Children's home run by Kids

Good

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

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The children’s home’s provision is good because:

 Young people enjoy a wide range of activities that enrich their experience and give them opportunities to develop skills and to increase their level of independence incrementally.

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The children’s home’s provision is good because:

 Staff regularly seek children’s views with feedback forms, which are worked through with those able to verbalise their views or use communication aids. These are then acted on where possible.

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The children’s home’s provision is good because:

 The home has responded well to assist a family in crisis, in order to avoid distress to a young person and to help resolve a difficult situation. They have gone on to facilitate his transition to a new service.

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The children’s home’s provision is good because:

 Most young people make gradual progress because staff work well in collaboration with families and other professionals, focusing on specific targets and consistent approaches.

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The children’s home’s provision is good because:

 Staff know and understand young people very well. During the inspection they were able to describe those coming to stay in terms of their likes, routines and behaviours. When the young people arrived, these descriptions were seen to be highly accurate.

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The children’s home’s provision is good because:

 Parents have a high regard for the work staff do and have great confidence in their ability to keep their children safe. The home is a secure environment for vulnerable young people without creating an institutional atmosphere.

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The children’s home’s provision is good because:

 The manager is leading the team at a time of uncertainty about the home’s future but she and the staff maintain a positive attitude towards the service provided for young people. This has expanded to accept referrals from other agencies and the home has been closely involved in a pilot project for combined personal budgets for education, health and care.

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The children’s home’s provision is good because:

 Staff have introduced new provision, including workshops for young people over the age of 16 to help prepare them for adulthood and a project to help improve sleep patterns for children of all ages.

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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

16: The registered person must notify HMCI of any revisions to the statement of purpose and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (3)(b)) 16/12/2016

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Requirement Due date

18: The registered person must prepare a placement plan for a child not looked after before the child is admitted to the home or, if that is not reasonably practicable, as soon as possible after the child is admitted to the home. (Regulation 18 (4)) 16/12/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes a description of the measure and its duration, details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure and the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure. The registered person must ensure that within 48 hours that the user has been spoken to about the measure and signed the record to confirm it is accurate, and within five days an addition is made to the record that the child has been spoken to about the measure. In particular, records must show that these timescales have been adhered to. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(iv)(v)(vii)(b)(i)(ii)(c)) 25/11/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain case records for each child, which are kept up to date and are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(b)(c)) 25/11/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must establish a procedure for considering complaints made by or on behalf of children. (Regulation 39 (1)) 16/12/2016

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendations:

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Recommendations

 The registered person has specific responsibilities to prepare and implement policies setting out arrangements for the safeguarding of children from abuse or neglect (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 44, paragraph 9.19). These should address the specific issues the home encounters, including the vulnerabilities of children with disabilities and communication issues.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should work with the placing authority to ensure that each child’s transition is planned and help each child to prepare for leaving both practically and emotionally (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 57, paragraph 11.9). This work should be adequately recorded.

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Recommendations

 A record of supervision should be kept for staff, including the manager. The record should provide evidence that supervision is being delivered in line with the home’s statement of purpose (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, p 61, paragraph 13.3). This includes a record made of the reason for any cancellation and a new appointment made.

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Recommendations

 Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4). This includes significant contact with others about the child.

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Recommendations

 The processes the registered person puts in place to enable a review of the quality of care to take place, should generate a report sent to Ofsted and the placing local authority of all children in the home who are looked-after children. The report should clearly identify any actions required for the next six months of delivery within the home and how those actions will be addressed (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraphs 15.3 and 15.4).

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Information about this children’s home

A charitable organisation runs the home to provide a short break service for up to four children and young people at one time. Those placed have learning disabilities, physical disabilities, sensory impairments or a combination of these. The organisation provides other services to a similar client group from the same premises that are registered with the Care Quality Commission.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 27/01/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 18/08/2015 Full Good 23/02/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness 02/12/2014 Full Good

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Good

Young people enjoy a wide range of activities during their short breaks. These enrich their experience and give them opportunities to develop skills and levels of independence. They have access to facilities, such as a sensory room, a soft-play room and the garden, that other services run by the provider at the same premises also use. The times when the different groups access them means that there are no risks associated with mixed use.

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Good

The services also share resources so that, for example, story bags are used for a ‘literacy hour’ and projects such as the workshops for young people over the age of 16 benefited those using the short break service and a wider group too. Staff tailor activities to the needs of particular young people, depending on their stage of development, abilities and wishes. Photographic records and observations by staff, families and other professionals show that these activities are enjoyable and effective.

