Children's Home run by Blackpool Borough Council in Blackpool

Unique reference number SC033611 Inspector Jackie Line Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Registered person Blackpool Borough Council Registered person address Municipal Building PO Box 50 BLACKPOOL FY1 1NF Responsible individual Martin Birch Registered manager Judith Susan Green Date of last inspection 20/02/2014 2 of 12 Inspection date 01/09/2014

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Previous inspection good progress Enforcement action since last inspection none

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Overall effectiveness adequate

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

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Overall effectiveness

One of the strengths of the home is the dedication and enthusiasm of the staff team. Good quality care means that young people are making significant progress in relation to their starting points. As a result, outcomes for young people are positive.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people indicate they feel safe and are happy. They enjoy coming to stay at this home for short breaks and benefit from a range of positive experiences. Young people have the opportunity to engage in new activities and learn new skills. As a result, this improves the quality of life for young people and their families.

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Overall effectiveness

The service has developed close and effective working relationships with parents and professionals. This collaborative approach clearly benefits young people. Parents and professionals express a high level of confidence in the service and are appreciative of the support it provides. Many say the service is ‘unreplaceable’, and describe staff as ‘so understanding and caring’. One parent expressed they are ‘totally confident’ their child is ‘well cared for and happy’.

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Overall effectiveness

However, poor practice has also been highlighted in key aspects of the home’s function. Weak recruitment monitoring does not ensure that young people are protected from unsuitable people having access to them. Shortfalls have also been identified in the management and monitoring of the service. For example, some staff 3 of 12 have not received training updates and important documentation has not been completed or updated. This has limited the progress the service has made between inspections.

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Overall effectiveness

Seven requirements and six recommendations have been made following this inspection to ensure the home meets regulation, young people are appropriately safeguarded and the effectiveness of the running of the home improves. 4 of 12

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is operated by a local authority. It provides a short break care service for 10 children and young people with a disability.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/02/2014 Interim good progress 25/04/2013 Full outstanding 05/02/2013 Interim good progress 25/06/2012 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

4 (2001) ensure the registered person compiles a statement of purpose consisting of all matters listed in Schedule 1, specifically the details, experience and qualifications of casual staff working at the home (Regulation 4(1)) 18/10/2014

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Reg. Requirement Due date

4 (2001) ensure a children's guide is produced which includes a summary of the home's statement of purpose and the address and telephone number of HMCI (Regulation 4(3)(a)(c)) 18/10/2014

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Reg. Requirement Due date

4 (2001) ensure the children's guide is produced in a form appropriate to the age, understanding and communication needs of the children accommodated in the home (Regulation 4(4)) 18/10/2014 5 of 12 17B (2001) ensure that within 24 hours of the use of any measure of control, restraint or discipline in a children's home, a written record is made in a volume kept for the purpose which shall include all information as set out by this regulation (Regulation 17B(3)) 08/10/2014

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that full and satisfactory information is available in relation to all persons working at the home in respect of each of the matters specified in Schedule 2 (Regulation 26(3)(d)) 08/10/2014

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that in respect of each child who is accommodated in the children's home case records are maintained and kept up-to-date, specifically in relation to individual risk assessments (Regulation 28(1)(b)) 08/10/2014

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that visits undertaken in accordance with this regulation are sufficiently robust to identify any shortfalls in the home. (Regulation 33(1)) 18/10/2014

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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

 ensure staff are equipped with the skills required to meet the needs of the children and purpose of the setting, specifically in relation to manual handling refresher courses and e-safety training (NMS 18.1)  ensure a written record is kept by the home detailing the time and date and length of each supervision held for each member of staff, including the registered person (NMS 19.5)  ensure all staff have their performance individually and formally appraised at least annually, and this appraisal takes into account any views of children the service is providing for (NMS 19.6)  ensure the manager regularly monitors, in line with regulations, all records kept by the home to ensure compliance with the home's policies, to identify any concerns about specific incidents and to identify patterns and trends. Immediate action is taken to address any issues raised by this monitoring (NMS 21.2)  ensure staff support and encourage the child to reflect on and understand

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Recommendations

their history, according to their age and understanding, and to keep appropriate memorabilia of their time in the placement. Staff record and help children (subject to their age and understanding) make a record of significant life events. (NMS 22.6) 6 of 12 7 of 12

