Children's Home run by Family Care Associates Limited in Shropshire

Unique reference number SC020595 Inspection date 11/12/2013 Inspector Julian Mason Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 26/02/2013 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Brief description of the service

This is a privately-owned children's home for up to four young people with emotional and/or 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 good .

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Overall effectiveness

The home provides personalised and responsive care for all young people. The environment is nurturing and takes account of each young person’s needs and personalities, which helps them make good progress in many aspects of their lives. Staff are committed, motivated and have high aspirations for young people. Young people are encouraged and supported to share their views on the running of the home and in all areas of their welfare and care. Young people experience consistent relationships with staff and benefit from a family style atmosphere within the home. Staff have a good knowledge and understanding of their respective roles and responsibilities and this is translated well into every day practice.

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Overall effectiveness

Placing social workers are positive about the services being provided. Overall, young people feel safe and secure in the home and with the people who look after them. When young people have emotional or behavioural difficulties, staff work hard to lessen the impact of these circumstances on everyone. Over time, young people reduce their anti-social and difficult behaviours because staff have helped them to improve their relationships and interactions.

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Overall effectiveness

Two requirements have been made as a result of this inspection and these relate to the need to gather all information necessary to fully evaluate the use of sanctions within the home and to notify Ofsted as required of all significant events that have occurred. Overall, these shortfalls are minor and do not significantly impact on young people living at the home presently.

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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, a written record is made in a volume kept for this purpose. In particular, the record shall include conformation that the person authorised by the registered provider to make the record has spoken to the child concerned and the person using the measure about its use (Regulation 17B(3)(h)) 31/01/2014

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that any of the events listed in schedule 5 of this regulation takes place, the registered person shall without delay notify the persons indicated in respect of the event. (Regulation 30(1)) 31/01/2014

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people are fully supported to improve their confidence and self-esteem. From the beginning of their stay in the home, they are enabled and supported to develop safe relationships that are based on clear behavioural boundaries and reasonable expectations. This foundation provides young people with a good start in terms of their understanding and opportunity to help overcome their emotional and behavioural difficulties. Because young people experience individualised support they are able to develop a positive and improving self-view. All young people make good progress in relation to their previous circumstances and can identify how aspects of their life have improved during their stay in the home.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people’s attendance at school is very good because of the encouragement and support they receive to help them accomplish this. Their progress and daily experiences are well known to the team because of the good communication between staff and teachers. Progress and difficulties are discussed regularly, young people’s achievements are consistently acknowledged as part of the motivating and positive culture around education and learning. Young people with entrenched and negative attitudes towards school attendance are helped to overcome these barriers by being involved and consulted about their proposed arrangements. Young people's health, including their physical, emotional and psychological well- being is promoted very well. Young people are in good health because staff ensure that all health needs are properly assessed and visits with doctors, dentists and opticians are well planned and outcomes monitored. Young people who have

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Outcomes for children and young people

previously been reluctant to attend health appointments now attend and experience improving health outcomes. Young people’s overall fitness is a continuing area of focus for action in terms of balancing a good diet and physical exercise. Young people eat well, enjoy their food and make choices and suggestions about what food they would like to see on weekly menus.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people experience very practical and emotional support with their contact arrangements, which enables them to maintain positive and regular contact with their friends and families. Visits to the home and other venues are carefully planned to maximise the beneficial contact young people have with those people who are significant in their lives. Telephone contact is also well managed and facilitated. Where restrictions and limitations are in place young people are helped to deal with the emotional difficulties that are sometimes caused by living away from family or carers. This means that young people experience sensitivity and understanding when there are difficulties around this area of need.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people participate in a good range of social activities and outings that result in them enjoying their free time and activities. This has included a summer holiday to a popular coastal destination that was enjoyed by everyone. Young people benefit from opportunities to practice age appropriate life skills and knowledge. This supports their personal development and encourages greater responsibility. Such skills include self-care, helping with domestic chores and behaving safely and responsibly. Continuous education and practical support, tailored to each individual helps to build confidence and skill levels in readiness for the implementation of more formal plans for independence.

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Quality of care

Relationships between staff and young people are constructive and helpful. Poor or unsafe behaviour is managed in a way that offers different ways of behaving that are more socially acceptable and less risky. Staff mainly focus on successes and positive actions to promote change and help build young people’s confidence in doing things differently. A caring and nurturing environment is provided that is underpinned by regular therapeutic guidance and support to the staff team. This results in young people receiving consistent messages about their behaviour and how to develop new skills and strategies. Young people’s behaviour and relationships have improved in comparison to their circumstances on arrival to the home.

