Children's Home, Residential special school run by Hopscotch Solutions Limited in Rutland

Unique reference number SC065071 Inspector Caroline Brailsford Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Residential special school (>295 days/year)

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Registered person Hopscotch Solutions Limited Registered person address 1 Merchants Place River Street BOLTON BL2 1BX

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Responsible individual Paul Ivor Emmerson Registered manager POST VACANT Date of last inspection 26/03/2014 2 of 10 Inspection date 01/12/2014

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Previous inspection good progress Enforcement action since last inspection There has been no enforcement activity.

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Overall effectiveness good

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

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Overall effectiveness

Young people all make excellent progress in this home in many areas of their lives. Particular progress is made in relation to education, behaviour and developing independence skills. Young people make improvements to their behaviour and as a result, their life chances are improved. For example, they have more access to the community, their education is improved and they have better contact with their family and friends because they are more settled and less anxious.

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Overall effectiveness

Staff at every level are very focused on individuals' needs and young people are always at the centre of all decisions and developments. Staff also understand the young people's needs extremely well and highly personalised care planning ensures that they know what they must do to meet each need. Care planning is regularly reviewed in line with the young people's changing needs and therefore ensures that young people make improvements at the earliest opportunity.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people are safe and where there are particular safeguarding issues, staff have developed good working relationships with partner agencies. Safeguarding procedures are individual to young people's current issues and are regularly reviewed to protect young people's welfare well. 3 of 10 While the home is outstanding in some areas it is not yet outstanding in other areas. For example, despite meeting the Regulations, the management of staff does not include robust supervision arrangements for agency staff and the restraint records are not outstanding in that they do not contain the finer detail of what happened during the event. Neither of these issues has had a negative impact on the young people.

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Overall effectiveness

As a result of this inspection, there is one requirement in relation to making sure that parents’ views are established as part of the organisation’s own inspections of the home. 4 of 10

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Information about this children’s home

This is a privately owned residential special school that provides care and education to young people diagnosed with an autistic spectrum disorder. The school cares for children for more than 295 days each year, therefore is registered as a children’s home. The home can accommodate up to 11 young people.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

26/03/2014 Interim good progress 27/11/2013 Full good 08/03/2013 Interim good progress 04/07/2012 Full outstanding

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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 the independent person when carrying out the visit shall interview with their consent and in private, such of the children accommodated there, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as appears necessary in order to form an opinion. (Regulation 33 (8)(a)). 16/01/2015 5 of 10

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Outcomes for children and young people outstanding

Young people make excellent progress in many areas. In particular, there is significant progress in attendance and attainment in education and developing independence skills. Young people's complex Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is exceptionally well understood by staff, which enables young people to develop their behaviour. In turn, this allows for them to participate significantly more in their education. This also allows for a high level of development socially with their peers. The exceptionally individual approach to education fully promotes each young person's development. New initiatives are regularly introduced to ensure that the young people can make the best progress possible. For example, a new Lego therapy programme has recently helped young people to manage the social aspects of being in a group. They have been able to learn about working with others as well as progressing their learning in design and technology. One young person told the

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Outcomes for children and young people outstanding

inspector about their education and said 'yes it’s interesting'.

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Outcomes for children and young people outstanding

Care staff understand goals and targets and work exceptionally well with teaching staff to make sure that progress continues outside of the education day. This encourages further progress. Professionals are particularly happy with education and comments include 'exceptional progress' and 'my young person is thriving in the care of The Shires'.

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Outcomes for children and young people outstanding

A consistent approach and detailed behaviour management plans support young people to make very positive progress. For some young people who have patterns with their behaviour, staff try to find the triggers so that progress is maximised. Young people's improved behaviour allows them in some circumstances to learn to self-regulate their behaviour, which improves their confidence and self-esteem. This also enables them to access the community and enjoy activities that they would not have accessed in the past due to their behaviour. Therefore, their quality of life is improved and they are able to develop their interests and talents. For example some young people have taken music lessons and have progressed considerably with this.

