Children's Home run by Carlisle Mencap Ltd in Cumbria

Inspection report children’s home: 1247386 1 Registered provider: Carlisle Mencap Ltd Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is registered by a charitable organisation to provide care and accommodation under short-break arrangements for six children. The home is registered for children who have learning disabilities and/or physical disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged good at the last full inspection. At the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has sustained effectiveness.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people enjoy their short-break stay in the home. Young people have developed trusting relationships with staff and established friendships with their peers. Young people are consulted in respect of whom they would like to share their short break with, and their views are taken into account when managers plan and match young people’s stays. Young people also have the opportunities to say what food and activities they would like to try, and their stay is organised in line with their wishes.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home provides a welcoming and safe environment for young people. Staff have spent a full team day improving the exterior of the home. They have cleared moss, raked leaves, painted and tidied. The sensory garden still needs to be tidied, but overall the external appearance of the home has improved and looks more attractive and welcoming. Inspection report children’s home: 1247386 2 Developments have also been made to the interior of the home. A new achievement board celebrates the young people taking small steps to achieve their targets which are set out in their residential action plan. An emotions picture board has also been introduced. This is to enable the young people who have limited verbal communication to express to staff how they feel.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people benefit from a stable and committed staff team. Staff report that they have good team morale and are happy to work in the home. There are currently some staff vacancies, which the provider has found difficult to fill. Staff cover additional shifts to ensure that young people’s stays in the home are not limited or cancelled. Staff who were identified as not having the appropriate qualification at the previous inspection have either achieved it or are very close to achieving it now. The staff vacancies have meant that on several occasions managers have spent time on shift supporting young people. This has resulted in some management tasks not being prioritised, for example staff supervision has not taken place on a regular basis. Although staff do not feel unsupported, supervision is key to staff support and development. Therefore, a requirement is made.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Observations of young people with staff evidence a high level of attention, warmth and affection. One young person was observed to be very happy to arrive at the home from school. Staff gave him a choice of spending time in the sensory room, soft play area or television lounge. The staff asked questions about his day and consoled and then skilfully distracted him when he said he missed his mum.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

A variety of activities are available for young people, which offer an enjoyable experience as well as developing physical and social skills. Over the summer, young people were able to go on days out to places such as the Chill Factor, Blackpool and enjoy a steam train ride in the Lake District. This provides young people with opportunities to try new things as well as giving them happy memories.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Targets are identified within young people’s plans. The records are updated, and identify the progress young people make towards their target. Target setting is realistic to young people’s abilities. For example, one young person had targets for eating finger foods and using a spoon.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Risks for young people are understood and acted on, ensuring that young people are safe during their stay in the home. Each young person has an individual risk assessment and positive behaviour support plan. These identify known risks and provide information about reducing and de-escalating risks. There is also a display board for young people with information about keeping safe. This contains a wealth of information in a variety of areas, for example online safety, road safety and how to safely run a bath. When young people require one-to-one supervision to manage very specific risks, such as preventing them from placing objects in their mouths, there is a system whereby the member of staff responsible for observing and supporting the young person is clearly identified. This ensures that staff are accountable and understand that they are responsible for risk reduction for that individual. Inspection report children’s home: 1247386 3

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Incidents requiring restrictive physical intervention are rare, and none has occurred since the previous inspection in June 2017. The home has a bound and numbered book providing information about recording incidents of restraint, which all staff have read. The record covers all the required areas. There are two identified teachers within the staff team for Team Teach, which is the provider’s model of restraint. Staff have recently had refresher training, and the provider has introduced a more detailed form for recording any incidents alongside their bound book.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Many young people have a wide variety of health needs. Records for the administration of medication are clear, and staff spoken to were confident about the process for administering medication. There have been no errors in the administration of medication, which is key to keeping young people who have complex medication regimes safe.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home does not have a workforce development plan. There is a team plan in place but this does not cover management and staffing structure, processes and timescales for induction, management of poor practice and timescales and records of supervision. A recommendation is made because not all this information is available within other records within the home.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager has completed a review of premises under Regulation 46. He has sent a letter out to the local constabulary asking for crime statistics or any valid information in relation to the local area. The registered manager also made contact with the local constabulary regarding child sexual exploitation, going missing from home and improving the risk management of young people placed who have connections to gangs. Although these issues do not currently affect any of the young people placed, this is a proactive strategy to minimise risk.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager has been in post for several years and knows the home’s strengths and weaknesses. He identifies the current weakness as being the staff vacancies, and is making efforts to address this. He uses monthly internal audits for his own monitoring, and values the advice and guidance provided by external monitoring.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home recently held a celebration day for its 15th anniversary. Parents, staff and young people attended a fun day, which was a great success. Parents are consulted and involved in many ways. The home holds a monthly drop-in session for parents to meet staff, express their views on the service and meet other parents. Parents regularly give extremely positive feedback about the service.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

18/07/2017 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: 1247386 4

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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 ensure that all employees receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33(4)(b)) 01/04/2018

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Recommendations

 The registered person should have a workforce plan which can fulfil the workforce-related requirements of regulation 16, schedule 1 (paragraphs 19 and 20). The plan should: detail the necessary management and staffing structure (including any staff commissioned to provide health and education), the experience and qualifications of staff currently working within the staffing structure and any further training required for those staff , to enable the delivery of the home’s statement of purpose; detail the processes and agreed timescales for staff to achieve induction, probation and any core training (such as safeguarding and health and safety, and mandatory qualifications); detail the process for managing and improving poor performance; detail the process and timescales for supervision of practice (see regulation 33 (4) (b)) and keep appropriate records for staff in the home. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page

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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

This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection. Inspection report children’s home: 1247386 5 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’.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Carlisle Mencap Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Carlisle Mencap Ltd, Unit J3, Duchess Avenue, Kingmoor Park North, Carlisle CA6 4SN

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Inspector

Charlie Bamber, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1247386 6 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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