Children's Home run by Castle Homes Care Limited in Cheshire West and Chester

Unique reference number SC032083 Inspection date 31/10/2013 Inspector Pamela Nuckley Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 09/01/2013 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 home accommodates two young people with emotional or behavioural difficulties. It is run by a private company which has other homes in the area.

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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

The supportive environment that this home provides enables young people to make good progress. Detailed care planning supported by good staff involvement ensures that young people receive the individual care they need.

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Overall effectiveness

The home is efficient in ensuring that young people are not only kept safe, but also develop the knowledge and confidence to keep themselves safe. Excellent liaison with external agencies ensures that young people receive good levels of support in all aspects of their lives.

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Overall effectiveness

Staff work hard to enable young people to reach their potential within education and young people's health needs are prioritised. The home has made excellent progress in ensuring that young people are fully aware of their background and continue to ensure that mementos and memories are captured for them in the future.

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Overall effectiveness

Management arrangements are good and this creates an environment where young people are able to make positive changes. Managers effectively tackle weaknesses with a view to securing improvement. However, this inspection has identified several minor shortfalls. These relate to: signing of documents; consistency of staffing and having an up-to-date appraisal; and the staff being aware of the local protocols in relation to young people being missing from home. These shortfalls have not impacted on the good outcomes achieved by the young people in this 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 all records are clear, up to date and stored securely, and contribute to an understanding of a child's life. This is specifically in relation to ensuring that all documentation is signed by the relevant parties (NMS 22)  make every effort to achieve continuity of staffing so that children's attachments are not overly disrupted (NMS 17.8)  ensure that all staff have their performance individually and formally appraised at least annually (NMS 19.6)  ensure that staff working within the home know and implement the local authority policy in relation to children going missing. (NMS 5.2)

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people declined to speak with the inspector during this inspection. However, the home can demonstrate that their views, wishes and feelings are routinely sought. This consultation allows them to influence the development of the home, how they wish to be cared for and for their future plans. They also benefit from regular house meetings and give feedback about the quality of their care experience; as a result of this the home has recently been decorated and reward and incentive charts have been individualised to support independence skills.

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Outcomes for children and young people

An outstanding feature of this home is the significant length of time that the young people have been here. Therefore, staff have been able to guide the young people through late childhood, into adolescence and are now preparing them for independence. As a result, young people have not had disruption to their education, contact and friends.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people have good relationships with staff. They are confident to talk to staff about everyday events and any issues that may be concerning them. This openness enables staff to be responsive to the young people's needs.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people participate in a range of activities within the community in which they live to enable them to form friendships and pursue their social interests. They choose activities such as fishing, cinema , playing football and attending football matches of the team they support. This develops young people’s interests and promotes their self-esteem.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Staff guide and encourage young people in their educational pursuits, with some good results. Strong links have been forged between the home and educational provisions. One young person is struggling with identifying a career choice or college placement. However, in the short term the home is supporting their artistic talents. The young person wishes to be an author and has already drafted several paragraphs of a children’s book. To support this, the home has purchased an on-line creative writing course. This will lead to a qualification in this area. The home has been instrumental in accessing courses for young people. One young person is completing a course that will assist him in towards his dream of being a engineer. Therefore, young people have aspirations for their future.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people's good health and well-being is successfully promoted because staff are knowledgeable and aware of each individual young person's needs. Staff actively engage with young people about a range of health-related issues, this results in consistent improvements to health and fitness. Currently, young people do not engage in risk taking behaviours such as smoking or substance misuse. Every young person has a fully completed health care plan that includes all of the required information as part of their wider placement plan. Appropriate support from medical professionals is provided and a high level of liaison takes place between staff and these professionals to ensure young people's health needs are fully met. As a result, young people are learning to self-medicate in preparation for their independence.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people benefit from appropriate contact, in line with their placement plan, with family friends and other people who are important to them. Staff support young people wherever necessary during family visits. Placement plans and contact records make explicit the authorised arrangements for contact between each young person, their family, friends and their social workers. Young people have benefitted from the multi-agency working, which has been proactively pursued by the manager, in relation to significantly moving contact arrangements on. For example, young people have progressed over time from one hour supervised visits to unsupervised overnights with their families. This is appreciated by young people and has given them opportunities to be involved in family life.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people have local authority pathway plans in place. These are robustly supported by the homes own individual independence support plan. In addition to this, young people are engaged in a challenge of fifty skills. This is a dual purpose document which allows staff to assess their skills, give further help when necessary, gives practical support such as sewing a button and allows young people to benefit from completing the challenge. For example, after completing fifteen of these challenges young people receive a reward of their choosing. On full completion of the challenge they receive a substantial reward such as attending a rock concert. Therefore, young people are prepared for future independence because they are encouraged to develop basic life skills and are given practical and emotional support by staff.

