Children's Home run by Castle Homes Care Limited in Birmingham

Unique reference number SC377825 Inspection date 27/03/2014 Inspector Jo Stephenson Type of inspection Interim Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 17/10/2013 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Brief description of the service

The home provides care and accommodation for up to three young people with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The service is owned and operated by a private company.

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The inspection judgements and what they mean

Good progress The children’s home has demonstrated continued improvement in quality of care and outcomes for children and young people and where appropriate has addressed all requirements and the large majority of recommendations that were raised at the previous inspection. Satisfactory progress The children’s home has maintained quality of care and outcomes for children and young people and where appropriate has addressed all requirements and the majority of recommendations that were raised at the previous inspection. Inadequate progress The children’s home has failed to address one or more requirements and/or has not met the majority of recommendations and/or the quality of care and outcomes for children and young people have declined since the last full inspection.

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Progress

Since their previous inspection the service is judged to be making good progress .

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Progress

The home was last inspected in October 2013. At that time the home was judged to be outstanding and no requirements or recommendations were made. Progress at this inspection is good. The Registered Manager has continued to evaluate the quality of care for young people effectively. This means that services provided by the home are scrutinised to ensure that they reflect the individual needs of young people. As a result, young people prosper in a home that consistently promotes positive outcomes.

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Progress

Since the last inspection, the Registered Manager has reviewed and amended internal support plans for young people. These plans incorporate detailed and personalised risk assessments for young people. Risk assessments consider the individual behaviours of young people and environmental factors. The safety and welfare of young people are central to the ethos of the home. This means that young people are able to develop the necessary social and emotional skills to support their transition towards adulthood.

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Progress

Staff are well supported in their role and benefit from regular and effective supervision. The Registered Manager uses team meetings to facilitate in-house training. For example, staff have recently participated in training around the changes to the children’s home’s regulations. This means that the staff are competent in providing an outstanding service to meet the individual needs of young people. Consequently, young people benefit from working with a skilled and knowledgeable staff team who continually drive forward positive outcomes. Young people thrive in this home because the Registered Manager is effective in monitoring and reviewing all areas of practice in the home. Where weaknesses are identified improvements are made.

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Progress

Young people are safe in the home and say that they feel safe. Relationships between staff and young people are excellent and this is a considerable strength of the home. Young people regularly participate in one-to-one sessions with staff to discuss their placement plans and the progress that they are making. As a result, young people are fully involved in decisions about their care. Incidents of restraint are extremely rare. Records demonstrate that when restraint is necessary to ensure the safety of young people detailed de-brief sessions are completed. This means that young people are encouraged to reflect on their behaviour and consider alternative ways of managing their frustrations. As a result, the well-being and safety of young people are constantly and effectively promoted.

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Progress

While no complaints have been made since the last inspection, young people say that they understand how to make a complaint and are confident that they will be taken seriously. Furthermore, young people are able to freely access independent advocacy services. This ensures that the home operates a transparent approach to addressing any concerns raised by young people. As a result, young people’s views, wishes and feelings are central to the development of the home. This means that young people experience improved self-esteem and self-confidence.

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Progress

The Registered Manager monitors the quality of care in the home effectively. A range of systems are in place to evaluate and assess positive outcomes for young people. Monitoring tools identity any patterns, trends or antecedents that impact on the progress young people make. This means that the practice in the home and the performance of staff is continually analysed. As a result, the home has the capacity for on-going development. The service continues to evolve, to reflect and meet the needs of young people.

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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 progress made by the provider since the last full inspection, identifies any further strengths, any areas for improvement and makes judgements as outlined in the Inspection of children’s homes – framework for inspection.

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