Children's home in Gloucester

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged Good at the full inspection. At this interim inspection Ofsted judge that it has sustained effectiveness .

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

There have been no admissions or discharges since the last inspection . Building on the strengths from the last inspection there is improvement. All the requirements and recommendations are met and young people make good progress. Staff have now received training on Autism and Asperger’s; this ensures they are able to meet the needs of the young people living in the home. Robust recruitment procedures are now in place that helps prevent unsuitable people working in the home.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff provide personalised and child focused care which means young people’s individual needs are very well met. Young people are integral to the development of any risk assessments, care plans or support packages. Consequently they all understand exactly why they are placed and the expectations of their full engagement with the care plan. For example, a young person who has been assessed in the past to be high risk of child sexual exploitation (CSE) has recently been given a mobile phone, which in the past was deemed too risky. The risk assessments are comprehensive and show staff how to support safety rather than impose restrictions. The plans focus on ensuring safety and promoting positive action, rather than creating barriers to keep young people safe. This ensures staff operate a proportionate and enabling approach to risk that enables young people to be better prepared for independent futures. A young person commented ‘I can

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

have a mobile now like my friends and I know that I have to allow staff to check it, but this is just to keep me safe, I get it’.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people continue to excel in their education. One young person has predicted grades of C and above for seven GCSE’s. This young person commented ‘staff are helping me with my revision plans’. This has greatly enhanced her self-esteem and indicates excellent progress made by the young people.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the last inspection, there have been no incidents of young people missing from care, criminal or risky behaviours, physical interventions or any safeguarding issues. Staff are clear about what to do in the event of any incident. Effective safeguarding practices ensure young people are safe and feel safe.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Behaviour of young people is managed well. Staff members will use sanctions in response to poor behaviour from young people, equally staff offer rewards and encouragement for positive behaviour. This results in the young people understanding what is expected of them.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people live in a very comfortable and well-furnished home. They receive high levels of nurturing from the adults who care for them. This is also reflected in the décor and feel of the home.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This inspection has identified shortfalls in relation to medication, risk assessments not being reviewed and management overview of service. The administration of one young person’s medication required staff to dispense one and a half tablets. Staff were splitting the tablets and keeping the split tablets in an unmarked bottle which did not contain the pharmacy label. Consequently, this places young people at significant harm of maladministration of medication that can adversely affect their health. Risk assessments are not routinely updated after all safeguarding incidents.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Changes in leadership have contributed to the shortfalls identified in this report. The home has been without a Registered Manager for a period of time and suitable interim arrangements have not been put in place. Two interim managers have covered the management duties in the home, leading to inconsistencies in management oversight of the care and protection being provided.

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Information about this children's home

This home is part of several homes within a private organisation that provides care and accommodation for up to two children with emotional and behavioural difficulties, or learning disabilities.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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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

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: (1) The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children's home that— (a) helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and (b) promotes their welfare.

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Requirement Due date

(2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— (a) lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home's statement of purpose; (b) ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate; (c) ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; (d) ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child; (e) ensure that the home's workforce provides continuity of care to each child; (f) understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home; (g) demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on— (i) research and developments in relation to the ways in which the

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Requirement Due date

needs of children are best met; and (ii) feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and (h) use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. 04/04/2016 23: Medicines

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Requirement Due date

(1) The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children's home.

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Requirement Due date

(2) In particular the registered person must ensure that— (a) medicines kept in the home are stored in a secure place so as to prevent any child from having unsupervised access to them; (b) medicine which is prescribed for a child is administered as prescribed to the child for whom it is prescribed and to no other child; and (c) a record is kept of the administration of medicine to each child.

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Requirement Due date

(3) Paragraph (2) does not apply to medicine which— (a) is stored by the child for whom it is provided in such a way that other persons are prevented from using it; and (b) may be safely self-administered by that child.

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Requirement Due date

(4) In this regulation, "prescribed" means— (a) ordered for a patient, for provision to the patient, under or by virtue of the National Health Service Act 2006 or section 176(3) of the Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Act 2003(b); or (b) in a case not falling within sub-paragraph (a), prescribed for a patient in accordance with regulation 217 of the Human Medicines Regulations 2012(c) 04/04/2016

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):  Staff should continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. In particular update risk assessments after each incident. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 42, paragraph 9.5)

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What the inspection judgements mean

At the interim inspection 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

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 focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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Information about this inspection

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 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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