Children's Home run by Castle Homes Care Limited in Barnsley

Unique reference number SC363630 Inspection date 12/06/2013 Inspector Simon Morley Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 14/03/2013 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Brief description of the service

This service is a privately run children's home. The home provides accommodation for up to three young people. It is registered to provide care for young people who have behavioural or emotional difficulties.

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Brief description of the service

A separate building within the home's grounds is registered as a school with the Department for Education. The school facility is available to young people placed in this home.

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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 manager and staff have gone from strength to strength in providing young people exceptional levels of support and a high quality of care. Their aim is 'to be the best home in the country'. They are persistent and committed to motivate young people to do well even when young people are reluctant to change.

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Overall effectiveness

The homely, stable environment, input from staff and access to additional services are all outstanding. This contributes to excellent outcomes young people achieve. Young people are at the heart of care practice and are totally included in what happens in the home. Care planning comprehensively identifies young people's diverse needs and progress they make.

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Overall effectiveness

Exceptional work is undertaken with young people at risk of exploitation and who absent themselves from the home. Young people feel safe living at the home and safeguarding strategies contribute to promoting all aspects of young people's welfare.

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Overall effectiveness

There is very effective leadership of the home. The manager has developed a strong staff team who are highly motivated and enthusiastic in supporting young people to achieve their best.

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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 achieve outstanding outcomes in comparison to their backgrounds and needs on admission to the home. This is a direct result of the exceptional quality of individual care they receive at the home. Young people commented, 'this place is like home to me.'

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people make excellent progress with their attendance and achievements at school and college. They benefit from the flexibility of using the on-site school and move quickly back into mainstream school when they are ready. Young people study hard for their exams, are keen to apply to college and look forward to attending college open days. Young people are proud of their achievements and recognition of their hard work. Stakeholders commented that there is excellent promotion of education and young people are adamant that staff value their education.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people learn more about their backgrounds, develop their confidence and emotional resilience through the exceptional individual focus work with staff and support from other agencies. Stakeholders commented that young people make very good progress to develop their full potential. Young people said that staff are very understanding and kind.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people understand health issues and how to look after themselves. This includes healthy eating, regular exercise and avoiding risks from smoking, alcohol, substance misuse and exploitation. Young people benefit from exploring these and other topical issues such as living in a multi-cultural society, politics and oppression. This adds to young people's education and also helps develop positive relationships with staff.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people have an excellent say in what happens in the home. They write the menus, shop, cook, plant flowers and their views alter care practice, for example having additional money for refreshments when out of the home for long periods. If young people do not like what staff have written about them, their views also lead to records being amended. The exceptional approach to including young people helps make them 'feel at home'.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people also enjoy being part of the registered provider's participation forum. This gives additional opportunities for young people to have a voice and develop their organisational and social skills with meetings writing newsletters and making friends.

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Quality of care

The quality of the care is outstanding .

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Quality of care

The manager and staff have high aspirations for all young people regardless of their needs and backgrounds. Stakeholders commented 'I was astounded by your support.' Young people benefit from a very caring, homely and friendly environment. The well-being of individual young people is central to the high quality of care practice facilitated by the excellent relationships and rapport with staff.

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Quality of care

Very high standards of care are promoted by detailed in-house care plans and the thoughtful, considerate way staff follow these plans. Young people are fully involved in writing these plans which are highly descriptive in relation to young people's needs, goals and how these are to be met. Diverse needs such as age, gender, race, culture, religion, personal safety, interests and independence are all equally promoted. Young people plan activities with staff, diets are based on religious needs and cultural tastes are promoted. Religious and cultural items are provided for young people such as copies of the Qur'an to read and headscarves to wear. This contributes to keeping young people at the heart of what goes on in the home and promotes their diverse needs. Stakeholders commented 'I was impressed with the positive relationships and attention to individual needs was a clear priority.'

