Children's Home, Residential special school run by Sheffield City Council in Sheffield

Unique reference number SC458115 Inspector Debbie Foster Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Registered manager Nicholas Paul Barber Date of last inspection 05/02/2014 2 of 10 Inspection date 09/07/2014

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Previous inspection good progress Enforcement action since last inspection None undertaken.

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Overall effectiveness outstanding

Outcomes for children and young people outstanding Quality of care outstanding Keeping children and young people safe outstanding Leadership and management outstanding

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Overall effectiveness

Young people make excellent progress over time particularly relating to social, independence skills, behaviour and education. This is a result of the high standard of care that is provided by a staff team who aspire to assist young people to achieve their very best.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people are safe and feel safe. Staff have a wealth of knowledge and understanding of all young people. They take effective action to ensure young people's diversity, vulnerabilities and the risks they face in the home and the community are effectively managed to keep them safe from unnecessary harm. Young people's relationships with staff are very strong and this ensures young people feel safe, secure and well cared for.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people are actively consulted and their views are sought and acted upon. This assists young people to feel valued, build trust and, in turn, enables them to work with staff well.

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Overall effectiveness

Staff have built highly effective working relationships with supporting health and other professionals. This ensures that young people's care planning and care practice are highly individualised and this brings improved outcomes. 3 of 10 Robust internal auditing and monitoring systems facilitate the identification of areas to improve the care provided to young people. The Registered Manager is supported in this task of monitoring the service by the independent visitor. A recommendation is set to assist to improve the visitor's report. This will assist the provider to further improve the quality of care. 4 of 10

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Information about this children’s home

This home is part of a special school, which provides education and residential care for children with autism and complex learning difficulties. As a maintained school providing over 295 days of residential care per year, the whole school is registered as a children's home.

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Information about this children’s home

The school offers residential provision in two areas within the main house. One area provides accommodation for 52 weeks per year, the other offering a short-break service.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

05/02/2014 Interim good progress 05/07/2013 Full adequate

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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 there are effective procedures for monitoring and controlling the activi of the home. In particular, ensure the external monitoring fully evaluates the quality of care.(NMS 21.1) 5 of 10

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Outcomes for children and young people outstanding

Young people make excellent progress in all areas such as social confidence, personal independence, and education over time. The service is providing individual, differentiated support in all aspects of young people lives. This equips young people with the skills they need for their transition into adulthood.

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Outcomes for children and young people outstanding

Young people enjoy good health and they are supported to understand how to keep themselves healthy. For those who receive a short break service parents continue to take responsibility for their overall health. The health needs of young people who live permanently at the home are thoroughly assessed when they come to the home and extremely detailed health plans ensure that their progress is monitored and their needs are met. Full support is provided for them to attend all routine and specialist health appointments. Healthy eating is prioritised for all within the setting. The young people are encouraged to participate in a healthy lifestyle, to make healthy food choices and participate in physical activities to support this. Young people have the additional benefit of being able to frequently access children's mental health and speech and language services. This aides their wellbeing tremendously by providing

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Outcomes for children and young people outstanding

young people with extensive emotional support. As a result, their health outcomes are improved.

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Outcomes for children and young people outstanding

Young people's communication skills vary considerably, some speak and others need assistance to communicate. Staff use a range of methods to enable them to effectively converse with young people and to ensure they can be understood. For example, they use PEC symbols, iPad's and Makaton. Staff assist young people very well to contribute to their house meetings during which they are able to put their views and wishes forward. Young people actively take part in young people's meetings and give their views and opinions. They comment on the meal choices, along with the activities they wish to participate in. In addition, young people have access to an independent visitor to assist and support them in having a real say and voice about the care they receive.

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Outcomes for children and young people outstanding

Young people develop independence skills commensurate with their age and ability and play a part in completing personal care and daily living tasks. For example some young people have achieved self-care skills, others are travelling independently on public transport. A parent said, 'My child is encouraged to change and make their bed, sort washing, make cups of tea as well as self-care,' and another parent commented, 'My child now takes pride in himself, cleans his teeth and attends to their own personal care needs.' This supports young people to take an active part in their own daily lives promoting as much independence as possible.

