Archived: Barnardo's Include Me 2

People’s experience of using this service: Children and young people who used the service were safe. Their parents raised no concerns. Staff were recruited safely and we saw staff interacting positively with the children and young people we met during the inspection. Risks had been considered. Risks assessment provided guidance about how to support individual risks.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. Consent to care and treatment had been sought. Where required, staff supported the children and young people who used the service with their nutritional needs. We received positive feedback about the knowledge and skills of the staff team.

Children and young people received good care. Their individual needs were considered and decisions about likes and dislikes were reflected in their care records. Care was provided to children and young people afterschool, weekends and during holidays. Where alternative ways of communicating with children and young people was required these were supported by the service. Records contained information about individual needs the children and young people had and how these specific needs were to be best met by the staff team.

All people were happy with the service and knew what to do if they had any concerns. The service sought the views of children, young people and parents. Team meetings took place. Audits and monitoring was taking place. Relevant certificates and the ratings from the last inspection were on display in the service centre.

Rating at last inspection: The service was rated good at the last inspection (Published on 6 December 2016).

Why we inspected: This was a scheduled inspection based on the previous ratings.

Follow up: The service will be re-inspected as per our inspection programme. We will continue to monitor any information we receive about the service. The inspection may be brought forward if any risks are identified.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Barnardo’s Include Me 2 offers short breaks, participation, and domiciliary care to children and young people with disabilities and those who are looked after. Barnardo’s Include Me 2 is regulated by the Care Quality Commission to provide personal care services to children with a physical, sensory or learning disability up to the age of 18 years old in their own home. This element of the care provided is a very small part of the service provided by the staff at Bradbury House and these other aspects of support provided to children are regulated by OFSTED (Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills). At the time of the inspection five children were receiving a domiciliary care service, three of whom were receiving the regulated activity of personal care.

The service had a registered manager in post and they had been registered with the Commission since 8 August 2011. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

Staff demonstrated a good understanding of how to ensure children and young people were safeguarded against abuse and they knew the procedure to follow to report any incidents. Staff knew the whistleblowing procedure and felt confident any concerns would be acted upon.

Risk assessments were in place to ensure the service mitigated risks appropriately. Risks were managed positively to ensure the children and young people were not overly restricted in their everyday lives and were enabled to be as independent as possible.

Staff at the service were trained to use restraint and when used, there was a meeting to determine it had been used correctly and was the least restrictive means to resolve the behaviour which challenged.

Staff were well supported through regular training and supervision, and they were clear about their roles and responsibilities. Children’s views were sought when staff were appraised to ensure their views about the performance of the staff member were heard.

Staff were knowledgeable about the children and young people they supported. They were aware of their preferences and interests as well as their health and support needs, which enabled them to provide personalised care.

Care records were child-centred, up to date and accurately reflected people’s care and support needs. The care plans included information about likes, interests and how best to support the child.

Professionals and families were positive about the service, staff and the support provided which they said was to a very high standard and ensured outcomes were met.

The service respected children’s individuality and protected their human rights. They were up to date with current issues affecting children and best practice and the wellbeing of the child was at the forefront of their service provision.

Processes were in place for reflecting upon and evaluating the quality of the provision. Staff felt involved in the process and could make suggestions for change and improvement. The registered provider monitored the quality of the service provided and ensured best practice was followed and the service continually strived to achieve a high standard of service provision.

'They've been a god send, they go the extra mile.'

'We have a lot of contact with the service and have a good relationship'I can call them anytime, they're really good when it comes to contact.'

'I made a complaint to the supervisor. They dealt with it appropriately and promptly.'

Staff told us: 'We operate a very caring environment, the children come first, their care is paramount.' And 'Support plans are good'They contain all the detail we need to support people.'

We found care and support were delivered in a safe way and met the needs of the children the service supported.

The provider undertook thorough checks during the recruitment process to ensure staff were sufficiently skilled and of good character before they began employment.

Staff were well supported to carry out their duties and had many opportunities for development.

The service had comprehensive and effective systems in place to assess and monitor the quality of the service provided.

The provider had a suitable policy and procedure in place for managing complaints. Parents were satisfied they could raise any concerns without fear of reprisal and their concerns would be listened to and acted upon.

We spoke with two parents of children that received or had recently received a package of care and support from the agency. Parents told us they were satisfied with the care and support their children received. Comments included, 'Excellent service. It's been invaluable.' Also, 'The girls are very good. They are respectful about other family members.'

One parent told us they were impressed with the knowledge, skills and how staff presented themselves. Another parent told us they liked the way staff had introduced themselves by using photos, letters and short visits. The parents we spoke with told us they had confidence in workers and felt they 'went the extra mile'.