Children's Home run by Calcot Services for Children Limited in Wokingham

Unique reference number SC054468 Inspection date 06/08/2013 Inspector Emeline Evans Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 21/01/2013 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Brief description of the service

The home is privately owned by an established company. The home is registered to accommodate a maximum of three young people who may have emotional and behavioural difficulties. A therapeutic approach is taken in working with children and young people with the aim of enabling them to return to their family home or to an alternative family placement.

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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 has very high aspirations for the young people it cares for. Young people have formed trusting relationships with the staff. The young people receive outstanding levels of support and encouragement from a stable and experienced care team that helps them to make significant progress, which increases their confidence and self-control. Young people are supported to begin to reach their desired goals both emotionally and psychologically. This is not always easy, however, the persistence of staff, and their strong understanding of the young people, helps ease young people’s anxieties and therefore maximise their possibilities.

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Overall effectiveness

The committed staff team provide an exceptional level of well-planned and highly individualised care. Individual placement and therapeutic plans clearly set out how the young people’s emotional, social, health and therapeutic needs are to be met. The young people’s views are sought and taken into consideration on how the home is run and they have many opportunities to join activities. Young people are able to bring about changes that affect their daily life. Young people leaving care are given a realistic practically based experience that helps in the preparation for independent living. Social workers comment extremely positively on the service that is provided and the progress that young people have made.

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Overall effectiveness

Leadership and management of the service remains very strong, following the appointment of a full time deputy who is well respected by both staff and the young people. The monitoring of the service is thorough. Recommendations identified at this inspection are to develop administrative processes and do not have an impact on young people's quality of care.

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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 sanctions for behaviour are clear, reasonable and fair and are understood by all staff and children (NMS 3.8)  ensure all staff have their performance individually and formally appraised at least annually and this appraisal takes into account any views of children for whom the service is providing. (NMS 19.6)

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people make positive progress in many aspects of their lives; their emotional well-being, confidence and self-esteem are developing well. This is achieved by the focused and personalised care each young person receives, which promotes all aspects of the individual’s identity. Young people have a good understanding of their personal issues and with excellent support from the staff, are enabled to take positive steps in managing these. All young people are valued and respected as individuals. Staff work consistently with external agencies to address the young people’s individual needs and promote their physical and emotional well-being.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Staff and professionals work together with the young people to address risk taking behaviours such as being missing from care and police involvement. Staff are aware that at certain points in therapeutic intervention and when certain life events occur these behaviours increase and support the young people during these times. This consistent approach has resulted in these behaviours being reduced over time. One young person commented, ‘I haven’t gone missing so much and now realise I shouldn’t hang around with some of the people I did.’

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people are encouraged and supported in adopting healthy lifestyles, through a range of physical activities and a nutritious diet. Young people are actively involved in contributing to the menu and staff discuss with the young people the importance of healthy eating. Young people are provided with information and given numerous opportunities to spend time with staff to discuss and make decisions on their overall health and well-being. This is achieved in a range of areas such as the food they eat and unhealthy habits such as smoking. Young people are encouraged to be involved in food preparation and cooking; this assists in developing independent living skills.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Staff fully recognise the value of education and provide effective support for the young people’s individual educational arrangements. Staff are committed to ensuring young people are integrated into local colleges and schools. Young people talk positively about their learning opportunities and achievements are celebrated. Young people are particularly well supported in achieving their full academic potential. Staff support young people through interviews for colleges and work experience programmes; this is further enhancing their self-esteem. Young people’s attendance at school has increased through consistent messages and encouragement from staff, this results in progression and learning. Staff work closely with professionals within education to ensure young people’s choices and views on education placements are central in all decisions made. This is empowering the young people in making choices and contributing to their progress in education.

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Outcomes for children and young people

The young people are able to make and maintain relationships with friends. The young people, where appropriate, visit friends at their houses or go out in the community with them. The young people, subject to any agreed restrictions, are encouraged and emotionally and practically supported to maintain contact with their family and significant others.

