Children's Home run by Cornwall Council in Cornwall

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 enjoy excellent relationships with staff when they stay in the home for their short break. Staff are committed to providing them with good quality care and support.  Safeguarding continues to be a key thread throughout the management of the home. All staff receive safeguarding training and are confident in raising safeguarding concerns to senior managers, who respond immediately in order to protect young people.  All young people have personalised targets that effectively promote their independence and social and leisure opportunities. Young people are very happy with the activities that they access when they stay in the home.  Young people feel listened to and are offered choices in activities, food and drink, and contributing to the continued improvements to the home. The registered manager ensures that there is effective communication between staff, parents, social workers and education staff.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 The registered manager has continued to make significant improvements to the home that provides young people with a welcoming and safe environment. She undertakes a thorough review of the service and identifies where improvements can be made. This review is used to inform the homes service development plan.  The registered manager is committed to ensuring that there is a well- qualified staff team. They have received specific training in alternative methods of communication and epilepsy training in order to meet the needs of young people.  Areas for improvement include matters relating to staff recruitment, risk assessments, the monitoring of behaviours and some aspects of staff training.

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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 meet the protection of children standard the registered person must ensure that-

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Requirement Due date

12 (2)(a)(i) staff assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child. 14/02/2017

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Requirement Due date

26 (1) an individual may only carry on a children’s home if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (5) (5)(b) full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of the matters in Schedule 2. In particular, two written references, including a reference from the person’s most recent employer, if any. 14/02/2017

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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 behaviour management strategy should be understood and applied at all times by staff, and must be kept under review and revised where appropriate. In particular, ensure that the monitoring of behaviour incidences are further scrutinised to explore for possible triggers and trends. (‘The guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.34)

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Recommendations

 Ensure that staff can access appropriate facilities and resources to support their training needs. In particular, training in sensory impairment to include sight impairment. (‘The guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 53, paragraph 10.11)

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Information about this children's home

This home provides short breaks for children. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to five children and/or young people who have learning difficulties, physical disabilities and sensory impairments. The home is managed and owned by the local authority.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 27/01/2016 Full Good 16/12/2015 Monitoring visit N/A 04/11/2015 Full Inadequate 29/07/2015 Full Inadequate

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Good

Young people receive good quality care when they stay in this home. Staff are highly committed to providing young people with new opportunities and experiences. There are warm and nurturing relationships between young people and staff. A young person said ‘The staff are great’.

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Good

All young people have specific targets that promote their independence or provide them with new opportunities. Such targets include cleaning teeth independently, hair drying and styling, and promoting independence in eating. Their targets are closely monitored and every three months their care plans and outcomes of their targets are reviewed. The results of the review are then shared with the young people, their parents, and carers and social workers. A social work team manager said, ‘Staff consider each young person’s needs and I have no concerns about the quality of care being provided’.

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Good

Young people enjoy a wide range of activities and social and leisure opportunities. Each young person has a scrapbook that contains photographs of the activities they have enjoyed. One young person gave 10/10 for the activities and he said, ‘I love them’. A parent said, ‘I know that my son has fun when he stays there’. There is an abundance of play, leisure and educational facilities available to young people.

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Good

Staff listen to young people and seek their views and opinions on everyday matters, and offer choices in activities, food and drinks. For example, young people are confident to say if they do not want the planned meal for the evening and can choose an alternative. Mealtimes are a sociable occasion that young people benefit from. A young person said, ‘I get to choose what I want, the food is great’.

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Good

All young people attend school in a variety of education settings. Staff support effective communication between the home and education staff in order to enhance the continuity of young people’s care and support needs.

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Good

The staff team has made significant changes to the home environment. All areas of the home have been redecorated, with new carpets fitted, and new lounge furniture, soft furnishing and fittings purchased. This has resulted in young people enjoying a home that is more welcoming, and is furnished and decorated to a high standard.

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Good

The environment has aids and adaptations to meet the needs of the young people. These include overhead tracking, hoists and adapted toilet and bathing facilities that promote young people’s privacy and dignity. Adjustable height sinks have been fitted to some bedrooms. This ensures that young people who use a wheelchair can undertake personal care more effectively and independently.

