Children's Home, Residential special school run by Hopscotch Solutions Limited in Rutland

Unique reference number SC065071 Inspection date 27/11/2013 Inspector Caroline Brailsford Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Residential special school (>295 days/year)

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Date of last inspection 08/03/2013 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

This is a privately owned residential special school that provides care and education to young people diagnosed with an autistic spectrum disorder. The school cares for children for more than 295 days each year, therefore is registered as a children’s home. The home can accommodate up to 11 young people.

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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 home is very well managed by a management team which is highly committed to the needs of the young people. Because the home is very well managed, young people have opportunities to make excellent progress in all areas of their care, taking into account their starting point. Considerable efforts are made to address the complex needs of the young people, and robust care planning is highly personalised. Staff know the needs of the young people extremely well. This enables them to deliver care that is well suited to individuals, whatever their needs and background.

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Overall effectiveness

The staff and manager are extremely supportive to young people. A lot of time is invested in supporting young people with their behaviour. Young people make significant improvements to their behaviour, and as a result, their life chances are improved; for example, they can access the community and their education because they are more settled.

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Overall effectiveness

Staff are professional and extremely caring in the support that they deliver. This helps young people to benefit as staff want the best outcomes for them. Staff know the needs of the young people exceptionally well, and the highly personalised care planning approach helps to maximise progress.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people are safe in this home. A robust risk assessment process also assists staff and young people in taking controlled risks to benefit young people and maximise progress at the same time as protecting their safety and welfare. Young people are at the centre of the work taking place. They feel listened to and have a say in what is happening in their lives and in the operational running of the home.

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Overall effectiveness

As a result of this inspection, there are two requirements regarding shortfalls in meeting the legislation. One issue is about the recording of physical interventions which does not fully comply with the Children’s Homes Regulations 2001. The other issue is regarding notifications because one has not been sent to Ofsted. Despite these shortfalls, which have not impacted on the care to the young people to date, young people's welfare is safeguarded. There is one recommendation set at this inspection. This is because the records do not always fully reflect the action that has been taken, particularly with regard to complaints and safeguarding information. Therefore if the records are not full these cannot be monitored effectively.

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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

17B (2001) ensure that within 24 hours of the use of any measure of control, restraint or discipline in a children's home, a written record is made in a volume kept for the purpose of which shall include the details of the child's behaviour leading to the use of the measure and a description of the measure used (Regulation 17B (3)(a) and (c)) 27/12/2013

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that if any events listed in column 1 of the table in Schedule 5 takes place, the registered person shall without delay notify the persons indicated in the respect of the event in column 2 of the table. (Regulation 30 (1) Schedule 5) 27/12/2013

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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 that there is a system to monitor the quality and accuracy of record keeping and take action when needed. (NMS 22.1)

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Outcomes for children and young people

Outcomes for young people are outstanding . Young people benefit from significantly improved outcomes as a direct result of this placement. Particularly good progress is made in relation to health, independence and behaviour. The improved behaviour allows young people to feel happier and more settled. This is because they feel more confident to self-regulate their behaviour without so much intervention from others. In turn, this enables them to access the community and enjoy activities that they would not have accessed in the past due to their behaviour. For some young people, they can now access the theatre, theme parks and community services according to their needs and interests. This improves their quality of life and they are able to identify their interests and talents.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people have good health because staff assist them very well with their own health issues. For example, staff use carefully planned daily routines and the young person's own communication style to help them to understand and take responsibility for their own health needs. As a result, young people who have been unable to make excellent progress or attend appointments successfully in the past, now receive appropriate medical and dental treatment, according to their personal needs. Young people feel very able to talk to staff openly about their health, which helps them to understand their own issues.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Education has an extremely high profile in the home. Young people's educational needs are exceptionally complex and diverse. One parent stated, 'education is very good', and also reported that they wished that they could have found this placement sooner, demonstrating that their young person is making very good progress. All young people maintain excellent engagement in their school placement. This is very significant for some young people because they have had multiple school placements in the past. Also for some young people who have been previously excluded, this is the first time that they have begun to make progress. Important individual aspects of learning are exceptionally well considered. Each young person’s achievements are celebrated, however small, and incentives ensure that young people have goals to work towards. This encourages young people to work hard and make considerable progress.

