Children's Home run by Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council in Blackburn with Darwen

Unique reference number SC360599 Inspection date 30/09/2011 Inspector Graham Robinson Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 14/01/2011 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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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.

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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 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service and to consider how well it complies with the relevant regulations and meets the national minimum standards.

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About this inspection

The report details the main strengths, any areas for improvement, including any breaches of regulation, and any failure to meet national minimum standards. The judgements included in the report are made against the Inspections of children’s homes – framework for inspection (March 2011) and the evaluation schedule for children's homes.

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The inspection judgements and what they mean

Outstanding : a service that significantly exceeds minimum requirements Good : a service that exceeds minimum requirements Satisfactory : a service that only meets minimum requirements Inadequate : a service that does not meet minimum requirements

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Brief description of the service

This adolescent support unit has two main functions. The first is to provide short- and long-term intensive community-based support. The second is to provide overnight respite accommodation from Friday evenings to Tuesday mornings only. Both are purposely flexible to meet individual needs.

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Brief description of the service

Each young person accessing the service lives at home with parents or carers who retain overall responsibility for them. Therefore, not all young people fall into the category of being looked after. However, they all have an allocated social worker.

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Brief description of the service

The overall aim of the service is to maintain young people in their own communities and avoid the need for long-term residential care. It is only the respite service that is registered with Ofsted and is the focus of this inspection.

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Overall effectiveness

The overall effectiveness is judged to be outstanding .

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Overall effectiveness

Young people actively enjoy attending the unit and recognise the high levels of support they receive. They make exceptionally good progress in relation to their starting points both socially and educationally. Young people's current community placements are well supported with flexible packages of respite care, based on individual need. Those needs are clearly identified with plans and strategies put into place to address them. The respite service provides young people with space where they can explore their issues and worries in an environment that is nurturing and supportive. This is underpinned with clear and consistent boundaries.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people are cared for by a dedicated staff team, who work flexibly, energetically and with consistency to meet their needs in a non-punitive way. Staff work positively and supportively with young people and their families, through difficult and challenging times. This allows for trusting relationships to develop and flourish. As a result, safe working practices ensure young people’s welfare is promoted.

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Overall effectiveness

Extremely effective management, supported by excellent levels of monitoring has assisted in the unit continuing to progress since the previous inspection. Strengths and weaknesses are quality assured and assessed, with suitable plans in place for continued development.

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Overall effectiveness

Staff and young people enjoy each others company, underpinned by the excellent relationships that exist. This enhances the significant progress being made by young people. No new requirements or recommendations have been made as a result of this inspection.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Outcomes for children and young people are outstanding .

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people are achieving positive outcomes in all respects. They receive high levels of support which assists them to maintain their current place in the local community, as well as prosper socially and educationally. The ethos and practices developed by the unit supports working positively with young people to achieve personal goals. Their individual needs are identified and these are reflected in their plans and strategies, which are reviewed regularly and updated.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people benefit from having short periods away from home, which allows them to explore issues which are problematical to them, in a neutral environment. Often this results in improved relationships with family, friends and other appropriate adults. Social workers and other professionals report the quality of care is excellent and young people’s needs are well met. In addition, good levels of communication between parties ensure young people benefit from a co-ordinated approach to their care.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people's educational arrangements can also be supported. Staff provide encouragement, support and incentives to young people which regularly improves immediate educational outcomes based on their starting points.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people's health needs are promoted positively, with health issues and needs identified in health plans. These ensure that individual needs are met. Young people are encouraged to make important changes to their lifestyles through diet, exercise and by accessing community-based services that promote healthy lifestyles. As a result, many young people enjoy improvements to their general health.

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Outcomes for children and young people

The unit is well established within the community and actively encourages young people to take full advantage of the resources available. For example, the unit encourages and facilitates young people to pursue any interests or activities they have when they first become involved with the unit. They are also encouraged to try new experiences which are facilitated by the activities programme. Young people speak positively of the activities they experience and particularly welcome staff involvement with them. This allows young people to share enjoyable experiences with adults, which aids trust and gives young people a wider perspective on what their community has to offer.

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Outcomes for children and young people

The intervention by the unit into young people's lives at a time of crises and worry provides them with high levels of support at a critical time in their lives. Young people respond positively to this, allowing them to re-build trust and develop a sense of direction. This in turn leads towards them developing a more positive view of themselves and others, with significant improvement to their emotional resilience and knowledge gained.

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Quality of care

The quality of the care is outstanding .

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Quality of care

Staff work effectively at forming and maintaining positive relationships with young people which encourages them to settle and develop trust. A range of planned strategies addressing individual needs and concerns positively are used to support young people. In practice, this means young people quickly buy into the aims and ethos of the unit and reinvest into a more settled lifestyle, allowing them to develop socially, emotionally and educationally. They benefit from developing a greater trust of the people around them, which helps to improve more lasting relationships.

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Quality of care

Young people confirm that their views, wishes and feelings are actively sought by staff. Young people do influence certain aspects of the units operation, for example, through regular young people's meetings and individual sessions with key workers. Strong, trusting relationships developed between young people and staff, allow young people to discuss their day-to-day choices confidently, which assists them when making appropriate decisions.

