Children's Home run by Kirklees Council in Kirklees

Unique reference number SC033367 Inspector Pauline Yates Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Registered person Kirklees Council Registered person address Kirklees Council 30 Market Street HUDDERSFIELD HD1 2HG Responsible individual Paul Johnson Registered manager Margaret Marlene Yvonne Lewis Date of last inspection 21/08/2013 2 of 10 Inspection date 19/01/2015

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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 good Leadership and management good

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Overall effectiveness

The home offers a welcoming and homely environment in which young people over time settle and achieve good outcomes. The young people develop their own individual relationships with staff, which develop in line with their starting points and previous experiences of adult relationships. The consistency of care allows young people to build these relationships at their pace ensuring each young person feels valued and accepted.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people have diverse backgrounds and experiences relating to their race, culture and religion. Staff are committed to promoting equality and diversity and individual needs are promoted and supported. This offers young people security in their identity which supports improvements in confidence and progress in various aspects of their lives.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people have a say in what happens in the home and their wishes, views and needs contribute to decisions about their day to day care, interests and aspirations. The home offers good routines which support the young people in achieving a healthy balance between leisure interests and educational demands.

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Overall effectiveness

Staff are good at keeping young people safe and respond in a timely manner to issues of safeguarding. Young people are supported to recognise and risk and 3 of 10 through the development of relationships with staff, missing and absences from home are seen to reduce.

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Overall effectiveness

As a result of this inspection, three recommendations are made. The first relates to the refurbishment of the kitchen. Secondly, timely recording of keyworker sessions. Finally, ensuring provisions of identified therapeutic services to young people. 4 of 10

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Information about this children’s home

The children's home is provided by a local authority and cares for up to six young people with emotional or behavioural difficulties.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/08/2013 Interim good progress 15/05/2013 Full good 25/02/2013 Interim satisfactory progress 22/11/2012 Full inadequate

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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

 Children live in a well designed, safe and pleasant home with adequate space in a suitable location where there is access to the necessary facilities for a range of activities which promote their development, with particular reference to the refurbishment of the kitchen.  Records are clear, up to date and stored securely, and contribute to an understanding of the child's life, with particular reference to the timely recording of keyworker sessions.  Children live in a healthy environment where their physical, emotional and psychological health is promoted and where they are able to access the services to meet their health needs, in particular, that young people's identified needs for therapeutic input is delivered in a timely manner. 5 of 10

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Outcomes for children and young people good

All young people have education provision and some young people are seen to excel from their starting points. For those young people for whom attendance can be problematic, there is a steady and marked rise in their overall attendance. Young people report that they feel supported in working towards their aspirations for their future. Where identified as needed, they have received extra individualised tuition. Other professionals report positively on the support and flexibility which the staff employ in order to ensure that young people attend education and any difficulties are swiftly resolved.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people’s health needs are well promoted through the provision of nutritious and well cooked food. One young person commented that they ate a very healthily and that, ‘(They) always make me something brilliant’ to eat. Young people are actively encouraged and take part in planning and choosing meals with staff. They are encouraged to maintain activities and interests which promote their overall health and sense of achievement.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people spend individual time with staff. Staffing ratios reflect the young peoples’ needs for social, emotional and practical support. Young people’s self- esteem is enhanced through the nurturing and individualised care which they receive. This assists the young people to feel valued and encourages positive role modelling. Young people’s individual needs are supported, via specialist sexual health support, which widens their understanding of personal, health and relationships issues. This helps young people to develop an understanding about healthy sexual lifestyles as they get older.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Through the support offered by staff, young people learn social and life skills to understand and resolve conflict in a positive manner. They learn to manage, in a more acceptable way, differences of opinion and the inevitable minor conflicts which occur through group living. This provides the young people positive experiences of conflict resolution. Complimenting this, young people are offered a good range of leisure activities and are supported in accessing and developing their own interests such as learning musical instruments and being part of community team sports.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people learn skills of self-care such as dealing with laundry, keeping their personal spaces tidy and good hygiene routines. Successful completion of these tasks contributes and begins the process of independence skills..

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people’s emotional health is assessed in a timely manner. However, for some young people, access to specific therapeutic interventions as identified in assessments has been delayed due to waiting times for the delivery of those services. For some 6 of 10 young people, optimum emotional well-being is therefore compromised.

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Quality of care good

Young people enjoy positive relationships with staff. One young person commented, ‘I feel that they care about me. They advise me and that makes me feel like they care.’ The positive relationships build and underpin increased commitment to living at the home. This is demonstrated in a reduction in missing from home incidences and unauthorised absences andincreased participation in home activities and educational attendance. Staff are friendly and welcoming, offering a homely environment. Professionals make positive comments about the care provided, describing that they are ‘impressed’ with the quality of care being offered to young people.

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Quality of care good

Young people report that they know how to make a complaint and that their views are listened to. Their views are expressed in a number of ways, such as via young people’s meetings and keyworker sessions. Young people say they feel listened to and that their particular needs arising from culture or religion are supported and respected. Some young people have their own cooking and eating utensils, are woken when requested for prayer and are supported in religious fasting.

