Children's Home run by Cumbria County Council in Westmorland and Furness

Unique reference number SC034158 Inspection date 22/10/2013 Inspector Elaine Clare Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 03/01/2013 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Brief description of the service

The children's home provides short-break care for up to four young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The local authority owns and operates this setting.

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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

Given the short time that young people have in placement, young people have made good progress in relation to their starting points on admission to the home. They benefit from being cared for by a competent team of staff team whose experience, skills and competence has improved considerably over time and through the training provided.

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Overall effectiveness

Care plans are individualised and tailored to reflect the specific needs of young people and staff work consistently to make sure that young people's assessed needs are met. Young people themselves report that they are well looked after.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people enjoy good health and lead a healthy lifestyle. Young people demonstrate a good or improving attitude to education or vocational qualifications and want to achieve.

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Overall effectiveness

A range of stimulating and challenging recreational activities broaden the experiences of young people and contribute to their sense of well-being and achievement. Young people are active participants in the running of the home and the planning of activities. As a result they invest in the home; their confidence increases and they develop skills, such as negotiation skills, that will be beneficial in independent living.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people are cared for safely and they report that they feel safe in the home. Arrangements for managing and responding to unauthorised absences are robust and protect young people should they go missing. There have been no incidents of young people going missing since the interim inspection in March 2013. Behaviour is well managed. Young people respond positively to the way staff work with them and the use of physical restraints or sanctions is rarely necessary.

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Overall effectiveness

Recommendations for improvement have been made with regard to monitoring of the home through the Regulation 33 visits and the receipt of the manager’s Regulation 34 report into Ofsted.

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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 visits carried out under Regulation 33 include a clear and effective procedure for monitoring of the home; in particular consultation with young people, parents, social workers and other external stakeholders (NMS 21.1)  ensure that reports reviewing the quality of care under Regulation 34 are supplied to Ofsted at six-monthly intervals within 28 days of completion (Children Act 1989 Guidance and Regulations Volume 5, statutory guidance, paragraph 3.14)

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Outcomes for children and young people

The home is imaginative and flexible in meeting the needs of young people. High staffing levels, good interaction between staff and a comprehensive induction process has helped young people to settle quickly when they arrive at the home. Young people enjoy positive relationships with staff and problems presented at home or in foster care, such as high levels of going missing, offending and challenging behaviour, have not been displayed during their stay at the home. Comments from young people include, 'I do not get as angry as I would usually get, there are less arguments and shouting.'

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people benefit from a range of positive activities that promote their individual interests and social development. They develop social skills as a result of their participation; for example, they follow their interests and hobbies, such as learning to play family board games.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Formal education or vocational arrangements are currently in place for the young people, and is primarily the responsibility of the carer. Staff at the home work with schools and teachers and through their perseverance and good advice, young people who have previously been reluctant to engage in education now have a more positive attitude toward doing so. For example one young person has recently started at college on a child care course. A primary teacher wrote ' we appreciate a speedy response and input for our children, communication is excellent and I always feel that someone is there to speak to and for advice and support.'

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Outcomes for children and young people

The health needs of young people are well met. Complete documentation has been received from the placing authority, the health needs of young people are also outlined within the home's own documentation and provision is made accordingly. Young people are conscious of health issues and mostly lead a healthy lifestyle. They like to eat healthy and nutritious meals that include fruit and vegetables. They also keep fit by going to the leisure centre and participating in activities with staff such as, walking and cycling. In instances where there are suspicions of smoking, staff provide advice and guidance about risks to their health which enables young people to make informed choices.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people show high levels of investment in the home. This is largely because young people's opinions are sought and valued by staff and they are involved in making decisions regarding the home and in planning for their own future.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Where appropriate, and taking into account young people's views, staff support young people to maintain contact with their family and friends. Staff support young people and their families with any difficulties they encounter. One parent wrote 'the stay-overs made a world of difference it allowed the rest of the family to spend some stress free time together.' This helps young people maintain positive relationships with the people who are important to them and helps them to retain a sense of their own identity and background and develop emotional resilience.

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Quality of care

The home provides, during their short stay, a nurturing and homely environment in which young people feel secure, comfortable and settled. Communal areas are bright, welcoming and homely. Young people have been consulted about, and involved in, choosing the decor and, as a result, demonstrate high levels of satisfaction with their environment. The home is situated within an urban community where there are lots of opportunities for young people to integrate into the wider community. Their engagement and use of community resources helps them develop confidence in social situations.

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Quality of care

Young people's needs are well met through a thorough assessment of their needs. Placement plans contain clearly defined targets that staff remain mindful of in their practice. Young people have aspirations, such as learning to bake, and are fully supported to work to achieve these through the recreational arrangements that are made by staff.

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Quality of care

Relationships between staff and young people are positive and they hold each other in warm regard. This is of particular note given the short duration that young people have in placement. Staff use a calm, consistent and negotiating approach with young people. Through this young people develop positive and trusting relationships with staff, develop appropriate ways in which to manage their behaviour and learn skills that will benefit them in adulthood.

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Quality of care

Young people have confidence that staff are genuinely concerned and committed to promoting their welfare. One social worker commented, 'the work offered is extremely beneficial and makes a difference to families and children's lives.'

