Children's Home run by Surrey County Council in Surrey

Unique reference number SC040638 Inspector Paul Taylor 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 Louise Warren Registered manager Nick Melvin Jones Date of last inspection 20/02/2014 2 of 10 Inspection date 05/11/2014

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

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Information about this children’s home

The home is a local authority children's homes which may accommodate up to six young people of either gender. The home supports children and young people who present emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection two young people were resident in the home.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/02/2014 Interim good progress 10/09/2013 Full adequate 27/03/2013 Interim satisfactory progress 11/02/2013 Interim not judged

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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

 review the effectiveness of how children are enabled to understand their health needs, how to maintain a healthy lifestyle and to make informed decisions about their health. (This is relation to helping young people to reduce their smoking.) (NMS 6.2)  review the effectiveness of how children are supported to attend school, college or alternative provision regularly (This is in relation to supporting the young people who are not achieving regular attendance at their education settings) (NMS 8.2)  ensure that the home provides a comfortable and homely environment and is well maintained and decorated. (This is in relation to ensuring the smoking areas in the garden are kept clean and tidy) (NMS 10.3) 4 of 10  ensure that children are looked after by staff who are trained and competent to meet their needs. (This is in relation to training all members of staff in e-safety) (NMS 18)  ensure that staff have access to support and advice, and are provided with

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Recommendations

regular supervision by appropriately qualified and experienced staff. (This is in relation to ensuring staff receive supervision in line with the frequency outlined in the home's policy). (NMS 19.4) 5 of 10

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Outcomes for children and young people adequate

Young people are able to develop positive relationships with the adults who care for them. Support from the members of staff enables them to develop an understanding of their past and to reflect upon their choices and behaviours.

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Outcomes for children and young people adequate

The young people benefit from having their health needs promoted to a good standard. They attend all their routine health checks and also have ready access to specialist health professionals such as psychiatrists and a Looked After Children Nurse. (LAC nurse). This means that they receive good practical and emotional support and advice with regards to issues such as sexual health as well as dealing with their anger and anxieties.

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Outcomes for children and young people adequate

Most young people in the home smoke cigarettes and there are specific areas in the grounds where this is allowed if they have parental permission to do so and are of an age where they are able to this. Current approaches and education by members of staff and other health professionals have not yet been successful in reducing smoking by the young people.

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Outcomes for children and young people adequate

The majority of the young people attain good levels of attendance at school or college and make good progress. A minority do not maintain consistent good attendance despite staff encouragement and guidance. This means that they do not benefit fully from the opportunities made available to them.

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Outcomes for children and young people adequate

Young people receive sensitive guidance and support in maintaining contact with their families where that is appropriate. The young people have also been able to improve relationships with their families especially when the contact has been facilitated by members of staff. Families are made welcome when visiting the home and this has eased anxieties and enabled the visits to be positive.

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Outcomes for children and young people adequate

Young people are supported to develop their life and independence skills. This includes guidance in practical issues, such as cooking and budgeting, independent travel and attending college. As a result of this, young people develop more confidence in caring for themselves and being prepared for adulthood.

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Quality of care good

Members of staff offer consistent care and good support to the young people. Young people benefit from a staff team who are genuinely interested in them as individuals and develop appropriate warm and caring relationships. A young person commented, 'The staff are really good, there's always someone there for me'. 6 of 10 Young people feel listened to due to the opportunities that they have to voice their opinions and feelings. They are able to make choices around issues such as activities, menus and décor. They are also actively involved in the development of their individual placement plans. These plans outline how each young person is to be cared for and supported. By involving the young people in these plans, members of staff help them to have a say in how they are cared for. The plans include any specific religious or cultural needs and outline how these are to be met. As a result, support offered to each young person is of a good standard and takes into account

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Quality of care good

each young person's individual preferences.

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Quality of care good

Members of staff support the young people to attend all their routine health appointments as well as those with specialist health professionals, such as the LAC nurse and psychiatrists. As a result, their health needs are promoted to a good standard. In particular their emotional stability and well-being is promoted very well.

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Quality of care good

Some young people have achieved excellent levels of attendance at their school or college, particularly when bearing in mind their starting points. Young people who are experiencing difficulty with attending school are very well supported and the home liaises closely with their educational placements to encourage better attendance. This has not been effective in all cases and as a result a minority of young people's progress and attendance is not as positive as that experienced by the other young people.

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Quality of care good

Members of staff support and enable the young people to take part in numerous activities in the community. For example, they are supported to attend youth clubs ice skating, horse riding and swimming. Additionally, members of staff have also taken young people on holiday abroad. This approach encourages young people to be a part of their wider community and gives them a chance to experience positive enriching activities as well as expanding their circle of friends.

