Children's home run by The National Autistic Society

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged requires improvement 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

During the planned absence of the registered manager, the home continues under the management of an interim manager. The interim manager is suitably experienced and qualified and the staff and young people respect and like her. She has successfully addressed most requirements and recommendations from the last inspection. However, staff continue to experience significant challenges in managing the move from residential special school to a children’s home, resulting in one requirement and seven recommendations. The statement of purpose is out of date and does not include all information required. The manager was reviewing this during the inspection and is aware of the minor gaps in information. The current statement provides an adequate outline of how staff provide care to children and how they meet their needs. The manager receives monthly reports from the independent visitor. She uses these in monitoring progress against requirements and recommendations from the

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

last inspection and ongoing suggestions for service improvements. However, the independent visitor has not supplied these reports to HMCI removing a valuable safeguard for the children in the home. The manager maintains a development plan for the home linking this with her internal monitoring of practice and the emerging workforce development strategy. The manager has an understanding of the home’s areas for development from her analysis of this evidence gathered. The manager has partially completed a workforce development plan for the home. This provides a detailed overview of completed and planned training including timescales for completion of staff induction. However, the plan does not include a staffing structure, processes for managing and improving staff performance or timescales for supervision of practice. Staff supervision is improving in quality and frequency but not all staff receive this with appropriate frequency. In addition, the

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

interim manager has not completed all annual appraisals. The interim manager has identified this in her development plan as a priority for improving staff skills, competency and the care of young people. The manager applies the homes safeguarding policies and procedures, as described in the statement of purpose, enhancing the safe care of the children. She ensured that a recent complaint was investigated and reported to all relevant agencies, including the local authority designated officer and police. The matter did not meet the threshold for further action from either the police or social services and was internally resolved. However, the record of investigation of the matter did not satisfactorily detail the outcomes. This left learning from the incident unclear and any impact on staff or young people also unclear. The manager has improved young people’s care plans and personal risk assessments. A structured assessment process leads to clear targets, which

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

children are now working on achieving. The targets show measured progress in achieving targets and improving self-esteem. The key workers set AQA awards linked to the achievement of these targets providing excellent evidence of structured progress. This includes photographic evidence, which children like and which staff incorporate into reviews and feedback to parents. Young people now have evidence of progress in diverse areas of their personal development including good attendance at education; improved behaviour control; improved life skills; improved quality of contact with parents; and improving interpersonal skills. Staff maintain detailed risk assessments, which incorporate progress reports evidencing children’s progress in reducing risk over set periods. The home have a suitably structured health and safety risk assessment for the building. The assessment includes timescales for the checking of a range of safety

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

measure including refrigerator temperatures, water temperatures, gas and electric fittings and fire safety measures. Staff complete these checks in line with the risk assessments to provide a safe environment for the children in the home. Managers enhance the external security of the home by the use of perimeter CCTV. However, the home does not have a policy on the use of this equipment leaving it vulnerable to misuse and potentially minimising its effectiveness as a safeguard for children. The interim manager ensures that new admissions are carefully controlled. She ensures that the home is suitably staffed and that it can provide the service to children as described in the statement of purpose. Moves out of the home are supported by ongoing outreach support to provide appropriate support to the new setting and to the individual moving. Staff induction and ongoing training enhances staff capabilities to work with the children referred to the home. The manager has

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

revised the induction programme and included agency staff in training to enhance the service provided to children. She has investigated suitable first aid courses for all staff to provide them with the skills and knowledge to administer basic first aid and minor illness treatment. However, this training has not yet been implemented leaving young people vulnerable to receiving inappropriate health care. Young people enjoy the company of staff and engage positively with them. Many have limited communication skills and rely on keyworkers and others in the home to record or communicate their views. Some young people have advocates or befrienders but others do not have this important independent support. The interim manager has been investigating suitable independent advocates for these vulnerable children. The home has not yet provided this essential support to all children leaving them potentially isolated and unable to communicate their

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Information about this children's home

This is a large children's home run by a national charity. It provides care and accommodation for no more than 17 children who have a primary diagnosis of autism. It may accommodate up to 5 children under short break arrangements and for a further 12 children to live at the home.

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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

The independent person must provide a copy of the independent person’s report to HMCI. (Regulation44 (7) (a)) 30/04/2016

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):  Ensure that all children have access to appropriate advocacy support, and where possible this should be provided by a person that the child chooses. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 23, paragraph 4.16)

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Recommendations

 Ensure that all staff have the skills and knowledge to administer basic first aid and minor illness treatment by implementing the identified training. (The Guide to the Quality Care Standards, page 34, paragraph 7.12)

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Recommendations

 Complete a written policy on the use of CCTV which describes how this supports the safeguarding and well-being of the young people in the home. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 16, paragraph 3.16)

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Recommendations

 Complete the workforce development plan, in particular ensure it contains a structure chart and the process for managing and improving poor performance. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 53, paragraph 10.8)

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Recommendations

 Complete a review of the statement of purpose, ensuring it indicates how you provide individualised care to meet the Quality Standards for the children in your care, and send a copy to HMCI. (The Quality Standards, page14, paragraph 3.5)

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Recommendations

 Ensure that managers fully record the outcomes of investigations into allegations of harm in particular when dealing with allegations against staff in the home. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 44, paragraph 9.19)

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Recommendations

 Ensure that all staff receive regular supervision and appraisal. (The Guide to the quality Standards, page 61, paragraphs 13.2 and 13.5)

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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

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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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