Children's Home run by North Yorkshire Council in North Yorkshire

Unique reference number SC034189 Inspection date 26/09/2012 Inspector Ann-Marie Born Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

p.1

Date of last inspection 19/03/2012 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 local authority children's home offers care and accommodation for six children aged 13 to 17 years who experience emotional and behavioural difficulties.

p.3

The inspection judgements and what they mean

Outstanding : a service of exceptional quality that significantly exceeds minimum requirements Good : a service of high quality 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 good .

p.3

Overall effectiveness

This is a well-managed home where staff provide young people with a pleasant, well- maintained environment, consistent boundaries and good personalised care. The local authority and manager understand the strengths of the home and are able to identify areas that need further improvement. This is supported by robust quality assurance audits and action and development plans.

p.3

Overall effectiveness

Young people display relaxed relationships with staff and build up strong relationships with them over time. Young people have mixed views in relation to the quality of care as this is the first time that some young people have been accommodated in a children’s home. Some young people find house rules and the setting of boundaries challenging. However, the home consistently provides all young people with a safe and supportive environment. A young person said, 'I feel really safe and respected here.'

p.3

Overall effectiveness

Partnership working with other agencies is a strength of the home. Social workers, other professionals and parents report positive outcomes for young people. A parent said, 'He has come on tremendously.' Staff are good at keeping young people safe, reducing high risk behaviours and improving their engagement in education and employment. A young person stated, 'I am really proud of what I have achieved and know I have a future now that I wouldn’t have had without these.’

p.3

Overall effectiveness

Some areas for development are identified as a result of this inspection. These include ensuring all young people read, comment upon and sign their care and behaviour management plans; ensuring young people can access medical intervention if there were to be a restraint; increasing the regularity of house meetings; improving the level of notifications to Ofsted and not locking ground floor rooms. Due to good staff practice these omissions have not negatively impacted on the good care of young people.

p.3

Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):

p.4

Recommendations

 ensure that children's, views, wishes and feelings are acted upon in the day-to- day running of the home (NMS 1.1)  ensure that all children communicate their views on all aspects of their care and support (NMS 1.3)  ensure that where there has been physical restraint the home must be able to call on medical assistance as required and children are always given the opportunity to be examined by a registered nurse or medical practitioner (NMS 3.16)  ensure that the occurrence of significant events are notified by the registered persons to Ofsted within 24 hours in accordance with Regulation 30 (NMS 24.1)  ensure that physical restrictions on normal movement within the home are not used unless this is necessary to safeguard children and promote their welfare and development, in particular locking the ground floor toilet and meeting room doors. (NMS 10.4)

p.4

Outcomes for children and young people

Outcomes for children and young people are good .

p.4

Outcomes for children and young people

Young people are at different stages of engagement with the home and accepting the support and care they receive. Nevertheless, all young people are making good progress in identifying attainable goals, for example, places on apprenticeship programmes, while building self-esteem and feelings of self-worth. A young person stated, 'I wouldn’t be the man I was today if it wasn’t for these.’ Young people benefit from the care of a stable, experienced staff team which enables them to make sense of past adverse experiences. Consequently, young people develop a positive self-view and a good understanding of their family and cultural background and personal needs.

p.4

Outcomes for children and young people

Young people are supported to enhance their relationships and ability to sustain attachments through work with staff members and identified therapists. Holistic health care is good and young people engage in regular key-working sessions with their 'coordinator' as well as external specialist agencies. Young people develop positive life choices while addressing issues such as safe sex, alcohol and drug misuse. An independent reviewing officer stated, 'That is the home with the multidisciplinary work to make that difference for her. They are building those relationships with her and building that resolve.'

