Children's Home run by G B A Care Limited in Calderdale

Unique reference number SC462593 Inspector Monica Hargreaves Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Registered person G B A Care Ltd Registered person address 2nd Floor Brian Royd Mills Saddleworth Road Greetland Halifax West Yorkshire HX4 8NF Responsible individual Jeremy Mark Siddall Registered manager David Craig Copping Date of last inspection 03/07/2014 2 of 11 Inspection date 23/01/2015

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Previous inspection improved effectiveness Enforcement action since last inspection There has been no enforcement since the last inspection.

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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

Young people flourish in this home because they are well cared for by a consistent and competent team of staff. Care planning is individualised and enables staff to focus on each young person’s areas of need. Staff work hard to form positive, trusting relationships with young people. This helps young people to settle in the home and to grow in confidence.

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Overall effectiveness

The young people are able to enjoy long-term settled placements which enables them to begin to address issues in their past and consequently to make excellent progress in all areas of their lives. They attend education every day and consequently are able to achieve. After school, they move into further education or training and they develop aspirations for their future. Their health improves over time because they have a good routine and a healthy lifestyle. They are involved in activities that support their general development and they learn practical and social skills that will support them in later life.

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Overall effectiveness

Staff have an excellent understanding of safe working practice and a very good knowledge of the vulnerabilities of the young people they look after. Consequently, they are able to ensure that young people are protected. They successfully support young people to manage conflict and difficulties in their lives appropriately. As a 3 of 11 result, young people's behaviour improves over time. Young people themselves report that they feel safe and are happy in their home. Relatives and professionals are very positive about the quality of care in the home and say that young people are supported to make excellent progress.

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Overall effectiveness

The home is managed very effectively. There are good arrangements in place to ensure that the care and progress of young people is regularly monitored. The manager is keen to ensure that the home continues to develop for the benefit of young people and has put in place a clear plan for the future of the home. He takes prompt action to address any shortfall in care that is identified in order to drive improvements in the service for the benefit of young people. Morale in the staff team is high and staff report that they feel they are well supported in their work.

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Overall effectiveness

No requirements or recommendations have been made at this inspection. 4 of 11

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Information about this children’s home

This service is a privately run children's home. The home provides care and accommodation for up to four male children or young people with emotional and/or behaviour difficulties.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

03/07/2014 Interim improved effectiveness 26/09/2013 Full good 5 of 11

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Outcomes for children and young people outstanding

Young people make excellent progress across all areas of their lives from their starting point on admission to the home. They have a very good understanding of their background and history and a strong sense of identity. They develop very positive relationships with staff and feel that staff respect and value them for who they are. They benefit from very long-term settled placements and grow in confidence and develop emotional strength and resilience as a result.

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Outcomes for children and young people outstanding

Young people respond well to the routines established in the home and they are fully engaged in education or employment. With the support of staff, they are able to achieve 100% attendance at school and move on into further education or training. The excellent level of attendance enables them to make significant progress from their starting point on admission to the home. This improves their opportunities for later life. Young people all have plans in place for their future which includes further education and apprenticeships.

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Outcomes for children and young people outstanding

Young people's health needs are met very well. All young people have a good understanding of key health issues and generally have a healthy lifestyle. They are given a balanced diet and encouraged to learn how to shop and cook their meals. They enjoy a range of activities which promote exercise and support their good health. For example boxing, going to the gym, playing football and walking. They also enjoy going on holiday with staff and out to local attractions such as museums and theme parks. These activities broaden their experiences and support their general development.

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Outcomes for children and young people outstanding

Young people attend routine and specialist health appointments which ensure that their general health is monitored. Most young people do not smoke or use substances. Where this is an issue when they arrive at the home, staff ensure that young people have the support they need to enable them to stop. Young people have access to psychologists who work with the organisation. Consequently, they are able to engage in therapeutic work they need to support their emotional well-being.

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Outcomes for children and young people outstanding

Young people are engaged in activities that benefit others in their community. For example, some young people undertook a sponsored cycle ride in aid of a charity. One young person cooked soup at a hostel for homeless people. Staff use these opportunities to help young people to understand the needs of their wider community and young people benefit from the sense of achievement that these activities give them.

