Children's Home run by Isle of Wight Council in Isle of Wight

Unique reference number SC395944 Inspection date 07/11/2013 Inspector Brian Mcquoid Type of inspection Interim Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 30/04/2013 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Brief description of the service

This children's home is a purpose-built facility owned and operated by a local council. It is registered to take up to 10 young people with learning difficulties and/or physical disabilities between the ages of eight and 17 years.

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The inspection judgements and what they mean

Good progress The children’s home has demonstrated continued improvement in quality of care and outcomes for children and young people and where appropriate has addressed all requirements and the large majority of recommendations that were raised at the previous inspection. Satisfactory progress The children’s home has maintained quality of care and outcomes for children and young people and where appropriate has addressed all requirements and the majority of recommendations that were raised at the previous inspection. Inadequate progress The children’s home has failed to address one or more requirements and/or has not met the majority of recommendations and/or the quality of care and outcomes for children and young people have declined since the last full inspection.

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Progress

Since their previous inspection the service is judged to be making good progress .

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Progress

The service was last inspected during April 2013 when the overall effectiveness and all other areas were judged to be good. There were no statutory requirements arising from the inspection, however there were two recommendations both of which have been satisfactorily addressed. There have been no significant event notifications sent to Ofsted since June 2012 and regulation 33 reports reflect positively on how the home is operating. The registered manager was off sick at the time of the inspection, however satisfactory management arrangements are in place in her absence and the home is operating smoothly on a day to day basis. Since the previous inspection a number of new staff have been recruited, there has been an increase in the number of bank staff available and a significant decrease in the frequency of agency workers being employed within the home. Staffing levels are high and provide well for the delivery of individualised care which is effective in

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Progress

Outcomes for young people continue to be positive and in some instances have improved significantly. Behaviour, relationships with parents, activities, and accessing the community are all areas where there has been significant progress for some young people. 'Absolutely brilliant, he is happy there and has made real progress', were comments received from a parent when asked to describe the service. There have been no complaints received since the previous inspection and the home has a good track record of addressing requirements and recommendations from inspections. Two senior members of staff have since the last inspection become strategies for crisis intervention and prevention instructors and are in the process of training the whole staff group on this approach to behaviour management. Incidents of challenging behaviour are being managed effectively, however the recording of incidents where physical restraint has been used does not meet the requirements of

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Progress

There have been a number of improvements since the previous inspection which clearly demonstrate a commitment to the continuing development of the service. The physical environment is being maintained to a high standard and has been greatly enhanced as a result of the employment of two caretakers since the last inspection. Improvements include new garden and perimeter fencing, new flooring in some areas, and attractive soft boards displayed on walls throughout the building. An internal re-organisation has seen new facilities created for young people which include a dedicated art room and an additional lounge as well as increased and improved facilities for staff in both the long stay and short breaks provision. Other improvements include new sofas being purchased, touch screen jukeboxes being installed, and the creation of life books for all young people. The home is judged to have made good progress since the last inspection.

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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.

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that within 24 hours of the use of any measure of restraint within the home, a written record is made in a volume kept for the purpose which shall include the details listed under this regulation. (Regulation 17B (3)) 12/12/2013

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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 progress made by the provider since the last full inspection, identifies any further strengths, any areas for improvement and makes judgements as outlined in the Inspection of children’s homes – framework for inspection.

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