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Outcomes for children and young people

The staff team ensure young people develop links with the wider community. The young people experience a variety of social and leisure opportunities. Young people are encouraged to socialise with peer groups in the local community; young people report that they enjoy these opportunities. Young people develop a range of practical skills and are supported to carry out household chores and cook simple meals. Young people are also encouraged to try new things. These activities are geared to prepare the young people to move onto independent living.

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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 the quality of the relationships they have developed with the caring members of staff working with them. Staff have consistently high expectations for the young people and place the young people’s well-being at the centre of their practice. Staff have an excellent understanding of the young people’s individual needs and adapt their practice to accommodate these. For example, individual direct work is responsive to the current, individual needs of the young people with clearly defined outcomes. The staff team provide a supportive and nurturing environment where young people begin to feel safe. This enables the young people to make progress in many areas of their lives. Professional comments include; ‘ I am delighted staff have shown they are not prepared to give up on a young person where they continually display negative behaviour or put themselves at risk’ and ‘staff are fair and consistent.’ Young people also benefit from appropriate

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Quality of care

relationships with each other. Even though there is conflict between the young people at times, there are also periods when they help and support each.

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Quality of care

Young people take an active role in decision-making in the home. They are listened to and encouraged to express their views and opinions. ‘Kids chat’ gives an opportunity for young people to express their views in the running of the home, for example, requests for items in their bedrooms and activities. Clear written feedback is given following all requests. Young people are given a range of opportunities to express their feelings; this is achieved through direct work sessions, meetings with the management team and also as a group when having the evening meal. Young people have an excellent understanding of how to make a complaint but believe they can resolve most issues by talking directly to staff or other young people. Any complaints from young people are taken seriously and investigated appropriately.

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Quality of care

The young people are cared for in line with their individual placement plans, which clearly demonstrate their individual needs and strategies for meeting these. Placement plans are excellent and ensure staff are kept up to date and fully aware of the individual needs of the young people. Young people are supported to attend their review meetings. This ensures young people are able to make their views known about their care and as a result, young people feel involved and consulted.

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Quality of care

The home has built exceptionally effective partnerships with external agencies. Communication with professionals is described as excellent and this ensures a holistic approach is achieved. The management team challenge any shortfalls in delivery with the appropriate professionals to ensure the young people receive the support they require. Young people have support from a team of therapists and a clinical supervisor. They engage in regular individual sessions to address their emotional and psychological needs. Staff work very closely with the therapists to ensure a consistent approach is achieved.

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Quality of care

Young people are strongly encouraged to explore activities they are interested in. Although these activities are carefully risk-assessed and involve a high level planning, young people are supported to access a range of opportunities. Young people attend drama clubs, guides, horse riding and the cinema. These opportunities help young people to explore skills, experience success and develop a positive self-image.

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Quality of care

The home is situated in a residential area within easy reach of local facilities. The accommodation is well maintained and furnished to a high standard. It provides ample space for individual and group activities. The young people have their own bedrooms which reflect their own personalities and interests.

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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 present as exceptionally comfortable and relaxed in this home. Staff have worked hard to successfully achieve a safe and accepting atmosphere in the home. Young people may not always like the house rules and staff supervision but they generally acknowledge they are in place for their safety. The staff openly and routinely discuss potential and actual risks and dangers with the young people to help them understand what they need to do to keep themselves safe. All significant incidents are discussed with the young people and strategies are devised to help prevent reoccurrence. Young people are protected from significant harm by rigorous recruitment procedures. This ensures only appropriate staff are appointed to the home. Young people are involved in this process; this enables young people to express their views and feel involved in the process.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people are further protected by various, personalised risk assessments. The staff team have worked to ensure that young people’s risk assessments clearly identify individual vulnerabilities. Staff are very aware of the vulnerabilities of the young people and have excellent knowledge of their safeguarding responsibilities. All staff undertake safeguarding training and receive regular refreshers. There is a focus on training, which is individual to the young people currently accessing the service. This ensures that staff are kept up-to-date with the action to take should they have any concerns about a young person’s safety or well-being. The home works with local agencies to keep young people safe. There is regular liaison and clear and up- to-date joint protocols with the police and placing authorities concerning children who go missing. Where this occurs, action is taken to secure a young person’s safe

