Children's Home run by Surrey County Council in Surrey

Unique reference number SC370703 Inspector Janet Hunnam Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Registered person Surrey County Council Registered person address Surrey County Council, Children's & Safeguarding Service Runnymede Centre, Chertsey Road ADDLESTONE Surrey KT15 2EP Responsible individual Alexander Niven Registered manager Jane Susan Gupta / Sally Ann Carey Date of last inspection 17/02/2014 2 of 10 Inspection date 16/07/2014

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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 outstanding Leadership and management good

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Overall effectiveness

Young people receive highly individualised support and make significant progress in a safe and caring environment. Led by a forward-thinking Registered Manager with effective leadership skills, the dedicated and skilful staff team deliver consistent care allowing young people to improve their behaviour, social skills and independence skills.

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Overall effectiveness

Positive, trusting relationships enable young people to develop confidence and benefit from the support provided. Staff demonstrate an excellent understanding of young people's individual personalities, interests, strengths and needs and young people thrive in the placement. Young people's needs and their welfare are central to all aspects of how the home operates. Staff actively encourage young people to make choices in their daily lives and promote young people's independence at every opportunity. Staff are skilled in using a variety of communication methods so that young people can make their views known.

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Overall effectiveness

Excellent safeguarding practice is in place at the home. Staff monitor young people closely to ensure their safety and react promptly and appropriately in all situations to protect young people. Staff's detailed knowledge of young people and their specific vulnerabilities together with their considerable skill and expertise, results in successful management of challenging behaviour contributing to young people's 3 of 10 safety and well-being.

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Overall effectiveness

Comprehensive monitoring systems support managers to maintain high standards of care. One shortfall was identified during this inspection in relation to reviewing the statement of purpose in line with Regulations. 4 of 10

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Information about this children’s home

The service is owned and run by the local authority, providing care and accommodation for up to three young people and short breaks for up to 17 young people with learning disabilities.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

17/02/2014 Interim good progress 10/09/2013 Full adequate 25/01/2013 Interim satisfactory progress 12/07/2012 Full outstanding

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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

4 (2001) the registered person shall compile in relation to the children's home a written statement (in these Regulations referred to as 'the statement of purpose') which shall consist of a statement as to the matters listed in Schedule 1. (Regulation 4(1)) 29/08/2014 5 of 10

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people make significant progress in an environment that provides high quality care and support. A parent commented that the home is ‘amazing’; the young person ‘is making so much progress and our lives have changed since he has been at the home’. Highly individualised, consistent support enables young people to develop trusting relationships with staff. Staff encourage and respect their individual identities, which helps them develop confidence and self-esteem. Staff are skilled in using various communication methods allowing young people to share their views and preferences.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Close monitoring and thorough attention by staff to each young person’s health needs, ensure they meet all aspects of young people’s health requirements. Effective liaison with health professionals supports staff to manage medical conditions appropriately and resolve individual health concerns with positive outcomes. In small steps, young people are developing an understanding of healthy eating and a healthy lifestyle. Intense and patient support gradually enables young people to manage their frustrations.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Staff provide effective support for young people to attend school regularly. Excellent transition planning and specific strategies allow young people to make a smooth change of environment. Close communication with school on a daily basis ensures key information about young people’s day-to-day lives is shared and supports educational outcomes. Staff liaise with school staff to share practice and strategies to meet young people’s needs consistently and promote their growth and development.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people access a wide range of activities within the home and the wider community enabling them to extend their social experiences and develop their skills and confidence. Activity programmes are well-planned, ensuring resources are in place to facilitate successful experiences for young people. Young people who previously were unable to access community activities are now going out and participating in such activities as dance classes, the gym, swimming and eating in restaurants. A parent commented that since being at the home, the young person ‘now can go out to places; before we couldn’t get him out of the car’. Staff facilitate and support contact for young people with their families, enabling young people to maintain and improve family relationships.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

A strength of the home is the focus on promoting young people’s independence skills. The emphasis is on young people doing as much as they can for themselves. Young people routinely help staff prepare meals. Staff are patient and supportive in assisting them to acquire new skills to maximise their potential. Through consultation with the young person’s parents, carers and other professionals, individual targets are meaningful, realistic and appropriately challenging. A social worker commented that 6 of 10 ‘staff are very relaxed and very good at developing self-help skills’.

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Quality of care good

Young people thrive in the home as a result of nurturing, caring relationships with staff, which provides them with a secure base of stability and trust. Interactions are supportive and respectful and based on staff knowing the young people extremely well. A social worker commented that ‘staff are very positive and warm even when faced with challenging behaviour’. A parent commented that ‘staff are lovely and it is a brilliant place’.

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Quality of care good

Staff are highly skilled in managing young people’s behaviour and promoting positive relations. They demonstrate excellent understanding of young people’s individual personalities, interests, strengths and needs. Consequently, young people make progress in improving their behaviour.

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Quality of care good

A culture of promoting young people’s choice is evident. Using a variety of communication methods, staff enable young people to put forward their views and decide for themselves on day-to-day matters such as requesting an alternative to the meal on the menu. Staff are flexible and keen to facilitate and enable young people to have this degree of choice. Young people have chosen colours for redecorating the home and put forward their individual views on activities they would like to do.

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Quality of care good

Staff plan extensively before a young person starts to use the service. They undertake assessments through home and school visits to observe the young person’s behaviour. Working closely with families, staff tailor each young person’s transition into the home to ensure they settle in the best possible way. A social worker commented that a young person’s move into the home has been ‘a model transition with excellent preparation in identifying the young person’s needs and planning to meet his needs’. This very detailed assessment of young people’s needs results in a person-centred plan, which identifies their specific vulnerabilities, routines, medical needs, communication methods, likes and dislikes. Detailed individualised strategies guide staff in supporting young people. Young people’s plans include clear goals they are working towards, enabling them to develop and make progress.

