Children's Home run by North East Lincolnshire Council in North East Lincolnshire

Unique reference number SC033127 Inspector Ann-Marie Born Type of inspection Interim Provision subtype Children's home

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Registered person North East Lincolnshire Council Registered person address Vulnerable Children Management Team Western Site, Cambridge Road Grimsby Lincolnshire DN34 5TD Responsible individual Daren Russell Hale Registered manager Karen Julie Stones Date of last inspection 30/12/2014 2 of 6 Inspection date 26/03/2015

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Previous inspection outstanding Enforcement action since last inspection none

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This inspection

This home was judged outstanding at the last full inspection. At this interim inspection Ofsted judge that it has improved effectiveness .

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This inspection

This home has demonstrated its capacity for development. The one recommendation made at the last inspection has been met. Staff received training on the home’s policies on record keeping both as a group and in their individual supervision sessions. Consequently recording following any physical interventions are of a consistently high standard. There were no breaches of regulation identified at this inspection.

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This inspection

No young people have left the service since the last inspection. The admission of the one new young person was managed in an exceptional manner. Extensive care planning and excellent partnership working enabled a smooth and calm move. A consultant doctor wrote to the manager, ‘From the beginning you and your staff engaged positively with us as a team, working together to facilitate a transition as quickly as possible but being person centred at the same time. My staff visited your unit and described a homely atmosphere that felt welcoming and was open and transparent.’

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This inspection

Young people’s cultural and religious needs are sensitively planned for and addressed. This includes meeting all dietary requirements as well as engaging the services of an interpreter to fully facilitate contact with family members. In addition information is made available to young people in their birth language, for example Farsi, as well as pictorial form. Young people thrive within this home where all of their unique and diverse needs are carefully planned for and met. A consultant doctor reported, ‘Communication is an important part of care delivery and I have to say this was excellent, being clear and relevant. This gave us as a team confidence that (the home) would support this young man to full health over the next few years.’

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This inspection

Young people receiving short breaks are carefully matched with each other to 3 of 6 promote the best possible outcomes. The nurturing and enthusiastic staff team know the young people in their care well and arrange for them to engage in activities that stimulate and engage them. A staff member said, ‘(Name) hasn’t been very well and he doesn’t like being on his chair too long and so straight after tea we’ll put him in a bubble bath, he loves that. Then we lay him on his beanbag with his sensory toys. He loves being able to stretch out and completely relax like that. He can only do that here.’

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This inspection

The dedicated and skilled manager robustly monitors the care to be provided and continuously strives to find new ways to further improve care and outcomes for young people. She regularly obtains the views of young people, their family members and other interested parties and incorporates those in care practice. For example, one parent suggested that more photographs of staff should be made available to assist with communication with their child within the family home. The manager included photographs of new staff in her ‘Review of Care for 2014’ document which was provided to the parents of all young people using the service. This excellent document informs all interested parties with an overview of the care young people received, in addition to the Statement of Purpose. The manager concentrated on young people’s successes and wrote, ‘The smallest achievement inspires them to be the best person they can be in reaching their own goals in life’.

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This inspection

The dedicated management and staff team fully engage young people in all aspects of their care, where their understanding allows. Young people and their families understand the complaints system and are invited to make comments and suggestions whenever they use the home. There have not been any complaints.

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This inspection

Young people’s individual communication methods are understood by staff who constantly encourage young people to share their wishes and feelings. The consistent use of photographs enable young people to recognise their successes and make further informed choices. Young people’s individual ‘Memory Books’ are completed together with young people and provide a reminder of fun and happy times as well as achievements. Young people are enriched by opportunities to engage in inclusive activities within the local community as well as in the home. Young people’s self-esteem and self-confidence are much enhanced as a result empowering them to make substantial progress in building social and life skills. For example, a young person being able to conquer her fear of a swimming pool so much that when she went down a slide in to the pool she shouted ‘Blast off’.

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This inspection

Young people learn appropriate ways of expressing frustration and anger as a result of consistent and targeted behaviour management approaches. Physical interventions are very rare and sanctions are commensurate enabling young people to understand the consequences of their actions.

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This inspection

Young people do not go missing from this home as a result of their constant engagement with staff and their desire to be in the home. Individual risk assessments and excellent ‘grab cards’ inform staff of immediate actions to take if 4 of 6 young people were to become separated from the group during an activity in the community. There are no issues with child sexual exploitation (CSE) with young people in this home. Nevertheless, the staff team are all trained in CSE measures and how to identify and protect young people from cyber bullying. Young people are safeguarded by these measures. A senior social worker wrote, ‘You all give (name) excellent care and I could not have wished for a better placement for her after everything she has been through. I have no doubt a lot of her progress is due to all of your excellent care, attention and dedication.’ 5 of 6

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Information about this children’s home

This home is part of a local authority children's disability service offering care for children and young people aged between 5 and 17 years with learning disabilities and/or physical disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The property is purpose built and all on one level. It provides accommodation in two units for eight children or young people receiving short break services. Longer- term care can be offered to four children or young people within an attached bungalow, which is self-contained.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

30/12/2014 Full outstanding 26/03/2014 Interim good progress 29/10/2013 Full outstanding 15/03/2013 Interim good progress Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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What inspection judgements mean

At the interim inspections we make a judgement on whether the home has improved in effectiveness, sustained effectiveness, or declined in effectiveness since the previous full inspection. This is in line with the Inspection of children’s homes: framework for inspection.

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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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