Children's Home run by Unique Care Homes Support Limited in Cambridgeshire

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged good at the full inspection. At this interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has sustained effectiveness .

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

At the last inspection, one requirement and three recommendations were set. The manager has addressed or made improvements against these areas.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the last inspection, the manager has ensured that he has had sufficient oversight of recruitment practices. He now reviews the recruitment information to make sure that all suitability checks of prospective staff are completed effectively. Staff induction processes have improved, and both permanent and agency staff now receive essential guidance regarding emergency procedures and clear information about children’s needs. These arrangements mean that there is increased rigour in the recruitment and support of staff.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home is suitably maintained, clean and spacious. Recent changes to the building have enhanced the accommodation, providing an additional shower room and sleeping-in accommodation. The children have been actively involved in the changing of the decor, painting certain areas themselves. The decor, furniture, pictures and accessories give a homely atmosphere. However, the locks fitted on some communal doors, including the lounge, are contrary to the ethos of the home and are without a risk assessment. The ability to lock rooms has the potential both to detract from the otherwise domestic feel and to have an impact on children’s freedom of movement within the home.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager has reviewed and improved medication arrangements since the last inspection. However, records of medication administration require further improvement in order to ensure that children’s medical needs are met and their well-being is effectively safeguarded. For example, the stock of medication held on the day of inspection did not correlate with the home’s records and staff had not recorded that one child’s medication had been given that morning. On another occasion, medication was not given and there is no record of why and what action was taken.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

There are strong and effective partnerships with parents, teachers, and social workers. These key figures refer to ‘massive progress and improvement’ for the children from their particular starting points in all aspects of their lives. One social worker said about a child, ‘All staff are very knowledgeable about what’s going on for her, they genuinely care about her.’ A parent said, ‘It’s a really good home. I can’t thank them enough; they are doing a wonderful job.’

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The children identify favourite staff with whom they have particularly close relationships. There is constant laughter and ‘banter’ between staff and the children, which gives the home a warm and nurturing atmosphere. One child crowned a member of staff as the house queen ‘because she gives really good cuddles’ and another as king because ‘he’s really funny’. They went on to allocate royal positions to all the others as ‘they are all really good’ and ‘really nice’. The children say that they always have someone that they can talk to about anything. One social worker said about a child, ‘She has progressed and grown here because she feels safe and secure.’

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Close relationships with schools mean that children’s learning and development is well promoted. One child’s teacher said, ‘I can’t fault the home regarding the support provided. They have made a huge difference: she is now much more settled and able to self-regulate her behaviour.’ A placing social worker described how well the staff had advocated for one child and secured appropriate education. As a result, the child has moved from being highly resistant to one who now has a sense of joy at going to school and is progressing well. For one child, the partnership of support provided by school and home staff has facilitated phased re- engagement into mainstream school and the possibility of foster care as a future goal. The child is now mixing with their peers outside of the home and developing appropriate school friendships.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Admissions are well planned and the manager is both clear as to the needs of the children for whom they can provide a service and conscious of the dynamics of the group as a whole. The manager took action to support all children through a phase of bullying within the home. The actions taken by staff have given the children confidence in the commitment to their well-being. One child said that these actions made them ‘feel safe’ and able to talk about things that were worrying them. There have been few other significant incidents within the home, but when these have occurred, such as a missing from care incident, they have been well managed, ensuring the safety of the children.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The ‘good lives’ model is being gradually integrated into the home and is promoting reflective practice. Suitable management overview ensures that all actions taken are appropriate and proportionate and that there is a focus on understanding causes and triggers for behaviour. While behavioural incidents continue to occur on occasion, these are much reduced in frequency and intensity. For example, one child had 10 significant incidents documented in the last three months in comparison with 24 in the same period last year.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

While there are effective internal and external quality arrangements to monitor day-to-day issues, the arrangements for the review of the quality of care are not sufficiently robust. For example, there is no evaluation of the information to ‘tell the story’ of the home and the difference it is making, nor are the views of children, their families or partner agencies sought to assist in an effective analysis of the strengths and areas for growth. Therefore, while the manager has aspirations and plans for the service, these are not effectively documented and shared to give an effective overview or to drive improvement.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

One recommendation from the previous inspection has not been met and a new requirement and a further recommendation have been set at this inspection. However, these shortfalls have not had a significant impact on the experiences of children and the home continues to make a positive difference. One child summed up their views, ‘I like it, it feels like the staff do care about me.’

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Information about this children's home

The home is one of a small number owned by a private company. It provides single gender care and accommodation for up to five children and young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 08/06/2016 Full Good 17/12/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness 26/05/2015 Full Requires improvement

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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 within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review, the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating: the quality of care provided for children; the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children. (Regulation 45 (2)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the feedback and opinions of others are sought as part of the review and that the review is sufficiently evaluative to assist the manager in driving improvement within the service. 31/03/2017

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendations:  Ensure that decisions to limit a child's access to any area of the home are only made where this is intended to safeguard the child's welfare. All decisions should be informed by a rigorous assessment of that individual child's needs, be properly recorded and be kept under regular review. ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 15, paragraph 3.10.) In particular, review the need for, and use of, locks fitted to communal areas of the home.

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Recommendations

 Take care to ensure that prescribed medicines are only administered to the individual for whom they are prescribed. Medicines must be administered in line with a medically approved protocol. Records must be kept of the administration of all medication, which includes occasions when prescribed medication is refused. Regulation 23 requires the registered person to ensure that they make suitable arrangements to manage, administer and dispose of any medication. ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 35, paragraph 7.15) In particular, ensure robust recording of medication administered and the stock held.

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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 that 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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