Children's Home run by Sheffield City Council in Sheffield

Unique reference number SC356868 Inspection date 18/12/2013 Inspector Debbie Foster Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 07/03/2013 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 children's home, run by a local authority, provides up to 5 long-term placements for young people, aged from 12 up to 17 years of age on admission.

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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 are provided with highly personalised care from a staff team who engage the young people well in discussions about their behaviour and needs with good success. Staff are committed to caring and supporting young people in a nurturing environment. Young people benefit greatly from the positive support of staff that recognise the importance of building strong, respectful relationships with them, working to establish trust and confidence. As a result, this enables young people to move forward in their lives. All young people are attending education, independent living skills have been built upon and they present positive behaviour. All young people say that they like living at the home and get on with all the staff that look after them.

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Overall effectiveness

Staff make good use of the placement plans and supporting documents to achieve positive outcomes for young people. Great effort is made to include the young people in their care planning and to reflect upon their own actions. Staff demonstrate a good knowledge and understanding of the risks young people face and take positive action to ensure risks are minimised. Collective efforts by the home, health professionals and the placing authority have improved the welfare and safety of young people.

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Overall effectiveness

There is a strong management team, with a stable and experienced care staff team. The manager supports staff effectively. Suitable training, formal supervision and staff meetings are provided to ensure staff are well equipped to provide good care to young people.

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Overall effectiveness

The shortfalls identified are; the monitoring of the service does not always demonstrate that the views of all appropriate persons have been attained in order to form an opinion on the standard of care provided in the home. Not all direct work identified to be undertaken with young people has been completed to ensure that advice, guidance and care if provided in line with their care plans.

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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) interview with their consent and in private, such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home, as appears necessary in order to contribute and form an opinion of the standard of care provided in the home and supply a copy of the report to HMCI within stipulated timescales. (Regulation 33 (8)(a),(9)(a)) 01/03/2014

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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 each child's placement plan is monitored by a key worker within the home who ensures that the requirements of the plan are implemented in the day-to- day care of that child. In particular, that the direct work is undertaken in all identified areas and records evaluate and reflect the progress each young person is making in this respect ( NMS 25.2)

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people build strong, nurturing relationships with staff as a result of positive daily engagement in everyday activities. This effectively enables young people to build sustainable attachments while gaining confidence in forming relationships and their social skills.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people’s holistic and individual needs are identified and planned for. This enables young people to develop an understanding of their specific needs and backgrounds, thereby promoting their sense of self and belonging. Young people's individual health needs are well promoted and met in line with their care plans. Young people are actively involved with staff, in planning menus and learning how to cook which involves being encouraged to eat healthily. Home cooked meals are an everyday occurrence, with fresh ingredients including fresh vegetables. In addition, staff effectively identify young people’s health needs and ensure the provision of services that meet these. Young people keep appointments with the doctor, dentist and optician. They have contact with specialist health workers such as adolescent mental health service, which promotes their good physical health and emotional well-being. However, health outcomes for some young people are

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Outcomes for children and young people

potentially compromised because, despite good health promotion practices by staff, they continue to participate in risk-taking behaviours such as smoking.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people are fully supported to attend school or educational placements. A young person said ' I've been to school every day since coming to live here; I didn't before. Staff take me and meet me when coming home.' Young people's confidence in their abilities and self-esteem are improved as they learn to enjoy learning. As a result young people's attendance in mainstream and other education provisions is quickly increasing from their starting point, which will improve their overall achievements and equip them with qualifications that they can use to access further education or employment.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people gain social and life skills through opportunities to make a positive contribution to their home and community. For example, involvement in planning re- decoration for the home and participating in the decorating itself has allowed young people to invest their time in the home while developing confidence in their choices.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people benefit from clear contact arrangements and understand when they will see family members and other people that are important to them. Staff work closely with the young people to maintain and re-build relationships where needed. Young people confirm they see their families. This helps them settle and improves family relationships, extending important support networks for young people.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people learn a range of life skills within their time in the home. Young people who are reaching their mid-teenage years have begun to participate in daily living tasks around the home. For example, they help with their laundry and to keep their own bedrooms clean. Older young people are given help and support with healthy eating, cooking, budgeting, making appointments and extending their social skills. Therefore, this effectively prepares those that are moving on to independence to understand what they will need to successfully prepare for adulthood.

