Children's Home run by ROC Northwest Limited in Lancashire

Unique reference number SC066428 Inspection date 24/10/2013 Inspector Mandy Williams Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 27/02/2013 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Brief description of the service

The home is registered to accommodate up to five young people of either gender who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties, physical or learning disabilities, mental disorders and sensory impairment. The home provides accommodation for up to four young people in the main building and one young person in an annex attached to the building. This is designed as a semi-independent living space.

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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 outstanding .

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Overall effectiveness

This is an exceptionally good home where all young people say they enjoy living and where they feel safe. The home provides highly personalised care that successfully meets the diverse needs of the young people placed. Young people make significant progress across all areas of their development.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people enjoy warm and respectful relationships with staff and with each other. Staff demonstrate a real affection for the young people placed and an enthusiasm to engage young people in a positive manner. Staff have an excellent appreciation of the needs of each young person and the issues pertinent to each of them. Young people appreciate the commitment demonstrated by staff saying, 'staff teach me how not to do bad things', and 'the staff are nice and they listen to me when I need to talk to someone.’ Young people are successfully learning how to manage their emotions and reflect on their previous behaviours and responses.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people's views and wishes about their care and the running of the home are actively sought. Young people feel that they are listened too and that they belong in the home. Young people feel involved in discussions about their care and in plans for their future. Young people engage successfully in tasks associated with preparation for independence.

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Overall effectiveness

The management of the home is strong and the progress that young people make is effectively monitored. Excellent communication with other professionals and young people's families ensures that everyone is working cohesively and securing positive outcomes for young people.

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Overall effectiveness

As a result of this inspection, one recommendation was made that relates to the maintenance of medication records, although this has had no direct impact on young people.

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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 a written record of all medication is kept by the home; specifically that records relating to the administration of controlled drugs are maintained in a bound volume. (NMS 6.15)

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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 living in the home achieve excellent outcomes in terms of their health, education and emotional well-being. Many young people living in the home have multiple needs; resulting from their early life experiences; as well as complex health needs. Staff work very hard to build warm and positive relationships with young people and, as a result, they feel valued and cared for. Staff in the home adopt a consistent approach to caring for young people. This enables them to become confident in the response that they will receive from the adults caring for them. In turn, this helps young people learn to trust these adults and to develop their emotional resilience.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people say that they are happy and settled in the home. For some young people the home has provided a period of stability where they have been able to reflect on their life experiences and begin to formulate positive plans for their future.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Staff are pro-active in addressing young people's health needs. Young people are provided with a range of information on issues such as smoking and drinking alcohol. However, ultimately they are encouraged to make their own informed choices. Additionally, staff work well with other health practitioners to ensure that young people's medical needs are addressed. Young people have been supported by staff to successfully complete medical procedures.

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Outcomes for children and young people

All young people of school age are attending and making good progress in education. Attendance for some young people has improved significantly since moving into the home. Similarly, a positive attitude and enthusiasm for learning has been stimulated. Young people demonstrate a real appreciation of the significance of achieving their potential and some have achieved well in nationally recognised qualifications. Young people have also proceeded into further and higher education and have aspirational targets. A work ethic is generally encouraged by the staff team, who demonstrate a real desire for young people to succeed.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people are enabled to maintain contact with those important to them while living in the home. Some young people utilise their free time for such meetings, but staff also facilitate arranged contact appropriately. Staff demonstrate familiarity with the individual circumstances of the young people in their care and an appreciation of the significance of young people being able to maintain these relationships. Family members and social workers appreciate this. Young people have their own mobile telephones, as well as access to their own landline in the home. This ensures that young people are able to maintain contact with those important to them.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people approaching the move to independence have pathway plans in place. Young people receive appropriate support to help prepare them for this transition. One young person commented, 'I buy my own food and do my own cooking, but staff are there to help me if I need them.’ Staff are working alongside other professionals to ensure that young people move on from the home in a positive manner and are equipped with the skills that they will require.

