Children's Home run by Fairfield Residential Limited in Trafford

Requires improvement

The children's home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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because:

Changes to the management team because of the long term absence and subsequent resignation of the Registered Manager has resulted in a lack of proper management, oversight, development, and monitoring of the home. This has resulted in records not being maintained or effectively reviewed to amend and address any shortfalls. This includes the locality risk assessment, admission and discharge records, Statement of Purpose and the development plan. The views of young people, parents and professionals have not been sought to drive improvement in the quality of care. Staff have not been provided with regular supervision and appraisals have not taken place. Physical intervention and challenging behaviour training has been not undertaken by the staff team, which would serve to prepare the staff team to safely manage any emerging challenging behaviour. The local authority in which the home is located has not been informed of the

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The children's home strengths

Staff are committed to developing and sustaining positive relationships with young people and supporting their development and progress during their time at the home. Young people benefit from stable and consistent placements. Staff know and understand young people’s individual needs and communication is effective. Significant improvement to the décor of the home has resulted in an improved environment for young people to live in; planned work will further enhance the environment. Staff encourage and support family contact which maintains important relationships. They provide regular updates to parents about the positive experiences young people have, such as photographs of them enjoying a trip to Chester zoo.

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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 (England) Regulations 2015 and the Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards. The registered person(s) must comply with the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

Ensure a record in the form of a register is maintained in respect of each child's admission to the children's home. (Regulation 37 (2)(a)) 30/06/2015

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Requirement Due date

12: The protection of children standard:

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the protection of children standard the registered provider must ensure that staff:

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Requirement Due date

have the right skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk, specifically that staff are trained in the use of physical restraint. (Regulation 12 (2)(a)(iii)) 15/07/2015

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must keep the Statement of Purpose under review and, when appropriate, revise it. (Regulation 16 (3)(a)) 15/07/2015

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Requirement Due date

Ensure records are kept up to date and signed and dated by the author. (Regulation 36 (1)(b)(c)) 30/06/2015

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that when conducting a review of the appropriateness and suitability of the premises the registered person must consult and take into account the views of each relevant person. (Regulation 46(2)) 15/07/2015

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that the local authority for the area in which the children's home is located of every admission of a child into the home and every discharge of a child from the home. (Regulation 41 (1)) 15/07/2015

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Requirement Due date

Ensure the registered person establishes and maintains a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating the quality of care provided for children which ascertains and considers the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (2)(a)(b)(c)(5)) 15/07/2015

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):  Ensure that all staff receive supervision from an appropriately qualified and experienced professional and a record of the supervision is kept. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 61 paragraph 13.2 and 13.3

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Recommendations

 Ensure that staff have their performance and fitness to carry out their role formally appraised on an annual basis. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 61 paragraph 13.5)

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Information about this children's home

This home is a purpose-built property which provides residential care, shared care and respite care for up to five young people with learning disabilities and/ or physical disabilities. The home is run by a private company.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

04/03/2015 CH - Interim sustained effectiveness

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requires improvement

Staffing levels are high in the home to meet the individual needs of young people, as a result they enjoy individualised care, which is nurturing and engaging. Staff know the young people and are adept at using a variety of communication tools, such as verbal, symbols and gestures to encourage communication with them. This enables young people to share their views and wishes, likes and dislikes. During the inspection, young people were observed to be supported to make choices about going out to the park or staying in the home and the food and drink they wanted.

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requires improvement

Although young people are aware of the complaints procedure, which is in accessible symbol format, they often rely on parents and professionals to advocate for them due to their disability and level of understanding.

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requires improvement

Young people engage in regular and routine activities which support them to feel safe. New activities are being introduced to young people, such as cycling on adapted cycles at a local cycle track. These activities provide young people with the opportunity to have new experiences and explore the community around them. However, these are not yet embedded into young people’s routines.

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requires improvement

The management team and individual staff are committed to providing quality support to young people, a member of staff commented, ‘I love my job. I am here to help young people who need extra support.’ Parents confirm young people are making some progress living in the home, they say the staff team work with their child at a pace which suits them and they can see progress being made.

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requires improvement

All young people attend full time education and are making good progress. The staff team celebrate the individual educational achievements with young people and parents. Young people’s health needs are identified and appointments are managed in partnership with parents. Health professionals comment that the home is appropriately reactionary to any emerging health needs and does seek advice and support.

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requires improvement

Young people benefit from regular contact with family members. Parents say they feel welcomed into the home and that their children are happy and settled there. Admissions and discharges to the home are carefully considered and well supported by the staff team. This enables young people to understand why change is happening and reduces their anxiety. One young person has successfully moved on from the home into a long term foster placement. Judgement grade

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requires improvement

High levels of staff supervision and an appropriately secure environment protect children from going missing. Due to the level of their disabilities young people do not go missing, however, staff are fully aware of what they should do in any such event.

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requires improvement

Risk assessments identify the support needed to meet young people’s needs and identify strategies which help to reduce risks for young people. Young people are able to access activities and take appropriate risks regardless of their individual disabilities.

