Children's Home run by Care Today Parallel Parents in Leeds

Unique reference number SC403890 Inspector Pauline Yates Type of inspection Interim Provision subtype Children's home

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Registered person Care Today (Children's Services) Ltd Registered person address Lansdowne House 85 Buxton Road STOCKPORT Cheshire SK2 6LR Responsible individual Vivien Anne Snape Registered manager Clare Louise Garmory Date of last inspection 15/07/2014 2 of 5 Inspection date 24/03/2015

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Previous inspection good Enforcement action since last inspection none

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This inspection

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

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This inspection

A number of improvements have been achieved since the last inspection and all the requirements and recommendations have been met. At the previous inspection a requirement was made relating to the home maintaining documents and records pertaining to young people accommodated. For those young people new to the home, the Registered Manager is active in ensuring all necessary documentation is received from the placing social workers. This ensures that the home offers not only suitable immediate care to young people, but that the care offered is in line with identified needs and expectations.

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This inspection

The home has benefitted from substantial work to the outside of the property such as the clearing of shrubs and trees. The approach to the house is now welcoming and the garden to the rear in better condition for young people to enjoy during the summer months. Re-decoration work has also taken place on the inside of the property. The young people have been central to the decision making regarding colour schemes and assisting with the work. This supports the young people’s sense of ownership of the home and enhances their skills in home maintenance. Further work, however, is required to ensure decoration standards remain high. Although consideration has been given to the home’s location, this does not sufficiently take into account other agencies’ intelligence or information which limits the assessment of risk.

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This inspection

Since the previous inspection there have been improvements in the recording of the independent visitor visits and these reports now scrutinise the Registered Manager’s monthly reviews and comment upon the activities enjoyed by the young people and safeguarding measures. In addition to this the manager has also improved the detail and depth of analysis when considering the quality of care offered. Both the independent visitor’s report and the manager’s findings are regularly discussed in team meetings in order to identify and drive forward improvements in the care 3 of 5 offered. For example, to assist the process of analysing incidents and physical interventions with the staff team, the manager has identified a structured methodology that promotes reflection, evaluation and action planning. This process generates alternative and improved ways of responding to the young people’s emotional needs.

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This inspection

This approach has also been supported by the manager identifying the need for staff to receive training in disordered attachment behaviour. Through this training the staff are able to identify the young people’s behaviours and respond in a focussed and sensitive manner. Further complementing these improvements has been the introduction of staff appropriately offering physical contact and hugs to young people. This again was identified by the manager as an unmet need for some of the young people. Management of the young people’s behaviour is underpinned by a positive framework of incentives. The young people have benefitted from these improvements as incidents requiring physical intervention have substantially decreased and their sense of belonging and self-worth improved.

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This inspection

The young people’s health needs are met through the promotion of healthy diets and support in attendance at medical appointments. Some of the young people have also benefited from the staff team receiving training in seizures. Through this training staff are able to identify, appropriately respond and document these incidents. As a result of the careful documentation, some young people are now accessing specialist medical overview and treatment, which before living at the home had not been a feature of their health care.

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This inspection

The safeguarding of the young people’s welfare remains a priority for the staff. Incidents of missing from home and unauthorised absences have substantially reduced. When young people have gone missing staff are active in looking for them and make continuous effort to stay in contact. There is good and proactive liaison with other agencies should the behaviour of the young people present concerns.

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This inspection

The young people say they feel safe and are safe at the home. They benefit from supportive and trusting relationships with the staff which are based on genuine regard. They say they feel listened to and that their interests and activities are promoted. The young people enjoy both group and individualised leisure activities which promote positive group living and personal achievements. The sense of belonging which the young people enjoy is supported by improvements in the key working system that fully involves them in identifying goals and recognising their achievements. These revised documents clearly identify outcomes in an easy to access format. This increases the young people’s participation levels in the care they are offered. All the young people have suitable educational provisions identified and their attendance levels are high. The staff offer extra educational assistance in order to support the young people’s future opportunities and aspirations.

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Information about this children’s home

This children's home is one of a number that is owned and managed by a private organisation. It provides care and accommodation for up to four young people who have emotional or behavioural difficulties.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

15/07/2014 Full good 15/10/2013 Interim satisfactory progress 13/06/2013 Full good 13/12/2012 Interim satisfactory progress

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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 that each home is situated in a location that supports its aims and objectives and proposed models of care for children and young people (NMS 10.1), with particular reference to the homes location assessment taking regard of other agencies' information and intelligence in order to inform on risk  ensure that the home provides a comfortable and homely environment and is well maintained and decorated (NMS 10.3), with particular reference to the improvement of internal decoration. Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Recommendations

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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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