Children's Home run by North East Lincolnshire Council in North East Lincolnshire

Unique reference number SC033127 Inspection date 29/10/2013 Inspector Ann-Marie Born Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 15/03/2013 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 home is part of a local authority children's disability service offering care for children and young people aged between 5 and 17 years with learning disabilities and/or physical disabilities.

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Brief description of the service

The property is purpose built and all on one level. It provides accommodation in two units for eight children or young people receiving short break services. Longer-term care can be offered to three children or young people within an attached bungalow, which is self-contained.

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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

Exceptional care planning ensures that all of each young person's holistic needs are identified and met. As a result young people thrive within the warm, homely and stimulating atmosphere provided. Young people are respected and valued as individuals. The proactive, nurturing staff members actively challenge any discrimination and provide a range of inclusive opportunities that support the development of young people. The management and staff team are excellent role models who genuinely care for, value and respect the young people in their care. A social worker stated: 'for (name) it has been more than just somewhere to go and have opportunities and make friends. It has been a place where he can go and be an individual and himself. He gets that extra bit of care and attention he doesn’t get at home'.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people report they are safe in a home where they have close, positive attachments to staff and each other and their views are central to practice. A parent said: 'It is a wonderful place where he feels safe and calm and happy and is well cared-for' and a young person stated 'I enjoy coming to (name) because I feel it is the place where I can be myself'.

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Overall effectiveness

The strong management team is fully aware of the strengths and areas for development of the service and continuously strive to improve. The views of young people, staff, parents and professionals from all disciplines are used constructively to constantly raise standards. As a result young people develop an increased sense of belonging while enjoying themselves.

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Overall effectiveness

There is one recommendation from this visit relating to the retention of recruitment records within the home.

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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 the children’s home has a record of all of the recruitment and vetting checks which have been carried out on those working for the home. (NMS 16.3 (a) (b))

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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

As a result of the staff's extensive knowledge of young people’s individual forms of communication, holistic needs and skills, young people feel acknowledged, valued and safe. Consequently young people make excellent progress in forming a positive self-view and enjoying sustainable attachments with staff and each other. A parent commented: 'he has made friends with another young person in the home which has allowed him to express attachment and consideration'.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people’s individual, complex and potentially life threatening health needs are well known to all staff. The impact these conditions can have on the young person's emotional health and development are planned for and sensitively addressed. In addition, young people, who are able, are respectfully supported to learn age appropriate self-care skills. For example, cleaning their teeth or cleaning their catheter. As a result, young people’s well-being is enhanced and improved and they maintain healthy outcomes within their individual needs.

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Outcomes for children and young people

All young people are involved in appropriate education provision commensurate with their age and ability. Excellent relationships between the home and education providers ensure that young people receive consistent messages regarding behaviour management. In many cases, the school rely on the home’s knowledge of the young people and their specific management techniques to ensure young people engage fully with lessons and receive more opportunities. As a result young people are fully supported to make the individual improvements from their starting points that benefit them. For some young people it can be recognising colours, for others it can be passing all of their GCSE examinations and embarking on an A level programme. Young people are sensitively enabled to make a positive contribution to their home and community as a result of the proactive approach of the Registered Manager and staff team. For example, every Christmas the young people help staff prepare

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Outcomes for children and young people

hampers for a local elderly care home. Young people are empowered and thoroughly enjoy the sense of accomplishment this provides.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Planning for admission, shared care arrangements and respite stays are exceptionally well managed. Young people and their families are provided with numerous occasions to visit, 'come for tea' and build up to overnight planned stays. As a result excellent relationships with family members are built from the start. This provides young people with more opportunities for enjoyment and success as their family members are confident in the home's ability to care for them. Flexible, yet consistent contact arrangements allow young people to regularly meet with family members. In addition, the welcome family members receive in the setting means that they feel comfortable to ‘drop in’. This successfully promotes young people’s sense of self and belonging in the home while maintaining important relationships which sustain them now and in their transition to their adult lives. An independent reviewing officer stated: 'there was a lot of pre-planning done that I was really impressed with. All of

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Outcomes for children and young people

the family were involved including siblings and grandparents'.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people’s individual transition needs are comprehensively identified and very carefully planned for. As a result young people are successfully prepared for moving on from this setting, whether it be to a further adult provision or in to a form of independent living. The planning and work undertaken with young people also encompasses support for their families. Consequently young people are allowed to take those independent steps with their family’s 'blessing'. A parent commented, ' I am more prepared to consider other resources because his experience here has been so positive' and a young person, 'they have helped me have the confidence to recognise that I can do this'.

