Children's Home run by North East Autism Society in Sunderland

Unique reference number SC446957 Inspection date 13/12/2013 Inspector Deborah White Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 04/10/2012 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Brief description of the service

This children's home provides care and accommodation for children with a learning disability and autism. The home is operated by a private provider.

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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

Outcomes for children are good and all children are progressing and achieving. Children's health needs are met and improvements in communicating with children have enhanced consultation. Educational outcomes are very good; with all children attending school and reaching their potential.

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Overall effectiveness

Care planning is good and all feedback for this inspection is very complimentary. Behaviour is managed positively and children enjoy a wide range of meaningful activities. Children are and feel safe. Leadership and management is good and the home has progressed by meeting a requirement and recommendations from the last inspection. Staff morale is very good and staff are happy working at the home.

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Overall effectiveness

Not all areas of the home are as clean as they should be and there are some unpleasant odours evident. Some parts of the home do not present as homely. In particular the entrance hallway where stairs and landing have had new flooring fitted. There have also been some staffing cutbacks that have resulted in staff not having time to fully clean the house and do their administrative tasks.

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Overall effectiveness

There is one new requirement and two recommendations arising from this visit.

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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 all parts of the children's home used by children are kept clean; specifically to prevent unpleasant odours (Regulation 31 (2) (e).) 31/01/2014

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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 the home provides a comfortable, homely environment. In particular; ensure floor coverings are in fitting with a domestic dwelling (NMS 10.3)  ensure staff are sufficient in numbers to meet the needs of the children and other duties allocated to them. In particular; where staff roles involve domestic tasks and childcare documentation (NMS 17).

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Outcomes for children and young people

Outcomes for children are very good and all children have progressed from their starting point. Relationships with staff are positive and children have formed trusting bonds with the adults who care for them. A parent said, 'I am very happy, this is a good home. Staff know my child very well and have good relationships with them. The staff are very good and my child relates to them. My child is happy and very well cared for.'

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Outcomes for children and young people

Activities are very good and all children access community facilities and amenities. This enables children to feel part of their locality and promotes good social skills. Since coming to the home some children have taken part in some activities for the first time in their lives. Outings include swimming and visits to the cinema. This shows children are growing in confidence and self-esteem.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Children also contribute to their community and charities to help them learn about helping others. This year the children helped with a local shoe box appeal to send toys and sweets to children in Syria and another child won a star award for being brave and met local celebrities at an awards ceremony. The children are also helping with a project for the home to gain a countering bullying award. This helps the children understand what bullying is and what to do if they ever feel bullied.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Children are learning ways to communicate and are making good progress. Some children are unable to express their views verbally and are able to show how they feel using pictures and symbols. As a result children can alert staff if they are happy or if they are unhappy or unwell. A social worker said, 'Staff know my child really well and genuinely see them as a person. They are very aware of my child's needs and their ways of communicating.'

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Outcomes for children and young people

Children are happy, settled and relaxed and interact positively with each other. A social worker said, 'My experience of this home is excellent. My child's progress is steady and positive. They are very happy and relaxed. I have observed positive and genuine attachments between my child, other children and staff members.'

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Outcomes for children and young people

Educational outcomes are very good. All children have 100% attendance and enjoy school. Healthy outcomes are promoted and children receive the care and health services they need. A parent said, 'My child has been so well supported this year through some difficult health problems. The staff know my child and my child's needs. I cannot thank the staff enough.'

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Outcomes for children and young people

Children have good contact with their family, friends and other people who are important to them. This helps children make and maintain relationships with people who are important to them.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Older children who are making the transition into adulthood are supported to help them understand and adapt to big changes in their lives. All the children are learning independence skills, within their capabilities, which will prepare them for later life.

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Quality of care

Staff actively and positively forge good relationships with children and their families. Relationships are based on respect and staff view each child as a unique individual. A social worker said, 'I only have very positive feedback. My child has been at the home a while and the staff know my child's needs very well. The staff are very good; organised and proactive. They are very observant and attuned to children's needs. Staff offer my child's parents very good support.'

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Quality of care

Care and placement planning is good. All children benefit from a comprehensive assessment that is undertaken by a team of professionals employed by the provider. Children's plans cover all the children's needs and how these will be met. This means individual care is supported and underpinned by good planning and regular evaluation.

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Quality of care

Staff support children and the placement review process. A reviewing officer said, 'Staff at the home are good, as are the therapy staff. They work together with the children and my child is improving and progressing. I have only heard good reports so far and the last review was very positive.'

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Quality of care

Detailed placement reports are provided by the home that gives parents, social workers and independent reviewing officers a good overview of children's progress and measureable outcomes. A social worker said, 'I find the paperwork at the home to be of a very high standard. Representatives from the home attended my child's recent review and they engaged thoroughly with the process and shared their detailed knowledge.'

