Children's Home run by Sheffield City Council in Sheffield

Unique reference number SC066747 Inspection date 04/12/2013 Inspector Debbie Foster Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

p.1

Date of last inspection 31/01/2013 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 home is owned and run by a local authority. The home is registered to look after a maximum of five young people, who may have 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 good .

p.3

Overall effectiveness

Young people benefit greatly from the excellent care staff provide. This enables young people to make very good progress in most aspects of their lives and bring improved outcomes to their; health, positive behaviour; keeping safe; improving educational attendance and attainment. Other professionals recognise the good progress young people have made from their starting point.

p.3

Overall effectiveness

Care is very well planned and personalised to meet young people’s individual needs. Staff are extremely dedicated and provide a very nurturing environment. This enables young people to thrive, feel safe, develop independent living skills, build confidence and have aspirations.

p.3

Overall effectiveness

Young people are kept safe. Staff have an extensive wealth of knowledge and understanding of all young people's specific needs. They take effective action to ensure any safety concerns are addressed and managed to keep young people safe from unnecessary harm.

p.3

Overall effectiveness

Professionals made very positive comments, including: 'The staff work excellently with young people; supporting their emotional and mental health needs,' and 'Staff do their upmost to support the young people, with consistency,' and 'Communication is excellent, I'm always kept up-to-date on all matter.'

p.3

Overall effectiveness

There is a strong and experienced management team. Staff have high aspirations and are motivated about helping young people achieve the best in their lives and continue to move positively forward. The manager leads by example providing clear expectations, good quality training; supervision and effective communication to ensure consistent care is delivered to the young people. The home demonstrates a strong commitment to continually monitoring and reviewing the care provided to improve outcomes for young people.

p.3

Overall effectiveness

Areas for development relate to the home routinely having the education targets and goals recorded within all Personal Education Plans. This will enable staff support young people's continued attainment and ensure that targets are met over the academic year.

p.4

Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):

p.4

Recommendations

 ensure that young people are helped to achieve their education or training goals. Staff work with the child's education provider to maximise each child's achievement and to minimise any underachievement. In particular that current and predicted key stage grade levels are documented within the Personal Education Plans. To enable staff to support and assist each young people in achieving suitable educational progress. ( NMS 8.4)

p.4

Outcomes for children and young people

Young people make good progress in most areas of their lives from their starting point on admission to the home. Staff develop very strong nurturing relationships with young people. This enables young people to settle into the home, to develop a sense of self-confidence and build trusting relationships. This in turn, supports their progress.

p.4

Outcomes for children and young people

Young people enjoy good health. Their physical and emotional health needs are identified at an early stage and plans put in place to make sure they are met. Young people are registered with primary health care services and are supported at all health appointments. As a result of these arrangements, some young people with on-going health needs are now being addressed, with frequent professional support. This includes support from psychologists. Young people's long-term health and well- being will greatly benefit from this support. While staff advise and point out risks to health, some young people continue to choose to smoke and on occasions take alcohol or drugs. Unfortunately this affects and impacts on their general health.

p.4

Outcomes for children and young people

The home has robust medication procedures. These protect young people and ensure that they have medicines when they need them.

p.4

Outcomes for children and young people

Young people regularly attend education and are encouraged to achieve by staff. Staff work very closely with teachers and other education professionals. Some young people's attendance in educational placements is increasing, from a history of sporadic and poor attendance. Others have excellent attendance which has been sustained for some considerable time. Young people and staff are extremely proud of their achievements. A young person said 'I need my maths, English and science GCSE to get into the army to train to be a mechanic.' They understand the importance of education and talk confidently about their school, college and work placements. However, not all personal education plans set out clearly the educational grades and targets for young people, to assist staff in helping young people to achieve these. This does not ensure each young person's achievements are always maximised.

p.4

Outcomes for children and young people

Staff encourage young people to identify activities in the community that they are interested in. Young people said they enjoyed going out with staff, spending time with friends, visiting their family and trips to the coast. This enables young people to make friends outside the home and helps to develop their social skills.

