Children's Home run by Praxis Care in Leicestershire

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

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This service provides short breaks in homely, adapted accommodation, for children who have learning disabilities. Some children also have associated physical disabilities.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

Good

How well children and young people are helped and protected Good

p.1

Good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers Good

p.1

Good

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

p.1

Good

Date of last inspection: 17 October 2017

p.1

Good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Good

p.1

Good

Enforcement action since last inspection: None

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

17/10/2017 Full Good 16/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 21/06/2016 Full Good 10/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC032069 2

p.1

Recommendations

 Any agency staff should meet the requirements in regulation 32(4) regarding mandatory qualifications and the registered person should consider their skills, qualifications and any induction necessary before they commence work in the home. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.16)

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy their stays in this home. Staff ensure that they know each child’s likes and dislikes, particularly their preferred method of communication and their identity and cultural needs. Good communication, with staff using a range of skills and methods, helps children to build positive relationships with staff and peers. The inspector observed nurturing care and children responding positively to the humour and enthusiasm of skilled staff. Staff visit children at home and in school and liaise with families, health staff and education staff, to ensure that there are consistent responses to children’s needs. Joined-up approaches between professionals and carers help children make progress in meeting their targets. Staff also support children well to move on. This means that children experience positive stays and constructive transitions. Managers give careful consideration to matching the needs and preferences of children

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

who stay together for their breaks. Staff continue to assess peer interaction and friendships during children’s stays. There are detailed records about each child’s health needs, including information about the impact on behaviours of some health needs. Parents send information about any changes, including changes to medication. Professionals and parents report that they trust staff to meet children’s complex health and behaviour needs. Children benefit from positive routines in a homely, safe environment which is adapted to meet children’s needs. Staff support them with the development of life skills and independence skills. Children have made progress in personal care, cooking, shopping, gardening and making choices, for example about activities and interests. Children develop their self-esteem and confidence. A social care manager reported: ‘This home always has fantastic feedback from children, parents and professionals. Parents initially express anxieties due to their child’s

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

vulnerability. However, these quickly reduce. There is always good, timely communication with parents and social workers. If there are any issues, they are dealt Inspection report children’s home: SC032069 3 with promptly.’

p.2

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

Children benefit from continuity of staffing, with limited use of agency and relief staff. One social worker said: ‘Whenever I visit, I meet the same staff. I am reassured that there is not a succession of different staff. The staff understand the safeguarding needs of disabled children. I have never had any concerns about the knowledge and care skills of the staff.’ All staff have had safeguarding training. Team leaders have access to advanced safeguarding training. Staff supervision and team meetings provide regular updates of child protection information. Children have helpful, individual behaviour management plans and robust risk assessments. These help in managing risks for some children associated with complex health conditions such as epilepsy and complex behaviours, for example self-injurious behaviours. All staff benefit from behaviour management training. Staff seek and share advice and information to understand and problem solve new behaviours. Positive behaviours are

p.3

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

promoted and reinforced. There has been one incident of physical intervention to keep a child safe since the last inspection. There are safe staffing levels based on children’s needs. Monitoring systems include ensuring that a safe environment is maintained for children. There are very few incidents involving children that require referrals to social workers and reports to families. Detailed incident reports are maintained, reviewed and evaluated by the manager. They are also reviewed by the independent visitor. This means that any learning from incidents, emerging themes and good practice is identified.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are positive about the leadership and management of the home. The registered manager has been promoted within the organisation and will be cancelling her registration. A new home manager has been appointed, who is undertaking a thorough induction. She has relevant qualifications and experience and is in the process of applying to become the registered manager. There has been slow progress in recruiting to a small number of vacancies, but the managers are persevering and generally use staff from the home or familiar relief staff to cover any gaps. There were some gaps in information held about one member of agency staff who was no longer working in the home. The rotas showed that this member of staff was always on duty with permanent staff. A recommendation is made to ensure that there is always relevant information held in the home to demonstrate skills, experience and induction processes for agency staff.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Inspection report children’s home: SC032069 4 The staff group is well qualified and experienced and most staff have worked in the home for a number of years. Staff receive a good range of training, including training to meet the specific needs of children staying for short breaks. The managers have an excellent record of collaborative working. Monthly meetings take place between social care, the community nursing team and the manager of the home. They discuss referrals to the service and any concerns or progress in respect of individual children. This means that any concerns are proactively identified and resolved. There are monitoring and quality assurance processes in place that inform action and development plans. The manager has a good understanding of the strengths of the service. Managers are addressing areas for development, such as ensuring that the review of quality of care and the independent visitor reports are robust and challenging

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

and that they capture progress made since the last review or visit.

p.4

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.

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’. Inspection report children’s home: SC032069 5

p.4

Children’s home details

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

p.5

Inspector

Cathey Moriarty, social care regulatory inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC032069 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.

p.5

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.6

Inspector

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

p.6

Inspector

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

p.6