Children's Home run by Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council in Dudley

Unique reference number SC038500 Inspector Andrew Hewston Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Registered person Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council Registered person address Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council 3 St. James's Road DUDLEY West Midlands DY1 1HZ Responsible individual Nicola Jane Prashar Registered manager Joanne Palmer Date of last inspection 19/03/2014 2 of 9 Inspection date 08/01/2015

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Previous inspection satisfactory progress Enforcement action since last inspection none

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Overall effectiveness outstanding

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

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Overall effectiveness

Children receive an excellent level of care from a staff team that is committed to providing a high level of care at all times. Children develop in outcomes relating to their health, education and also relationship building. This has been achieved with some children that have displayed challenging concerns to the staff team.

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Overall effectiveness

High quality care planning is in place from children's admission and this gives staff a strong awareness of the needs of the children and how to respond to these. Children are consulted about aspects of their care and are encouraged to be involved in a wide range of decision making relating to the home. Children enjoy a wide range of activities both within the home and the local community.

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Overall effectiveness

Safeguarding children is given the highest regard throughout this service. Parents, police and social workers have high levels of confidence about the service’s ability to keep young people safe and improve behaviour. Children's behaviour management planning is well known by the staff and there is a high level of awareness of rewards rather than consequences. The low level of interventions shows an expectation that diffusion and distraction is best for all.

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Overall effectiveness

The home is led by a strong management team that fully support the enthusiastic staff team. The Registered Manager has an extremely high awareness of each young 3 of 9 person and the plans in place for them. They also have a vision for the development of services and expect the best practice to support all children. 4 of 9

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Information about this children’s home

This home is operated by the local authority. The home can accommodate up to four children and young people.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/03/2014 Interim satisfactory progress 13/11/2013 Full outstanding 19/03/2013 Interim good progress 26/10/2012 Full outstanding 5 of 9

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Outcomes for children and young people outstanding

Children develop significantly while being at the home. They develop their own identity and strengthen their self-view through highly individualised care planning from the point of their admission to the home. Staff use regular keyworker sessions and everyday conversations to help children increase their knowledge and understanding of their personal and cultural background.

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Outcomes for children and young people outstanding

Staff ensure that children maintain family links and that opportunities to attend events with family and carers are acted upon to strengthen these links. This significantly enhances the development of the young person’s identity and personal stability and supports their planning to move on from the home. Arrangements for contact between children and their families is organised from the point of their admission. Children are supported with attending contact and a high level of care and consideration is given to ensure that, where possible, contact is a positive occasion. Where contact raises concern additional support structures are put in place to help the child deal with the situation.

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Outcomes for children and young people outstanding

Children benefit from good physical health. Staff support children to individually understand healthy lifestyles and what this means for them. Meals are home-made with a range of fresh produce and mealtimes are pleasant sociable occasions. Children are involved in a range of physically and emotionally stimulating activities in the home and community, such as riding bikes; arts and crafts and engagement with youth clubs and groups including cubs.

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Outcomes for children and young people outstanding

Children make excellent progress at school and all attend on a daily basis. One head teacher stated that a child had 'made significant improvements since they moved to the home, it appears to have given them stability and confidence to do well.'

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Outcomes for children and young people outstanding

Children improve in their behaviours while being at the home. Social workers state that there have been improvements in children's behaviours and this is echoed within the records of individuals. The positive use of rewards is appreciated by the young people who are able to discuss the behaviour management process and state that they 'enjoy getting the treats if you do well.'

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Quality of care outstanding

Children form very positive relationships with staff. Staff provide a supportive and caring environment and have the skills to understand children's needs. Staff help children to develop their sense of self-worth through their relationships with their peers, teachers, family and social workers. Staff show children that they are 6 of 9 committed to providing good quality care. As a result, children and staff get on exceptionally well together.

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Quality of care outstanding

Care planning is excellent and enables keyworkers to work inclusively with children and focus on individual needs. Plans are detailed and in place within an extremely short period of time after their admission. Planning includes not only information within the looked after documentation, but also information from discussions with family prior to admission, discussions with social workers and also the expectations of the children themselves. A strategy for children moving on from the home is in place at admission, ensuring that children's placement is geared towards a more permanent solution. Equality and diversity is reflected in every aspect of the child- centred planning documents.

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Quality of care outstanding

Health planning is detailed, including information relating to a range of issues that the children experience. All health concerns highlighted within planning are being responded to and staff have a high awareness of the specific needs of the young people and how these are being responded to. Staff practice in responding to children's health needs is both professional and caring while promoting their privacy. Links to health professionals is strong with staff attempting to decrease stigmatisations relating to children receiving additional support through mental health organisations.