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Quality of care

The quality of the care is outstanding .

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Quality of care

Young people enjoy warm, trusting relationships with staff who understand their individual communication methods well. The exceptional care provided by the committed, knowledgeable and caring staff team enable young people to experience a wide range of inclusive experiences both within the home and local community. As a result young people feel valued and special and are able to form close friendships with staff and each other. Staff recognise the importance of these relationships and respite arrangements are sensitively planned to enable young people to maintain these positive links in their lives. A young person said, 'I have my best friends at the home' and a social worker commented, 'the care that is there is outstanding and children are really seen as individuals and they make that time special for them'.

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Quality of care

Excellent, innovative and consistent methods are employed to allow young people to share their wishes and feelings. Young people are consulted about all aspects of their care, within their abilities. Consequently, young people are empowered to ask for what they want and to aspire to make improvements.

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Quality of care

Young people and their families understand the effective complaints procedure. In addition, the regular attendance in the home of an independent advocate allows young people who would not normally feel able to make representation, to do so. However, such are the strengths of relationships in the home and the quality of the care, there have not been any complaints.

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Quality of care

The quality of care planning in this home is outstanding. All of a young person’s holistic and individual needs are identified and addressed. Young people are fully supported to understand what is in their care plans and they are enabled to participate in the review process by the innovative use of specific photo documents. All of a young person’s cultural and religious needs are identified and provision is available for any special needs to be met. A parent said: 'you can’t praise the staff enough because all of them, even the chef, know him and what he likes and that makes such a difference for him'.

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Quality of care

Young people’s individual health needs are comprehensively addressed in day-to-day living and staff are fully trained to meet their needs. The caring and nurturing staff team work with young people to sensitively enable them to take responsibility for those elements of their self-care skills that they can. For example, administering their own 'peg' feeding. A social worker wrote: 'staff are highly motivated and keen to develop in line with children & young people's needs. The core team in (name) have undergone clinical training competencies to support children and young people with significantly complex health issues so the team are able to manage the clinical needs of their service users to an exceptionally high standard and enable families to enjoy respite safe in the knowledge their child is being managed competently and individually'.

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Quality of care

The proactive and enthusiastic staff team work closely with young people’s schools to ensure that they are receiving the best education. They attend school reviews wherever possible and engage young people in activities which reflect their personal education plans. All achievements are celebrated and examples of young people's work adorn the walls. As a result young people take real pride in their achievements and their sense of self is improved. Another social worker wrote, 'there have been excellent examples of how children’s individual learning both social and academic have improved by the continuity of the service.'

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Quality of care

Young people are enriched by the range of inclusive activities available to them within the home and local community. The excellent staff team ensure that young people are able to access their interests and provide them with opportunities to participate in experiences that would otherwise be denied them. For example, attendance at local sporting and cultural events and a trip to a premier league football stadium. As a result, young people’s sense of belonging and confidence in their ability to communicate are enhanced; they make friendships which provide them with happiness and joy and their horizons are broadened.

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Quality of care

Young people enjoy staying in and visiting a comfortable, well equipped home which meets all their diverse needs. Each of the three units provide young people with space where they can share activities together or spend time in the room individually prepared for them. This promotes young people's well-being and enhances their sense of belonging. A parent commented: 'that new 'pod chair' is fantastic for him. He absolutely loves it and he’s comfortable and part of everything'.