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Requires improvement

The registered manager and staff continue to recognise safeguarding concerns. Since the last inspection, the registered manager has acted upon staff concerns in relation to the care and support young people receive, external to their short break. They have informed social workers of their concerns and, when needed, they have liaised with the designated officer.

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Requires improvement

All staff receive safeguarding training and demonstrate a good awareness of the safeguarding principles and protocols. Young people said that they feel safe when they are at the home. One parent said, ‘I am really happy, he is in a safe environment.’

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Requires improvement

The registered manager ensures that risk assessments are completed to guide and support staff in how to manage the known risks. However, a risk pertaining to one young person’s care needs has not been identified. The registered manager immediately addressed this, and spoke to the young person’s social worker to clarify the risk in more detail. She ensured that the young person’s placement plan and risk assessment were amended, and staff informed. In addition, not all risk assessments clearly identified how known risks are to be effectively reduced. The registered manager ensures that parents are consulted when developing the risk assessments, and that parents sign to confirm their agreement.

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Requires improvement

The registered manager ensured that two satisfactory references were obtained prior to a recent appointment of a new member of staff. However, a reference from the most recent employer was not obtained as required. All other required checks had been undertaken to meet regulations. The registered manager took immediate action to address this shortfall and obtained the required reference.

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Requires improvement

Positive behaviour is promoted and staff provide young people with clear boundaries. The registered manager responds immediately if there are serious concerns regarding the staff being able to manage young people’s behaviours. She liaises with social workers and parents to address such concerns.

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Requires improvement

Restraint has been used on two occasions since the last inspection. The registered manager has evaluated these incidents and whether the use of the restraint was appropriate. The records pertaining to these incidents are comprehensive, and meet regulation. All staff have received training in the use of de-escalation and restraint.

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Requires improvement

Fire safety is promoted. All staff receive regular fire training and practice fire drills. In addition, young people take part in fire drills. When needed, personal emergency evacuation plans are completed and agreed with parents.

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Requires improvement

The registered manager ensures that the environment is safe and that there is regular servicing of the home’s utilities, and equipment.

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Good

The home is effectively managed by an experienced and qualified registered manager who has been the registered manager since March 2007. She actively engages with parents, social workers and other agencies and professionals, in order to promote the safety and well-being of young people, and to further develop the service provided by the home.

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Good

There is regular external scrutiny of the home and recommendations that are made by the independent visitor are acted upon. In addition, the registered manager undertakes a thorough review of the quality of care, based on the quality standards. She identifies where improvements can be made and an action plan is devised in response. The findings from her review is used to inform the home’s service development plan. However, when evaluating the records relating to young people’s behaviours, it is not clear that she has explored any potential triggers and trends.

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Good

Placement plans are regularly reviewed and updated. Wherever possible young people are consulted in the development of their plan, and sign their awareness and agreement. In addition, parents are actively involved in this process and agree the placement plan if young people are not able to do so. The registered manager is reviewing the format of placement plans in order to make them child-friendly documents. A file audit system has now been introduced, and this is effective.

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Good

Young people’s placement plans now contain ‘target arrows’. These are used to evaluate the progress that young people make. The targets are evaluated every three months and the outcomes are shared with the young people, parents and other professionals. Young people are making progress.

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Good

The registered manager ensures that there is good communication between staff, parents and social workers. One parent said, ‘Communication is brilliant’. A social worker said, ‘We work together and parents give me good feedback about the home’.

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Good

The registered manager ensures that any significant events in the home are notified to all the appropriate agencies and authorities.

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Good

The statement of purpose is dated October 2016 and reflects the services that are provided. There have been no recorded complaints since the last inspection.

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Good

The registered manager is committed to ensuring that the staff team are well qualified. Twelve of the 15 staff are qualified to Diploma level 3 or equivalent. Two are undertaking the qualification and are due to complete in January 2017, and one member of staff is enrolling in January 2017. Staff receive mandatory training and specific training in order to meet young people’s specific care needs. This training includes epilepsy awareness, alternative methods of communication and autism. However, staff have not received training in sensory impairment.

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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 that 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 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 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, 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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