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Outcomes for children and young people

In addition, young people benefit from opportunities to develop practical knowledge and life skills. This fully supports the development of their independence and helps them become as self-reliant as possible. Despite young people's complex needs, they are exceptionally well assisted in developing as much independence as possible. For example, there is a self-contained building attached to the main house, where two young people at a time can learn more about cooking and about looking after themselves. This allows young people to be as independent as they can be.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people receive excellent practical and emotional support to maintain and develop contact with their families. It is clear that there are no limitations to support from staff in relation to contacts, and where there is a substantial amount of travelling, staff continue to assist young people to engage in all planned contacts.

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Quality of care

The quality of the care is outstanding .

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Quality of care

Young people really do have a say about the running of the home and what is happening in their own life. This is because they are fully involved in discussions about their care and also in planning for their future. They feel very confident in the complaints process and are very clear that they can go to staff or any member of the management team if they have an issues or suggestion. One young person said with regard to the complaints procedure, 'I know how to do it', and that they are listened to 'all the time'. This empowers them to become more confident in their own views and thus assists them in developing their independence. Changes are made because of this consultation, for example, menu choices and activities. Staff are particularly creative in ensuring that young people fully understand what is happening in their own life through very individual resources such as picture prompts, symbols and

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Quality of care

photographs to assist them to express their views and choices as much as is possible. Staff also ensure that they seek appropriate training in the latest resources and ideas available, particularly in the field of autistic spectrum disorder. This ensures that the potential for improvements are maximised.

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Quality of care

Young people receive very high standards of care and support because staff see them in an extremely positive light, whatever their behaviour. Staff really do value each young person for the attributes they bring. They use every opportunity to praise young people, which enables them to quickly develop a more positive self- view. This also allows them to become more settled. For some young people, this is the first time that they have been settled enough to receive a full assessment on their condition. This assessment opens many doors; for example, they can now be in receipt of the correct funding, and medical and psychological assistance. Young people and staff alike feel very proud of young people's improvements with their behaviour. For some young people, their confidence is so improved that they can stand up to speak in front of an audience. This is seen as very significant progress for some young people who would not have been this confident in the past.

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Quality of care

This setting is part of a residential special school and both the care and education staff work hand in hand to promote very good progress in education. Staffing levels are extremely high throughout the school day and the care staff are also fully involved in the young person's education. They know the young people's strengths and targets, so every opportunity is taken by them to promote learning. Some young people also identify new interests and are very well supported to excel in these areas. All progress is celebrated and young people are highly valued by the staff for their attributes. In addition, staff work very well to encourage young people to behave in a more socially acceptable way and to fit in and be more accepted into their own communities. This is of great benefit to young people, who in the past have struggled to see the importance of developing good socially acceptable behaviour.

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Quality of care

Care plans are highly individual and responsive to the changing and emerging needs of young people. This high quality work always informs future planning at the earliest opportunity so that young people can develop to their full potential. The home’s location and design are well suited to young people's needs. The home's locality provides good access to a range of local amenities, services and transport links. Each young person has their own room, their privacy is respected and they are able to keep their possessions safe. There are some areas of the home which need to be in plain décor due to the sensory impact of pictures and other objects, impacting on young people's behaviour. However, this means that the house can present as a little institutionalised in places, such as the bathrooms and corridors. However, the sensory needs of the young people make it more difficult to progress this issue.

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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's behaviour has significantly improved as a result of the highly individual and positive approach taken by staff. The young people are extremely complex in their behaviour, yet the staff work extremely hard getting to know the young people so that they can be fully understood. It is noted by parents, staff and professionals that young people have fewer behavioural incidents, which significantly increases their safety and welfare.

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Safeguarding children and young people

There are physical interventions in the home, but this reflects the complex needs of young people. Young people are very clear that all physical interventions are of a last resort and that staff complete them safely. Staff training in behaviour management reinforces and further promotes the positive approach to young people. This has helped them to make progress and develop their self-esteem. However, physical interventions are not all clearly recorded in line with the Children’s Homes Regulations 2001. Therefore, it is difficult to build up a picture of what the behaviour requiring the use of the physical intervention was. Also, information is not clear or detailed about exactly what the measure was and how this was implemented. This has the potential to impact on young people's welfare and so a requirement has been made. This is because it cannot be established that the physical intervention was carried out in a way that fully incorporates the safety and welfare of the young