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Quality of care

Staff are consistent and skilled at adapting their care practices to meet individual needs which means that young people are at the centre of the day-to-day running of the home. Staff enable and encourage young people to express their views and opinions through group meetings and one-to-one discussions. Young people feel listened to and involved in the running of the home. Young people are aware of how to make a complaint and know how to do this outside of the home if they choose. Complaints from young people are rare but are taken seriously and investigated fully within appropriate timescales. Young people needs are reflected in detailed plans and risk assessments that are regularly reviewed. Plans include work undertaken with other agencies and individuals such as education, youth offending services, therapists and mental health professionals. As a result, young people are provided with an integrated approach to

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Quality of care

their care. Young people’s cultural background, histories and personal identity are positively addressed in both care planning and daily living, their rights and entitlements are respected and promoted. Young people are involved in reviewing their progress with the help of their key workers, which means they have a good understanding of the on-going aims and objectives of their placement. Progress made by young people is well documented so placing social workers, families and other professionals are provided with a clear and helpful overview of progress to date. Social workers are every positive about the ‘excellent communication’ between themselves and the home’s staff.

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Quality of care

The home is comfortable and decorated well; pictures, photographs and soft furnishings create a homely environment. Young people are supported to take responsibility for their bedrooms and are encouraged to take pride in their surroundings. A newly fitted kitchen, redecoration to communal areas and young people’s bedrooms are examples of how the home’s environment is being continually improved to benefit everyone.

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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

Overall, young people are safe in the home and say they feel safe most of the time. Some incidents of bullying between young people have occurred but behaviours within the group have improved and incidents of this nature are declining. All types of poor or unwanted behaviour are challenged, staff always take action to protect and promote everyone’s safety. Behaviour within the home is a frequent topic of conversation, expected boundaries are clearly communicated, young people feel that staff are ‘fair’ and tackle relationship difficulties appropriately. Staff invest time and prioritise their attention when there are difficulties so that they can directly influence young people’s behaviour. This is demonstrated by the use of individual targets, which are linked to incentives and rewards young people can earn. This approach helps staff balance the use of praise with more formal measures of control.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Personalised behaviour management strategies for each young person provide staff with practice guidance on interventions and de-escalation techniques, which promote safer ways to behave. Physical interventions have been used as a last resort and in accordance with individual plans but records show that the need to use this measure of control has reduced over the last few months. Young people also receive formal sanctions when they do not adapt or adjust negative behaviours following staff intervention. Records of these events are kept but they do not reflect any feedback given from young people or members of staff who gave the sanction. As a result, the effectiveness of these measures of control cannot be fully assessed or evaluated properly. The home has clear systems and procedures in place to safeguarded and protect young people from harm or abuse. This is underpinned by a range of written guidance and staff training in areas such as child protection and missing from care.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Records provide a clear and detailed picture of how staff are expected to work with young people and manage any risks identified. Assessments are reviewed and updated regularly to ensure the home's current responses are relevant to each young person's circumstances. Staff are aware of the correct procedures to follow if they need to report any allegations or child protection concerns.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Generally, young people do not go missing from the home and for most of the time staff know where young people are. On the few occasions where young people have been away from the home without permission, staff used individualised assessments to guide their responses to these events. Assessments are based on young people’s age, vulnerability and circumstances. Staff want to ensure young people are safe in these circumstances and they do this successfully by following well-established procedures.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people benefit from the home being physically safe and secure. The environment is maintained well and regular checks are undertaken to ensure that equipment and utilities work safely. Fire prevention equipment is in place and serviced according to professional guidance. Internal fire drills and fire equipment checks are regularly undertaken to ensure everyone can respond appropriately in an emergency.

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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

A permanent, qualified and experienced Registered Manager effectively and efficiently leads the staff team and manages the home. Staff are well established, they have a wealth of experience and are skilled in working with young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties. Consistent staffing means that young people experience an environment where they can develop attachments and trusting relationships with the people who look after them. A comprehensive range of information is readily available about the service, its values and operation. Young people, social workers and staff are clear about what the service is expected to achieve and the way in which care and support is to be provided.

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Leadership and management

Staff are capable and dedicated to making the home a positive and successful place to live. They receive a good range of core and supplementary training that helps them strengthen and develop their role as primary carers. Most staff hold an appropriate qualification or are working towards completing this. Staff work in small shift teams but this does not prevent them from having a clear understanding of what each other does and how their work fits into the overall service being provided. This is because they meet with their supervisors and as a team on a regular basis; they also receive good day-to-day support from supervisors and each other. These arrangements benefit young people greatly because their individual needs are effectively and consistently promoted and met. The home’s quality assurance programme is good. Monitoring visits are routinely carried out and written feedback is provided about the home’s operation, which

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Leadership and management

includes areas for improvement where identified. The Registered Manager also evaluates how well the home is meeting young people’s needs and keeping them safe. This information is used to produce detailed six-monthly reports about the progress each young person is making, which are shared with Ofsted as required.

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Leadership and management

Overall, there are established procedures in place to share information about significant events with appropriate agencies including Ofsted when they occur. However, several recent events that required a notification to Ofsted have not been made although the home’s records show that appropriate actions were taken in response to the events described.

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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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