Children's Home run by The Together Trust in Stockport

Unique reference number SC025745 Inspection date 29/10/2013 Inspector Sue Winson Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 06/02/2013 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Brief description of the service

This children's home is owned and managed by a charitable organisation. It provides a short-breaks service for up to five young people at any one time with learning disabilities, including autistic spectrum disorders. At present 39 children and young people use the service.

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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

Whilst the responsibility for children and young people’s needs, including health and education, are primarily with parents, the home provides respite care which benefits the young people. Staff know them well, and respond to their individual communication methods. Social workers commented that ‘staff endeavour to consult the children’, and it is evident that they respond to their wishes and preferences. They are also alert to young people’s comfort and moods. This ensures that young people enjoy their stays, make progress and achieve agreed outcomes, which are clearly outlined in highly individualised plans.

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Overall effectiveness

Staff demonstrate a good understanding of safe working practices, which are highly developed due to individual vulnerabilities, risky behaviours and differing awareness of danger. This protects young people well. Parents who completed surveys commented that the staff manage complex behaviours, ‘constructively and safely at all times to my knowledge’, and that their children ‘are happy going there’.

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Overall effectiveness

Leadership and management arrangements are strong, and rigorous monitoring drives improvement, in the interests of young people. Their needs are at the centre of staff practice, and the staff group are highly committed to achieving positive outcomes for them. The staff were described by parents as, ‘enthusiastic and diligent’ and ‘seem to enjoy spending time with the children they work with despite their many challenges’.

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Overall effectiveness

There are no breaches of regulations, and failures to meet NMS do not impact negatively on the welfare or safety of the young people. Individual records have not always been completed on the few occasions when physical intervention is necessary. Despite continued efforts, the home has not yet been successful in gaining the views of parents, social workers and independent reviewing officers, in order to develop practice.

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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 views of young people’s families, social workers and independent reviewing officers are sought regularly and used to support continued improvement in the quality of care provided by the home (Children Act 1989 Guidance and Regulations Volume 5 2.27)  demonstrate that the need for any means of physically intervening with a child is based on their specific individual needs. (Children Act 1989 Guidance and Regulations Volume 5 2.95)

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Outcomes for children and young people

Children and young people make good progress during their stays at the home. They are introduced to staff, and have the opportunity to visit beforehand. Introductions are individualised and go at their pace. This ensures that they are as confident and secure as possible, in their time away from home. They make and sustain positive relationships with staff, and often have the choice of who supports them and takes them out on activities. Good communication between the home, their parents and schools, ensures they receive the consistency of care that they need, and they respond to this positively.

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Outcomes for children and young people

It is evident from photographs and comments from their parents, that young people enjoy a range of activities and outings in line with their individual interests and wishes. They also have opportunities which would otherwise be unavailable to them. Their skills and abilities are therefore maximised, developing their confidence. Young people can access appropriate communication support and are cared for by staff who know them well. Those who do not communicate verbally, or do not easily express their wishes, have opportunities to participate in daily living and in more complex decisions, whenever possible. Many of them readily make their views and wishes known, some through the use of signs and symbols. Young people have been involved in choosing the paint for the garden sheds, so that they look like bathing huts, and at their request, all the bedrooms have televisions. Young people’s independence is maximised and well promoted, whilst their safety

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Outcomes for children and young people

remains paramount. They learn new skills and build on their abilities. When the time comes for them to move to adult services, they are involved in choosing their new homes. Their opportunities to make the transition in ways they are comfortable with have been increased. Those who do not manage change well, have better opportunities for longer introductions, with support from staff.

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Quality of care

Highly individualised care planning, in conjunction with parents, and others involved in the lives of the young people, ensures that they make progress. The home is active in gaining information from local authorities and schools, and regular communication benefits the young people. Their person centred plans are regularly reviewed, and always amended in line with new information or emerging behaviours. The young people gain from work with them, which is geared to their personal needs. Outcomes are evaluated in line with measurable goals and outcomes, which ensures they continue to progress.

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Quality of care

Their welfare and enjoyment of their stays is paramount. Comprehensive assessment periods, where staff gain information, and visit parents, schools and young people, ensure that the home can meet their needs. Staff communicate well with parents, teachers and other professionals, which means that young people’s wellbeing is at the centre of practice in the home. Parents gain from the experience of staff, in managing a range of behaviours. Examples were given where parents' requests were acted upon, resulting in young people gaining new skills.

