Children's Home run by CareTech Community Services Limited in Staffordshire

Unique reference number SC005041 Inspector Marina Tully Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Registered person Daisybrook Limited Registered person address 5th Floor, Metropolitan House 3 Darkes Lane POTTERS BAR Hertfordshire EN6 1AG Responsible individual Mark O'Donnell Registered manager Ann Pritchard Date of last inspection 29/03/2014 2 of 10 Inspection date 28/01/2015

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Previous inspection good progress Enforcement action since last inspection There has not been any enforcement action since the last inspection.

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Overall effectiveness good

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

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Overall effectiveness

The home is making a noticeable difference to the lives of children and young people with disabilities and complex needs. Children and young people are safe, happy and content. Their self-esteem therefore increases and they benefit from greater emotional resilience.

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Overall effectiveness

Staff are suitably qualified and experienced. They are skilled at interpreting children and young people’s non-verbal communication. This enables effective participation and ensures children and young people have some control over their lives.

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Overall effectiveness

The home provides a safe, secure and nurturing environment. Children and young people benefit from structure, clear boundaries and continuity in care. This enables them to attend school and engage in education and enrichment activities. Children and young people are therefore developing in confidence and developing new skills through having opportunities to learn, play and explore.

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Overall effectiveness

Children and young people’s diverse and complex health needs are being effectively addressed. Staff have good knowledge and understanding of their individual medical needs and are trained to ensure they can respond to routine and emergency medical treatment. This ensures that children and young people are cared for safely within 3 of 10 the home.

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Overall effectiveness

The registered manager is dedicated to her role and she ensures the home is appropriately equipped and resourced. Areas for improvement include: the promotion of individual identity; children and young people’s records; maintenance of equipment; evaluation of staff training; and the monitoring of the service. 4 of 10

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Information about this children’s home

This home is operated by a private organisation. It is registered to accommodate up to 10 young people with a range of disabilities, including physical disability, learning disability and complex needs. The provision may be for either settled care or short- breaks.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

29/03/2014 Interim good progress 12/12/2013 Full outstanding 04/02/2013 Interim good progress 23/05/2012 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 all parts of the home to which children have access are so far as reasonably practicable free from hazards to their health and safety. This is in relation to the trampoline and storage box in the children's bathroom (Regulation 23(a)) 02/03/2015

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that the home is conducted with due regard to the sex, religious persuasion, racial origin, and cultural and linguistic background (Regulation 11(2) (b)) 02/03/2015

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) maintain in respect of each child who is accommodated in the children's home a record in 02/03/2015 5 of 10 permanent form which includes the information, documents and records specified in Schedule 3 relating to that child; ensure it is kept up to date; and is signed and dated by the author of each written entry. (Regulation 28 (a)(b) & ( c))

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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 learning and development programme is evaluated for effectiveness at least annually and if necessary is updated. This is specifically in relation to testing staffs' knowledge and understanding of the issues covered in training and providing them with opportunities to reflect on what they have learnt (NMS 18.2)  ensure there are clear and effective procedures for monitoring and controlling the activities of the home. Children, parents, and other stakeholders, are regularly involved in contributing to monitoring the operation of the home, and there is evidence that their views and concerns are seriously taken into account. (NMS 21.1) 6 of 10

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Children and young people are making good progress in their emotional development. They are building and maintaining strong attachments with their carers’ and are therefore growing in confidence and developing essential life skills.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Children and young people’s complex medical conditions are effectively met by a suitably trained team. As a result they physically thrive and develop strength and emotional resilience. A social worker said: ‘the home has supported young people in a positive way. Staff have diverse skills, which enables them to care for young people with complex care needs.’

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Outcomes for children and young people good

All children and young people have excellent school attendance which is down to their structured daily routines. Consequently, children and young people are making measurable progress with their learning and development. This is reflected in the numerous certificates displayed throughout the home.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Children and young people enjoy quality contact with their families. This is because the home actively promotes contact, with staff making a great deal of effort to ensure contact is a positive experience for all. Consequently, children and young people develop a clear understanding of their background and attachments are sustained. Effective partnership working with parents has enabled some children and young people to be safely returned to their parents' care.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Transition to adulthood is planned in accordance with young people’s level of understanding and ability. This has resulted in them developing some basic life skills, such as helping with laundry and having greater control in their own personal care. As a result, young people become more independent and are better equipped for moving on.

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Quality of care adequate

Children and young people enjoy warm and caring relationships with staff. Parents and social workers are complementary about staff and the care provided within the home. A social worker said: ‘I have no concerns about the standard of care. Staff are confident in interacting with young people and appear to have a good understanding of their individual needs.’

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Quality of care adequate

Children and young people’s views are valued and staff make sound efforts to include them in decision making. Children and young people’s bedrooms reflect their individual interests and tastes. For example, there are family photographs and 7 of 10 posters of their favourite celebrities on their bedroom walls. This makes them feel at home and demonstrates that their individual interests are respected.

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Quality of care adequate

Most children and young people are highly dependent on staffs’ knowledge of their methods of communication. Most staff know the children and young people well and are skilled at interpreting their facial expressions and body language. Consequently, staff are able to effectively seek children and young people’s views and ensure that these are incorporated into their daily routines and activities. The home is currently developing new ways of documenting children and young people’s views, which will further enhance consultation and participation.

