Children's Home run by Lancashire County Council in Lancashire

Unique reference number SC064735 Inspection date 24/10/2013 Inspector Stephen Trainor Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 15/03/2013 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 residential unit is operated by a local authority and provides care for up to six young people of either sex aged from 12 to 17 years. The home cares for children with emotional and behavioural difficulties. The unit can take emergency placements.

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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's aims and objectives are clearly being fulfilled. This service has a massive impact on the lives of each young person and improves their life chances and future prospects. Young people gain important life skills from the start of their placement and develop self-knowledge, self-help skills and improve their self-esteem tremendously by the time they leave the home.

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Overall effectiveness

The views of partners are being gathered and used to shape future services. Extremely positive comments were received from a wide range of partners who support young people in their placements. These unanimously agreed that a high quality of care is being provided. Staff members championing education have effectively challenged barriers to the full participation of children and young people at school and college.

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Overall effectiveness

New initiatives are introduced frequently. Young people gain many positive experiences throughout the time they spend in their placements. The home has a well-established culture and ethos that is conducive to securing positive outcomes for children and young people. Comprehensive plans and programmes are in place for each young person. A parent commented, 'The home provides excellent care in a family atmosphere.' All the young people receive a high standard of care and this means they commit to their placements; work hard; take responsibility for their behaviour; and achieve and develop to reach their potential. Individuals are clear about the arrangements for them, are aware of plans and programmes and make excellent progress. Young people show good insight into their personal circumstances. Staff are extremely consistent with their approach, especially when they have to deliver difficult messages. Although some young people at the home smoke, staff strive to

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Overall effectiveness

continue to reduce this through education and working with partners to discourage young people from smoking. This behaviour is reducing. The young people are extremely relaxed within their home. The home's environment is very supportive and underpinned by defined boundaries. Young people’s views are consistently gathered and these influence the home's operation and future direction.

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Overall effectiveness

Quality assurance monitoring reports are comprehensive and provide an in-depth analysis of information and evaluation, clearly demonstrating that the home's management have the capacity to plan continuous improvements. Ofsted did receive a monitoring report late. It is important that monthly reports reach Ofsted in a timely manner to help monitor the home's operation.

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Overall effectiveness

All the young people state that they feel safe while living at the home. There is excellent safeguarding afforded to residents from the clear and agreed strategies and protocols that staff implement. Strategies used to reduce the times young people go missing from home had been particularly effective. Young people’s efforts are rewarded and clear incentives help to change their behaviour. Young people are cared for by an experienced, competent, and highly motivated team of staff. Staff have consistently high aspirations for all the young people.

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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 all children understand their health needs, how to maintain a healthy lifestyle and to make informed decisions about the their own health; specifically, smoking cessation work has the desired outcome for more young people (NMS 6.2)  ensure Regulation 33 reports being used to monitor and control the activities of the home are forwarded to Ofsted on a monthly basis. (NMS 21.2)

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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 experience stable placements and make significant progress in many areas, including their social presentation, self-awareness and taking responsibility for their behaviour. As a result young people develop and mature, grow in confidence and learn to make responsible decisions. Some changes to the peer group occurred between inspections. The young people have settled in quickly as they immediately realise the benefits they gain when they fully engage with their placement plan. Some significant changes in young people’s past and present behaviour have occurred in a relatively short period of time. Young people make better and safer decisions from the extremely well-coordinated staff support they receive. Relationships between young people presently living at the home and between staff and young people, while continuing to evolve, remain excellent, with each young person providing their best cooperation.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Many positive comments on outcomes for young people are received from parents, carers and partners. Comments include, 'Young person included in all aspects of planning.' 'Couldn't have wished for a better placement.' 'Expanded young person’s abilities tremendously prior to leaving,' and 'Provided excellent building blocks to succeed in the future.' Staff, social workers and young people confirm, 'Great relationships.' All the young people are in a better position to fulfil their potential as they plan out their futures from the extremely well-coordinated care they receive.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people continually grow in confidence. Young people confirm that, 'The home offers great opportunities for all young people that live here.' The nature and extent of assessment work carried out allows comprehensive plans to be constructed. Plans propose frameworks for existing and future work. Parents, social workers and independent reviewing officers confirm highly effective working partnerships are established. Young people achieve personal goals and this helps them to develop a better understanding and appreciation of their personal circumstances. Young people build their social resilience and life skills from the start of their placement. It is clear that young people can motivate themselves, especially to attend meetings, where they express their views with some confidence.

