Children's home run by Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust in North Northamptonshire

Inspection report children’s home: SC465279 1 SC465279 Registered provider: Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

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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 home is registered with Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission to provide short- term breaks for children and young people. Children and young people who are eligible to use the service have a moderate or severe learning disability. Some children and young people may also have autistic spectrum disorder.

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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: 11 January 2017

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: improved effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC465279 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/01/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 31/08/2016 Full Good 09/02/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 13/10/2015 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC465279 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

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety. The registered person may only— employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home, if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

The requirements are that— the individual is of integrity and good character;

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform;

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Requirement Due date

the individual is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of the work that the individual is to perform; and

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1)(2)(a)(b)(3)(a)(b)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This is with reference to the recruitment of bank staff. 04/12/2018

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes— a description of the measure and its duration. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(iv) 04/12/2018 Inspection report children’s home: SC465279 4

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people receive good-quality childcare from staff who know them well. Young people enjoy their short breaks. Staff make sure that no young person’s disability gets in the way of them experiencing a broad range of new and exciting activities. Activities have included zip wires, cinema trips and eating out. There are very positive relationships between staff and young people, and the home is a fun place to be. Young people have a good time with their friends and with staff. Parents and placing authorities speak very positively about the setting and it is clear that each young person directly benefits from using the service.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help young people to reduce their anxiety. They create bespoke resources, such as social stories and schedules, for young people. This means that young people are very clear about what is happening at any given time and what to expect. Young people’s anxiety and stress often reduce, enabling them to enjoy other aspects of their lives.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are creative in making sure that young people are empowered to make their own choices and decisions. Staff actively seek their wishes and feelings. Action is taken accordingly, whether it be a choice of a meal, for example, or how staff respond to a young person feeling homesick.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There is good consideration of each new young person’s needs. The admissions procedure is carefully planned to make sure that it goes at the young person’s own pace. This supports young people to make sense of what is happening to them. The admission process goes smoothly because young people are at the centre of the planning.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Excellent support is given to young people to prepare them for moving on to adult services. This work is creative, and staff ensure that young people have their say. Staff work ‘over and above’ to make sure that young people get what they need and deserve before they move on. Each young person leaves with photographs and messages from staff. This enables young people who are leaving the service to reflect on the fun they had while they stayed.

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

There is a good safeguarding culture in the home. Staff ensure that young people are safe and protected. They regularly review young people’s safety, and staff and young people talk openly about any concerns they have. Relevant information is shared with social workers and other professionals, as well as parents. Any concerns, however small, are shared in detail so that a full picture can be built up about young people’s safety. Staff know that the young people are very vulnerable because of their disabilities.

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

Staff supervise young people very well. They always know their whereabouts. Staff follow high-quality risk assessments, both when young people are in the home and when Inspection report children’s home: SC465279 5 they are out in the community.

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

Young people’s behaviour is managed well by staff. Each incident is documented so that managers can oversee practice effectively. Staff are expected to reflect on their own actions and performance after incidents have occurred. Staff regularly come up with new ideas about how they can help young people with their more complex behaviour.

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

There have been five very low-level physical interventions since the last inspection. Physical intervention is only used to protect a person’s safety. Staff use more positive methods of de-escalation whenever they can. The records do not always explain fully how the young person was held. It can be hard to find this information in the record. It would be difficult to establish this information, should any investigation be needed.

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

The recruitment procedure for permanent staff is well managed. For one recently appointed member of bank staff, there has not been the same amount of attention to detail. The manager has trusted another department to undertake checks and make decisions. She has not seen the information herself. There has been no risk to children. However, there is the potential for unsuitable people to be able to work with children if this is not put right.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a good leadership team. Leaders know the young people very well. They always make sure that young people are at the centre of the decisions they make. The future of the home is uncertain, but leaders have continued to successfully motivate and support staff to maintain morale. Young people have not been affected. This is testament to the commitment of all who work at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are well supported, and they have regular meetings with their manager. Staff regularly discuss their practice and they have their performance appraised.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are generally well trained and have the skills they need to care for the young people. There is the potential for staff training to slip because the dates of training are not always clear for monitoring purposes. However, despite some difficulties, the manager was able to demonstrate that training was appropriate. There is always a first aider on duty. There is a need for more extensive training to ensure that staff know what to do if a young person or member of staff has an accident or health emergency. The manager was happy to reflect on this and has already started to organise further training.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and her leadership team have a very good understanding of what the home does well and what the development points are. They are directly involved in the delivery of care and regularly work with the young people themselves. They are in a good position to be able to observe care and to make changes when needed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The organisation ensures that an independent person visits the home monthly to Inspection report children’s home: SC465279 6 evaluate the quality of care. This person does not always capture young people’s views. This is a challenge because the young people have complex and differing methods of communication. The organisation is already working towards improving these visits so that young people can have their say.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The two requirements and one recommendation made at the last inspection have been met. There are improvements to safeguarding procedures and the manager makes sure that relevant authorities are made aware of significant incidents. In addition, all staff, including the manager, participate in supervision meetings with their line manager.

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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: SC465279 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Sudborough House, St. Mary’s Hospital, 77 London Road, Kettering, Northamptonshire NN15 7PW

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Inspector:

Caroline Brailsford, social care regulatory inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC465279 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.

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Inspector:

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Inspector:

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Inspector:

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

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