John Greenwood Shipman Centre

Good

The children's home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Children and young people with disabilities, medical and behavioural needs receive good care from skilled, experienced nursing and care staff.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Children are supported to enjoy opportunities to develop social skills and experience a range of activities with peers, in a safe, structured environment.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Children benefit from clear routines and boundaries. They attend school and have safe, reliable transport arrangements.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Staff work closely with families and school staff to ensure communication methods are consistent and goals for each child’s development are agreed. As a result children make progress, achieve and enjoy their stays.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 The manager and staff consult with children and families to ensure children’s views and wishes inform the development of the service and day-to-day care arrangements.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 There is a requirement to ensure that the home is kept free from hazards; this is specifically in relation to maintaining a safe garden area.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 There is a requirement under leadership to ensure that the staff work as a team. This is specifically in relation to differences in practice across the two care teams and the need for consistency.

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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

12: The protection of children standard.

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the protection of children standard the registered person must ensure that

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Requirement Due date

(2)(d) the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. 07/12/2015

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Requirement Due date

13: The leadership and management standard.

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the leadership and management standard the registered person must ensure that

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Requirement Due date

(2)(b) staff work as a team where appropriate. 07/12/2015

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Information about this children's home

This home is a 12-bedded residential short break service for children with learning disabilities and children with physical disabilities and associated health care needs. The service is managed by a healthcare foundation trust and is also registered with the Care Quality Commission as care arrangements include regulated activities within the health care provision.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

12/01/2015 Interim Sustained Effectiveness

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good

Children receiving short stay breaks in this service have learning disabilities and/or physical disabilities and associated health care needs. The home is designed with two wings catering for the varied needs of children.

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good

The manager and staff ensure they have all the relevant information, including up to date assessments and histories of the children’s needs before a child accesses the service. A member of staff visits each child at home and in their school setting and children visit the home for tea. This means that staff are familiar with each child’s needs and the home environment is carefully prepared for each stay.

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good

Children have identified keyworkers who liaise closely with school staff, health staff and family to ensure consistency of care, particularly preferred methods of communication. They also agree goals for development that are aspirational and achievable, to encourage children to make progress.

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good

There is a stable staff group and children develop trusted relationships with familiar staff. Staff know their personalities, their likes and dislikes and children feel comfortable in this homely environment.

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good

Staff prepare each room for each child’s stay. This may be with familiar, favourite bedding and toys or specific beds and medical equipment to ensure children are safe. One child took great pride in showing me her Chelsea football club bedding and poster.

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good

A parent said: ’When my little boy is getting ready to stay, he is excited and it warms my heart to know that he is going to enjoy himself and he is safe.’

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good

The children are consulted with, using a range of communication methods, about choices for activities, for menus and how they want to spend their stay in the home. A member of staff is the lead for the home’s children’s forum and regularly meets with children to choose and plan activities. Children have enjoyed trips to the cinema, swimming, strawberry picking and visits to local parks. Some children have not had the opportunity to spend time away from school and home before. Children and families are also regularly consulted with requests for feedback about their stays and the home’s service. Children engaging in consultation have said: ‘I like playing in the garden it makes me feel happy’ and ‘I would like to go to bed later.’ This means parents and young people have a voice in the care provided.

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good

Staff ensure that children, families and professionals who work with the children, are aware of the complaints process. There are also ‘stars of the month’, where children can nominate and vote for a member of staff and for a child and they are celebrated. This involves children in giving and receiving positive reinforcement.

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good

Staff attend and contribute to the children’s meetings, such as planning meetings and education reviews. In this way information is shared to ensure each child’s needs are known, that services remain at the appropriate level and progress can be measured. One professional said: ‘The home is busy but the staff know each child really well and always make time to bring me up to date. The child I am social worker for has very complex medical needs and their parent does not access support anywhere else, so the good working relationship we have is essential.’

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good

Children with lifelong conditions, requiring nursing care, are supported to feel safe and comfortable, in a purpose designed environment. Their health needs are identified, as is information about specialist services that support their needs, to ensure staff can respond appropriately to emergencies. Staff ensure that records and assessments are kept up to date. This means that families and carers are confident about the care children are receiving.

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good

Staff ensure that any risks associated with each child’s needs and behaviours are identified and understood. Each child’s placement plan includes a range of detailed risk assessments to support staff to manage any risks. As a result children are kept safe.

