Inspection report for children's home. Unique reference number. Type of Inspection

Transcription

1 Inspection report for children's home Unique reference number Inspection date Inspector Type of Inspection SC March 2010 Caroline Brailsford Random Date of last inspection 12 October 2009

2 . Crown copyright 2010 Website: This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated. You can obtain copies of The Children Act 2004, Every Child Matters and The National Minimum Standards for Children's Services from: The Stationery Office (TSO) PO Box 29, St Cripins, Duke Street, Norwich, NR3 1GN. Tel: Online ordering:

3 3 of 6 About this inspection The purpose of this inspection is to assure children and young people, parents, the public, local authorities and government of the quality and standard of the service provided. The inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act This report details the main strengths and any areas for improvement identified during the inspection. The judgements included in the report are made in relation to the outcome for children set out in the Children Act 2004 and relevant National Minimum Standards for the establishment. The inspection judgements and what they mean Outstanding: Good: Satisfactory: Inadequate: this aspect of the provision is of exceptionally high quality this aspect of the provision is strong this aspect of the provision is sound this aspect of the provision is not good enough

4 4 of 6 Service information Brief description of the service The home provides care for children aged between 7 and 16 years old and is registered for a maximum of six children. The home is situated close to local amenities including schools, parks and public transport. It provides medium- to long-term accommodation for children with emotional or behavioural difficulties. The home offers large attractive grounds for children to play and is fully accessible to all the children who are resident. All bedrooms are single and these are located on the first floor. There is an adjoining flat which includes the manager's office, staff sleeping quarters and a meeting and education room. The house is located near to the city and close to a wide range of local amenities and bus routes. Summary This inspection was an unannounced interim inspection. The main focus of the inspection was to inspect all the key national minimum standards in the outcome area staying safe. Also progress on actions and recommendations from the last inspection were checked. As not all the key standards were inspected from other areas, the overall judgement from the last inspection of good will be carried over to this inspection. The judgement rating for staying safe in this inspection is good. Strengths of the home include the well established staff team. They know the young people very well. They work together as a team to ensure that consistent good quality care is delivered. As a result, the young people make good progress, particularly in their behaviour. Also all elements of care are well monitored by the Registered Manager. He has ensured that the three actions and two recommendations set at the last inspection have been addressed in a timely way. The overall quality rating is good. This is an overview of what the inspector found during the inspection. Improvements since the last inspection The three actions set at the last inspection have been met. There has been improvements to the locks on the doors where each of the locks have been replaced with new locks. The kitchen has been completely refitted with new flooring also. It now presents as a very pleasant and clean room. Health planning has been developed and where young people have existing medical conditions, the information about how these impact on the young people has been improved in their health plans. The two recommendations set at the last inspection have also been met, with progress made with regard to the detail in risk assessments, particularly in relation to the risks to young people should they go missing. Also the three yearly check on the electricity in the home has been undertaken improving the safety of all who use the building. Helping children to be healthy

5 5 of 6 Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe The provision is good. Young people enjoy privacy in the home and they are issued with room keys for their bedrooms. Where high staff ratios are needed, this is managed sensitively and continues to protect privacy and dignity. Young people's views, wishes and complaints are actively encouraged, listened to and acted upon by staff. The welcome pack clearly sets out who young people can complain to. Young people also have access to a telephone at all times and the numbers for Ofsted and other useful numbers are clearly displayed. The way the complaints procedure is organised helps to maximise the young people's understanding of the process. In turn, this protects individuals and ensures that all young people have a voice. Staff and young people also have plenty of quality time together. This means that issues that come up on a day-to-day basis can be addressed as soon as possible. Young people are protected from bullying as the staffing levels are high. Also staff present a clear commitment to promoting behaviour that is respectful. Young people enjoy sound and good quality relationships with staff. This is because staff have time to spend with them to get to know them well. The staff see young people in a positive light and try to understand the reasons for behaviours so that support can be given prior to an incident escalating. Where sanctions or physical intervention is used, this is well recorded providing a clear description of the event. There is good management oversight of behaviour management and patterns and trends are well considered. There are good systems in place for if young people go missing. Very detailed risk assessments document what steps staff should take to prevent and deal with this. Staff are, therefore, very familiar with what should be done and ensure that young people are as safe as possible. This has helped young people to make progress in this area. Staff are very clear about what risks young people present and about their vulnerability, both in the home and in the community. Risks are clearly identified and well managed, using robust processes which help to ensure the safety of young people. Staff are well trained and fully conversant with safeguarding procedures and have developed and maintain good links with placing authorities. This ensures that all safeguarding information is passed on, and protects and promotes the safety and welfare of young people. Staff and young people know what to do should there be a fire as they have practised the fire drill. Checks on the fire system and equipment are well organised and regular. The building is well maintained and appears to be safe. The safety of gas, electric, and portable appliances is regularly checked and up to date. Risk assessments are comprehensive and are regularly reviewed. As a result, risks are well identified and there are clear actions that staff should take, therefore, minimising them as far as possible. The recruitment system in the home continues to include Criminal Records Bureau checks at enhanced level and references prior to employment. Where there are contractors working in the house, the manager draws up a contract with them and ensures that they are fully supervised by staff. These practices continue to maintain good levels of safety for young people.

6 6 of 6 Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do Helping children make a positive contribution Achieving economic wellbeing Organisation The organisation is not judged. What must be done to secure future improvement? Statutory requirements This section sets out the actions, which must be taken so that the registered person meets the Care Standards Act 2000, The Childrens Homes Regulations 2001 and the National Minimum Standards. The Registered Provider must comply with the given timescales. Standard Action Due date Recommendations There are no recommendations.