Aberlour Sycamore Services - Frankfield House Care Home Service - Care Inspectorate
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Aberlour Sycamore Services - Frankfield House Care Home Service Frankfield House 22 Carlyle Road Kirkcaldy KY1 1DB Telephone: 01592 649940 Type of inspection: Unannounced Inspection completed on: 18 April 2018 Service provided by: Service provider number: Aberlour Child Care Trust. SP2010011118 Care service number: CS2012308613
Inspection report
About the service
Aberlour Sycamore Services - Frankfield House is registered to provide a care home service to up to six children
and young people aged eight years to eighteen years. Placements are long-term.
This service registered with the Care Inspectorate on 28 September 2012.
The service is provided by Aberlour Child Care Trust, a registered Scottish charity and company limited by
guarantee working with children, young people and their families.
The Trust has a total of 23 registered care services throughout Scotland, including fostering, care homes, day
care of children services and support services.
This home is one of five similar services, also known as Sycamore Services, which provide community and
residential support for children and young people who are unable to live at home.
The home is situated in a residential area of Kirkcaldy within walking distance of a range of community facilities.
It is a Victorian house with six single bedrooms, a living room, kitchen-diner, communal lounge, gym and office
space. It has a large walled garden at the rear and its own parking facilities.
The service aims to provide "a safe, therapeutic environment in which children can live and grow together".
There were five young people living in the home at inspection.
What people told us
We spoke with two young people at inspection and received three completed care standards questionnaires. One
of the questionnaires was negative about most aspects of the service. The young person felt that it was not a
nice place to live and that their property was not safe.
The other two questionnaires and the young people we spoke with were very positive about the service, citing
their relationships with staff as a major contributory factor. They told us it was a nice place to stay, that they
were happy with the care and support they received, that they felt safe and listened to.
Comments included:
"I get on well with the staff".
"It's amazing here".
"My key workers are really good".
"The staff are good".
"I'm happy here".
We spoke with a family member at inspection and had telephone conversations with two parents/carers.
Views of the service were very positive, with staff and managers cited as major strengths. They told us that
communication was effective and that their family member was well cared for. They told us that they were made
very welcome when they visited.
Comments included:
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"I am made welcome - I have tea here when I visit".
"Brilliant staff".
"Staff are very helpful".
"(young person) has settled in very well and is doing well at school".
"Overall I am very happy with the service".
We contacted three placing social workers. One responded. He was the social worker for three of the young
people. His view of the service was positive with staffing and communication cited as major strengths.
Comments included:
"Levels of supervision and monitoring are adjusted according to the needs of (young person), to ensure he is
safe".
"His views are taken into account to plan for his future".
"He is encouraged to be responsible for his progress as well as being supported with this".
"Staff have been very responsive to his needs, enabling him to make positive choices and showing
understanding of his wellbeing".
"He has very positive relationships with his key work staff and other staff who enable him to be expressive, safe,
nurtured and included".
"Staff are trained to a high level".
"The writer has experienced very positive and effective communication with staff - good communications with
(young person) and his family".
"The writer has witnessed and experienced very competent management and leadership - the writer's
experience of management has been a very positive one".
Self assessment
The service had not been asked to complete a self assessment in advance of the inspection. We looked at their
own very detailed improvement plan and quality assurance paperwork. These demonstrated their priorities for
development and how they were monitoring the quality of the provision within the service.
From this inspection we graded this service as:
Quality of care and support 5 - Very Good
Quality of environment not assessed
Quality of staffing 5 - Very Good
Quality of management and leadership not assessed
What the service does well
We looked at the Quality Themes of 'Care and Support' and 'Staffing' at this inspection.
We found a child centred ethos and culture within the home that focused on dyadic practice. "Good, well-
informed parenting" was viewed as the primary task.
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We saw that young people enjoyed very good relationships with staff and that humour and appropriate touch
were evident within interactions.
We found that young people's days were appropriately structured to encourage the balance between
independence and safety. Each young person had a school placement and was supported by an education
support worker based within, and supervised by managers within, the house. We saw that schools and the
service worked very well together to support and educate the young people.
The Education Support provision was a major strength of the service.
We found care plans and risk assessments to be thorough and subject to regular review. This meant that young
people and staff were aware of progress regarding short and long-term goals. Care plans were based around the
SHANARRI (safe, healthy, achieving, nurtured, active, responsible, respected and included) wellbeing indicators.
A very good and effective model of key working was in place.
We found that the service enjoyed very good relationships with parents/carers. There was a focus on partnership
working where possible. Likewise, we found that the service enjoyed very good relationships with placing social
workers and other stakeholders.
We saw that health issues, including referral to external agencies such as CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental
Health Services) and Creative Non-directive Play Therapy, were managed well. Due regard was given to healthy
eating and healthy lifestyle. Young people enjoyed being involved in grocery buying and meal preparation.
Satisfactory medication storage, administration and recording arrangements were in place.
