Children's Home run by Future In Mind Limited in Staffordshire

Unique reference number SC063653 Inspection date 13/09/2012 Inspector Elizabeth Barrett Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 19/03/2012 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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Brief description of the service

This privately owned home provides care and accommodation for up to two young people with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The service provides a specialist therapeutic programme and staff practise therapeutic techniques under supervision of a qualified therapist.

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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

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Overall effectiveness

The overall effectiveness is judged to be good .

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Overall effectiveness

Young people experience a high level of care in this home because staff provide consistency, stability and a safe nurturing environment. Outcomes for young people and quality of care are excellent. Young people receive comprehensive therapeutic support around all aspects of attachment, and in turn, strive to fulfil their individual potential both personally and educationally. It is through these effective individual therapy sessions and nurturing relationships that young people develop in confidence and self-esteem, working positively towards meeting their complex placement needs.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people make outstanding progress in relation to their starting points while living at this home. They are supported to access and maintain their education, and make substantial progress in relation to their emotional and psychological health. Staff receive comprehensive therapeutic training to support young people in their care. Young people are kept safe by robust safeguarding procedures, and individual care plans underpin the high-quality and effective support young people receive. A key strength of the home is staff’s commitment to consulting with young people to have their voices heard. Young people feel listened to and participate in their care planning and the running of the home.

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Overall effectiveness

The Registered Manager and staff team establish good communication with placing social workers and other stakeholders, ensuring effective partnerships are established and maintained. Parents and social workers are very positive about the standards of care provided by this home.

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Recommendations

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

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Recommendations

 improve further the registered person's work with the responsible authority to ensure the effective sharing of information held in the home's records about the child and information held in the responsible authorities records; in particular, to ensure there is an up-to-date copy of each child's local authority placement plan on file. (NMS 22.7)

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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 make substantial progress in achieving positive outcomes in this home. They enjoy exceptionally positive relationships with staff based on openness, honesty, and mutual respect. The structure of the home is founded on promoting unconditional positive recognition and highly individualised support. Young people thrive, learn, and develop due to clear behaviour management, therapy and a strong commitment to education. Young people are achieving very good progress in their therapy sessions in relation to their anger management and attachment work. This is enabling them to self-regulate challenging behaviour, develop appropriate resilience, and work towards achieving a positive future.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Progress for young people in relation to their emotional and psychological well-being is excellent. Young people are at the centre of all care and support planning, with therapeutic practices providing highly effective, personalised care and intervention. Staff work in a sensitive and considerate way to enable young people to explore their early childhood traumas, backgrounds, and identity. Social workers, parents and other stakeholders are extremely complimentary about the positive outcomes made by young people. Comments from one social worker included 'My young person is making very good progress from her starting point at this home. Building positive attachments, excellent school attendance, working on appropriate identity, and engaging in community activities.'

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people are making significant progress with their educational attendance, attainment, and development. Staff place great importance on young people achieving educationally, and are proactive and consistent in supporting their individual placements. Comments from education providers say that some young people are showing substantial improvements in their behaviour at school, since admission to this home.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people enjoy consistently improved health because they are encouraged to understand and be proactive in managing their own personal needs. Individual incentives and key worker sessions enable young people with specific needs in relation to their personal care, to make significant progress. Young people have developed awareness about healthy eating, exercise and general health and well- being. Staff actively promote physical activities with young people and encourage them to plan well-balanced and healthy food options of their choice.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people are encouraged to believe in and realise their potential. They are able to explore and channel their individuality, skills, and abilities into achievement and positive opportunities. Young people engage in a range of activities and leisure pursuits such as dance classes, art, trampoline sessions, attendance at activity centres and swimming. Young people receive support and encouragement to build and maintain appropriate peer relationships in school and the community, and for their peers to visit and socialise within the home. Contact arrangements with family members is fully supported and managed very efficiently by the home. Young people and parents spoken with at this visit comment on the significant improvements to their relationships, because of the high levels of support they consistently receive from staff in the home.