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Good

Staff regularly seek children’s views with feedback forms worked through with those able to verbalise their views or use communication aids. Outcomes are collated and displayed in the home. The manager and staff use the feedback to develop the service provided, for example by increasing opportunities to go swimming, requested by some children, and by joining trips arranged with another group to ensure that enough staff are available.

p.7

Good

Staff respond to young people with little ability to communicate their views as they work with them. Their impression of whether a particular child has enjoyed an activity or meal, for example, may be recorded in ‘personal information forms’ (daily logs for each child) but are not collated in the same way as views of other children.

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Good

The home provided emergency accommodation for a young person when he was unable to return home at the end of his stay. This averted considerable distress as he was able to remain with people and in a place he knew well. The manager was instrumental in resolving the situation so that the young person could go home. This excellent work has gone unrecorded in the case file other than a few emails printed off and placed in there.

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Good

Various rooms have been redecorated where colour themes are used to orientate young people. The same colours are used for the boxes used to store medication, to add to the measures ensuring that drugs are given to those they are prescribed for. Bathrooms are due a ‘makeover’ as paintwork and some furniture has become worn. The manager is aware of this and is currently identifying potential funding.

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Good

Some parents and professionals expressed a wish for there to be more available for young people to do. Finances, and to some extent space, do limit this, but the manager and staff are creative in the use of resources. Extensive use is also made of community facilities, which enables young people to enjoy a wide range of experiences. One professional commented on how one young person, ‘goes places she would not go with her family.’ She added, ‘the young person talks about her friends at the home’, demonstrating the importance of the opportunity to socialise.

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Good

A parent also identified, ‘the chance to mix’, as a benefit of short breaks. Some children and young people interact more with peers because of their stays, whether it is responding to the presence of someone they recognise, tolerating being at the table for a meal with others or participating in an activity with peers.

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Good

Most young people make progress. Examples include increasing use of cutlery, staying in bed until it is time to get up, making a bed and more independent showering. Often these improvements are a combined result of work done by families, schools and the home. Parents and professionals spoken to were very appreciative of the efforts made by staff to collaborate with them to work on targets together and have a consistency of approach in different settings.

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Good

Staff write up the targets for each young person, which each shift team refers to at the start of their work. The personal information forms record the occasions staff work on them and key workers write summaries of progress every three months. This is an effective method of reviewing the success of the approach used and making changes needed.

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Good

Parents and professionals express a great deal of confidence in the ability of staff to keep young people safe. The designated officer of the local authority said she was, ‘never dissatisfied with what the home does’. Staff quickly respond to and report observations and concerns.

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Good

The home is an appropriately secure environment for vulnerable children, without measures creating an institutional atmosphere. Health and safety monitoring is very effective, with an outside consultant examining procedures and the delegated member of staff ensuring that the limited issues arising have been addressed. Fire drills are held regularly but all at similar times. The manager scheduled one for a different time during the inspection.

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Good

Staff are well versed in signals that young people are becoming unsettled, meaning that potentially difficult situations are anticipated and managed well. There has never been an incident of a child absconding, either from the home or when in the community. Some staff lack confidence as to how they might handle such a situation, but a comprehensive missing from care policy and protocols for each child supports them.

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Good

The complaints policy reads as advice to parents wishing to complain but does not provide guidance to staff about how to respond to these, nor does it address complaints made by children. This is an important area, as many young people’s ability to vocalise grievances is limited and may only be expressed through behaviour. An audio version of information for young people about how to make a complaint and of the young person's guide are available, and are useful tools for those able to understand speech but not the printed word.

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Good

Staff are aware that behaviour that is out of character might indicate that a child is unhappy about something. They are vigilant with regard to bruising or other marks on a child. They record new ones on body maps, enquire as to possible causes and pass information on to others as appropriate.

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Good

All staff know the procedures to follow if safeguarding concerns arise. The home’s safeguarding policy covers signs of abuse and reporting other procedures, but does not address issues particular to the vulnerabilities of children with disabilities or communication issues.

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Good

A well-maintained training matrix ensures that all staff undertake mandatory and other essential training, as stated in the home’s workforce plan. This means that the team has an up-to-date knowledge of safeguarding and that first aid training, for example, is within timescales. The manager gives additional input at team meetings on current issues, and specialists are brought in to provide specific training. For example, during the inspection a diabetic nurse gave advice to staff on monitoring a young person’s condition and how to respond to symptoms.

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Good

An isolated incident of staff not administering medication at the appropriate time was quickly picked up by colleagues. No harm was caused, but the manager has made changes to the recording format to make a repeat less likely and has instigated the retraining of staff involved. This was a prompt and proportionate response to protect children.