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Quality of care

The quality of the care is outstanding .

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Quality of care

Young people receive excellent individualised care that is tailored to their needs and circumstances. Young people consistently describe that the best thing about the home is 'the staff.’ Staff work hard to build positive relationships with young people and provide them with a nurturing environment where they can grow and develop. Positive and respectful relationships were observed between staff and young people during the inspection. One young person said, 'staff know me and my background really well. I trust them and they listen to what I am saying.’ Social workers and young people's families comment on the warm and welcoming atmosphere in the home.

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Quality of care

Young people receive encouragement to be involved in their care planning. A recent development to the young person's placement plan has been an introduction written by the young person themself where they describe themselves and what they like to do. One young person commented, 'I was able to write a pen picture for my placement plan recently, which was good.' Staff members demonstrate a thorough understanding of young people's plans, which was remarked upon by young people's social workers.

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Quality of care

The plans are subject to regular review and the placing authorities and those with parental responsibility agree any amendments. This ensures that the young person's plan continues to be effective in relation to meeting their presenting needs and that all those involved with the young person are working together. Indeed, both social workers and young people's families commented on the good quality partnership working undertaken by staff in the home. Staff produce a comprehensive monthly report on the progress of young people. One social worker commented, 'these reports are really very helpful. They give me a clear picture of what X has been doing, as well as any issues and achievements.'

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Quality of care

Young people's views are integral to the running of the home. Young people's views are sought daily in informal discussions; as well as in regular keyworker sessions and in young people's meetings in the home. Their wishes and feelings are taken into account and acted upon whenever possible. Recently, young people have been involved in the development of questions to ask candidates as part of the staff recruitment process. Staff communicate with young people by whatever means they prefer, with some young people preferring to send a text message to the Registered Manager, write a letter, or complete a form for the suggestion box in the home. Young people feel able to contribute to decision making in the home.

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Quality of care

Young people display confidence in knowing what to do if they had a complaint and that it would be taken seriously by staff. The procedure is also outlined in the young people's guide to the home. The few complaints that have been made by young people have been responded to promptly and young people always receive a clear written outcome on conclusion. Additionally, young people have access to an advocate who visits the home on a regular basis and with whom they are familiar. Hence, young people have a number of opportunities to express their views and raise any concerns that they may have.

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Quality of care

Comprehensive records are maintained of health checks and appointments attended by young people. The administration of medication is also approached safely by the home. Staff are trained in the safe handling of medication and records demonstrate that sound procedures are followed. When errors have been identified in the home's procedures action has been taken quickly to avoid a repetition of this. However, although medication is stored securely and records kept are clear, those pertaining to the administration of controlled drugs are not currently maintained in a bound volume.

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Quality of care

Staff embrace the individuality and diversity of young people. Young people are encouraged to embrace difference and they demonstrate empathy for others and an appreciation of the challenges that others face. Staff support young people to engage in interests of their choice, such as attendance at community or faith based activities. Young people's interest in animals has also been supported and currently there is a pet hamster in the home.