p.5

Outcomes for children and young people

Young people acquire good independence and life skills appropriate to their age and understanding. This is achieved by them being actively involved in daily living skills, undertaking general house chores, organising their own health care appointment and taking charge processing their own laundry. Young people report that staff are helping them to be more independent. For example, they choose menus and help staff with cooking. This helps to develop their understanding of healthy diets. Over time, they are also supported to learn how to manage their own money. Young people who are over 16 years have a pathway plan. This sets out in good detail the support and guidance the young person requires to prepare them for independence and leaving care. Staff are working alongside each young person to ensure they have all the necessary skills and information to look after themselves, with good progress being made. As a result, young people are being well prepared for adulthood.

p.5

Outcomes for children and young people

Young people benefit from seeing their family and other people who are important to them. Staff facilitate young people's contact with their families and support and monitor young people to ensure that this is a positive experience. Maintaining these relationships benefits young people emotionally, supports their sense of identity and contributes to their understanding of their history.

p.5

Quality of care

The quality of the care is outstanding .

p.5

Quality of care

Staff actively advocate for young people to ensure they are supported in all aspects of their lives to enable them to succeed and achieve their best. The well-being and safety of individual young people is at the heart of the high quality of care provided. Staff have created a culture of care which provides young people with a very nurturing, homely and secure environment. As a result, young people thrive from a very caring staff team. A young person stated, 'It's good place to live; I get on with all the staff; they are always there to help us and I always get loads of praise,' and ' The best thing about living here is that I feel stable and safe.' Young people have a great rapport and positive relationships with staff which helps them to trust the people caring for them. This in turn assists them significantly to positively move forward in their lives.

p.5

Quality of care

Staff provide care in a way that effectively promotes young people's welfare regardless of the challenges they present. Diverse needs such as; vulnerability, behaviour, educational, health and personal safety are all very effectively promoted. Young people are fully involved in the running of the home. For example, they decide on menus options, contribute to their reviews, and plan their week’s appointments, activities and trips with help from staff. This contributes to keeping young people at the heart of what goes on in the home.

p.6

Quality of care

High standards of care are achieved by implementing detailed in-house care plans, including risk assessments. These are very clear about a young person's individual needs and the support they require. Young people’s views are taken into account and included within the plans. Staff consistently follow these plans and demonstrate a very good knowledge of each young person's individual care. Staff also support young people effectively to develop self-confidence; coping skills; how to manage their behaviour; develop their independence and to make decisions in their lives. Staff are able to demonstrate the progress young people are making from the starting point of their placement. This is reinforced by the significant amount of direct work undertaken with each young person in areas where they require support. As a result, young people achieve positive outcomes.

p.6

Quality of care

Staff are very proactive in supporting young people to attend education, improve attendance and attainment over time. There is excellent partnership working with other agencies including schools, educational professionals, social workers and mental health workers. There is a persistence to break down barriers that prevent young people from having equal opportunities in all aspects of their life. This is significantly benefiting young people so that they may progress in most aspects of their welfare and development.

p.6

Quality of care

Young people benefit greatly from living in a home that is maintained to a very good standard. A young person stated 'We have a nice home,' and another said 'I like my room, its really nice.' Young people spoke about their home with pride. The home is well decorated, comfortably furnished, clean and tidy. Young people personalise their bedrooms. The home is kept safe through thorough health and safety checks and risk assessments. It is suitably located for local amenities. This is ensures that young people experience and live in a positive safe and comfortable environment.

p.6

Safeguarding children and young people

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

p.6

Safeguarding children and young people

Young people's safety is given high importance. The home has robust safeguarding arrangements that are effective in protecting young people. Staff demonstrate a good understanding of safeguarding processes and how to protect the welfare of young people. Child protection training is undertaken by every staff member. Written guidance and procedures detail the course of action to follow in the event of an allegation or if they have any concerns and are available for all staff to access. Professionals involved with the home say that they are confident that young people's safety is a priority and staff do all they can to ensure young people are kept safe.

p.6

Safeguarding children and young people

Young people rarely go missing from the home. Young people say that they have been made aware of the risks they may find themselves in if they do not return home. A young person said 'Staff phone us to check where we are, if we are on our way home. If we don't return then we are reported as missing to the police.' Staff work directly with individual young people and other professions where such risk has been identified, following care plans, risk assessments and agreed missing from care protocols. Consequently, young people missing from home episodes have reduced overtime, this ensures their safety. There is no bullying in the home and young people confirm this. On occasion, some young people can target others. Staff have a clear understanding of these concerns and have addressed them in plans and risk assessments. The high level of supervision and the vigilance of staff protect young people from such events.

