Children's Home run by Salford City Council in Salford

Unique reference number SC040733 Inspection date 09/01/2014 Inspector Jacqueline Malcolm Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 25/03/2013 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 is a local authority children's home. It provides care and accommodation for up to four young people with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties and learning disabilities.

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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

This home provides young people with good outcomes and delivers an excellent quality of care. Central to the homes approach is a firm commitment to the development and maintenance of very positive and meaningful relationships between staff and young people. This is further strengthened by the strong partnerships forged between the home and professional agencies who are closely involved in supporting the young people to move forward with their lives. As a result, young people’s holistic needs are well met in line with their highly personalised plans and their progress is monitored in a caring and structured environment. Young people’s comments confirm that they like living at the home and they feel well cared for. They say, ‘I actually have people that care about me’ and ‘we are like one big happy family and we all get along with each other’.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people understand the value of healthy lifestyles. They eat well and partake in activities that promote their fitness and well-being. Young people achieve 100% school attendance. Their attainment levels show their ability to achieve and meet set goals. This is excellent, given the young people's life histories and difficulties.

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Overall effectiveness

Overall, young people feel safe. Strong working together practices between the home and professionals ensure that young people at risk of harm are safeguarded and know how to keep themselves safe in the community. Parents and professionals consider young people to be safe at the home. This shows that they have confidence in the homes ability to protect young people. Young people’s behaviour is well managed. The home advocates positive behaviour, which young people respond to well and results in minimal sanctions and physical restraint. Staff tackle discrimination by supporting young people to develop respect and to reflect on their own behaviour towards others. This is done through imaginative and creative activities. This raises young people’s awareness, promotes respect and equality and diversity both in the home and community.

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Overall effectiveness

The home is effectively and efficiently managed by a strong and progressive Registered Manager. Robust monitoring processes enables further improvements through a clear recognition of the homes strengths and areas for development. Young people benefit significantly from the commitment of a well supported, child- focussed and experienced staff team who act as good parents. This promotes young people’s safety and welfare.

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Overall effectiveness

One requirement and two recommendations are raised as a result of this inspection. These relate to ensuring that all notifications are sent to Ofsted; that consultations with parents and social workers are incorporated into Regulation 34 reports; and the records used to confirm that supervision has been completed complies with the national minimum standards. These shortfalls do not negatively impact on the good outcomes experienced by young people who live at the home.

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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) ensure that if any of the events listed in column 1 of the table in Schedule 5 takes place, the registered person shall without delay notify the persons indicated in respect of the event in column 2 of the table (Regulation 30(1)) 31/01/2014

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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

 ensure the views, wishes and feelings of children and those significant to them are taken into account in monitoring staff and in developing the home. In particular, ensure that monitoring reports produced under regulation 34 demonstrate consultation with parents and social workers (NMS 1.7)  ensure that a written or electronic record is kept by the home detailing the time and date and length of each supervision held for each member of staff, including the registered person. The record is signed by the supervisor and the member of staff at the end of the supervision. (NMS 19.5)

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people enjoy good attachments with staff and they show this through their positive interactions, which is based on trust and respect. This provides young people with a strong basis for them to make good progress from their starting points. Young people are able to reflect on their individual histories in a safe environment. As a result, they develop good levels of resilience, which helps them to manage adverse life situations in better ways. Young people’s good engagement in their key work sessions help them to address important issues in their lives. This empowers young people to express themselves constructively, which helps to improve their emotional well-being.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people are in good health. They are registered with primary health care and specialist providers. This ensures that they can access services and receive treatment without undue delays. None of the young people smoke tobacco or use drugs, which reduces their chances of developing related health issues in the future. Young people who have misused alcohol have been appropriately advised and supported. This has successfully deterred them from engaging further in this type of behaviour. Matters in relation to sexual health and associated risks are addressed with young people who are positively engaged, which has reduced incidents of concern over time. Young people enjoy healthy, home cooked meals and they participate in sports that increase their fitness levels.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people have 100% school attendance and most are making excellent progress, which will help them to gain future qualifications. Young people attend local educational provisions and their smart school uniforms give them a positive identity. Young people confirm that staff help them with their school work and they have the appropriate facilities to complete their homework. This demonstrates that young people are taking positive advantage of the learning opportunities available to them.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people benefit from regular contact with their families and friends. This keeps them connected to the important people in their lives.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people are making good progress in developing independence skills, such as budgeting, shopping, preparing meals and keeping their rooms clean and tidy. This ensures their competence for a successful transition into adulthood.

