Children's Home run by Sunflower Children Care Services in Leicestershire

Unique reference number SC449099 Inspector Caroline Brailsford Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Registered person Quantum Care UK Limited Registered person address The Manor House Squires Hill Rothwell Northamptonshire NN14 6BQ Responsible individual Shelley Frances Whiting Registered manager Lisa Jane Martin Date of last inspection 24/03/2014 2 of 10 Inspection date 11/08/2014

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Previous inspection good progress Enforcement action since last inspection None

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Overall effectiveness good

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

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Overall effectiveness

Young people are provided with a very stable caring and supportive environment, where they can make good progress in many aspects of their lives, A consistent staff team work exceptionally hard to provide clear boundaries and consistency to promote good behaviour. Care planning is highly individualised and shows that every young person is respected for their own differing personality and attributes. In addition, staff are creative in the high level of individual support provided, which is very individual and based on the young person's own needs, personality and learning style.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people are always at the centre of the work taking place and their views and wishes are clearly considered and incorporated into their individual plans. Good quality and individualised care planning are underpinned by thorough assessment information. Progress and development is closely monitored and shared regularly with others and the close liaison with educational professionals promotes improved attendance and attainment at school, further enhancing the young people's life chances.

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Overall effectiveness

Risk assessments help to keep the young people very safe and detailed documentation assists staff in ensuring that risks are well managed and minimised. Young people show improvement in many areas regarding their health and safety. 3 of 10 An experienced and qualified Registered Manager ensures the home is well organised. She works effectively to ensure the stated aims and purpose of the home are achieved for every young person. She is well liked by young people and staff and leads the staff by example.

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Overall effectiveness

Whilst the home is judged as good overall, a shortfall was found in staff recruitment records, where a significant gap in employment was found on a personnel file. Therefore, a requirement has been made. However, the Registered Manager is happy to reflect and learn from this, showing her commitment to further improving the home. 4 of 10

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Information about this children’s home

The service is a privately-operated children's home, registered for up to three young people aged from 9 to 17 years. Children and young people may have emotional and behavioural difficulties. There is also a registered school attached to this home.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/03/2014 Interim good progress 13/09/2013 Full adequate 05/12/2012 Full good

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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 staff are not employed to work at the children's home unless full and satisfactory information is available in relation to him in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2,this is in relation to gaps in employment history. (Regulation 26,1(a), 3(d) and Schedule 2, 6) 26/09/2014 5 of 10

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people benefit from good outcomes in this home in most areas in their lives, according to their starting point. There are times when young people's progress is hindered by their complex needs, for example, some young people have had an increase in their criminal activity. However, a proactive response from the Registered Manager has addressed this as much as possible at the earliest opportunity. This approach enables as much progress as possible, dependent on young people's needs and the difficulties that they face.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Education has a very high profile and the Children's Home is part of a school, which is also on site. One professional commented on the improved attendance stating 'the young person's attendance is better'. Care staff understand educational goals and targets and work well with teaching staff to make sure that progress continues outside of the education day. For example, staff regularly read with young people during the evenings and at weekends to further promote progress in literacy. Young people have all made good progress with their education and this is carefully measured so that targets can be focused upon the young person's strengths and weaknesses. One staff said in relation to one young person that 'their attendance, attainment and concentration has improved tenfold', demonstrating the vast improvement that some young people make.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people are able to express their wishes about contacts and are listened to by staff. Where they have changing opinions and views, these are also well captured, so that young people have the autonomy and can progress their relationships at a pace that is right for them. This promotes positive and stable relationships with people that are important to them and helps young people to build on these in the future.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people's complex behaviour is well understood by staff and a consistent approach and detailed behaviour management plans support young people to make good progress. For some young people where there are patterns with their behaviour, staff really try to find the triggers and understand the reason for the behaviour so that any issues can be sorted out to maximise progress. Young people's improved behaviour allows them in some circumstances to feel happier and more settled. This in turn improves their confidence and self-esteem. In addition, this enables young people to access activities that they would not have accessed in the past due to their behaviour. For example, some young people are said by staff to now have had the confidence to attend events that they would not have previously accessed, for example, the school prom and youth forums.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people are assisted to understand and take responsibility for their own health needs such as personal hygiene and self-harm. There are several examples of improved health, particularly in relation to self-harm, where young people have made 6 of 10 significant improvements. One staff commented that one young persons self- harm had 'massively reduced'. These improvements enable young people to feel more settled, confident and to understand their own behaviour for the future.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people benefit from opportunities to develop practical knowledge and life skills. This fully supports the development of their independence and helps them become as self-reliant as possible, for example, through cooking and other household tasks.