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Quality of care adequate

Not all children and young people benefit from having up-to-date statutory care plans on their file. Consequently, there is limited evidence to demonstrate that the homes plans are consistent with the placing authorities. Furthermore, files do not demonstrate that care plans are agreed by all relevant parties and progress is being routinely measured, monitored and reviewed.

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Quality of care adequate

All children and young people attend school and are achieving with their learning and development. This is because they have constant routines and consistent care. Children and young people’s learning and development is promoted by staff who have their best interest at heart. Barriers to learning are appropriately challenged, for example, when necessary, staff support young people to stay in school by attending with them. This has prevented young people from being excluded from school and they have been able to continue with their learning.

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Quality of care adequate

A key strength of the home is the health and medical care afforded to all children and young people. Children and young people’s in-house health plans provide comprehensive information on health and medical needs. Furthermore, staff are well trained in meeting complex health needs and there are safe and effective medication procedures in place.

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Quality of care adequate

A significant shortfall was in some children and young people’s records not adequately recording their identity, such as religion, culture, heritage, and dietary needs. Consequently, children and young people’s individual identity is not consistently promoted, and their holistic needs are not being effectively met.

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Quality of care adequate

On the whole, children and young people have access to a range of activities which include trips to the park, arts and crafts, and listening to music. They also benefit from the homes sensory room and large garden. The home has adopted a donkey from a local sanctuary and children and young people thoroughly enjoy the donkey’s visits to the home. All children and young people’s progress is rewarded with praise no matter how small the achievement may appear. As a result, children and young people benefit from increased confidence and self-esteem.

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Quality of care adequate

The home is suitably located and its design enables children and young people to have some quiet time away from each other. Shortfalls were found in respect of the 8 of 10 maintenance of some equipment within the home. This means that children and young people are not fully protected from potential hazards within the home.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Effective safer care practice ensures that extremely vulnerable children and young people are protected from harm. Many of the children and young people have limited mobility and communication and are fully dependent on staff to meet all of their needs. Staff are confident and demonstrate a high degree of competence when delivering personal and invasive procedures. Some staff are specially trained to deliver emergency rescue medication. This ensures that children and young people’s high risk medical conditions are effectively managed within the home.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Staff are alert to potential dangers and are successfully keeping children and young people safe. For example, children are provided with one to one supervision and activities are carefully risk assessed to ensure appropriate safety measures are in place. This enables children and young people to experiment, enjoy and discover new experiences in a safe environment.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Children and young people benefit from detailed risk assessments. Staff are knowledgeable about children and young people’s particular vulnerabilities, which enables them to predict risk and take quick action to reduce harm. Staff have extensive knowledge of complex health needs and the actions required when dealing with complex medical conditions. They are vigilant and provide around the clock monitoring to ensure children and young people are stable and safe at all times.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

The home is good at promoting positive behaviour in a constructive way. Although restraint is used in the home, it is only used as a last resort and as a safeguarding measure. As children and young people settle into their placement, the need to use restraint reduces. Furthermore, staff are skilled at discouraging unwanted behaviours and follow the effective guidance in behaviour management plans. Parents’ feedback confirms that they are always informed of any incidents or concerns.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Children and young people are protected from harm through efficient health and safety checks and detailed risk assessments. Safer recruitment procedures are followed which helps to reduce the chance of employing unsuitable people. Effective systems are in place to ensure that visitors to the home are consistently signed in and out of the premises. This ensures staff know who is around the children and young people at all times.

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Leadership and management good

9 of 10 The Registered Manager is a qualified social worker and holds the level 5 Diploma in leadership and management. She registered with Ofsted in 2007 and has worked in children’s residential services for over 46 years. The deputy manager is suitably qualified and highly experienced; she also holds the level 5 Diploma in management. The service also employs 4 team leaders, 2 of whom have relevant management qualifications. This means that suitable cover is always available when the manager is absent from the home.

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Leadership and management good

The home employs a sufficient number of appropriately qualified staff. Staff benefit from relevant training, regular supervision and structured team meetings. The manager and staff work well as a team, providing each other with good support. Consequently, vulnerable children and young people are being cared for by a content, skilled and supported team. A minor shortfall was in the manager’s efforts to evaluate the impact some training has on staff’s practice. This means staff are not being provided with sufficient opportunities to reflect, as a team, on their learning and training.

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Leadership and management good

The statement of purpose is regularly updated and amended to ensure it accurately reflects the service aims and objectives. The children’s guide is produced in picture form and therefore tailored to the specific needs of children and young people. This ensures that those who commission and use the service have realistic expectations of the care provided by the home.

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Leadership and management good

The Registered Manager has ensured the home has strong links with local safeguarding agencies, schools, placing authorities, and specialist health services. Furthermore, the home works in partnership with parents and children and young people benefit from continuity in care and quality working relationships between staff and parents.

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Leadership and management good

Despite regular quality assurance systems being in place, monitoring systems are not fully effective as they do not identify all shortfalls within the service. For example, not all records were up-to-date. Therefore, children’s and young people’s identity was unclear and their individuality was no consistently promoted.

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Leadership and management good

Overall, children and young people benefit from staying in a home that is managed by a highly qualified and experienced team. The manager is passionate about the children and young people in her care and has hands on approach to leading the service. As a result they are making good progress in their learning and development; they are safe, and their health and medical needs are being appropriately met. 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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