Children's Home run by Roundhouse Care in Staffordshire

Unique reference number SC425859 Inspector Elaine Cray Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Registered person Roundhouse Care Ltd Registered person address Ventura House Ventura Park Road TAMWORTH Staffordshire B78 3HL Responsible individual Marilyn Mayer Registered manager Maurice John Ryley Date of last inspection 07/05/2014 2 of 10 Inspection date 27/02/2015

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Previous inspection improved effectiveness 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

Young people make significant and outstanding progress because of living at this home. A well-trained, energetic and insightful staff team work relentlessly to maximise young people’s opportunities for recovery from early childhood trauma. Excellent safeguarding outcomes demonstrate how young people’s safety and emotional welfare are the held in the highest priority throughout the home.

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Overall effectiveness

Managers and staff embrace and develop the individual identities and communication challenges presented by young people. Staff are tenacious in reaching and bringing out the best in all young people. Playing to, and celebrating, individual qualities empowers young people; they develop high levels of self-esteem and make excellent progress. Professionals say: ‘Nurture and empathy is used so well with children.'

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Overall effectiveness

Partnership working, particularly with education and health agencies, is a key strength within the leadership and staff team. Reaching out to other agencies provides a range of services to meet the complex needs of young people and promotes contemporary and proactive staff practice.

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Overall effectiveness

The staff team constantly strive for improvement and all attempts to develop the service have young people’s best interests at heart. The home’s development plan 3 of 10 has excellent attention to detail, including the ideas put forward by young people. They are also involved in the delegation of tasks alongside staff. This strategic and consultative approach empowers staff and young people. They have a strong sense of self-determination and the manager and staff are able to sustain improvement and embed excellent care throughout the home. 4 of 10

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Information about this children’s home

This home, which is operated by a private provider, is registered to provide care and accommodation for three young people with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/05/2014 Interim improved effectiveness 16/01/2014 Full good 28/11/2013 Interim good progress 29/11/2012 Full good 5 of 10

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Outcomes for children and young people outstanding

Young people embrace growing up and they thrive as a result of living at this home. Nurture, vibrancy, and extremely intuitive staff enable young people to develop their own positive identities, come to terms with previous trauma, and look forward to reaching their potential. They learn to understand their emotions, explore the world and develop a strong sense of happiness. Laughter, mischief, hugs, having fun, going on holiday, feeding the deer, spending time with staff, Santa coming and looking out for each other are just some of the young people’s positive experiences at this home.

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Outcomes for children and young people outstanding

Young people’s behaviour and emotional welfare significantly improves. They build extremely meaningful attachments with staff who are approachable, always accessible and have a key focus on building trusting relationships with young people. These positive connections enable young people to talk about feelings and worries. They develop sensitive qualities as they become more honest about their actions, verbalise their feelings and learn to apologise and make reparations.

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Outcomes for children and young people outstanding

Young people increasingly find better ways to communicate and learn how to get on with other young people. Staff take careful account of young people’s conflicting needs and personalities; carefully balancing the group so that young people do not experience discrimination. They are able to freely express their concerns and views in the group without bullying or rivalry. Young people liken the dynamics to family life. They say they like each other like sisters; but also fall out like sisters and the staff help them sort out differences. Young people are not concerned about bullying.

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Outcomes for children and young people outstanding

Young people’s attendance and progress at school is excellent. They also take part in a range of activities which optimises their learning, confidence, and self-esteem. Young people have good opportunities to develop skills and friendships through constructive play, hobbies, and activities such as Guides, horse-riding, gymnastics, swimming, dance and cheer leading. Young people exude confidence and pride because staff are enthusiastic in showing pride in the their achievements. An array of rosettes, certificates, and photos displayed in their bedrooms and throughout the house are excellent points of reference for young people to show off their achievements.

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Outcomes for children and young people outstanding

Young people benefit from improved health. They develop positive strategies to manage eating disorders, cope with regular visits to hospitals, night time anxieties and toileting routines. They grow in self-confidence and they reach and overcome medical and developmental challenges. This progress enables young people to feel on par with their peers and have better social interactions. They now eat a wide range of healthy food and enjoy exercise and this improves their physical health and sense of achievement and well-being. They experience a calm, caring, and nurturing environment with extremely positive relationships and this optimises their emotional 6 of 10 health and well-being.

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Outcomes for children and young people outstanding

Young people learn a range of practical, domestic and independence skills as part of growing up. They are proud they keep their rooms tidy, go shopping, and help cook and bake. Good risk management enables Them to gradually feel confident to take more responsibility for their free time and staying safe. Their self-esteem grows as they enjoy more trust. Some young people now meet and walk part of the journey to school with their friends and go to the shop independently.

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Quality of care outstanding

Young people live in a very comfortable, well-maintained, and decorated home. Social workers say the home is, ‘Absolutely welcoming’ and, ‘Just like a house – no one would know it is a children’s home.' Young people are very proud of their creatively decorated bedrooms and enjoy opportunities to play in the vibrant and well-resourced playroom and lounge. During quieter times, large comfy settees, furry throws and bean bags provide young people with comfort and a sense of nurture. The kitchen and adjacent dining room provides a welcoming hub for young people to chat, have a snack, cook with staff and enjoy an interactive meal together.

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Quality of care outstanding

Young people make excellent progress because the care planning framework responds their individual needs and levels of communication. The home’s child- centred approach starts with a photo and gives a very individualistic profile making an instant connection to the young person. Staff can quickly relate to the needs, likes, dislikes and interests of young people and this means early interactions are personalised and centred on their interests. Care and safety plans are clear, easily understood, and cover all aspects of young people’s needs.