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Quality of care outstanding

Young people’s care plans, risk assessments and associated care records are exceptionally detailed and highly individualised ensuring that their own needs, personality and strengths are captured. This demonstrates that young people are very well respected and valued for their own attributes. These plans also give staff very clear guidance so that they are able to meet young people's needs exceptionally well. Consistent staffing arrangements ensure that very positive relationships are maintained between staff and young people. In addition, the care planned for young people can consistently be delivered to a very high standard because staff know the young people exceptionally well and know how their needs should be met.

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Quality of care outstanding

Staff are extremely focused on the young people's ongoing progress and effectively and consistently challenge barriers to further development. They have particularly helped young people to grow in confidence and self-esteem through their enthusiastic and energetic approach. Staff say 'we all have different skills to bring to the table' and comment that they work well as a team. Staff have made cakes and floral displays for the school prom and have regularly stayed over their shift end time so that young people can have access to other events such as youth forums and sports events. One professional stated 'staff go the extra mile'. As a result of their high quality support, young people have accessed activities and social events that they would not have felt able to in the past. This really does help young people to realise their own potential and discover their interests and talents.

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Quality of care outstanding

Where staff have become aware that young people are not making as much progress as they would like, they try to find the root of the problem so that young people can resume progress. For example, they are well aware that for some young people, contact issues can be complex and stressful and also that this can have an impact on their behaviour and education. Staff are said by one professional to 'go beyond the call of duty' demonstrating that they are forward thinking and work with young people at their own pace to try to find out what the difficulty is and how it can be resolved. Young people's views are always at the centre of any work taking place and young people are fully involved with every element of their care planning so that they can fully understand and come to terms with their situation. This promotes further developments in their confidence and emotional wellbeing.

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Quality of care outstanding

Strong links with other professionals effectively support individual young people and 7 of 10 the work of the home, for example, there is good liaison and strong working relationships with social workers, school staff and other health professionals such as community and mental health services (CAMHS). As a result of this multi-agency working, young people make excellent progress, despite their complex issues. Staff creatively engage young people about issues that are important to their health, safety, welfare and emotional wellbeing. They support young people through high quality key working sessions that meet their individual needs. For example, young people have received key working sessions on self-harm where staff used celebrity biographies from the Internet and in magazines. This has worked to engage young people and assist them to understand their own situation. Young people also benefit well because staff are also very confident in discussing a range of other wellbeing

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Quality of care outstanding

topics with young people such as sexual health and relationships.