p.4

Outcomes for children and young people

Staff actively support young people to engage in their education and work placements. A teacher said, 'She made all of her exams because the staff got her up and made sure she was there.' Consequently, young people have the self-esteem and confidence in their abilities to engage in further education, volunteer at a local church day centre and have aspiration for their futures. Staff manage the move from the home very well, aiding young people in making a successful staged transition into the community or to a new placement. Staff maintain positive support for young people during this transition and after they have moved out. It is a testament to the home that young people, who were resident, maintain contact and regularly visit the home to share positive experiences and gain further support as needed. A young person said, 'I would never have achieved what I have and had the confidence to live alone and do the course I am doing if it hadn’t been for the staff here. I felt very

p.5

Outcomes for children and young people

Young people are supported to maintain friendships and family contacts where these are agreed by social workers. Staff work diligently to ensure that family contacts occur in a safe manner and with appropriate support for the young person. Young people fully benefit from the security, stability and sense of belonging this provides both now and for their longer-term relationships.

p.5

Quality of care

A parent commented that staff, 'are very genuine and they do their very best', and another said, 'the care is very, very good'. Positive examples are set by the ethnically diverse, warm and enthusiastic staff team that holds high aspirations for young people's success. Young people, particularly those for whom living in a children's home is a new experience, hold mixed views about the care they receive. However, the majority report that staff treat them with respect and all young people identify individual staff members with whom they have a particular affinity. Young people in turn are helped by staff to recognise and value diversity in others. Young people say that staff listen to what they have to say but they also recognise that it is not possible to always have what they want, when they want it.

p.5

Quality of care

Staff make effective use of planned and informal key working opportunities which focus holistically on young people's behavioural, emotional and developmental needs. These, together with clear boundaries and excellent individualised behaviour management strategies, enable young people to make significant progress in these areas. A specialist youth worker stated, 'I think it is a lovely home. It is down to the staff and how they interact with young people. Staff really, really try to instil values in self and education and offer consistency.'

p.5

Quality of care

Innovative individual weekly behaviour meetings enable young people to effectively express their views and express their wishes and feelings. One young person wrote, 'Life is good at the moment, I treat staff with more respect and am just liking life.’ and another, 'I have learnt to take responsibility for my actions.’ Young people feel confident in expressing their views thereby building self-esteem and feelings of self- worth. However, opportunities for young people to share their views and comment upon the shared care they receive in a group setting are being missed as house meetings do not take place on a regular enough basis.

p.5

Quality of care

Excellent care planning is regularly reviewed with young people and they are encouraged and supported to attend their reviews. This ensures young people know what the plan is for their care and how this will be achieved. Young people see and contribute to the development of their plans which increases feelings of security and being valued. However, they are not all signing to say they understand and agree with the content; therefore, not all young people have full ownership of their plans.

p.6

Quality of care

Strong partnership working and close links with agencies providing alternative learning packages and apprenticeships provide young people with positive opportunities. Young people fully benefit from strong multi-agency working which ensures all their holistic health needs are identified and met. A looked after children's nurse wrote to staff, 'I have been impressed by your dedication and expertise.’

p.6

Quality of care

Staff address issues of equality and diversity at the point of referral and transmit this into care practice. Placement plans identify clear targets in relation to young people’s identity. Staff encourage young people to participate in local community provision thereby promoting a sense of inclusion. Once young people express an interest in a hobby or activity they wish to pursue, staff ensure they are able to do so. This effectively builds social skills. Young people enjoy living in a comfortably furnished home with a selection of shared rooms for their use. These include a computer study which is in the process of being refurbished in colours and decoration chosen by young people. A parent stated, 'It’s a brilliant place for him, better than the last place he was in.'

p.6

Safeguarding children and young people

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

p.6

Safeguarding children and young people

Young people report they generally feel safe and that staff safeguard them. A staff member said, 'I think as a staff team we are very vigilant on safety,' and all staff see safeguarding as a priority. Staff work closely with social workers to clearly identify risks and protective factors for young people and plan how to address these in a safe way. A social worker stated, 'she is definitely safe there'.

