New Park Project (The)

Unique reference number SC065046 Inspection date 27/03/2014 Inspector Jennifer Reed Type of inspection Interim Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 27/08/2013 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Brief description of the service

This children’s home is owned and operated by a private company. The home provides care for up to four children and young people who have emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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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

The children’s home’s overall effectiveness was judged to be adequate overall at the full inspection undertaken in August 2013. The home has satisfactorily addressed the four recommendations made for improvement raised at the previous inspection. The service is making good progress to improve the quality of care and outcomes for accommodated young people.

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Progress

At team meetings, staff review incidents and the home’s management of young people’s challenging behaviour to enable them to reflect and learn and to inform the home’s future care practices. Staff consider the meaning of young people’s behaviour within the context of their daily lives and past histories. Staff demonstrate a good understanding of each young person’s individual needs, abilities and vulnerabilities. This regular sharing and review of practice supports the staff team to provide a consistent standard of care to young people which provides young people with clear boundaries and offers security. Young people say that they want to live in this home and they value the support provided to them by the staff team.

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Progress

The organisation’s learning culture is contributing to staff and management’s developing understanding of how important it is to get the home’s admission processes right. Staff now understand from past experience how crucial it is that only those young people’s whose assessed needs the home can reasonably expect to meet, and who are likely to fit in well with current residents, are admitted to the home. This means that the home is now more settled and young people are able to live more harmoniously together. This placement stability supports all accommodated young people who individually, are making good progress in many areas of their lives.

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Progress

Staff have now completed attachment training. Attachment issues are taken into account in the development of the home’s care practices and the individual strategies in place to support young people. Staff report that their recent training opportunities increase their understanding of young people’s presenting behaviour and improves their effectiveness in supporting them. Staff are helping young people to learn to trust adults, to establish positive relationships with their keyworkers and to engage with specialist services to promote their well-being. This supports young people to access the services that they need to effectively deal with some of their concerns and difficulties.

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Progress

Positive relationships, clear boundaries and good access to services helps to protect young people and to keep them safe. Young people generally feel safe living in this home, although some young people do not always find it easy to live alongside other young people with differing temperaments. There have been some bullying episodes occurring within the home between individuals. However, these incidents have been promptly dealt with by staff and the team is vigilant to ensure the likelihood of such events are minimised. Young people feel able to make a formal complaint or talk to staff about such issues. They have confidence that staff will sort out their differences. The home acknowledges that bullying may occur within the group living environment and young people’s individual needs are well considered within the home’s operation. Individual risk assessments alongside known strategies, such as room search for drugs, are in place within the home and this helps to safeguard

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Progress

young people from the possible risk of harm. Due regard is given to maintain young people’s right to confidentiality, privacy and dignity.

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Progress

Staff show commitment to helping young people achieve and succeed. The home works collaboratively with placing authorities and other agencies and robustly advocates for young people to ensure they receive the support they need to meet their developmental needs. Young people’s engagement in education has improved. They are attending school and further education colleges and undertaking apprenticeships and national examinations.

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Progress

The home encourages young people to participate in both in the running of the home and within the community. Young people are involved in day-to-day decisions about the operation of the home and this gives them some sense of ownership of their lives. Young people are encouraged to join local sports teams and gyms. This helps to improve their fitness and health and provides an enjoyable option for them to spend their time taking part in positive pursuits. The organisation plans activities for holiday periods with young people who have a say about what they may like to do. These wide ranging activities enable young people to try new things, to widen their horizons and to develop their social skills. Young people’s personal development, confidence and self-esteem have been enhanced from their participation in voluntary work experience overseas, accompanied by staff to support them.

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Progress

The quality of the monthly monitoring visits undertaken by the independent visitor has been improved by the inclusion of reporting on any restraints undertaken. There has been only one restraint undertaken since the previous inspection. However, the reports do not show that the visitor’s evaluation of the conduct of the home and its ability to safeguard young people is informed by gaining family or other significant person’s view about the operation of the home. Within the home’s review and monitoring of care practices, insufficient focus has been given to considering the effectiveness of sanctions and strategies put in place to reduce unacceptable behaviour.

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Progress

The home is well organised; it is kept clean and is generally well furnished, maintained and decorated. The sitting room sofa and chairs are well worn and plans are in place for these to be replaced.

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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 the independent person interviews with their consent and in private, children accommodated there and their parents, relatives and persons working at the children’s home as appears necessary in order to form an opinion about the safeguarding of children and the conduct of the home (Regulation 33(8)(a)(i)(ii)) 30/04/2014

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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

 review the home's record of sanctions given so that the registered person and staff can respond promptly where any worrying issues or trends emerge and enable amendments to behaviour management practice to be made so that this continues to be effective and sensitive to the needs of all young people in the home's care (CA 1989 Volume 5: statutory guidance 2.92)

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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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