Children's Home run by Acorn Care (UK) Limited in Darlington

Unique reference number SC390751 Inspector Julie Rimington Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Registered person Acorn Care (UK) Limited Registered person address 33 Kellaw Road Yarm Road Business Park Darlington County Durham DL1 4YA Responsible individual Julie-Ann Foxton Registered manager Jayne Bogan Date of last inspection 26/09/2013 2 of 11 Inspection date 10/12/2014

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Previous inspection satisfactory progress Enforcement action since last inspection There has been no enforcement action since the last inspection.

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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 good

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Overall effectiveness

Young people benefit from excellent quality of care in a safe, caring and stable environment. Young people are making good progress from their starting points and they are supported by their high quality and individually tailored plans. Positive relationships between staff and young people are developing which promote trust and respect over time. Professionals and stakeholders express satisfaction about the quality of care at the home and have made a number of compliments about the effective working relationships between the home and families.

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Overall effectiveness

Staff are child-focussed, competent, motivated and take pride in delivering their roles and responsibilities. Their energy and commitment is apparent in the warm, welcoming and nurturing atmosphere of the home. This approach is also evident in their interaction with the young people. They often go beyond the expectations of their role to complete repairs independently and promptly. The young people therefore have a well-maintained home of a high material standard. Consultation with young people is an ongoing process that serves to shape the staff’s practice and approach. As a result, records show that they strive to respond to the young people’s suggestions irrespective of the challenge this may present.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people benefit immensely from strong leadership and management in the 3 of 11 home. The Registered Manager is diligent in her commitment to improve young people’s outcomes. She makes positive use of effective monitoring tools to ensure that she quickly acts on any identified shortfalls. Such arrangements strongly support the work with the young people and deliver purposeful child-centred practice. 4 of 11

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Information about this children’s home

The home provides accommodation for up to five young people who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home is operated by a private company.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

26/09/2013 Interim satisfactory progress 26/04/2013 Full good 13/11/2012 Interim satisfactory progress 09/05/2012 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 the registered person has a system in place to notify within 24 hours the persons and appropriate authorities of the occurrence of significant events in accordance with Regulation 30 5 of 11

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people’s outcomes improve from their starting points as they settle into life at this home. Improvements are made in relation to young people’s positive engagement in their education, re-establishing family contact and working towards independence. The protective and nurturing home environment provides a secure base where young people can plan their future lives. This is supported by clear expectations set out in their individually tailored, high quality plans. Young people are developing positive attachments with staff and this helps them to work towards their individualised and realistic goals. This in turn, improves young people's confidence and strengthens their resilience.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people gain a good insight into their health because staff discuss a range of health matters with them. For example, young people learn about healthy lifestyles and the benefits of consuming a healthy balanced diet. Young people learn about sexual health matters and the health risks associated with smoking and drinking alcohol. Young people who have a history of not attending health appointments or engaging with health professionals, have made some progress through their attendance at specialist health appointments. This ensures a full assessment of young people’s health needs that promotes their overall well-being.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people’s educational outcomes are good. They achieve from the point of their admission, developing particular interests and a motivation to realise their potential. Some young people, who have missed schooling, are now starting to engage with home tutoring. Others who have previously found attending school difficult are engaging in good quality alternative education and acquiring skills to help them find employment. Consequently, they are beginning to set goals for their future, and to plan with an emerging confidence in their potential.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people become more self-aware about their behaviours and access the support on offer to help them manage their feelings. They begin to gain insight into their behaviour, and to make choices that are more positive. With increasing maturity, they become more able to reflect and engage less in risk-taking behaviour. This is reflected in the absence of restraints and the significant reduction in the number of young people who are reported missing from the home.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people’s interest in leisure activities outside of their educational activities helps to develop their social skills and allows them to relax outside of their daily routines. For example, young people have enjoyed day trips out with staff and spending time with friends. Young people’s contact with families is facilitated and supported. This has resulted in some young people returning home to their families, which may not have been an option before. Young people’s sense of belonging and connection to their heritage is maintained by their continued contact with significant people in their 6 of 11 lives.

