Children's Home run by Stoke-on-Trent City Council in Stoke-on-Trent

Unique reference number SC381085 Inspection date 18/02/2014 Inspector Elaine Cray Type of inspection Interim Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 12/12/2013 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Brief description of the service

This children's home is registered to provide care and accommodation for two young people of either gender with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home is operated by the local authority.

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The inspection judgements and what they mean

Good progress The children’s home has demonstrated continued improvement in quality of care and outcomes for children and young people and where appropriate has addressed all requirements and the large majority of recommendations that were raised at the previous inspection. Satisfactory progress The children’s home has maintained quality of care and outcomes for children and young people and where appropriate has addressed all requirements and the majority of recommendations that were raised at the previous inspection. Inadequate progress The children’s home has failed to address one or more requirements and/or has not met the majority of recommendations and/or the quality of care and outcomes for children and young people have declined since the last full inspection.

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Progress

Since their previous inspection the service is judged to be making inadequate progress .

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Progress

The home was judged as good at the last full inspection which took place in December 2012. It is judged to be making inadequate progress following this interim inspection. The two statutory requirements and the recommendation from the previous inspection are not fully met. Lack of strategy in care and behaviour planning also compromise the effective delivery of a consistently good quality of care.

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Progress

All young people maintain positive relationships with staff and thrive within the safe and nurturing environment of the home. Young people enjoy stability and security in the home as a result of a cohesive and experienced management and staff team. The staff team work tenaciously and tirelessly to meet and promote the best interests of the young people living at the home.

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Progress

Some young people continue to do exceptionally well in school. However others continue to experience significant education challenge due to poor psychological health. Some young people are not fully supported to reach their potential due to the lack of a structured education programme. The requirement to provide adequate education facilities is not met. Some young people’s formal education arrangements include as little as two hours per week of education. This education takes place in the home. Opportunities to supplement education with alternative learning experiences such as independence development are poorly organised. For example some young people’s independence programmes remain in draft form. These plans, while positively age related, are not implemented as part of a proactive learning programme for young people.

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Progress

Staff work tirelessly to support young people with significant complex health and behavioural needs. Young people’s emotional health is very important to staff. Young people feel more secure and safe because staff take time to explore and support young people’s behaviours. Staff value young people and spend quality time with them, listening to and supporting their needs. Daily routines also facilitate good physical health. Healthy eating and good personal hygiene is a clear focus for all young people.

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Progress

Relationships between the 'Looked After' Children nurse, young people and the staff show some small steps of progress in terms of diet and personal hygiene. However these efforts are compromised due to continuing shortfalls in other agencies providing young people with suitable mental and psychological support.

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Progress

Staff remain committed to embracing multi-agency partnerships in order to support young people and provide staff development and guidance. However multi-agency meetings have failed to deliver a meaningful package for engaging and supporting young people with complex mental and psychological needs. Links to specialist and therapeutic input remain tenuous. These shortfalls continue to result in on-going and significant behavioural difficulties for some young people. In additional staff lack informed guidance about how they should manage some young people at the home. There is a clear lack of holistic health input. This now significantly compromises some young people’s potential to make social relationships, engage in education and make a full contribution in society.

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Progress

Staff’s in-depth understanding of the vulnerabilities and backgrounds of young people promote sensitive responses to welfare and safeguarding concerns. Effective working in partnership with safeguarding agencies is exemplified in the significant reduction young people going missing from the home.

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Progress

The staff team show a high level of regard for the safety and welfare of the young people living at the home. However lapses in the prompt and correct reporting of concerns potentially compromises effective safeguarding procedures. In addition records lack rigour and this negatively impacts on effective monitoring of the safeguarding decision making processes.

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Progress

Staff work hard to support young people with complex and significantly challenging behaviours. Behaviour and incentive plans are in place. However there is lack in clarity regarding the strategies used to support young people’s complex needs. Progress and outcomes are difficult to monitor and measure because some recording is disorganised. Lack of strategic recording negatively impacts on the collation of patterns and trends in behaviour. This in turn compromises a clear understanding of triggers for behaviour, impact of staff practice and developing strategic support in the future.

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Progress

Staffing levels, which include lone working arrangements from time to time, meet the needs of the young people. Generic standalone procedures for lone working are in place. However there is no formal risk assessment process to manage the impact that lone working may have on individual young people and staff.

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Progress

Statutory requirements from the previous inspection relating to health and education are repeated. These improvements are required against a backdrop of a need to improve inter-agency working and more strategic care, behaviour and safeguarding recording processes.

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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 the children’s home is conducted so as to make proper provision for the care, education, supervision, support and, where appropriate, treatment, of children accommodated there (Regulation 11.-(1) (b)) 31/03/2014

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure the procedure under paragraph (1)(b) shall in particular provide for— the prompt referral to the local authority in whose area the children’s home is situated, of any allegation of abuse or neglect affecting any child accommodated in the children’s home (Regulation 16.-(2) (b)) 31/03/2014

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure the procedure under paragraph (1)(b) shall in particular provide for written records to be kept of any allegation of abuse or neglect, and of the action taken in response (Regulation 16.-(2) (d)) 31/03/2014

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure children make use of educational facilities appropriate to their age, aptitude, needs, interests and potential (Regulation 18.-(1) (a)) 31/03/2014

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure each child has access to such medical, dental, nursing, psychological and psychiatric advice, treatment and other services, as he may require. (Regulation 20.-(2) (b)) 31/03/2014

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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 where only one member of staff is on duty at any time, a risk assessment has been carried out and recorded in writing, identifying any likely risks to children, staff and members of the public (NMS 17.9)

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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 progress made by the provider since the last full inspection, identifies any further strengths, any areas for improvement and makes judgements as outlined in the Inspection of children’s homes – framework for inspection.

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