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Outcomes for children and young people outstanding

Very positive family contact is maintained for all young people, whether they receive a short break service or live at the home permanently. Parents are kept well informed 6 of 10 about the care of their children. Staff recognise that young people’s family are very important. A young person said, 'I can phone my mum whenever I wish, and a parent said, 'Staff are always available on the phone. Emails are regularly picked up and replied to’. This reinforces and gives young people a sense of their own identity as well as enabling them to keep in touch with people who are important to them

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Quality of care outstanding

Young people benefit from established meaningful relationships with staff which result in very strong and positive attachments. Staff place the welfare and diverse needs of young people at the centre of their practice. This further supports the highly effective care planning, education support and behaviour management. A visiting professional said, 'The staff are very good at communicating and are very reassuring to young people. This is a lovely place where everyone does what they should for young people.' A young person commented, 'This is the place to be, I wouldn't change anything, the staff are great.'

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Quality of care outstanding

Staff work very closely with education staff to assist young people to attend their education and learn. Excellent communication with schools ensures that home and school are aware of any issues which may impact on young people’s education. Young people's attendance at school is excellent. This helps to ensure that all agencies are working consistently to benefit young people.

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Quality of care outstanding

Staff understand how young people’s diverse needs affect their daily lives. Their knowledge and liaison with other professionals enables staff to devise structured routines and strategies to support young people's behaviour and develop social and independence skills. This is achieved in a creative and individual way. This helps young people tremendously to participate positively in daily life activities, to integrate into their local communities, gain success in education, enjoy leisure activities and explore new opportunities.

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Quality of care outstanding

Young people are supported to have an active voice on aspects of their life and care within the home expressing their wants and needs. This is facilitated by frequent young people's meetings and one to one sessions with staff. Young people make decisions about group activities, identifying their own personal interests and hobbies. These include playing football, going for walks, visits to the coast, laser quest, crazy golf, visiting the cinema, going shopping and attending a youth club.

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Quality of care outstanding

Young people are cared for in an environment that proactively identifies and celebrates diversity, culture and differences. These differences are accepted as part of daily life at the home. Young people's cultural needs are met very well. A parent said, 'Staff really helped my child when they decided to become vegetarian.' This is strength of the home and enables young people to develop tolerance, understanding and acceptance. 7 of 10 Care planning and care practice is highly individualised and young people's needs are well documented in their individual care plans. These plans are routinely monitored and reviewed to ensure they accurately reflect young people's current needs, development and progress. Staff recognise young people as individuals with different backgrounds, interests and needs. As a result, young people receive excellent support from staff, and an individualised service specifically designed to meet their

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Quality of care outstanding

Young people benefit from very effective working relationships between staff and professionals from social services, education, health and therapeutic services. The staff team liaise and receive briefings from a link psychologist. The staff group work exceptionally well with outside agencies to support the care needs of young people which bring continued improved outcomes. A staff member said, 'We are a committed team and want the very best for the young people; we follow the care plans carefully. The key work team review each young person’s plan each month, set new targets and aims. We make sure we can see where young people are at and see their progress.'

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Quality of care outstanding

Young people respect and feel ownership of the environment they live in, which is of a high standard, comfortable, well-equipped and homely. The manager and staff ensure that good relationships are maintained with neighbours and the home has a positive profile in the community.

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Keeping children and young people safe outstanding

Young people are respected, cared for and kept safe. A young person said, 'Of course I’m safe here, staff look after us well.’ Staff have a tremendous knowledge and understanding of young people’s particular needs, behaviour and learning disabilities. As a result, staff know how they respond and support each individual. This plays a significant part in managing behaviour and protecting young people from harm.

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Keeping children and young people safe outstanding

Young people benefit immensely from having very specific boundaries and routines which are consistent implemented, while still providing kind and nurturing care. This provides young people with a safe environment and a sense of security. Staff are extremely effective at getting to know young people and understand their specific vulnerabilities. This, along with professional support and advice ensures staff can plan and successfully implement highly individual behaviour management strategies.