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Outcomes for children and young people

The young people are optimistic about their futures. Young people gain many competencies and life skills through good quality in-house independence and social skills training programmes. Young people are very well prepared for their futures and fully aware of the options open to them when they reach a suitable age to leave. Pathway plans expertly link transitions into adulthood. As one young person’s placement was coming to an end a parent confirmed, 'Excellent working partnerships all the way to the end.' Independent reviewing officers also commented on the success of transition plans for some young people who remained at the home post- eighteenth birthday. By placing young people at the centre of decision making, young people are enabled to work at the pace ideally suited to them and this leads to positive outcomes.

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Outcomes for children and young people

All young people living at the home are treated fairly and staff practice is capable of supporting their individual needs. Young people value staff support and this is especially evident in their relationships with key workers who encourage young people to always do their best. Staff clearly show that they have the skills, motivation and abilities to form very positive working relationships with young people and sustain them. Young people gain tremendous benefits from the high levels of emotional support they receive. This is particularly evident in maintaining relationships with family and friends and preventing risk-taking behaviours. Young people have learnt how to keep themselves safe.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people’s individual circumstances are taken into consideration when agreeing education programmes. Individual approaches being coordinated effectively support young people’s needs. Young people remain enthusiastic about their education and this leads to excellent attendance and attainment. This tremendous achievement is brought into focus when looking at young people’s past, disrupted education experiences. A parent commented, 'My child is well looked after by the children's home, he has made great progress in his education through the help of the staff and our relationship has greatly improved.'

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people enjoy good health and mostly select to follow a healthy lifestyle. Young people take responsibility for their health and make clear links between diet and exercise. All young people are familiar with their health arrangements, are aware of the contents of their health plans and attend their appointments with health professionals.

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Quality of care

The quality of the care is outstanding .

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Quality of care

Young people enjoy excellent relationships with staff which enable them to engage positively and make good choices, for example, getting the best from their placement. Staff are skilled and show great insight and understanding of young people’s needs. Staff consistently show that they can support the diverse needs of each member of the peer group. As a result, young people appreciate and value the efforts of staff and work closely with them to plan their futures. Parents commented, 'I have found all the staff to be caring and supportive,' 'My son has been treated with compassion, understanding and respect in a professional way.'

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Quality of care

Young people like the attitude of the staff towards them and they confirm that they are treated with respect. Staff do challenge young people and this can lead to disagreements. These are usually short-lived and encouragingly young people show that they can see two sides to any argument. Young people learn how to negotiate instead of making demands. Young people agree that the rules are fair.

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Quality of care

Impact risk assessments and supporting referral and introduction procedures are successful in maintaining a compatible peer group dynamic. High quality planning results in young people’s specific needs being met. Social workers receive frequent progress updates. Young people make big improvements in their behaviour and all are relaxed and confident in their placements.

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Quality of care

Equality and diversity matters are well established within the culture and ethos of the home and this means young people learn how to contribute to the wider community through participation programmes, including involvement in their choice of charity work. Young people value difference and this means they can provide support to their peers. Staff show genuine care and concern for the young people above and beyond what would be reasonably expected. For many young people, this provides a welcome 'life-line' even when they have moved on.

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Quality of care

Staff work extremely well in partnership with many different professionals and agencies to implement plans. Communication between staff, young people and their parents, social workers and other professionals is highly effective. The overall response being taken to support young people’s needs is excellent. All work is at a pace ideally suited to the individual child. Consistent practice eliminates any potential confusion with the arrangements in place for each young person. Parents confirm that they can ring anytime and speak to any staff member who will know what their child has been doing.

