Children's Home run by Pathway Care Solutions Ltd in Nottinghamshire

Unique reference number SC051739 Inspection date 07/11/2013 Inspector Joanne Vyas Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 20/12/2012 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 is registered for three young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties. The home is part of a private organisation which has several homes within 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

Young people like living at this home. Most have had a stable placement over a period of years which has enabled them to form close attachments with each other and staff. They clearly see this as their home. Young people have made good progress especially with their attendance at school and their mental health. A strength of this home is how staff promote the participation of young people in all aspects of their care and the home. Staff are also skilled at delivering individually tailored care to young people with highly complex needs. The Registered Manager clearly understands the strengths and weaknesses of the home which enables her to successfully drive forward improvement.

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Overall effectiveness

Some shortfalls were identified. Young people at times have money deducted from their overall allowance for poor behaviour. A resource area is used for staff to sleep in overnight, so limiting access. The staff rota does not accurately reflect staffing levels in the home.

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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) provide for person’s working at the children’s home sleeping accommodation where the provision of such accommodation is needed in connection with their work at the home (Regulation 31 (10)(b)) 31/12/2013

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that disciplinary measures do not include the imposition of any financial penalty, other than a requirement for the payment of a reasonable sum by way of reparation. (Regulation 17(2)(g)) 30/11/2013

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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 records of staff working in the home demonstrate the staffing level. (NMS 17.2)

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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

Young people are happy and relaxed in the home. Young people are talented artists and musicians. Their work is displayed not only within the home but also in other more public arenas such as a local art gallery. Young people, therefore, build on their protective factors which contribute to strong emotional resilience. This enables young people to better manage emotional traumas in their lives.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people have a healthier outlook on life. Young people who smoke understand the risks associated with smoking and are actively trying to stop smoking. Young people who hurt themselves intentionally find successful alternative strategies, which mean they no longer feel the need to hurt themselves. Young people regularly attend the gym which helps them to stay physically fit. Young people who have complex healthcare needs and a disability have a positive outlook on life and are an inspiration to others.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people enjoy having their friends ‘sleep over’. They explained that other young people have to agree and at least one young person will be staying overnight elsewhere before a friend can stay. Young people are, therefore, able to form and sustain friendships. They also maintain excellent contact with their families. A social worker said, ‘Mum is very pleased with the level of service offered at the home.’

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people say they feel they are fully consulted on all aspects of their care. They significantly influence the day to day running of the home. They produce a regular newsletter about what they have been doing. Young people decide on the content and write up the stories. They also actively get involved in fund raising activities. They said they enjoy doing this. Furthermore, young people develop training programmes for staff to ensure staff understand care from a young person’s perspective. This enables young people to develop a positive self-view and give them confidence in their own skills.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people, who are of school age, enjoy school and their attendance is very good. Young people who have since left school have achieved qualifications at GCSE level, having previously not attended school for a prolonged period of time prior to coming to this home.

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Quality of care

The quality of the care is outstanding .

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Quality of care

Young people are supported to follow their dreams. One young person is auditioning for a well-known talent contest. Another is a budding entrepreneur, who despite her disability, makes and sells jewellery, cards and place mats. Another is learning to play the guitar and has a talent for art.

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Quality of care

Young people have positive relationships with each other although they admit that sometimes ‘they have their moments’. Young people are relaxed around staff and say they like all the staff.

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Quality of care

Most young people are no longer in education due to their age. However, staff ensure they are appropriately occupied. Young people are encouraged to gain skills via certificated courses, that will help them in the work place such as first aid and knowledge of food hygiene. Young people who are of school age are encouraged to attend regularly. Young people, who have not attended a school for a long time, have done so once they moved in to this home. Education is part of the culture of this home. When young people are emotionally or physically unwell, staff are realistic about the scope for young people to attend regular education. However, staff continue to have high aspirations for young people.

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Quality of care

A young person stated that she thought the home should receive outstanding. She talked about the tremendous progress she has made since coming to the home and commended the staff for the help and support they have given her. For example, supporting staff to stop smoking. Staff are also skilled at providing young people with alternative strategies to hurting themselves. Strategies include talking to staff or using a red pen to mark their skin rather than cutting their skin. Therefore, staff have been successful in helping young people to stop hurting themselves intentionally.

