Children's Home run by Time-Out Children’s Homes Limited in Rochdale

Unique reference number SC065072 Inspection date 14/08/2013 Inspector Sarah Oldham Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 13/02/2013 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 children's home is operated by a private company and provides accommodation for two young people with 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 receive an adequate level of care. They benefit from being supported by a staff team that provides continuity and stability. This enables them to begin to make progress, taking into account the short time that they have lived at the home. Staff engage and consult with young people about their care, daily living and their plans for their future. They are developing positive relationships with staff and feel valued by them. Young people confirm that their wishes and views are acted upon. They say that they are able to raise any issues of concern and they know how to make a complaint.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people are protected by comprehensive safeguarding procedures and staff ensure that the safety of young people is promoted.

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Overall effectiveness

The home has recently had a change of management and the addition of some new members of staff. The manager is currently reviewing paperwork and recording systems to ensure that these provide a clear and robust system for ensuring that the needs of young people are clearly recorded along with details of progress made during their placement. Two requirements and five recommendations have been made as a result of this inspection. They are in relation to ensuring all paperwork is in place and effective monitoring of this is undertaken, young people are supported with smoking cessation and ensuring that staff receive regular supervision and annual appraisals to assist them within their role.

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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 the registered person shall keep under review and revise the placement plan as necessary (Regulation 12 (2)) 30/10/2013

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that all information, documentation and records specified in Schedule 3 relating to the child is kept up to date and signed and dated by the author of each written entry. (Regulation 28 (1)(a)(b)©) 30/10/2013

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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 each child's placement plan is monitored by a key worker within the home to ensure that the requirements of the plan are implemented in the day to day care of that child (NMS 25.2)  ensure that the results of all reviews of placement plans are recorded on the child's file (NMS 25.8)  ensure that children understand their individual health needs and how to maintain a healthy lifestyle. This is in particular relationship to smoking and diet (NMS 6.2)  ensure a written or electronic record is kept by the home detailing the time and date and length of each supervision held for each member of staff, including the registered person. The record is signed by the supervisor and the member of staff at the end of the supervision (NMS 19.5)  ensure that all staff have their performance individually and formally appraised at least annually and their appraisal takes into account any views of children the

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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

Young people receive an adequate level of care and support. They say that in the relatively short time that they have lived at the home they have begun to settle in. They are beginning to make progress in developing skills and increasing their self- confidence. They are developing good relationships with the staff and each other, enabling them to form positive attachments. Young people contribute their views to their individual care plans and are supported to develop a clear understanding of their plans for the future. They contribute to the planning of the how the home functions through young people's meetings and individual key worker sessions. The staff encourage and support them in understanding the local area and this enables them to access community leisure facilities, for example using the local library, play areas and cinemas.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people's health care needs are adequately promoted. They are registered with doctors, dentists and opticians. Exercise and physical activities are encouraged and supported. They have access to a healthy diet but do not always choose to follow this. They also continue to smoke, even though smoking is discouraged. This impacts on their overall health and development.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Education is promoted through in-house education with tutors, attending the company's registered school or attendance at local schools. Staff are proactive in liaising with education and supporting young people to achieve. One young person said 'I have started well with my education before the school holidays and I'm looking at planning what I am doing when school starts back in September.'

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Outcomes for children and young people

Contact arrangements are known and supported in accordance with the agreed arrangement. This enables young people to have positive contact whilst ensuring that their safety and well-being is promoted.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people are being supported in gaining skills for independence appropriate to their age, level of understanding and risk.

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Quality of care

Young people have individual placement plans, these outline their care and support needs and how these are to be met. However, some information is recorded on a number of different formats. This does not ensure continuity of recording and could impact on the care and support delivered if changes to plans are made. Plans are discussed with young people, their social workers and parents who confirm that this is the case. Some reviews of placement plans have been undertaken. However, records maintained identify that the reviews of the plans are not consistent or recorded appropriately. Staff complete a report for each young persons Looked After Children (LAC) reviews. This enables placing authority social workers and independent reviewing officers to have an understanding of how the placement is meeting the needs of the young people.

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Quality of care

Young people say that they have a good relationship with staff. The staff team provide a continuity of care and this has enabled young people to settle in well at the home.

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Quality of care

All young people are registered with health care professionals, including doctors, dentist and opticians. Records of visits to health care professionals are maintained and this enables staff to have an understanding of young people's individual health care needs. Young people have the opportunity to contribute to the menus and staff encourage young people to have a healthy diet. However, some young people have a history of poor diet and do not always engage fully with healthy eating. Discussions are held in individual key worker sessions with regards smoking and drug misuse. However, some young people continue to smoke and this could impact on their overall health.

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Quality of care

Young people are supported with their education. However, due to the short timescale following admission of young people to the home and the start of the summer holidays, it is not possible to comment on their educational progress made since admission. However, young people confirm that they have been engaging in education prior to the summer break and records of education attended are maintained.

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Quality of care

Young people confirm that their views are gained and they feel that staff act upon these or explain why it is not possible to do so. They have the opportunity through key worker sessions and young people's meetings to voice their views and wishes. This includes planning and arranging activities both within the home and in the local community. Young people say that they enjoy the activities available and using community resources is supporting them to get to know the area that the home is situated within.