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people thoroughly enjoy coming to this home for short breaks. Parents consistently report that their children look forward to visiting the home and enjoy spending time with staff and other young people. One parent said, ‘our child can’t wait to get there’. The provision of overnight breaks for many of the young people ensures they are able to make and sustain friendships. One young person described ‘making friends and going out to different places’, as the best things about the home.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people are afforded a wide range of activities and opportunities. These include: trips out to the safari park; shopping outlets; football stadium tours; horse riding, and a weekly Zumba class in the local community. A social work professional said about one young person: ‘When I last saw him, all he spoke about was what he had done there the day before’. As a result, young people are encouraged to pursue interests that give them a real sense of enjoyment. This enables young people to build their confidence, learn new skills and develop a sense of achievement.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people are making excellent progress relative to their age, level of ability and the length of time they have been having short breaks at the home. For example, young people are developing social skills, learning to manage their personal care needs, making informed choices and in turn are becoming more independent. One parent said: ‘The impact has been huge. They have worked wonders with her. She is doing more things than we ever thought possible, and things we couldn’t have managed on our own’.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Staff maintain effective links with young people’s families. Families describe staff as ‘helpful and supportive’ and ‘always on hand to offer advice’. As a result, parents are reassured and confident in the care provided to their children. This means that the service benefits both the young people and their families, with both enjoying some much needed respite. One parent said: ‘The home has become a life-line for our family, in keeping us all together’.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

A close working relationship with families and partnership agencies ensures that young people’s health care needs are met and learning is fully supported. Staff demonstrate a sound understanding of young people’s individual medication, and this means there is a continuity of care when they visit the home for respite breaks. Young people’s education is actively encouraged. Regular communication with school and home means there is consistency when young people move between the different settings. Moreover, staff develop a good awareness of young people’s learning abilities and, as a result, young people are supported to reach their potential. 8 of 12

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Quality of care good

Placement planning is robust and effective. A comprehensive induction to the home means that staff really get to know the young people, prior to them coming for their first overnight stay. Staff formulate short break plans in conjunction with parents and social work staff. These documents provide a range of information such as young people’s likes and dislikes, their interests, as well as routines that they like or require. As a result, young people benefit from individualised programmes of support that promote their welfare.

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Quality of care good

Young people receive a good standard of care from a committed and experienced staff team. Young people enjoy positive relationships with staff. The high level of support provided to young people is recognised by parents and professionals who are full of praise for the service and the added value offered to families. Parents say: ‘It is a special place, not only the building, but more importantly, the people in the building. We cannot praise them enough’.

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Quality of care good

Difference and individuality are celebrated. The poster in the entrance to the home which says: ‘All Different, All Equal’, encapsulates the ethos of the home. Staff are well versed in, and able to adopt, different communication styles in order to meet the individual needs of young people. As a result, young people are successfully supported and encouraged to express themselves, explore their environment and learn new skills to maximise their potential. The use of iPads is particularly welcomed by a number of young people and has clearly enhanced their ability to communicate their wants and needs.

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Quality of care good

The positive relationships within the home allow for on-going communication with the young people and they are consulted regularly. For example, young people are keen to share their ideas about how they want to make use of a new log cabin being built in the garden. Suggestions include computer gaming, a jukebox, dancing and a tuck shop. Young people now give feedback after their stays, a scheme recently introduced following a suggestion by one of the young people. Young people have shared that they ‘liked the meals’, ‘going on the computer’ and have given their stay a ‘thumbs up’. Consultation is helping young people with confidence and self-belief. Knowing that others are listening to and acting on their views is empowering young people to have a voice and be heard.

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Quality of care good

Healthy lifestyles are promoted and particular dietary needs are well catered for. There are robust arrangements for the safe storage and administration of medication. Staff support young people with education, links to schools are positive and staff attend education meetings. This provides young people with a continuity of care and promotes their development.

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Quality of care good

The home is warm and welcoming and provides a lovely environment in which young people come and stay. The accommodation is colourful and vibrant and young people particularly like the individually decorated bedrooms. The home is well-equipped and 9 of 12 full of interesting and stimulating things to do. The visual displays within the home are excellent. They reflect the wealth of activities and enjoyment experienced by young people in the home and out in the wider community.

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Quality of care good

Staff prepare memory books for each young person to take with them on reaching adulthood. An area identified for improvement is to ensure young people have regular access to an ongoing record reflecting their progress, development and achievements over the course of their short break stays.

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Keeping children and young people safe inadequate

Significant weaknesses are identified in recruitment practice. The manager has not fully vetted the information about all staff employed to work at the home. Shortfalls in personnel records include: gaps in employment history that have not been addressed; insufficient reference checks and delays in verifying disclosure and barring certificates obtained. This weak recruitment monitoring does not fully protect young people from unsuitable people having access to them.

