Children's Home run by Sheffield City Council in Sheffield

Unique reference number SC066747 Inspection date 04/09/2012 Inspector Debbie Foster Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 21/03/2012 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

The home is owned and run by a local authority. The home is registered to look after a maximum of five young people, male or female, from the ages of 12 to 17 years, who may have emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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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

Children and young people benefit greatly from the excellent care they receive. Care is very well planned, comprehensive and personalised to meet young people’s individual needs. Staff are very committed, persevering and provide a nurturing environment which enables them to thrive, feel safe, achieve well and develop independent living skills.

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Overall effectiveness

The views of children, young people, social workers and others who are involved in the life of the home strongly influence how care is provided. Young people who have lived at the home for some time have very positive views about their care. They commented ‘the best thing about living here is the staff.'

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Overall effectiveness

Those young people who have recently come to live at the home said 'I like it here', and named particular staff to whom they felt they could go with concerns and worries. This shows that there are strong and trusting relationships between young people and staff.

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Overall effectiveness

Professionals made very positive comments, including: 'Staff are excellent at supporting young people in a way that helps them to turn risk-taking behaviour around, to a place where they keep themselves safer.'

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Overall effectiveness

There is a very strong management team. All staff are enthusiastic and positive about achieving the best for young people. The manager motivates staff effectively. There is good quality training and supervision. The home demonstrates a strong commitment to continually reviewing the care provided to improve outcomes for young people.

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Overall effectiveness

Areas for development relate to some aspects of supporting young people who are being bullied and further guidance for staff in risk assessments.

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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

 ensure that young people do not identify bullying as a problem at the home (NMS3.11)  ensure that the home has a clear written policy on managing behaviour that all staff understand and apply at all times. In particular, ensure that risk assessments are specific in terms of the type and frequency of monitoring required and that they clearly set out the boundaries in place for individual young people. (NMS 3.3)

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Outcomes for children and young people

Outcomes for children and young people are good .

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people are well supported to attend all required health assessments and appointments and access specialist health support. For example, young people have access to emotional and mental health services when needed. This ensures that young people’s health is strongly promoted. Young people benefit from planning and cooking basic meals. They learn about the importance of following a healthy diet and acquire useful life skills. Young people receive frequent guidance on other health matters from staff and other professionals.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people have very good opportunities to achieve in education. School attendance and academic achievement is excellent for some young people and good or improving for other young people. This reflects the length of time they have lived at the home and their starting positions at the point of admission. A young person said 'I am doing really well at school, I'm on track to get C-grades in my exams and I’ve had a lot of support from the staff.'

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people are supported through important transitions. For example, some young people have progressed from long term non-attendance at school to a reintroduction back to education. A number of young people are well on-track to achieve good grades at GCSE level. As a result, young people have improved educational outcomes. They receive care which is providing them with improved life chances, preparing them for adult life and work.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people are actively supported to keep in touch with family members and maintain important relationships. Young people have benefitted greatly from building links with relatives to enable them to have regular contact with those who are very important to them. This ensures that there are family networks which will assist and support them in the future.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people receive good preparation for adulthood. Young people who are reaching their mid-teenage years have begun to participate in daily living tasks around the home. For example, they help with food shopping, process their laundry and keep their own bedrooms clean. A young person said 'I'm good at cooking, I can cook a Sunday dinner and we recently did a 'Come Dine With Me' (meal), which turned out great.' Staff support them well and encourage young people to learn life skills appropriate to their age and understanding.

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Quality of care

The quality of the care is outstanding .

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Quality of care

Young people are living in an extremely supportive and caring environment. Staff have consistently high aspirations for young people. They are fully committed to enabling young people to cope well with the challenges they may face and the difficult experiences in their past.

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Quality of care

Educational professionals, social workers and independent reviewing officers all comment extremely positively about the care young people receive at the home. A social worker said, 'The staff are committed, consistent and persevering with young people, ensuring that they keep safe.' An educational professional said ' Staff recognise the importance of education for young people and work with them to see this through.'

