Children's Home run by Stoke-on-Trent City Council in Stoke-on-Trent

Unique reference number SC403895 Inspection date 18/12/2013 Inspector Elaine Cray Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 13/03/2013 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 two young people of either gender with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home is operated by the local authority.

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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 good .

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Overall effectiveness

Young people receive good and well planned care. Young people live in a nurturing environment and experience a strong sense of security. They make excellent progress.

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Overall effectiveness

There are exceptional safeguarding outcomes for all young people. Young people are given clear boundaries and expectations. They make strong attachments and can discuss their worries and concerns. Young people are fully supported in their transition from childhood through adolescence and into young adult life.

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Overall effectiveness

Excellent partnership working means young people develop a growing awareness about risk taking activities and how to make safe and positive choices. There are significant reductions in young people going missing from care, minimal risk taking behaviours and no incidents of offending behaviour.

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Overall effectiveness

Educational attendance and young people’s achievements are exceptional due to the commitment and support provided by staff. Young people learn both academically and socially. They grow in confidence and develop positive identities.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people’s personal awareness matures and they develop a strong sense of ambition and self-belief. The staff’s ability to identify, celebrate and promote the diverse needs and backgrounds of young people is key to these positive outcomes.

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Overall effectiveness

The manager effectively leads a highly motivated and cohesive staff team. There is a clear focus on quality assurance and drive for on-going improvements in the running of the service and outcomes for young people. The record keeping in the home is good. However the regular review of the quality of care and information about the home is compromised because of lapses in submitting information to Ofsted.

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Statutory Requirements

This section sets out the actions which must be taken so that the registered person/s meets the Care Standards Act 2000, Children's Homes Regulations 2001 and the National Minimum Standards. The registered person(s) must comply with the given timescales.

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) compile in relation to the children’s home a written statement (in these Regulations referred to as “the statement of purpose”) which shall consist of a statement as to the matters listed in Schedule 1. This is with particular regard to the arrangements for dealing with complaints (Regulation 4. (1) Schedule 1.23) 14/03/2014

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) keep under review and, where appropriate, revise the statement of purpose and notify the HMCI of any such revision within 28 days (Regulation 5 (a) and (b)) 14/03/2014

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) supply a copy of the report required to be made under paragraph (4)(c) to HMCI. (Regulation 33. (5) (a)) 14/03/2014

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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

 provide a written record of all medication, treatment and first aid given to children during their placement. This is with particular regard to the specific means of administration of medicines. (NMS 6.15)

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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 make excellent progress at this home. They emotionally and physically thrive due to a strong ethos in positive relationship building, making positive attachments and robust safeguarding.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people experience sound and meaningful relationships with staff. They feel valued because staff listen to them. Talking time with staff helps young people explore their emotions, unravel their relationships and reflect on behaviour. Social workers say young people ‘speak very highly of the staff and I have observed a lovely relationship between the young person and them.’

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Outcomes for children and young people

Some young people have also accessed additional support such as family therapy and anger management to help them have a greater understanding of their backgrounds, family circumstances and behaviour. These outcomes have a very positive impact on their quality of relationships, family contact and frequency of visits to families and friends.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people benefit greatly from improved relationships with their families. They value the time and support staff provide to facilitate family contact. Young people fully appreciate the warm welcome their families receive when they visit the home.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people have excellent education outcomes. They maintain 100% attendance, enjoy school and perform on par with their peers. Young people are very proud of their attendance. They feel good about themselves because their positive approach to education is consistently praised and rewarded by the staff.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people enjoy improved health. They are encouraged to understand and be proactive about their own medical and health needs. They develop a good understanding of how lifestyle choices can impact on their health. Young people develop awareness about growing up, sexual health, relationships and leading healthier lifestyles. Young people have made significant progress in healthy eating, keeping fit and improving personal hygiene.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people grow in confidence and develop resilience because they are given positive gender role models. They blossom as they expand their tolerance of others and value relationships. Young people develop in adolescence because they live in an environment that proactively encourages young people to forge individual identities and accept difference.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people have improved self-esteem, good social skills and excellent assertiveness skills. Improved behaviour also enables young people to feel more confident and articulate in how they communicate with others. Young people are better prepared to cope and positively interact in society as a result of these excellent outcomes. Young people are enabled to experience more independent and safer lives.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people’s growth in confidence and empowerment is exemplified by their involvement in the Children in Care Committee. They take part in a variety of activities to promote children and young people’s rights, the operation of the home and local council departments.

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Quality of care

Young people are consistently cared for and thrive because frameworks for care, safeguarding and education are extremely effective. Care planning, risk management procedures and behaviour management plans are comprehensive. Strategies for care consistently and positively impact on the needs and outcomes for young people.

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Quality of care

Written plans provide staff and young people with clear and practical strategies and support. Young people are fully included in reviewing their progress and setting new objectives and goals for their future plans. The child-centred framework ensures the needs, choices and personalities of young people are focal to their placement plans.

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Quality of care

Assessment, joint working and review of young people’s placements contribute to the overall and consistent level of care provided. Records give in-depth meaning and context to the significant progress young people are making.