p.7

Safeguarding children and young people

Overall, young people behave well towards one another and staff. Staff actively promote positive behaviour with their nurturing approach which young people respond more positively too. They work hard to divert young people and to defuse situations that might lead to young people displaying difficult behaviour. Staff are trained in appropriate methods of managing challenging behaviour, including in the use of restraint. Staff are aware of the possible triggers for individuals. Physical intervention is only used as a last resort in order to protect them and others. Because of the way staff work with young people, their behaviour improves over time and therefore there are few incidents that result in a physical intervention. If a young person has to be restrained, staff make sure that detailed records are completed. The manager checks these records to ensure that the required protocols are being followed and the welfare of young people is being safeguarded.

p.7

Safeguarding children and young people

The local authority has robust procedures that govern the recruitment of staff. These are followed in the home, ensuring that all staff are thoroughly vetted and assessed as suitable before they start work. These arrangements contribute to keeping the home safe for all young people.

p.7

Safeguarding children and young people

Safeguarding concerns are reported and managed effectively in order to keep young people safe. The manager has a clear understanding of the need to notify appropriate agencies of significant events in the home and does so promptly.

p.7

Safeguarding children and young people

Young people live in a safe environment because staff undertake regular health and safety checks and make sure that equipment is properly serviced. Staff also practise the home's evacuation procedure with young people so that they know what to do in the event of a fire or other emergency. The manager's monitoring of health and safety matters ensures the safety and welfare of young people is suitably promoted. These arrangements protect young people, staff and visitors.

p.7

Leadership and management

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

p.8

Leadership and management

The home is managed by a very experienced and suitably qualified Registered Manager, senior and stable staff team. Young people benefit from a diverse staff team who are from different backgrounds, that include positive male and female role models. The home provides suitable staffing levels to care and meet the needs of the young people who live at the home.

p.8

Leadership and management

The home has a detailed Statement of Purpose and children's guide. These comprehensive documents give a clear overview of what placing social workers, parents and young people can expect from the service.

p.8

Leadership and management

The manager and senior team have a clear and realistic understanding of the strengths of the service and the areas for further development. The manager can demonstrate the impact of the care delivered to young people through the really positive progress that these young people are making. There is a development plan that sets out area to bring further improvement to the care young people receive from the service.

p.8

Leadership and management

Staff said they received very good support from the manager and senior team. They have a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities. Good communication systems exist, which include thorough daily handovers of essential information and regular monthly staff meetings. Staff receive regular formal supervision. They say they have opportunities to debrief after challenging situations when required. This enables staff to reflect on their practice and the care provided to young people.

p.8

Leadership and management

The home is monitored by a representative of the organisation. This provides young people and staff with an opportunity to discuss any issues they may have about living at the home. In addition, the manager monitors systems within the home to ensure that the needs of young people are met.

p.8

Leadership and management

Young people are looked after by a staff team who are very experienced and that have a wide range of skills. The organisation demonstrates a commitment to professional development and training. The majority of staff have completed an appropriate qualification at level three in Caring for Children and Young People, as well as completing training in other child-care related topics, behaviour management; medication; sexual exploitation; mental health of young people and legal rights. As a result, young people are looked after by staff that are well trained, competent and supported in meeting their needs.

p.8

Leadership and management

Young people benefit greatly from the strong relationships the staff have built with other professionals who support young people to ensure their health, care and education needs are met in full. A professionals said ' The staff give over and above in all they do for young people; their approach with young people is excellent; they understand the young person’s needs and change and adapt to meet their needs.' and 'Communication is very good, they make sure I'm kept up to date with all relevant information.' The home’s written records provide information about individual young people’s needs, development and progress. There are also systems in place to notify Ofsted of any significant issues that may occur within the home or with regards to the young people placed. This ensures that there are good systems in place to promote the welfare of the young people.

p.8

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.10

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.10