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Quality of care

Young people know how to complain, using both the home's own procedures and the external procedures available to them. Young people's views are central to the running of the home and they are consulted both informally and through more formal forums, such as key work sessions and house meetings. Positive regard is shown to the views expressed by young people and their views significantly influence the practice of the home, proposed changes and the decisions that are made concerning their future.

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Quality of care

Staff fully promote educational and vocational opportunities. Staff create a stimulating environment and programme of activities in which young people can participate, develop and learn.

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Quality of care

Young people are healthy due to the provision of appropriate health-care, good nutrition and opportunities for exercise. Young people have access to activities that support good physical health as well as providing opportunities for socialisation, leisure and enjoyment.

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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

There is a clear focus on and commitment to good safeguarding practice. The Registered Manager provides clear direction in this area and young people are safeguarded as a result. The manager has established positive relationships with the local safeguarding team and the local police.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The training that staff have received in safeguarding and behaviour management make them more aware of their responsibilities and they effectively implement the home’s policies, procedures, behaviour management plans and risk assessments. Any concerns about young people's safety are discussed with the local authority designated officer and recommendations are acted upon.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Behaviour is managed well; the staff team work cooperatively and strategies outlined within behaviour management plans are consistently implemented in practice. As a result, young people live in a positive, nurturing environment. Any inappropriate behaviour displayed by young people is constructively challenged to positive effect. An improved focus on the use of de-escalation techniques means that the use of physical restraint is extremely rare.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Records kept in relation to physical restraints and sanctions contain all the detail required by regulations which enables the measures used to be properly monitored for appropriateness, relevance and fairness. The group dynamics cause some challenges for staff as the group of young people adjust to living with each other but these are well managed. High staffing levels enable high levels of engagement and for young people to pursue activities and interests of their own choosing. This approach has multiple benefits: it keeps young people constructively occupied; increases their feelings of self-esteem and self-worth and minimises the potential for bullying. Any suspicion of bullying is closely monitored and addressed; any young people involved receive emotional support.

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Safeguarding children and young people

There is a jointly agreed protocol for staff to follow in the event of an unauthorised absence and children going missing. This is supported by individualised risk assessment records. There have been no incidents of young people going missing since the interim inspection of the home in March 2013. However, staff are aware what to do should this happen and files contain up-to-date photographs of young people in case of an emergency.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people are well protected by the organisation’s robust recruitment procedures and the monitoring of visitors to the home. Rigorous checks completed on people applying to work in the home prior to their commencing work reduces the risk of unsuitable people being employed to work with the young people.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people are protected from fire and other hazards as a result of thorough checks and procedures. General risk assessments are robust and regularly monitored. The home and grounds are physically safe and appropriately secure. Robust safety and servicing checks are undertaken and regular fire drills take place to ensure staff and young people know how to safely evacuate the building in the event of a fire.

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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 home is effectively and efficiently managed by a competent manager who is well supported by much respected and able deputy managers. Outcomes for young people are improving as a result of the determined and committed approach of the manager and the staff team. The home's development plan identifies further areas of planned improvement including analysis of data post discharge from the service.

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Leadership and management

Young people receive highly individualised care as a result of high staffing levels. Staffing levels provide flexibility and this allows group activities to take place and also allows staff to work individually alongside young people. This contributes to the progress young people make developmentally and in achieving their targets as outlined within placement plans.

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Leadership and management

Staff are well supported and regularly supervised which enables them to reflect on their practice and develop new skills. Staff receive an annual appraisal through which individual training and developmental needs are identified. Collectively the staff team has a range of skills and competencies that benefit young people. Staff maintain good communication levels with each other through daily handovers and team meetings which ensure consistent practice and stability for young people.

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Leadership and management

Staff receive mandatory training. Recent refresher training in all the core competencies, has improved the skill base of the staff team. Staff now demonstrate more understanding and competence in their role which has resulted in improved outcomes for young people. All staff have achieved a recognised professional child- care qualification. In the meantime, the home's training programme equips them to fulfil their role and meet the needs of the young people accommodated.

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Leadership and management

Staff work hard to achieve the best outcomes possible for young people. Regular monitoring is in place at all levels of management to ensure the home is run in line with the Children’s Home Regulations. While the home has effective practices in place for monitoring the standards of care within the homes, the Regulation 33 visits are conducted twice a month by two different people. They have different approaches and do not always communicate with each other on their findings. As a result views of people that make referrals into the service or have benefited from the service have not been sought.

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Leadership and management

The home has not provided, Ofsted with Regulation 34 six monthly monitoring reports for the last two years. As a result, important information has not been submitted to allow inspectors to monitor the home’s progress or any arising concerns. The management team has robust system to identify any concerns about specific incidents and to identify patterns and trends. Any issues identified are swiftly addressed, for example increasing staffing ratios for more challenging young people that stay at the home. Staff are continually striving to improve standards of care and outcomes for the children and young people.

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Leadership and management

Clear and accurate records that are stored securely contribute towards staff and young people achieving a positive understanding of young people's life, experiences and plans for the future.

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Leadership and management

There is evidence of good multi-agency working with positive links having been established with the local police; missing from care coordinator; the local authority designated officer (LADO) and social workers. Significant events or matters of concern relating to the protection of young people are reported to the appropriate authorities promptly enabling consideration to be given to any protective or emergency action that may be required.

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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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