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Quality of care

Each young person's educational potential is supported by proactive staff practice. The home’s philosophy of care promotes the development of education. Care staff continually emphasise the importance of young people gaining the best education. Learning methods ensure young people develop key skills suited for adult life and the world of work. All achievements are celebrated and this continuously builds young people's self-esteem. Young people’s personalities prosper at this home. An excellent example is located within the collaborative working arrangements set up between the home, young people and a local school. In supporting achievement through certificates of personal effectiveness, staff have successfully worked with young people to achieve higher level awards than those predicted or gained at school.

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Quality of care

Young people understand how to make a complaint. They confirm that complaints, if made, are responded to in full. A written guide covers complaints with information, guidance and contact details of agencies such as Ofsted, children's rights and the Children's Rights Director.

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Quality of care

Healthy lifestyles are promoted. The key worker role is well developed to deliver and support health promotion work. Young people are supported by many different health professionals. Young people have many opportunities to make informed decisions about their own health and lifestyle choices. Personal, social and health education are coordinated very well, however, on-going smoking cessation work has not yet had the desired effect in discouraging young people from smoking. Medication is stored safely, and records are maintained on the administration of medication, including prescribed and non-prescription medication. There are clear policies and procedural guidance and these are followed in practice. All staff receive suitable training to support health and well-being and this maintains the high quality of care being provided.

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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 benefit from a permanent, experienced and stable staff team. There has been no change to the staff team between inspections. Recruitment practice is robust, ensuring only suitable people work with young people. Equally good practice ensures the vetting of visitors to safeguard young people. Health and safety issues are managed well, ensuring young people and staff remain safe. Regular servicing of equipment and routine safety checks maintain a safe environment. Young people know what to do in the case of an emergency and can exit the home safely. Staff implement a range of risk assessments to identify and minimise hazards.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people confirm that they feel safe living at the home. They learn to accept responsibility for their behaviour; show initiative and understand how they contribute to the home's operation. Young people develop skills that enable them to differentiate their behaviour according to the different settings and situations they find themselves in.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Telephone and internet access is managed in accordance with agreed risk assessments. The young people have access to a 'media room' with safeguarded access to computers. Access to computers helps young people keep up-to-date with current affairs, music and sporting interests and complete school homework.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people say that bullying is not an issue of concern to them and confirm that staff do not tolerate any form of bullying. They have confidence that staff will respond to any bullying that may occur. There is very good interaction and sensible discussion around difference, allowing members of the peer group to maintain a positive self-view. All young people understand the many forms that bullying can take and are equally clear about what to do if they have any concerns.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Well-coordinated safeguarding work supports children in making choices on how to lead their lives. Staff receive regular training to update their knowledge and have a good understanding of safeguarding policies, procedures and actions they should take when an incident arises. This allows young people to live in a safe and friendly environment. Young people have suitable safeguarding information. Policy and procedural guidance is consistent with that of the local safeguarding team's protocols. Good relationships are established with the safeguarding Local Area Designated Officer There have been no safeguarding concerns between inspections. Parents commented, 'The staff put your mind at rest and I know my child is safe.'

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Safeguarding children and young people

Systems for dealing with young people who go missing from home are well established and a protocol is set out. Risk assessments take account of a young person's potential to go missing. This is especially important if young people have shown significant risk-taking behaviours in the past. Reports made to local police are in-line with the established protocol. Strategies have been successful in reducing the number of times young people go missing or are absent without permission. The home's management attend meetings with the local police missing from home coordinator to review matters affecting the home. The management team review all incidents and young people have the opportunity to reflect on any incidents they are involved in and this helps also them to change behaviours.

