Children's Home run by Strode Park Foundation for People with Disabilities in Kent

Unique reference number SC425786 Inspector Helen Lee Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Registered person

Strode Park Foundation for People with Disabilities Registered person address Strode Park Foundation, Strode Park House Lower Herne Road HERNE BAY Kent CT6 7NE Responsible individual John Frederick Cotterill Registered manager Laura Pearce Date of last inspection 18/03/2014 2 of 11 Inspection date 26/01/2015

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Registered person

Previous inspection satisfactory 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

There are a number of children and young people with additional complex care and medical needs. The manager clearly demonstrates that 'children come first' in this regard. Children enjoy their time here and staff focus very strongly upon creating a happy, relaxed and busy time.

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Overall effectiveness

Members of staff are able to see that young people have made ‘a lot of progress in gaining their independence and taking appropriate responsibility for their health and wellbeing’. Social workers comment that young people are ‘happy at the home and now able to communicate their needs and wishes’ and ‘the young person has made so much progress, the independent reviewing officer couldn’t believe it - and that's down to the home. They have enabled the young person to meet their potential and this is because of the relationships they have made with the young person.’

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Overall effectiveness

The Registered Manager actively seeks the views and opinions of the children, their parents and carers to directly impact upon care planning and service delivery. Consultation methods are creative and specifically tailored to ensure everyone has a say. Children are effectively and patiently supported to achieve their goals and targets, and these are regularly reviewed. Children achieve and develop socially, behaviourally and emotionally as a direct result of the efforts and skills of the staff team. Parents and carers commend this aspect and know they can rely on the staff 3 of 11 team to work consistently with them.

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Overall effectiveness

This inspection highlighted some areas requiring further development such as, clarifying the Statement of Purpose, updating the safeguarding procedures and ensuring written consent for any surveillance methods used in the home. Recommendations are made regarding training monitoring, and risk assessments. 4 of 11

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Information about this children’s home

This children's home provides care and accommodation for up to three children under short-break arrangements and to a further six children who live at the home. Facilities are in place to meet the needs of children who either have physical disabilities, learning disabilities or both. It is operated by a local charitable foundation.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

18/03/2014 Interim satisfactory progress 08/10/2013 Full good 04/02/2013 Interim good progress 15/08/2012 Full good

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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

(2001) ensure the home's policy which is intended to safeguard children accommodated in the children's home from abuse or neglect includes in particular information on e-safety and child sexual exploitation (Regulation 16 (1) (a)) 27/02/2015

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Reg. Requirement Due date

4 (2001) ensure the homes written statement includes all the matters in Schedule 1, in particular evaluation of the homes location assessment, young peoples needs it can reasonably meet and clarity regarding any nursing care (Regulation 4(1)) 09/03/2015 5 of 11 (2001) gain all children's placing authority's consent to any surveillance and ensure it is provided for in the child's placement plan. (Regulation 22 (1)) 31/03/2015

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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 there is a system in place to monitor the quality and adequacy of record keeping and take action when needed, in particular in regard to staffs training records (NMS 22.1)  ensure a proportionate approach to any written risk assessments in particular to make sure that the risk is tailored to the individual young person with clear intervention, reduction strategies and evaluation. (NMS 4.5) 6 of 11

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Outcomes for children and young people good