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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 an excellent quality of care. This is delivered by a staff team who consistently place their well-being at the centre of their practices and have high aspirations for all of them. This means that young people's contact with members of staff is a positive experience and provides them with strong role models that they genuinely like, respect and relate to extremely well.

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Quality of care

A major strength of the home is the excellent partnerships with external agencies, such as health, education and social care services. This enables young people to get the right support and guidance when they need it. Professional colleagues acknowledge the homes highly positive approach to the young people and express a lot of praise in recognition of the teams hard work and tenacity. One said that the staff team go 'over and above' their roles and express satisfaction with the progress made by young people. Another said, 'I am very impressed with the work they are doing with their young people'.

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Quality of care

Staff provide young people with consistent and overwhelming support to achieve educationally, which demonstrates the high value placed on education by the home. Young people enjoy school. They have excellent school attendance and their attainment is exceptionally good. This is very impressive, given the young people's difficult life experiences. Young people are expected to complete their homework and computer technology is available to assist them with the associated tasks. Additional tuition is considered for young people who may need the support to meet or exceed their projected examination grades. Positive partnerships have been established between the home and schools. This enables the staff to be satisfied that the young people are positively supported with their education. This ensures that young people remain happy, fulfilled and continue to achieve in school.

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Quality of care

Young people enjoy a wide range of activities in the community that they enjoy, which boosts their confidence and gives them a strong sense of belonging. In addition, young people have made a positive contribution in their community, raising significant amounts of money for charities. This gives young people a very positive sense of achievement and promotes empathy for others.

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Quality of care

Young people's individual placement plans are highly personalised, informative and up to date, which fully supports the young person's care journey. The plans provides a strong record of young people's assessed needs and show how they will be effectively met by the home. Young people's needs arising from their personal identity is well evidenced, which highlights, for example, their individuality, behaviour, strengths and risks. Young people are involved in and understand their plans. This ensures their continued involvement in what happens in their lives.

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Quality of care

Equality and diversity issues are constructively promoted through informal education and cultural projects. Challenges to discriminatory views that some young people may hold have been sensitively and creatively addressed with some excellent outcomes. This supports young people's future relationships and teaches them to respect difference.

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Quality of care

Young people are actively involved in decisions made in the home. They are fully engaged in house meetings and their views have influenced the running of the home. For example, young people have chosen the colour scheme to decorate parts of the home. They have also chosen their own activities and have altered their meal times. This promotes young people's confidence in their ability to effect change. Young people are consulted on a regular basis to ascertain their wishes and feelings. All young people are supported to participate in their statutory reviews and their views are listened to and acted on where possible. This respects young people's opinions and makes them feel listened to. Young people know how to complain and they have access to the children's rights service. However, to date, young people express no cause to complain.

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Quality of care

The home is clean, well decorated and furnished to a good standard. Young people can personalise their own rooms to suite their individual interests. Young people's sense of worth is enhanced by the homely and comfortable home environment in which they live.

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Safeguarding children and young people

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

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Safeguarding children and young people

Most young people say that they feel safe ‘all of the time’ in the home. This is strengthened by the positive relationships developed between staff and young people, which promotes open and honest discussions. Young people can identify adults who they would turn to if they had any concerns. Staff are trained in safeguarding, which helps them keep young people safe. They have a strong track record of protecting young people who have been at risk of abuse and child sexual exploitation. Exceptionally strong and proactive links with safeguarding professionals and the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) ensures that incidents of concern are promptly notified and joint decisions are made within the safeguarding arena. Professionals and parents consider young people to receive safe care. One social worker said, ‘there have been incidents involving other young people, which have resulted in discussions between professionals to ensure there are adequate

