Children's Home run by Hopedale Children and Family Services Limited in Staffordshire

Unique reference number SC444869 Inspection date 05/06/2013 Inspector Robert Hewston Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 09/11/2012 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 children's home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to 10 young people with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. It has it's own school within the children's home which is registered with the Department for Education. The home is privately owned.

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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

The home is making a positive difference to young people's lives and provides them with the tools and opportunities to achieve positive outcomes. Overall this home provides outstanding outcomes for young people; this is particularly noted in relationships with staff and keeping young people safe. Care is personalised and takes account of the individual needs of each young person. They benefit from the familiar surroundings and a strong team of staff.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people are very positive about the home and the support they receive from staff. They enjoy the wide range of activities in the community and facilities in the home. The quality of relationships is excellent and interactions are extremely positive. Young people feel safe and are protected from harm by extremely thorough documentation and staff practice. Behaviour management is a further strength of the home, based on an exceptional knowledge and understanding of the young people which results in positive and proactive staff support.

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Overall effectiveness

The home has excellent relationships with partner agencies who work creatively and imaginatively to ensure young people explore and positively address their complex needs. Young people are encouraged to identify their individual preferences and are stimulated to achieve these. In turn, they develop a personal awareness that facilitates a greater understanding of how their experiences can influence their plans and transitions to alternative placements.

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Overall effectiveness

The interactive relationship between care and education makes a significant contribution to young people’s progress. There is an excellent commitment and drive to help young people move forward and prosper in relation to their educational achievements. Young people participate in a wide range of social activities and build meaningful relationships with their peers. As a result, they experience improved identity and self-esteem, while maximising their social and personal development.

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Overall effectiveness

A safe environment is provided for young people with good health and safety control measures. Behaviour management strategies are based on positive interactions and this clearly shows through the young people’s comments.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Outcomes for young people are outstanding .

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people receive outstanding care from a provision that places them at the heart of all they do. They make significant and continuous improvements in their educational attainment. Thoughtful, individualised care enables them to have improved self-esteem and to develop a positive understanding of who they are and their personal history. Each young person is respected, valued and cared for as an individual. Young people learn to develop confidence and strong attachments. The staff team have high aspirations for young people and provide incentives, motivation and encouragement. Social workers say the outcomes for young people's education, contact and safety have, 'Vastly improved’. Also that, ‘Excellent contact arrangements and support, mean young people feel happy and settled.’ Young people are taking more responsibility themselves and show empathy towards the needs and feelings of others. For example, individual young people have shown

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Outcomes for children and young people

support and understanding when other young people have received sad news regarding family members.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people make excellent progress in developing a positive identity, self-esteem and knowledge and understanding of their background. They quickly make and sustain positive relationships with staff. Where needed, young people also make a lot of progress with family and social relationships. For example, staff have advocated for young people when looking at alternative provision after their exams have been completed. This has given the young people the opportunity to complete their education, to succeed in their exams and to still feel safe and wanted.

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Outcomes for children and young people

The home promotes a positive ethos that fully embraces diversity and difference; as a result, young people learn to appreciate the significance of differing values and cultures and to have respect for other people. This ethos also promotes positive behaviours, assists young people to understand the consequences of their actions, and encourages alternative and more acceptable responses.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people grow in confidence and enthusiastically embrace new opportunities, learn new skills and grow in independence. They are empowered because they have individualised communication strategies and tailor-made plans. All young people are actively involved in education; have excellent attendance and are making very good progress. Effective communication between the home and school ensures that the progress that young people make is shared and celebrated. This is a strength of the service. Young people spoken to stated, `Since being here I have attended school every day, have received many certificates of achievement. Before that I didn't attend school, didn't want to go.' Social workers commented and praised how their young people were achieving a good standard of education, compared to their starting place on admission.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Staff are well-informed about each young person’s health needs because they have access to a comprehensive range of up-to-date information. Strong links with local health care services effectively support young people’s physical, emotional and psychological needs. Excellent procedures, staff training and very clear recording ensures correct management of all medication and protects young people’s safety. The school nurse is extremely proactive in ensuring that all health needs of young people are well-recorded, monitored and reviewed. With the support and knowledge from parents and staff the nurse ensures all young people are up-to-date with health conditions, any changes of medication and possible side effects of medication changes. This has resulted, for some young people, in a reduction in their prescribed medication.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people form meaningful attachments with staff. They value the time to talk to their key workers, care staff, teachers and other support workers. Young people are encouraged to express their views, feelings and wishes. They are listened to when they make complaints. Young people believe they can have an impact on their futures. They are fully involved in their placement plans, attending meetings and key working sessions. They proactively use their weekly house meetings to discuss what has been happening, activities for the week ahead and put forward ideas to run the house. Staff development of reflective practice enables staff the time to look at issues, validate their actions and look at possible alternate ways of managing any incident. This has shown to be an extremely effective tool in development of staff and staff's understanding of young people's complex needs.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people clearly see this service as their home, enabling them to grow in preparation for their individual future placement moves. Young people have considerable opportunities to explore their potential and grow because they receive highly effective and creative support and practical guidance. Observations at this visit showed young people were actively participating in preparing their evening meal and discussing daily tasks and responsibilities.