Young people had access to a range of activities including walking, cycling, football and pool. A gym had been
created within the house and was well used by young people. Young people had enjoyed holidays at Easter in
Killen and Seaton Sands. In some cases, members of the young person's family had accompanied them on these
holidays.
Young people were encouraged and facilitated to form and maintain relationships with peers in the community.
We saw that young people were encouraged to have their 'pals' visit the house.
Young people told us that they were consulted regarding activities, food, décor and furnishings. Young people
were routinely involved in the selection of new staff.
We found that incidents and accidents were managed very well and included debriefing arrangements for young
people and staff.
We formed a view of a well-managed, cohesive, supported and supportive team.
Eight new staff members had joined the team since the last inspection in April 2017. The assistant manager had
been in post for a year and provided an additional level of support and guidance. These transitions had been
managed well.
We found staff to be well motivated in providing very good quality care to the young people. Established staff
were skilled and knowledgeable and new colleagues enthusiastic. There was a clear sense of 'team' and morale
was described as 'good' and 'better than it was'.
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Very good staff induction arrangements were in place, including a three month review and a six month
probationary period. New staff told us that they felt included, informed and welcomed by the team.
Staff ratios and staff deployment arrangements were very good. This meant that there was always sufficient
staff to meet the needs of the young people.
Staff held a range of relevant qualifications ranging from HNC and SVQ3 through to degree level. Staff had access
to a broad range of training and development opportunities including CALM (Crisis and Aggression Limitation
and Management), Child Protection including Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE), Dyadic Developmental
Psychotherapy level one, Duty of Candour, Reflective Practice, Report Writing and First Aid. Staff 'Development
Days' were also a feature of training, development and team building.
All staff were registered with the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) or in the process of registering.
The service worked well with students and the manager was a qualified Practice Teacher.
A very good staff supervision structure was in place that allowed for regular, formal, one-to-one discussion. Staff
told us that managers were accessible and had an 'open door' policy. Staff told us that they felt very well
supported.
Regular staff meetings took place, (although these had not taken place in recent weeks due to a variety of
reasons). This, coupled with very detailed 'changeover' meetings, ensured effective information sharing,
consultation, review and planning.
What the service could do better
The service should continue to develop and evolve through progression of its Development Plan.
The service should continue to listen to, and respond to, the views of young people, parents/carers, social
workers and other stakeholders.
Managers and staff should familiarise themselves with the new Health and Social Care Standards. (See
recommendation 1.)
Some staff felt that external managers should contact them following serious incidents.
Staff meetings should take place at least monthly. (See recommendation 2.)
Requirements
Number of requirements: 0
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Recommendations
Number of recommendations: 2
1. The management and staff team should familiarise themselves with the new Health and Social Care
Standards.
Health and Social Care Standards - 4: I have confidence in the organisation providing my care and
support - Wellbeing - 4.23: I use a service and organisation that are well led and managed.
2. Staff meetings should take place at least monthly.
Health and Social Care Standards - 4: I have confidence in the organisation providing my care and
support - Responsive care and support - 4.19 I benefit from a culture of continuous improvement, with
the organisation having robust and transparent quality assurance processes.
Complaints
There have been no complaints upheld since the last inspection. Details of any older upheld complaints are
published at www.careinspectorate.com.
Inspection and grading history
Date Type Gradings
26 Apr 2017 Unannounced Care and support 5 - Very good
Environment Not assessed
Staffing 5 - Very good
Management and leadership Not assessed
20 May 2016 Unannounced Care and support 5 - Very good
Environment 5 - Very good
Staffing Not assessed
Management and leadership Not assessed
5 May 2015 Unannounced Care and support 5 - Very good
Environment 5 - Very good
Staffing 5 - Very good
Management and leadership 5 - Very good
16 Apr 2014 Unannounced Care and support 5 - Very good
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Date Type Gradings
Environment 5 - Very good
Staffing 5 - Very good
Management and leadership 5 - Very good
29 May 2013 Unannounced Care and support 4 - Good
Environment 5 - Very good
Staffing 5 - Very good
Management and leadership 5 - Very good
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To find out more
This inspection report is published by the Care Inspectorate. You can download this report and others from our
website.
Care services in Scotland cannot operate unless they are registered with the Care Inspectorate. We inspect, award
grades and help services to improve. We also investigate complaints about care services and can take action
when things aren't good enough.
Please get in touch with us if you would like more information or have any concerns about a care service.
You can also read more about our work online at www.careinspectorate.com
Contact us
Care Inspectorate
Compass House
11 Riverside Drive
Dundee
DD1 4NY
enquiries@careinspectorate.com
0345 600 9527
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Other languages and formats
This report is available in other languages and formats on request.
Tha am foillseachadh seo ri fhaighinn ann an cruthannan is cànain eile ma nithear iarrtas.
Inspection report for Aberlour Sycamore Services - Frankfield House
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