Children's home run by Plus One South West Ltd

Inspection report children’s home: SC386428 1 SC386428 Registered provider: Plus One (South West) Ltd

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is operated by a private company which is based in the south west of England. The home provides care and accommodation for up to three children who may have emotional and behavioural difficulties, and/or learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered by Ofsted for this home on 19 November 2014.

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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: 8 November 2017

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC386428 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/11/2017 Full Good 19/12/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 09/06/2016 Full Good 01/02/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC386428 3

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Recommendations

 Ensure that staff are mindful that children holding their own prescribed medication must only use it for themselves in accordance with the prescription. ‘Managing medicines in care homes’ (National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE), March 2014) is a guideline that applies across both health and social care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 35, paragraphs 7.16 and 7.17 and NICE guidance)

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Recommendations

In particular, ensure that medication for self-administration is managed in line with NICE guidelines, so that staff can monitor its safe use. For each medicine, the registered person must ensure that the medicines administration record shows that:

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Recommendations

 the medicine has been received into the home  the resident is self-administering  whether any monitoring is needed to assess this young person’s ability to self- administer  that the medicine has been taken as prescribed, either by seeing this directly or by asking the young person; and  who has recorded that the medicine has been taken.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young people have made good progress since the last inspection. Both are now settled and have not recently taken risks with their safety.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One young person has been working in a restaurant for several months. This experience has increased her confidence and self-esteem. Another young person, who had been out of school for two years prior to coming to live in this home, has now been enrolled at a nearby school. The registered manager has been instrumental in driving forward this young person’s education plans, after he encountered significant obstacles in obtaining a suitable school place. This was a particularly good piece of work.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff’s direct work to communicate with, and nurture, the young people is excellent. On an almost daily basis, the staff hold important conversations with young people on a wide range of topics. These are a key tool in building and maintaining relationships. These discussions ensure that young people receive the support and advice that they need to help them make positive choices.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The registered manager has responded to the young people’s wish not to have house Inspection report children’s home: SC386428 4 meetings, but he carries out a monthly quality assurance exercise. This includes consulting with the young people, parents and professionals to obtain their views. The written feedback from these surveys is extremely positive.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The well-designed layout of the home is testament to the registered manager’s vision. The staff office has become much more child-friendly. Confidential material is locked away discreetly, allowing young people to make use of an informal seating area so that they can chat to the staff. The home also has a gymnasium, relaxing communal areas and an attractive garden.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young people are at an age when they prefer to identify their own activities and spend time with friends, but they did enjoy a trip to go paint-balling with the staff. They are frequently offered the chance to have fun as part of the home’s weekly routine. Activities are also offered as a reward for positive behaviour, or other achievements.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff drive the young people long distances to help them to keep in touch with family and friends. This means that even those who are placed far from home receive good support to maintain these links.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young people enjoy a healthy diet and generally make sensible food choices. They have access to a well-equipped kitchen, which enables them to help prepare meals if they wish to do so.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young people’s healthcare needs are managed well. One young person has been risk-assessed as safe to administer their own prescription-only medication.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The need to risk-assess young people’s competence to self-administer medicines was the subject of a requirement at the last full inspection. This is now met. However, the staff have not been recording the receipt of one prescription-only medicine into the home and consequently, they have not been able to monitor how it is administered. A recommendation has been made.

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

The home has clear safeguarding procedures. There have been no child protection concerns since the last inspection. The registered manager consults with the designated officer when there is a need to do so.

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

Detailed, regularly updated risk assessments on individual children, the home’s premises and location provide clear strategies to manage risks safely. Health and safety checks in the home are also well managed. All fire safety and other required checks have been carried out in a timely manner, which helps to keep the young people safe.

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

There have been very few incidents in the home. When incidents have taken place, the registered manager reviews the recording and raises any areas for learning with the staff concerned. This helps to improve practice. Inspection report children’s home: SC386428 5 No children and young people have been reported missing since the last inspection.. Good direct work with the young people has ensured that they have learned from previous experience when they went missing and as a result, it has not been repeated.

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

The home manages young people’s behaviour very well. There are clear and consistent boundaries in place. There have been no restraints or consequences since the last inspection. Rewards are used sensibly to encourage young people to behave well.

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

Three files for recently appointed staff were inspected at head office. The files are exceptionally well managed and audited. For example, the human resources professional who manages the files is seeking criminal records information about staff who have worked in other countries, even when that employment was more than five years ago. The company also shows exceptional diligence in obtaining additional references when there is a need to do so. This demonstrates that the company’s attention to detail helps to safeguard children and young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has a qualified and experienced registered manager, who is well supported by a very able deputy and sufficient staff to care for the young people in the home. Staff receive good-quality training to meet the young people’s individual needs. All experienced staff are qualified at level 3. Those interviewed feel well supervised and supported.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager and deputy ensure that staff receive regular supervision and have access to monthly team meetings. These meetings are used to build team relationships and share information to further promote good practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager monitors all aspects of the home to a high standard. He identifies any shortfalls in practice and raises them in a supportive, educative way with the staff concerned. As a result, morale is good, and staff continue to learn and develop. The registered manager’s skilful ability to identify individual team members’ strengths helps to achieve good-quality care and positive outcomes for the young people. He also works hard to bring the staff team together. Some staff who responded to the Ofsted survey said that this unified approach provides consistent and supportive strategies to help them to care for the young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has very good relationships with professionals, who made extremely positive comments about the home and the quality of care. They are particularly impressed with the staff’s nurturing, child-focused practice. Communication with the registered manager is excellent. The registered manager is also appropriately assertive in driving forward agreed plans for the young people. This helps to achieve positive outcomes for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The young people’s records are well recorded and maintained. This means that there is sufficient, updated information to care for the children and young people to a good standard. Inspection report children’s home: SC386428 6 The registered manager has ensured that the two requirements and recommendation from the last full inspection are met. One new recommendation has been made.

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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: SC386428 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Plus One (South West) Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: The Mount, 21 High Street, Wellington, Somerset TA21 8QT

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Inspector

Heather Chaplin, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC386428 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 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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