SC 040491

Good

The children's home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Young people have positive experiences when they visit this home for short breaks. Comprehensive placement plans guide and support staff in how to meet the young people’s individual needs. Targets are set and evaluated to evidence the progress that young people are making.  Young people’s specific health needs, such as support in managing their epilepsy, are clearly identified. Staff are provided with detailed guidance in how to meet this need. There is good management of medicines.  Positive behaviour is promoted and the staff work collaboratively with parents to develop behaviour support plans.  Young people enjoy a wide variety of activities, and social and leisure opportunities, both in the home and in the wider community.  Staff make every effort to seek the views and opinions of the young people and offer young people choices in their day-to day-living. This includes choices of meals and drinks, and consulting them about how to refurbish

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The children's home provision is good because:

their bedrooms.  The registered manager has a good awareness of the strengths and weaknesses of the home. He has developed a detailed development plan for driving forward improvements.  Areas for improvement identified at this inspection include matters relating to the recording of staff recruitment in order to demonstrate a robust process, staff training and engaging more with external providers.

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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 ‘Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards’. The registered person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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needs are met

5. In order to meet this quality standard, the registered person must, and ensure that staff— (d) seek to develop and maintain effective professional relationships with such persons, bodies or organisations as the registered person considers appropriate, having regard to the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the children’s home is to provide care and accommodation. 16/09/2016

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Fitness of workers

32.—(1) The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety. (3) The requirements are that— (c) the individual is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of the work that the individual to perform; and (d) full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of matters in Schedule 2.

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Fitness of workers

In particular, this refers to full and satisfactory information of staff working in the home from an external agency. 31/08/2016

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Employment of staff

33.—(4)(a) Ensure that all employees undertake appropriate continuing professional development.

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Employment of staff

In particular, this refers to training in augmented communication. 31/12/2016 [Type here]

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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 home seeks as far as possible to maintain a domestic environment and considers the refurbishment of the home's kitchen. (‘Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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Information about this children's home

The home is registered to provide a short break for up to four children and/or young people who have learning difficulties. The home is managed and owned by the local authority.

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Information about this children's home

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Information about this children's home

16/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Information about this children's home

18/03/2014 Interim Satisfactory progress [Type here]

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Good

Young people continue to receive good care that enhances their experiences. The registered manager and staff provide individualised care and support to the young people. Placement plans contain detailed information on how young people’s needs are to be met. These documents include recommendations from other professionals such as the speech and language therapist, and child and adolescent mental health services. Staff are supported in their work by comprehensive risk assessments that are regularly reviewed. In addition, minutes of review meetings are held on the young person’s file, with specific areas of accountability and responsibility for staff to address the identified actions.

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Good

There is clear evidence that targets to help young people to develop are set by staff and that progress is being made. The process of target setting is ongoing, and it is being continually reviewed by leaders and managers to ensure the process is effective.

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Good

Positive feedback has been received about young people’s experiences at the home. A parent said, ‘My son is happy, he likes the staff, I feel listened to and he is safe.’ A social worker said, ‘Staff are skilled and knowledgeable, and a positive outcome for one young person is how they support him to access the local community.’ In addition, there are a number of written compliments from social workers, parents and a young person, praising the staff for ensuring a smooth transition for one young person. The young person themselves wrote, ‘Thanks for the whole time that I had there.’

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Good

The registered manager has not ensured that there has been regular reviews of the contract agreement between the provider and an external agency. This relates to the arrangements and agreements of the care and support for a young person by a third party. A date for this review has been requested and is awaiting confirmation.

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Good

There are good systems in place for the management of medicines, and all staff have received training in the safe administration of medicines. Staff are provided with good guidance on how to support young people who may require medical intervention in respect of their epilepsy. This guidance is agreed by the young person’s doctor and epilepsy nurse, and is regularly reviewed. All staff have received epilepsy training.

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Good

A strength of this short-break service is how well the registered manager and staff seek the views of young people. For example, there are plans to refurbish all young people’s bedrooms. Staff have individually consulted all young people on their preferred choice of paint and soft furnishings for their bedrooms. There is an abundance of photographic evidence that demonstrates how well young people have been consulted and supported to make choices. This includes the use of colour charts, searching the internet and visiting DIY stores to choose their preferred options.

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Good

Young people enjoy a wide variety of activities and social and leisure opportunities, both in the home and in the wider community. This includes visits to adventure parks, activity centres and local facilities. Staff carefully plan the activities, based on the known likes and compatibility of the young people. The staff team seeks young people’s views after the activity, and evaluates the effectiveness and outcomes of the event. The garden has excellent play facilities, including soft play areas, climbing equipment and relaxation areas. There is also a well-equipped sensory room that young people enjoy.

