Children's home run by Family Care Associates Limited in Preston

Inspection report children's home: SC058622 1 SC058622 Registered provider: Family Care Associates Limited

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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 privately owned children’s home provides care and accommodation to three young people who have learning disabilities. It operates under a contractual agreement with a local authority.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 27 to 28 September 2017

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

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

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Sustained effectiveness

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

None Inspection report children's home: SC058622 2

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Key findings from this inspection

 An experienced and dedicated staff team demonstrates an in-depth knowledge of each young person living at the home. This helps the staff team to provide highly personalised care that takes into account each young person’s individual learning needs, personality and interests.  Staff support young people to develop important life skills. This is helping young people to become more independent and become better equipped for adulthood.  Young people thoroughly enjoy spending time with the staff team, having regular visits from their relatives, trips out with each other, and holidays. These pleasurable experiences are broadening their social and independence skills.  Staff are skilled at communicating with young people, using various methods in accordance with each young person’s particular communication needs and preferences. This effective communication ensures that all young people are meaningfully involved in planning their care.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Staff are alert to potential dangers. They are skilled at supporting young people to take age-appropriate risks as part of their learning and development.  Staff develop and maintain excellent working relationships with relatives, social workers, schools and colleges. As a result, young people benefit from continuity in all aspects of their lives.  A highly motivated, dedicated and experienced registered manager supports the team well. He prioritises young people’s welfare and has a good understanding of the service’s strengths and areas of development.

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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

 Restraint records do not provide sufficient detail.  On occasion, medication records are inaccurate.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 20/12/2016 Full Good 22/02/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 07/12/2015 Full Requires improvement Inspection report children's home: SC058622 3

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, the 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

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: the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (‘the authorised person’) has spoken to the user about the measure; and within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35(3)(a)(vii) (b)(i) and (c)) In particular, ensure that restraint records provide all of the information required under regulation. 27/10/2017

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Recommendations

 Ensure that staff 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, accurately recording the amount of medication in stock at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are happy, safe and content. Observations of their positive and warm interactions with staff and each other confirm this. Young people enjoy laughing and joking with staff and each other, listening to music, and have lots of space to have time on their own. A young person said, ‘I’m so very happy here.’ Staff’s comprehensive understanding of each young person’s specific needs, strengths and interests helps them to provide highly personalised care. Staff encourage and Inspection report children's home: SC058622 4 support every young person to express their wishes and feelings and make choices in a meaningful way, including those who do not communicate verbally. This often involves using different communication tools, such as symbols and pictures, as well as skilfully interpreting body language and facial expressions. Staff support young people to choose activities, plan their meals and personalise their home. As a result, young people develop

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

a sense of belonging, which helps them to feel safe and secure. Young people make noticeable progress in all areas of their lives. With staff’s tireless support, young people have made significant progress at school and college. One young person, who had previously struggled to attend any form of education, recently attained a diploma in personal development. This is significant progress for this young person. Furthermore, young people have developed better social skills, which help them to interact and socialise with others. Staff have enabled young people to participate in fun activities that, in the past, would have caused them distress, for example going on holiday where environments and surroundings are unfamiliar to them. For one young person, this is a huge achievement. When young people are ready to move on into adult services, staff support them to get involved in the planning of this significant move. The registered manager makes sure

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

those decision-makers fully consider the young person’s views and that the young person is fully aware of all the options available to them. Additionally, young people benefit from independent advocacy support to help them make important decisions and to ensure that their wishes and feelings are heard. Therefore, when young people move on from the home, it is a positive and successful experience. Whenever possible, staff continue to keep in touch with those young people who have moved on to new placements. This demonstrates the commitment and dedication of the staff team. Young people benefit from having their relatives visit them at their home and spend quality time in a familiar and secure environment. Young people’s memory albums include photographs of young people baking, celebrating birthdays, and having meals with their relatives and friends at the home. Staff empower parents to remain involved in

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

their child’s care. As a result, parents and relatives develop trusting relationships with staff. These positive relationships are helping young people to have regular contact with those who are important to them and maintain their family identity.

