed. Regular gas, fire and electrical checks take place. Young people know what to do in an emergency through regular drills. This provides young people with a physically safe environment to live in. Checks are in place to ensure that only suitable people are recruited to work with young people.

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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 committed, enthusiastic and highly skilled manager. The motivated and stable staff team and supportive management team ensure that each young person is valued and nurtured as an individual. Staff receive regular supervision which they say is helpful and positive. There is a training programme staff can access to equip them with and refresh the skills they have to care for children. However, records viewed during the inspection did not demonstrate sufficiently that all staff have kept up-to-date with their training programme. The management team have already identified this shortfall and staff are booked on training courses, such as refresher behaviour management training. However, this shortfall means young people may not be cared for by staff with up-to-date skills.

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Leadership and management

The manager carries out regular monitoring of all matters in the home, to improve the quality of care provided to young people, however a shortfall in staff training calls in to question the effectiveness of this monitoring. There is a development plan which indicates the manager is aware of the strengths and areas for development for the home. The Registered Manager has identified an area for development in the system used to consult with parents or other significant persons to improve quality of care in the home and is taking action to improve this. Records are maintained to a good standard and clearly evidence the progress and development made by each young person.

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Leadership and management

The culture of the home is young person-centred with care provision aimed at meeting the individual needs of young people. External professionals comment positively on the overall running of the home; the progress made by young people, and state communication from the home is very good. Significant incidents are quickly notified using the appropriate procedures, however, not all incidents have been notified to Ofsted. This limits the effectiveness of monitoring the regulator has of events in the home. However, there has been no adverse effect on the welfare or safety of children as a result of this shortfall as all other safeguarding processes have been followed appropriately.

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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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