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Safeguarding children and young people

There are no concerns relating to how the home manages the young people’s behaviour. Young people respond very well to praise and rewards and this lessens the need for disciplinary measures. Sanctions are not being applied. Restorative justice approaches are followed on occasions. Staff are clear that physical intervention is very much a last resort. All staff receive regular and refresher training in positive handling techniques. Comprehensive records are held on interventions.

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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

Further enhancements have been made to the outstanding practice that was demonstrated at the last full inspection. There is a clear vision for how the home should operate and achieving positive outcomes remains central to all practice. Access to training keeps staff at the forefront of practice. Practice at this home can easily be matched to the inspection framework, evaluation schedule and grade descriptors.

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Leadership and management

Young people develop meaningful and lasting attachments because of the supportive management culture and the hard work of the staff. Young people gain tremendous benefits from the experiences provided by a highly competent staff team.

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Leadership and management

This is a strong, child-focused service that is conducive to young people developing and maximising their potential. Staff commented they believe that, ‘They involve all partners in work with young people when needed.' The inspection confirms clear partnership arrangements underpin all practice and there is tremendous satisfaction with the high quality services provided. Staff are responsive to the specific needs and circumstances affecting both young people and their families. Partners confirm, 'Staff are professional, well trained, confident and competent.'

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Leadership and management

This service is managed by an experienced and fully qualified manager. All partners confirm communication is highly effective. Staff morale is excellent and energy levels high. Staff clearly 'go that extra mile' to provide the best possible experiences. Young people gain optimum benefits from a capable staff team. A parent commented, 'I have always felt welcome and staff are prepared to offer their time to listen and update me.'

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Leadership and management

Practice is developed by a management team that is perceptive in identifying the home's strengths and the areas where it could perform better. A comprehensive written and verbal self-assessment of the service was provided. The home's service history shows the assessment to be accurate. All levels of staff influence and shape the service with their ideas and initiatives.

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Leadership and management

The home's management team continually reflect on their practice and the home's operation. The views of the young people, staff, parents, social workers, independent reviewing officers, looked after children’s nurse and youth offending team members are being captured by different methods including contact during visits made to the home to monitor what goes on. A range of evaluative documents is provided. Reports produced make sense of the available data. The full impact and value that living at this home has had on young people’s lives is represented within the reports. Some realistic and challenging targets are outlined within the home’s development plan. The responsible authority closely monitors the home's practice, operation and management using defined quality assurance measures. Ofsted received one monitoring report late.

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Leadership and management

Young people's individual needs, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, are met. The young people have full confidence in the staff and know who is responsible for them at all times of the day and night. Staffing levels are maintained. Shift patterns ensure excellent continuity with routines and procedures. The staff team is consistently supportive, attentive and sensitive to the care they provide for young people.

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Leadership and management

Records at this home show good clarity in how staff are managed. Staff commented, 'I have never felt more supported in a place of work.' Supervision is taking place. Systems for staff personal development are well established and all staff hold relevant qualifications. There is access to specialist areas of training that further enhance the staff skill sets. Young people contribute to the staff annual appraisal process. Some challenging objectives are being set for staff as part of the management response when valuing individual performance. Staff have delegated areas of responsibility that they 'champion' extremely effectively.

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Leadership and management

Young people’s placements are stable and the home's service history shows an excellent record in compliance. No requirements and only one recommendation for improvement was set at the last inspection. This linked to education attendance for one young person which was positively addressed.

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Leadership and management

There is an effective system in place to notify persons and appropriate authorities of the occurrence of significant events. Three notifications were reported transparently. On-going communications with Ofsted provided full and detailed information on work undertaken in addressing matters. A non-reportable matter that led to a prosecution was also discussed. No complaints were investigated by Ofsted between inspections.

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Leadership and management

Staff practice is supported by comprehensive written guidance, policies and procedures. These documents are also accessible through the responsible organisations intranet. Information is written in plain English. The home's Statement of Purpose provides information in accordance with Regulations. Aims and objectives especially linked to education are clear. The excellent ethos and culture at the home allows young people to build a great deal of resilience against the many challenges they face as they work towards their next placement or independence.

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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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