Children's Home run by Mulberry House Care Homes Limited in Staffordshire

Unique reference number SC060554 Inspector Julian Mason Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Registered person Mulberry House Care Homes Limited Registered person address Tollgate Business Centre Tollgate Drive Stafford Staffordshire ST16 3HS Responsible individual Karen Elizabeth Ingley Registered manager Nicola Sheena Greenfield Date of last inspection 26/03/2014 2 of 8 Inspection date 24/10/2014

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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 adequate Leadership and management good

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Overall effectiveness

Young people feel safe and enjoy living in the home. They clearly benefit from caring, supportive relationships they have with the staff team. Some young people are doing exceptional well in many aspects of their lives while newer arrivals are yet to match this level of progress. Young people are able to make their views known and they have a real say in what happens to them and how they are looked after.

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Overall effectiveness

The team have high aspirations for young people and professionals are positive about what the home provides and how staff work in partnership with them. Staff receive good practical support and guidance from managers. This ensures all young people are provided with the right help that is compatible with their needs. The Registered Manager understands the home’s strengths and weaknesses and can demonstrate how the service has improved and what will be done to develop the service further. 3 of 8

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned children's home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to two young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. It is one of four children's homes owned by the provider organisation.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

26/03/2014 Interim good progress 28/05/2013 Full adequate 28/01/2013 Interim good progress 23/05/2012 Full adequate 4 of 8

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Some young people are making excellent progress in their lives. They are fulfilling their ambitions through chosen college courses and attendance at various clubs and extra-curricular activities. They are expanding their social networks and developing their skills and confidence in relation to becoming more independent and responsible. Young people experience a home environment where they can be themselves and develop their own identities as they move towards adulthood. One young person stating, ‘it’s a fantastic place, they’ve helped me turn my life around.’

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Outcomes for children and young people good

For other young people, their risk taking and anti-social behaviours are continuing but reducing in comparison to their previous circumstances. All young people experience a supportive and understanding approach from the staff team that promotes opportunities for change and improving outcomes. One member of staff stating, ‘we don’t give up, we want them all to do well.’

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people’s needs in relation to their health and welfare are being consistently met. They benefit from a coordinated approach, ensuring their good health is promoted. For instance, young people are actively encouraged and supported to attend their planned appointments. Young people’s emotional well-being is also prioritised and staff work in partnership with specialist services to ensure they can access psychological help and support when needed. Young people are regularly involved and engaged in discussions about health related matters to ensure they can make informed decisions about lifestyle choices they make.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Some young people have completed their GCSEs this year and have achieved some excellent grades. They are now going college as part of their plans to go to university and follow a chosen career path. Some young people have high aspirations for themselves and this is fully supported and encouraged by the staff team. Young people say they have been motivated by the interest and support they have received by staff. Despite strong encouragement and practical help, other young people are struggling to establish any form of learning or training following completion of their secondary education. Staff promote the value and benefits of education and work with other professionals to try to improve attendance and attainment.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people develop their skills, knowledge and experience in preparation for more independent living. Staff provide hands-on coaching and support to help young people focus on their aspirations and goals as they move towards adulthood. Young people are provided with a range of opportunities, practical activities and domestic routines to help them develop their independent living skills. Staff encourage and support young people to develop friendships outside of the home as well as welcoming their friends into the house. Young people are fully supported to maintain contact with people in their lives who are important to them to ensure significant 5 of 8 relationships and attachments are maintained.

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Quality of care good

Young people experience constructive relationships with staff who are active role models in helping to shape a positive home environment. When relationships become difficult, young people are encouraged to talk through any issues they have and find suitable resolutions. Young people are continually engaged by staff and receive regular feedback about their conduct and behaviour. Peer relationships can sometimes be difficult but these circumstances are used to help promote better ways to behave. Staff focus on expressing clear boundaries but also use frequent praise to reinforce socially-acceptable and improving behaviours.

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Quality of care good

Young people are able to shape and influence the support they need because staff listen to what they have to say and value their thoughts and feelings. Staff use a range of ways to seek the views and opinions of young people including one-to-one time, house meetings and informal discussions. Staff encourage young people to negotiate and compromise in order to facilitate reasonable requests and choices. Young people know how to complain if they are not happy about something and are confident about achieving resolutions to any concerns they might have. One young person saying, ‘I’m encouraged to say what I think, yes I am listened to.’

