Children's Home run by Barnardo’s in Oxfordshire

Unique reference number SC013143 Inspection date 20/03/2014 Inspector Clare Davies Type of inspection Interim Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 15/08/2013 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Brief description of the service

This children's home is registered to accommodate six children and young people who have a learning and/or physical disability. The service is delivered and managed by a national charitable organisation.

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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 satisfactory progress .

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Progress

At the full inspection in August 2013, the overall effectiveness rating for the service was good with three recommendations. The provider has addressed the majority of the actions that were raised at the previous inspection and has made satisfactory progress. One recommendation regarding the recruitment of staff has partially been met and therefore it is repeated following this inspection.

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Progress

There have been several changes at this home since the last inspection. A variation to the registration enabled this service to increase numbers by one to now accommodate six children and young people. There has been a change in management and the new manager has submitted an application to Ofsted to become the Registered Manager of this service. The new manager spent time with the previous manager for a handover period. This enabled continuity of the management of the setting while reducing any disruption from this transition. This planning provided security for children, young people and staff during the period of change. The manager ensures that details of recruitment and vetting checks for all staff are held on site in addition to being held at the head office of the organisation. The records of suitability checks for agency staff are inconsistent. Agency staff are employed occasionally and on arrival at the home they are required to present some

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Progress

identification. This ensures that the staff can verify that this person is from the agency as expected. Confirmation from the agency about suitability and training details are supplied occasionally, not routinely. The service fails to have a system for routinely requesting this information from the agency when staff are supplied. This means that the home does not have full information about the skills and experiences of agency staff used.

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Progress

Since the last inspection a bathroom has had a new shower fitted and this includes improvements to the tiled area. With the increase of one more child there are plans to install another shower. This will provide additional bathroom facilities to meet the needs of the residential group. The annual health and safety audit of this service recently concluded with a high score and it is reported that, 'There are excellent pieces of good working practices across all standards'.

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Progress

The manager has reviewed the Statement of Purpose to reflect how this home supports children and young people with their education. The manager is preparing to make further revisions to ensure the document is ready to meet the new regulations that come into force in April. This is one action that will ensure the home is up to date and compliant with changes relevant to children's homes.

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Progress

This service is subject to monitoring by the local authority as part of the commissioning process. Quarterly reports are provided to reflect the developments of the service and outcomes for children and young people. The reports, compiled by the manager and staff, are comprehensive documents illustrated with photographs and clearly evidence the progress that children and young people are making. For example, some children have developed skills in communication through their use of selecting symbols. This promotes their involvement in decision making and enables them to make a choice.

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Progress

Staff are suitably trained in matters of safeguarding and team meetings provide regular updates where such issues are discussed. New staff confirm that this training is prioritised before they begin to support children and young people and this ensures they are suitably informed on safe working practices and child protection procedures. Incidents of physical intervention are minimal. A designated member of staff collates details of behaviour management and the analysis of this informs any changes to placement plans and risk assessments. This ensures an up to date plan is adopted to meet individual needs.

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Progress

The participation of children and young people in activities is extensive. Some young people enjoyed a trip to London and played instruments at a major events venue. More locally, children and young people attend youth clubs, drama club and cooking events. On site, children and young people enjoy the sensory activities and the many toys and equipment available to them. This children's home ensures that children and young people are involved in local events and use the community facilities. This ensures that they have opportunities similar to their peers.

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Progress

Children and young people have contributed to the decoration of the entrance. Hand prints of everyone represent leaves on a tree as a welcome mural to the home. Another example of engaging children and young people is through the creation of likes and dislikes of food and drink. Many have selected pictures and created a collage of the food and drink they enjoy and those they don’t. This level of involvement empowers children and young people and values their contribution, regardless of their disabilities.

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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 that the children's home has a record of the recruitment and vetting checks which have been carried out on those working for the children's home as listed under NMS 16.3. In particular, ensure that information relating to agency staff is routinely obtained from the employment agency. (NMS 16.3)

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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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