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Outcomes for children and young people outstanding

Young people have very good health because of a high level of staff support. For example, carefully planned daily routines help them to understand and take responsibility for their own health needs such as personal hygiene and taking any required medication. Young people make strides in developing practical knowledge and life skills. This fully supports the development of their independence and helps them become as self-reliant as possible. For example, they practice cooking and budgeting. The annex to the main building provides young people with greater independence where young people are grouped together to develop their skills. Young people receive excellent practical and emotional support to maintain and develop contact with their families which allows them to make progress with relationships that are important to them. Improved behaviour means that contact 6 of 10 with families is significantly improved.

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Quality of care outstanding

Young people have a say about the running of the home and what is happening in their own life. This is because they are fully involved in discussions about their care and what happens in their home. Young people know they can go to staff or any member of the management team if they have an issue or concern. Young people’s concerns are always consistently dealt with well and the young person is always at the centre. In addition, an advocacy worker visits the young people regularly. The management has ensured that this professional has got to know the young people well to be able to fully understand the complexity of individuals’ communication style as well as the issues that they face. This is particularly challenging because of the young people's ASD but it has worked exceptionally well. This approach ensures that all young people have a voice, whatever their disability or communication style. This

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Quality of care outstanding

empowers young people to become more confident in their own views and thus assists them in developing their independence. One young person confirmed improvements to their independence saying 'I like to be independent now'.

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Quality of care outstanding

Young people receive a very high standard of care and support because staff see them in an extremely positive light, whatever their behaviour. Staff really do value each young person for the attributes they bring. They try to understand the young person's behaviour and how their autism shapes their personality. This shows that all young people are respected and highly regarded for their own attributes. Staff in this home are extremely committed to making improvements to the lives of young people and always have them at the centre of all the work taking place.

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Quality of care outstanding

Care plans are highly individual and responsive to the young people's changing behavioural, health and emotional needs. Staff understand the plans extremely well and the arrangements for updating these are very effective. This means that at all times, staff work with the most up-to-date information to maximise progress. This work also informs future planning so that young people can develop to their full potential.

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Quality of care outstanding

This setting is part of a residential special school and both the care and education staff work hand in hand to promote excellent progress in all areas. Staffing levels provide one-to-one support throughout the school day where needed and the care staff are also fully involved in the young person's education so that extremely significant progress can be made.

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Quality of care outstanding

Staff know and understand the value of good contact arrangements for young people and their families. They support them to address any issues and this close working 7 of 10 has a positive impact on the young person and family. Young people understand their situation better and, as a result, they are less anxious and enjoy their home visit a lot more.

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Quality of care outstanding

The home’s location and design are extremely well suited to young people's needs although a little institutionalised in places, for example the toilets where there are several toilet cubicles in the same room. However, the maintenance programme is ongoing and ensures that the home is well maintained. One of the bathrooms has been refurbished since the last inspection. Some outstanding work needed on the second bathroom in the main building is already planned in the maintenance schedule. Young people say they like the building and enjoy the wide range of facilities including accessing the school facilities such as the hall and school resources as they wish in their spare time.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Young people's behaviour improves in this home because there is an individual and positive approach. Some young people are extremely complex in their behaviour. However, the staff understand the links between behaviours and complex communication. Therefore, young people are well understood and this reduces their anxiety. There are physical interventions in the home, but this reflects the young people's complex needs. Staff are very clear that all physical interventions are of a last resort and that they complete them safely. Staff also reported a reduction in restraint generally. One staff member highlighted this further by talking about a young person saying that 'he is learning to trust a lot more; we showed him appropriate behaviour; he used to really struggle with anxiety and would have ended up in a restraint'. There is an ethos in the home of ensuring restraint reduction at the earliest opportunity and this theme continues through the home's development