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requires improvement

The locality risk assessment has been completed, but it has not been agreed or discussed with support agencies that could provide additional information about risks in the area so that staff can take action and improve safety if needed.

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requires improvement

Sanctions have little meaning to young people due to their levels of understanding. Staff use their in-depth knowledge of individuals to divert their attention away from potentially stressful and difficult situations. It has not been necessary to use physical restraint in this home for some time as the behaviour of the young people does not warrant these interventions. However, staff are not prepared to manage any emerging physically challenging behaviour as they have not received the appropriate training.

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requires improvement

Staff receive appropriate safeguarding training and demonstrate a good understanding of the whistleblowing and safeguarding procedures. They recognise the importance of change in children’s physical condition, emotional state, and/ or communication as potential indicators of harm and are competent at sharing their observations. One parent commented that due to the staff’s observations about a change in the behaviour of their son, medical treatment was accessed, which potentially has saved his sight.

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requires improvement

Recruitment procedures are sound and appropriate checks are made prior to staff commencing employment. Visitors to the home are verified and appropriately chaperoned. This helps to safeguard young people, who have limited communication skills.

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requires improvement

Improvements to the home has resulted in a number of fire doors being replaced, consequently the doors need re-adjustment to enable them to close independently. The manager has identified that the adjustments will be completed as part of the ongoing refurbishment of the home. Regular health and safety checks are maintained in the house. Young people have individual emergency evacuation plans which identify the individual support they may require.

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requires improvement

The Registered Manager recently resigned his post, following a long period of absence from the home. Arrangements to manage the home in his absence have not been effective and the quality of leadership requires improvement. The Registered Individual has appointed a new manager, who is being supported by the service manager. The newly appointed manager has not yet made an application to be registered.

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requires improvement

Despite the changes to the management team the young people’s needs have continued to be prioritised and the commitment of the individual team members to the home has resulted in young people making some progress.

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requires improvement

Staff say they are well supported. They describe the service manager as being a good manager who is always there. However, regular supervision is not taking place which prevents them having the opportunity to reflect on practice and receive formal support. When supervision does take place records are not kept. Also the senior who has some responsibilities for formally supervising staff has not received any formal training for this role. Staff have not had an appraisal of their practice, this has the potential to impact on their development.

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requires improvement

Since the last inspection action has been taken to address the majority of the previous recommendations. Significant investment has been made to refurbish the building and improve the décor of the home. The planned programme of improvements will continue to raise the standard of the environment.

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requires improvement

Improvements to placement and health care plans mean that staff are more informed of the specific health needs of the young people and identify ways in which they can be supported appropriately. However, inconsistencies remain in the signing and dating of records.

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requires improvement

Independent monitoring of the home has continued to be carried out on a monthly basis. The provider has taken action to improve the quality of the visits and has commissioned a new visitor; this has resulted in detailed reports which identify areas for development to drive forward the quality of care.

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requires improvement

Internal monitoring is not taking place regularly. This reduces the opportunity to identify issues and improve the experiences of young people and develop practice. Lack of consultation about the quality of care with young people and other stakeholders prevents continuous service development.

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requires improvement

The admission register held in the home has not been maintained and updated with changes. The local authority in which the home is located has not been notified of the admission and discharge of young people. The Statement of Purpose has not been amended to reflect the change in the management and staff team.

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requires improvement

The manager and staff work in partnership with young people’s education providers. They support attendance by providing transport to and from school, and are in regular contact with teachers via home school diaries so that any issues can be addressed quickly.

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What the inspection judgements mean

The experiences and progress of children and young people are at the centre of the inspection. Inspectors will use their professional judgement to determine the weight and significance of their findings in this respect. The judgements included in the report are made against Inspection of children's homes: framework for inspection.

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What the inspection judgements mean

An outstanding children's home provides highly effective services that contribute to significantly improved outcomes for children and young people who need help and protection and care. Their progress exceeds expectations and is sustained over time. A good children's home provides effective services that help, protect and care for children and young people and have their welfare safeguarded and promoted. In a children's home that requires improvement , there are no widespread or serious failures that create or leave children being harmed or at risk of harm. The welfare of looked after children is safeguarded and promoted. Minimum requirements are in place, however, the children's home is not yet delivering good protection, help and care for children and young people. A children's home that is inadequate is providing services where there are widespread or serious failures that create or leave children and young people being

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What the inspection judgements mean

harmed or at risk of harm or result in children looked after not having their welfare safeguarded and promoted.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people living in the children's home. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference adults make to the lives of children and young people. They read case files, watched how professional staff work with children, young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care given to children and young people. Wherever possible, they talked to children, young people and their families. In addition the inspectors have tried to understand what the children's home knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people who it is trying to help, protect and look after. This 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 Children's

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Information about this inspection

Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards. the guidance raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted, which is available from Ofsted's website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, workbased learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It inspects services for looked after children and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Information about this inspection

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Information about this inspection

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Information about this inspection

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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