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Quality of care

The home is good at promoting contact for young people in accordance with agreed contact arrangements. Staff liaise with family and provide support with transport if required. These measures ensure that young people are enabled to maintain their links with family and have a sense of their individual identity and history.

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Quality of care

The home provides young people with a homely, comfortable environment. They have their own bedrooms which they are able to decorate and personalise. There is also a lounge, dining room and kitchen which provides appropriate space to accommodate all young people living there. The house is situated within a residential area on the outskirts of a small town with access to shops, recreational activities and public transport. Young people say that they like the home and have settled in well.

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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 say that they feel safe living at the home and say that staff discuss with them measures to maintain their safety. All staff have undertaken safeguarding training and demonstrate a good knowledge of the procedures to follow in the event of an allegation or suspicion of abuse. They have also undertaken additional chid protection training, including prevention of child sexual exploitation. This knowledge further underpins and supports young people who are at risk of this. Where particular risks have been identified, detailed risk assessments are in place and these help staff to understand potential risks and action required to minimise individual risks. Risk assessments are reviewed on a regular basis to ensure that they remain current and they are effective. Individual key worker sessions are also used as a time to discuss and reflect on behaviours to ensure that young people have the necessary

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Safeguarding children and young people

knowledge and understanding to help to keep them safe.

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Safeguarding children and young people

There are clear procedures in place in the event of young people going missing from care. Staff clearly understand the reasons why young people go missing and are aware of the potential risks that they may face, including sexual exploitation. The appointment of a member of staff who has significant experience and training in this area has enabled positive work to be undertaken to minimise this risk. There has been a decrease in the number of times that young people have been missing over recent months.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people say that bullying is not a problem at the home. However, if they had any concerns they say that they feel able to speak with staff and this behaviour would be addressed. They also have access to independent support and advice if they wish to speak to someone independent of the home.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people have individual behaviour management plans in place and young people know the standards of behaviour expected of them. Staff praise, reward and support young people's good behaviours. They encourage young people to take responsibility for their own behaviours and listen to young people about any problems or concerns they may have. Sanctions are used rarely and when they are there is appropriate recording of these. Young people are encouraged to record their views about these. Physical intervention is only used as a last resort to protect young people from harm. All staff have undertaken appropriate training in de-escalation techniques to further minimise the need for physical intervention.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Robust recruitment and selection process are in place. All staff are appropriately recruited and undergo suitable Criminal Records Bureau checks to ensure they are suitable to work with young people. Visitors to the home are vetted and monitored to ensure young people are not exposed to people who may present a risk to them in their home.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people live in a suitably safe environment. They are protected by a range of health and safety policies and procedures which staff adhere to. Regular checks are maintained in relation to fire and general household safety. Young people are involved in regular fire drills, this ensures that they know what to do in the event of a fire.

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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 has recently had a change in manager. The new manager is in the process of submitting an application to Ofsted within the appropriate timescale. He has previous experience as a Registered Manager. Recently the home had a short period of no children in placement. Since new admissions to the home, a staff team has been identified as the dedicated staff for this home. The staff team is made up of experienced staff and newly appointed staff. Of the staff team in place, half hold a recognised qualification in Caring for Children and young people. New staff undertake the Children's Workforce Development Council induction standards and those staff without a level 3 qualification in working with children and young people have commenced this training. On-going training and development is available to all staff with some training being mandatory and renewed on a regular basis. This includes safeguarding and managing challenging

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Leadership and management

behaviour. These measures enable staff to have the necessary knowledge to provide care and support to young people.

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Leadership and management

Most staff at the home say that they receive supervision on a regular basis. However, supervision records are not up to date and do not reflect this. In addition, some staff have not had an annual appraisal. This does not demonstrate that all staff are supported within their role to enable them to achieve positive outcomes for young people. The new manager has begun to address this by ensuring that supervisions and appraisals for staff are planned and appropriate recording systems implemented.

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Leadership and management

The Statement of Purpose has been updated and provides clear information about the home's aims and objectives. It is made available to placing social workers and other interested parties. A children's guide for all young people provides a clear overview of the home and what to expect when living there. Young people say that the document is clear and has helped them to understand how the home operates.

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Leadership and management

The newly appointed manager is in the process of reviewing all paper work at the home. There have been some areas identified during this inspection relating to completion of paperwork to ensure that clear records are maintained to enable effective monitoring of the progress that young people make. This includes ensuring that young people's placement plans are completed on a consistent format and effectively monitored and reviews of these plans are also consistently undertaken.

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Leadership and management

Regulation 33 visits have been undertaken and reports submitted to the home and to Ofsted. However, some of the reports lack clarity with regards shortfalls in paperwork and this does not provide a consistent overview of the home and how it is operating. Regulation 34 reports by the manager have previously been submitted and the new manager is currently undertaking a full review of the homes paperwork to ensure that identified areas are appropriately addressed.

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Leadership and management

Young people's case files are stored securely and confidentiality maintained. Case files are of an adequate standard. They contain information about the young people but are not easy to follow and this could impact on the care and support provided to them.

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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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