Children's home run by Cornwall Council in Cornwall

Inspection report children's home: SC064608 1 SC064608 Registered provider: Cornwall Council

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home provides a short-break service 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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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Date of last inspection: 9 February 2017

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: Sustained effectiveness

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

Not applicable Inspection report children's home: SC064608 2

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Key findings from this inspection

This children’s home is outstanding because:

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people receive an excellent standard of care and nurturing. They feel safe and welcome at the home.  The registered manager makes effective plans to ensure that, during their short breaks, young people are provided with both enjoyable experiences and developmental support.  Young people are consistently supported to make choices and to structure their own stays. This promotes their enjoyment, develops their self-esteem and independence, and reduces any anxieties they may hold when staying away from their primary homes.

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Key findings from this inspection

The children’s home’s areas for development:

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Key findings from this inspection

 Independent advocacy services are not currently available to young people should these be required.  The registered manager does not challenge other service providers who are not consistently meeting the needs of young people, such as over weaknesses in transportation arrangements for young people.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

09/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 18/08/2016 Full Good 14/03/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 07/12/2015 Full Requires improvement Inspection report children's home: SC064608 3

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Recommendations

 Where the placing authority or another relevant person does not provide the input and services needed to meet a child’s needs during their time in their time in the home, the home must challenge them to meet the child’s needs. (Regulation 5 (c)) Staff should act as champions for their children, expecting nothing less than a good parent would. This specifically relates to the provision of transport which meets the needs of young people when travelling to the home for visits, i.e. ensuring that there is contingency planning should a driver not arrive to collect the young person and that the driver is fully aware of the young person’s needs during the journey. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 12, paragraph 2.8)  Although there is a not a legal requirement for non-looked after children to have access to an independent advocate, homes caring for these children should

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Recommendations

ensure that children can access advocacy support ( as described in paragraph 4.4) and should also consider the use of an independent advocate where necessary. This relates to the need for senior managers to ensure that independent advocacy services are available to young people should they be required. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 23, paragraph 4.18)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people are provided with a high standard of nurturing care by the registered manager and the staff team. This has resulted in young people experiencing enjoyable visits to the home, while also being supported to make developmental progress. This includes developing independence, making positive behaviour changes, and developing social skills and self-care skills. Each young person’s care plan is regularly reviewed in order to ascertain the progress that they are making and to look at areas within which further support is required. Young people are consistently enabled to make choices and are helped to structure their own stays. They are enabled to choose from a wide range of activities which they may like to take part in, including numerous ones within the local community. Young people are supported to choose which foods they would like to eat and to help with food preparation. They are consulted with regard to how they would like to improve their

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

home. An overview of who will be working that day is sent to young people before they arrive. This promotes their enjoyment, development of self-esteem, and independence, and also reduces any anxieties they may hold when staying away from their primary homes. Inspection report children's home: SC064608 4 The staff team understands the importance of creating a homely environment for young people. The house is clean and maintained to a high standard. Young people’s bedrooms are colourful, and communal areas such as the lounge and kitchen are welcoming spaces. There is also a large garden area which provides an inviting space for young people to explore. The summer activity planning is excellent and this includes bike riding, Segway trips, theme parks, bowling and swimming. Regardless of the weather, young people are able to get out and about and choose what they would like to do. As far as possible, their

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

choices are accommodated by staff. The young people seen during this inspection were very happy and relaxed within the home. They enjoyed a swimming and bowling trip within the community. Prior to young people arriving for their stay, their rooms are personalised; however, if young people would rather change rooms they can choose to do so. A chalkboard is prepared for each young person which outlines their stay and sets out some choices for them to make. There is a warm and welcoming atmosphere at the home. This is due both to the homely decor and to the staff, who are fully prepared when young people arrive. Feedback from both parents and professionals is positive. There has been a theme of the home being a consistently positive place for young people, especially for young people who are experiencing a number of challenges within their everyday lives. For example, one young person has experienced a number of changes in their primary

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

carers over the past two years. The social worker commented that, throughout this time, staff had been really supportive. Furthermore, there was a concern that a change in medication might disrupt the young person’s visits to the home. This was avoided by the registered manager doing all that she could to ensure that she obtained all the relevant information in order to avoid any disruption for the young person.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Safeguarding practice is of a good standard at the home. Risk assessments and behaviour support planning are good. Staff are required to review these documents before young people arrive at the home to ensure that they are aware of any changes to care planning and are equipped to meet the evolving needs of young people. There have been minimal safeguarding incidents since the last inspection. These incidents were handled safely and appropriately by staff and the registered manager. There has been one medication error. However, the medication administration process was revised as a result of this incident. This has promoted a more rigorous approach to medication handling. This demonstrates a culture of reflection and learning. The physical environment is safe and secure for young people both inside and outsidethe home. This is further enhanced by good quality risk assessments which are individualised

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

and constantly evolving to meet the needs of young people. It is also very positive that door locking is minimal; this reduces restrictions upon young people. Personal evacuation plans have been developed to a good standard to ensure that young people’s needs are met should an emergency situation arise. Inspection report children's home: SC064608 5 There is no independent advocacy available to young people at this time. This is a service-wide gap in provision. However, it is clear that both the registered manager and staff are consistently, and creatively, seeking to open channels of communication for young people in order to find out about their needs, wishes and feelings. There is lack of challenge to wider services such as to those who provide transport for young people when they are travelling to the home for visits. One young person was upset when drivers did not arrive to collect them. During other journeys, the drivers

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

were not able to meet the communication needs of the young person, which also upset them. When these issues become apparent, they were not consistently raised with senior managers who are in charge of the transportation provision.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Management of the home has been stable for a significant number of years. The registered manager is dedicated to the young people who attend the home. Her aspirations for them are high and this is reflected within her highly attentive care planning. The registered manager consistently and actively monitors the care provided to young people in order to identify any weaknesses and to address them quickly. The registered manager also seeks to promote autonomy within the staff team by delegating project work to staff so that they are further involved in development processes and raising care standards. Case records are detailed and child-centred. The records are clear, and information is presented well so that staff are fully informed as to how best to meet the needs of young people. These records are regularly reviewed and updated to ensure that care planning is constantly evolving to meet the needs of young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manger has developed good communication links with other professionals, agencies and parents in order to provide an holistic approach to meeting the needs of young people, for example by supporting expert assessments of young people in order to assist in accessing the correct support for them. One parent also commented that the staff had gone ‘above and beyond’ for her son. Recruitment practice is safe. Training is regularly monitored and there is a rigorous approach to induction for new staff members. This ensures that new staff are provided with the advice, guidance and training that they need prior to working as full shift members.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference made to the lives of children and young people. They watched how professional staff work with children and young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care provided. Whenever possible, they talked to children and young people and their families. In Inspection report children's home: SC064608 6 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 whom it is trying to help, protect and look after.

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Information about this inspection

Using the ‘Social care common inspection framework’, this inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service and how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, 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’. Inspection report children's home: SC064608 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: County Hall, Truro, Cornwall TR1 3AY

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Tony Phillips-Jones

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Inspector

Polly Soper, social care inspector Inspection report children's home: SC064608 8 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, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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