Children's home run by Peterborough City Council

Inspection report children’s home: SC058778 1 SC058778 Registered provider: Peterborough City 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

A local authority runs this home, which provides short breaks and day care for up to five children and long-term care for a further three children. The home provides specialist care for children who have physical disabilities and/or learning disabilities and/or sensory impairments. The manager of the home was registered with Ofsted in March 2007.

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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: SC058778 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/08/2017 Full Good 20/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 01/08/2016 Full Good 29/03/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC058778 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 ensure that all employees–

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development; and

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that all staff have training in de-escalation and physical intervention techniques, and that all staff receive regular professional supervision in line with the home’s policy. 05/04/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if–

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(e)) 15/03/2019

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Requirement Due date

The independent person’s report may recommend actions that the registered person may take in relation to the home and timescales within which the registered person must consider whether or not to take those actions.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must provide a copy of the independent person’s report to HMCI. (Regulation 44 (5)(7)(a)) 15/03/2019

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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. (Regulation 45 (1)) 15/03/2019

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive good-quality care from a consistent and dedicated staff team. The manager and staff work in partnership with families and professionals to meet each child’s individual complex needs. A parent said, ‘I think that it is a brilliant service. I was Inspection report children’s home: SC058778 4 very nervous about her first overnight stay, but it was one of the best decisions that I have ever made. The staff are lovely. They understand her needs and care for her well. She enjoys being out and about and has progressed through having social experiences that I would struggle to provide.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff take time to really understand each child’s likes and dislikes. Social interaction and friendships are greatly encouraged. For example, it was noticed that one of the children particularly enjoyed attending when another child was present. The manager arranged for an independent advocate worker to visit to seek the children’s views. This resulted in the parents and the home working together to ensure that the two children were able to stay on the same night. This attention to detail has enabled a friendship to develop and grow.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All of the children attend education regularly. Many of the children attend the school that is situated next door to the home. The home staff and school staff work in a collaborative manner to provide the best outcomes for the children. Feedback from the school staff during the inspection was very complimentary. The headteacher said, ‘Communication is key, and it is of a very high standard, both written and verbal. Staff are patient, calm and experienced. Nothing is too much for them.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children develop good relationships with staff because of the one-to-one work that staff undertake with them. Nurturing practice with familiar staff results in children feeling safe and relaxed. A parent commented, ‘It is a fantastic home. It’s his second home really. As soon as he walks through the door he makes himself comfortable on his favourite sofa.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Transitions are well planned. The children are given time to familiarise themselves with the staff and other children prior to commencing overnight stays. Parents visit with their children and feel fully involved in the process. Transitioning to adult provisions can be a worrying time for parents. The manager ensures that families are supported through this process. She and the staff team are committed to ensuring that the children experience positive endings.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The one recommendation raised at the last inspection has been met. All of the children now have their own memory box. These boxes contain photographs and tickets of their special moments, to share with their families and to keep as part of their life story. Alongside this, the manager has arranged for staff to capture each child’s progress and experiences on a DVD. Children have a presence at reviews and are enabled to participate in their future care plans.

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

All of the children have a personal emergency evacuation plan. These plans are detailed and give clear guidance for staff to follow in an emergency. At the last inspection, a requirement was set because not all of the children had experienced a mock evacuation from the building. The manager has addressed this, and all of the children have now taken part in a fire drill. This means that they have an awareness of the procedures to follow to remain safe. Inspection report children’s home: SC058778 5 Location and general risk assessments are reviewed and updated regularly. These assessments identify any changes in behaviour that may affect measures required to manage these risks. This information is transferred to each child’s individual behaviour management plans. This continued good practice results in staff being provided with current strategies to manage risks effectively for each child.

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

Many of the children have very complex health needs. Staff receive comprehensive training from health professionals, which enables them to meet these needs well. There have been no medical errors since the last inspection. All parents and professionals spoken with during the inspection have complete confidence in staff’s abilities to care for the children safely and promote their well-being.

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

There have been four notifications of significant incidents to Ofsted since the last inspection. Delays have occurred in the receipt of these notifications. During this inspection, a review of the incidents confirmed that the manager has addressed and resolved all of the incidents effectively. Although the manager has been proactive in her response, a delay in the submission of notifications prevents effective monitoring of the home by Ofsted.

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

Skilled staff intervene to prevent children from hurting themselves and others. Staff monitor children closely and are quick to respond to prevent injury. Incidents are managed and recorded well. However, not all staff have received formal training in physical intervention and behaviour management. The manager is aware of this and is in the process of sourcing appropriate training.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The dedicated, experienced manager has been in post since March 2007. She is suitably qualified. She is well supported by the deputy manager and together they run a good- quality service. Staff spoke highly of the manager. One staff member said, ‘She is a good manager, very supportive. I feel valued.’ Another staff member said, ‘I feel 100% supported by the manager and my colleagues.’ Staff morale is very good, with few staff changes since the last inspection. This ensures that the children receive consistent care from staff who know and understand them well.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff inductions are thorough and detailed. Yearly appraisals help staff to develop their skills further. Staff supervision is of good quality, with discussions in relation to the children, safeguarding, reflective practice, personal development and training needs. However, not all staff are receiving supervision in line with the home’s own policy.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is well staffed and resourced to meet the individual needs of the children. The staff work in partnership with families and social workers to provide good-quality, detailed care plans. The manager’s oversight of the day-to-day running of the home is strong, ensuring that plans and assessments are updated after any event. Families and professionals are notified promptly of any changes to a child’s presentation. A social worker commented, ‘I cannot fault the home. Staff are on the ball. Communication is Inspection report children’s home: SC058778 6 great, always consistent. They recognise that [the child] is very complex and have worked in complete partnership to care for her well.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The independent visitor undertakes monthly visits and promptly provides a detailed report to the manager. The reports contain actions for improvement. The manager works well with the independent visitor and always acts on these recommendations. However, there has been a significant delay in the reports being sent to Ofsted. This reduces the effectiveness of the report as a quality monitoring tool.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Since the last inspection, the manager has undertaken a review of the home. The resulting report is detailed and is a useful tool for the development of the home. However, the manager has fallen behind in undertaking six-monthly reviews of the care provided at the home in a timely manner. This does not ensure that the continuous development of the home is evidenced effectively.

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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: SC058778 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Peterborough City Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Chief Executive, Town Hall, Bridge Street, Peterborough PE1 1PJ

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Wendi Ogle-Welbourn

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Inspector

Lynne Drage, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC058778 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

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