Children's Home run by Capstone Care Provider Limited in Nottinghamshire

Unique reference number SC392712 Inspector Rosemary Chapman Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Registered person Capstone Care Provider Limited Registered person address The Renewal Trust Business Centre 3 Hawksworth Street NOTTINGHAM NG3 2EG Responsible individual Trevor Anthony Edinborough Registered manager Nathan Tyne Voce Date of last inspection 20/03/2014 2 of 9 Inspection date 10/12/2014

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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

This is a home which has significantly improved over the last two years and is now judged as good. It is led and managed effectively so that staff receive good guidance and support through regular supervision and training. This enables them to provide good, consistent care to the young people.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people's outcomes are good and they make good progress as a result of individualised care planning and staff support. They are safe, happy and settled and have made good attachments to staff. Their risk-taking behaviour has diminished significantly and they have ambitions for their future. Staff are particularly strong at promoting educational outcomes, community engagement, independence and partnership working. One stakeholder commented: 'The support and understanding they demonstrate is second to none.'

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Overall effectiveness

Two shortfalls have been identified as a result of this inspection which do not have an impact on young people's outcomes. They relate to providing more detail in the record of staff supervision and undertaking a night-time fire practice. As fire safety is already robust, the latter is an additional precautionary measure. 3 of 9

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned children's home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to two children with emotional or behavioural difficulties.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/03/2014 Interim good progress 25/04/2013 Full adequate 04/09/2012 Interim good progress 01/05/2012 Full inadequate

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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 the emergency escape plan is also practised at night time so staff and children know what to do in an emergency (NMS 10.9)  ensure the record of supervision details the time, date and length of each supervision meeting and is signed by the supervisor and the member of staff at the end of the supervision. (NMS 19.5) 4 of 9

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Outcomes for young people are good and they make good progress in all areas of their lives. They develop confidence and improve their sense of self because they form good attachments with the adults who support them.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people improve their health because they have regular check-ups with doctors, dentists and opticians and access appropriate services. Some young people continue to smoke despite the support offered in this regard, so their health outcomes are not as good because of this.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people's educational outcomes are good. Both young people have educational placements; one attends college on a full-time basis and is making good progress. The other young person has tuition at the home and is 'doing incredibly well'. They have aspirations and plans for their futures, and because of their engagement in education, they have improved their life chances.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Some young people engage exceptionally well in the community. Their involvement in a local boxing club has been extremely beneficial in increasing their life experiences, such as meeting local boxing heroes and members of parliament. Perhaps more significantly, this has led to them being involved in an ice-skating project with local ice-skating celebrities which will be televised. They have also been sponsored by a local charitable organisation to enjoy a residential boxing event. These experiences have had a significant impact on increasing self-esteem and confidence as well as developing and enhancing their skills and improving their health outcomes. Other young people enjoy community facilities such as the cinema and ice-skating and socialising with friends.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people make a positive contribution to the home because they engage in regular residents' meetings where they can voice their views, make suggestions for the menu and any other improvements. They can also choose to undertake some domestic chores as a means to enhance their finances.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people have positive contact with family and friends as appropriate. For some this has improved during their time at the home, and as a result they have a better understanding of their life history and identity. Young people are now making better choices regarding their friendship groups, and as a result, their involvement in criminal activity has ceased. This is a credit to the staff and the young people.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people develop good independent living skills so that they leave the home with a better chance of making a success in their adult lives. 5 of 9

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Quality of care good

Young people have good relationships with the manager and with the staff team. They are relaxed and happy in their presence and there is good 'banter' between them. The young people get on with each other, although both are very independent and have different interests. They feel involved in the home as there are weekly residents' meetings, regular key-work sessions and informal discussions. They know how to make a complaint and have done so in the past. These were resolved to the young people's satisfaction and appropriate learning improved staff practice.

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Quality of care good

Care planning is thorough and based on the local authority plan, of which there is a copy on each young person's file. The home's plan covers all aspects of a young person's needs, including those relating to identity and culture. Plans are reviewed regularly and involve the young person, who signs to acknowledge their agreement with the plan. Key working sessions are well planned, recorded and address the targets which the young person is working towards. One young person commented: 'Staff sort things out for you.'

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Quality of care good

Staff ensure young people are registered with universal services such as the doctor, dentist and optician. They monitor the looked after child medicals and follow these up if they are delayed. There is a good display of health-related information in the home, for example, smoking cessation and sexual health. Staff also discuss these issues in key-workings sessions to promote young people's good health. Medication systems are safe and secure. Staff also access specialist services in relation to drug and alcohol misuse where appropriate. No young people have identified mental health issues so the child and adolescent mental health service is not being accessed currently.

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Quality of care good

Staff are good advocates for young people and fully support their education by attending meetings, challenging decisions, being proactive in transporting young people to education and waking them up in the morning. This has been effective in promoting good educational outcomes.

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Quality of care good

Staff encourage young people to engage in positive leisure pursuits so that they become part of the community and develop skills and confidence. This has been particularly effective in relation to one young person.