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Quality of care

The quality of the care is outstanding .

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Quality of care

Young people receive outstanding care in this home. They benefit from a highly competent, motivated, and dedicated staff team who are genuinely passionate about meeting their needs. Therapeutic practice and the excellent commitment of the services managers and staff, create an environment that is nurturing and developmental with well-defined boundaries, enabling young people to feel safe and secure. Young people build strong and successful attachments with staff. They respond positively to their patient and consistent approach, which helps them to achieve significant outcomes across all areas of their personal, educational, and social development.

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Quality of care

Staff have consistently high aspirations for young people in their care. Comprehensive assessment and therapeutic planning ensure young people's needs are effectively assessed and supported. Young people grow and develop because staff are sensitive to their experiences and associative attachment disorders. They benefit from individualised programmes of therapeutic intervention provided by the service’s qualified therapist. Additionally, the therapist oversees the day-to-day practice of the staff team, ensuring young people safely address their individual early life experiences. Comments from one professional included, 'The home is working very effectively with my young person to redirect her behaviours through therapy, and she is working well on her anger management and in building positive relationships.'

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Quality of care

Young people thrive due to the staff team's extensive and thorough knowledge and understanding of their individual needs. The home provides the right balance between care and therapy that focuses on promoting interventions that are specific to each young person’s placement plan objectives. Care and education planning, risk management and behaviour management strategies are comprehensive, containing practical details on how staff support young people on a day-to-day basis. Staff use individual consultation, personal incentive charts, and a range of therapeutic activities to engage young people. They receive care that is age appropriate and meaningful, because there is excellent assessment and review of all care planning, support and intervention.

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Quality of care

Staff communicate extremely well with young people. Young people receive high levels of support and encouragement to make decisions about their lives. Some young people are making particular progress in relation to their engagement and participation at review meetings. They take part in regular meetings with their key worker to progress their care plan and to discuss any issues of concern. The home records individual consultations with young people that consider all aspects of the running of the service. Young people are encouraged to take responsibility for household chores as part of their daily living. They receive support with life skills development through focusing on building trusting relationships, whereby they learn to take responsibility for their growing independence and future choices.

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Quality of care

Commitment to education is a key strength of this service. Individual educational plans set achievable targets and challenges. Staff talk confidently of the impressive steps forward made by young people in relation to their individual achievements. Education providers say that the home is very good at supporting young people's school attendance, and through the effective communication of any difficulties that may affect their behaviours within the school environment. Staff attend school meetings, parent evenings, and celebration events with young people. As a result, young people are supported to achieve their educational potential.

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Quality of care

Excellent proactive partnerships with other agencies promote positive progress and outcomes for all young people. Communication processes are strong and effective. Social workers and other professionals are extremely complimentary about the home’s ability to share good quality verbal and written information, and their forward looking approach to meeting the needs of young people.

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Safeguarding children and young people

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

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Safeguarding children and young people

Safeguarding young people has a high profile in this home and staff see this as an essential part of their day-to-day care. There are procedures to ensure that young people's safety and welfare is effectively managed. Staff are vigilant about following these procedures. Staff are alert to young people’s vulnerabilities and closely monitor their welfare with any concerns shared with one of the experienced and suitably trained senior managers.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people are safe in this home. They say they feel safe and that staff protect them from harm. Staff are knowledgeable about the differing complex needs of the young people and take ownership for guiding young people to make safe choices and to reduce incidents of risk-taking behaviour. Individual risk assessments recognise specific vulnerabilities, with robust planning and positive proactive strategies in place to address these needs. Staff work closely with the service’s therapist in developing and building trusting relationships with young people that are helping to minimise risks. Staff discuss with young people what triggers risk-taking behaviours and what coping abilities young people can adopt to help manage these risks.