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

Staff are confident in their roles and they understand each young person’s abilities, strengths and areas of particular vulnerability. Individual risk assessments enable young people to take age-appropriate risks and prevent unnecessary restrictions on their activities. Under staff supervision, young people play freely in the garden, attend music concerts, and go out for meals in local restaurants. Young people also enjoy trips to local venues, where they can meet and interact with other young people of a similar age. Staff expertly balance risk with young people’s rights to socialise and develop. Consequently, young people flourish and continually develop in a supportive and safe environment. Staff encourage and help children to carry out personal care. This enhanced independence is also increasing young people’s safety by making them less dependent Inspection report children's home: SC058622 5 on others to provide intimate care.

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

Staff understand and manage young people’s behaviour particularly well. Staff use their in-depth knowledge of the young people to recognise triggers to unsafe behaviour. Staff quickly pick up when a young person is distressed or anxious and deter potentially harmful behaviour. This often involves calmly reassuring young people, distracting them, or giving them a comforting item, such as a toy that they like. Staff benefit from having monthly consultations with an independent psychologist, who provides support and guidance on how to respond to particular behaviours. Furthermore, young people’s trusting relationships with staff help them to feel emotionally safe and secure. Currently, safeguarding concerns, such as going missing from home, child sexual exploitation, substance misuse and/or radicalisation are not an issue for young people at this home. Nevertheless, staff are alert to such dangers and they have received training

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

on these matters. Therefore, should these concerns ever arise, staff are fully equipped with the knowledge and skills to identify signs and respond appropriately. Physical intervention and the use of restraint are rare. However, when they occur, the records do not provide sufficient information, for example the detail of any debrief with the staff and young person involved. Such recording shortfalls compromise independent scrutiny of the incident and potentially jeopardise any future investigation into the incident. All staff have received training on administering medication. Staff ensure that young people take their medication as prescribed. Whenever possible, young people take responsibility for administering their own medication to enhance their independence. However, a minor error was evident in the medication records. This involved recording an incorrect amount of medication in the home. This was clearly a recording error and

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

the registered manager has already identified ways of improving these records to prevent this from happening again.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is suitably qualified and experienced. His reflective approach to leadership enables him to develop the service by taking on board the views of others, including staff, other professionals and parents. He has a good understanding of the strengths of his service, which include a stable, experienced and child-centred team. All professionals consulted with spoke highly of staff and the care that they provide to young people. One professional said, ‘Staff practice from the heart.’ The registered manager knows the young people extremely well and is actively involved in the planning and delivery of their care. He is extremely proud of the progress young people make and ensures that his team is fully equipped with the knowledge, skills and confidence to provide personalised, high-quality care. Partnership working is a particular asset of this home. Parents, relatives and other professionals acknowledge and value this. A head teacher said, ‘The registered manager

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

is very helpful and supportive. When there have been concerns, we have all worked together to resolve them. We share information and have clear responsibilities, which we Inspection report children's home: SC058622 6 set out from the start. I find them (staff) all very helpful.’ Training is a key strength of the service. Staff benefit from a varied training programme, which also provides them with further opportunities to meet up with other professionals and share their learning and experiences. Staff also benefit from specialist training in response to young people’s specific needs, for example epilepsy and autistic spectrum disorder. All staff consulted with said that they feel fully supported by the registered manager and senior residential workers. As a result, young people receive nurturing care from a stable, happy and contented team. Monthly professional supervision, regular team meetings and consultation with an independent psychologist provide the team members

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

with many opportunities to reflect on their practice, share ideas and, thus, continue to learn and develop. Effective internal and external monitoring systems ensure that the service continues to provide a good standard of care. The registered manager is totally committed to providing young people with happy experiences and fond memories of their time living in the home.

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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 differences 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. Wherever possible, they talked to children and 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 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, 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: SC058622 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Family Care Associates Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Family Care Associates Ltd, Old Mill House, 60 School Lane, Bamber Bridge, Preston PR5 6QE

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Inspector

Marina Tully, social care inspector Inspection report children's home: SC058622 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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