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Quality of care

Young people are encouraged to join in the registered provider's participation forum, have access to external advocacy and staff also advocate for them as well. This helps reduce barriers to young people's progress with: their education, family contact, access to support services and having enjoyable leisure time. Young people have been bought special mattresses, study aids, art materials, go to the theatre and opera. This all adds to the imaginative and individual ways that staff promote young people's holistic needs and personal interests. Young people commented that staff are excellent at listening to them. Staff go that extra bit further and have the commitment to write a personal diary for young people full of daily positive comments which helps young people feel good about themselves. Staff are also very efficient in helping young people keep a life story book full of photographs of themselves, what they have done and their achievements.

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Quality of care

There are extremely strong partnerships in place with external agencies, including the police, social services and relatives. This enables an effective approach with regard the welfare and safety of young people. Excellent contact and communication with stakeholders and relatives is promoted to ensure care plans are comprehensive and meet young people's diverse needs. Parents commented 'I am very, very happy with the home' and stakeholders said 'communication is precise, clear and professional.'

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Quality of care

The home is exceptionally domestic in nature, extremely well presented and maintained. There is convenient access to public transport, local shops and facilities.

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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 state that they feel safe at the home and staff are excellent in helping them thrive. Young people's safety is given a high priority and stakeholders commented 'staff are proactive when it comes to safeguarding young people.' Staff training, policies, procedures and up-to-date good practice guidance ensures staff have a comprehensive understanding of effective safeguarding practice and how to protect the welfare of young people. Any concerns around a young person's safety are quickly acted on. The manager and staff work in partnership with the police, the local authority and placing authorities instigating strategy meetings to plan how to keep young people safe.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Staff are relentless in their desire to ensure the safety of young people and undertake a wide range of individual focus work with them about their personal safety, the dangers of missing from home, exploitation, substance misuse and internet safety. This helps young people develop a strong sense of safety. The manager has developed a cohesive, open and transparent approach to reducing risks to young people. Detailed care planning and comprehensive risk assessments are in place for each young person. These are regularly reviewed with regard young people's progress and development. This ensures all staff know how to support young people in their personal development taking age appropriate risks while keeping safe.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Staff work very hard with young people to minimise the occasions when they go missing from the home. When such incidents occur staff utilise excellent arrangements they have developed with social workers and police missing person coordinators to ensure young people are returned safely. There have been significant improvements in this respect, with a reduction in missing from home incidents.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Behaviour management strategies are very effective with plenty of incentives for young people to do well. As a result the use of sanctions and physical intervention are minimal, appropriate and safe. Young people know how to complain but feel they do not need to do so as they are able to discuss any concerns directly with staff and the manager. Young people commented, 'staff listen to my grumbles.' This contributes to young people's feelings of being valued.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Safety arrangements for dealing with visitors, vetting new staff and maintaining the home are good protecting the welfare, health and safety of young people at 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

Leadership of the home is exceptional, underpinned by a strong drive for continuous improvement owned by all staff. Staff are passionate about being the best, 'we want to be the best home in the country' and they talk with high regard about young people and their achievements. Staff are unanimous that the manager is outstanding, inspirational and motivates them with a strong work ethic. This view is supported by young people who said 'the manager is the best, staff get too much of the credit.' Extensive internal monitoring of the quality of care effectively contributes to young people's positive outcomes. A detailed written plan includes realistic and challenging targets focusing the desire to improve outcomes for young people. The quality of record keeping and monitoring of records has improved as recommended at the last inspection. This provides a better focus on young people's achievements and goals.

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Leadership and management

Staff have developed into a highly effective, supportive team through supervision, training and mentoring. As a result young people benefit from a consistent and stable staff team, highly competent in meeting their needs. Staff undertake a wide range of basic training, achieve relevant qualifications and keep up to date with good practice guidance. Further training in topics such as self-harm, mental health and exploitation develops the skills and confidence of staff in working with young people with a range of individual needs. Staff have a range of individual skills and strengths which helps ensure young people receive a high quality service. Stakeholders commented 'staff work well together, young people's achievements are excellent.'

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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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