Children's Home run by Carlisle Mencap Ltd in Cumberland

Inspection report children’s home: SC446003 1 SC446003 Registered provider: Carlisle Mencap Ltd

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home is owned by a registered charitable organisation. It provides short breaks for up to four children and young people who have physical and learning disabilities. All placements are made under short-break arrangements.

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: 3 November 2017

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC446003 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

03/11/2017 Full Good 23/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 13/12/2016 Full Good 11/03/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC446003 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— keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (3)(a)(b)) 30/09/2018

p.3

Requirement Due date

After consultation with the fire and rescue authority, the registered person must— ensure, by means of fire drills and practices at suitable intervals, that persons working at the home and, so far as reasonably practicable, children are aware of the procedure to be followed in case of a fire. (Regulation 25(1)(d))

p.3

Requirement Due date

In particular, make sure that a fire drill takes place following the admission of a child to the home and, in addition, make sure that visitors working at the home are aware of the arrangements should the fire alarm sound. 30/09/2018

p.3

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that a record is made of any complaint, the action taken in response, and the outcome of any investigation. (Regulation 39(3)) 30/09/2018

p.3

Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (‘a quality of care review’) at least once every 6 months.

p.3

Requirement Due date

After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review (‘the quality of care review report’).

p.3

Requirement Due date

supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed. (Regulation 45 (1)(3)(4)(a)) 30/09/2018 Inspection report children’s home: SC446003 4

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children and young people look forward to coming to the home for short-break visits. Parents are satisfied that they are always kept safe and well cared for. Staff treat children and young people with sensitivity and patience, making them feel safe and happy. One parent commented, ‘Her face lights up when she comes here.’

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home and outside play areas are fully accessible to children and young people who have a range of complex health needs and physical disabilities. Further development of the garden provides good areas for sensory play and learning. This builds confidence as well as providing fun and enjoyment.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

During their visits, children and young people enjoy the range of activities and outings the home can offer. For some young people, this includes shopping trips that act as a learning experience to promote their independence. The home is spacious, with dedicated soft play, craft and sensory areas that are important to stimulate and develop their play and learning.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s needs are well understood by staff. Short-break plans provide staff with comprehensive detail about children’s needs, preferences and the level of care that will be required during their stay. Children are treated with respect and their dignity is promoted.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s and young people’s communication abilities differ. For those who have limited or no verbal communication, staff are familiar with their preferred alternative communication methods, including sign and picture exchange. This lessens children’s and young people’s frustrations and anxieties.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s and young people’s inclusion in their community is recognised as a fundamental right. Some children and young people benefit from being able to socialise with peers that they know from school. Others particularly enjoy being able to take part in activities in the community that may be difficult without the additional support of staff. There is a consensus among parents that the short breaks increasingly add to the quality of life that the children and young people experience.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Parents and professionals have considerable regard for the staff team and expressed confidence in their abilities. One parent said, ‘My daughter sometimes has bad seizures. I have no concerns though. Staff know what to do. They are wonderful.’ Another parent commented, ‘Staff are very caring and patient with her. She loves coming to stay here.’ Inspection report children’s home: SC446003 5

p.4

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

Children’s and young people’s safety is of paramount importance to staff. The home provides a safe environment for children and young people. Children’s and young people’s individual assessments are thorough and comprehensive. These provide clear instruction and guidance for staff to follow to make sure that children and young people remain safe in the home and while out in the community.

p.5

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

The home’s ethos is to ensure that children and young people have fun during their short-break visits and the ability to participate in activities that promote their inclusion in the community. Staff do not use disciplinary measures, such as sanction or restraint practice. Any physical, moving and handling management required is clearly detailed as part of the child’s or young person’s short-break plan.

p.5

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

All activities are individually risk assessed, taking good account of their abilities and understanding. Most children and young people have limited understanding of risks, such as roads and stranger danger. Consequently, children are always highly supervised when involved in activities in the local community. There have been no incidents of children being missing from this home.

p.5

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

Children and young people have personalised emergency evacuation plans to ensure that staff know exactly what support each child and young person will require in the event of a fire or other emergency. Evacuation drills occur regularly to familiarise and prepare staff, children and young people for such an event.

p.5

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

However, the home does not routinely stage an evacuation drill when a new child or young person is admitted. It was also noted during this inspection that visitors are not routinely advised of the home’s fire safety arrangements. These shortfalls represent a weakness in the current arrangements that could compromise the safety of a visitor or a child or young person unfamiliar with the home

p.5

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

The home has robust arrangements for the storage, handling and administration of medication. Procedures have been further updated and improved since the home’s last inspection. These arrangements effectively minimise the likelihood of error that could compromise a child’s or young person’s safety.

p.5

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

Arrangements for the recruitment and selection of staff follow safe recruitment practice. These measures ensure that children are only cared for by staff who are checked and vetted and deemed suitable to work with vulnerable children, and protected from those adults that may compromise their safety.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and his staff team have a detailed knowledge of the children’s and young people’s complex needs. The development of the core team in recent months has provided greater continuity for the children and young people that use the short-break Inspection report children’s home: SC446003 6 service.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff benefit from a wide range of training opportunities to ensure that they have the skill and knowledge to meet children’s and young people’s unique needs. Parents, in cooperation with community nursing services, assist with some training to ensure that staff are confident and know exactly how to manage those children who have the most complex healthcare needs. Consequently, this close working partnership ensures that children and young people receive high levels of consistency in how their care is provided.

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is operating in accordance with its statement of purpose. However, Ofsted has not been supplied with an updated copy as required. The manager has successfully acted on a requirement made at the last inspection in November 2017 and has improved medication administration procedures and their documentation.

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are effectively supported in their roles. They receive regular supervision and attend scheduled team meetings, which support their professional development. Staff also are required to participate in the organisation’s annual appraisal process. The manager uses these opportunities to continuously assess, enhance and improve staff performance.

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff are enthusiastic and committed to the further development of the service. However, funding for children’s places is currently a constraint to the further expansion of the service that this home offers.

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home appears to receive very few complaints. However, these are not consistently or comprehensively recorded, clarifying what the concern was, how it has been dealt with and what resolution has been reached.

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Internal and external monitoring arrangements are effective and contribute to ongoing development and improvement of the home. Despite the registered manager having completed two quality of care reviews since the last inspection, six-monthly reports have not been received by Ofsted. This does not promote transparency and reduces Ofsted’s ability to monitor the home between inspections.

p.6

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. Inspection report children’s home: SC446003 7 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

p.6

Information about this inspection

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: SC446003 8

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Carlisle Mencap Ltd

p.8

Children’s home details

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

p.8

Inspector

Gillian Walters, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC446003 9 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.8

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.9

Inspector

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

p.9

Inspector

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

p.9