Children's Home run by Time-Out Children’s Homes Limited in Calderdale

Unique reference number SC069293 Inspector Stella Henderson Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Registered person Time-Out Children's Homes Limited Registered person address Timeout Childrens Homes Ltd, Unit 2 Mill Fold, Ripponden SOWERBY BRIDGE West Yorkshire HX6 4DH Responsible individual Debbie Rowlands Registered manager Chensena Louise Dunn Date of last inspection 20/02/2014 2 of 10 Inspection date 17/09/2014

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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 good Keeping children and young people safe good Leadership and management outstanding

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Overall effectiveness

Young people make very good progress at the home. Their quality of life improves and they are safe here. Young people respond well to the therapeutic approach which underpins the work of the home. This has a positive impact on their physical and emotional health, behaviour and well-being.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people enjoy good quality care provided by a skilled and well-motivated staff team. Care planning is focused around young people's individual circumstances and is therefore very effective in meeting their unique and diverse needs.

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Overall effectiveness

Safeguarding procedures are very well-managed. Young people’s safety and well- being is closely monitored. There is effective collaboration with safeguarding agencies on any concerns which arise. Young people’s behaviour improves during their time at the home and there is a reduction in risk-taking behaviours.

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Overall effectiveness

Leadership and management arrangements are strong and highly effective. The manager has high expectations of staff and is ambitious for children in her care to do well. Her energetic and constant drive for improvement is directed though a clear development plan for the home and rigorous scrutiny of the home's performance.

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Overall effectiveness

A requirement is raised to improve the independent visitors report. Good practice 3 of 10 recommendations are also suggested to strengthen the voice of the child in planning documentation and simplify placement objectives. None of these shortfalls have an impact on young people's safety or well-being. 4 of 10

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Information about this children’s home

The children's home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to two young people of either gender. Young people living at the home have emotional and behavioural difficulties and are aged between 11 and 17 years old. The home is owned by a private limited company.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/02/2014 Interim good progress 02/10/2013 Full good 16/10/2012 Interim satisfactory progress 29/05/2012 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) interview, with their consent and in private, such of the children accommodated at the home, their parents, relatives and persons working at the children's home as appears necessary in order to form an opinion as to whether children at the home are effectively safeguarded and the conduct of the children's home promotes the wellbeing of children accommodated there (Regulation 33)(8a)((i)(ii) 17/10/2014

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Recommendations

5 of 10 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 that children communicate their views on all aspects of their care and support. This is with specific reference to recording their views more clearly in placement plans (NMS 1.3)  ensure that children are cared for in line with their individual placement plan. This is with specific reference to simplifying and clearly defining objectives. (NMS 25.1) 6 of 10

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people make good progress in overcoming the difficulties they have to face. Young people receive a lot of support to turn their lives around and they respond well to this. This is not always easy or straightforward, but overall young people experience positive change across all aspects of their lives.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

For example, some young people have returned to mainstream school after considerable periods of non-attendance. This increases their chance to undertake recognised qualifications and prepare them for employment or further education. Others have been supported in their choice of education providers and are now thriving in that new environment. This has given them the confidence to be more ambitious and consider the possibility of going to university.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people have the opportunity to explore, understand and manage their emotions. Staff are specifically trained to deliver therapeutic care and an in-house psychologist provides direct support to young people. This produces one of the biggest areas of change for young people. The process helps young people to feel good about themselves, deal with past and current events and develop resilience to disappointments in life.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

This makes a difference to how they respond to situations and helps to improve their behaviour. As a result young people begin to enjoy more meaningful relationships with others. They have fewer angry and violent outbursts. This aids them in making new friends and helps to smooth relationships and contact with family members.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people gain confidence to try new activities and experiences. For example, young people have been involved in fund-raising for cancer charities; they are involved in local authority consultation groups and take part in summer camps. These experiences connect young people to their wider community as well as adding to their sense of well-being.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people keep themselves in good health. They eat a wide range of healthy foods and take exercise to keep fit. They take pride in their personal appearance. The number of cigarettes young people smoke has reduced considerably and they do not use alcohol or take drugs. Young people know how to protect their sexual health. They take sensible precautions to avoid pregnancy and guard against infection.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people get a lot of help to prepare for independence. They learn the practical skills they need to look after themselves, such as knowing how to manage their money, budget for food and bills, cook for themselves and deal with household chores. Young people are looking forward to independence but still expressed the 7 of 10 view that they want to stay here 'as long as I can!'

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Quality of care good

Young people respond well to the calm and stable environment provided by the home. They make rapid progress and achieve good outcomes because they are nurtured, treated with respect and enjoy meaningful relationships with staff. One family member described the home as being, 'absolutely wonderful' and praised the perseverance of staff and their willingness to 'go the extra mile'.