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Quality of care

The home is located in a quiet residential area and it is warm and welcoming. It has recently received re-decoration and a new kitchen has been fitted. Young people's views and needs have influenced this process. They have chosen; the colours to paint the rooms; inspirational quotes for the walls; a low work surface in the kitchen to enable the participation of those with a physical disability; and have selected photographs to display on the walls in the home. This helps young people feel that they belong here.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The service is outstanding at keeping children and young people safe and feeling safe.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people feel safe and are safe in the home. The organisation ensures that staff are carefully selected and vetted prior to starting to work with young people. Staff records are clear and well maintained.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Staff prioritise the welfare of the young people in their care. A range of personal risk assessments are completed to ensure that the necessary safeguards are in place, that are specific to each young person. These are subject to regular review. However, staff also support young people to take controlled risks, dependant on their level of maturity to help prepare them for independence.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Despite the diverse needs of the young people interactions between them are largely positive. Young people confirm that bullying is not an issue in the home and are confident that if any issues were to arise they would be addressed by staff immediately.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The home takes appropriate action should young people go missing from care. However, incidents are rare for young people living in the home. Staff understand the reasons for the episodes that have occurred and have completed work with the young people involved to help them address any problems they have more effectively. The Registered Manager has ensured that she is aware of any developments in relation to locally agreed missing from home protocols, as she maintains contact routinely with other involved professionals.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people benefit from individualised behaviour management plans, which outline the action staff should take to manage any difficult behaviour. This includes the use of physical restraint. All staff have received training in the safe implementation of restraint. Young people confirm that the procedures for safe restraint are followed saying, 'the rules are definitely followed. I have been restrained before and although at the time I didn't like it, afterwards I knew that staff were keeping me safe.' The number of incidents for some young people has reduced significantly over recent months. While restraint was a common occurrence on admittance to the home, incidents are now rare, as young people have been helped by staff to reflect on their behaviours and develop new strategies for managing their behaviour. This is significant progress.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Similarly, positive behaviour is acknowledged and rewarded and restorative approaches are used to sanction negative behaviour. For example, writing a letter of apology to staff for using inappropriate language. Young people say that this approach is fair. The effectiveness of any sanctions imposed is monitored by the Registered Manager to ensure that they are appropriate and contributing to young people learning how to manage their behaviours. The environment is physically safe, as regular safety checks are undertaken on the home environment. Regular fire drills take place, including in night-time conditions ensuring that young people are familiar with the process to follow if they needed to evacuate the home in the event of an emergency. In addition, staff have developed personal emergency evacuation plans for young people with a physical disability who will require assistance to exit the property.

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Leadership and management

The leadership and management of the children's home are outstanding .

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Leadership and management

The home is effectively and efficiently managed by a permanent Registered Manager. The Registered Manager is well respected by young people, staff and professionals involved with the home.

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Leadership and management

The management and leadership of the home are strong, with the manager consistently communicating high expectations to staff. There is a strong commitment to continuous improvement. The one requirement from the last inspection that related to the terminology used in restraint records has been successfully addressed.

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Leadership and management

The Statement of Purpose and children's guide set out clearly the aims and objectives of the home and are subject to regular review. The Registered Manager also ensures that social workers and parents are in receipt of the current versions. Both set out the procedure for making a complaint about the home. However, no complaints have been made by third parties since the last inspection.

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Leadership and management

The Registered Manager has a development plan in place, as well as a 'project file', so that she is able to monitor the progress of specific projects. This ensures that they are completed effectively and in a timely fashion. These issues are also discussed on a weekly basis as part of the staff meeting in the home. This ensures that all staff are aware of their progress and tasks can be shared if required.

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Leadership and management

Reports prepared on the internal monitoring of the home are comprehensive and reflective. The Registered Manager maintains effective oversight of the operation of the home and the quality of care provided. For example, an effective monitoring system has recently been implemented in relation to restraints, so that any patterns in relation to times of day, situations, or personnel can be identified. This enables staff to discuss emerging themes and strengthen good practice in order to provide the best quality care to young people. Young people's 'progression files' also demonstrate the progress that young people have made since placement in the home.

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Leadership and management

The home is appropriately resourced and employs a sufficient number of staff. There have been some changes to the staff team since the last inspection, primarily due to personal circumstances, and increased staffing levels. However, some staff have continued to undertake occasional shifts and the core staff team has remained stable. Staff feel well supported by senior staff in the home and benefit from regular supervision and appraisal. Staff training is also prioritised by the organisation and specific training is sourced for staff if identified as a need. For example, staff have recently attended training on 'self-harm'. These processes ensure that young people are cared for by staff that have the necessary skills and who receive the required support to provide them with a high standard 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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