Children's Home run by Norfolk County Council in Norfolk

Unique reference number SC463902 Inspection date 09/12/2013 Inspector Stephen Halliley Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 20/09/2013 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 home is owned and run by the local authority. The home offers short-term care and assessment for up to four young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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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 adequate .

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Overall effectiveness

This home was judged to be inadequate at an Ofsted inspection in September 2013. Since that time the manager designate and staff team have worked extremely hard to improve the quality of care provided. A highly detailed action plan was provided following the last inspection. By robustly putting these plans into action, the home has turned around and is now providing a much improved quality of service to young people. Improvements have been made in the following areas: the appearance and maintenance of the home, ensuring all staff are well trained and regularly supervised, improving the staff teams awareness of safeguarding practices and procedures and improving the quality of recording among other things. All 11 requirements and four recommendations made at the last inspection have been fully addressed.

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Overall effectiveness

This home has made very significant progress since the last inspection, reflected in the much improved judgements given for outcomes for young people and quality of care provided. While there remains room for further improvement, the progress already made must be recognised and this service is now judged to be an adequate home.

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Overall effectiveness

Two young people have moved on and there is currently one young person living in this home. Clear thoughts around placement matching are in place to ensure the home does not have any repeat of the issues which affected the previous inspection. Relationships between staff and young people are good and improving all the time.

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Overall effectiveness

Senior staff believe the home would have made progress as a matter of its own development but this was hastened by the previous inspection judgement. They are happy with the progress made and the improved judgements they have received. Senior staff are also aware that there remains much work to be done and that the challenge will be to continue this improvement as their residential numbers increase.

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Overall effectiveness

Shortfalls were noted around the authorship of a restraint record and the lack of complete employment histories for some new staff. Immediate action was taken to address these issues. Further minor shortfalls were noted in respect of the completeness of restraint records, the clarity of these in terms of holds being used and the robustness of the monitoring of 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) ensure the registered person does not employ a person to work at the children's home unless he has full and satisfactory information available to him about this person particularly with respect to a full employment history together with a satisfactory written explanation of any gaps in employment (Reg 26 (3) (d) schedule 2 (6)) 31/01/2014

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure the registered person maintains in respect of each child who is accommodated in the children's home records of the use of restraint used on the child which are signed and dated by the author of each written entry. (Reg 28 (1) (c) schedule 3 (13)) 31/12/2013

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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 there are clear and effective procedures for monitoring and controlling the activities at the home with particular reference to accurately recording any notifications made when completing schedule 6 monitoring (NMS 21.1)  ensure managers regularly monitor, in line with regulations, all records kept by the home to ensure compliance with the homes policies, to identify any concerns about specific incidents and to identify patterns and trends; this specifically relates to recording measures of restraint using correct terminology, not that of a previous behaviour management system (NMS 21.2)  ensure all staff's work is consistent with regulations, national minimum standards and the homes policies and procedures; this relates to fully completing all areas of restraint recording as required by the organisation. (NMS 21.3)

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people make significant progress in this home in many areas of their lives compared to when they first arrive. Staff comment that 'each week he is with us he makes marked progress in education, emotional intelligence and resilience. Contact with his family has improved as has his own sense of self-worth and how likeable he is. This contributes to the building of his self-esteem which will aid him to achieve his potential in the future.’ This improved emotional maturity and self-confidence is seen through an acceptance of visitors to the home and an ability to relate to adults and peers in an age appropriate manner, often using appropriate humour as a tool to enable this. Additionally parents comment that young people are 'taking much more care about and pride in appearance than before.' These improving social skills and awareness will also help young people manage a range of different social situations

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people are very well supported to take care of their health needs. Links to children and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) and other specialist counsellors/clinical psychologists are a strength of the home. Young people develop close links to these professionals and as a direct result their emotional and psychological health needs are very well met. Young people take responsibility for planning menus and ensure they eat a nutritionally balanced diet and they also partake in a range of physical activities. However, some young people decline appointments made for them with doctors, dentists and opticians. These are quickly re-booked and young people are being actively supported to take responsibility for their health in all areas including attending appointments made for them.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people's educational attendance and achievement have improved significantly. Feedback from school has been very positive and attendance levels, apart from one fixed term exclusion, have been very good in the time since the last inspection. Feedback from schools includes comments to staff such as 'he had a brilliant day today.’ The number of 'positive postcards' received by young people praising their positive attitude to learning and the work they have done indicates the consistent attendance level and the much improved educational achievements young people are making.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Within the home young people are responsible for completing a range of household chores, taking responsibility for their bedroom and helping to prepare meals. There is also a much more ingrained culture of reparation following outbursts of aggressive behaviour and damage. This involvement in making repairs to the house has engendered a feeling of pride in their surroundings and young people now take much better care of their living environment. Outside the home young people take part in a range of activities including swimming, boxing club, cinema and bowling. This supports their developing abilities to manage themselves appropriately in a range of social settings.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Family contact is important for young people. Family support workers comment that 'family contact is actively supported and the staff have helped promote and reinforce clear boundaries with parents.’ This approach has led to reunification with family for some young people and to improved, quality contact with family for others with parents saying that contact 'is going very well so far'. This ensures young people remain aware of their positions in their families and maintain links with those who are important to them.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people in this home have been reunified with family or moved to more appropriate longer term placements. These transitions have been well planned with young people supported to prepare themselves for the transition to their new placements. A time limited outreach programme to aid the transition process, where appropriate, is offered and this has been partly responsible for the two transitions being a success.