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Quality of care

Consistent care and positive role modelling from staff is combined with individualised behaviour management and risk assessment plans. This enables young people to develop positive coping strategies and essential negotiation skills. As a result young people learn how to better manage their feelings, particularly those of anger and frustration. For the majority of the time, young people enjoy positive and constructive relationships with staff and with each other. Young people develop strong relationships with staff members who they recognise are consistently concerned with their welfare. A young person said, ' I like living here, the staff are great, I could go to any of them for help and get on with four staff really well.' Another said ' This is a great place to live, I want to stay here.'

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Quality of care

Young people report that they understand how to make a complaint and that staff listen to them. One complaint has been made since the last inspection; prompt action and an explanation has been given to the young person, with a satisfactory outcome. Young people say they feel that their views are heard and valued. Young people use their key work sessions and the residents’ meetings to express their wishes about their day-to-day care. Achievements are recognised and celebrated, enabling young people to build upon positive behaviours. As a result young people continue to feel valued.

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Quality of care

Strong care planning incorporates all of a young person’s individual needs. Staff work proactively with professionals to incorporate their views into care plans thereby providing young people with continuity of care. Young people's feelings are included in their care plans ensuring that their day-to-day needs and presenting issues are addressed. As a result young people develop an understanding of the support they require and are clear on the plans for their future. Although staff do undertake direct work sessions in the majority of identified areas to support young people's progress, there are some omissions. This does not ensure fully that all key areas are being suitably addressed.

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Quality of care

A proactive staff team assist young people to fully understand the importance of a healthy lifestyle and to address unsafe behaviours, for example, talking to them about the effects of smoking on their health; offering smoke cessation sessions in an effort to reduce cigarette smoking. In addition, specialist appointments with adolescent mental health support services are available. Robust arrangements for the disposal of medicines ensure that the risk of administering incorrect medication is removed.

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Quality of care

Young people are actively engaged in education, staff are proactive in their efforts to ensure that they do receive an education provision. This includes having regular contact with education providers and ensuring young people benefit from effective preparation to attend school. In addition, resources are available for them in the home to complete homework and they have access to a laptop to aid study. A teacher said, ' Staff are ensuring X gets to school, this has improved their attendance greatly.'

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Quality of care

Young people have good opportunities to access purposeful activities within the home as well as being introduced to activities within the community, such as regular visits to the cinema, cycling trips, visiting the coast, eating out and socialising with friends. A young person said, ' My friend comes here a lot and we hang out; she's having a sleepover soon.' Young people enjoy living in a large, spacious home within walking distance of a range of community amenities. Their home is maintained to a very good standard. It is well decorated, comfortably furnished, clean and tidy. The home is kept safe through frequent and thorough health and safety checks and risk assessments. Young people personalise their rooms. Staff and young people take great pride in keeping their home lovely and inviting. All young people said they thought they have a nice home. A young person said ' We have helped to decorate the lounge; it looks

