Children's home in Inverclyde

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

This home continues to provide good, safe care to young people with complex health needs and learning disabilities. They continue to make positive progress. The young people continue to have positive relationships with staff, who in turn maintain good relationships with their parents and carers. Staff are experienced and well skilled. As a result, young people are cared for by an established, consistent and well trained staff team who meet their individualised needs well.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The safety and wellbeing of the young people is at the forefront of practice in the home. Good quality risk assessments are completed as part of the admissions process in the home. Behaviour management plans and care plans are well written, regularly reviewed and updated. When welfare or safeguarding issues arise for young people they are responded to swiftly and compassionately in a child focussed way. No young people have been reported missing from this home since the previous inspection. Physical restraints are only used as a last resort, and when this happens incidents are well recorded. Young people and staff are correctly debriefed with independent advocates being utilised. Sanctions when used are done so in a safe meaningful way for each individual young person. Where possible reparation and restorative approaches are used in the first instance. As a result young people are kept safe and risks are properly managed and responded to.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff support young people through social stories and pictorial records of their time at the home, along with scrapbooks of memories of events which they have taken part in. This helps the young people understand the progress they are making living at the home. Staff celebrate with, and reward the young people for the progress they make. They do so through praise, certificates, and ‘thumbs up’ approaches. They also use additional leisure time of using an iPad, and other more tangible rewards such as additional positive activities in the community. As a result young people are able to identify positive reinforcement from staff and feel valued.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The Registered Manager and staff are well organised in and around the home. They are pro-active with professionals who are involved in the young peoples’ care. The day to day running of the home is supported through daily and weekly diary events for young people and staff being clearly displayed on white boards in private office areas. As a result staff are clear about what is happening for each young person throughout the day and which member of staff will be working with the young person for different aspects of their care. Staff also work well with schools, specialist care providers and nurses. There is an-in house clinical psychologist who they consult about each young person on an individual basis to establish solutions to behaviour and emotional management. Consequently young people are not unduly delayed in accessing additional support services, school or clubs and activities in the community.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The Registered Manager and staff also contribute to all care plans and education plans for each young person, attending local authority and school meetings. They prepare good quality reports for this purpose prior to the meeting to inform their discussion and to advocate for each young person. The views wishes and feelings of young people, parent’s carers and professionals working with the home are sought after every major contact with them. Young people complete feedback at least twice a year, this is in addition to feedback sought from them by other external requests. This is managed through a variety of personalised communication media according to each young person’s preferred style. Therefore, they feel that their views about the home, their care and their education are heard and taken seriously.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The Registered Manager continues to provide clear confident management of the home and leadership of the staff. All staff receive regular and supportive reflective supervision and annual appraisal. An example of this is that each staff member as a result of their appraisal has an individual development plan. This offers training and development to meet the changing and complex needs of the young people in the home. As a result they show high levels of skill and motivation, because they are supported, trained and well managed.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The Registered Manager conducts regular monthly monitoring and reviews of all practice in the home, six monthly reviews of care are completed well and submitted on time. The home is also reviewed in a comprehensive way, monthly by an independent person who makes recommendations for action to improve practice in the home. Furthermore, the manager ensures that her staff understand this and plays an active part in evaluating their work. Minutes of staff meetings reflect that these are used well to discuss young people’s needs, share practice, and learn lessons from any incidents. However following one such incident where police assistance was required, notification to HMCI was not submitted in appropriate timeframes.

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Information about this children's home

This section should outline: This children's home is registered to accommodate five young people who have a learning disability. The service is delivered and managed by a charitable organisation.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

14/01/2015 CH - Interim Improved effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

08/01/2014 CH - Interim Satisfactory Progress

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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 the registered person should have a system in place so that all serious events are notified, within 24 hours, to the appropriate people.(This is in relation to a notification of police attending the home, not being sent to HMCI in the correct timeframe)

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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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