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Quality of care

A number of changes to and subsequent reduction in size of the group of young people living in this home and the accompanying change in the group dynamic has allowed young people and adults to rebuild relationships which were previously strained. This has been supported by the use of a very consistent staff team including regular sessional staff to provide consistency of approach and care.

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Quality of care

Relationships between staff and young people are strong with parents saying their child's 'relationships with staff are very good.' Young people are open to discussion, join in the handover meeting as this refers to plans for their day and are fully involved in this process. Behaviour within the home is much improved as young people are more settled and this is also recognised in the local community. One external professional noted 'I have been to a homewatch meeting and while discussing annual crime figures for the village the secretary of the residents association stated he was very pleased that there have been no incidents with the home for over a month and the attitudes of the attendees as a whole were much more receptive than at previous parish council meetings. It looks like we're starting to see a turn round in the village for the better.' This much improved relationship with the local community is likely to benefit the home as a whole and individual

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Quality of care

Young people's views are given a high profile within this home. They are involved in young people's meetings, keyworker discussion groups and, where appropriate, handover meetings. Issues raised by young people in these meetings are responded to positively with staff being delegated to address individual areas. Young people are satisfied with this and are clear they are listened to within the home. Young people are clear on how to make a complaint if they have issues within the home. The one issue raised was responded to quickly, sensitively and very appropriately. The outcome was positive with good levels of support being provided to both the young person making the complaint and the person about whom this was made. This ensures young people feel able to air their concerns or issues as they know they will be listened to and responded to appropriately.

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Quality of care

Young people are cared for in line with individual care and placement plans. A family support worker comments that 'All staff have adhered to the care plan around supporting and encouraging this young person and the results show good improvement for her.' Young people are also actively encouraged and supported to take part in their review meetings. A clinical psychologist stated 'To have this young person attend his meeting (LAC review) was amazing. It was so flexible, child centred and focused and the staff team used it in such an effective way for him. He was absolutely beaming afterwards and so proud and happy.' This allows young people to be fully involved in the planning process for their future and be clear that their opinions are valued and will be listened to when these plans are being made.

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Quality of care

Young people's health is given a high priority in this home. There are clear policies and procedures in place for the safe administration of medication and clear records made to show when this is given. Regular appointments are booked with health professionals and young people generally attend as required. For those who decline these appointments they are rebooked and work carried out in keyworker sessions to ensure young people are aware of the importance of maintaining their health and a healthy lifestyle. Emotional and psychological health needs are also very well supported and staff have undertaken additional training in areas such as self harm and eating disorders to ensure they can work with young people to the best of their ability. A family support worker comments that 'staff have been at the forefront of supporting and maintaining this young person's health needs. They have liaised well with the relevant CAMHS services, proactively seeking to further their knowledge, so

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Quality of care

to provide an optimal service.' This willingness to learn in order to provide the best possible service has resulted in huge improvements in the emotional health of young people.

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Quality of care

Young people are in education, attending regularly and beginning to understand the importance of their education for their futures. Locating the correct school is important to ensure a smooth transition and continued attendance and one psychologist comments on 'how impressed I am with how staff have worked so collaboratively with me to find a school placement'. This young person’s teacher also says 'I just want to thank the staff for everything they are doing to get this young person to school'. Another says 'following the provision of formal education being introduced staff responded flexibly by supporting transport issues to enable her to take part in her education plan.' This has led to young people having good recent attendance records at school and to them achieving well and beginning to enjoy the school experience.

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Quality of care

This home is very well maintained, freshly decorated, warm and welcoming. The location of the home in a rural community with large gardens allows for young people to take quiet time away from peers. This is also possible inside as the home is large and does not require young people to go to their rooms to find this space. A pool table, board games, books and games consoles are available for young people in the home and a range of activities including swimming, bowling, boxing and the cinema ensure they also take part in community based activities.