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Good

‘Family-style’ mealtimes are promoted, and staff eat meals with the young people. Young people are given choices of food and drink, and positive behaviour and good table manners are encouraged.

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Good

The home’s environment is welcoming, child friendly and well maintained. There are plans to improve the environment further, including the refurbishment of bedrooms. There are adequate communal areas that are well presented and with accessible facilities for young people who use a wheelchair. Some kitchen units require fixing, and the kitchen would benefit from refurbishment and redecoration.

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Requires improvement

Leaders and managers have not ensured that there is a robust audit trail to demonstrate that they have obtained all the required documents and checks on all adults who work in the home. This relates specifically to those staff from a third party agency, who provide support for one young person to visit the home. Leaders and managers took action at the time of the inspection to address this shortfall.

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Requires improvement

Positive behaviour is promoted, and young people are encouraged and supported to manage their behaviours and feelings. Where required, staff are provided with comprehensive behaviour support plans in how to manage young people’s known behaviours. A traffic light approach is used to encourage the young people, and to help them to moderate and manage their behaviour. There is evidence of parents being involved in developing the behaviour support plans. This demonstrates good partnership working with parents. Sanctions are not imposed. [Type here] The registered manager ensures that records pertaining to the use of restraint are detailed and contain the required information. He reviews all incidents of restraint for their appropriateness and effectiveness. However, the use of restraint at this short-break service is rare.

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Requires improvement

There have been no recorded incidents of young people going missing, no concerns relating to child sexual exploitation and no referrals made to the designated officer or children’s services. All staff have received safeguarding training, and those met during the inspection demonstrated a good awareness of safeguarding procedures and protocols.

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Requires improvement

Fire safety is promoted. There are regular checks and services on the home’s fire system and firefighting equipment. All staff have received fire awareness training and take part in regular fire drills. Wherever possible, young people take part in fire drills, and some young people have personal evacuation plans.

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Requires improvement

The registered manager ensures that there is regular servicing of the overhead tracking, hoists, and adapted bathing and showering facilities. In addition, he ensures that there is regular servicing of the home’s utilities. This promotes safety in the home.

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Good

Since the last inspection, the manager has been confirmed in his post as the registered manager. He commenced this role in April 2016. He has the experience and qualifications to undertake the role. In addition, a deputy manager has been appointed. The appointment to these senior posts ensures that there is now an effective management structure in place.

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Good

The registered manager ensures that there is regular scrutiny of the service by the independent visitor and responds effectively to any recommendations made. He undertakes a comprehensive review of the quality of care provided, and improvements identified through this review form the home’s development plan. This is a detailed plan that identifies the improvements needed, including the refurbishment of young people’s bedrooms, staff training and further improvement to evidencing consultation with young people.

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Good

There is good and effective communication with parents and social workers. One parent said, ‘There is great communication between the staff and the registered manager, and he attends the short-break panel.’ A parent said, ‘The staff keep in touch with me and phone if there are any concerns.’ Although staff receive specific training to support their development and understanding in order to meet the needs of the young people, they have not all received formal training in augmented communication. This is a key training need, as young people do have individual communication needs.

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Good

Staff receive effective and regular supervision, and opportunities to reflect on their practice. They speak well of the support that they receive from the registered manager. The vast majority of staff are qualified to level 3. Those staff without the qualification are working towards this.

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Good

The registered manager informs parents, agencies and authorities of significant events in the home, as required. Poor practice is not tolerated. The registered manager robustly challenges staff practice and takes appropriate action to address this. [Type here]

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What the inspection judgements mean

The experiences and progress of children and young people are at the centre of the inspection. Inspectors will use their professional judgement to determine the weight and significance of their findings in this respect. The judgements included in the report are made against ‘Inspection of children's homes: framework for inspection’. An outstanding children's home provides highly effective services that contribute to significantly improved outcomes for children and young people who need help and protection and care. Their progress exceeds expectations and is sustained over time. A good children's home provides effective services that help, protect and care for children and young people and have their welfare safeguarded and promoted. In a children's home that requires improvement , there are no widespread or serious failures that create or leave children being harmed or at risk of harm. The welfare of looked after children is safeguarded and promoted. Minimum requirements

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What the inspection judgements mean

are in place, however, the children's home is not yet delivering good protection, help and care for children and young people. A children's home that is inadequate is providing services where there are widespread or serious failures that create or leave children and young people being harmed or at risk of harm or result in children looked after not having their welfare safeguarded and promoted.

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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 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

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Information about this inspection

Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and ‘Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards’. [Type here] 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 0300 123 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, work- based 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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