Children's Home run by Green View Young People Limited in Barnsley

Unique reference number SC386057 Inspection date 02/10/2012 Inspector Simon Morley Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 09/11/2011 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Brief description of the service

This is a privately run children's home. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to two children and young people with emotional and/or 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 outstanding .

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Overall effectiveness

Young people make exceptional progress in their lives from the excellent care they receive. Staff ensure care is thoroughly planned, extremely comprehensive and highly personalised. As a result, young people's diverse needs are promoted very well. Staff provide an extremely homely, supportive and nurturing environment to help young people achieve well, have fun, feel safe and develop their independence.

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Overall effectiveness

The needs and views young people, their families, social workers and other stakeholders strongly influence how care is provided. Young people have very positive views about their care and how their wishes are responded to. This is reflected in comments from young people, 'this is my home, I'm happy here', and from stakeholders, 'I can't praise the staff enough'.

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Overall effectiveness

Management arrangements are outstanding with two minor shortfalls. The whole staff team are enthusiastic and very positive about achieving the best for young people. The manager motivates staff well, which is reinforced by good quality training and supervision. There is a strong commitment to continuous improvement and high standards with comprehensive and rigorous monitoring. The manager recognises the need for suitable professional supervision for himself, which he does not have. There are clear aims to make further improvements to the home. These are not formalised in a written development plan, which could hinder success.

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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 a written development plan, reviewed annually for the future of the home, identifying planned improvements (NMS 15.2)  ensure there are suitable arrangements for professional supervision of the registered person. (NMS 19.3)

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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

The outcomes young people achieve are exceptional. Attendance at school is very good and significantly better since living at the home. One stakeholder commented, '100% better'. Not only that, young people's educational achievements are outstanding. This includes significant improvements in literacy skills and vastly improved attainment in national curriculum grades across a range of subjects. Where young people might have struggled previously they now bring home regular achievement certificates from school. Whatever young people's previous attainment history, since moving to this home they make very substantial improvements.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people have much better contact and relationships with their families. Young people make new friends in the local area and enjoy going to the local youth club. They are positively involved in the local community. Young people's social skills, behaviour, dress, attitude, confidence and self-esteem all improve. For example, chairing regional 'Children in Care' meetings boosts young people's confidence. Young people's high level of achievement and progress has led to them being nominated for awards.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people's knowledge and understanding of their backgrounds is considerable and contributes to their strong emotional resilience. As a result, previous self-harm and other risk taking behaviour is now minimal. Young people are focused on their future, learning and developing the skills to help their transition to adulthood.

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Quality of care

The quality of the care is outstanding .

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Quality of care

Young people benefit from a caring, nurturing environment that is remarkably homely and friendly. It is the norm to have friends round, relax and enjoy themselves. Young people's bedrooms are highly personalised; they choose how to spend their time and money, make decisions about menus, and have their friends round for meals and sleepovers. Young people are definitely at the heart of what goes on in the home.

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Quality of care

Young people benefit enormously from the quality of individual care they receive. Staff have consistently high aspirations for the young people they support, regardless of any challenges and diverse individual needs. Staff are proactive, motivated and enthusiastic in helping young people fulfil their potential. Young people commented, 'staff look after us, we get plenty of advice and help'. Stakeholders commented, 'staff are very supportive'.

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Quality of care

The staff team effectively promote the well-being and diverse needs of young people. There is excellent attention to individual needs. For example: communication; speech and language support; healthy diets and lifestyles; weight loss; emotional health; balancing independence and risk taking; making choices and achieving desired goals. In-house care plans and risk assessments are comprehensive and clear about young people's individual needs. Young people have a large say in their care plans. Staff are very thoughtful and considerate in following these plans and respecting young people's values and choices. Young people have been supported with advocacy services to challenge their placing authority about having to move. As a result, young people are able to stay in this home which they see as theirs until they are ready to move on. Stakeholders said, 'there is a massive difference in young people'.

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Quality of care

Staff are very effective in ensuring young people are able to participate in their education. For example, staff will visit a young person's school before admission to the home, learn about their educational needs and school environment. Staff use this information creatively to support young people with their homework and extra- curricular activities. Staff ensure attendance at school is high and build effective relationships with teaching staff to help promote achievement.

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Quality of care

As with education, staff develop excellent working relationships with other agencies so that young people get the support they need with their individual needs. For example: counselling; speech and language therapy; dietary advice and sexual health. Stakeholders described, 'a good home and excellent communication from staff'. Communication with parents, social workers and other stakeholders ensures care for young people is regularly reviewed in line with their changing needs, views and wishes. Outstanding multi-agency working facilitated by staff gives young people’s needs a high priority and breaks down barriers to their development. This plays a large part in the excellent outcomes achieved by young people.

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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's safety is given a high priority. Care planning and risk management for young people very effectively identifies potential risks with clear actions to reduce them. This process helps young people to take reasonable risks as part of their normal growth and development. Staff weigh up risks carefully in respecting young people's rights to more independence and self-determination as they get older.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Risk management strategies are frequently monitored and reviewed to reflect the changing needs of young people. Young people are involved in the effective planning and determination of safe routines and boundaries; for example, what time young people should be home, where they go and who they see. Young people have a good sense of safety and well-being. Staff have strong links with the police and Local Safeguarding Children Board to promote effective multi-agency working, which protects young people from harm.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Staff use proactive behaviour management strategies, setting clear and realistic expectations for young people. This is effective in encouraging good behaviour. As a result, sanctions as a response to inappropriate behaviour are uncommon. Likewise, physical intervention as a last resort to keep young people safe is very rarely used. Staff use non-physical interventions effectively when needed to prevent and diffuse any challenging behaviour. The high quality of care ensures young people engage in meaningful and interesting activities. This is an excellent approach to help keep young people safe, free from damaging and risk taking behaviour.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Staff are confident in using child protection procedures to report any allegations or concerns about a young person's welfare. Any issues are communicated well to social workers and local safeguarding authorities to help protect young people. Staff recruitment processes are thorough and ensure only appropriate people are employed to work with vulnerable young people in the home.

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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

Young people benefit from a home that is exceptionally well run. The manager and staff team are motivated and enthusiastic about helping young people do well. There is a strong commitment, ethos and values in providing the best for young people. Excellent leadership and management makes for a very effective staff team. This ensures a high quality of care and support to young people.

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Leadership and management

High standards and excellent outcomes are supported by rigorous monitoring of care practice. This is used to continually improving things for young people. For example, improving strategies to keep young people safe, promote better health and education and giving young people more say in their lives. Regular consultation with young people ensures their views remain central to care practice and the day-to-day running of the home. The registered person has plans to develop the home further for example by building an extension to give young people more space. However, there is no formal written plan with clear aims and objectives to help support this successfully.

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Leadership and management

There are comprehensive arrangements for staff training and supervision. As a result, staff are competent, experienced and able to meet the individual needs of young people. There are no arrangements for professional supervision of the registered person, however he has taken steps to address this. On this occasion, this shortfall was not judged to impact on how well the home is managed overall. There are effective staffing levels that support young people with their appointments, hobbies, interests, family contact and keep them safe.

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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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