Children's Home run by Social Care Services (Clayton) Limited in Manchester

Unique reference number SC381339 Inspector Louise Redfern Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Registered person Social Care Services (Clayton) Limited Registered person address 31 Shaw Road STOCKPORT Cheshire SK4 4AG

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Responsible individual Stephen Marx Davitt Registered manager Samantha Prescott Date of last inspection 28/01/2014 2 of 10 Inspection date 11/06/2014

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Previous inspection good progress Enforcement action since last inspection none

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Overall effectiveness good

Outcomes for children and young people good Quality of care good Keeping children and young people safe adequate Leadership and management good

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Overall effectiveness

Young people are making progress in their development and are enjoying good outcomes in terms of their health and education. Staff actively promote a healthy lifestyle by providing a good range of food choices and support to take up leisure pursuits and engage in activities in the community. Young people develop strong community links in the local area, while maintaining a clear attachment to their family and community.

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Overall effectiveness

The positive relationships which exist with staff assist young people with their behaviour and emotional well-being. Young people respond well to staff and try hard to improve their behaviour.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people say they feel safe in the home. Staff understand safe working practices and any identified shortfalls are addressed promptly by management. The provision of appropriate training ensures staff have the expertise to provide good quality care to young people.

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Overall effectiveness

Management arrangements are strong within the home, the Registered Manager and staff are committed to maintaining high standards and sustaining improvements within the home. A requirement and a recommendation have been raised to ensure improvements are made in respect of the robust assessment of risks associated with 3 of 10 individual young people and fire drills. 4 of 10

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Information about this children’s home

The home provides care and accommodation for up to six young people of either gender, with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. This home is operated by a private organisation.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/01/2014 Interim good progress 25/04/2013 Full good 14/02/2013 Interim inadequate progress 14/11/2012 Full adequate

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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) the Registered person shall ensure that the children’s home is conducted so to as promote and make proper provision for the safeguarding and welfare of children accommodated there, this is in relation to assessing risks to young people placed at the home. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)) 10/07/2014

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s): 5 of 10  ensure that there is an emergency escape plan that all staff and children are familiar with and have practiced so that they know what to do in an emergenc (NMS 10.9) 6 of 10

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Given their starting points on admission to the home, young people enjoy good outcomes. Young people's educational attendance and achievement is good in relation to their starting points. Staff use their knowledge and understanding of young people to identify trigger points and effectively manage behaviour. They communicate well with young people and avoid escalation of poor behaviour by following individualised behaviour management plans, discussion and good humour.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people enjoy healthy lifestyles by engaging in positive activities, such as swimming and playing football. Young people's health care needs are well met. Young people lead a healthy lifestyle and attend regular routine health care appointments. They have good information and access to external support agencies with regard to anti-smoking and drug and alcohol awareness. This level of contact supports young people to establish sound health care routines.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people enjoy regular contact with their family and are encouraged to develop age appropriate friendships in the locality of the home. Young people said they are pleased with these arrangements. A social worker commented, 'staff work well with parents and are very supportive which ensures young people maintain contact with their family.'

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Preparation for independence is managed at a pace suited to young people's needs, age and understanding. This includes helping young people to think about the impact of their choices and decisions as well as gaining practical skills.

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Quality of care good

Young people say they like the staff team and comment that they're 'happy' living at this home. An independent reviewing officer said they considered the staff have 'remained consistent and continue to work hard to meet X’s needs'. Young people develop good relationships with staff. Young people go on holidays with their key workers, which develops and promotes positive relationships.

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Quality of care good

Statutory review meetings are appropriately timed and enable young people to give their views about their placement and care at the home. The home's complaints process it known to young people and they use this successfully to raise any issues of concern. Young people benefit from regular visits from a designated children rights officer, to offer advice and advocate for individual young people.

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Quality of care good

Staff understand young people's local authority placement plans and are keen to 7 of 10 ensure their needs are met in the home. Young people's internal placement plans are individualised, which help them to develop positive routines and behaviour. Proactive relationships with partner agencies contribute to the quality of care received by young people. One professional commented ‘staff manage behaviour well and respond appropriately to individual’s needs, I can see real progress.’

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Quality of care good

Staff consistently challenge barriers to ensure the full participation of young people in education. As a result, young people are engaged in their individual educational placements. This is good progress for some young people given, their history of sporadic engagement in education. One education professional commented, ‘there has been a real improvement in young people engaging in education since being at the home.’