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Outcomes for children and young people

When appropriate, young people develop their confidence about their readiness for leaving the home and moving to their long term placement, whether that be a return home or a move to a long term children's home or foster placement.

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Quality of care

The quality of the care is outstanding .

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Quality of care

Young people receive an outstanding quality of care in this home. They benefit from a highly competent, well-organised and motivated Registered Manager and staff team, who are passionate about meeting their needs. The innovation and commitment of the staff creates an environment that is nurturing and developmental, with well-defined structures which enable young people to feel safe and develop. Young people build successful attachments with staff and it is through these trusting and caring relationships that they achieve significantly positive outcomes and prepare for their future lives.

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Quality of care

Staff work with young people to provide progressive, personalised support. Through individualised placement planning small targets are achievable and further develop the young people's skills in independence and social environments. Young people develop an acceptance of the structures and routines of the home enabling them to modify their behaviours and negotiate their wishes and wants. For example, through the therapeutic approach used by staff in conjunction with the involvement of reflective practice, staff identify the small steps individual young people take in developing attachments, trust and improved behaviour. Although, in some cases, this may still show a rise in physical intervention, the knowledge and support staff offer to young people has shown to improve better outcomes for young people. Examples include the reflective practice staff use after ever handover, support from the therapist and the one to one robust key working sessions.

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Quality of care

Young people receive full staff support to attend and achieve in their education. Staff talk proudly of the impressive steps made by young people in relation to their educational attendance and personal achievements. Young people are keen to discuss their achievements in education and their aspirations for the future. There are examples of excellent practice where staff have attended school and worked closely with teaching staff to support individual children through difficult periods. Staff attend school events and support families to attend if this is appropriate. Educational achievements and progress are celebrated. This shows that staff are committed to providing and supporting children with appropriate education and opportunities to reach their full potential.

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Quality of care

Staff encourage young people to take part in a range of activities and follow their individual interests and develop their talents. Staff make every effort to ensure that young people have the same social opportunities as other young people of the same age, including going to the pictures and going away on holiday. Young people have every opportunity to try new activities. For example, individual young people have followed their hobbies in motor bike building through part-time jobs in the local garage. Young people spoken to commented, `Staff listen to how I feel, how to channel my anger and given more opportunities to follow my wishes to get a full time position in motor mechanics.' This increases their experiences and helps them to enhance their confidence, social skills and abilities.

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Quality of care

Individual care plans are reflective of all aspects of each young person’s needs, including their cultural, religious and gender characteristics. For example, young people confirmed their engagement in their placement plan and the adaptability and flexibility to review and change the plan if required. Young people commented, ‘I feel for the first time involved in my future, I know what staff write about me and I do have a big say in my future.’ Staff are proactive in supporting young people to understand their cultural background and personal identity. They are encouraged to respect the diversity of others and embrace different cultures through key sessions, education and celebrations. There is also diversity within the staff team providing young people with a range of suitable role models and support. This means that young people benefit from fair and equal opportunities in both living and daily care

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Quality of care

planning regardless of their differences.

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Quality of care

Young people benefit from living in a spacious, well-furnished and comfortable home that is kept safe and well-maintained. Staff and young people make clear efforts to make the house comfortable and welcoming and the standards of décor and furnishings throughout the home are good. Repair work is completed quickly and to a high standard. All health and safety checks are in date and robustly reviewed monthly by the health and safety officer for the home. Young people's bedrooms are personalised and reflect their preferences and individuality. Communal areas are nicely decorated and provide enough space for young people to spend time together or on their own. The home provides a very stable, safe and personalised environment that successfully supports young people’s comfort and domestic needs.

