Children's Home run by Norfolk County Council in Norfolk

Unique reference number SC068076 Inspection date 28/10/2013 Inspector Deirdra Keating Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

p.1

Date of last inspection 08/01/2013 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.1

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.

p.2

Brief description of the service

This children’s home provides short-term placements and is owned and run by the local authority. It is registered for two young people with emotional or behavioural difficulties.

p.3

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

p.3

Overall effectiveness

The overall effectiveness is judged to be good .

p.3

Overall effectiveness

The home provides good quality care that is planned well to meet young people's individual needs and ensure their safety and welfare. Young people benefit from high levels of supervision and good interaction with staff. Staff are proactive and positive in the support of young people's diverse needs and general interests.

p.3

Overall effectiveness

Young people confidently express their views at the home; they say that they feel safe and get on well with the staff team.

p.3

Overall effectiveness

As a result of this inspection there are two statutory requirements and one recommendation raised as areas for improvement. These include shortfalls in relation to the behaviour management records, notifying the relevant people and agencies about a significant event and maintaining the décor of the home to a high standard.

p.3

Overall effectiveness

The home has experienced several placement changes over recent months. This had some impact on young people's general safety and welfare and as a result, the quality of care has declined since the last inspection.

p.3

Overall effectiveness

The home benefits from an experienced manager who monitors the care and the value of the home on young people's lives. The manager and staff hold a clear vision for the home and are keen to drive future improvements.

p.3

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.

p.4

Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure notification without delay of any of the events listed in column 1 of the table in Schedule 5 to the persons indicated (Regulation 30 (1)) 29/11/2013

p.4

Reg. Requirement Due date

17B (2001) ensure that within 24 hours of the use of any measure of control or discipline a written record is made in a volume kept for the purpose which shall include details of the child's behaviour leading to use of the measure. (Regulation 17 (B) (3) (b)) 29/11/2013

p.4

Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):

p.4

Recommendations

 ensure that the home provides a comfortable and homely environment that is well maintained throughout. (NMS 10.3)

p.4

Outcomes for children and young people

Young people make good progress in relation to their individual starting points. This is clear from communication with professionals and discussions with young people who are able to articulate their opinions well and talk about their preferred staff members. Young people are honest and reflective as they talk about how staff support them through difficulties. Strong attachments to staff protect them and help them build emotional resilience to the challenges they face.

p.4

Outcomes for children and young people

Young people are supported particularly well with specific health needs including diet and exercise. Young people understand the benefits of healthy eating and are willing to take responsibility for their health. Specific health training has improved their health. They cook healthy low fat meal options and request that snack foods are not readily available. Overall, young people develop a good understanding of healthy food options, fresh meal preparation and the benefits of an active lifestyle.

p.4

Outcomes for children and young people

Young people acquire skills that will support their independence such as managing their personal hygiene, laundry, domestic skills and undertaking volunteer work. This gives them confidence in the development of skills. Young people make a valuable contribution to the community through volunteer work. This gives young people a wider social network and experience of the work environment. Young people's attendance in education is good. This has resulted in young people benefitting from structured time and provides a productive established routine.

p.4

Outcomes for children and young people

Young people say that the staff support peer interaction and free time well. Staff arrange for young people to see friends outside the home, promoting young people’s relationships with peers. Varied activities are regularly offered to young people tailored to their requests and interests.

p.5

Quality of care

Young people benefit from attachments to key members of staff. They talk about staff with sentiment and miss favourite staff members when they are not on duty. Staff listen to young people and advocate for them well. They make a good range of information available to young people to help them think about their safety, health and wellbeing.

p.5

Quality of care

Young people are aware of their rights and freely share their views about the home and the staff. They say they feel confident in talking to staff about any issues they have and that these will be looked into. Staff provide lots of opportunities for young people to express their views and make suggestions. Young people actively contribute to menu planning, activities and negotiate the rules and boundaries. Staff are clear and consistent in helping young people to understand that staff care about their safety. Social workers report that staff respond well to incidents and prioritise young people's safety using reasonable parenting parameters.

p.5

Quality of care

Staff provide healthy role models and this helps young people take a responsible approach to their personal health. Staff attend clubs and activities with young people, they take them to routine appointments and ensure that menu planning promotes a balanced healthy diet.