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Quality of care good

The relaxed and warm interaction between the staff team and the young people reflects the good relationships fostered in the home. The Registered Manager leads by example making time to spend with the young people, to offer advice, guidance and support where necessary. One social worker confirmed staff were ‘excellent communicators’ who created a ‘nurturing atmosphere in the home’. The young people’s comments within the surveys confirmed this view. One young person wrote ‘the staff help me with a lot of things’. While another commented, ‘they listen and help me make things happen’. Such comments reflect an encouraging and nurturing environment within the home, essential for the young people’s emotional wellbeing and overall development.

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Quality of care good

Consultation with young people happens regularly on all aspects of living in the home. The staff team utilise these meetings to gain their views on their practice, but also to reaffirm expectations of behaviour. Young people have an opportunity to influence change within the home in a range of areas. The quality of the home's practice has received formal recognition by a national voluntary organisation following a thorough assessment of their work. Young people know how to make a complaint and information to signpost them to support agencies is easily accessible. Young people choose menus and are actively encouraged to make proposals to have activities included in the diary. Such arrangements demonstrate the efforts of the staff to ensure the young people feel valued, cared for and feel their voices are heard.

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Quality of care good

Working relationships with social care professionals and parents are good. One social worker said the staff team kept them informed and were ‘ proactive’ about involving the birth family in the young people’s care. The staff team have a developed understanding of the young person’s history and overall needs. Care plans are in place and are comprehensive and detailed. They are outdated in the way they are structured and presented. This is being addressed. The impact on young people is minimal.

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Quality of care good

Material standards of the home are good. The Registered Manager is committed to on-going improvement by developing the communal areas. The staff team demonstrate their investment in the young people’s surroundings by decorating, making curtains and choosing accessories. Young people are actively encouraged to give their views on such matters to help create a homely and comfortable environment that reflects their choices. The staff’s teams care and attention to the home and involvement of the young people promotes a sense of pride and 7 of 11 ownership.

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Quality of care good

Key worker sessions are used to address issues that are ‘live’ for the young people and include an educative and personal development element on issues such as missing from care, school attendance and sexual health matters. Practice is child- centred and is focused on developing the young person’s understanding of their behaviour. Staff team members also participate in activities with the young people on a weekly basis, the Registered Manager organises staffing levels to make sure there are sufficient staff available to spend time with the young people.

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Quality of care good

The home tackles barriers to education effectively. Additional support is put in place in a timely way to meet the young people’s individual needs. This encompasses all aspects of a young person’s education, such as one to one support to develop their social skills and competence. Working relationships with education providers are also excellent. This ensures any issues or concerns are dealt with quickly, to provide a coordinated and united response to the young people’s particular difficulties.

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Quality of care good

The arrangements for storing, administering and checking medication are appropriate and safe Administration of medication is safe and carried out to ensure upmost privacy and dignity. The staff team also assesses the young person’s ability to self- medicate and enables this wherever possible, encouraging individual responsibility, and independence. Access to specialist health services is good, and young people are consistently registered with general practitioners, opticians, and dentists

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Keeping children and young people safe good

The safety and wellbeing of the young people is at the centre of the staff’s teams practice. Robust risk assessments are in place, which are thorough and individualised. Staff team members regularly review these assessments to ensure they are current and young people are kept safe and secure. The staff team discuss any potential risks with young people within their individual key working sessions and praise positive behaviour choices made.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

It is clear the Registered Manager has an extensive understanding of the young people’s vulnerabilities and of what constitutes safe practice. The staff team are completing training in a wide variety of topics. They therefore receive the appropriate training to identify potential risks to the young people.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

The infrequent use of restraint since the last inspection reflects the staff’s team skills and abilities to manage difficult situations. Young people are encouraged to behave positively via the use of incentives. The staff achieve a good balance between providing opportunities for young people to earn rewards, alongside focused support and praise. Strategies are in place to reinforce expectations and provide a coordinated response from the staff team. For example, key workers hold structured discussions on the young people’s individual needs in team meetings. Clear records 8 of 11 are kept of sanctions and staff and young people contribute to these. Additionally, the key worker sessions revisit incidences where particular risk taking behaviours are discussed with concern and sensitivity for the young person. As a result, the staff team deliver a coordinated, consistent response to young people and professionals.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