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Keeping children and young people safe inadequate

Young people are made aware of the dangers and vulnerabilities they face, in line with their age and levels of understanding. Work has been undertaken with some young people about keeping safe on-line. Although firewalls are in place to try and protect against access to inappropriate material, young people have still managed to do this on occasion. In addition, all staff have not received formal training in respect of e-safety. This means that not all staff are sufficiently knowledgeable and confident to address issues of internet safety and this does not help to keep young people safe.

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Keeping children and young people safe inadequate

A range of risk assessments are in place to address particular behaviours presented by young people. However, the quality and effectiveness of these is variable. For example, risk management plans in respect of young people going missing are comprehensive and robust. Indeed, there have been no incidents of young people going missing or absent from the home between inspections. However, internet access and high pain thresholds are noted as risks for some young people, but these are not included in their respective risk assessments. In addition, not all risk assessments are reviewed and updated in a timely manner. Consequently, insufficient monitoring and the absence of clear strategies in some cases mean that young people’s welfare is not fully promoted.

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Keeping children and young people safe inadequate

Staff demonstrate a good understanding about the triggers that contribute to young people becoming upset or frustrated and they use agreed strategies to promote positive behaviour. Occasionally physical intervention is required to keep young people safe. The inspection found that such incidents are not recorded in line with regulation and this practice does not sufficiently protect young people and staff.

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Keeping children and young people safe inadequate

Staff receive regular training in relation in child protection. This ensures they have the relevant knowledge and awareness to respond to issues of concern. Staff have 10 of 12 acted promptly and appropriately in such situations, sharing information with relevant people and accurately recording events. As a result, multi-agency intervention and additional support has been used to ensure young people’s safety is maintained outside of the home.

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Keeping children and young people safe inadequate

A range of health and safety monitoring is in place to ensure young people live in a physically safe environment. A range of specialist equipment is well maintained. Staff and managers are vigilant and respond quickly to any issues that arise. Effective liaison with the local fire officer means that the fire evacuation plan has recently been reviewed and updated. Young people and staff take part in regular fire drills so they know the action to take and can be fully supported in the event of an emergency.

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Leadership and management adequate

The registered manager has been in post since 2003 and she is appropriately qualified. Since the last inspection the registered manager has had a period of absence from work, returning to her post in May. These changes were appropriately notified to Ofsted in line with regulation. A suitably experienced, senior member of the residential team managed the service during this period of absence.

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Leadership and management adequate

The one recommendation from the last inspection has been met. There are now systems in place to ensure significant events are reported without delay. There have been no complaints about the service since the last inspection. Social workers and parents confirm that communication is effective with one person saying, ‘communication is top notch’. Consequently, partners are confident in the leadership of the home and the commitment of staff to provide a good level of care to young people.

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Leadership and management adequate

The service meets the aims and objectives of the statement of purpose. However, information relating to all staff working in the home is incomplete. While the children’s guide does introduce young people to the home, it does not provide sufficient information about the purpose and aims of the home. In addition, it is not produced in a variety of formats to meet the different communication needs of young people. As a result, the guide does not provide a clear and accessible overview of the home for young people.

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Leadership and management adequate

There are sufficient numbers of staff employed to meet the needs of young people. The gender balance of staff in the home is good, providing appropriate role models for young people. Staff report that they are well supported and receive regular supervision. Supervision records do not reflect the time and length of supervision, and this is raised as a recommendation. Most staff receive an annual appraisal but the current appraisal system does not include the views of young people. As a result, the opportunity for young people to provide valuable feedback and be involved in staff development is lost. 11 of 12 Staff are provided with a range of training courses and all staff have an individual development plan in place. However, not all training is kept up to date. For example, while all staff have received manual handling training, not all staff have attended a refresher course. Although this has been identified by the manager, prompt action

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Leadership and management adequate

has not been taken to address this. As a result, staff do not always receive training within reasonable timescales to maintain the skills they need to meet the specific needs of young people.

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Leadership and management adequate

Internal and external monitoring of the home takes place regularly. However, this monitoring is weak because it has failed to identify shortfalls highlighted during this inspection. For example, monitoring reports do not identify poor recruitment practice or inadequacies in the recording of restraint. This compromises the home’s ability to address key areas for improvement and consequently has limited the progress achieved between inspections. Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Leadership and management adequate

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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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