p.5

Quality of care

Staff have aspirations and high expectations of young people. This includes attendance at educational provision. This works very well with young people succeeding in 100% attendance. Young people also consider their behaviours in school and reflect on the consequences of their actions.

p.5

Quality of care

The care planning encompasses all needs and records individual’s cultural, religious, ethnic and identity details. Staff implement the care plans and individual risk assessments well to ensure that young people’s needs are fully met and they are kept safe.

p.5

Quality of care

The home is clean and generally well presented. It is in an good state of structural repair, however, there are areas that are stark and patches of décor that are tatty. Some rooms are bare and do not promote a homely welcoming appeal. This does not provide a cosy homely environment for young people.

p.5

Safeguarding children and young people

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

p.6

Safeguarding children and young people

Young people say that they feel safe at the home and can identify a number of adults to talk to. Staff are readily available and the rapport between staff and young people is good. This means that young people are comfortable to approach staff with any concerns, which reassures young people.

p.6

Safeguarding children and young people

Young people are protected well from potential harm. Safeguarding procedures are in place and these are implemented and understood by staff. Safeguarding training for staff is provided regularly. This ensures that in the event of an allegation or a disclosure from a young person staff are clear about what to do and who to involve.

p.6

Safeguarding children and young people

The manager and staff work collaboratively with a range of professionals to ensure young people's safety and well-being. Effective working relationships with the local police ensure there is an agreed protocol in place in the event of young people going missing from the home.

p.6

Safeguarding children and young people

The group dynamics have significantly changed since the last inspection. The atmosphere in the house is no longer unsettled. Young people appear relaxed in the home and are happy to spend time there. Young people are empowered and approach staff quickly with concerns about their peers or staff members. These are consistently addressed by the manager. This helps young people know their opinions are valued and staff will advocate for therm.

p.6

Safeguarding children and young people

Staff are competent in managing young people's challenging behaviour. Restraint is used in appropriate situations, although the records of this lack details about the behaviour, prior to the event. This makes monitoring difficult and does not meet requirements. Generally the approach of staff is one of proportionate responses in line with individual characteristics of young people. This is emphasised by social workers. Young people also say that the behaviour management systems are fair. The staff team promote consistency in their approach to supporting young people's behaviour. This gives young people clear messages helping them to understand the boundaries and feel secure This is accepted by young people, who have learned the value of reflection and hindsight helping them achieve personal growth and changes their responses.

p.6

Leadership and management

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

p.6

Leadership and management

A permanent registered manager leads a cohesive team of staff and is efficiently managing the home. The home is effectively managed by a permanent registered manager who leads a cohesive team of staff. The staff are professional and work well together promoting a happy motivated atmosphere. This provides young people with a calm environment and good adult role-models. The Statement of Purpose gives an overview of the facilities provided by the home. This enables parents, professionals and staff to understand the aims and ethos of the home. The welcome guide for young people sets out information and has been creatively adapted to ensure all young people know what the homes offers.

p.6

Leadership and management

Good staff ratios ensure that young people are supervised by a competent staff team. Deployment of tasks is based on the individual needs of young people. The staff are well qualified and experienced. The team combine a diverse blend of race, age and gender promoting a wide range of role models for young people. Staff benefit from ample training, good support and regular supervision. This ensures that they are supported and equipped for their roles in the care of young people.

p.7

Leadership and management

The staff aspire to provide high quality care and continually improve the home. There are good internal monitoring tools in place and the previous recommendation has been met. However, the outcomes for young people have declined since the last inspection. The home has gone through an unsettled period where the combination of placements resulted in some unsafe behaviours that were concerning. This has affected the overall quality of care. These issues have been addressed, whilst maintaining stability for young people at the home. Recent feedback is positive. A social worker said of the staff and home: ' the quality of care and the size of the home meets the needs of young person very well '.

p.7

Leadership and management

An independent visitor monitors the home on a monthly basis, whose reports provide an adequate overview. The manager monitors the logs kept by the home and ensures that patterns and trends are identified. This helps to ensure good oversight of record keeping and staff responses in relation to behaviours and events in the home. This provides a safeguard for young people.

p.7

Leadership and management

Young people’s individual records are stored securely. They include reports and records of events made by staff that show a clear overview of events in the home. Although the home is generally compliant with requirements, there has been one significant event that was not notified to Ofsted. Failure to notify the relevant authorities of such events prevents them from having a clear view of significant incidents at the home.

p.7

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.

p.8

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.

p.8