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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 evidently feel safe and report they are safe in a home where safeguarding is of paramount importance. Any allegations are swiftly managed and staff are confident to share any concerns they have about a young person’s care. There are no reports of any bullying. Nevertheless the nurturing and capable staff team ensure that young people are sensitively enabled to understand the consequences of any bullying behaviour and how to recognise and report it if they are feeling threatened. Young people are effectively protected by these measures. A parent stated: 'he’s safe there without a doubt. He’s come on in leaps and bounds. I can’t praise it enough'.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people are effectively safeguarded by excellent, individual comprehensive risk assessments which ensure that young people do not go missing but staff would know what to do if they did. These are complemented by an adherence to strong locally agreed missing person’s protocols.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Exceptional individual behaviour management plans ensure that positive behaviours are promoted and that young people enjoy learning the benefits of good behaviours. Such is the strength of relationships between staff and young people that young people’s stresses and triggers are well recognised and staff proactively address these before they escalate. There are still occasions when young people may not behave in an appropriate manner. Restraint is rarely used but on occasion staff may use physical intervention to guide young people safely away from harm. As a result young people remain safe while learning alternative coping mechanisms. A social worker said: 'he has very complex needs. The opportunities are there and it's very person centred. They will encourage him. With young people as profoundly autistic as (name) that makes such a difference'.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Medication is stored safely, accountably and securely in each of the units. There are clearly recorded and consistent systems for recording each young person's medication needs and for storing and transporting medication. All medication is accounted for and delivery, administration, transfer and disposal of young people's medication is clearly recorded. When medication is administered there is a witnessed staff signature for each dose and a daily review of the medication activity in each unit. All young people have a separate drawer or shelf within a locked cupboard and a laminated sheet records the purpose and effects of each individual treatment. Where young people are prescribed controlled medication, this is stored in a separate locked box within the locked cupboard. Young people's welfare is promoted and they are safeguarded by these measures.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Effective local authority recruitment procedures are followed ensuring that young people are not cared for by people who may pose a risk to them. However, although information is maintained at the authority's human resources department not all files within the home contain the requisite information. This is a breach of standard.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people thrive within a warm, safe environment where all of their physical needs are anticipated and met. Young people's physical safety is assured by good health and safety procedures. Established systems for the routine checking and servicing of all fire equipment and other appliances are followed within requisite timescales.

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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 exceptional, experienced and capable manager knows the young people in her care extremely well. She has a close nurturing relationship with them and their families. This effectively allows the whole family to grow and develop from their starting points as parents have confidence in the care provided.

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Leadership and management

There were no requirements or recommendations from the previous inspection; however, continued improvements have consistently been achieved. Examples of this include the individual photo essays in book form of a young person's time in the home and the use of even more effective ways of gathering a young person’s views. This fully contributes to young people's explicit sense of belonging and being valued. In addition, new folders, linked to each of the national minimum standards, demonstrate the impact attending this provision has on young people's lives, both now and for their future successes.

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Leadership and management

Excellent 'Statements of Purpose' for each of the three units within the setting provide all interested parties with a comprehensive view of the care to be provided and who will be delivering that care. As a result young people are placed appropriately thereby enhancing their care experience, well-being and opportunities for respite and development.

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Leadership and management

Young people are safeguarded by comprehensive monitoring processes which ensure the quality of their care is effectively audited. Young people are empowered to participate in the process and the views of parents and professionals are used to further augment the information. In addition, outstanding development plans effectively use the experiences of young people to positively influence the development of further initiatives in the home. For example, the purchase of the 'pod chair' and further training for staff around internet safety.

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Leadership and management

Young people enjoy high staffing levels which ensure that their needs are met. Staff report good quality peer and management support which assures they remain motivated to care for young people. A social worker stated, 'I feel that staff are highly motivated to make the children's stays happy and fun'.

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Leadership and management

An excellent training programme, effectively monitored by the motivated manager, ensures that staff are fully trained to meet the needs of young people and that training is regularly refreshed and current. Specific training is arranged with specialist medical personnel to ensure that young people are cared for by staff who understand their individual health needs. Young people are cared for by staff who are well trained to meet all of their holistic needs.

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Leadership and management

Young people benefit from the consistent care and support provided by the strong partnership arrangements between the home and other professionals involved in their care. Regular communication ensures that young people's achievements are acknowledged by all and built upon. This further supports planning for transition arrangements to adult provision. In addition, young people are safeguarded by the multi-agency approach to their care and by the notification of all significant events to appropriate bodies.

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Leadership and management

Young people’s records are exceptional. They are comprehensive, clear and written in a format that is readily understandable to each individual young person. They provide young people with a comprehensive history of their developments, achievements and plans for their future.

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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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