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Quality of care good

The home is comfortably furnished and has homely touches throughout. Young people choose their bedroom decoration and have input into the furnishings in the home. Staff support young people to take part in different leisure pursuits and interests. Young people particularly enjoy visits to the cinema, playing football and pamper nights.

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Keeping children and young people safe adequate

Young people report that they feel safe and can talk to an adult when they are concerned. Young people do not identify bullying as an issue in the home. However, on the rare occasions bullying has taken place, staff are proactive at addressing the issue with all young people. This means that the incidences of bullying is minimised and frequency of incidents continues to reduce.

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Keeping children and young people safe adequate

The home works co-operatively with a range of external agencies to minimise risk for young people. Staff receive training linked to safeguarding matters and have an understanding of their role, duties and responsibilities. They work proactively both within and outside the home to reduce opportunities where young people could expose themselves to harm, thus promoting young people's welfare positively. Risk management plans are in place to support young people and staff to identify risks and protective factors to reduce the levels of risk. However, for one young person, the risk management plan regarding risk of child sexual exploitation is not robust and does not demonstrate effective safeguarding. Despite the plan being completed in partnership with the placing authority. However, the Registered Manager did take action during the inspection to address this shortfall. A strategy meeting was called and the risk management plan was amended to provide a more robust approach to

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Keeping children and young people safe adequate

There continues to be episodes of young people going missing, however, agreed internal working practices and agreements with external agencies remain in place. This ensures that staff respond immediately, should a young person go missing and follow specific, individualised plans which are in place for young people. Staff are 8 of 10 proactive in attempting to retrieve young people quickly, which helps to reduce the number of incidents and helps to keep young people safe. Young people are cared for appropriately on their return, allowing staff and other relevant professionals to explore reasons why young people absent themselves from the home.

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Keeping children and young people safe adequate

All staff are selected and checked through the organisation's recruitment procedures. The Registered Manager takes an active role in recruitment, ensuring the safe recruitment of staff who are able to meet the young people’s needs.

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Keeping children and young people safe adequate

The home is physically safe and appropriately secure to take into account the needs and characteristics of the young people. Staff pay good attention to health and safety management. However, a minor shortfall was identified at the inspection. Young people newly admitted to the home have not had the opportunity to practice a fire drill. Despite these shortfalls, all young people in the home were fully aware of fire safety procedures and are therefore kept safe in the home.

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Leadership and management good

The Registered Manager has been in post since December 2013 and achieved registration in December 2013. She is currently undertaking the Level 5 Diploma in Leadership for Health and Social Care and Children and Young People’s Services. She has six years’ experience working with young people, including managerial experience.

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Leadership and management good

The Registered Manager sets high standards of care and aims to continually improve the service. Monitoring of the service is regular with both internal and external checks being carried out. There is a development plan in place for the home, and there has been investment in the home since the interim inspection, such as the kitchen being replaced and re-decorated.

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Leadership and management good

The Statement of Purpose is clear, accessible and comprehensive. This has recently been reviewed and received by HMCI. Young people are clear about what the home sets out to achieve as they are given a children's guide that informs them about the service.

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Leadership and management good

The staff team is well-balanced in terms of age, gender and experience which provide young people with a richness of experiences and relationships. Young people benefit from being cared for by a staff team who themselves are supported in their work. Professional supervision, staff appraisals and staff meetings take place regularly. They provide opportunities for staff to develop strategies for working with young people and promote consistency. The staff team are experienced and either suitably qualified or working towards qualification. This translates into the delivery of good care.

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Leadership and management good

The Registered Manager and staff have good working relationships with key 9 of 10 professionals in other agencies. Educational and social work professionals comment positively on the frequent and good quality exchange and update of information. The home has a good relationship with the local community and neighbours, this is under pinned with strong links with the local neighbourhood policing team.

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Leadership and management good

Records are well maintained in the home. Young people have a clear understanding of the records kept and regularly contribute to records. The Registered Manager has taken action to address the recommendation from the previous inspection. As a result, young people have a clear record of their statutory reviews available. This means that targets can be addressed promptly, promoting improved outcomes for young people. Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Leadership and management good

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Judgement Description

Outstanding A service of exceptional quality that significantly exceeds minimum requirements.

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Judgement Description

Good A service of high quality that exceeds minimum requirements.

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Judgement Description

Adequate A service that only meets minimum requirements.

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Judgement Description

Inadequate A service that does not meet minimum requirements.

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Information 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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Information 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 framework of inspection for children's homes.

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