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Quality of care good

The home is well maintained and decorated to a good standard. The young people are able to personalise their rooms with pictures and posters and this encourages them to have an investment in their home. There are smoking areas in the back garden which the young people use if they have the necessary permission from their parents or social workers. These areas are littered with smoking detritus where the young people have not used the receptacles to put their cigarette ends. This detracts from the otherwise good quality standard of the environment.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Young people report feeling safe in the home. A young person commented, 'They make sure we're safe and bullying just isn't a problem'.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

The home has clear protocols to follow in the event that a young person is missing 7 of 10 from the home. These are explicit in what steps need to be taken to promote each young person's safety. The strategies are pro- active and include steps for the staff to take to dissuade young people from going missing. On occasion this may mean close supervision and following a young person out of the home if they leave without permission. This is done to maintain the safety of young people who are seen as particularly vulnerable.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

The protocols also ensure prompt reporting to the police if there are concerns for the safety of young people. The home's missing person's procedures are in line with the police procedures for the area. As a result of the conscientious approach operated by the staff, incidents of young people going missing have reduced. Police officers are positive about the efforts that the members of staff make to reduce incidents where the young people are missing.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

On return to the home the young people are offered 'return' interviews with police officers as well as interviews from independent people who do not work in the home. This ensures that the young people can speak to an external person if the reasons for running away are related to anything happening in the home.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

All members of staff are trained in the method of restraint used by the organisation which runs the home. Emphasis is placed on de-escalation techniques and the development of positive relationships and mutual respect. As a result of this approach there have been no incidents of restraint for over a year.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Staff use their positive relationships with the young people to underpin behavioural expectations in the home. Young people say that the rules in the home are fair. The home is using a restorative justice approach to incidents of misbehaviour, encouraging young people to reflect on their misdeeds and to address these by discussing the impact of their behaviour with others. An example of this approach is a young person meeting with members of the fire brigade and attending a course on how fires affect lives, when they have been found to be smoking in their room. This approach has only been recently introduced and is not yet embedded into the practice of the home, although training for all members of staff is planned in the near future.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

All new members of staff have background checks carried out on them before they commence work at the home. This includes a Disclosure and Barring Service check as well as having references and work histories checked. This process means that only adults with suitable histories are able to work in the home.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

There are clear procedures in place for the staff to follow in the event that they have concerns about a young person's well-being. All members of staff have had training in safeguarding and child protection issues such as child sexual exploitation. Members of staff know what to look for and who to inform if they have concerns about a young person's use of the internet or social networking. However, not all members of staff have had this knowledge underpinned by training in e-safety. 8 of 10 Although this is not a major shortfall, it will support their knowledge in a key aspect of young people's lives.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

The home has risk assessments in place for the environment and activities in which young people take part. This means that the staff are aware of the risks and know what measures to put in place to ensure young peoples safety. Fire checks are carried out regularly and all young people are involved in fire drills. This approach ensures that young peoples safety is treated as a priority at all times.

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Leadership and management good

The home has suitably qualified and experienced manager who has been registered by Ofsted since February 2014. He provides good leadership and is supported by experienced senior members of staff.

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Leadership and management good

The manager has a development plan for the service and this also contains timescales for actions to be completed. For example, it outlines training needs for members of staff, completion of a revised young person's booklet and dates for recruitment for new members of staff.

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Leadership and management good

Team meetings, which are held on a weekly basis, also reflect upon practice and the assessment on how young people are benefitting from their placement. This ensures that there is no complacency and that the young people needs are reviewed and considered continuously.

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Leadership and management good

A thorough and robust monitoring process by the manager and senior members of staff reviews all areas set out in Regulation 34. These reviews assess the quality of care and recording and identify shortfalls and how they are to be rectified. Monitoring visits by an independent visitor also ensure that the home is maintaining good standards of care. These visits include meetings with the young people so that they can voice their feelings and opinions. Reports written as a result of the visits point out any shortfalls. The Registered Manager writes action plans with time scales to show how these have been addressed. This further ensures accountability for practice and how the home is promoting good outcomes.

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Leadership and management good

Staff attend a variety of training and this helps them to develop their skills and knowledge. Their practice is also reviewed during annual appraisals and during supervisions. Staff speak unanimously about the good level of day to day support they receive from managers and the quality of their supervision. However, not all receive supervision on a monthly basis as recommended in the organisation's policy and as agreed in the staff members supervision contracts. Although this minor shortfall has had no impact on the quality of care or young people's well being, it means that formal recorded supervision does not occur as often as agreed. Records of supervision are of good quality and contain details of staff performance and how they are delivering care for the young people. 9 of 10 As a result of the support they receive, regular meetings and quality assurance processes, the staff team work cohesively and reflect upon their practice and how

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Leadership and management good

they can improve outcomes for the young people.

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Leadership and management good

The home has enough members of staff to ensure that the young people can be offered close support if they need this. Staffing numbers can be increased to meet the needs of particularly vulnerable young people. This includes staffing on a one to one ratio for a young person if needed.

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Leadership and management good

The home informs relevant agencies promptly of specific incidents and this supports their accountability to outside professionals for their practice. This also ensures that incidents which require investigation or review can be addressed effectively and in a timely manner. 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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