Children's home run by The Norman Laud Association

Interim inspection report children’s home: 1252997 1 Registered provider: The Norman Laud Association Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home provides a short-break service for up to four children and young people who have learning and/or physical disabilities. The home is operated and managed by an independent provider.

p.1

Judgement at last inspection: good

Date of last inspection: 31 October 2017

p.1

Judgement at last inspection: good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

p.1

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.

p.1

and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children and young people at this home continue to receive good support from caring and committed staff. The home provides a safe and comfortable environment for children and young people to enjoy their short breaks. Staff meet children’s and young people’s complex needs well.

p.1

and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children and young people make good progress across all areas of their development. They are able to engage in a wide range of activities and have increased in confidence as a result. Parents of children and young people involved with the service all speak highly of the care provided. One parent told the inspector, ‘For our family [the home] is a lifeline. We have every confidence that our son has a happy, nurturing and fulfilling time whenever he visits.’ Interim inspection report children’s home: 1252997 2 Staff liaise well with teachers at the children’s and young people’s schools, which ensures that there is a consistent approach to learning. Staff attend the different school settings to contribute to review meetings. They also attend education, health and care planning meetings to share relevant information and contribute to discussions about children’s and young people’s progress and future plans.

p.1

and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children’s and young people’s individualised health needs are clearly outlined in tailored healthcare plans. Staff receive appropriate training to enable them to support effectively children and young people with complex health needs. This support includes the safe administration and recording of medication and first aid.

p.2

and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff manage children’s and young people’s behaviour well. They follow behaviour management strategies and receive good training to understand how to respond to potentially challenging situations. Since the home’s last inspection, there have been no reports of children and young people going missing from care, and there have been no physical interventions.

p.2

and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff undertake regular health and safety checks and follow a range of safety procedures to protect children and young people from potential hazards. These include staff and young people participating in fire drills, to ensure that they know what to do in the event of an emergency. In addition, the vetting and recruitment of people working at the home is particularly thorough to make sure that only appropriate adults work there.

p.2

and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home continues to be managed by a suitably qualified manager. Staff are competent and have a good understanding of their responsibilities. Staff have all undertaken mandatory training, and this is updated through refresher training. However, the training records are not kept up to date and so it is difficult for the manager to know when staff are due to undertake particular training. Staff receive monthly supervision. However, the quality of the supervision requires improvement so that staff performance can be measured in greater detail.

p.2

and young people since the most recent full inspection

Partnership working is good. There is effective communication between staff, parents and education services. This results in well-coordinated support to meet children’s and young people’s needs. A parent told the inspector, ‘Communication is very good. They have a diary system that tells me what he has done after each stay, what he has eaten, his mood and any activities they have done. I always email the manager if I have any queries and I always receive prompt replies.’

p.2

and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager has responded positively to the two requirements and one recommendation raised at the last inspection. Better systems are now in place to improve the monitoring of any incidents of physical restraint. Furthermore, children’s and young people’s files are now more organised, making information easier to access. Interim inspection report children’s home: 1252997 3

p.2

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.

p.3

Requirement Due date

The registered person must enable, inspire and lead a culture in relation to the children’s home that helps children aspire to fulfil their potential and promotes their welfare.

p.3

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13910 (2)(h))

p.3

Requirement Due date

Specifically, ensure that training records are kept up to date. 07/03/2018

p.3

Recommendations

 The registered person must have systems in place so that all staff, including the manager, receive supervision of their practice from an appropriately qualified and experienced professional, which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2)

p.3

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 Interim inspection report children’s home: 1252997 4 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.

p.3

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.

p.4

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’.

p.4

Children’s home details

Registered provider: The Norman Laud Association

p.4

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: The Norman Laud Association, Lime Grove House, Emscote Drive, Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, B73 5NE

p.4

Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Elaine Mountford

p.4

Inspector

Dave Carrigan, social care inspector Interim inspection report children’s home: 1252997 5 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

p.4

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, 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 http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.5

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.5

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: http://www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.5