p.6

Safeguarding children and young people

Much improved reporting mechanisms ensure that the reasons for a young person's absence are captured thereby enabling the development of preventative strategies. Proactive staff work closely with local police and robustly follow locally agreed protocols. These include the successful issue of 'Harbouring Notices' when necessary, to protect young people. As a result, young people’s missing episodes reduce once they settle and realistic goals for contact with important friends and family members are arranged. Following a young person's admittance to the home, a social worker stated, 'It is a vast improvement for her. She is safer than she has been in years.'

p.6

Safeguarding children and young people

The consistent, individualised approach to managing behaviour ensures that young people learn to accept appropriate boundaries. Excellent individual behaviour management plans are informed by behaviour management strategies including therapeutic crisis intervention and restorative justice. An independent reviewing officer commented, 'It impressed me that they were putting fair and firm boundaries in place to safeguard this young woman.' Young people respond positively to these interventions therefore the need for physical interventions is negated. Although all staff remain fully trained in physical interventions there has not been a restraint in the home for over a year. However, if the need for a restraint did arise, young people would not be fully safeguarded as they are not routinely offered medical assistance after any such intervention.

p.7

Safeguarding children and young people

Improved recording mechanisms ensure young people learn the consequences of their actions following the imposition of a sanction, 'I accept my sanction and plan to improve my behaviour.’ However, effective monitoring identified that there was a substantial increase in the number of sanctions being applied. As a result, the home instituted a new weekly behaviour management meeting between young people and their key worker. Consequently, behaviour is improving and the need for sanctions is being reduced. One young person wrote, ‘I feel I am fully supported’.

p.7

Safeguarding children and young people

Young people's safety and security is maximised by good health and safety procedures. Established systems are in place for the routine checking and servicing of all fire equipment and other appliances. Regular practice evacuations ensure that young people know how to leave the building safely and quickly in case of an emergency. A parent commented, 'He is really safe there, he is fine, I never have any worries.'

p.7

Leadership and management

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

p.7

Leadership and management

Young people benefit from strong management arrangements which ensure consistent leadership. An enthusiastic, nurturing deputy manager supports the manager in the efficient and child-focused operation of the home. As a result, young people feel valued and experience improvements in their development and well- being across a range of outcomes.

p.7

Leadership and management

The management team have identified a very good development plan which has been informed by young people's views and wishes. In addition, the institution of the new behaviour management plan has had a positive effect on gathering young people’s views and improving behaviours. Young people benefit from improvements to recording following any missing episodes or sanctions as their voices are heard; therefore, all previous recommendations have been met.

p.7

Leadership and management

Young people benefit from being cared for by a strong, consistent staff team. One stated, 'They (young people) have a lot of resources in a team like us. They are getting more enriched life experiences.' Staff feel they are very well supported by each other and supervisions and team meetings are focused on the needs of young people. A staff member said, 'The team is the best. I love the people I work with; it really is a supportive team.’ The local authority demonstrates a good commitment to staff development and 'a lot of well-targeted training'. As a result, young people are cared for by staff equipped to meet their needs.

p.7

Leadership and management

Comprehensive monitoring processes ensure that young people's well-being is improved by the identification and resolution of any deficiencies, for example, the high number of sanctions. Young people benefit from the opportunity to fully participate in their reviews. Records show that the home chases up professionals who have not visited when they should. Strong partnership working fully supports young people to achieve their full potential. A social worker stated, 'I am really impressed by the contact between the home and me and how far she has come already and how much she can achieve.'

p.8

Leadership and management

All significant events are robustly recorded and effectively monitored by the manager. However, not all events have been notified appropriately to Ofsted within required timescales. Consequently, opportunities for multi-agency decision making to fully safeguard young people are being missed.

p.8

Leadership and management

Young people's records give a good account of their time at the home and are stored securely. Good recording of key-working interventions enable young people to understand how they have been helped at the home and the progress they have made during their time there.

p.8

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.9

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.9