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Quality of care

Staff are knowledgeable about young people. They are provided with good information which enables them to carry out their work effectively. Young people actively contribute to their plans. A young person talked about how she will read her notes and circle anything which she feels is incorrect. Staff will then look at it and change it or discuss further with her. Young people who make complaints are listened to and taken seriously by staff. Complaints are resolved quickly and effectively. Staff have close working relationship with external professionals. A social worker said, ‘Staff are very welcoming and informative. They have recently sent over risk assessments and residential action plans.’ They also work closely with hospital staff and mental health workers.

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Quality of care

Staff ensure young people are consulted about their care and the running of the home in many ways. Their views and wishes are highly respected by staff. For example, young people join staff meetings to air their views; they are involved in interviewing staff and they lead training sessions for staff. For example, young people with a disability led training for staff which helps staff to understand what having a disability is like. This is particularly to be commended as inclusion and participation is a clear strength of this home.

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Quality of care

Young people have enjoyed a holiday abroad this year. They said they particularly liked meeting up with other young people from other homes within the organisation while on holiday. Young people have also enjoyed a pop concert and a bonfire party. They also regularly visit the gym.

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Quality of care

Young people like their home and say it is homely. A social worker said, ‘There’s a nice atmosphere. It appears safe.’ Young people have highly personalised single bedrooms. Young people who have a disability have appropriate adaptations around the home which promotes their independence.

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Safeguarding children and young people

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

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people say they feel safe in this home. Staff are knowledgeable about the home’s safeguarding and whistleblowing procedures. Young people do not report bullying as an issue. Young people say they get on well with each other. Staff are effective in building strong relationships between young people and do not tolerate bullying behaviour.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people are generally well behaved at this home. They talk positively about the incentive scheme even though it means money is at times deducted from their overral funds. Young people say this has not had an impact on them as they have plenty of money to meet their needs. While it is acknowledged that recent changes have been implemented to the incentive scheme to ensure young people no longer lose money, a requirement has been set to ensure that the changes are embedded into practice.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Staff have good relationships with young people. Consequently, staff rarely use physical intervention. They prefer to talk issues through with young people. This approach appears successful.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people rarely go missing from this home. They feel happy and secure in the home. However, staff carry out the home’s procedures should a young person go missing from the home.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people have attended fire training and run fire drills within the home, telling staff where the fire is. This ensures young people have a good understanding of hazards associated with fire and how to escape the house in case of a real fire. The home has good health and safety procedures. Staff are appropriately vetted before starting work in the home with young people.

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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

This home has a Registered Manager who is appropriately qualified and experienced to manage the home. She is passionate about providing a high quality of care for young people. She has complied with all the requirements and recommendations made at the previous inspection.

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Leadership and management

The Statement of Purpose is a comprehensive document with issues of equality and diversity threaded throughout. The Registered Manager demonstrates a capacity for continued improvement and knows well the home’s strengths and weaknesses. The home has a strong child-focussed written development plan outlining future plans for the home. Records are comprehensive, accurate and up to date.

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Leadership and management

Young people have produced the Welcome book for new admissions. It is individual to the new admission, bright and full of pictures. It not only tells the new young person what they feel is important to tell them about the home but also tells them a little bit about themselves. This is a lovely piece of work by the young people demonstrating how important the views of young people are in this home. Additionally, young people have developed a newsletter which highlights their successes over the recent months and how much young people like this home.

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Leadership and management

Young people are cared for by an enthusiastic, skilled and dynamic staff team who are qualified, experienced and caring. They are well supported by each other and the Registered Manager. Staff clearly have the interests of the young people at heart. They are proud of the achievements of young people and actively nurture their talents.

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Leadership and management

The staff rota does not fully state the staffing levels for each day. Staff who have covered staff sickness have not been recorded; therefore, the rota does not provide an accurate record. Furthermore, the Registered Manager is not on the staff rota. It is therefore unclear when the Registered Manager is working in the home.

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Leadership and management

The home’s resource room for young people is also used by staff at night to sleep in as there is no alternative sleeping accommodation. Although young people are accepting of this, it means young people cannot access this room during the night.

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Leadership and management

The Registered Manager makes good use of a range of monitoring activities which includes the manager’s own evaluation of the service as well as an evaluation of the conduct of the home completed by a senior member of the organisation. Both these activities contribute to ensuring the home operates to a high standard within its Statement of Purpose.

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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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