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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 are wholeheartedly encouraged by staff to take responsibility for their behaviour in a way that is appropriate to their age and abilities. They say that they feel very safe in the home and demonstrate a good awareness about how the staff promote their safety. Young people are supported to develop socially acceptable behaviour that focuses on building on their individual strengths. Consequently , young people’s engagement in risk taking behaviours has dramatically decreased.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people confirm that they feel safe living in this home. They feel able to talk to any member of staff if they are worried. Staff give young people’s safety the highest priority and they are well-trained in safeguarding. Staff work effectively with young people and the safeguarding agencies to promote young people’s safety. Young people are protected by the home's comprehensive risk assessment practice and management. Risk assessments, identifying likely hazards to young people's safety and reasonable measures to minimise them, are recorded, followed in practice and reviewed when required. When appropriate, such risk assessments are completed as part of the preparation for a young person's placement and after their placement at the home.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Staff are creative in enabling young people to explore and understand the triggers and strategies for improving behaviour. Through one-to-one sessions with staff, young people understand how to reflect and share their thoughts to enable them to manage episodes of conflict and to challenge appropriately. One excellent example was observed of how young people have the use of an outside shed. This allows young people to follow their hobbies as well as a place to be quiet and reflect on their feelings. Young people stated, ‘I use the shed to just get some time away, staff understand my feelings and do come in and discuss issues that may be bugging me.' Young people confirm that the use of physical interventions are very infrequent, only being used as a last resort, by staff, to ensure safety for all. The resolutions of most incidents are through the skilful application of staff support and the sensitive use of

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Safeguarding children and young people

conflict resolution techniques. The home’s manager monitors each intervention, ensuring that the intervention is necessary, applied correctly and comprehensively recorded. Examples in staff meeting minutes shows how management have challenged staff in their recording of physical intervention, the importance of showing deflection, diverse techniques, the use of a safe place before having to go to a physical intervention. Staff have recognised their shortfalls in recording, reflected on the importance of recording and have improved their record writing.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The home has excellent systems in place to protect young people should they go missing. The home follows the local authority’s policy on young people missing from care and implements this in accordance with a young person’s risk assessment and care plan. There is only one incident recorded where a young person has gone missing from the home.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The home has a vigorous health and safety regime which ensures that all fire precautions, drills and equipment servicing are conducted routinely, consistently and within timescales set by the relevant regulations. Good 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. New staff are comprehensively vetted prior to their deployment in the home and before having unsupervised access to any young person. This ensures young people are safe and have a staff team who know them well.

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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 live in a home that is very effectively and efficiently managed in their best interests. The home meets the aims and objectives of its Statement of Purpose. Young people, parents and social workers are clear about the services and support the home provides.

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Leadership and management

The leadership and management of this home are accomplished and resourceful. The Registered Manager is very efficient and effective in her role and provides staff with extensive leadership and support through clear lines of accountability and responsibility. This leadership is flexible and visible and consistently communicates high expectations to staff about sustaining improvement and purposefully promotes high-quality care and outcomes for young people. There were no requirements or recommendations made at the previous inspection.

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Leadership and management

There is a range of very effective monitoring measures which not only look at the operation of the home but also provide an effective measure of progress for the young people. This enables the manager to track the effectiveness of staff intervention and see the difference the home is making to young people's lives. Young people, parents and social workers are regularly asked for their views and the manager develops the service in response to this.

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Leadership and management

Staff work efficiently as a team and report feeling very well-supported in their role. Staff regularly receive comprehensive training, supervision and appraisal, which enables them to explore their feelings about their role. Staff commented, ‘The training and support from the managers is the best I've ever had. The training gives you an in depth understanding of young people's needs.' A good example is the training in cognitive behaviour therapy. This training is provided for all staff and is part of new staff's induction training. More specialised training is being considered due to individual young people’s behaviour. For example, autism training, attachment disorder and further development on reflective practice. Managers understand the importance of building a good team spirit and try to ensure, 'We remain in this home and not cover for other homes within the company.' Regular team meetings focus on

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Leadership and management

meeting young people's needs, improving the care staff offer and mutually supporting the staff team.

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Leadership and management

The Registered Manager ensures that the staffing levels are sufficient in the home and adapts the rota in order to meet the individual needs of the young people. The home has a diverse staff group that uses staff’s individual experiences to develop young people's knowledge. The strength of the home is the enthusiastic, competent and consistent staff team that is totally committed to putting the best interests of the young people at the heart of their work, enabling them to provide outstanding care and support.

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Leadership and management

There is a clear determination, energy and motivation to provide and continuously improve the care framework of this home. Young people are respected, valued and enabled to achieve their full potential by well-trained and forward thinking staff. This successful approach promotes an effective developmental and child-centred service.

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Leadership and management

Young people’s case records are clear, up-to-date and stored securely and would contribute significantly to the young people’s understanding of their time in care if they choose to access these documents in the future. The registered person notifies the appropriate authorities about all significant events relating to the protection of young people accommodated in the home. No requirements or recommendations were made at the home's last full inspection and none have been generated following this inspection.

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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 and the evaluation schedule for the inspection of children's homes.

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