Children's Home run by Praxis Care in Leicestershire

Inspection report children’s home: SC032069 1 SC032069 Registered provider: Praxis Care

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The provider is a registered charity. The home provides short breaks for children and young people who have learning and/or physical disabilities and/or complex healthcare needs.

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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: Improved effectiveness

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people enjoy their short breaks. They have fun, and receive good, safe, and nurturing care from a committed staff team. Inspection report children’s home: SC032069 2  Staff provide young people with a wide range of stimulating activities. These develop young people’s confidence and self-esteem.  Young people make progress. Staff recognise and praise all achievements.  Staff have a good understanding of the particular safeguarding needs of young people with disabilities. Staff know what action to take should they be concerned about the welfare and safety of young people.  There is robust management of health and safety. Managers get advice and support from other professionals to ensure that young people are safe during their short breaks.  Strong management oversight ensures that medication systems are safe. Staff also receive training in medication administration.  Staff are provided with good training, support and supervision. This enables

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Key findings from this inspection

them to meet the changing needs of young people.

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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

 The manager, when recruiting new staff, must ensure that there is a satisfactory explanation of any gaps in the prospective new employee’s work history.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 21/06/2016 Full Good 10/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 02/11/2015 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC032069 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, 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 recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety. The requirements are that full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32(1) and (3)(d)) This requirement is made because gaps in the employment history of new staff are not satisfactorily accounted for. 30/11/2017

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people have an enjoyable short break. They receive a high standard of care from a committed and nurturing staff team. Relationships between young people and staff are good. This is because staff understand and respond well to each young person. Staff understand young people’s individual communication methods, such as Makaton, sign language, or symbols. Staff help young people to improve their level of communication because they know that this is essential to young people’s progress. The staff know that good communication reduces anxiety and helps young people to feel comfortable. Staff provide young people with fun and stimulating recreational activities. Young people enjoy a wide range of activities such as going to the cinema, local parks, and museums. Young people also enjoy baking cakes with staff. Young people have written their own cookbook, full of their favourite recipes. The staff team is adept at organisation, making

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

certain that young people are safe in the community. Young people have recently raised a considerable sum of money by hosting a garden party. This helps young people to grow in confidence while they develop improved social skills. Staff recognise and praise the achievements that young people make. All children make progress during their short breaks. For example, one parent reported that their child was now able to take their own coat off. Staff remain focused on young people’s strengths and potential. They are ambitious for the young people they care for. Staff create comprehensive care and support plans for young people. These plans are developed in conjunction with families and other professionals. They are reviewed and Inspection report children’s home: SC032069 4 updated as the needs of young people change. The manager has an effective system to ensure that all staff understand any changes to plans.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The dignity of young people is of crucial importance to the manager and staff. Young people have a charter of rights and entitlements detailing what they can expect from this short-breaks service. Young people know how to complain; families and professionals are also encouraged to provide their views and opinions. Young people can also express their views to the manager through regular meetings that focus on the services provided. This further demonstrates that young people are central to the operation of this service. This service is a vital support to families. One parent said that ‘we would be desperately lost without their dedication, hard work, and help’. Another parent said, ‘They are an excellent support for our family and we do not really know what we would do without them.’ The service helps keep families together. The manager ensures that the service is responsive and will provide emergency support if possible. This safeguards young people

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

Staff safeguard young people well. Staff have a good knowledge of child protection and understand the particular vulnerabilities of young people with disabilities. Staff understand and work in accordance with organisational procedures that keep young people safe. The manager ensures that all staff undertake training in relation to keeping young people safe. The application of this learning into practice is good. This means that staff know what action to take if they have any worries or concerns about the safety of a young person. The positive relationships between staff and young people help staff to manage the behaviour of young people effectively. Good communication enables staff to understand when young people are frustrated or anxious. Staff take proactive steps to prevent situations deteriorating. This means that staff rarely have to use formal methods of behaviour management such as sanctions. The use of physical intervention is also rare.

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

When physical intervention has taken place, it has been proportionate and necessary to keep young people and staff safe. All staff have received training in physical intervention. Staff understand the individual vulnerabilities of young people. All young people have risk assessments. These assessments are based on information from social workers, schools, and families. The analysis of this information helps staff to understand the risks to each young person and take effective action to keep them safe. Risk assessments are regularly reviewed and any amendments communicated to staff. Staff understand what is in each young person’s risk assessment and so work in a manner that keeps the young person safe. The manager has not ensured rigorous practice in accounting for gaps in previous employment when recruiting new staff. This has the potential to expose young people to risk from those caring for them. The manager and senior staff make certain that the environment remains safe for young

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

people. For example, some young people require individualised sleep systems that prevent them coming to harm during the night. These systems replicate those used at the family home. Staff work effectively with parents and occupational therapists to make Inspection report children’s home: SC032069 5 certain that young people are both comfortable and safe. The manager ensures that staff receive specialist training from nurses to meet more complex health needs. The manager makes sure that all health and safety procedures are followed and completes risk assessments on all areas of the building. The staff undertake, and include young people in, regular fire evacuation drills. This ensures that young people can be evacuated safely in an emergency.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A committed, knowledgeable, and experienced registered manager leads the service. The registered manager is updating her qualification by completing the diploma level 5 award. A highly competent deputy manager and senior care staff support the manager. They work together well to provide effective leadership to this valued service. Staff try to make sure that the rooms used by young people contain some of their favourite things. Managers are good at identifying ways to enhance young people’s experiences during their short breaks. For example, some young people particularly enjoy a Jacuzzi bath with relaxed lighting. Staff will make certain that they have this facility and make this enjoyable and fun. The garden area is particularly good. The service has benefited from volunteers who have created a lovely outdoor space for young people. Management oversight is good. The manager makes good use of the insightful reports

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

produced by the independent visitor. The manager’s own systems for monitoring the strengths and weaknesses in the service are effective. These help her to maintain continuous improvement. Staff are nurturing and work to a model of care that focuses on young people’s strengths. The environment and atmosphere in this service is a happy one, with a lot of laughter and positivity. This comes from a stable staff team, and staff report that they feel very well supported by managers. Staff receive regular professional supervision and oversight of their work, which they appreciate. This helps them to maintain high standards of care. Regular staff appraisals help to identify further training and developmental opportunities. This strengthens the knowledge, skill, and proficiency of the staff team. Effective handover and team meetings contribute to very clear communication between staff. These meetings focus primarily on the care needs of young people. Good shift

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

planning guides staff practice. However, this is not restrictive or stifling and allows enough flexibility to meet young people’s changing needs.

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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 Inspection report children’s home: SC032069 6 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: SC032069 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 25 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7AA

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Inspector

Phillip Morris, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC032069 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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