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Safeguarding children and young people

There have been no incidents of missing from home since the last inspection. Staff spoken with confirm their understanding of the local procedures to follow in the event of any safeguarding concerns. Individual risk assessments identify protective factors for all young people and there are regular reviews and updates. Young people have decreased risk-taking behaviours, such as outbursts of violence and aggression towards peers, family members and others. Parents and placing social workers confirm this and are pleased with the progress young people are making.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The home successfully implements a positive behaviour and additional measures of control policy. There is effective use of de-escalation, boundaries, and expectations. Individual behavioural incentive strategies are fully understood by everyone. Physical interventions are used only when necessary and to ensure the safety of young people and others. Staff are well trained in an approved behaviour intervention method. Records of restraint, since the last inspection, demonstrate that they are made in line with requirements and local authorities confirm they receive copies of such records.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Risk assessments, policies, and procedures support the maintenance of a safe environment. Where issues are identified, these are attended to promptly. All fire and safety requirements are regularly checked and up to date. Sufficient competent staffing levels further help to keep young people safe and reduce any risk of harm. The organisation’s effective recruitment procedures ensure the careful selection, recruitment, and retention of staff. This ensures young people are safe and that there is a core staff team that knows young people well.

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Leadership and management

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

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Leadership and management

The Registered Manager for this home is also responsible for the management of an additional two-bedded children's home for the same provider.

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Leadership and management

This home benefits from leadership and management arrangements that are strong and efficient. This is demonstrated through the commitment of the Registered Manager and the service’s head of care in ensuring stable secure and high quality care during recent staff shortages. Full-time staff and managers have worked extra shifts alongside agency staff that are known to the young people. Managers and staff have worked tirelessly to ensure consistency of care and support and to limit any impact on young people. Young people confirm they have not been affected by these recent events. The provider has recruited additional staff that are currently subject to verification checks to address these shortages.

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Leadership and management

The management and staff team in the home are continuing to evolve and develop in all areas of their day-to-day practice. Excellent mandatory and professional training arrangements are in place including training in therapeutic techniques, attachment theories and relaxation therapies. Additionally, the provider is currently negotiating with a national university to develop the home’s model of care for accreditation purposes. It is envisaged that the service will then train all its staff in this qualification, with the intention of further improving the outcomes for all young people cared for by this provider.

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Leadership and management

Staff and other professionals speak very highly of the manager's commitment and her drive to improve the lives of young people. As a result of this positive management, young people have continued to receive an improved level of care. One stakeholder commented, 'Partnership working with the home is very good with the manager providing excellent updates, reports, and effective communication.'

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Leadership and management

The home’s management team has a clear and realistic understanding of the strengths of the service and areas requiring further development. The recommendation set at the last inspection has been met, with the home continuing to undertake additional work in relation to improving the format and contents of the home’s development plan. Quality assurance and monitoring systems are in place to monitor the care young people receive through monthly manager reports and external visits. Reports of these visits have significantly improved through the clear and focused evaluation of the day-to-day running of the home. Reports set actions that improve staff practice, record keeping and strengthening working relationships with other agencies.

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Leadership and management

The Statement of Purpose for the home provides clear aims and objectives which the home meets in practice. The children’s guide is accessible and uses appropriate language to explain the purpose of the home. Young people’s files are stored securely and are regularly audited by the home’s manager. Most records are current and provide an understanding of the young person’s journey through the home. However, copies of up-to-date local authority care plans are not available on all young people's files and this shortfall is set as a recommendation at this visit. There have been no incidents requiring notification to Ofsted since the last inspection.

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Leadership and management

The Registered Manager ensures the staff have every opportunity to fully discuss young people’s needs and progress. Because there are very good communication systems, all staff are extremely clear about the care that they deliver. Staff attend regular staff meetings and receive one-to-one supervision. As a result, staff feel supported in their role and are confident in their approach to all care and practice arrangements. Managers comment that the recent recruitment of new staff will enable the senior team to continue to focus on service development and improvement.

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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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