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Quality of care outstanding

The home’s location and design is well suited to young people's needs. The home's locality provides good access to a range of local amenities, community facilities, services and transport links. There is a very homely feel in the house which is well maintained and young people's choices and input into the décor ensures that they respect their own home. Young people are particularly happy with their bedrooms where staff help them to personalise their own room to their own tastes.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Young people, staff and other professionals all agree that young people feel safe and are safe in this home. Staff are fully aware of the complex needs and vulnerabilities of young people and detailed and clear risk assessments minimise risks effectively. For example, they identify the steps that should be taken to minimise such risks as self-harm and missing. Young people are fully aware of their own risk assessments and therefore involved with decisions about safety. Therefore, they are much more inclined to work within the guidelines of their risk assessment, increasing their safety further.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Staff are very aware of what they should do if there is a safeguarding issue in the home. This ensures the safety and welfare of young people at all times. Young people's complex safeguarding needs are well addressed and there is a high level of joint working with other professionals. This multi-disciplinary working helps to keep young people safe. This is because all information, however small, is pieced together to form an extensive picture of any concerns about a young person.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Instances of young people going missing from the home are very few and far between. This is because staff supervision is such that the whereabouts of young people is always known. Where young people do try to go missing this is noticed straight away and staff work very proactively to find the young person at the earliest opportunity to promote their safety. Young people are receptive to teaching about the risks of going missing through very responsive and timely key working sessions about this and other safety and welfare issues. This ensures that they have a good 8 of 10 understanding of their own safety and of how risky behaviour could hold them back in achieving their future goals.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Staff use positive behaviour re-enforcement, rewards and clear goals that young people can work towards. In addition, skilful input and negotiation from staff, supports young people to make positive choices. Serious incidents are reduced because staff understand and identify triggers. Where the use of physical intervention is required, this is only used where there is demonstrable risk to a young person or staff. The records are clear and the young person's welfare and their views remain central. One staff said 'we always ask young people if they ok', demonstrating the child centred approach. There are also further opportunities for de-brief and further reflection with the Registered Manager. This ensures that young people are able to reflect on their behaviour and to talk about the incident to iron out any worries they have.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

The organisation has their own recruitment policies which set out to ensure that young people are protected from unsuitable adults. In addition, the manager knows that she is responsible for the safety and welfare of all young people in relation to the safe recruitment of staff. However, one file selected did not contain a full employment history for the staff member concerned as the Regulations require. This has not impacted on young people to date, but a requirement has been made as this may affect the welfare of young people in the future if not put right.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

The home environment is very safe and there are procedures implemented by the manager to ensure that relevant checks take place. This ensures that the high level of safety and welfare is maintained at all times.

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Leadership and management good

Young people benefit from living in a home which is well led by an experienced, qualified Registered Manager. She has several years of experience in residential settings and in working with young people. In addition, she holds the National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) level 4 in Child Care and in Management, along with the Registered Managers Award (RMA). Staff and young people report that she is a good manager and one young person said 'she 'liked the manager' and 'she is funny'. Staff said 'she knows what's going on' and that 'she is firm but fair' with the young people. The Registered Manager is also well supported and supervised by a senior manager from within the company, who is also registered with Ofsted. In addition, a Deputy Manager supports the management in the home and contributes positively to the culture, ethos and working practices. He also deputises for the Registered Manager in her absence, ensuring that the leadership of the home continues and that

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Leadership and management good

young people continue to make progress. In addition, young people benefit from a permanent and experienced staff team that has changed little in the last year, which also offers continuity of care so that good progress can be made. 9 of 10 Staff receive regular supervision sessions so that they can discuss any concerns they have and have their performance monitored. This helps to ensure that their practice is safe and protects young people's safety and progress. Staff receive mandatory training such as child protection and behaviour management but are also trained in a range of topics which ensure that the specific needs of the young people can be met. This assists staff to work further to understand young people's particular, personal and individual situation and to think about how the young person can be supported and protected in line with their specific issues.

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Leadership and management good

Both internal and external formal monitoring of the home takes place regularly. Reports appropriately review performance and identify areas for improvement in the home. In addition, the company representative completes their own monitoring of the service, for example, she asks the Registered Manager for certain records randomly to see for herself the practice in the home. The Registered Manager also arranges regular additional quality assurance work, for example the use of questionnaires to young people, social workers, parents and carers. This ensures that a range of views are established and that further learning points can be identified so that the service can continually develop in the future. Despite the regular monitoring, one staff file was found to not contain the required checks in line with the Children's Homes Regulations 2001. However, the Registered Manager is already looking at further improvements to her monitoring, showing a proactive and responsive

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Leadership and management good

The recommendation from the last inspection has been met and all staff now complete training in self-harm ensuring that they are well equipped and knowledgeable about such issues, should any of the young people need support in this area. Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Leadership and management good

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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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