All the young people placed permanently remain living at the home since the last inspection. They develop and make marked progress in their lives, as one social worker states, ‘the communication improves month after month – the child makes amazing physical improvements and continues to blossom here - all their needs are met and the home really encourages their individual identity.’ Three young people have remained at the home since turning eighteen whilst adult care provisions are actively sought after.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Children and young people using this service for short stays enjoy positive experiences. Their visits are subject to careful planning and this ensures they routinely use the provision alongside key identified members of staff. There is a flexible approach towards requests from parents and placing social workers and this means that children and young people also use the service when they and their families need it the most.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Children and young people enjoy using the service because they are now introduced to it with great care and understanding. Introductions are individually tailored, taking into account their own unique needs. They settle quickly. This is endorsed by parent comments including ‘thank you for the excellent work with my child’ and ‘we couldn’t want for anything else for our child’.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people's health improves as a result of living in the home. They learn to take appropriate responsibility for their own health needs. Routines and consistent approaches teach children to practise good hygiene, such as hand washing and maintaining their own personal hygiene needs as independently as possible. In addition this also affords opportunities for young people to learn to self-medicate and therefore take a greater responsibility in their health and wellbeing. A good number of children make great progress in terms of developing a more adventurous approach to mealtimes as well as eating out socially. This impacts positively upon their nutritional needs. Young people are now taking some responsibility for managing their own health.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people have excellent attendance at their educational establishments and are making good progress. One teacher congratulates young people ‘for all their progress this year’. Young people achieve friendships at school which are supported and encouraged by the home. One young person was awarded a certificate for outstanding behaviour from their school which staff were proud to show and talk about.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Children and young people develop independence and life skills because staff build their confidence. Young people are also offered a range of choices for each and every 7 of 11 activity from their hair style, clothes, television choices, theatre shows and activities. This enables them to express their unique identities. Young people also can participate in a wide range of group activities with the staff. This includes musical clubs, swimming, and bowling. They experience new things such as holidays, celebrations of festivals and trying foods from different countries.

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Quality of care good

Staff place young people's welfare at the centre of their work and want to give them positive childhood experiences. They use a lot of praise and recognise young people's everyday as well as significant achievements. Children and young people know that they are highly valued by the staff. Relationships are solid. Children and young people engage in much fun and laughter. Signs of anxiety and upset are very well read by staff who know children well and intervene quickly. This results in happy and confident children taking full advantage of the wide and stimulating activities which are routinely on offer.

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Quality of care good

Children and young people have a very real say in terms of service delivery. Consultation mechanisms are creative, targeted and reflect the unique communication needs of the children and young people. Staff give children the time and resources they need to make their views and opinions known. Feedback from individual and groups of children directly influences care delivery. Examples include activity provision, meal choices, and how individuals prefer to be supported with their own unique care needs. Widening young people’s communication methods is a particular strength of the home with staff demonstrating their ability to effectively solicit young people’s views and wishes.

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Quality of care good

Staff take the time to get to know the children and young people they care for, allowing them to identify and meet their individual needs. For some this in-depth knowledge is built up over many years. Young people receive exceptional individualised support, which means they are able to provide effective guidance. This is supported by thorough care plans of good quality which clearly link to the expectations and aims of the placement as well as parents and social workers. They set out the complex needs of the young people and agreed next steps are identified which are borne out in the practice of the home.

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Quality of care good

Educational opportunities are provided by staff who are flexible in providing transportation and support within school including a high level of assistance for any transition periods such as a change of school.

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Quality of care good

An open kitchen is separated from communal areas by a low wall. This allows children and young people to engage with the cook who prepares their meals and enjoy the pleasant smells as mealtimes approach. Children and young people are able to view menus which are displayed at eye level for wheelchair users and can listen to the menu choice by pressing a button. These always include an element of 8 of 11 choice, although the likes and dislikes of children and young people are well known and catered for. There is also a second lounge providing a separate space for the permanent young people to enjoy with their families.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Parents and carers are confident that staff understand how to manage the particular difficulties and needs of their child. The premises, routines and activities are well- prepared to provide the safe environment each child needs. However, the home’s safeguarding procedure does not contain information regarding child sexual exploitation or e-safety. Staff however, have been trained in these area’s to ensure that the young people are protected from these risks. Additionally there haven’t been any significant incidents or safeguarding matters since the last inspection.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