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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 live in a home where safeguarding is a high priority. Young people benefit from clear boundaries, to which the majority adhere. Staff place a high priority on promoting young people's wellbeing at all times. Young people say that they feel safe in the home. They know the importance of making the right choices to keep them safe, as a result of the staff always conveying this message strongly to them.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Strategies implemented by staff are successful in preventing bullying as young people say there is no bullying at the home. The subject is discussed with young people at regular intervals. This helps to raise their awareness of the issues involved.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Detailed risk assessments are available for each young person, which are linked to behaviour management plans. This enables staff to clearly cross-reference to each area of work being undertaken with individual young people. Risk assessments are updated regularly alongside any change required to behaviour and care plans where identified. These assessments help staff know what is required to keep young people safe and staff demonstrate a very good knowledge of the welfare and safety risks to each young person. They are able to describe the work they are undertaking with each young person to reduce or eliminate the identified risks.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Staff are able to demonstrate a good understanding of safeguarding processes and how to protect young people. Child protection training is undertaken by every staff member. This is further supplemented by refresher training. Written guidance and procedures detailing the course of action to follow in the event of an allegation or if they have any concerns are available for all staff to access.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The home has protocols in place to be followed should a young person be absent or go missing. Incidents of young people going missing from home are generally low in number, but there have been fluctuating numbers over recent months; with a number of these incidents being young people returning home late. Discussions with young people about the risks they put themselves in have meant that they are starting to return home on time and inform staff where they are. Young people state that the staff are always talking to us about coming home on time and that the staff phone to check where they are. The correct protocols and safeguarding procedures have been used to assist in the young people’s safe return. Staff have always taken the right action, including liaising with the police, to ensure that young people are kept safe.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Behaviour management strategies are very good. Sanctions are rarely used and young people say the staff are very fair with them when they have not followed the house rules. All staff are trained in physical intervention and understand the need to encourage improved behaviour rather than attempt to force an issue. The use of physical intervention is very rare, with one physical interventions used in over nine months. Staff use negotiation and diffusion with young people, only considering restraint as a last resort.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Good arrangements are in place for the maintenance of the building. Staff undertake fire safety training with young people and staff all take part in fire drills to ensure that they know how to safely evacuate the building in the event of a fire. As a result, young people live in a physically safe and secure 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

A very experienced manager and management team support the rest of a stable staff team that have a wealth of experience to provide a safe and nurturing home environment for the young people who live there. Staff have built a network and links with a number of professionals to ensure young people receive good support, advice and care. A professional said ' Good relationships with young people are developed; they hang in there with them, being there for them until they are over a crisis until they come through the other side; this is really good.'

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Leadership and management

Recommendations for improvement from the last inspection with regards to ensuring that risk assessments are specific in terms of the type and frequency of monitoring required have been met. This makes sure that the staff are clear on the boundaries in place for individual young people to keep them safe and provide consistent care

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Leadership and management

A Statement of Purpose is available which informs professionals and members of the public about how care is provided at the home. The children’s guide provides a user- friendly summary of the Statement of Purpose and this is appropriate to the age and understanding of the young people accommodated. Young people receive a copy of the guide before they move to live at the home and this informs them of what to expect if they choose to live there. Young people who are have recently moved into the home say that they had introductory visits to the home and this did help them to settle more easily into their new home.

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Leadership and management

The stable, experienced and skilled staff group are committed to accomplishing good outcomes for young people over time. The majority staff team are qualified with National Vocational Qualification at level 3 in caring for children and young people, or above. Staff have good training opportunities. This enables them to provide a sound quality of care to young people and act as positive role models. Training includes: first aid; health and safety; food hygiene; drugs awareness; sexual health and pathway planning. This supports staff being up-to-date in childcare and safe work practices.

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Leadership and management

Regular informal and formal supervision takes place. This ensures that staff have access to continuing advice and guidance in relation to their care of young people. Staff say that 'This is a supportive team and we work well together.'

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Leadership and management

Overall, good monitoring systems are in place to assess, and report on the administration systems of the home. Where weaknesses are identified, they are acted upon. The monthly monitoring undertaken by the Regulation 33 visitors does not routinely include the views of parents and professionals. The manager's monitoring has not detected the omissions in the undertaking of some direct work which has been identified to take place with individual young people. There is an up- to-date development plan, for the service which identifies areas to bring further improvements to the quality of care delivered to young people.

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Leadership and management

Young people's individual case files; the home’s records and other written documentation overall are of a good standard. This facilitates good communication with other professionals and ensures young people have a permanent and secure record of their history, development and progress. Case files are stored in a manner which promotes the privacy and confidentiality of young people. Information is arranged in a manner that is useable by staff and yet accessible to young people; who are aware of their right to access the information.

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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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