Children's Home run by Esland South Limited in Greenwich

Unique reference number SC386134 Inspection date 21/05/2012 Inspector Caroline Wilson Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

p.1

Date of last inspection 22/11/2011 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.1

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.

p.2

Brief description of the service

This is a privately-owned children’s home for up to five young people of either gender, aged between 13 and 17 years of age. Young people may have emotional and behavioural difficulties. The home offers flexible packages of care, including long-term care. One bed is for emergency admissions or respite care.

p.3

The inspection judgements and what they mean

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

p.3

Overall effectiveness

The overall effectiveness is judged to be outstanding .

p.3

Overall effectiveness

Young people make excellent progress in this home and thrive as a result of the consistent, supportive and nurturing environment. Young people receive well- planned and individualised care and their views are central to all aspects of the operation and practice of the home. Staff are committed to providing high quality care and this promotes positive outcomes for young people. Staff have high aspirations for young people and this contributes to their positive progress, particularly with regards to education, transition planning and resilience.

p.3

Overall effectiveness

There is a full, experienced and permanent staff team, which promotes stability for young people. There is strong management commitment to providing excellent quality of care and continuing improvement. Quality assurance is rigorous, which enables staff and managers to have an excellent understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the home.

p.3

Outcomes for children and young people

Outcomes for children and young people are outstanding .

p.3

Outcomes for children and young people

Young people make exceptional progress in understanding their backgrounds and in developing positive self-views and resilience. Young people are taught to appreciate their individual cultures and to be respectful towards others. Young people are knowledgeable about the activities and traditions of other cultures and actively participate in themed nights that are dedicated to this. They taste the food and undertake research regarding the values and norms of cultures around the world. Young people gain a greater understanding and appreciation of people who are different from them. Young people's religious needs are met through engaging in ceremonies and traditions relating to their religious beliefs.

p.3

Outcomes for children and young people

Young people have exceptionally good attendance at school in order to meet their full academic potential. They have made excellent progress in respect of their individual starting points. Young people have individualised plans and attend various types of schooling to help them achieve this. For example, some young people are tutored at home and others attend mainstream school. There have been significant improvements in their educational outcomes; for example, in academic progress or a great improvement in their social skills. This will enable them to engage effectively with learning and with their peers when they eventually move on into mainstream education.

p.4

Outcomes for children and young people

Young people regularly contribute to the way that the home is run and their individual care plans through daily house meetings. They explore and gain an understanding about a range of issues that affect them in the home, in the community as well as matters that relate to their social, physical and emotional development. Young people have discussed house rules, bullying and offending behaviours. This has had a positive effect on their behaviours as they understand why certain decisions have been made, as well as how others perceive them.

p.4

Outcomes for children and young people

Young people understand how to respond appropriately to crisis and trauma in their lives and to develop the skills that are required to manage conflict positively. Offending behaviours and significant incidences have decreased, helping their development in becoming well-rounded individuals. Young people understand the risks that are associated with going missing. They keep in contact with staff and work towards ensuring that these incidences are kept to a minimum. If safeguarding concerns arise during their absence from the home, young people co-operate with staff and other relevant agencies. This helps to ensure that their welfare is promoted.

p.4

Outcomes for children and young people

Young people enjoy contact with their family members and other significant people in their lives. They keep in touch with family members who live some distance away and are helped to maintain constructive relationships with people who can provide them with support as they move towards independence.

p.4

Outcomes for children and young people

Young people have a range of skills that will prepare them for life as confident and independent adults. These include cooking, household chores and financial management.

p.4

Quality of care

The quality of the care is outstanding .

p.4

Quality of care

Staff have high aspirations for the young people in their care. They consistently challenge barriers to ensure their full participation in education and within the wider community. Where young people are excluded from school, staff take immediate action to ensure that home tutoring is in place, to prevent any delay in young people's academic progress. The home is supported by an enthusiastic and committed in-house tutor. She provides individualised programmes that support young people to reach their full potential, socially as well as academically. For instance, when young people have difficulties with concentration, frequent breaks are added to the timetable. This enables young people to maintain concentration and learn. Young people who attend mainstream school also receive a high level of support, to ensure that their high attendance record is maintained. This in turn supports their overall educational progress.

