Children's home run by Cornwall Council in Cornwall

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged Good at the last 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

The home continues to provide young people with opportunities to experience new things. They enjoy spending time with peers outside of a school setting. Careful matching of those spending time together continues to enhance young people’s experiences. A parent commented ‘the opportunities are good, he spends time with his friends and his independence skills are being developed’. Where possible, those visiting for the first time are matched with young people they know from school and this clearly impacts on their ability to feel comfortable and at home.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff remain attentive to the needs of young people, their likes and dislikes are understood and all are considered to be able to make choices. Risk assessments are detailed and risks are considered before any activities. Staff practice ensures young people are kept as safe as possible whilst allowing them to take age appropriate risks as part of growing up. Staff understand how to respond effectively to any child protection concerns.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Behaviour management stays focussed on guiding young people, praise and encouragement. The use of physical intervention is kept to a minimum and none have been recorded since the previous inspection.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

In the ten weeks since the previous inspection the management team and staff have reviewed several aspects of the service and have started to make changes to improve practice which will benefit young people. Improvements are ongoing. Recommendations for improvement have been repeated where previous shortfalls have not yet been fully resolved.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people’s records have been audited by keyworkers to improve the quality of planning and evidence of progress. Not all records are of a consistently good quality. Additional training has been arranged for some staff to address this issue and improve report writing skills.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Managers think carefully about the impact of any changes. It is important for them to get things right and avoid tokenism. A graphic design company has been commissioned to help in developing a target setting template so that any documents produced will be as meaningful as possible to young people.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Indiscriminate night time monitoring of young people has stopped. All checks are now subject to risk assessments and agreed as necessary with parents. This practice protects young people’s rights to privacy and dignity as well as avoiding them being unnecessarily disturbed when sleeping.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Improvements to the environment continue. Refurbishment is focussed on both essential maintenance and update. Currently the roof and fascia boards are being replaced. The entrance to the home has been refurbished making it cosier and more homely. Bathrooms have been updated and additional storage is provided. Refurbishments of the lounge areas of the home have made some improvements. Further improvements have been agreed by the local authority who own this home. They include refurbishment of the sensory room and new flooring to the main area of the home.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The use of this home for the production of school meals and as a school dining room compromises the usefulness and homeliness of the environment. Access to kitchen facilities is restricted and the need to accommodate dining facilities in a main area of the home limits options for improvements.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

All staff receive fire training and evacuation plans are discussed at the start of each shift to make sure staff know who is doing what in the case of any emergency. However, records of fire drills are not fully up to date to demonstrate that all young people and staff have opportunities to practice evacuations.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Access to the internet is now available to young people. They can use a computer to explore the world around them, play games and improve keyboard skills. The manager is working with the local authority to reduce security filters. These are generally used by schools and maybe needlessly limiting access to some sites such as music video’s or social networking facilities.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Additional training has been provided to those staff who needed to supplement their knowledge of autism. It has remained difficult to access ‘passenger assisted training’ so that all staff have the skills needed to ensure the safety and welfare of young people when travelling.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The majority of staff are provided with the formal opportunities to discuss work practice, raise any concerns and ensure they are fulfilling their responsibilities to young people. Such supervision has not been provided to the deputy manager. The manager has a plan in place to address this issue.

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Information about this children's home

The home is registered to provide a short break for up to twenty one children and/or young people who have learning difficulties and/or physical difficulties. The home is managed and owned by the local authority. The home is situated adjacent to a school whose students use the kitchen and dining facilities.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

16/03/2015 CH - Interim Declined in effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

30/10/2013 CH - Interim Inadequate 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

37: Other records The registered person must keep information as set out in Schedule 4. In particular up to date fire drills records. (Regulation 37 (1)) 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 staff are familiar with the homes policy on record keeping and understand the importance of consistently careful, objective, and clear recording which contributes to understanding the life of the child. (The Guide to the Quality Standards page 62 paragraph 14.4)

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Recommendations

 Ensure that staff can access appropriate facilities and resources to support their training needs. In particular provide the training required to ensure all young people travel safely. (The Guide to the Quality Standards page 52 paragraph 10.7)

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Recommendations

 Ensure that the children's home provides a nurturing and supportive environment that meets the needs of the children, this will in most cases, be a homely and domestic environment. (The Guide to the Quality Standards page 15 paragraph 3.9)

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Recommendations

 Ensure that all staff receive formal supervision on a regular basis. (The Guide to the Quality Standards Page 61, paragraph 13.2)

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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

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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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