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Quality of care good

Young people’s family backgrounds are well known. As a result, this information supports staff in their wider approach to helping each young person develop their own identity and outlook. Staff and young people have created a welcoming, clean and tidy home environment. Young people are actively involved in personalising their bedrooms and staff ensure that necessary health and safety standards are maintained.

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Quality of care good

Staff are well informed about young people’s needs. This is because the home collates a comprehensive range of information that is used to formulate individual plans of care. Young people are consulted about their plans and attend review meetings where they are able to say what they think and influence decisions around their future arrangements.

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Keeping children and young people safe adequate

Young people feel safe and comfortable in the home. Staff have a secure understanding of how to keep young people safe. They receive training in child protection and frequently discuss safeguarding practices within team meetings, shift handovers and one-to-one discussions with managers. Staff know what to do should 6 of 8 they have any concerns about a young person's safety or welfare.

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Keeping children and young people safe adequate

The home provides a safe environment in which risks are carefully considered and managed. Staff support young people to take age-appropriate risks while taking suitable precautions and measures to keep them safe. This helps young people understand what staff consider to be acceptable what is judged as being risky. Through this process, young people learn about personal safety as they become more independent and responsible for themselves.

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Keeping children and young people safe adequate

Staff use detailed assessments to shape how they respond to risks associated with young people having unauthorised absences or being missing from care. These events have continued for some young people although occurrences are less now than at previous placements. On these occasions, staff respond quickly to these circumstances to ensure young people’s safety is promoted. The staff team use well- established partnerships with the local police and other designated professionals to ensure a coordinated approach is taken in these circumstances. Where concerns remain about missing from care events, the Registered Manager organises professionals’ meetings to determine if any further interventions are needed. These measures ensure that the home adapts and responds to any changing needs, risks and circumstances of individual young people. One professional stating, ‘the home is working well to try to mitigate against some of the young person’s poor choices.’

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Keeping children and young people safe adequate

Young people are protected by the proactive approach taken to behaviour management, which currently does not include the use of physical restraint. Staff are trained in behaviour management techniques and consistently apply these in practice. Staff value young people and treat them with respect. The use of praise and incentives as well as the use formal sanctions provides a balance and proportionate approach to helping young people manage their behaviour.

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Keeping children and young people safe adequate

The home is physically safe and appropriately secure to take into account the needs of the young people. Detailed risk assessments and fire safety checks are undertaken to promote everyone’s safety and well-being. Fire evacuation drills are carried out routinely and involve young people so they know what to do in an emergency. The home employs a safe recruitment procedure that ensures young people are looked after by staff that have been appropriately checked and vetted.

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Leadership and management good

The management and organisation of the service is good. The manager has been registered with Ofsted for just over a year and is suitably qualified, skilled and experienced. The Registered Manager has the full support and respect of young people and the staff team. The management team expect high standards of care and aim to continually improve the service for the benefit of young people.

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Leadership and management good

These aspirations are communicated through to the staff team via regular discussion 7 of 8 and dialogue in one-to-one and team meetings. The whole team have good working relationships with each other and key professionals in other agencies. There is a development plan in place for the home, which is in the process of being reviewed and updated for the coming year. The Statement of Purpose is clear, accessible and comprehensive. Young people are clear about what the home sets out to achieve.

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Leadership and management good

Although there have been some recent changes in the composition of the staff team, a core group of staff remain who have continued to provide continuity of care. Some agency staff have been used but this has been kept to a minimum in order to lessen the impact of changes within the team. The staff group are well balanced in terms of age, gender and life experience, which provides young people with a diversity of carers. New staff are familiarised with their role and develop the required skills and competencies through induction processes and training. Most staff are experienced and some are suitably qualified.

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Leadership and management good

The Registered Manager has a regular cycle of quality assurance and monitoring activities that produces a detailed range of information about how well young people’s needs are being met. This includes monthly independent monitoring visits as well as internal quality assurance assessments of key areas of the home's operation. Managers are well informed about successes as well as areas that the home needs to develop or strengthen.

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Leadership and management good

Young people’s case files and electronic records are kept up to date, stored securely and contribute fully to an understanding of a young person’s life at the home. Established procedures are also in place to share information about significant incidents with the appropriate agencies including Ofsted, which detail events and actions taken to safeguard and protect young people. 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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