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Outcomes for children and young people outstanding

Young people acquire the skills they will need for later life. They work through the home's independence work booklets. These help them to identify their skills and those they need to develop. They learn how to budget and undertake daily tasks such 6 of 11 as keeping their own rooms clean and tidy and doing their own laundry. They have key work sessions with staff where they talk about their progress and consider the ongoing support they will need. Over time in the home, they develop the social skills and coping mechanisms that will sustain them when they leave care. All eligible young people have a pathway plan in place which staff contribute fully to. Young people report that they feel they are being well prepared for independence.

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Outcomes for children and young people outstanding

Young people who have moved on into independence keep in touch with staff. This demonstrates the positive nature of their relationships with staff and indicates that they are confident that staff remain interested in their welfare.

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Outcomes for children and young people outstanding

Young people maintain regular contact with relatives and individuals who are important to them, when it is safe and in their best interests to do so. This benefits them emotionally and sustains their sense of identity.

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Quality of care outstanding

Young people benefit greatly from being looked after by a consistent team of staff who understand their needs and who are keen to help them to succeed. Young people report that they get on well with staff and they know that staff are interested in their welfare and want them to do well. One young person said, 'It's good here. Staff look after you'. Professionals and relatives are also positive about the quality of the care young people receive from staff. One social worker said, ‘(young person’s name) has stability here. He is safe and well looked after' and another said, 'The way the home works is really good. It really suits (the young person)'.

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Quality of care outstanding

Staff regularly consult with young people ensuring that they are involved in all the decisions that are made about their day-to-day care and future plans. They arrange frequent key work sessions where they talk to young people about their care plans. In weekly house meetings, staff involve young people in discussions about the running of the home and issues within the group. Young people are encouraged to chair these meetings to help them to take ownership of the discussions. These arrangements help young people to feel confident that their views matter and that they can influence their care and the running of the home. This in turn helps to develop young people's sense of self-worth.

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Quality of care outstanding

Young people report that they can talk to staff and let them know if they had a problem. They know how to complain and are confident that their complaints are taken seriously.

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Quality of care outstanding

Care planning is tailored to meet the specific needs of the young people. Young people's individual needs are thoroughly assessed before they move into the home. In consultation with young people, staff develop detailed placement plans and identify how they will work to help them reach their individual targets. Staff work successfully alongside young people, their families, social workers and other 7 of 11 professionals to help young people achieve their goals. Staff regularly monitor placement plans to ensure that they continue to reflect young people's emerging needs.

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Quality of care outstanding

Staff actively promote the value of education in the home. They have established good daily routines that support young people's attendance. They take young people to and from school and they liaise regularly with education providers. They recognise and celebrate all young people's achievements. They seek additional support for young people when this is needed. For example, they obtained tutor support for a young person in relation to specific subjects which improved their level of attainment.

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Quality of care outstanding

Staff work very effectively with young people to help them to learn to manage conflict and difficulties in their own lives. They work as a team to provide consistent care and appropriate boundaries for the young people who respond well to the way they are cared for. As they settle, the young peoples’ behaviour improves and they are able to start to address issues from their past. This helps them to move on with their lives.

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Quality of care outstanding

Young people benefit from living in a home that is maintained to a very good standard. The home is located in a quiet residential area, a short distance from local towns. Although staff often transport young people to school and activities, public transport is readily accessible and can be a useful part of young people's preparation for independence. The manager has developed a detailed location assessment that provides clear information about the setting of the home.

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Keeping children and young people safe outstanding

Young people are cared for safely because the home's arrangements for safeguarding are extremely effective. Staff training in safeguarding is kept up to date. Staff understand the home's safeguarding procedure and concerns are reported and managed very effectively in order to protect young people.

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Keeping children and young people safe outstanding

Staff have a very good knowledge of individual young people's vulnerabilities. They develop detailed risk assessment and management plans for each young person. These are closely monitored and updated so they remain relevant and effective. Staff supervise young people in line with their risk management plans to ensure their safety in the home and the community. The manager and senior staff liaise very closely with staff from the local authority safeguarding team and police. They attend multi-agency meetings and share important information about young people with these agencies. This promotes good partnership working, which in turn supports the safety of young people and others in the community.

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Keeping children and young people safe outstanding

Professionals involved with the home report that it is evident, from the way they work, that safeguarding is given a high priority by managers and staff. One professional said, '(young person’s name) safety has improved 100% since being in 8 of 11 this home. Fantastic'.

