Children's Home run by Care Haven (UK) Limited in Stockport

Unique reference number SC065374 Inspector Louise Redfern Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Registered person Care Haven (UK) Ltd Registered person address c/o Steven Glicher & Co, Eden Point Three Acres Lane, Cheadle Hulme CHEADLE Cheshire SK8 6RL Responsible individual Patricia Swallow Registered manager Analeise Le'Fevre Allen Date of last inspection 13/02/2014 2 of 9 Inspection date 17/06/2014

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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 outstanding Keeping children and young people safe good Leadership and management outstanding

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Overall effectiveness

Young people are making good 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 young people 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. Young people are developing their independence skills at a pace which supports their individual levels of understanding.

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Overall effectiveness

The extremely positive relationships which exist between young people and 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 very strong within the home, the Registered Manager and staff are committed to maintaining high standards and sustaining improvements within the home. Recommendations have been raised to ensure 3 of 9 environmental risk assessments are completed, records of statutory reviews are obtained from placing authorities and the recording of actions taken by staff when young people go missing. The identified shortfalls do not currently impact on the outcomes or safety and welfare of young people. 4 of 9

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Information about this children’s home

This is a private children's home that provides care and accommodation for up to five young people with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/02/2014 Interim good progress 07/08/2013 Full good 27/02/2013 Interim good progress 12/07/2012 Full good

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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 written records kept by the home when a child goes missing detail act taken by staff (NMS 5.10)  ensure that environmental risk assessments are carried out, to identify any potential sources of harm to the child are recorded in writing and regularly reviewed (NMS 10.8)  ensure that the result of all statutory reviews are recorded on the child's file. (NMS 25.8) 5 of 9

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people enjoy good outcomes. Young people's educational attendance and achievement is good in relation to their starting points. Young people feel the placement is their home and have developed strong attachments to the staff team. This is because staff know the young people and 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 playing basketball and walking in the local community. Young people's health care needs are well met. Young people lead a healthy lifestyle and attend regular routine health care appointments. They have access to information in the home and external support agencies with regard to anti-smoking and drug and alcohol awareness. This supports young people to establish sound health care routines.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people enjoy improved and regular contact with their family and have developed appropriate friendships in the locality of the home. One young person commented ‘my family contact is going really well; I really enjoy spending time with my mum on my own.’

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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. Young people are looking forward to becoming more independent and prepared for adulthood. 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 outstanding

The home provides exceptionally high quality care to young people which results in the development of positive relationships between them and staff. The provision of structure, routines and clear boundaries creates a safe and emotionally supportive environment for young people to develop and grow. Young people say they like the staff team and comment ‘that it’s outstanding here and the staff are all excellent.’

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Quality of care outstanding

Staff fully support educational attendance and achievements. Some young people have made significant progress from previously having minimal engagement in education to full time attendance and have undertaken GCSE courses and examinations. As a result, they have been accepted on college courses, due to commence in September. Staff celebrate successes and young people’s certificates are proudly displayed around the home. One educational professional commented ‘X’s progress has been excellent and I feel that the staff team have been very 6 of 9 supportive. X was a bullying mentor and prefect in year 10, which has continued into year 11, this is a significant achievement for her.’

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Quality of care outstanding

Staff strive to ensure that young people engage in purposeful pursuits to assist in the development of social skills and confidence. Young people participate in a range of activities such as guitar lessons, basketball, go karting, drama clubs or visiting the cinema. Engagement in these activities has kindled an interest in some young people regarding potential future careers.

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Quality of care outstanding

The home actively seeks young people’s views, wishes and feelings about the running of the home. Effective consultation with young people is achieved through individual and group discussions, questionnaires and reviews. Young people confirm that staff listen to them and care about what they want. One young person said, ‘its 10 out of 10 here. I just love it.’ Although there have been no complaints young people have a strong understanding of the process and feel staff would respond seriously and follow the procedure. These practices serve to enhance relationships between young people and staff which has a positive effect on behaviour management.

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Quality of care outstanding

Staff care for young people in line with their care plan and fully meet their needs in relation to ethnicity, culture, mental health and learning abilities. The mixed staff team are creative at looking at ways of celebrating difference amongst young people. This serves to assist young people with their development of identity and a positive self-view.

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Quality of care outstanding

One parent commented,’ I am not easily pleased but this is an excellent home, my son is now maturing into a young man and that’s because of staff support.’

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Quality of care outstanding

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.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

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, but feel able to talk to staff if they witnessed any bullying.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

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.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Young people are encouraged to behave positively in the home, through the clear 7 of 9 and consistent boundaries that are set. As a result, there have been no incidents of young people being sanctioned or physically restrained.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Risk management plans are in place to support young people and staff to identify risks and protective factors to reduce the levels of risk. Despite this there continues to be episodes of young people going missing. 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 proactive in attempting to retrieve young people quickly, which helps to reduce the number of incidents and helps to keep young people safe. However, records do not clearly identify the actions taken by the staff team to prompt the swift return of young people to the home. 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. One police officer commented, ‘I feel we have an absolutely fantastic

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Keeping children and young people safe good

working relationship with Registered Manager and staff team. Strategy meetings are attended by the staff and they follow the actions agreed to try to reduce the number of missings.’

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Keeping children and young people safe good

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 good

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, written environmental risk assessments are not available. Young people have regular opportunities to participate in fire evacuation drills during the day and night.

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Leadership and management outstanding

The Registered Manager achieved registration with Ofsted in February 2013. She successfully completed the Level 5 diploma in leadership for health and social care and children and young people services in October 2013. Leadership focuses on ensuring the staff team provide extremely nurturing and individualised care to young people in the home.

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Leadership and management outstanding

The Registered Manager sets high standards of care and aims to continually improve the service. Efficient and robust monitoring enables the Registered Manager to identify strengths and weaknesses in the home to drive forward improvement.

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Leadership and management outstanding

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. 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 8 of 9 as they are given a children's guide that informs them about the service.

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Leadership and management outstanding

Written responses to young people’s requests made in their group meetings are personalised and extremely sensitively written. This serves to assure young people that the Registered Manager listens to them and takes their views seriously.

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Leadership and management outstanding

Consistently good staffing levels ensure that young people are well cared for in accordance with their care plans. The staff team meets any shortfalls as a result of staff leave or sickness. As a result the team know the young people really well and consequently are able to provide continuity of care.

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Leadership and management outstanding

Staff benefit from high quality training and highly valued support and supervision. This means that staff have the skills, knowledge and support to enable them to care effectively for vulnerable young people. The staff team is well-balanced in terms of age, gender and experience which provide young people with a richness of experiences and relationships. 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 outstanding

The quality of record keeping in the home is high. Records are up to date and stored securely in locked cabinets. Records are easy to read and provide a narrative of the young person’s life in the home. There is evidence that young people see and sign their plans which confirms the importance of their contribution to care planning. Significant events relating to the protection of young people are notified to the relevant authorities and appropriate action taken. This enables independent scrutiny of actions by the authorities in relation to serious incidents pertaining to young people. However, statutory review minutes are not received from the placing authority in a timely manner. The home continues to ensure that they support young people to progress against the plans and actions, as staff record their own notes of the meetings. This means that staff act promptly on all decisions made.

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Leadership and management outstanding

The Registered Manager and staff have excellent working relationships with key 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. Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Leadership and management outstanding

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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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