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Quality of care

There are personalised placement plans in place that clearly identify young people’s individual and diverse needs. Young people are aware of their content, as they are included in their plan from the point of admission. Young people are confident to attend their review and to put forward their wishes and feelings. The staff team believe that they place the welfare of each young person at the centre of their care and by encouraging relationships based on trust, honesty and respect they develop a mutual understanding, which enables them to work with young people to reach their full potential. A social worker said ‘the resilience of staff and the good insight to the young person’s behaviour is excellent’. They comment that 'the level of care is of very good quality.'

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Quality of care

Encouraging young people's educational and personal development is recognised as being central to the life of the home. Education attendance is very good and high attainment is encouraged. Young people are encouraged to value their education and their progress is recognised and celebrated, as such, they are enabled to grow as individuals. Staff support young people to develop their knowledge, skills and independence by offering appropriate advice, encouragement and by being good role models.

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Quality of care

Key working sessions provide effective one-to-one support and time to discuss things privately with staff. Young people are aware that it may not always be possible to act upon their wishes. Staff are honest in their discussions with them and help them to understand the reasons why. Young people are aware of independent agencies that they can discuss any concerns with, if they feel unable to use the in-house system. All concerns, however minor are processed through the complaints system. This shows that the home takes all concerns seriously. As a consequence, young people are confident that staff will address any concerns raised quickly and formally.

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Quality of care

Staff have high aspirations for young people's educational achievement and work with further education agencies to help young people achieve the best that they can. This means that young people are making good progress in terms of their starting points. The home’s morning routines effectively support young people. Staff ensure young people are up, ready and have everything they need for that day. Young people are provided with a choice of activities, such as outdoor pursuits of which there are many photographs showing much fun and laughter.

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Quality of care

Young people’s emotional health needs are well supported and young people access mental health services where appropriate to promote their emotional well-being. The systems for the administration and storage of medication are robust and health care plans provide clear insight into the young people's health needs and the systems to support their independence. Excellent liaison with external health providers has given staff insightful information to support young people with debilitating conditions. As a consequence, young people are taking more responsibility in ensuring their own good health.

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Quality of care

The home provides meals that are varied and young people are encouraged to contribute to the menu planning process on a weekly basis to ensure that their personal preferences are accommodated. Young people are encouraged to be physically healthy through a wide range of activities.

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Quality of care

The house is a detached property set in its own grounds. It is spacious and well equipped. There is a large family kitchen/diner, lounge, activity room and separate computer room. Each young person has their own bedroom which they are encouraged to personalise. Their bedrooms reflect their interests and contain meaningful poster and significant personal items. Young people have access to an adequate number of bath and shower rooms. Although the home is in a rural setting, staff ensure that young people have good access to a range of community resources.

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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 live in a safe environment where they are effectively protected from harm, exploitation and bullying. They have a sense of safety and say that they feel safe at the home. Young people are protected as staff have a secure understanding of the home's safeguarding procedures. This means they are able to take swift action should they have any concerns in relation to a young person's welfare or well-being. Staff give young people's safety the highest priority and are trained in relation to safeguarding. Young people are provided with good advice on how to keep themselves safe. They are encouraged to talk to them if they have any worries or concerns. Staff's secure understanding of each young person's needs enables them to act in their best interests. Any concern raised by young people is routinely shared with the local authority designated officer and significant parties. This ensures that there is a transparent system in place regardless of how minor the concern maybe.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people receive a written outcome of their concern or investigation. This shows that they are afforded respect and fully understand the process taken.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people's behaviour has declined over the last months. However, the staff, manager and social workers recognise that this is due to their apprehensions of planning for their independence and the uncertainties of leaving the home in which they have been settled for a significant period of time. Staff recognise that this is a natural response and continue to ensure that they support young people through this transition. Further to this, young people know what standards of behaviour are expected and possible consequences of poor behaviour. Minimal physical restraint has been used in times of unsafe behaviour. These are reported and recorded appropriately. Young people are offered a debrief session to assess whether staff could have done anything better and this gives them an opportunity to reflect on their behaviour. Young people are encouraged to behave well, to establish, achieve and maintain levels of behaviour that are socially acceptable and that will sustain

