Leault Care Home Service Children and Young People Abriachan By Lochness Inverness IV3 8BL Telephone:

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1 Leault Care Home Service Children and Young People Abriachan By Lochness Inverness IV3 8BL Telephone: Inspected by: Kathleen Sutherland Type of inspection: Unannounced Inspection completed on: 20 October 2011

2 Contents Page No Summary 3 1 About the service we inspected 5 2 How we inspected this service 6 3 The inspection 8 4 Other information 15 5 Summary of grades 16 6 Inspection and grading history 16 Service provided by: Highland Council Service provider number: SP Care service number: CS Contact details for the inspector who inspected this service: Kathleen Sutherland Telephone enquiries@scswis.com Leault, page 2 of 18

3 Summary This report and grades represent our assessment of the quality of the areas of performance which were examined during this inspection. Grades for this care service may change after this inspection following other regulatory activity. For example, if we have to take enforcement action to make the service improve, or if we investigate and agree with a complaint someone makes about the service. We gave the service these grades Quality of Care and Support 5 Very Good Quality of Environment N/A Quality of Staffing 5 Very Good Quality of Management and Leadership N/A What the service does well Staff at Leault continue to provide a very good level of care. Staff are very dedicated and committed to the young people they look after. Staff have adapted well to the many changes that have taken place in this service over the past year. Staff encourage the young people who live at Leault to take an interest in their school work and staff take a great pride when young people do well at school. Staff at Leault continue to provide a homely setting for the young people who live there. Documentation is maintained to a good standard. What the service could do better The service provider should continue to develop written questionnaires for other agencies who are involved in Leault to enable them to express their views and make suggestions as to how the service can be improved on. The service provider should ensure that the current very good practice is maintained. Leault, page 3 of 18

4 What the service has done since the last inspection Building work in respect of the extension has been completed. However, the garden area remains to be finalised. Some young people have moved on from Leault since the last inspection and they have gone from strength to strength. Conclusion We concluded that Leault 's staff was maintaining a very high standard of care and support to the young people they looked after. Who did this inspection Kathleen Sutherland Leault, page 4 of 18

5 1 About the service we inspected Leault is a former croft house and is situated in a splendid rural setting approximately twelve miles from the city of Inverness. Over the past year, the building has been extended and work in the garden area is ongoing. Leault is registered to provide a long term care service to five young people. Before the 1 April 2011 Leault was registered with the Care Commission. On this date the new scrutiny body, Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland (SCSWIS) now the Care Inspectorate took over the work of the Care Commission, including registration of care services. This means that from 1 April 2011 this care service continued its registration under the new body, SCSWIS now the Care Inspectorate. The aims of the service are to provide care for young people who are looked after and accommodated by the Local Authority in a warm, safe and stable environment. To provide care and support while meeting the individual needs of the looked after young people. Based on the findings of this inspection this service has been awarded the following grades: Quality of Care and Support - Grade Quality of Environment - N/A Quality of Staffing - Grade Quality of Management and Leadership - N/A This report and grades represent our assessment of the quality of the areas of performance which were examined during this inspection. Grades for this care service may change following other regulatory activity. You can find the most up-to-date grades for this service by visiting our website or by calling us on or visiting one of our offices. Leault, page 5 of 18

6 2 How we inspected this service The level of inspection we carried out In this service we carried out a low intensity inspection. We carry out these inspections when we are satisfied that services are working hard to provide consistently high standards of care. What we did during the inspection This was an unannounced inspection that took place on Thursday 20 October The inspection was carried out by Kathleen Sutherland, Inspector, Care Inspectorate. Before the visit we were provided with a completed Self Assessment and questionnaires that had been completed by the young people who lived at Leault. We took note of the content of both these to inform this inspection report. We looked at the relevant documents, policies and procedures and spoke with the young people who were present, staff on duty and the manager of the service. We also observed the interaction between the young people and the staff who were caring for them. Grading the service against quality themes and statements We inspect and grade elements of care that we call 'quality themes'. For example, one of the quality themes we might look at is 'Quality of care and support'. Under each quality theme are 'quality statements' which describe what a service should be doing well for that theme. We grade how the service performs against the quality themes and statements. Details of what we found are in Section 3: The inspection Inspection Focus Areas (IFAs) In any year we may decide on specific aspects of care to focus on during our inspections. These are extra checks we make on top of all the normal ones we make during inspection. We do this to gather information about the quality of these aspects of care on a national basis. Where we have examined an inspection focus area we will clearly identify it under the relevant quality statement. Fire safety issues We do not regulate fire safety. Local fire and rescue services are responsible for checking services. However, where significant fire safety issues become apparent, we will alert the relevant fire and rescue services so they may consider what action to take. You can find out more about care services' responsibilities for fire safety at Leault, page 6 of 18