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Safeguarding children and young people

return and to minimise these incidences. Managers regularly attend missing from care panels to enable information to be shared and a holistic approach achieved. The management team work in a proactive manner to ensure young people’s safety is a priority. Recently the managers of the service have met with the police at a senior level to discuss suspected incidents of child sexual exploitation in the area and strategies to minimise this risk for young people. This information has been shared with all staff.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Positive and proactive behaviour management strategies are consistently applied and these have a significant impact on the young people's behaviour. The young people are encouraged to reflect on their behaviour to consider how it impacts on others and what strategies may be used to prevent a reoccurrence. Restraint is only used when felt necessary to ensure safety and incidents have reduced significantly in recent months. Staff receive regular training on positive handling techniques and use these effectively to de-escalate, divert and manage the young people's challenging behaviour. Sanctions are used, those applied are discussed with the young people. However, is was not evident if all the young people and staff were clear on the sanctions policy and the agreed sanctions in operation and records were not clear. This could lead to sanctions not being proportionate. Comprehensive individual behaviour plans ensure that there is a consistent management of behaviour within

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Safeguarding children and young people

the home. Young people are provided with therapeutic support which helps them to develop an understanding of their behaviour and learn how to manage it.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The environment is physically safe and secure, taking account of the needs of the young people cared for. There is a rigorous approach to health and safety matters. Consequently, young people benefit from a safe environment and this impacts positively on their overall welfare. All appliances and the premises are regularly checked and fire drills and alarm testing is frequent and effective.

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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 Registered Manager and staff team that are highly committed and focused on improving the quality of care provided. A full time deputy is now in post and this has resulted in a strong committed approach to provide a high quality service. The management team communicate high expectations to the staff team and use the skills of the team extremely effectively to focus on achieving excellent outcomes. The management team are enthusiastic and use the inspection process to develop and further enhance the service provided. They fully understand the strengths of the service and are aware of areas to be developed. The manager is both approachable and supportive, which is appreciated by the staff team and young people. She actively consults with young people and makes herself available to them and the staff team.

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Leadership and management

The provider meets the aims and objectives that are set out in the Statement of Purpose. Young people receive information on the home in a colourful and accessible format which allows them to have an understanding of what to expect from the home.

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Leadership and management

Monthly monitoring of the quality of care is completed by a senior manager and the manager also conducts monthly monitoring. The monitoring of the home has developed into an extremely robust process and actions identified from the systems are promptly addressed. The management team routinely look at trends and patterns and work with the team in a collaborative way to address all areas of the practice within the home. This ensures the manager has a grasp on the strengths of the service and any areas to improve on. There is a focus on evaluating outcomes for the young people.

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Leadership and management

The home received one external complaint since the last inspection. This was addressed robustly and resolved fully. This demonstrates a capacity to learn from feedback and to make changes in order to improve outcomes for young people.

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Leadership and management

Young people are provided with consistent and excellent standards of care from a stable, competent and well-trained staff team. Sufficient staff ensure that both group and individual needs are met. The young people receive care from a well- supported care team who provide as appropriate role models to the young people. Staff undertake a range of regulatory and service specific training which provides them with skills, knowledge and competencies required to meet the needs of the young people. The organisation demonstrates a real commitment to qualifications and training. Staff receive regular supervision enabling them to reflect on their practice and relationships with the young people. Staff receive an annual appraisal of their performance. This ensures that the quality of staff practice is monitored and challenged as appropriate. However, the annual appraisals do not include opportunity for young people to feedback about individual staff performance. This

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Leadership and management

does not allow young people to be appropriately involved in appraising the staff who care for them on a day-to-day basis. Effective systems are in place for staff handover and this extends to excellent communication between staff and therapy team. Young people’s files are stored securely and contain a range of documents, which are relevant and contribute to an understanding of the young person’s life. This helps staff in supporting young people to understand their background.

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Leadership and management

The organisation and the Registered Manager are committed to continuous improvement in the management and delivery of service. There are a range of development plans in operation these are purposeful, realistic and challenging and fully take into account the views of the young people. The recommendation made at a previous inspection ensuring that the home has precise details of all the necessary checks on students carrying out placements in the home has been acted upon.

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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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