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Keeping children and young people safe outstanding

Young people enjoy excellent relationships with staff and this fosters a mutual respect for each other. Consequently, this has built a strong foundation and development of positive behaviour. Staff have been trained in positive behaviour management and appropriate use of physical intervention. Staff work closely together, with other professionals to ensure the management of behaviour is approached in a positive way. As a result, restraint is only used as a last resort to 8 of 10 safeguard young people. The effectiveness of physical interventions and sanctions are closely monitored by the manager.

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Keeping children and young people safe outstanding

Young people's vulnerability to dangers within the home and community are fully understood. There are very clear risk assessments and highly effective risk management strategies in place to protect young people. Staff are not risk averse, but each risk is carefully assessed, taking into account young people's wishes for greater autonomy. Risk management strategies are regularly monitored and reviewed to reflect the changing needs and development of young people. These measures assist staff to keep young people safe from harm.

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Keeping children and young people safe outstanding

Young people are protected by a range of other safeguarding measures. These include rigorous staff recruitment vetting before appointment. A safe environment is provided for young people with very effective health and safety monitoring. Staff undertake safeguarding, first aid and behaviour management training. Regular fire alarm tests and drills take place. There is a comprehensive fire, location of premises and health and safety assessments for the building and equipment. This robustly upholds the safety of young people.

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Leadership and management outstanding

The manager provides robust and effective leadership and has an inclusive open style which staff value and reflect in their practice with young people. The manager is suitably qualified; he holds an HND in Public administration, CMI level 5 in Management, a NVQ 3 in children and young people and is currently completing the QCF level 5. In addition he has 13 years’ experience of working in residential child care services; with a number of years’ experience working in a management role.

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Leadership and management outstanding

Young people live in a home that is extremely well resourced in terms of the excellent quality care received from a stable, very experienced and skilled core staff team. The whole staff team are highly motivated, committed and aspire to accomplish the very best outcomes for young people. Staffing levels are high to facilitate and ensure that individual and diverse needs of young people are met.

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Leadership and management outstanding

Young people are successfully looked after by staff that are excellently supported through effective supervision, relevant training, and productive team meetings, debriefs and handovers. The majority of staff have the National Vocational Qualification level 3 in Caring for Children and Young People or are undertaking the new level 3 Diploma. Staff are kept up-to-date with practice developments and receive identified specialist training. For example in: challenges for autism in childhood and specialist seizure management. As a result, the manager ensures that the home fulfils its commitment to meeting the needs of young people.

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Leadership and management outstanding

Highly effective working relationships with parents and other professionals is a strength of the home. Parents commented favourably on the quality of 9 of 10 communication with the home, as did an education link worker. A parent said that, 'I am kept well informed about how my son is being looked after; the staff have been very supportive through a difficult period and have made us very welcome when visiting,' and a professional said, 'With the close working with staff and the psychologist we have devised a unique way of working with X that has supported a positive transition into to school, which in turn as improved their learning, so this has been really positive for the young person.'

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Leadership and management outstanding

The management team have a clear understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the home. Previously made requirements and recommendations had all been addressed and implemented at the last interim inspection. The Registered Manager’s frequent and robust analysis of the home’s practice highlights good practice, shortfalls and identifies areas for further development. Trends, patterns, feedback from others and any findings from complaints are also used to address improvement. A business plan is in place with clear targets which enables excellent standards and quality of care to continue to be provided to young people. However, while the external monthly regulation 33 monitoring is undertaken and covers the required areas set out in the regulations, it does not yet fully evaluate the quality of care sufficiently in all areas. Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Leadership and management outstanding

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Judgement Description

Outstanding A service of exceptional quality that significantly exceeds minimum requirements.

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Judgement Description

Good A service of high quality that exceeds minimum requirements.

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Judgement Description

Adequate A service that only meets minimum requirements.

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Judgement Description

Inadequate A service that does not meet minimum requirements.

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Information 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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Information 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 framework of inspection for children's homes.

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