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Safeguarding children and young people

safeguards and strategies in place. These have been conducted thoroughly’. These strong measures safeguard young people from abuse and place their safety and welfare at the centre of high quality care practices.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Staff and professionals spend a lot of time talking to young people about keeping safe in the community and the potential risks to their health and safety. This ensure that young people are well informed and can develop strategies that keep them out of dangerous situations. Young people report that incidents of bullying happen mainly in the form of name calling. The home has responded effectively through bullying workshops, which gives the young people a good insight into what constitutes bullying. For some young people, this has proved to be an informative and rewarding experience. Young people are monitored around the home which minimises the potential for these incidents to occur.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people benefit immensely from consistent firm boundaries, routines and clear expectations. This provides the young people with a sense of safety and security. One young person described staff as being ‘firm but fair’, which makes them feel protected and well cared for. Staff know what procedures to follow in the event of a young person going missing from care and every effort is made to locate them to ensure that they are safe and well. No young people have been missing from home since August 2013, which is a significant reduction.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The home supports and encourages young people to develop socially acceptable behaviour with minimal sanctions and restraint. The staff are fully committed to helping young people understand the impact of their negative behaviour on others and develop the skills to manage their responses to challenging scenarios. Young people rarely experience physical restraint with only one physical intervention occurring since the last inspection. This is proof of staff’s skills of engagement with young people in nurturing restorative practices and amplifies their positive relationships with young people. Good relationships with the police promote the safety and welfare of young people and affords young people opportunities to have positive experiences of the police.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The home is safely maintained. This includes regular checks of equipment, appliances and following through fire safety procedures that involve the young people. General risk assessments ensure that potential hazards to everyone's health and safety is minimised. Young people benefit from comprehensive individual risk assessments that contribute to their safety and well-being. Their vulnerability to risks in the home and community are well managed, which serves as an additional protective measure.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people are cared for by a stable staff team. No new staff have been recruited for some time. Therefore, on this occasion, no recruitment and selection documents were looked at.

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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

The home has a full-time, permanent Registered Manager who efficiently and effectively manages the home. They are suitably qualified and have the necessary skills and experience to provide enabling and progressive leadership to the staff team. The manager and strong deputy manager continue to work exceptionally well together, and with the team, ensure young people’s safety, welfare and progress is delivered to a high standard.

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Leadership and management

The children’s home meets the objectives of the Statement of Purpose, which ensures that the young people's needs are fully met. Communication between the home, parents and professionals is excellent and is a core strength of the home because it promotes consistent, safe working together practices that young people understand. Parents and professionals comment positively about the strong communication that they share with the home and they express a high regard for the manager. A social worker said, ‘The home are very good at keeping me informed of all developments’ and a parent said, ‘I like the way they involve me in everything. I love that my x says he feels at home there and that I know that I can chat to anyone at any time for anything to do with my x’. A professional described the manager as 'fantastic'.

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Leadership and management

Young people are cared for by a consistent child-focussed staff team who feel well supported through regular supervision and appraisals. However, staff supervision records do not consistently record details with respect to the date that supervision occurred, the duration and signature of the supervisor and supervisee. This does not provide a clear overview of the support arrangements. Team meetings, daily handovers and training opportunities ensure the staff teams continued development and ability to keep young people safe and well cared for.

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Leadership and management

Robust monitoring activities in the home drives continuous improvement. External visits made on behalf of the provider makes where applicable, recommendations to improve practice. The visitor consults with young people and stakeholders for their views, which helps them to form an opinion of the conduct of the home. Monthly and six monthly management reviews provide a clear management overview of the running of the home. The reports have been submitted to Ofsted, but they do not incorporate the views of young people's parents and placing social workers, so it is not clear what influence they have had on the improvements made in the home. This has no negative impact on outcomes for young people. A realistic development plan in place demonstrates how the home will continue to move forward, which shows capacity to improve.

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Leadership and management

Notifications completed by the home are usually sent to Ofsted within reasonable timescales. However, not all of them have been received despite the completion of the appropriate documents. There is no negative impact on outcomes for young people due to the action taken by the home to address the issues. However, the provider is reviewing their system to assure themselves that all notifications are received by Ofsted. This will enable the regulator to fulfil its regulatory duties to monitor how well the home promotes young people's safety.

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Leadership and management

Young people's records are securely stored and their progress is easy to follow. This means that young people's information remains confidential and can be understood by them when they access their files now and in the future.

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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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