Children's Home run by East Riding of Yorkshire Council in East Riding of Yorkshire

Unique reference number SC035543 Inspection date 05/09/2013 Inspector David Martin Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

p.1

Date of last inspection 06/02/2013 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.1

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.

p.2

Brief description of the service

The children's home is provided by a local authority and it cares for up to six young people. It focuses on supporting young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties.

p.3

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

p.3

Overall effectiveness

The overall effectiveness is judged to be outstanding .

p.3

Overall effectiveness

This setting is committed to the continuous improvement of the service offered to young people. Young people have respectful, affectionate and loyal relationships with each other and with the staff. The strength of their relationships provides the foundation for them to make progress in all aspects of their lives. Young people are in excellent health and enjoy a wide range of physical activities and are actively encouraged to lead healthy lifestyles. All young people have begun the new term at college with enthusiasm. They have worked hard with staff to find educational placements that reflect their interests and vocational aspirations. Young people’s opinions are highly valued and they influence the way in which the home is run. Young people feel safe and protected by staff. Positive social behaviour is promoted effectively without the use of sanctions or physical intervention. None of the young people are involved in offending behaviour. The staff are highly motivated and are

p.3

Overall effectiveness

led by a strong and effective senior management team. Monitoring processes are robust and clearly identify the home’s strengths and areas for development. No statutory requirements or recommendations are made as a result of this inspection.

p.3

Outcomes for children and young people

Outcomes for young people are outstanding .

p.3

Outcomes for children and young people

Young people have respectful, affectionate and loyal relationships with each other and with the staff. One young person said, ‘It’s a great home and the staff are like your family’. Young people have warm, consistent and positive interactions with staff. This helps them to form enduring attachments and the emotional resilience to overcome adversity and setbacks. The strength of their relationships is a key factor in them developing a sense of belonging and emotional wellbeing.

p.3

Outcomes for children and young people

Young people are in excellent health. They eat well-balanced, nutritional meals and follow healthy lifestyles. They are engaged in a wide variety of sports and are very proud of their performance in a recent international ‘foot-golf’ competition. They are equally proud of their successes in outdoor pursuits and have made the most of new experiences in rock climbing, abseiling and white water rafting, for example. Young people rarely consume alcohol and are not involved in illegal drug use. Young people understand that good health is important.

p.4

Outcomes for children and young people

Young people have approached the new term at school and college with enthusiasm and high levels of motivation. They have worked hard with staff to find educational placements that reflect their interests and vocational aspirations. Given young people’s low educational starting points, their current attitude to learning and developing new skills is impressive. Some young people who have left the home recently have gone on to secure apprenticeships for themselves and are positively engaged in the world of work. Young people value learning and understand that it provides the foundations for a successful and stable future.

p.4

Outcomes for children and young people

Young people feel listened to and have frequent opportunities to share their views. They regularly meet as a group with a children’s rights representative and make a positive contribution to wide-ranging discussions. They are fully engaged in individual keyworker sessions, helping them to explore personal and challenging issues. Young people feel that their views are taken seriously and that staff always have a sound and fair reason when their suggestions cannot be acted on. Young people are confident in offering their opinions.

p.4

Outcomes for children and young people

All young people maintain contact with their families and enjoy the support of staff in maintaining their relationships outside the home. Some young people have been able to re-establish significant familial relationships, adding to their sense of maturity and understanding of their personal histories. Contact always takes place in accordance with young people’s wishes. Young people are making positive strides towards adulthood. They have well-developed independence skills and have a strong sense that ‘growing up’ is having a positive impact on their view of themselves and their aspirations for the future.

p.4

Quality of care

The quality of the care is outstanding .

p.4

Quality of care

Staff have an excellent understanding of the importance of their role in building meaningful and lasting relationships with young people. They acknowledge that this is a key factor in helping young people make significant, positive changes in their behaviour. The home’s approach is encapsulated in the statement of purpose that, ‘the most important tool we possess in helping young people to change, grow and develop into well-adjusted members of society is ourselves’. Relationships between the staff and young people are demonstrably warm, respectful and good-humoured. Staff actively encourage young people to express their opinions about the way in which the home is run. They act on their wishes and views where appropriate and are open and honest about the reasons when this is not possible. Young people are encouraged to express their hopes for the future both prior to and during review meetings. Staff are always willing to act as advocates for young people to ensure

p.4

Quality of care

that their views are strongly represented. Collectively and individually, young people play an active part in decision making in the home and their opinions are always taken seriously.

p.5

Quality of care

Information about making a complaint is widely disseminated and freely available to young people. Complaints are infrequent but, when they are made, the home takes prompt and decisive action to resolve them. All complaints are evaluated effectively. This ensures that staff can reflect on any learning points and can modify their practice where necessary. Complaints are taken very seriously and are used as developmental tool.

p.5

Quality of care

Placement plans are of a high standard, clearly identifying the way in which young people’s needs are met and managing risks effectively. They are dynamic, ‘live’ documents that are changed and updated to reflect the progress that young people make. Young people are encouraged to contribute to their records, giving them a sense of shared ownership of decision making and planning.