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Safeguarding children and young people

people. In addition, it is difficult to ascertain the required details in the case of a complaint from a young person.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The home has safeguarding policies which include procedures to be followed in the event of a child protection concern. Care staff are very clear about what they must do, reporting that they would always respond immediately and discuss concerns with their manager without delay. Young people feel safe and their concerns about individuals are always listened to by the staff. However, records are variable in their quality with regard to some safeguarding matters. For example, the staff and management response to one young person’s concern about a restraint was not fully documented. Despite the relevant action being taken, an audit trail of the response to this safeguarding matter could not be easily found, particularly in relation to consultation with the relevant authorities. The matter can therefore not be fully monitored and a recommendation has been made. Young people's risk assessments are extremely individual and robust. They contain

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Safeguarding children and young people

full information about how risks should be reduced. This impacts very positively on young people's welfare, because the staff are knowledgeable and fully aware of what they must do to keep the young person safe.

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Safeguarding children and young people

No young people have been missing since the last inspection. Staffing ratios are very high, allowing the consistent, high supervision of young people at all times. Procedures are in place and individual risks are incorporated exceptionally well into the detailed risk assessments. This further minimises the risk of young people going missing.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Recruitment practices are excellent, which helps to protect young people from the risk of harm and abuse. All staff receive training in health and safety procedures including fire training. Weekly tests of the fire alarm system and regular fire drills help to keep young people and staff safe. A risk assessment process in relation to the building and all activities further helps to promote the safety of all who use it. For example, a risk assessment about the individual activities, such as trips to parks, describes clearly the steps staff should take to minimise any risk.

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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’s Statement of Purpose covers all the requirements as detailed in Schedule 1 of the Children’s Homes Regulations 2001. The document reflects correctly the work taking place and the home operates within its conditions of registration.

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Leadership and management

Progress in meeting the requirement from the last inspection has taken place. The manager sends copies of his own inspections to Ofsted, allowing the setting to be fully regulated.

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Leadership and management

The training, induction and supervision of staff are excellent. Staff receive appropriate training and this helps to ensure they are able to meet the needs of young people. Most staff have attained the National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) at level 3 in Caring for Children or an equivalent qualification. Staff training since the last full inspection is well over and above the national minimum standard, including higher levels in safeguarding training and NVQ qualifications at level 5 for middle managers. There is also mandatory training in first aid, safeguarding and behaviour management. In addition, the company supports staff well in their energy and interest in developing their training needs around the needs of the young people. This improves the quality of care. For example, there is training in methods of assisting young people to communicate and process information, which assists staff to understand young people’s communication styles. Staff are highly motivated by

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Leadership and management

such training and are therefore excited about making a positive difference to young people's lives.

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Leadership and management

The home is well managed. One member of staff said, 'the manager is good'. In addition, a parent stated, 'I cannot praise them enough', in relation to the management arrangements. The Registered Manager is also supported by a highly effective management team, including team managers who support him to ensure that the care in the home is of a high quality. Effective monitoring by the manager has taken place in the home, which helps to make sure that the young people make progress. Some areas of monitoring are very robust, in that the information is scrutinised for patterns and trends and shared with the management team and staff to promote good practice. This monitoring helps to measure the progress that young people are making, ensuring that young people experience good outcomes in many areas of their lives. In addition, the company has completed their own inspection visits which have mainly been thorough. However, one visit did not identify a

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Leadership and management

complaint made by a young person and therefore the matter was not monitored by the provider to ensure that the outcome and action taken were satisfactory. However, the responsible individual is clear that improvements are needed to the streamlining of information. Plans are already in place for a new computer database in the home, where information will be monitored more robustly. It is clear that action has already been taken to rectify this shortfall so a requirement has not been made.

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Leadership and management

The quality of records in the home is variable; for example care plans and risk assessments are excellent whereas safeguarding issues and complaints are not always robustly recorded. This has not impacted on young people but has the potential to do so. This is because if records are not full and detailed, they cannot be effectively monitored and important information could be missed. Therefore a recommendation has been made.

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Leadership and management

There is a procedure for notifying appropriate authorities of significant events as required under Regulation 30 of the Children’s Homes Regulations 2001. However, this system has not always been effectively implemented and there has been one notification not appropriately sent to Ofsted. This has not impacted on the young people concerned because the manager is fully aware of the matter and has taken action. However, there is a breach in the Regulations and this has the potential to impact on young people in the future. This is because Ofsted will not be aware of it, so will not be able to fully regulate to ensure the safety and welfare of young people. Therefore a requirement has been made.

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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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