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Safeguarding children and young people

them in the wider community. The manager monitors these to ensure consistency and fairness and will in consultation with young people and staff make amendments if appropriate.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The recruitment and selection of people working at the home is thorough to make sure young people are protected. The provider carefully ensures that staff have the skills and competencies to meet the needs of individual young people. The vetting of visitors to the home is robust and ensures the safety and well-being of young people.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The privacy of young people is respected and information is confidentially handled. Staff ensure that they do not enter young people's rooms without knocking. A good balance, however, is achieved between respecting young people’s wish for privacy and ensuring their safety. Young people are protected from bullying by the vigilance of staff who are guided by clear policies and robust training. Young people and staff know that bullying is not tolerated. Young people receive clear messages that bullying behaviour will be challenged and that these issues are discussed openly within the home to ensure everyone is protected.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Staff know and implement the home's procedure promptly when young people are missing from home. Staff search the local area and try to contact young people to find out where they are. They liaise effectively and quickly with the local police and other professionals and maintain detailed records of the event. However, although the home has the local missing from home protocol in place, some staff are not sufficiently aware of the protocol or the relevant classification categories within the protocol, such as when to report a young person as missing from home, or when absent without authority. This means that police response times may be compromised. Otherwise, the home's good procedures promote the safety of young people who are missing from home and the number of incidents of young people going missing has reduced.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people live in a physically safe environment. They are protected from any hazards by a comprehensive range of health and safety procedures, risk assessments and checks. Staff carry out regular health and safety checks to ensure the premises are safe and young people know what to do in case of an emergency. All services and utilities are inspected regularly. Fire safety is given appropriate importance and fire drills are carried out routinely. The home has a matrix of all staff and young people who have attended a fire drill and this ensures that the manager can recognise at first glance whether anybody has missed or needs a refresher on evacuation. It also means that young people and staff know what to do in the event of an emergency.

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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 managed by a committed, competent and qualified Registered Manager. He has a clear and realistic understanding of the strengths of the setting and the areas for further development. This is supported by an action plan that sets out how the home is to develop. The good management of this home contributes significantly to the positive impact on the care and support young people receive. Good communication is a feature of the home, which enables staff to be well informed about daily events, routines and the progress of each young person.

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Leadership and management

The Statement of Purpose and young person's guide are shared with young people, their families and placing authorities. The Statement of Purpose is well written and informative and provides the reader with information on the care and support provided. The home's coherent philosophy, clear shared values and strong management combine to ensure that each young person is valued and nurtured. The detailed planning of each young person's care combined with the effective use, when appropriate, of external professional support ensures that each young person, not only has their identified needs met, but is encouraged to achieve their full potential.

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Leadership and management

Staff are supportive of the Registered Manager and have a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities. They say that the Registered Manager is always available to talk to and their positive attitude means any issues are quickly resolved. Staff are supported on an individual basis and receive one-to-one professional supervision. However, not all staff have up-to date appraisals of their work, although there are plans in place to address this. Staff say they work very well as a team and that they have regular staff meetings with their team members. This means they are able to consider young people's progress and modify any plans to ensure they remain current.

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Leadership and management

Staff receive regular training that covers all required areas and staff hold the required qualifications. Most staff hold recognised qualifications in caring for young people and one staff is near to completing their level three diploma. Therefore, staff have a wide range of skills and experience which mean the needs of the young people living at the home are met effectively. Consequently they are able to continue to provide good care to the young people.

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Leadership and management

The home has recently lost two staff members. This has impacted on the homes ability to cover the shortfalls within the rota. Agency staff and staff from the company’s sister homes have been covering the shortfalls. However, the manager is acutely aware of using the same people in an effort to achieve continuity of staffing so that children's attachments are not overly disrupted. The Registered Manager is in receipt of all agency documentation to make sure that safe, competent and qualified staff are caring for young people. The company has completed a recruitment drive but did not find any people who they deemed suitable. The manager said ‘applicants did not have the skills or qualifications required to work with young people with complex needs. We want to fill posts with people who have transferable skills and good levels of care practice, rather than filling vacancies’. Therefore, a second round

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Leadership and management

of recruitment is taking place. However, the company does not have appropriate strategies and contingency plans in place should there be a delay in this recruitment process. As a consequence, this has the potential to have an impact on staff well- being and the care given to young people.

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Leadership and management

The home has sound systems to review the quality of care each month. The Registered Manager consistently monitors the running of the home and identifies areas for improvement. Action is taken to ensure the home meets the young people's needs and promotes their welfare. The responsible individual visits the home every month to monitor the quality of care. There are appropriate systems in place to notify any significant issues with regards to the young people. Records and documentation are maintained and provide insight into young people's time in the home, including individualised risk assessments for each person. Records seen demonstrate that the content of these reports reflect an accurate picture of life for young people resident in the home. Young people’s records are detailed and well structured; these are held securely and confidentially. However, some paperwork is unsigned by the author, staff and

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Leadership and management

manager. For example, a local authority care plan has not been signed by anyone. This does not ensure that all parties are in agreement with the plan. Although this is not currently impacting on the care young people receive, it has the potential to do so.

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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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