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Quality of care

Staff provide young people with a consistently high standard of care, structure and routine. A staff member said 'we are a very experienced staff team who are committed to our young people; we know the key to our success is to build trust with the young people.' Staff think creatively about how they can help young people to find ways to manage strong feelings constructively. Young people said, 'I wouldn't be doing so well if it wasn't for the support staff give me, they are great.' Another young person said, 'The staff are brilliant here, really supportive and help to sort out any problem you have.' This means that young people receive the right support they need to understand and overcome difficulties and achieve positive outcomes.

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Quality of care

Young people benefit from the extremely strong relationships with staff. A young person said, 'I could go to any staff member of help and I know they would help me.’ Staff use their knowledge of young people and excellent interpersonal skills to develop trusting and positive relationships with young people. This has resulted in young people feeling valued, trusting of the people who care for them and in turn this allows them to move forward in their lives.

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Quality of care

Staff are good at encouraging young people to express their views and contribute to the running of the home. A number of formal and informal consultation systems take place. This ensures that young people's views and opinions are actively sought and action is taken to support any reasonable request. One young person said, 'We do have a voice, our views are listened to, I go to all of my reviews and we have the regular residents' meeting.'

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Quality of care

Young people gave other examples of how they are involved in decision making about their lives and said they have made choices about weekly activities, trips, holidays, personalising their own bedrooms, the timing of health appointments and contact with their families.

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Quality of care

Staff plan for young people's care and accommodation very effectively. Young people's needs are considered before they are admitted to the home to ensure that the home can provide the support young people require. Young people's placement plans are individualised and provide a comprehensive picture of their personal needs and the support they require. Staff consistently put these plans into action. Care planning and day-to-day care practice recognises young people as individuals with different backgrounds, interests, views and needs. This means that young people receive an individual service designed to meet their personal needs, background and identity.

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Quality of care

Young people live in a healthy environment that actively promotes their physical and emotional well-being. Staff implement detailed planning to promote young people’s health. Young people have regular access to qualified professionals; for example, those who can support their emotional health. These professionals also provide advice and guidance for staff on a number of health-related issues. This collaborative approach has proven highly effective in ensuring that young people’s physical, emotional and psychological needs are well met.

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Quality of care

Staff ensure that the daily routine supports young people's participation in education and school attendance. Arrangements for young people's education are highly individualised and take into consideration individual circumstances and ability to work in a formal education setting. Staff work effectively with young people and education professionals to challenge and overcome barriers to young people's full participation in education. Young people have access to a stimulating environment which staff have created to encourage them to continue to learn whilst in the home. This holistic approach has proven highly effective for the young people, who now routinely attend school and make good academic progress.

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Quality of care

Staff encourage and support young people to plan their recreation time positively. Young people are offered a good range of age-appropriate activities that are suitably risk-assessed. Young people are encouraged to develop their confidence in their abilities by pursuing individual interests. For example, one young person spoke positively about going to cadets’ meetings, which they attend regularly. Young people commented that they had a great summer holiday this year and that they cannot wait for the next one.

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Quality of care

The home is suitably located to enable young people to access community amenities including shops, parks and schools. The house is well maintained and is furnished and decorated to a high standard. A young person said 'I'm proud of my home, it’s like a normal house with a large extension. It does get me mad when other young people damage things, as this is my home.' Young people are encouraged to take responsibility for their home. They are encouraged to personalise their bedrooms and have a say about the general decoration.

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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