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Keeping children and young people safe outstanding

There have been very few incidents of young people going missing from the home. Staff work hard to engage young people so that they are less likely to go missing. The close working relationships that staff have with other agencies ensures that there is a co-ordinated response to any incident of a young person going missing and supports their safe return to the home. Appropriate records are maintained to reflect the times that young people are absent from the home. These include a record of discussions with young people on their return.

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Keeping children and young people safe outstanding

Young people report that they feel 'very safe'. One young person said, 'I'm much safer here than I was at my other place'. Bullying is not an issue and young people say that if there are problems within their group staff 'sort it out'. Bullying is addressed regularly in young people's house meetings to help young people understand the impact that this can have. There are no young people currently living in the home who are at risk of sexual exploitation.

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Keeping children and young people safe outstanding

Staff actively promote and reward positive behaviour through praise and incentives. Some young people have a history of challenging behaviour when they first come to the home. As a result of the way staff look after them and the relationships that they have with staff, young people's behaviour improves over time. Staff are suitably trained and they manage challenging behaviour very effectively to lessen the need for physical intervention. Restraint is only ever used as a last resort and at the lowest level necessary to keep young people and others safe. There have been only two incidents that have resulted in a physical intervention in the past year. Staff speak to young people after these incidents to help them to learn from them. Records of all physical interventions are very clear. The manager monitors them regularly to ensure that young people's welfare is being promoted.

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Keeping children and young people safe outstanding

Robust recruitment practices ensure that all staff are thoroughly vetted and assessed as suitable. These arrangements protect young people.

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Keeping children and young people safe outstanding

The home itself is kept safe for young people, staff and visitors by a system of risk assessments and checks on equipment. Young people take part in fire evacuation drills so they know how to leave the building safely in an emergency.

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Leadership and management outstanding

Young people benefit from being cared for in a home that is managed effectively. The manager has been in this post for a year and, since the last inspection, he has completed the process of registration with the regulator Ofsted. He has a number of years experience of working in care including as a deputy manager in this home. He is qualified in care and management and has recently completed the Level 5 Diploma in Leadership for Health and Social Care. He provides good leadership to the staff team. He works closely with the deputy and team leaders who ensure that staff are 9 of 11 supported and the home runs smoothly in his absence.

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Leadership and management outstanding

The manager keeps up-to-date with new legislation and practice developments and discusses these with the staff team. He ensures that there is good oversight of the progress young people make in the home. He regularly monitors the quality of care, consulting with young people, their families, care staff and professionals. This enables stakeholders to influence how the home is run. The work of the home is also monitored by an independent person who visits regularly. Copies of the reports of this monitoring activity are sent to Ofsted at the required intervals. The manager addresses any issue that is identified through the monitoring process or during inspections. This demonstrates a clear commitment to improving the service for the benefit of young people. There were no requirements or recommendations made at the last inspection.

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Leadership and management outstanding

The manager has produced a detailed development plan showing how he intends to ensure continuous improvement in the service given to young people. The plan is discussed with young people and they are encouraged to give their views about it.

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Leadership and management outstanding

There are sufficient staff working in the home to ensure that young people are well cared for and supported. The main team of staff is complemented by a small team of casual staff who work regular shifts in the home. Young people confirm that they know all the staff who look after them. This continuity of care helps young people to establish good relationships with staff and supports their progress.

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Leadership and management outstanding

Care staff are qualified or working to gain a relevant qualification. They have access to regular training that enables them to develop and maintain the knowledge and skills they need for their work with vulnerable young people. Staff demonstrate a strong commitment to the young people in their care. They report that the home is an 'excellent place to work' and that the team works very well to provide consistent care that supports young people's progress. Staff have regular supervision that they find meaningful and supportive to them in their work.

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Leadership and management outstanding

The home's Statement of Purpose is clear and detailed, giving stakeholders good information about the home and how young people are cared for. The home works effectively to meet the aims and objectives that are set out in this document. The young person's guide to the service is presented in a format that is appropriate to the needs of the young people. It gives them good written information about how they will be cared for and also about their rights in care.

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Leadership and management outstanding

Staff keep good information about young people that contributes to their knowledge of their history and their care in the home. These are stored securely to ensure that information is kept confidential. Young people are encouraged to read their records and to contribute to them so that their views are incorporated. The written information is complemented by the 'Life Journey' book that each young person keeps. These are a photographic and written commentary put together by young people themselves, detailing events in their lives in the home. 10 of 11 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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