Children's Home run by Isle of Wight Council in Isle of Wight

Inspection report children’s home: SC395944 1 SC395944 Registered provider: Isle of Wight 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 home is owned and run by the local authority. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to 10 children and young people who have learning disabilities. It provides both short- and long-stay placements.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 14 to 15 November 2018

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC395944 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

15/08/2017 Full Good 09/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 30/11/2016 Full Good 09/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC395944 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 make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home. In particular the registered person must ensure that— a record is kept of the administration of medicines to each child. (Regulation 23 (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that there is consistency in the signing of medicine records. 30/12/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if— the monitoring or surveillance is no more intrusive than necessary, having regard to the child’s need for privacy. (Regulation 24 (1)(d)) 30/01/2019

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Recommendations

 The registered person should have a workforce plan which can fulfil the workforce related requirements of regulation 16, schedule 1 (paragraphs 19 and 20). The plan should: Detail the necessary management and staffing structure, (including any staff commissioned to provide health and education), the experience and qualifications of staff currently working within the staffing structure and any further training required for those staff, to enable the delivery of the home’s statement of purpose Detail the processes and agreed timescales for staff to achieve induction, probation and any core training (such as safeguarding and health and safety and mandatory qualifications) Detail the process for managing and improving poor performance Detail the process and timescales for supervision of practice (see regulation 33 (4) (b)) and keep appropriate records for the staff in the home. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page

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Recommendations

53, paragraph 10.8) Inspection report children’s home: SC395944 4

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to build trusted and secure relationships with the staff who look after them. The staff know the children well, listen to them, invest time in them, protect them and promote their welfare. As a result, the children develop a strong sense of belonging. The improvements that have been made since the last inspection have enhanced children’s experiences. These include an upgrade of the garden, converting an outdoor building to a `Fun Shack’, and an external mud kitchen. One of the dining rooms is now in the style of an American diner that children enjoy eating their meals in. Some communal rooms have been converted to provide areas for games. The registered manager has submitted a plan for further funding to continue with external and internal improvements. This plan includes the purchase of new curtains and flooring and the replacement of old baths, some of which look old and tired. A larger project that is being

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

considered is the total upgrade of the internal courtyard where children will be able to enjoy new sensory play experiences throughout the day. The short-break unit needs extra storage space.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children attend school or another appropriate educational provision. They are learning and making good progress from their starting points. The staff are ambitious for children and support them to attend and do well in their education. Staff liaise well with schools.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children are helped by staff to improve their health and to manage lifelong conditions, some of which are highly complex. Children’s physical and mental health needs are identified. Children have good access to local health services, including specialist medical professionals, when they need them. Excellent working arrangements between the staff and external medical professionals ensure that the children are well cared for by experienced staff who are trained to deliver appropriate health-related tasks. Arrangements for managing medication continue to improve, although in the records viewed by the inspector there were some gaps in recording. The implementation of new systems to improve medication administration recording and auditing systems is under way. This is likely to benefit the children, as the risk of errors decreases.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children, including those who cannot communicate verbally, are supported by staff to actively participate in day-to-day decisions about their lives, as appropriate. Children are sensitively helped to understand where it may not be possible to act on their wishes and where alternative action is taken that is in their best interests. Children have access to, and are actively encouraged to involve, an independent advocate and, where appropriate, an independent visitor.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children, irrespective of any disability they may have, enjoy access to a range of social, educational and recreational opportunities, including activities in the local community. Children can participate in after-school activities, community-based activities, school trips and holidays. The lengths staff go to, to improve the children’s participation, is Inspection report children’s home: SC395944 5 commendable. Innovative and effective systems ensure that all children can participate fully in making choices. This includes children making monthly choices regarding activities, completing regular feedback sheets to share their views and attending regular key-working sessions where children are helped to have a say in their activities and care. The staff work alongside the children and their parents/carers to support the children to enjoy and achieve.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children are treated with dignity and respect. They are not disadvantaged or socially isolated. Their differences are embraced and celebrated, and they are free to express their individuality without fear of judgement. The addition of a diversity notice board and an internet safety board has been carefully thought through and provides appropriate pictorial information for the children that adds to their learning.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff place the well-being of individual children at the centre of their practice, irrespective of the challenges that children may present. All children’s achievements are celebrated and are appropriately rewarded. Children’s day-to-day needs are met, including through children’s routines, privacy and personal space, the provision of nutritious meals, and making sure that mealtimes are enjoyable. The time that children spend with their family, friends and other people who are important to them is carefully assessed and supported. Staff work proactively and positively with parents and social workers to promote meaningful and safe contact and continuity of care, where this is appropriate.