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Quality of care

Staff actively plan and support a range of activities for children that meets their needs and aspirations. Individual and group activities are enjoyed and children gain invaluable memories and experiences. Education is seen as an important part of each child's life and the home and school work together to provide good consistent care.

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Quality of care

Healthcare outcomes for children are very good and this is in a large part down to the staff team. The staff have a very good knowledge of the children's sometimes complex healthcare needs and advocate for children to ensure they have to best possible care. Children are supported through their health interventions. For example; staff stayed with a child, through the day and night, when admitted to hospital for planned treatment. This gave the child comfort and reassurance through a potentially traumatic time.

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Quality of care

Most areas of the home provide good quality accommodation for children. However, some recent adaptations have taken away the homely feel of the environment. The carpet in the entrance hall, stairs and landing has been replaced with light coloured slip-resistant linoleum that gives the home an institutionalised appearance. There is also an unpleasant odour in the home that is particularly strong on the stairway and upstairs landing. Some areas are not cleaned adequately to reduce the unpleasant odours. This impacts on the comfort of the children.

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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

Social workers, parents and staff say children feel and are safe. A parent said, 'My child is happy and doing well. I have no worries. My child is safe and well cared for.' All feedback for this inspection identifies safety as a priority in the home. A social worker said, 'My child is safe and I have no safeguarding worries. I have no issues or concerns, I think this home is very good.' There is no bullying and no children gone missing.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Staff receive child and adult protection training that is regularly updated. The home's procedures are good and known to staff. The provider carries out additional safety checks that includes a monthly visit by a senior manager to check and monitor safeguarding records and events. Where there are any concerns; the Registered Manager and provider review each incident to look at the actions taken in response. This highlights good practice and lessons learned and demonstrates openness and transparency in how the home keeps children safe.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Behaviour is managed positively and supported by good behaviour management plans. Staff know the children very well and can anticipate behaviours by observing positive and negative indicators. This supports children who experience behavioural difficulties due to their autism. Restraints are used only as a last resort and all physical interventions are closely monitored to ensure they are appropriate and proportionate.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Children live in a safe environment. Health and safety, and fire safety, checks are regularly undertaken and reviewed. Utilities are maintained and serviced and staff regularly check the home for known and any potentially new hazards. All visitors to the home are checked and have their identification verified and a visitor's book is signed to allow for the Registered Manager to monitor all people entering the home.

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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

There is a settled, cohesive management team that is supported by a group of knowledgeable; dedicated staff. This provides children with consistent care and a stable environment. A staff member said, 'I love it here, this is a good home and children are well cared for. We have a good team who work together. We have good outcomes for children and they are all progressing. Our children are amazing and are doing so well.' Another team member said, 'We have a good team. This is a good place to work and moral is good. All the staff work hard and work together and the manager is very good and supports us all.'

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Leadership and management

Staffing has improved since the last inspection. There is now a settled, permanent team in place and staffing levels when the children are at home are good. Most staff members have a level 3 qualification in caring for children and young people and the remaining staff are undertaking an award. Statutory training is current and staff feel they receive the training they need to do their job effectively.

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Leadership and management

There are some staffing short-falls; specifically during the day when the children are at school. Recent budget cuts have resulted in staff working only when the children are present. This leaves only the Registered Manager at the home during school hours. This has impacted on the domestic arrangements at the home as the care staff are responsible for cleaning the house. There is a noticeable difference in cleanliness in some areas of the home and staff have not got time to fully clean to reduce the risk of unpleasant odours. Also staff have not been allocated time, when the children are not being cared, for to fully attend to documentation duties and key- worker responsibilities.

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Leadership and management

The home has improved by meeting two requirements and three recommendations from the last inspection. The recording of restraints is now clearly written and legible and staff supervision is up to date. Staff feel supported and see regular supervision as meaningful and effective. This makes staff feel valued and promotes good childcare practice.

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Leadership and management

The home's records now clearly show all safety checks are undertaken. This protects children and provides for good monitoring. The Registered Manager is now including seeking any trends or patterns as part of the home's monitoring and has carried out some good analyses and evaluative practice. There are also clear induction arrangements that include a bespoke induction for agency staff. This ensures staff know the needs of the children and the home's routines.

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Leadership and management

The home is regularly monitored and any shortfalls are addressed without delay. All safeguarding records are checked and the provider ensures the external monitoring of the home is effective. As a result, the home is continually improving their services and outcomes for children. A visiting professional commented. 'I think this is a really good home. I never worry about it. There is a good team, and the manager supports the staff. The children are happy and all are progressing.'

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Leadership and management

Children's records are very well organised and reflect how it is for each child living at the home. All records are stored securely to protect confidentiality.

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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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