Children's Home run by Suffolk County Council in Suffolk

Unique reference number SC037281 Inspection date 12/03/2014 Inspector Deirdra Keating Type of inspection Interim Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 22/01/2014 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Brief description of the service

This home provides medium and long-term placements for up to seven young people who have emotional and or behavioural difficulties. The home is owned and operated by a 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 good progress .

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Progress

At the full inspection in January 2014 the home was judged as good. Six requirements and three recommendations were raised mainly in relation to recording and documentation. The manager has met the requirements and the majority of the recommendations. The home continues to provide extremely good quality care and as a result young people make significant progress in all areas of development.

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Progress

The manager has revised the Statement of Purpose. The Statement of Purpose correctly details the criteria as agreed in the conditions of registration. This ensures that placing authorities and professionals understand the aims of the home.

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Progress

Staff seldom use physical restraint. There have been two restraints since the full inspection. Records sampled meet the regulatory requirements and provide the required information about the incident and the following actions taken by staff. Staff offer young people medical attention following a restraint. The record of consequences shows sanctions are appropriate and linked meaningfully to the event. This helps staff and young people understand the reasons behind sanctions in a way that helps them think about the consequences of their actions. At the last inspection shortfalls led to a recommendation about the oversight and monitoring of records. The manager has addressed this; senior staff check record entries and the staff responses. This promotes consistency of approach and an extra safeguard for young people.

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Progress

The manager has made new arrangements for medication stock control. Two members of staff check the total quantity of medication held and balance this with the medication records. Staff responsible for administration are booked to undergo accredited medication training. These arrangements ensure medication arrangements are effective and that staff will be trained in the safe administration of medication.

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Progress

The staff personnel files are being updated. The manager has asked all staff to complete a new front cover sheet providing extra information. This ensures the home holds all required information about staff.

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Progress

External monitoring of the home is conducted at required intervals. The independent visitor interviews young people and staff as part of the visit. The manager has requested feedback from families to contribute to monitoring visits. Parents spoken to during this inspection confirm they have been notified and are willing to provide feedback about the home. Consultation with parents to gain their views on the quality of care young people receive demonstrates that the home is responsive to the views of service users to help the home improve.

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Progress

Staff receive regular supervision and say that senior staff are accessible and approachable. Supervision is regular and carried out in line with the home's policy. However, records of supervision are incomplete making specific points raised with staff difficult to follow through. This does not provide a clear record of supervision and could potentially lead to staff lacking guidance and support for their roles.

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Progress

The manager generally notifies significant events to the regulator Ofsted without delay. However on one occasion there has been a significant delay preventing Ofsted from being fully aware of a serious incident regarding a young person within the home.

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Progress

The home is full to capacity and the staff manage a number of competing demands. Despite this staff provide individualised care and consistently prioritise young people's needs. The home conveys a family atmosphere and a warm nurturing style of parenting. Young people thrive at the home and make significant progress in terms of reintegration into education and rebuilding self-confidence and self-esteem.

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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 if any of the events listed in column 1 of the table in Schedule 5 takes place, the registered person shall without delay notify the persons indicated in respect of the event in column 2 of the table. (Regulation 30 (1)) 27/03/2014

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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 there is an electronic record kept by the home detailing the time and date and length of each supervision for each member of staff. (NMS 19.5)

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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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