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Quality of care good

The positive impact of this environment is clearly demonstrated as some young people favourably compare this home as ‘the best’ they have lived in. One young person said, 'I really like it here. Staff are doing a really good job. They have helped me with activities, helping me with independence, to tell the time and are helping me to learn how to cook.'

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Quality of care good

Young people's views of the home do fluctuate depending on how they are feeling. However listening to what young people have to say is a strength of the home. Their opinions, good or bad, are attended to and what they have to say makes a difference.

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Quality of care good

For example, young people's views have influenced the choice of leisure activities, the suitability of work placements, the provision of a greenhouse to grow vegetables and contact arrangements. However the range and strength of young people's opinions are not fully recorded in young people's placement plans. Improving this minor shortfall would make clearer to young people that their views have been taken into consideration in the planning process.

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Quality of care good

Regular key working time is set aside to meet help young people deal with their difficulties and problems. This contributes to the good overall outcomes that young people achieve. Placement plans are detailed and comprehensive, but would benefit from more simply defined objectives. This would help to better illustrate young people's journey from their starting points, as well as capturing the very good work undertaken by staff.

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Quality of care good

For the majority of the time, young people adhere to the boundaries set for them. They have a say in what works best for them where behaviour management is concerned. Strategies to improve positive behaviour are successful; sanctions are minimal and physical restraint is very rare. This is because staff have an excellent understanding of how past experiences can influence young people's behaviour. These are taken into account and inform behaviour management plans. 8 of 10 Young people benefit from very effective partnership working between their families and staff and professionals from other agencies. This is because the manager and staff are skilled at building 'the team around the child', making sure all those with an interest in or responsibility towards young people are included. This helps young people to get the resources they need and contributes to them achieving good outcomes.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Young people are safe at the home and they say they feel safe. Their safety and well-being has priority at all times. The speedy referral and resolution of any safeguarding concerns are undertaken in collaboration with social workers and the local authority designated officer for safeguarding (LADO). Incidents and concerns are monitored and evaluated. This means any potential risk to young people being is short-lived.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Young people occasionally place themselves at risk through their own actions, choices and decisions. However, staff are quick to address these matters with young people. For example, specific work has been undertaken on grooming and domestic violence.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Young people are well informed about the risks associated with 'going missing' because staff and external visitors provide advice and guidance in this respect. The home works successfully with young people to reverse such patterns of behaviour. As a result such incidents are rare.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

When appointing staff, the home follows safer recruitment practice guidelines. This means that young people are looked after only by those deemed suitable to work with vulnerable individuals.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Young people live in a property that is frequently assessed to ensure that all health and safety requirements are met. This includes regular fire safety drills and checks on vehicles used to transport young people.

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Leadership and management outstanding

The manager has been registered with Ofsted to manage this home since March 2013. She is educated to degree level and possesses relevant child care and management qualifications. This includes the required Level 5 Standard in Leadership and Management Caring for Children and Young People. She also manages another home within the organisation.

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Leadership and management outstanding

Leadership and management is strong, consistent and pro-active. The manager 9 of 10 meets regularly with young people and keeps them firmly at the centre of everything the home does. She demonstrates exceptional understanding of young people's background and situations and is highly committed to delivering high standards of care and support for them.

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Leadership and management outstanding

The manager manages the home efficiently and leads a highly motivated and child- centred staff team. Difficulties and challenges are met head-on and overcome using a team approach. This provides and open and transparent way of working and consistency in approach. Reflective practice is evident and all staff work collectively to meet young people's needs and successfully improve their outcomes.

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Leadership and management outstanding

The enthusiastic and resourceful manager ensures that the work of staff has an immediate impact for young people. She loses no time in accessing resources and driving forward improvement for them. For example, in less than six months one young person is now entering mainstream school after a considerable period of non- attendance. This process was assisted by the provision of a private tutor to facilitate that transition. Psychological assessment and treatment is also quickly provided; in weeks rather than months.

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Leadership and management outstanding

The home is very well-regarded by stakeholders and families. One professional praised the 'excellent' work undertaken by staff and said they would recommend the home to others. A family member commented that the home was, 'absolutely wonderful. I can't fault them.'

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Leadership and management outstanding

Staff say that they receive excellent support and access to a range of relevant learning opportunities. This ensures they have the skills and competencies to offer good levels of care and support. They receive regular high quality supervision and thorough annual appraisal of their work. This gives them the opportunity to reflect upon their practice, plan their work with young people and improve on their performance.

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Leadership and management outstanding

Performance of the home is subject to regular review and any shortfalls are swiftly addressed. The manager implements highly effective monitoring systems. This ensures that all key records are regularly audited, and quality of the care young people experience is closely scrutinised. There is a development plan in place for the home. This includes the views of young people and what they would like to see improved.

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Leadership and management outstanding

External monitoring is effective in holding the manager to account and ensuring that young people receive good quality care. Young people contribute their views to this process, but the report provided for the home would be enhanced by the inclusion of the opinions of families and professionals. 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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