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Quality of care

Young people understand how to make a complaint and are confident to do so. However, they confirm that staff react to their issues and concerns positively, without the need to make a formal complaint. They are provided with information about their rights, which includes information about the complaints procedures.

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Quality of care

Young people benefit and thrive in a supportive and nurturing environment. Excellent, detailed care plans clearly identify individual needs, including identity, religious and cultural needs. Plans are reviewed and updated regularly ensuring that needs are addressed as progress is made. Staff constantly look to make improvements in this area, exemplified with the recent introduction a new format which identifies current risks and monitors areas of improvement in up to 22 areas of a young person's life. Staff work openly, transparently and communicate positively with young people. As a result, young people enjoy a relaxing environment and receive care in a trusting atmosphere where they engage with adults in a positive way.

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Quality of care

This unit is warm and welcoming, creating a calm and relaxed atmosphere. The levels of equipment, fixtures, furnishings and décor are of a high standard. Each young person has their own bedroom and is provided with their own key which enhances their privacy and security. Internet access is available for both recreational and educational use. Young people take pride in the quality of their environment and facilities. Photographs and mementoes on display reflect young people’s positive experiences.

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Quality of care

Staff promote healthy lifestyles in a variety of ways. Young people actively engage in a wide range of group activities, individual interests and leisure pursuits. For example, young people are consulted soon after they arrive at the unit about the activities they wish to pursue. They are balanced between individual and group activities, many of which are community-based. Young people benefit from healthy meals which are sociable occasions. Young people are encouraged to try unfamiliar foods, appreciate different cultures and try international cuisine. Festivals and religious events are celebrated.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The service is outstanding at keeping children and young people safe and feeling safe.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people are cared for safely and all say they feel safe when attending the unit. Staff understand how to deal with safeguarding issues, which are promptly referral to external agencies, ensuring young people are appropriately protected. The home works extremely effectively and cohesively with other safeguarding agencies, ensuring young people’s welfare and safety is a priority. All staff have undertaken initial and updated safeguarding training. Overall safeguarding awareness and practice keeps young people safe.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people say that bullying is not an issue of concern and confirm staff intervene quickly should an incident occur. Staff are alert to young people’s specific needs, which are risk assessed. Good supervision and excellent levels of communication underpinned by the outstanding relationships between staff and young people, minimises opportunities for bullying.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Behaviour management incidents are few in number. Young people enjoy their time at the unit, resulting in high levels of behaviour and low incidents of disruption. For example, incidents of young people missing from the unit, the implementation of sanctions and incidents of physical intervention are rare occurrences. However, close links and excellent working practices are maintained with other external agencies.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people are supported to work positively through difficulties and confirm that sanctions or punishments do not form part of the working practices or ethos within the unit. Staff are extremely skilled at diffusing difficult situations and incidents, without resorting to behaviour management techniques which include sanctions and physical intervention. Excellent monitoring of any incident ensures young people’s individual strategies are kept under review and adapted. As a result incidences reduce.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people benefit from a permanent and experienced staff team. Appropriate recruitment policies, procedures and practice ensure any new staff are fully cleared prior to taking up their posts. This ensures only suitably checked people have contact with young people.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people are protected with a range of risk assessments which are regularly reviewed and updated. Young people participate in regular fire drills and can safely exit the home if needed. Checks to maintain a safe environment are regularly undertaken. Individual risk assessments, coupled with coping strategies, promote a safe environment for all young people. Individual strategies are updated in light of reviews of young people’s risks and progress. Young people confirm they feel safe at the unit.

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Leadership and management

The leadership and management of the children's home are outstanding .

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Leadership and management

The management of the home, both internally and externally, is outstanding. Young people benefit from a committed, child-focused manager, with excellent communication skills and a clear vision on how the unit should develop and progress. The staff team is experienced, committed and fully supportive of the management team. They work in a flexible way to meet the demands of the service and young people's individual needs. They are fully committed to the ethos, aims and working practices developed by the unit and understand their role and responsibilities. This is reflected in the positive way they work to address young people’s needs.

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Leadership and management

The staff team receive regular supervision and appraisals to improve their knowledge and working practices. Staff have gained an appropriate professional qualification. They are encouraged and provided with opportunities for continued training to update and develop their knowledge and understanding. This ensures they possess the competences and skills to very effectively meet young people’s diverse needs.

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Leadership and management

Both the internal and external monitoring of the home has improved significantly since the previous inspection. This is due to a revision of how monitoring is undertaken and with the introduction of new report formats. Monitoring reports are completed regularly, are comprehensive, and ensure practice is accountable. Reports appropriately review performance and identify areas for improvements. Young people contribute to monitoring and can discuss their views.

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Leadership and management

The manager is well supported and demonstrates a full understanding of the strengths of the unit and areas where it can be improved. A comprehensive plan for developing the service further is in place. The unit has an excellent record of compliance and no requirements or recommendations have been carried forward from the previous inspection.

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Leadership and management

Young people experience a lively and supportive environment where staff work cohesively with families and other professionals to address young people's individual needs. Staff work flexibly and look for positive ways to resolve issues with young people. Young people benefit from staff who serve as excellent role models and work to influence young people positively as they progress and make decisions for themselves.

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Leadership and management

Equality and diversity practice is outstanding .

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