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

The manager, his two deputies and other senior staff all have undertaken training to enable them to lead and manage safeguarding or child protection concerns. Together they form an effective team with good links with local authorities, designated officers and other important safeguarding agencies. The staff who are working in the home are clear about, and follow, procedures for responding to concerns about the safety of children. Any child protection concerns are immediately shared with the placing local authority, and a record of that referral is retained. There is evidence that the staff follow up the outcome of the referral quickly and that appropriate action has been taken to protect children from further harm. When staff are not satisfied with the response, managers take appropriate action. Investigations into allegations or suspicion of harm are shared with the appropriate agencies and are handled fairly, quickly and in accordance with

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

The staff are very aware of each child’s vulnerabilities and provide close support which helps to keep children safe. Children show that they feel safe in the home, through verbal and non-verbal communication. Children receive help and support to manage their behaviour and feelings safely. Staff respond with clear boundaries for what is safe and acceptable, and they seek to understand the triggers for children’s behaviour. Positive behaviour is consistently promoted. Staff use effective de-escalation techniques and creative alternative strategies that are specific to the needs of each child and are planned in consultation with children, where possible. The service benefits from having a qualified member of staff who can provide specialist support, including strategies on managing Inspection report children’s home: SC395944 6 challenging behaviour. The recording format for physical interventions is currently being

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

reviewed. The home uses visual surveillance, and this is well thought through, consented to and managed appropriately. The use of surveillance needs to be continually monitored and reviewed to ensure suitable privacy for the children.

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

Careful recruitment and regular monitoring of staff prevents unsuitable people from being recruited and having the opportunity to harm children or to place them at risk. The relevant authorities and professional bodies are informed of any concerns about inappropriate adults or practices. The staff are clear about their roles and are supported by a stable and strong management structure. Individual job descriptions could not be located in staff recruitment files; however, this was rectified during the inspection. The regularity of staff supervision has been improved, and staff now say that they receive good-quality and regular supervision.

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

The physical environment for children is safe and secure and protects them from harm or the risk of harm. Risk assessments are regularly reviewed and updated.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager of the service is a registered learning disability nurse and has completed his QCF level 5 in leadership and management. The manager has 13 years’ experience supporting adults and children with disabilities.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

In both the short-break service and the residential unit there are effective relationships with parents or carers who feel confident about leaving their child for their stay. Parents and carers understand what the service can offer. Parents feel involved in the running of the service and they are able to raise concerns and complaints. Staff are accessible and keep parents informed about their child’s stay at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is properly staffed and resourced to meet the needs of the children. Staff are suitably vetted and qualified and deliver high-quality services to children and their families. The registered manager has good oversight of staffing. However, he does not have a dedicated workforce development plan to assist current and future staffing arrangements. The culture of the home is characterised by high expectations and aspirations for all children. The ethos and objectives of the home are demonstrated in practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers take steps to ensure that plans for individual children comprehensively identify their needs. The home’s plans take into account the local authority care plan for each child. Leaders and staff work proactively and positively with other agencies and professionals. They seek to build effective working relationships with parents and with social workers from the local authority to secure positive outcomes for children. The staff team works collaboratively to provide consistency and stability. There are clear responsibilities and accountabilities, and the staff team has a sense of shared ownership of its practice. Staff say that they are well led and managed. Inspection report children’s home: SC395944 7 Leaders and managers use learning from practice and feedback to improve the experiences and care of the children including, for example, direct testimony from children, young people, parents, carers, professionals and other stakeholders. Leaders

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

learn from complaints, staff feedback and any serious events. They identify strengths and areas for improvement and implement clear development plans that continually improve the experiences of children. Robust action is taken to address any issues of concern, including concerns or complaints from children. Proper investigations are undertaken. Effective action has been taken to address all the requirements and recommendations from previous inspections.

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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: SC395944 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Isle of Wight Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: County Hall, High Street, Newport, Isle of Wight PO30 1UD

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Inspector

Liz Driver, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC395944 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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