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Quality of care good

Staff have good links with other agencies, ensuring that information about the young people is shared in a timely and accurate manner. Professionals report that the staff understand the needs of the young people, write informative and knowledgeable reports and liaise regularly concerning the care offered. These professional relationships ensure that the fluctuating and changing needs of the young people are understood disseminated. Independent Reviewing Officers and placing social workers are of the view that the staff are active in sharing information in a timely and appropriate manner and regularly attend meetings

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Quality of care good

Young people are offered opportunities to explore and experience positive leisure activities which enhance their life experiences and encourage sense of achievement. Over time, young people increase their involvement in the home’s activities and develop their sense of belonging. As a result, young people’s emotional resilience grows.

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Quality of care good

Staff have a good understanding of the young people they care for and this informs their responses to presenting needs and the challenges which some young people’s behaviour presents. Staff establish boundaries and expectations which, over time, the young people adhere to. Recent introduced staff training in the approaches used to support and strengthen the care provided has resulted in detailed and individual care plans for the young people. This is further supported via regular staff- 7 of 10 psychologist consultation in order to embed this new approach.

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Quality of care good

Young people are assisted to understand their backgrounds and negotiate in positive ways the relationships which are important to them. Contact with family and friends is supported and nurtured within the safe and assessed boundaries of each young person’s care plan. This assists young people in managing adversities and set-backs, within relationships, from a supported and informed environment.

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Quality of care good

Staff actively promote the importance of educational attendance. Consequently, most young people attend regularly and some young people’s achievements from their starting points are significantly improved. This ensures that young people’s aspirations for their future are underpinned by educational success.

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Quality of care good

The home is well-maintained and there is attention to detail which ensures that it is both well-equipped and relaxing. However, there has been a delay in kitchen refurbishment which compromises an otherwise comfortable home.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Young people say they feel safe. They understand how to make a complaint. Incidents of bullying are swiftly identified and responded to

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Staff are trained in safe care and understand the particular vulnerabilities of each young person. Comprehensive recruitment procedures are followed which ensures that young people are protected from being cared for by people who may pose a risk to them. Staff are trained in de-escalation techniques and physical intervention is rarely used. Staff employ their skills and understanding of the young people in order to diffuse situations; assist them to acquire skills of removing themselves from situations; and retrospectively utilising restorative approaches. Individual incentives are used in order to encourage appropriate behaviour and working towards goals.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Detailed risk assessments are in place and the home adheres to protocols should young people go missing or are absent. Missing from home incidents are generally low: when they do occur staff employ the correct procedures, liaising with police and placing social workers. Strategy meetings are convened to discuss and review plans for keeping young people safe and the triggers which can result in such incidences. For some young people, missing from home has been a feature of professional concern prior to living at the home. Where this has been the case, one placing social worker commented, ‘Things are going much better than expected. Staff are working really hard to meet all her needs and are forming connections with her.’

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Absences, which on the whole relate to being back later than expected, have significantly reduced: when they do happen staff retain contact with the young people. Over time young people demonstrate an increased willingness to return on time, stay in contact and spend a greater amount of time in the home and in 8 of 10 provided activities.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

The home is generally well-maintained and provides a secure environment for young people to live in. There are a range of health and safety checks in place to keep young people from potential hazards.

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Leadership and management good

The registered manager has been in post since 2013 and is suitably qualified. She is supported by a committed and experienced staff team who have built a strong network of professional links that ensure young people receive good care, advice and support.

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Leadership and management good

Staff report that they are well supported and receive regular supervision which assists them in their role as care givers. Both formal and informal management support ensures staff are given advice and opportunity to develop their skills and knowledge base. Nearly all staff are qualified with National Vocational Qualification at level 3 whilst the others are being trained and are expected to qualify in 2015.

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Leadership and management good

The manager and staff are in process of embedding a new framework and approach to identify, measure and chart more accurately the needs and outcomes of the young people. This ensures that young people’s care plans are even more focused and outcome measured. This is further supported by on-going liaison and advice via regular consultation for psychological support. This consultation also includes the young people’s placing social workers. As a result, there is a shared understanding of the home care plans and the methodology employed to improve outcomes for the young people.

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Leadership and management good

The manager and staff are able demonstrate the positive effects which living at the home has had for the young people. The work of the home is also monitored by an independent visitor who visits the home regularly. The manager responds promptly to any issues that are raised due to the inspection process and these issues and responses are regularly disseminated amongst the staff.

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Leadership and management good

At the last interim inspection in August 2013, one requirement was set regarding inconsistency in reporting notifiable incidents to Ofsted in a timely manner. Since this time practice has improved and this requirement is now met.

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Leadership and management good

Overall, there are good monitoring systems in place which ensures records of young people’s progress is recorded and monitored. Although a high majority of keyworker sessions are recorded in detail, some files are not kept up to date. Individual work which is on-going with the young people is not cross-referenced from daily logs into keyworker sessions. The impact for young people is minimal, but failure to utilise this recording system reduces the clarity of work completed. 9 of 10 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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