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Quality of care outstanding

A complaints procedure is in place and this is promoted within children's meetings. No concerns have been raised since the last inspection.

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Quality of care outstanding

All children attend school daily. Staff ensure that they attend all necessary school appointments, as well as school concerts and Christmas plays. Communication between the home and the differing schools is strong and staff also write in home school liaison books. This helps children to feel supported in education. Staff promote a learning culture and children understand the importance of being involved with school.

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Quality of care outstanding

The home is well resourced with activities and children enjoy the large garden area for riding on bikes and being on the large trampoline. Staff attempt to ensure that all children attend a weekly activity, and children are involved with regular swimming lessons, cubs, and sports activities. Staff are seen to enjoy playing with children and vice versa.

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Quality of care outstanding

The house is a comfortable, homely yet large building that is well looked after by the staff team. Children's rooms are well personalised with support from the staff team. Children state that the showers 'are always warm enough and you can have a bath if you prefer.' All necessary repairs are responded to swiftly.

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Keeping children and young people safe outstanding

7 of 9 Safeguarding children is held in the highest priority throughout the home. Robust and comprehensive safeguarding procedures and practices protect children. Children are kept safe with robust staff recruitment procedures. All staff are trained in safeguarding and child protection procedures. They fully understand their own and other agencies’ roles and responsibilities in keeping young people safe.

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Keeping children and young people safe outstanding

Behaviour management strategies are in place that promote good behaviour through both short and longer term rewards, depending on the age and understanding of the structure. Children are able to discuss how they have saved up their rewards money for items such as CD's or for trips out. Sanctions used link appropriately to the negative behaviours and the staff use effective restorative justice techniques. The use of restraint is rare and only used to safeguard the children involved. All records of behaviour management are cross referenced within daily recordings to ensure that full records are able to be found.

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Keeping children and young people safe outstanding

Children say bullying is not tolerated at all and if it did occur, ‘staff would see it and deal with it straight away.’ Children feel safe; they learn the skills they need to keep themselves safe, including the emotional maturity to live successfully in a group environment and take part in community events. Staff are aware of the differing forms of bullying and issues such as e-safety and the influence and impact of dominant personalities in the home. Children are helped to understand these issues, which supports them to understand the dangers they may face in future.

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Keeping children and young people safe outstanding

Systems are in place to respond to children that may go missing from the home. On the one brief occasion this has happened at the home all necessary professionals were informed within a very short time period. The home is sited on a busy road but an appropriate door locking system is in place to support the safety of the children.

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Keeping children and young people safe outstanding

Regular checks are completed on all areas regarding health and safety. This ensures that both children and staff are safe within the home. Risk assessments are developed prior to each child's admission to the home, with good consideration given to the mix of children and the ability of the staff to respond to their needs.

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Leadership and management outstanding

Children are looked after by a team of motivated and well-trained staff. The experienced and qualified Registered Manager provides strong leadership. The manager has a good understanding of the changing landscape of legislation and regulatory framework. Adjusting systems, procedures and practice ensures children receive high quality care and excellent safeguarding outcomes.

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Leadership and management outstanding

The home's statement of purpose has been updated following the last inspection, in line with one of the previous requirements. This now contains all updated information. Two children's guides are in place ensuring that they are pitched at the correct level of understanding of the child. Two additional requirements related to 8 of 9 external and internal monitoring systems. These have both been responded to and monitoring systems are robust, with the Registered Manger having a high awareness of the development of the home. A detailed document is available showing the improvements made at the home since the last inspection, including increasing children's views in key working sessions, an improved agenda for staff meetings, new handrails around the home, full staff recruitment and an improvement in the presentation of Sunday lunch. A member of staff stated that there was an underlying level of 'what can we do to make the home better.'

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Leadership and management outstanding

There is an established staff team with only one new member of staff since the last inspection. This consistency helps to support the level of care given to the children. Staff are very skilled at establishing positive relationships with children, parents and other agencies. They feel well supported by the management team who they can approach at any time. Staff receive formal individual supervision and appraisals in line with the local authorities policy guidance. New staff work closely with experienced staff and feel this helps them provide consistency of care; they know informal support is always available.

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Leadership and management outstanding

Staff training is generally well-organised and staff have good access to refresher and qualification courses. Staff have benefited from training in core areas such as first aid, safeguarding, diversity, restraint and medication and the induction training is in line with Children’s Workforce Development Standards. Staff are then able to undertake further training in line with the needs of young people or their individual interests and career development.

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Leadership and management outstanding

No notifications have been received by Ofsted since the last inspection due to no necessary incidents. 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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