Children's home SC032723

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

At the last inspection two statutory requirements and four recommendations were made. Not all have been addressed in full and these have been repeated.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

An independent person visits the home each month. Her reports are now more detailed, take account of the views of young people and others, and challenge practice which needs improvement. The registered manager’s own monitoring is summarised every three months, but does not seek the opinions of social workers, parents or staff. This limits its effectiveness in identifying shortfalls. Additionally, the system of auditing children’s case files is inconsistently implemented. Some audits of records do not use the agreed rating format and others do not include the name of child whose file was sampled. Placement plans have not been reviewed within the set timescale and no action has been taken to redress this.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff supervision has improved since the last inspection but requires further development. The format is more child-centred and challenges staff to reflect on the impact of their daily practice on the outcomes for children. The new system has yet to become fully embedded and so is not as effective as it might be. The amount and quality of detail in the supervision records requires improvement. Some staff have not had supervision at the frequency required by the home’s policy, with no explanation for why sessions were missed.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

There is better recording of additional training for staff in carrying out certain medical procedures. Overall, the records of training are inaccurate. Some staff have completed training but this is not recorded in the training documentation. . Furthermore, records do not easily enable the registered manager to have an overview of the sum of staff’s skills and knowledge. This makes it harder to identify where additional training might be needed. Some training which is particularly relevant to the needs of children in the home, for example, on autism, has not been refreshed for some time. There is therefore a risk that important knowledge and skills may fade over time. These shortfalls in leadership and management have not impacted significantly on the day to day care of children. Improvements have been made in a number of areas. Additional night staff have been appointed to ensure that the needs of

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

children can be sensitively and safely met on a 24-hour basis. Substantial investment has been made on new equipment. For example, specialist beds provide greater comfort for children. A large interactive computer screen is about to be installed. This adds to improvements already made to enhance the ability of children to communicate more effectively. These range from wider use of picture symbol documents, such as the complaints policy, to additional tablet devices for children to use.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff continue to have a good understanding of the children’s needs. They are caring and supportive, enabling children to engage in stimulating activities of their choice both in the home and the community. Planning for children to come to stay here is thorough. This reassures children and their families and ensures that children derive the maximum benefit from their placement.

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Information about this children's home

The home provides accommodation for up to seven children with sensory impairment, learning disabilities and physical disabilities. It is operated by a local authority.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

17/02/2015 Interim Improved Effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

04/11/2013 Interim Satisfactory Progress

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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 In order to meet the leadership and management standard with particular reference to maintaining accurate records of training, ensuring that staff have appropriate training which is refreshed as necessary, and auditing children’s care plans effectively, the registered person is required to: (2)(f) understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child, use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home (h) use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. 29/04/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees undertake appropriate continuing professional development and receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33(4)(a) and (b)) 29/04/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (“a quality of care review”) at least once every 6 months. The system must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45(1) and (5)) 29/04/2016

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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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