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Good

The provider employs safer recruitment procedures when appointing new staff and there are sufficient numbers of workers on each shift to ensure that supervision ratios are high. Therefore, an appropriately vetted and trained team helps young people and keeps them safe.

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Good

Young people were observed to have positive relationships with those working with them. They were relaxed in the presence of staff and responded to their interactions, such as invitations to play with particular toys. Staff spoke with affection and respect to and about young people.

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Good

Staff commented on the balance of making attachments with those they work with, often for several years, while maintaining professional boundaries. Observations during the inspection, including discussions with parents, indicate that this is well struck and forms the basis of attentive care and protection.

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Requires improvement

At a time of great uncertainty, the manager is leading a team with creativity and a commendably positive attitude. Staff have led innovative services, including a sleep project (to improve children’s sleep patterns) and work with young people over 16 to help prepare them for adulthood. These services are provided for a wider group of children and young people than those who use the short break service, but which benefit them too.

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Requires improvement

The manager has now obtained a level 5 diploma in leadership and management for residential childcare, and two other senior staff are undertaking the same qualification. Those care staff who have worked for more than two years all have the level 3 qualification.

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Requires improvement

Most requirements and recommendations made at the last inspection have been addressed. Records demonstrate that staff are following relevant plans and the workforce plan details all the elements identified in the ‘Guide to the children's homes regulations’. The manager has produced a review of the quality of care that covers matters required under regulation 45. The report contained a helpful analysis of events over the previous six months, but identified few actions to address over the next half year. The lack of an effective administrative procedure meant that neither it nor a revised statement of purpose was forwarded to Ofsted.

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Requires improvement

The home’s sanction log remains unused despite other records showing that staff occasionally use ‘time out’ as a measure of control. This was also a failing identified at the previous inspection.

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Requires improvement

The manager has configured the physical intervention log to avoid duplication of recording, but this has led to entries being out of date order and readers having to turn the book upside down to read documents. The records do not give sufficient information about de-escalation techniques employed, the length of time a physical intervention is used for, or the dates on which staff have been debriefed and young people spoken to about the incident. The log is therefore not fulfilling the purposes of allowing the regular scrutiny of incidents or being an aid to understanding each child’s behaviour.

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Requires improvement

The manager has not monitored case records effectively to ensure that authors sign and date all entries and documents. This inspection makes this a requirement, having previously been a recommendation.

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Requires improvement

Placement plans, risk assessments and other paperwork do not have signatures of parents or social workers to show that they have seen and endorsed them, even if completed in collaboration with them. Consents and other documents may contain a signature but nothing that establishes their designation, such as a printed name or relationship to the child.

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Requires improvement

Young people’s permission (or their parents’ permission if young people are unable to give informed consent) and that of placing authorities has not been sought for the independent person to inspect case files. The manager began addressing this during the inspection.

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Requires improvement

The manager and staff have worked hard to form effective collaborative relationships with families. Parents praised the team for the service extended to them and their children. One commented, ‘I can’t emphasise enough how much they have supported me. It has meant so much to know my son is really cared for and not just a number on a sheet.’

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Requires improvement

Communication with families and teachers is excellent, including over the setting of targets and establishing of common approaches to behavioural issues. The manager has sought to form relationships with other professionals that are as positive, having to challenge barriers to the sharing of information and lack of invitations to meetings to promote joint working.When staff have achieved this they have significantly contributed to planning. Transition arrangements are a particularly good example, with staff liaising with providers of adult services over care plans, risk assessments and information about what works or does not for particular young people. Case files do not evidence much of this work, as they only routinely contain records of direct contact with young people during their stays. These include no comments made about handovers when young people arrive or leave the home.

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Requires improvement

Staff may print off emails to put in files but significant amounts of work (some known to be very effective from other sources) goes unrecorded. This means that it is difficult for anyone reading files later to ascertain what the home did at crucial times in young people’s lives.

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Requires improvement

Admission processes are made as smooth and helpful to young people and families as possible, in the majority of cases giving them confidence to move from tea visits to overnight stays at a pace that suits everyone. Again, records are poor. Despite identifying that a child had displayed behaviours that might cause injury to others, an impact risk assessment had not been drawn up. Placement plans are also lacking on some files, even several weeks after admission.

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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’.

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What the inspection judgements mean

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 children looked after is safeguarded and promoted. Minimum requirements 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

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What the inspection judgements mean

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 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, work- based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It inspects services for children looked after 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

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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