7 The annual return Every year all care services must complete an 'annual return' form to make sure the information we hold is up to date. We also use annual returns to decide how we will inspect the service. Annual Return Received: Yes - Electronic Comments on Self Assessment Every year all care services must complete a 'self assessment' form telling us how their service is performing. We check to make sure this assessment is accurate. We received a completed Self Assessment before this inspection. The service provider had identified both strengths and areas for improvement. We were satisfied with the content of the Self Assessment. Taking the views of people using the care service into account We received completed questionnaires from all the young people living at Leault before this inspection. All the young people were satisfied with the service being provided. Comments noted included the following: I think Leault is good for some kids. I love some of the staff but some are so grumpy. I would love a foster placement but I would miss a lot of people at Leault too. Leault is a nice place. The staff treat you like an adult. We spoke with the young people who were present at the time of the inspection. Comments noted included the following: The staff are very nice to me. I get lots of different things to do. Staff take a lot to do with me. I like living here. Taking carers' views into account See views of people who use the service. Leault, page 7 of 18

8 3 The inspection We looked at how the service performs against the following quality themes and statements. Here are the details of what we found. Quality Theme 1: Quality of Care and Support Overall grade awarded for this theme: Statement 1 We ensure that service users and carers participate in assessing and improving the quality of the care and support provided by the service. Service strengths Quality Statement 3.1 is also reported within the Quality Statement. Young people living at Leault are encouraged in various ways to express their views and get their points of view across. The small nature of the unit does not lend itself to formal meetings with young people and young people have constant with staff to let them know how they feel. Young people have an opportunity on a more formal basis to express their views at their Child's Plan meeting as they would have completed their 'Having Your Say' report. Young people also have the opportunity to express their views at formal Children's Hearings. Young people are well represented by their field social workers and have open access to Advocacy Services. Advocacy services visit Leault to meet with the young people regularly and there is telephone contact if the young person prefers. Young people told us in the questionnaires that we received before the visit that they were able to participate and that they were happy with the level of participation that they received. We spoke with some of the young people when we carried out this visit and they also confirmed that they felt involved in the care home and that if they had suggestions then they would not be afraid to express these to staff. Parents, family members who were able to visited Leault and they too could express their views about the quality of care and support to staff. Issues raised by young people, parents or family members were discussed at the monthly team meeting or at the staff handover. Staff working at Leault hold monthly meetings and staff have an opportunity to make suggestions as to how the service can be improved. Supervision is held with staff and this includes informal opportunities to meet with management. Areas for improvement Leault, page 8 of 18

9 The service provider should consider sending out written questionnaires to other agencies, professionals that are involved with the young people at Leault. The feedback would be useful to further evaluate the service provision. The service provider to ensure that formal supervision with staff is carried out in accordance with the Highland Councils policy and procedures. Grade awarded for this statement: Number of requirements: 0 Number of recommendations: 0 Statement 6 People who use, or would like to use the service, and those who are ceasing the service, are fully informed as to what the service provides. Service strengths Information relating to what Leault offers are available to parents, social workers and young people. Young people are also provided with a welcome book and other information when they first come to live at Leault. Before young people go to live at Leault they are given the opportunity of visiting with their family or with their chosen person and this may require several visits to help them alleviate any anxieties which may exist. Leault does not accept emergency admissions therefore there is a planning process which assists young people, family members and staff to make the transition easier. Staff working at Leault are very experienced and very sensitive and understanding of the impact of admission into residential care has on young people and their families. Young people have a key worker who will advise them and their families as to what the child's plan is, what their role is and what they can provide to meet the needs of the young people. On the day of this inspection we were told that a young person was going to visit Leault and from discussion with staff we could see that this had been planned and took account of how the young person and their family members. When we looked at all the care plans for the young people we saw that there was regular contact with parents (where this was possible) and that parents were informed about how their children were doing. Young people who had left Leault still kept in touch with the service and many returned to visit. Areas for improvement Leault, page 9 of 18