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Quality of care good

Staff encourage young people to lead a healthy, active lifestyle. Evening routines include a variety of physical activities. Young people choose the meals for the menu, which includes two alternatives, from an ‘eat well’ menu. The home is implementing a new healthy eating project, buying fruit and vegetables from a local garden centre and local bakery items and meat. Staff are involving young people in this project and they visit the garden centre to purchase items. This focus on healthy eating is having 7 of 10 a positive impact on young people. A parent commented that their son ‘is eating much more healthily and even when he is at home he does not eat sweets and crisps which he did before’.

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Quality of care good

Staff are very well trained, confident and competent in meeting young people’s often complex, health needs. External health professionals provide specialist services when necessary such as dentists who have specific experience of working with young people with disabilities. The system for administering medication is robust ensuring the safety and welfare of young people.

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Quality of care good

Young people live in a welcoming, spacious, well-resourced environment. It is currently being redecorated to provide bright and homely accommodation. Young people who live at the home have large communal spaces and their own individual lounge in addition to their bedroom. All young people have opportunities to personalise their bedrooms to reflect their personalities and develop a sense of belonging and identity. There are external areas with play equipment for young people to exercise and have fun outside.

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Keeping children and young people safe outstanding

Safeguarding young people is of paramount importance at the home. Efficient and effective systems are in place to protect young people and promote their welfare. A parent commented that the young person ‘is very safe at the home’. A social worker stated that the home is ‘a safe environment’. Staff are competent and appropriately trained in safeguarding procedures. Any issues of a child protection nature are managed appropriately, ensuring the safety of the young person. Close monitoring of young people, with excellent levels of supervision and detailed risk assessments, protect young people. Young people do not leave the home without permission but appropriate policies and procedures are in place to ensure an immediate response if a young person leaves the home.

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Keeping children and young people safe outstanding

Young people clearly trust staff who care for them. Staff have an excellent understanding and knowledge of young people, and are continually thinking about the meaning of young people’s behaviour. They receive training to recognise cues, which may be non-verbal, distressed reactions or anxiety resulting in behaviour that indicates an unmet need. Staff identify triggers and warning signs and react appropriately in line with young people’s risk assessments to support them and prevent behaviour escalating. Risk assessments are individual to each young person and recognise their specific vulnerabilities. Staff review these assessments following any significant incident. Proactive intervention plans guide staff in managing young people’s potential and actual aggressive behaviour. Detailed and individualised 24- hour support plans are in place, which guide staff in managing young people’s critical phases throughout the day to keep them safe.

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Keeping children and young people safe outstanding

Staff receive training in the use of physical intervention but they rarely use restraint. 8 of 10 This is testament to the skills and competence of the staff team who successfully de- escalate difficult situations. A senior staff member is a qualified trainer in the home’s chosen model of managing challenging behaviour. Staff benefit from their close monitoring of any incidents and advice and guidance on managing these. Staff consider all incidents involving physical intervention in team meetings, to reflect on their practice and learn from the incident to benefit young people. Staff rarely use sanctions as many of the young people have limited understanding. Positive behaviour is promoted through celebrating young people’s achievements on ‘Wow’ boards with photographs recording their achievements.

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Keeping children and young people safe outstanding

Robust recruitment procedures safeguard young people and ensure that only appropriate adults care for young people. The home is rigorous in its approach to health and safety. All required tests and servicing takes place including fire safety checks, training and drills to protect young people and staff within the home.

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Leadership and management good

Young people benefit from effective management and clear leadership. The manager has been in post since December 2012 and is registered with Ofsted. She is suitably qualified for the role. She provides forward-thinking leadership for the staff team, clearly understands the needs of young people at the home and the support and guidance staff require to meet their needs. The needs of young people are central to care practice, planning and development with all decisions focusing on their best interests and promoting their development and progress.

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Leadership and management good

The home has received one formal complaint since the last inspection. This was not directly related to the care of young people and was resolved satisfactorily. The home’s statement of purpose reflects the services the home offers but it does not include all the required matters.

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Leadership and management good

The home continually seeks to improve the service. New systems for recording and monitoring are in place. The recommendation at the last inspection relating to ensuring the home is well maintained and decorated has been addressed. A development plan is in place with the home working towards Autism Accreditation, identifying an appropriate independent visitor for young people, continued updating of the interior of the home and recruiting more permanent rather than bank staff.

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Leadership and management good

Rigorous monitoring systems are in place to maintain high quality care. The manager compiles detailed monthly internal reports and sends quarterly summaries to Ofsted. Monthly reports from an external visitor are of a high quality and add further value to the monitoring systems in place.

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Leadership and management good

Staffing levels are high, reflecting the complex needs of young people at the home and ensuring that young people receive the level of support they require to have positive experiences at the home. Additional fixed-term staff have recently been 9 of 10 recruited to reduce the need for agency staff and provide consistency of care for young people. Staff receive excellent levels of training, supervision and support. Staff say they feel very well supported to carry out their role through formal supervision, team meetings and informal guidance from management. A comprehensive training programme ensures staff receive appropriate and relevant training and development opportunities to enhance and inform their care practice. A social worker commented that ‘staff are well trained and are particularly knowledgeable using communication systems with young people’. A parent stated that the staff ‘understand autism so

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Leadership and management good

Communication between the staff team and professionals, parents and carers is effective. Record keeping is of a high standard and these records contribute to a good understanding of young people’s lives. 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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