Children's Home run by Fairways Care (UK) Limited in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole

Unique reference number SC391708 Inspector Christina Maddison Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Registered person Fairways Care (UK) Limited Registered person address Fairways House Mount Pleasant Road Northam Southampton SO14 0QB Responsible individual Thomas Nichol McHugh Registered manager POST VACANT Date of last inspection 22/11/2013 2 of 9 Inspection date 14/10/2014

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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 good Leadership and management good

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Overall effectiveness

Staff at the home are effectively led and managed by an experienced interim manager. As a result good quality care is provided for young people through a well trained and skilled staff team. A strength of the home is how staff have high aspirations for young people and use effective and innovative strategies to help them achieve and make progress from their starting points in all areas of their lives. Staff fully understand the complex needs of the young people they are working with. If there is a shortfall in their knowledge in a particular area then staff will be pro- active in finding the information to inform their practice to support young people to achieve positive outcomes.

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Overall effectiveness

In the relatively short time young people have been living at the home they have settled in to new schools and maintained good attendance and progress. Progress has been made by young people with social skills, road safety and engagement in sports and activities that they previously refused to take part in. Young people enjoy consistent routines they understand that are implemented by staff who ensure young people benefit from creating caring and nurturing relationships with them.

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Overall effectiveness

A strength of the home is how behaviour is successfully managed through effective behaviour management strategies and how young people are encouraged and supported to learn from their mistakes. Managers are careful to ensure the mix of 3 of 9 young people will not create problems and that they are suitably matched to live successfully in the home together. The effectiveness of strategies is constantly monitored by the manager to ensure they are working and young people are making progress.

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Overall effectiveness

Sanction records are not always evaluated for their effectiveness in a timely manner and if young people refuse to sign the record of sanctions this is not always recorded. This oversight by the manager does not have a negative impact on the safety of young people.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people report that they feel safe living in the home and are confident staff will do all they can to keep them safe. A sense of belonging is encouraged through involving young people fully in daily routines and decisions made in the home. One young person said 'I love it here, I give it 9.5 out of ten, I would rather be living at home which is why it is not ten out of ten.' 4 of 9

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Information about this children’s home

This provision is a children's home, which is owned by a private company. It is registered for up to two young people. The home provides care for young people with emotional or behavioural difficulties as well as physical and learning difficulties.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

22/11/2013 Interim good progress 17/04/2013 Full good 18/12/2012 Interim good progress 18/09/2012 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 where any sanctions, disciplinary measures or restraint are used, children are encouraged to have their views recorded in the records kept by the home; in particular that these records are evaluated in a timely way for their effectiveness (NMS 3.18) 5 of 9

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people enjoy good health. Attention to detail and effective action taken by staff ensures young people have their emotional, physical and mental health needs fully met at the home. Young people understand the importance of a healthy diet, physical exercise and a good sleep pattern. Consistent and predictable routines in the home ensure young people feel secure. Nurturing and caring relationships with staff help young people to learn about themselves and learn to improve their behaviour.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Educational outcomes are good. Young people are successfully supported if they need to change schools and are helped to achieve full attendance at school and complete their homework on time. Young people's reading skills have improved due to staff regularly reading with them and providing books and educational games.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people learn independent living skills such as cooking and personal hygiene. Difficulties young people may have with social skills and making friends are understood by staff who support young people to learn how to make appropriate friendships and gain social skills. Young people enjoy a range of activities such as swimming, road safety and cycling. Learning new skills means young people improve their self-esteem and gain confidence.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people maintain positive relationships with their family, who are always made welcome by staff. Families are welcome to visit and enjoy a meal with young people, who in return staff support to visit them. One family member said 'my grandson is doing very well at the home and I am always welcome to visit.'

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Quality of care good

Staff create a stable environment and provide consistent routines in which young people enjoy nurturing and positive relationships with staff. As a result young people make good progress in all areas of their lives.

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Quality of care good

Placement plans comprehensively detail young people's care needs and how these are to be met. Plans are drawn up with the full involvement of young people. Staff actively and successfully ensure care needs are understood and source appropriate therapies and interventions to meet these needs. Innovative practice ensures staff are aware of which strategies to put in place to manage a young person's behaviour and help them learn from their mistakes. One family member said 'I think staff are brilliant.' Young people said 'staff always say the same things so you know what you are supposed to do.' Positive behaviour is encouraged through an individualised reward system that is fully understood by young people and effectively results in 6 of 9 them adjusting their behaviour in order to achieve goals set, such as a trip to Harry Potter World. A placing social worker said 'my young person has settled in very well

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Quality of care good

at the home and the reason is the good relationships they have made with the staff.'

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Quality of care good

Complaints are comprehensively dealt with to ensure young people are satisfied with the outcome of their complaint. Young people know how to complain and have access to external telephone numbers for organisations such as Childline. Regular key working sessions ensure that young people are able to freely and regularly discuss any worries or concerns they have and work out solutions to these with the support of their key worker. The manager and staff welcome positive and negative feedback, which they use to inform the future operation of the home.

