Children's Home run by Stoke-on-Trent City Council in Stoke-on-Trent

Unique reference number SC369840 Inspection date 10/07/2013 Inspector Michelle Spruce Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 18/02/2013 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

This children's home is registered to provide care and accommodation for two young people of either gender with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home is operated by the local authority. The Registered Manager also manages another local authority home nearby.

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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 good service with some outstanding features, which provides really positive outcomes and quality care for young people. The staff provide effective, well- planned, personalised care that takes account of young people’s individual needs. Young people feel safe and protected from harm in a nurturing environment.

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Overall effectiveness

The views of young people are captured through consultation that enhances the running of the home. Young people are very happy with the care they receive and the quality of the service. The relationships young people have with the staff are excellent, based on trust and respect.

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Overall effectiveness

The manager strives to secure improvement through regular monitoring and review, although this is not always effective. The home development plan clearly identifies the home’s strengths and weaknesses.

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Overall effectiveness

There are some shortfalls within the service. These relate to how the manager monitors and reviews the quality of care and ensures that records are accurate and effective.

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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) maintain in the children’s home the records specified in Schedule 4 and ensure they are kept up-to-date (Regulation 29(1)) 31/10/2013

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) supply to the HMCI a report in respect of any review of the quality of care (Regulation 34(2)). 31/10/2013

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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

 implement a proportionate approach to any risk assessment; in this case to address risk of accidents while doing household tasks (NMS 4.5)  ensure children are clear about the aims and objectives of the home and what services and facilities it provides; specifically that they are clear about how to raise any concerns (NMS 13)  ensure the manager regularly monitors, in line with regulations, all records kept by the home to ensure compliance with the home’s policies, to identify any concerns about specific incidents and to identify patterns and trends. Specifically, that policies and procedures are implemented in practice. (NMS 21.2)

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Outcomes for children and young people

Outcomes for young people are outstanding .

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people make excellent improvements in their self-view and confidence. They form strong relationships with staff, friends and peers despite the individual challenges they face. A social worker said, ‘He is much happier; his confidence and self-esteem are higher.’

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people make significant improvement in further education because they are committed and know what they want to achieve. They leave school with ambition andsecure placements at college. They learn to plan for their time in further education, with travel training, and learning about money management and finance. This enables young people to achieve their goals and aspirations.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people are exceptionally well-behaved and do not engage in risk-taking behaviour. They are courteous, thoughtful, and kind to staff, visitors and each other, developing tolerance and compassion in their daily lives at the home. Young people enjoy mixing with the local community and make strong social links with peers and adults. This ordinary freedom helps them to grow in confidence and maturity and they make local friends. This demonstrates young people’s social ability as they show appreciation and respect for others. They complete ‘ memory books’ of their life at the home, so they can look back in later life and make sense of their time there. Young people remain in contact with people who are significant in their lives. This helps them to understand their identity and family history.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people take pride in their appearance and understand how to stay fit and well. A staff member said, ‘He has really grown; all appointments have been attended; he has excellent personal hygiene’. Young people make healthy food choices and plan, prepare and cook their own meals.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people contribute to the home and garden by plotting vegetables and mowing the lawn. This develops their independence skills. Young people work with staff to achieve small targets such as changing a light bulb, identifying the fuse box, and changing a plug. This improves their skills and confidence while preparing them for leaving care.

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Quality of care

The quality of the care is outstanding .

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Quality of care

The relationships between staff and young people are excellent because the staff know and understand young people’s individual needs. Staff are alert to changes in young people’s They praise young people for their thoughtfulness and young people learn about apology, forgiveness and understanding when their, or other young people’s behaviour slips. Staff communicate effectively with young people by using methods identified in their care plans. This means young people can take part in meetings at a pace that meets their identified needs.

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Quality of care

Staff actively encourage young people to attend the staff meeting as well as their own meetings. Young people actively take part in consultation that improves the care they receive. For example, the home has recently been refurbished and decorated to the taste of young people after seeking their views.

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Quality of care

Staff provide clear and robust pathway and placement plans that identify how young people will successfully leave care. Staff work individually with young people, social workers and other professional partners to secure the most appropriate transition in to adulthood.

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Quality of care

Young people take part in stimulating activities of their choice that promote their personality and individuality. Staff actively promote learning opportunities and experiences by joint working with outside agencies. The manager said, ‘We have a really good relationship with the fishing pool warden where our young people fish. We are working together to promote a night fishing experience that a young person has requested.’ The home is very well presented, welcoming and decorated to the individual taste of the young people that live there.

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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 confirm they love their home and they feel safe. They do not go missing and choose to come home independently and on time. Young people are safe because they get help to understand the risks to which they are vulnerable. Staff confirm young people have mobile phones that provide a channel of communication while they are in the community to keep them safe.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Staff keep young people safe with risk management plans that identify individual areas of risk and link effectively with care plans. Young people take age appropriate everyday risks like learning how to use hot irons when doing their ironing, however prevention of accidents while doing household tasks is not covered in the formal risk document. Young people’s safety on line is well managed.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people’s behaviour is exceptional. Incentives and praise work well. They understand the boundaries and expectations of the home. Staff do not use physical intervention. They promote positive behaviour though praise and reward. As a result, young people remain safe and happy in their home. Staff feel this is because they have mutual trust, good communication and fun with young people.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The manager undertakes regular health and safety checks of the home. This keeps young people, staff and visitors safe from harm. Young people know and understand what action to take in the event of a fire because they take part in regular fire drills.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people are safe from unsuitable people having access to them because there is a robust recruitment and vetting system.

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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 managed by a new manager and a dedicated staff team. They proactively work in partnership to improve young people’s outcomes and the quality of care. They have established good and outstanding care over some years.

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Leadership and management

The registered person has taken action to meet the requirement from the last inspection, to appoint a manager and this provides the staff and children with a confirmed permanent leader. Some detail in the Young People’s Guide is not clear. ‘Grumbles’ sheets for documenting young people’s minor complaints are kept in their files, but young people would have to ask staff for these, rather than them being freely available. Young people benefit from skilled and knowledgeable staff, who listen to them and take their views on board at staff meetings. This inclusion improves outcomes. Staff are well trained and supervised to support them in delivering high quality care. They are a key factor in the successful relationships on which young people’s good outcomes are based.

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Leadership and management

Managerial monitoring takes place, but does not always reflect the improvements that have been made. For example, action has evidently been taken to improve fire safety, but this is not clear in the recently updated fire risk assessment. Additionally, monthly monitoring does not evaluate patterns or trends and has not clearly identified progress. The review of the quality of care has not been sent to Ofsted as recommended on a six monthly basis. An independent visitor monitors the home each month and provides a report to the manager. Some visits to the home are fairly fleeting, at less than an hour and have not lasted the required length of time as stated in the home’s policy.

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Leadership and management

These systems for managerial monitoring and review have not been thorough, although outcomes for children have been good and there appears to be little impact on the quality of care. The manager does have a development plan that identifies the home’s strengths and weaknesses. This secures improvement and helps staff understand the objectives and timescales they need to meet. As a result, young people continue to receive a high quality of care.

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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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