10 The service provider should continue to review and develop the initial information booklet to ensure that it is user friendly and takes into account the ages of the children. The service provider should continue to ensure that staff update their knowledge in respect of the effects of loss and change to ensure the current very good practice is maintained. Grade awarded for this statement: Number of requirements: 0 Number of recommendations: 0 Leault, page 10 of 18

11 Quality Theme 2: Quality of Environment - NOT ASSESSED Leault, page 11 of 18

12 Quality Theme 3: Quality of Staffing Grade awarded for this theme: Statement 1 We ensure that service users and carers participate in assessing and improving the quality of staffing in the service. Service strengths This Quality Statement has also been reported within Quality Statement 1:1. Please refer to Quality Statement 1:1 for further detail. Areas for improvement The same as those identified in Quality Statement 1:1. Grade awarded for this statement: Number of requirements: 0 Number of recommendations: 0 Statement 3 We have a professional, trained and motivated workforce which operates to National Care Standards, legislation and best practice. Service strengths All staff working at Leault have been the subject of the Highland Council's recruitment and selection policy and procedure. There is a whistle blowing policy and all staff undergo an induction programme which includes folder information detailing what is expected of them. The induction process involves management going through the induction folder in detail with staff given their own copy for reference. A copy of the National Care Standards and the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) Codes of Practice is included in the induction pack. All new staff shadow more experienced staff to begin with. Most of the full time members of staff are qualified to Higher National Certificate (HNC) in social care and Scottish Vocational Qualification (SVQ) level 3 or undergoing training to ensure appropriate registration with the SSSC. Staff spoken with during the inspection were clearly motivated to ensure a very good standard of care was provided. Staff told us that they had received training in many aspects of care to include: Working with challenging behaviour, CALM training and child protection. Areas for improvement Leault, page 12 of 18

13 The service provider to ensure that staff continue to receive relevant training to update their existing skills and knowledge. The service provider should progress access to the Care First system for staff at Leault. Grade awarded for this statement: 6 - Excellent Number of requirements: 0 Number of recommendations: 0 Leault, page 13 of 18

14 Quality Theme 4: Quality of Management and Leadership - NOT ASSESSED Leault, page 14 of 18

15 4 Other information Complaints No complaints have been upheld, or partially upheld, since the last inspection. Enforcements We have taken no enforcement action against this care service since the last inspection. Additional Information Action Plan Failure to submit an appropriate action plan within the required timescale, including any agreed extension, where requirements and recommendations have been made, will result in SCSWIS re-grading the Quality Statement within the Management and Leadership Theme as unsatisfactory (1). This will result in the Quality Theme for Management and Leadership being re-graded as Unsatisfactory (1). Leault, page 15 of 18

16 5 Summary of grades Quality of Care and Support - Statement 1 Statement 6 Quality of Environment - Not Assessed Quality of Staffing - Statement 1 Statement Excellent Quality of Management and Leadership - Not Assessed 6 Inspection and grading history Date Type Gradings 16 Dec 2010 Unannounced Care and support 6 - Excellent Environment Not Assessed Staffing Not Assessed Management and Leadership Not Assessed 16 Aug 2010 Announced Care and support Environment Staffing Not Assessed Management and Leadership Not Assessed 25 Nov 2009 Unannounced Care and support 6 - Excellent Environment Not Assessed Staffing Management and Leadership Not Assessed 10 Jul 2009 Announced Care and support 6 - Excellent Environment Staffing Management and Leadership Leault, page 16 of 18

17 3 Feb 2009 Unannounced Care and support 6 - Excellent Environment Staffing Management and Leadership 10 Dec 2008 Announced Care and support 6 - Excellent Environment Staffing Management and Leadership All inspections and grades before 1 April 2011 are those reported by the former regulator of care services, the Care Commission. Leault, page 17 of 18

18 To find out more about our inspections and inspection reports Read our leaflet 'How we inspect'. You can download it from our website or ask us to send you a copy by telephoning us on This inspection report is published by SCSWIS. You can get more copies of this report and others by downloading it from our website: or by telephoning Translations and alternative formats This inspection report is available in other languages and formats on request. Telephone: enquiries@scswis.com Web: Leault, page 18 of 18