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Quality of care good

The home is located in a residential area with easy access to many leisure facilities, shops and other services. It is maintained to a reasonable standard, although the manager has plans to improve this further, and provides a homely environment for the young people.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

6 of 9 Young people are safe and protected from harm because staff have a clear understanding of safeguarding and implement clearly thought out procedures when young people are assessed as being at risk. Young people say that they feel safe and they can talk to the staff about any worries or concerns they may have. Comprehensive care planning and individualised risk assessments address any identified areas of concern; these are regularly reviewed and updated to ensure staff have the most up-to-date guidance to follow to keep young people safe.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Some young people have a number of unauthorised absences, which has been a cause for concern. The manager worked tirelessly with the social worker to ensure strategy meetings were held to discuss the issue and agree on a course of action. As a result of this joint working, these episodes have recently decreased, and appropriate strategies are in place to ensure the young person is safe and well when absent from the home. A stakeholder commented: 'They were creative and proactive in their approach and nothing was too much trouble. I was very impressed.' The home has good working relationships with the local police, who offer appropriate support and guidance when required. Clear, agreed protocols are followed when young people are missing or absent from the home.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Positive behaviour is promoted through incentives and the implementation of comprehensive behaviour management plans. This works effectively because there has been no physical intervention since 2011, although staff have regular training to keep them updated, and an appropriate means of recording such intervention is available. Sanctions are appropriately recorded. Some of these are unimaginative and ineffective, but the manager is in the process of addressing this as it is an area he has highlighted, through his monitoring, for improvement.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

There have been no allegations or suspicions of harm but the manager and staff are fully aware of their responsibilities to report this promptly and appropriately and are guided by easily accessible procedures. There is no bullying in the home, but similarly, staff would take a robust approach to address this should it occur.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Staff are appropriately recruited and vetted prior to them starting work at the home, to ensure their suitability to work with the young people. Similarly, the identity of visitors is checked prior to entry to the home to prevent any unauthorised access.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Young people are kept safe because the home is regularly monitored for any health and safety issues, and servicing of equipment and utilities is carried out at appropriate intervals. There is a robust approach to fire safety; young people are involved in regular fire drills and their understanding of what to do is regularly checked when they have residents' meetings. However, there has not been a recent night-time fire drill; therefore the manager cannot be assured that young people and staff would evacuate the building quickly if they are woken from a deep sleep. 7 of 9

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Leadership and management good

The home is effectively managed by a Registered Manager who has a Level 5 Diploma in Leadership for Health and Social Care and Children's and Young People's Services, which he obtained in January 2014. He has a number of years' experience in residential childcare, including at a managerial level, and he has been registered at this home since June 2012. He is therefore suitably qualified and experienced to provide good leadership.

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Leadership and management good

He has demonstrably improved the home since his appointment. Although there were no requirements or recommendations set at the last inspection, he has continued to make the environment more nurturing and homely, and more recently he has developed the garden so that young people can grow vegetables. This has helped them to develop their skills, their sense of achievement as well as increasing their understanding of where food comes from. He has effectively communicated this ethos to the staff group, who provide good care and support to the young people. Future developmental plans include further improvement to the environment.

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Leadership and management good

There are good relationships with the neighbours and the community. This has not always been the case, and the manager and staff work hard to communicate with them and ensure they are happy. This includes regular visits to check how they are feeling and address any emerging issues before they become a major problem.

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Leadership and management good

The staff and manager have good working relationships with partner agencies, such as the police, the youth offending team and young people's social workers. One stakeholder commented: 'My experience of this home has been excellent; they have always kept me abreast of what is happening and have always attended any meetings or court appearances to support the young person.' Another stakeholder commented: 'I have to say that the staff worked brilliantly with the staff from another home in relation to managing a particular situation.' A social worker was similarly positive, saying: 'We work closely together and the lines of communication are good.' This close and effective partnership working promotes a consistency of response as well as ensuring that all relevant agencies are involved to provide the right support to young people.

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Leadership and management good

There are good systems to support the internal and external monitoring of the home. Recommendations from the external independent reports are acted upon. The manager undertakes a thorough review of the home on a three monthly basis, including the views of the young people, and develops his action plan from this. He has recently developed a good system for monitoring outcomes, which demonstrates improvement in a pictorial form, thus providing an easy way to show young people the progress they have made since they came to live at the home. He knows the young people well and is actively involved in all aspects of their care and support, providing good advocacy where necessary.

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Leadership and management good

There are sufficient staff for the needs of the current resident group. Staff 8 of 9 demonstrate a good commitment to the young people and want the best for them. Staff are regularly supervised and the records of this demonstrate its thoroughness. However, the records do not detail the time and length of the supervision, which would further demonstrate the depth and robustness of the session. Staff developmental needs are considered both in supervision and at their annual appraisal. They receive regular good quality training to ensure their competence to care for and support the young people is maintained. Good communication is further underpinned by regular team meetings and shift handovers, both of which have minutes, so there is an accurate record for future reference. Staff feel well supported by both the manager and responsible individual, who play an active role in the company's three homes.

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Leadership and management good

The young people's case files are of a good quality and well maintained so that information is easy to access. They provide a good record of a young person's time at the home should they choose to access it now or in the future. 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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