p.4

Quality of care

Staff are excellent at enabling young people to have a say about the way that the home is run and their individual care plans. Several forums are in place to engage young people, including daily house meetings, feedback forms and individual key- work sessions. Feedback forms are in formats that are accessible to all young people. Staff facilitate a range of discussions that relate to young people's emotional, physical and social well-being. Staff are skilled and confident in communicating with and involving young people. They carefully explain to the young people concerned, the reasons why decisions have been made. The outcomes of these consultations have been used to improve the service, which evidences that staff take the concerns of young people seriously.

p.5

Quality of care

Staff have an excellent understanding of diversity issues and work well with young people in order for them to have a positive view of themselves and others.

p.5

Safeguarding children and young people

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

p.5

Safeguarding children and young people

Excellent arrangements are in place to safeguard young people who go missing. Staff are acutely aware of the dangers that young people may face whilst they are missing out in the community and ensure that young people have an understanding of these. Staff do not take for granted that young people are staying with friends and family when absent, and are mindful that young people may be at risk of sexual exploitation and other dangers. Safeguards are then put in place to minimise any risk to promote the young person's welfare. They keep in constant contact with young people and significant others in their lives to encourage their safe return home.

p.5

Safeguarding children and young people

Young people are treated positively on their return and are 'de-briefed' to make sure that they have not come to harm whilst they were away. Strategy meetings are held where young people persistently go missing, to consider ways of minimising the risks. The resulting strategies have been successful in reducing instances of young people going missing.

p.5

Safeguarding children and young people

Staff are skilled at promoting positive behaviour through an effective rewards scheme. They manage negative behaviour by setting firm and consistent boundaries. This has led to a sharp decrease in significant incidents and in offending. Staff work with external organisations to support them in this task. This provides young people with an objective view, showing the stark reality of the impact that criminal activity can have on their life chances.

p.5

Safeguarding children and young people

Robust systems are in place with regards to restraint. Physical interventions are logged in a bound book set for this purpose and also in greater detail in an incident book. This provides further information about the actions taken to prevent a restraint taking place. Physical interventions are only used as a last resort to prevent likely injury to young people, others and property.

p.6

Safeguarding children and young people

Any sanctions imposed are set in line with 'good parenting' and help young people to understand the effect that their behaviour may have on others. For instance, young people may be sanctioned to apologise to any individual that they may have upset. Sanctions are monitored regularly, in order to ensure and maintain their effectiveness.

p.6

Safeguarding children and young people

Recruitment systems are robust and ensure that only people of good character and integrity are employed. Staff are proactive in promoting young people's safety and they work in partnership with other agencies in order to facilitate this. Staff keep up- to-date with changes in procedures and legislation. All staff understand their safeguarding duties and responsibilities.

p.6

Safeguarding children and young people

All health and safety checks are undertaken at appropriate intervals. This keeps the environment physically safe and secure. The checks take into account the needs and characteristics of the young people being cared for.

p.6

Leadership and management

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

p.6

Leadership and management

A strong management team is in place, with effective arrangements for deputisation when the manager is not there. Staff are supported by a deputy manager and by managers from other homes, who work in the same way. This means that they are knowledgeable about the way in which the home operates and they all have the same consistently high expectations of staff.

p.6

Leadership and management

Excellent staff training is in place. Staff state that it is of high quality and enables them to learn and explore matters that are important for the care of young people. For example, staff receive training in medication training, equality and diversity and infection control. This ensures that they can meet the emotional, physical and individual aspects of caring for young people. One member of staff stated that a course that she had attended regarding attachment has enabled her to gain a greater insight into how attachment issues can impact on young people’s behaviour. All staff have completed, or are in the process of completing, their Children and Young People’s Workforce Diploma, or equivalent qualification. This means that all staff have a good theoretical basis for ensuring that the home is a positive experience for young people. The monitoring of the home is highly effective. It is clear that all documents are

p.6

Leadership and management

monitored and reviewed to identify any themes and patterns that may be impacting on young people's care. These are discussed in team meetings so that staff are aware of their group and individual responsibilities to provide good childcare and outcomes for young people. The Regulation 33 and 34 monitoring systems keep staff up-to-date about the strengths and weaknesses of the home. Appropriate action is taken where relevant.

p.7

Leadership and management

The home evidences an excellent capacity for continued improvement. Frequent discussions take place during supervision and team meetings with regards to young people's progress and practice issues. Supervision is held regularly and enables staff to respond well to the needs of young people as well as highlighting any developmental needs that they may have.

p.7

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.

p.8

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.

p.8