p.5

Quality of care

The home is in excellent decorative order throughout and there are no signs of damage or wear and tear. In many respects, it feels like a ‘family’ home and offers young people an attractive and pleasant environment. Young people’s bedrooms are decorated well and reflect their individuality and personal preferences. Young people are proud of the home and have developed a strong sense of respect for the premises.

p.5

Quality of care

The home is committed to supporting young people to be fully engaged in their formal education. The staff liaise closely with educational colleagues to ensure that any disruption to educational placements is kept to a minimum. At short notice staff will arrange to meet young people when they are experiencing difficulties. This is a matter of good practice and helps young people to manage their insecurities and uncertainties. On a less formal basis, young people are making the most of their opportunities to be involved in activities outside the home. Their participation in outdoor pursuits, in particular, gives them the chance to learn about themselves and contributes significantly to their personal development

p.5

Safeguarding children and young people

The service is outstanding at keeping children and young people safe and feeling safe.

p.5

Safeguarding children and young people

The service is outstanding at keeping children and young people safe and feeling safe. Young people feel very safe at the home and are confident that the staff are genuinely concerned about their welfare and well-being. Some young people recently visited London for the first time and one young person said, ‘I couldn’t have felt more safe with staff’. This view is echoed by professional colleagues of the home who commented on the ‘hard work’ undertaken by staff to keep young people safe.

p.5

Safeguarding children and young people

Staff have completed safeguarding and child protection training and are fully aware of their responsibilities to report any concerns that arise. They have established an environment which protects young people from bullying. The Registered Manager has a strong and effective relationship with the Local Authority Designated Officer and takes a proactive role in seeking to manage any risks, particularly where there are concerns about the potential exploitation of young people. The home’s approach contributes to the safety and well-being of young people.

p.6

Safeguarding children and young people

Most young people are never missing from home. When incidents occur the home takes prompt and effective action to locate and contact young people. Corresponding records are comprehensive and clearly demonstrate the exhaustive efforts that staff make to ensure that young people return home as quickly as possible. The home treats all missing from home incidents seriously and responds to them with an appropriate level of concern. This helps to keep young people safe.

p.6

Safeguarding children and young people

The use of restraint is rare. This reflects the fact that challenging behaviour has reduced significantly over time. Staff make excellent use of a wide range of skills in diverting young people away from trouble. They understand that all behaviour has meaning and is often a manifestation of a young person’s emotional state. Staff are very consistent in applying boundaries effectively. It is to the credit of young people too that they are able to regulate their own behaviour. None of the young people are involved in criminal activity. In some cases, this represents remarkable progress. Young people are making the most of their opportunities to acquire positive social skills and to behave in socially acceptable ways. This keeps them out of harm’s way.

p.6

Safeguarding children and young people

Staff turnover is very low and sickness levels are minimal. Staff are unanimous in their view that the home is running well and enables them to undertake positive, safe work with young people. When new staff are recruited they are carefully selected and subject to rigorous vetting prior to being appointed. This ensures that they are safe and suitable adults to work with young people and protects young people from harm.

p.6

Leadership and management

The leadership and management of the children's home are outstanding .

p.6

Leadership and management

The home has a full time Registered Manager who is employed in the home on a permanent basis. He is ably supported by a well-qualified and highly motivated senior team. The staff have full confidence in a management team that provides thoughtful and reflective leadership. The home sets itself high expectations and the staff are able to rise to the challenge with enthusiasm. Young people benefit from this approach.

p.6

Leadership and management

Information about making a complaint is widely available. Complaints are infrequent but when they are made they are treated with an appropriate level of urgency in seeking to resolve them.

p.7

Leadership and management

The Statement of Purpose is very well written and gives a clear and concise account of the home’s values, day-to-day management and overall aims. Similarly, there is an excellent young person’s guide to the home which sets out, in easily understood terms, the daily routines, house rules and important contacts. Both documents help young people, their parents and social workers to understand what they can expect from the service.

p.7

Leadership and management

Monitoring of activity within the home is well-established through independent monthly visits and monthly and quarterly manager’s reports. This work provides valuable statistical information and evaluates effectively processes that are working well and those that need to be developed further. The annual development plan sets realistic, ambitious and achievable targets for the forthcoming year. The plan has been shared with staff, ensuring that the full staff team contribute to and have ownership of the home’s goals. This is a matter of good practice and contributes to the drive for continuous improvement.

p.7

Leadership and management

The majority of staff have appropriate child care qualifications and bring a diverse range of skills and experience to the team. Staff benefit from regular, supervision in which they can address personal development needs and reflect on their individual practice. Staffing levels are very good, enabling effective one to one work with young people. This underpins the strength of their relationships with young people. Staff have excellent access to on-going training and can request more specialised training as the need arises. This ensures that staff are well informed and have a sound grasp of current best practice.

p.7

Leadership and management

All records are stored securely, ensuring that confidential information about young people is safe.

p.7

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.

p.8

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.

p.8