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Quality of care

Young people do exceptionally well at school because their attendance and achievement is fully supported by the home. Daily routines during term time revolve around good education attendance. Staff make sure young people maintain a good sleep routine, attend after-school activities and are helped with homework. Young people are motivated to complete schoolwork because they receive good support from staff. Staff make sure young people have the correct equipment and support regular homework. Young people’s comments include, ‘It’s good really because if you need things the staff get it for you, but you have to work towards it.’

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Quality of care

Working with and facilitating contact with families is a particular strength of this service. As a result young people are fully supported to maintain safe and appropriate contact with family.

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Quality of care

Health care plans are comprehensive, effectively implemented and contribute to the overall well-being of young people. Staff liaise well with appropriate health and advice agencies. Young people’s health is promoted with safe and effective procedures for medication. However some records are misleading as they state some young people self-administer medication when their medicines are in fact administered by staff.

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Quality of care

This home provides a nurturing and open environment where communication processes are very effective. Young people’s views are valued and they are fully involved in the running of the home. They know how to complain, have access to external agencies and are confident staff listen to them. Social workers say the staff are, ‘Very good advocates for young people.’

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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’s safety and welfare is excellently safeguarded. Prompt response to concerns, effective inter-agency liaison and decisive action to make sure young people are safe. Young people are protected with robust recruitment processes. Visitors are checked, vetted and monitored. All staff are trained in safeguarding children and young people. They fully understand their own, and other agencies, roles and responsibilities in keeping young people safe.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Effective staffing levels and close supervision promote the most relevant safeguarding response to the specific vulnerabilities presented by young people. Young people’s safety is promoted with clear and robust risk assessment and management.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Strategies are effective because they are agreed with young people. As a result young people develop good self-awareness of promoting their own safety. For example young people are safer because staff set clear expectations regarding mobile phone use. Access to the internet is monitored and young people are increasingly aware of the risks associated with social networking.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people are protected from bullying. They grow in confidence and self- awareness and are more able to look at how their behaviours impact on others. Young people raise concerns because they know staff will do something to stop bullying. This includes going into school and meeting with teachers and the young person.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people feel safe and reassured because staff provide clear expectations, boundaries and responses to behaviours. Behaviour plans are practical and linked to risk assessment outcomes. The staff team is strong in their communication and this is consistently reflected in their own team working and their responses to young people. Social worker’s comments include, ‘They manage behaviour very well by putting in the necessary boundaries and rules.’

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Safeguarding children and young people

Staff have excellent skills in attending and listening and this promotes positive relationships and excellent role modelling for young people. They are more able to take on board the clear and firm boundaries because staff take time to talk and treat young people with high levels of respect.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Staff are trained in behaviour management, including physical intervention. Care and control is sensitively handled, with physical intervention seldom used and only as a last resort to keep young people safe.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people live in a safe environment. Health and safety checks are an integral part of the daily running of the home.

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Leadership and management

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

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Leadership and management

Young people are looked after by a team of experienced, highly motivated and well- trained staff. Leadership is effective and staff are very positive about working in the home. Staffing arrangements are effectively managed in order to meet the needs of the young people and in line with home’s Statement of Purpose. Staffing is effective because there is a positive focus on the relationships young people have with different staff. For example when young people sort out their weekly activities, they can check the staff rota. They can link up with staff they feel most comfortable with or enjoy similar interests. These arrangements give young people a good sense of permanency and security.

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Leadership and management

Young people receive good care because the staff team work cohesively, maintain excellent recording processes and place young people at the centre of their work. The staff team maintains good relationships with families, social workers, other professionals, neighbours and the local community. These positive relationships enable neighbours to raise and quickly resolve any grumbles they may have. Social workers say the staff, ‘Communicate really well’ and they ‘have always worked very well with myself and Children's Services informing us of any relevant information when needed.’

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Leadership and management

The young people’s guide provides good information about the home and details about what they should do if they have a concern or complaint. However, the home’s Statement of Purpose does not provide full details about how parents, families and agencies can raise a complaint.

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Leadership and management

The most up to date copy of the Statement of Purpose is yet to be received by Ofsted.

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Leadership and management

The manager completes monthly Regulation 34 checks about the running of and records in the home. These reports coupled with Regulation 33 reports, completed by an independent visitor, verify good monitoring processes. However more recent Regulation 33 reports and a Regulation 34 report have not been submitted to Ofsted.

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Leadership and management

There are good systems in place for staff to report and monitor incidents within the home. Patterns and trends in behaviour are monitored in order to promote a better understanding of young people’s behaviours and welfare. The manager and staff understand their roles and responsibilities with regards to notifying appropriate individuals and agencies. This knowledge promotes good inter-agency protection and safety of young people at the home.

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Leadership and management

This service is highly committed to including young people’s views as part of the running and development of the service. The management team and staff have a clear assessment of strengths and areas for development. There is a strong sense of drive and commitment to improvement and this is directed though a clear development plan for the service.

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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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