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Quality of care

Positive planning supports young people in learning appropriate behaviour and developing relationships with adults and other young people. Their diverse needs are well met. Reward charts are used when appropriate, which young people respond to well, as these are geared to individual goals. Staff are active in taking action before young people are in situations which may distress them. For example, avoiding busy times in the house by taking young people out.

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Quality of care

Young people’s health is well promoted, as far as is possible, and placement plans include strategies to increase their healthy diets and healthy living. Young people increasingly enjoy walking and physical exercise. They are encouraged to help with shopping and preparing meals to extend their diets. Where young people’s health causes concern, strategies are in place to safeguard their welfare. In addition, staff only administer medication when they have been trained and assessed in the home as competent. Any changes are checked with parents and doctors to ensure the health of young people. Practice in the home has recently been strengthened as a result of a medication error. Immediate action was taken to ensure the safety of the young person, however the home has moved on to introduce further safeguards to prevent recurrence.

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Quality of care

Young people have choices whilst in the home and their views have significantly influenced their stays. They have been involved in decorating the outside areas, bedrooms and the lounge. Staff routinely ask young people to make choices, or respond positively to their wishes. They are knowledgeable about community and specialist activities, so young people have choices about how they spend their time. They are also encouraged to try new experiences.

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Quality of care

Some staff have been designated to monitor and advocate, in consultation with parents, on young people’s behalf with their local authorities, as they reach the age to move to adult services. This is having a positive effect on ensuring local authorities are alerted to their needs at an earlier stage, to allow them to move in a positive manner. In addition, they have benefitted from the provision of advocacy services.

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Quality of care

The home is well maintained, and designed to meet the needs of the young people. As the house is large, it allows for young people to have personal space when they wish it. Where possible, they are given choices about which bedroom they use, and the room is personalised before they arrive. Young people enjoy the sensory room and the computer room, both of which are well equipped. Equipment and safe access to the garden allows for outdoor play.

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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

Careful planning of children and young people’s visits protects the individuals in the group, and ensures they receive appropriate support in line with their care plans. Careful and detailed shift planning protects individual vulnerabilities and ensures young people are safe. Ongoing work with young people, for example about stranger danger, road safety and safe travel in cars, further protects them.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Comprehensive and detailed risk assessments clearly identify triggers and strategies to manage known risks to protect young people, in the home and whilst outside. These are routinely reviewed and updated in response to events or incidents, in conjunction with parents and others involved with the young people.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Records demonstrate that physical restraint used only when necessary, following attempts to apply positive behaviour strategies, in line with care plans. Staff are trained and their competencies are continually assessed in the home. Young people do not go missing from the home, however, the organisation is rolling out training to all staff, which includes protocols with local police.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The house is physically safe and secure and young people have been protected when repairs have been carried out. Young people all have opportunities to practice leaving the home on fire drills. Where they have failed to do so, extra fire drills are in place so that staff can support them to leave when necessary.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Careful selection of staff, including agency staff, protects young people. The manager routinely goes through applications and checks and telephones referees prior to anyone starting work in the home.

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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 well managed and efficiently run. The manager and deputy are suitably qualified and experienced, and provide effective leadership to the staff team. Staff commented on their availability, good quality supervision and support. The home employs an administrator and a domestic who are valued as part of the team.

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Leadership and management

There is good retention of staff, with many of the team having considerable experience in the home. Where possible regular agency staff are used, and they work with established staff, which means that the young people have good consistency of care. The staff group are highly committed to meeting the needs of the young people. They receive annual appraisals and value the high quality training which is available to them. They can also identify and suggest external courses, where specific training is not available in house.

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Leadership and management

Complaints have been acted upon appropriately and used to improve practice in the home. However, difficulties persist in gaining the views of parents and other interested parties to aid development. All significant events relating to the protection of young people, are notified to the required authorities in a timely manner. Appropriate action is taken following any incidents.

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Leadership and management

Leaders and managers promote continuing improvement, and the staff contribute to the development plan in the interests of the young people. Ongoing and robust monitoring ensures good quality practice continues and that young people continue to make progress. Regular visits under Regulation 33 result in comprehensive reports. Any necessary improvements are acted upon in a timely manner.

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Leadership and management

Records are clear, well organised and safely stored to maintain confidentiality. Arrangements are in place to ensure that the physical environment at the home is well maintained. Health and safety requirements are met. The home is adequately funded and the budgets well managed to ensure young people have the necessary resources.

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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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