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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 and this is supported by parents. A range of regular health and safety checks are carried out to protect against accidental injury or accident. All necessary fire checks are carried out diligently and young people fully understand what to do in case of fire. A recent incident made clear that these procedures work very effectively and young people are able to explain clearly what they should do in case of emergency and why.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people are further protected by the structured use of risk assessments for both activities they participate in and for the different stages of their day. Young people are involved in writing their own behaviour management plans linked to these assessments and this ensures they understand how their behaviour can impact on their opportunities. These risk assessments and behaviour management plans are updated regularly and this ensures young people are able to undertake age appropriate activities safely and to see how improved behaviour can lead to an increased range of activities being made available.

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Safeguarding children and young people

There have been no incidents of young people going missing from this home since the last inspection. Staff are able to explain their responsibilities should this happen, ensuring a consistent response designed to ensure the prompt and safe return of young people to the home. A very recently updated protocol with local police further supports this to ensure the home and police work collaboratively to return young people to the home.

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Safeguarding children and young people

There have been no sanctions given for inappropriate behaviour since the last inspection supporting the fact this home is now much more settled. There have been four restraints in this time though this represents a significant reduction on previous periods. Records of these are generally clear though on one occasion all information as required by the home has not been completed, namely recording the details when parents have been informed of the restraint. Some reports show confusion in the terminology used to describe the restraint used. There are references to the current behaviour management techniques and also the previous programme in use. While these holds are very similar it is imperative the correct hold is described for the accuracy of the restraint record. Additionally one restraint record was dictated to a colleague by staff involved in the incident while she completed other paperwork. This

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Safeguarding children and young people

has not been clearly evidenced and reads as though the report was written by a member of staff who was not in the home at the time of the incident. Young people are protected from the potential of abuse and harm by people who visit the home through rigorous use of the visitors’ book and chaperoning of visitors when young people are in the home. There are clear systems in place for vetting and checking potential employees before they commence working in the home. While Disclosure and Barring Service checks are in place along with references that have been verbally verified and suitable proof of identity and address there are significant gaps in the employment history of some new staff. While there is information relating to most recent employment and these staff have been known to other staff for some time prior to employment a full employment history should be recorded or written explanation of any gaps in employment requested. This will provide for

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Safeguarding children and young people

additional safeguards for young people as any unexplained gaps in employment can be fully explored.

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Safeguarding children and young people

All allegations or suspicions of harm are notified appropriately to Ofsted and other relevant parties such as local authority designated officers of local safeguarding children boards. Suitable actions are taken to ensure young people are kept safe and the person making the allegation and the person about whom it is made are appropriately and sensitively supported. This ensures young people feel fully able to raise concerns when they may not feel safe knowing they will be listened to and suitable actions taken.

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Leadership and management

The leadership and management of the children's home are adequate .

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Leadership and management

The home has a manager in place and her registration with Ofsted is being progressed. During her annual leave the home has been run by the Registered Manager of another home in the authority and the home's senior residential care worker. They have evidenced significant improvement in the service since the previous inspection and have fully addressed all the requirements and recommendations made at that time. There has also been significant thought given to the admission and placement matching process to be used in future. This is designed to ensure only suitable young people are accepted and that they are allowed to settle before other young people are placed.

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Leadership and management

The Statement of Purpose has been updated and reviewed and submitted to Ofsted. Parents say 'I was given a copy of the homes Statement of Purpose and I feel they really do the work with children they tell you they will. It is a very positive placement for my child.' Young people fully understand the way the home intends to work and the young person's guide has recently been updated and also produced in DVD format with a voiceover provided by a young person.

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Leadership and management

Monitoring of the home is carried out regularly by both managers and an external visitor. However, this has not been sufficiently robust as it has failed to highlight the issues in restraint recording picked up at inspection. Additionally the schedule 6 records, on one occasion, do not clearly reflect the number of notifications made by the home. The home has a consistent, well-trained core staff team and they are supported by relief staff who help provide a consistent level and continuity of care. Training has included behaviour management, safeguarding, emergency first aid, administration of medication and fire safety. Additionally staff have undertaken training around self harm and eating disorders to allow them to work safely should young people present with these behaviours. Staff report they receive regular supervision which is supportive and assists them in doing their jobs to the best of their abilities.

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Leadership and management

Supervision records support this with no significant gaps in staff supervision since the last inspection.

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Leadership and management

Records are stored securely and would provide young people with a clear overview of their time in the home. The one significant event which has taken place recently has been appropriately notified and appropriate actions taken as a result of this.

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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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