This enhances young people’s feelings of stability, safety and security and informs care planning.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Good risk assessments clearly identify the actual, and potential risks and strategies to reduce young people’s risk taking behaviours. Positive behaviour management strategies are consistently applied and support young people to improve their behaviour. Those young people who go missing from care are supported and helped by the home’s missing from care protocols and individual strategies. Members of staff work proactively and effectively with the police to ensure they are fully appraised of the missing event. Staff team members also search for young people in the community and contact them on their mobile phones to expedite their safe and well return. These actions give young people a clear message that the staff team care about them and are concerned for their welfare when they do not return home at the agreed time.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Young people thrive within a warm, safe environment where all of their physical needs are anticipated and met. Established systems for the routine checking and servicing of all fire equipment and other appliances are followed within requisite timescales. Individual risk assessments identify each young person’s’ unique and diverse needs in the event of a fire or emergency. Young people's physical safety is assured by good health and safety procedures.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Arrangements are in place for the vetting of new staff are robust and effective. The Registered Manager is able to give a detailed account of the steps taken to ensure new staff members are suitable to work with children. These safe arrangements provide assurance that those who care for the young people are appropriately qualified and sufficiently trained to meet the young people’s needs.

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Leadership and management good

The Registered Manager is new to managing the home having assumed the position in August 2014. She is suitable experienced and is qualified for the role. All recommendations from the previous inspection were met. The Registered Manager is currently awaiting the outcome of approval process from Ofsted.

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Leadership and management good

Leadership and management arrangements are extremely efficient and aspirational in their outlook which promotes high expectations for all young people. This approach has led to some successful outcomes for young people The Registered Manager has a strong and confident leadership style, with an obvious commitment to deliver a good standard of care to the young people. The Registered Manager’s approach to creating a caring and protective environment is mirrored in the staff’s enthusiasm for 9 of 11 their role. One member of staff said, ‘If you have any good ideas and suggestions you’re listened to, especially if it involves doing things with the young people’. Young people benefit from comprehensive and well-ordered records which are securely stored in a exceptionally well organised office system. These documents track young people’s care journey, which provides them with an important and valuable legacy to

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Leadership and management good

The staff team feel supported in their formal supervision by management, describing it as a two way process to discuss young people’s progress. These sessions happen regularly, are recorded comprehensively, and cover all aspects of the work. The Registered Manager will also take steps to debrief members of staff in supervision following difficult and challenging behaviours from young people. The staff team are also consulted about new admissions to the home and they contribute positively to this process. Young people admitted have a robust pre-admission assessment to ensure their needs can be met alongside those young people already living in the home. As a result, young people are admitted safely, increasing the likelihood that their placement will be sustainable.

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Leadership and management good

Team meetings provide regular structured opportunities to discuss information about the young people and their particular challenges. The Responsible individual also attends these meetings. The Registered Manager keeps abreast of regulatory changes and developments in practice. She utilise team meetings to share this information and consider ways to improve practice in line with new developments. The home’s information relating to young people is good and very well organised. It clearly reflects the young people’s experience of living in the home and the actions the staff team take to meet their needs.

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Leadership and management good

Good internal monitoring processes ensure that young people’s safety and the quality of their care is monitored on a regular basis. The Registered Manager uses a consultation document effectively with young people to ascertain and then utilise their views. As a result young people are fully supported to have their say. External monitoring visits also contribute to improving the care young people receive. Independent monitoring visits systematically contribute to improvements and include ascertaining young people's views on their care and experiences. The management team ensure practice is current, relevant to young people's needs and accountable by maintaining a strong overview of key documents, policies and procedures. The majority of significant events relating to the protection of young people are appropriately notified to all interested parties in line with legislation. However, there has been one occasion when the regulator Ofsted has not been notified as they

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Leadership and management good

should. This does not provide young people with the full protection of multi-agency decision making. The Registered Manager and staff team worked extremely quickly to address this issue and a more robust internal audit system was put in place during the inspection.

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Leadership and management good

The Registered Manager is aware of the strengths and areas of potential development in the home, she identifies gaps in practice; ensuring staff have the 10 of 11 appropriate training to address any shortfalls. Staff also receive refresher training in behaviour management techniques. A thorough and comprehensive Statement of Purpose complies with legislation and provides young people, their parents and placing authorities with a clear picture of the care to be provided. The Children's Guide is in the process of being updated, with young people’s input being sought as to content and art work. As a result of the clear information provided in these documents, young people are placed appropriately enhancing their opportunity for happiness, progress and safety. 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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