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good

There are sufficient skilled, experienced staff to sensitively monitor, supervise and support children to stay safe and be safe. Children have stays in groups that are compatible and staffing ratios are designed to manage any risks and complex needs. This means that staff can respond swiftly to self -harming or other behaviours that may present risks. Staff work with children to support them to understand clear boundaries and reinforce positive behaviours. Staff are trained in techniques to de-escalate situations and use distraction techniques to reduce and manage any challenging behaviours. This means that there are very few physical interventions by staff. Any incidents are recorded in detail and reviewed by a manager. Staff are debriefed and families and carers are informed as well as social workers. This ensures there is learning from incidents and consistency in managing behaviour.

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good

The home environment is designed to meet children’s needs. In one wing this means maintaining a low arousal environment. In the other wing this means that the environment is wheelchair accessible. There is a sensory room and a room for soft play. Children are able to enjoy different experiences depending on their moods. There are also quiet rooms for games and activities and lounges for TV and music. Children have the opportunity to use net books for games and for communicating. This means that children can enjoy and express themselves in a varied, safe environment. This helps to develop their self-confidence and sense of well-being. There is a range of appropriate equipment that is well maintained and subject to health and safety monitoring. This ensures the safety of children.

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good

Staff are trained, and have to achieve professional competencies, in dispensing medication. There are clear, well understood, procedures for staff and the use of daily audits helps to prevent errors.

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good

Staff are carefully selected and robust recruitment processes are used. Staff are acutely aware of the additional vulnerabilities of the children that have short stays in this service. They receive a thorough induction and ongoing professional development and training that includes safeguarding training.

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good

At the time of this inspection, there were some broken toys in the garden that needed to be safely disposed of. A requirement is made to ensure that the garden area is maintained and kept free from hazards so that children can enjoy it at all times.

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requires improvement

The registered manager has recently retired and the deputy is currently the acting manager. Both the acting manager and acting deputy are experienced senior members of staff. The acting manager is a qualified learning disabilities nurse and has a Bachelor of Science degree in facilitating learning in professional practice. They are being supported by the retired registered manager, on a part time basis, pending the confirmation of a registered manager. The staff group is made up of experienced qualified nurses and experienced care staff with a range of care qualifications. There are also auxiliary staff supporting the team. This means that there are sufficient qualified, experienced staff to care for children with a range of complex needs.

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requires improvement

The management team are child focussed; prioritising meeting children’s needs and having a clear understanding of the progress that children are making during their stays. The manager said: ’It is all about the children, our aim is to know what the children want, as well as need and to ensure that they get the most out of their stay with us.’

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requires improvement

The managers have processes in place to quality assure their services, this includes independent monitoring, management auditing, feedback from children and families and responding to any complaints or concerns. There have been two incidents since the last inspection that have highlighted some shortfalls in practice. However, they have been thoroughly investigated, practice has been reviewed and lessons learnt. Where training needs and support needs have been identified these have been addressed.

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requires improvement

Case files are well organised, have detailed placement plans that include assessments addressing a range of complex needs and clear, positive, daily routines. The tracking of children’s progress in meeting their goals means they can see how far they have progressed and their achievements can be shared with carers and parents.

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requires improvement

Team meetings are child centred, learning is cascaded to improve practice and staff report that they feel supported. Staff receive regular individual supervision and have the opportunity to attend group safeguarding supervision. This is delivered across children’s services, within the health trust, and involves case discussions and learning from research and practice. In this way managers ensure that staff skills are refreshed and practice continues to develop.

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requires improvement

The managers are aware of the strengths of the service, working in partnership with parents and carers, sharing information with relevant professionals to ensure children’s needs are known and are met. As a result children overcome barriers to making progress and enjoy their stays. There is a parent’s forum and a short stays newsletter. This means that parents can contribute to the development of the service and they are kept up to date with any changes.

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requires improvement

There is clear evidence of managers leading a culture that empowers children to participate and influence their day-to-day care. Managers consult regularly with children, facilitate the young people’s forum, and ensure that groups are compatible and staffing is well planned.

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requires improvement

A requirement is made for managers to ensure that staff work as a team, where appropriate. This is in relation to the integration of the two wings and developing the practice of the whole team. The managers are aware of this and there are plans for further development days to address this. In this way practice will be consistent and staff can continue to support each other in providing good care for children.

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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

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

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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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