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Keeping children and young people safe good

planning and care planning for individuals.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Physical interventions are recorded and monitored so that a picture of the incident can be gained. While the recording meets the required standard, it does not always reflect the finer details. This has the potential to cause confusion about the details of the event and the actual account of where staff were placed. There is a suitable focus on the views of the young person about the intervention used. This ensures that young people have a voice and that such measures allow them to feel safe. This also allows the manager and organisation to monitor the events sufficiently with the young person at the centre. Staff training in behaviour management reinforces and further promotes the positive approach to young people. This has helped young people to make progress and develop their self-esteem.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

The home has safeguarding policies and procedures in place, which include procedures to be followed in the event of a child protection concern. These are followed by staff who understand the safeguarding procedures and have completed training. Where there are complex issues, the management have developed an 8 of 10 excellent relationship with the Local Safeguarding Children Board. There are some examples of creative joint working where young people are at higher risk because they struggle to understand what an allegation is. Young people spoken to feel safe.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Young people's risk assessments are individual and detailed. They contain full information about how risks should be reduced and how young people can continue to lead a fulfilling life, while at the same time taking proportionate risks. This impacts very positively on young people's welfare, because the staff are knowledgeable and fully aware of what they must do to keep the young person safe.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Young people do not go missing. Staff supervision levels are such that the whereabouts of young people are always known. Staff are clear through the understanding of risk assessments and protocols about what they must do if this does occur. This further minimises the risk to young people should they go missing.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Recruitment practices are good, which helps to protect young people from the risk of harm and abuse. Health and safety arrangements are robust and help to keep all who use the building safe. For example there are regular fire drills and equipment is regularly well maintained.

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Leadership and management good

The home’s Statement of Purpose covers all the requirements as detailed in schedule 1 of the Children’s Homes Regulations 2001. The document reflects correctly the work taking place and the home operates within its conditions of registration.

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Leadership and management good

The Registered Manager left the home in October 2014. The organisation has had sufficient management arrangements in place and the Principal of the school intends to register with Ofsted to cover as the Registered Manager. The changes in management have not had a detrimental impact on young people and the home continues to provide an outstanding quality of care.

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Leadership and management good

It is clear that the management team are very enthusiastic and energetic for improvement. Although no requirements or recommendations were made at the last inspection, they have continued to drive forward further improvements showing a pro-active approach to the care of vulnerable children. A robust development plan has assisted in the planning of the required work to raise the standards in this home further. For example, new initiatives in education ensure that young people continue to make excellent progress, and new advocacy arrangements ensure that all young people have their say.

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Leadership and management good

Training is well organised and ensures that staff are competent in meeting the individual needs of the young people. For example, staff undergo a training programme which includes training, such as behaviour management and understanding autism, to meet the young people's specific and complex needs. Staff 9 of 10 are well motivated by their training and are able to reflect on how it impacts on the young people.

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Leadership and management good

The supervision of most staff is very regular ensuring that their practice can be monitored and that further improvements can be made in relation to the delivery of care. Where agency staff are employed, there has been some monitoring of their performance which helps to ensure safe practice. Therefore the required standard is met. However, the arrangements for the supervision of agency staff are not yet good because they have not had formal supervision sessions. There is no procedure for the formal supervision of agency staff to gather their views or robustly monitor their performance. This could potentially impact on the quality of care in the future.

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Leadership and management good

Staff recruitment is well organised and includes a robust procedure for checking that all staff are suitable to work in the home. For example, all gaps in employment are thoroughly checked and all references are verified. The procedure for notifying appropriate authorities of significant events is consistently and effectively implemented. This enables all required events to be regulated by Ofsted and helps to ensure the safety and welfare of young people.

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Leadership and management good

Effective monitoring by the manager and the independent visitor has taken place in the home, which helps to make sure that the young people make progress. Some areas of monitoring are robust, in that the information is scrutinised and where shortfalls are raised, these are quickly put right ensuring that the progress in the home can continue. The parents are not routinely contacted as part of this process to establish their views about the quality of care. One parent felt that they had not been involved in the quality assurance process. The views of parents about the setting are at times not taken into consideration and there is the potential for important information about how the home is looking after their child to be missed. 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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