Children's home run by Milton Keynes City Council

Inspection report children’s home: SC463692 1 SC463692 Registered provider: Milton Keynes 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

The children’s home is registered to accommodate eight children and young people who have a learning disability and/or physical disability, with associated sensory impairment. The service is delivered and managed by the local council.

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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

Date of last inspection: 2 February 2017

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Key findings from this inspection

 Good progress is made by the young people who have complex medical needs.  The young people develop positive trusting relationships with a staff team that supports their needs well.  The staff are consistent in their approach and committed to providing the young Inspection report children’s home: SC463692 2 people with good experiences and bespoke care.  The young people make great strides in their physical health.  Parents are confident in their children’s care, due to the staff keeping them informed and interacting positively with them.  The young people are kept safe at all times.  There is a good manager in place who is well known to the young people prior to their admittance.

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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 individual appointed to the role of responsible individual has yet to formally inform Ofsted of this role change.  The locality risk assessment needs to be updated to reflect the current services and risk associated with the area.  All records maintained on the young people should be correctly signed and dated.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

02/02/2017 Full Good 15/07/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 22/03/2016 Full Good 08/09/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC463692 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

An organisation may only carry on a home if the organisation has notified HMCI of the name, address and position in the organisation of the responsible individual. (Regulation 26 (4)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, inform Ofsted of the change in responsible individual. 01 May 2018

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Recommendations

 Under regulation 46, the registered person should review the appropriateness and suitability of the location and premises at least once a year. The review should include the identification of any risks and opportunities presented by the home’s location and strategies for managing these. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.1)

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Recommendations

 Staff should be familiar with the home’s polices on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective, clear recording. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young people, who have complex medical needs, make good progress under the guidance of the dedicated staff team. The young people are happy and well cared for; during the inspection, they were observed to routinely reach out to the staff for emotional warmth. This support has enabled them to achieve in ways that are acknowledged and celebrated.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The views of the young people are communicated non-verbally but, nevertheless, are well understood in the home. The staff are in tune with the specific sounds or gestures Inspection report children’s home: SC463692 4 that the young people make and what they mean in relation to their needs and wants. The young people are taught to expand on their ways of communicating, for example by encouraging their use of the picture exchange communication system.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff have a calm and nurturing approach with a clear understanding of the young people’s needs and personalities that is consistently implemented across the team. The young people have therefore made improvements in their ability to communicate, in their physical abilities, and in developing social skills and self-confidence. There are structures in place that allow them to participate in daily routines, which is a key component in their development.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people settle quickly when admitted to the home. The process for admission involves proactive planning meetings and pre-placement visits scheduled in advance. The last young person admitted to the home was engaging with the staff and peers.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young people happily attend and engage in education. Each morning, the staff ensure that the young people are fed and ready to be transported to school. The staff maintain communication with teachers by school diaries, emails and attendance at meetings. Education professionals view the home’s staff as professional with good working relationships on behalf of the young people.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All young people presented as neat and tidy in their appearance. They enjoy good and improving health, while areas of concern identified in their health assessments are carefully managed. A notable achievement involves a young person no longer relying on a wheelchair to be mobile while making progress towards walking independently. The staff have created opportunities for the young person to gain confidence in his efforts by practising the exercises learned in physical therapy.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff consistently meet the emotional needs of the young people. The staff routinely refer and consult with the local child and adolescent mental health services regarding young people. The young people are able to improve their emotional well-being, as staff implement the professional advice of health professionals in their practice. The young people have their medication safely administered and reviewed regularly.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff have developed good working relationships with parents. The young people benefit from the shared understanding of their care arrangements. The staff welcome parents into the home and build relationships with external professionals that provide additional consistency for the young people. The parents are kept well informed, and contact arrangements with them are supported by the staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

A wide range of activities are available for the young people to engage in. All activities provide the young people with an appropriate amount of stimulation. The young people go on outings with the staff in the community, such as shopping, bowling, riding scooters, independent play or just watching high-speed trains pass by. The activities help the young people to develop confidence while interacting in an open and friendly manner. Inspection report children’s home: SC463692 5

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

Safeguarding of the children and young people is a strength of the staff. They are up to date in their knowledge of safeguarding, specifically child sexual exploitation, which was a requirement from the last inspection. The young people do not go missing, nor have there been any referrals made to the local authority designated officer that needed consultation.

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

Risk assessments are comprehensive. The documents offer guidance for staff in relation to the risk associated with the young people. The documents take into consideration the behaviours associated with the complex medical needs of the young people.

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

The staff use their established relationships with the young people to keep them safe while providing direct, hands-on care. One-to-one staffing levels enable the young people to be closely monitored while exploring new behaviours and actions without restrictions or being exposed to harm.

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

Physical interventions are a rare occurrence. There have been only three physical interventions on record involving staff intervening to assist when young people are a risk to themselves or others. These incidents involved the staff utilising their behaviour management training by safely deterring young people from engaging in activities that could be harmful. The manager monitors each event for quality assurance and learning for the staff.

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

The physical environment of the home is maintained well, with all health and safety checks up to date. Specialised equipment, such as hoists, are tested annually. The staff undertake random fire drills referencing the individual guidance for the young people detailing how to evacuate them safely from the building in case of fire.

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

The location risk assessment does not adequately capture the local area and potential impact on the young people. The document is too brief and does not provide details of the services in the area such as schools and general practitioner surgeries or any statistical data.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has managed the home, and a short-breaks service attached to the authority, for several years. The dual management roles allow her to become very familiar with the young people who are admitted to the home. The manager has started the process of sharing her daily responsibilities with the deputy managers, which is increasing their management overview of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A new responsible individual has been appointed by local authority, however Ofsted has not been formally informed of this change.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The managers are actively involved in the care of the young people. They work directly with them and monitor their progress directly. The managers challenge the local Inspection report children’s home: SC463692 6 authority when a young person displays behaviours that are hard to manage. The manager rarely recommends that a placement is ended, with the impact on the other young people and staff being the deciding factor.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff are competent in their practice. They have all obtained the necessary level 3 qualification required for their roles. They are committed to the young people and work well together. The staff feel that regular supervision, training, team meetings and the therapeutic input, supports their ability to look after the young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Several key documents, such as daily logs reviewed on inspection, were difficult to understand due to staff handwriting being difficult to read. Documentation continues to be an area for improvement dating back to the previous inspection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The external and internal monitoring of the home is sound. The monthly reports submitted following the independent person’s visits provide a critical analysis from an unbiased perspective to managers. The managers address all areas identified and evaluate the care provided to the young people in terms of strengths and areas for improvement in annual reporting.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The children’s home is operating in line with its statement of purpose in relation to the services and care provided to the young people. The manager is currently developing a way of presenting information about the home and the experiences of young people in a digital format to accompany the statement of purpose.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Good-quality relationships with professionals have been formed by the staff. Professionals hold the staff in high regard and raise no concerns about the care provided to the young people.

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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: SC463692 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Milton Keynes Council, Saxon Court, 502 Avebury Boulevard, Milton Keynes MK9 3HS

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Children’s home details

Registered manager: Nicola Davis Elizabeth Roberts

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Inspector

James Harmon, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC463692 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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