There have been no incidences of young people going absent or missing. High staffing ratios provide excellent supervision levels and the building is appropriately secure. The use of secured doors and surveillance equipment, such as baby monitors is openly advertised and agreed with social workers, parents and carers. However, not all have signed consent forms. The service is signed up to written protocols with the police and local authority in the event of children going missing. The service's guidance is explicitly clear in the event that any child deemed to be missing would be viewed as extremely vulnerable and given top priority in terms of the action to take.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Staff know how each child or young person communicates or reacts if they are distressed or uncomfortable. They are sensitive to any changes in the demeanour of children and young people and are prompt to respond to individual needs. Because staff know them so well, small changes are noticed and celebrated. There has been no use of restraint or any sanctions given since the last inspection evidencing the strong relationships between the staff and young people.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Risk assessments are in place for every possible event or activity. Yet, some of the assessments refer to other levels of assessments or to the home’s procedures rather than to actual risk areas and/or reduction strategies.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Strong, staff recruitment processes now ensure people are only employed to work with young people when they are deemed as suitable, following all the checks required by regulation. The home now verifies previous employment with young people or vulnerable adults as well as qualifications relevant to the role. Warner interview techniques as well as young people’s feedback clearly demonstrates how recruitment decisions are made.

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Leadership and management good

9 of 11 A Registered Manager has been in post for four years. She has completed the Level 5 Diploma in Leadership for Health and Social Care and Children and Young People's Services ensuring she is appropriately qualified for her role. Feedback from stakeholders is positive about communication systems and the commitment of staff to the children and young people. The Registered Manager has an in depth knowledge about all of the young people in the home and has been effective at securing improved outcomes overall. The development plan is regularly reviewed. Consequently, the effectiveness of this approach ensures young people make progress in all areas of their lives and the outcomes for young people are good.

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Leadership and management good

Strong management ensures that the home is run with the care of young people at its core. Managers have good oversight of the service and take effective action to tackle any weaknesses so the home can improve. They keep up-to-date with any changes in legislation and make sure staff are kept informed so they may comply and improve the quality of the service.

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Leadership and management good

Young people are now provided with visual information through an electronic format regarding what they may expect while they are living in the home. The Statement of Purpose mentions that the organisation provides nursing care which doesn’t apply to this home and therefore should be clarified. Additionally, information is missing such as links to the home’s location assessment and the types of children’s behaviour the home can best meet the needs of. These shortfalls are being addressed by the service and do not affect children's welfare.

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Leadership and management good

Young people are cared for by a very motivated staff team who have a wide range of experience. There is now a greater number of permanent staff and this provides a noticeable improvement in the consistency and overall practice within the home. The numbers of staff on duty are sufficient to meet the needs of the young people. All staff have achieved or are working towards formal qualifications.

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Leadership and management good

The home is well organised. Team meetings are an important feature in the home. Staff routinely read any new documents and the minutes of meetings. This is an important contribution toward consistency of care. Staff describe being 'very well supported' in their work with young people. Management is very 'hands-on', so easily accessible to staff. This is supported by excellent handover sessions which also reflect on current work practices and consider new ways of working with or supporting young people. Regular, good quality supervision provides further opportunities for support, development and information sharing.

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Leadership and management good

Social workers, parents and independent reviewing officers find the home is good at communicating with them and share important information. Staff report positive relationships with families and professionals so that all are working in young people's best interests.

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Leadership and management good

Care records are well-ordered and confidentially stored. These are monitored on a regular basis and routinely checked and endorsed by parents and carers. Review 10 of 11 meeting minutes are a good source of information in describing children's progress. Their achievements are clearly recorded and new targets are quickly agreed so as to encourage their continued growth and development.

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Leadership and management good

During the inspection records didn’t immediately demonstrate that staff had the necessary skills required for the needs of the young people. Although this information was eventually located the organisation’s system fails to aid the monitoring processes to ensure that all staff have been trained in core and specific training and remain in date.

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Leadership and management good

The service works well with associated external agencies. It enjoys a very positive relationship with children's social workers and maintains particularly strong links with health care professionals and colleagues in the education sector. Its communication with Ofsted, in terms of notifications and information sharing is open and transparent. 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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