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Quality of care good

Educational achievement is good. Young people are successfully supported to start at new schools where staff help them settle in, support them with homework and regularly communicate with school staff. Internet access is available in the home to help young people undertake research and obtain information. E-safety devices are in place to ensure young people do not access inappropriate internet sites. Staff are aware of the importance of and, for some young people, difficulties of social skills with peers at school and encourage young people to make friendships. Friends and family are welcome at the home to join a meal or play after school. Independent living skills are gained by young people through the support of staff. One young person said 'since coming here I have learned how to budget, shop and cook a meal which is really good to learn for when you are grown up.' Staff understand that it is important for young people to learn road safety and encourage young people to

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Quality of care good

achieve this so they will then be able to walk home from school alone like most of their peers.

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Quality of care good

Referrals to the home for the admission of a young person are carefully screened by the manager to ensure a positive match for existing young people. Every effort is made to carefully introduce young people and plan admissions to the home. Existing young people are kept fully informed and are consulted to ensure they are happy for the admission to take place, as the importance of fully involving young people in this process is recognised by staff.

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Quality of care good

Religious needs are met at the home. Young people are supported by staff to attend the church of their choice if they wish and practise their religious beliefs. Young people enjoy a range of activities such as bike riding, jogging and swimming, previously they refused to undertake any physical activities but now understand the benefits of physical exercise and enjoy participating. Staff encourage young people to join clubs and cadets, but understand if they find participation too difficult and do not wish to continue, although staff continue to encourage possible participation in the future.

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Quality of care good

Young people enjoy living in a home that is well decorated, clean and warm. Photographs of young people and their families are displayed in the home to help them to develop a sense of belonging. The home is appropriately located in a 7 of 9 pleasant residential area of a large town, where young people enjoy access to amenities such as the cinema, clubs and shops.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Young people are safe and feel safe living at the home. Comprehensive risk assessments identify individual risks and document control measures. These documents are regularly reviewed and monitored by the manager to ensure they are up to date, effective and staff are familiar with them.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Young people do not go missing from the home. Staff are aware of procedures to follow should a young person be missing. These have been agreed with the local police. Staff have received training in preventing and being aware of the indicators of child sexual exploitation. Safeguarding procedures are robust and any incidents are appropriately referred to the local authority designated officer for the area. Staff work effectively with the appropriate authorities during the investigation of any allegations to ensure the safety of young people.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Restraint is used only as a last resort to ensure the safety of young people and staff in the home. Incidents of restraint have reduced as behaviour management strategies are effective. Young people said 'I understand when they have to restrain me and staff explain why they did it to keep me safe.' Sanctions to be given are documented in care plans to ensure they are individualised and will be effective to encourage positive behaviour.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Young people said sanctions are fair. The manager closely monitors sanctions for their appropriateness and effectiveness and addresses with staff any sanctions that are not appropriate. The monitoring of sanctions for last month has not been completed and the manager is aware this is a task to be undertaken in a timely manner to ensure the information is current. In addition on two occasions the young person has refused to comment but this is not recorded in the record of sanctions. This oversight has not had a negative impact on the safety of young people.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Staff recruitment procedures are robust and ensure only suitable persons are employed at the home. Agency staff are occasionally employed at the home and checks are undertaken by a manager at the head office of the service who visits the agency to verify all the checks.

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Leadership and management good

8 of 9 The previous registered manager left the home on 31st July 2014. A new manager has been appointed and will take up the position in November. In the interim the home has been provided with very strong leadership from the home's previous registered manager who is now the company training manager. This means that the staff and young people have not been negatively impacted by the absence of a registered manager.

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Leadership and management good

The manager has been pro-active in ensuring the home continues to improve and develop. Monthly monitoring visits by an independent person result in detailed reports that contain actions to be taken to address any identified shortfalls.

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Leadership and management good

Comprehensive staff training ensures staff have the skills and knowledge they need to provide a good quality of care for young people. Staff report they feel very well supported and supervised by the manager. Six months ago there was a significant change of staff team that did cause some disruption in the home. Since then, a new staff team has been appointed. Staff report morale is very good and all staff work very well as a team and enjoy working in the home. A noticeably positive atmosphere was experienced during the inspection, which benefits young people as they are aware of this. Young people said 'everyone here likes being with me and working here.'

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Leadership and management good

Managers closely monitor the progress of young people and ensure that this is being maintained. This is achieved through close scrutiny of targets completed, achievements documented and any incidents recorded. This information is available in a pie chart format that clearly shows progress of young people in different areas. A comprehensive and detailed development plan has been completed by the manager that demonstrates the desire for continual improvement and how this will be achieved by managers and staff for the benefit of the young people being cared for at the home. 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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