Young people live in a home where safeguarding is a high priority. Young people say that they feel safe in the home. Young people benefit from clear boundaries, to which the majority adhere. Staff give high importance to ensuring that young people's welfare is promoted at all times. Young people know the importance of making the right choices to keep them safe. This is as a result of the staff always conveying this strong message to them.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Bullying has recently become an issue in the home. A young person said, 'I am being bullied sometimes; staff stop this when it happens, but it is still sometimes happening.' Staff have spoken to all young people at the residents’ meeting and individually, to try to stop this happening. Staff have put in place robust strategies to reduce and eliminate bullying. For example, close supervision between the young people involved is taking place and is being monitored and reviewed.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Detailed risk assessments are available for each young person. These assessments link into the placement plan, enabling it to be clearly cross-referenced to each area of work being undertaken. Risk assessments are updated regularly alongside a change in placement or care plan. The assessments help staff to know what is required to keep young people safe. However, on occasion, some of the precautions are not sufficiently detailed and do not provide specific guidance to staff. For example, some risk assessments state 'monitor regularly' or' implement clear boundaries'. Even though staff are able to explain what action is needed, these directions do not specify clearly what the boundaries are or the frequency of monitoring required.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Staff are able to demonstrate that they have a thorough understanding of safeguarding processes and how to protect the welfare of young people. Child protection training is undertaken by every staff member. This is further supplemented by refresher training. Written guidance and procedures detailing the course of action to follow in the event of an allegation or if they have any concerns are available for all staff to access.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Staff have protocols in place to be instigated should a child go missing. Incidents of young people going missing from home are not frequent, but have increased after recent admissions to the home. However, there have been reductions in such events from a historical starting point for those young people. They are choosing to return to the home regularly, even though they are sometimes late. The correct protocols and safeguarding procedures have been instigated to assist in the young person’s safe return. Staff have always taken the right action; including liaising with the police, to ensure that young people's welfare is protected.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Should a young person wish to make a formal complaint or raise a concern about something, there is a system in place to use, or they can directly contact an advocate. Young people understand the process of making a complaint and they are given written information about this in their guide to the home. There are very few complaints made. Staff are good at dealing with verbal concerns raised in an informal way, negating the need to access the complaints system.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Behaviour management strategies are very good. Staff increasingly use restorative practice, in place of any punitive action to support positive behaviour. There is a positive incentive to encourage young people to display socially acceptable behaviour. Sanctions are appropriately used, proportionate to age and understanding. All staff are trained in physical intervention and understand the need to encourage improved behaviour rather than attempt to force an issue. The use of physical intervention is very rare. Staff use negotiation and diffusion with young people, only considering restraint as a last resort.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The welfare, health and safety of everyone at the home is protected by the arrangements in place for the maintenance of a safe building. Staff undertake fire safety training. Young people and staff are regularly involved in fire drills to ensure that they know how to safely evacuate the building in the event of a fire. As a result, this ensures young people live in a physically safe and secure home.

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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

An experienced manager and management team support the rest of the staff to provide a stable home environment with good care outcomes for young people. A Statement of Purpose outlines the aims and objectives of the home. Young people receive information in the children's guide to inform them about the home, prior to or on arrival. They said that staff read through the guide with them and they know the home’s rules.

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Leadership and management

Appropriate action has been taken to address the previous action and recommendations. The arrangements for young people's care needs are set out in their placement plan, agreed between the placing authority and the home. A system is in place to monitor the quality and adequacy of record keeping; in particular, care plans, and any action is taken when required.

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Leadership and management

Young people live in a home that provides high quality care. The stable, highly experienced and skilled staff group are committed to accomplishing excellent outcomes for young people. The whole staff team are qualified with National Vocational Qualification at level 3 in caring for children and young people, or above. They have a wealth of experience working with young people in residential care. Staff say they are 'well supported', and 'everyone's views and opinions are valued'. Regular informal and formal supervision takes place. This ensures that staff have access to continuing advice and guidance in relation to their care of young people.

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Leadership and management

The manager has a thorough system in place to monitor, report and evaluate the administration systems of the home. Where weaknesses are identified, they are acted upon promptly. The monthly monitoring undertaken by the Regulation 33 visitor covers the required areas set out in the regulation. There is an up-to-date development plan, setting out any planned changes in the operation of the service to bring further improvements to the quality of care.

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Leadership and management

The manager conducts six-monthly monitoring summaries of the matters listed in Schedule 6, to identify any issues and address how the service is to improve the quality of care. Reports are sent to Ofsted as required.

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Leadership and management

Young people's case files are stored confidentially and are arranged in a manner that makes them useable by staff and yet accessible to young people. The young people know they can have access to their records. These records and other written documentation are of a good standard. This facilitates positive communication with other professionals as well as ensuring that young people have a permanent record of their history. Good cross-referencing of all documentation enables the management team and staff to monitor young people's progress and development.

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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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