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Quality of care outstanding

Care planning fully supports the home’s working model of therapeutic parenting and recovery. Young people do exceptionally well because keyworkers deliver direct work linked to placement objectives. Staff are highly sensitive to young people’s fears, disappointments and the impact of previous negative experiences. They are equally skilled in delivering difficult messages to young people about family background, challenging behaviours and unacceptable attitudes. Creative life story work and use of ‘memory boxes’ enable young people to gain greater understanding of their past experiences, and to keep safe some of the very special experiences they have while living at the home.

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Quality of care outstanding

Regular reviews and regular staff discussions with the clinical psychologist provide opportunities for staff to explore the reasons for and responses to young people’s behaviours. Care planning review and consultation also measures progress and the impact of the carefully selected strategies and plans. Staff review and adapt their practice in light of how well young people are doing. Developing and delivering staff practice in this way means young people receive meaningful, bespoke, and extremely consistent quality of care. 7 of 10 Transition planning is a key strength. Transition across all areas of young people’s lives is extremely effective because staff fully embrace and understand the importance of partnership working. They patiently work with and share information with young people, families, placing authorities, agencies and other providers in order to facilitate transition planning. Assessment and compatibility matching is key

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Quality of care outstanding

to the excellent outcomes for all young people and how well they settle and make significant progress. Staff hold the needs, progress and views of young people already living at the home in the highest priority when looking at new young people coming to the home.

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Quality of care outstanding

The service actively and creatively supports the placing authority plan for the next stage in young people’s lives, whether to foster carer, independent living, or return to a different young people’s home in the placing authority. Staff plan positive endings and ‘goodbyes’ as a demonstration of their extending care beyond the young people’s home.

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Quality of care outstanding

Routines in the home and effective communication with school provide young people with positive messages and support about the importance of attending, enjoying and doing well in education. Staff are pragmatic and creative in understanding young people’s challenges and fears. Intricacies of morning routines, how young people arrive at school and connections to friends, are all consistently managed so young people enjoy and attend school. These approaches also help young people manage challenging transitions between schools as they grow older.

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Quality of care outstanding

High, yet discreet, levels of vigilance about young people’s contact with family and adults in the community help young people keep in touch with the important people in their lives. Young people experience a strong sense of safety because staff balance ‘good parenting’ with scrutinised risk-taking. Staff transport and supervise contact with family or previous carers where this is part of their plan, when living far from their home authority. Visiting friends’ houses and chatting to parents mean staff can monitor young people’s safety and maintain friendships alongside their peers and have an ‘ordinary’ childhood whatever their early experiences.

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Keeping children and young people safe outstanding

Robust recruitment of staff and checking of visitors to the home protect young people. Child protection training ensures staff are knowledgeable about their own and other agencies’ roles and responsibilities in keeping young people safe. There have been no child protection incidents since the last inspection.

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Keeping children and young people safe outstanding

Rigorous implementation and monitoring of safeguarding, risk management, and child protection procedures promotes excellent safety for young people. Reducing risks and strengthening safeguarding is effective as managers and staff have excellent insight into the vulnerability of young people. They are proactive in 8 of 10 discussing concerns and safety strategies with social workers and local safeguarding agencies. Being alert to smaller safety concerns initiates early discussion and positive interventions in order to protect young people.

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Keeping children and young people safe outstanding

This proactive and practical approach also supports young people to develop sound strategies to improve and manage their own safety. For example, young people develop a good grasp of road safety and they fully understand and accept the important role of adults keeping them safe. Acting responsibly so they can earn trust from the staff is key concept to managing their own behaviour, safety and they grow in self-esteem.

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Keeping children and young people safe outstanding

Young people also develop useful understanding about the dangers of using their computers and mobile phones. Effective risk assessment informs individual strategies around E-safety. For example, young people earn some free to use their own laptop computers; while others require supervision and coaching and have to use the home’s computer.

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Keeping children and young people safe outstanding

Young people do not go missing from the home. They are continually under staff supervision and do not generally go out alone, unless there is a specific and agreed independence plan. This is not oppressive, because young people understand they have to understand, practice, and earn gradual trust in order to keep themselves safe. Young people seek out adults and enjoy spending time with carers. Staff are clear that their first priority is always to play, talk and support young people in their activities as attentive carers. Use of electronic monitoring devices on young people’s bedroom doors is a positive strategy to monitor toileting programmes and to alert staff in case young people wake, distressed in the night.

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Keeping children and young people safe outstanding

Staff are vigilant and highly skilled at managing challenging behaviour. They see the reasons for angry and frustrated behaviour and carefully plan day-to-day routines to reduce triggers for conflict and anxiety. Staff focus on anticipating and preventing difficulties and intervene by enabling young people to talk about and label feelings before negative behaviour presents. Young people learn how to make calmer responses to potentially challenging situations.

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Keeping children and young people safe outstanding

The home is a safe place for young people and staff to live and work because of regular assessments and checks to reduce unnecessary risks in fire safety, appliances and vehicles.

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Leadership and management outstanding

Young people receive excellent care because management is strong. The Registered Manager has extensive relevant experience and holds a Level 4 National Vocational Qualification in management. The staff team work cohesively and appreciate and respond to the strong leadership of both the Registered Manager and Responsible Individual. Their positivity and child centred focus permeates throughout the service. 9 of 10 This service develops because leaders, managers, and staff drive improvement and strive for excellence. They keep abreast of legislative changes and respond to the developing landscape in young people’s social care. The home’s Statement of Purpose reflects recent changes and the young people’s guide provides information according to their needs. They have good information about how to complain. While there have been no complaints, excellent relationship building ensures young people feel confident that staff will sort out their concerns and worries.

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Leadership and management outstanding

Staff practice is sound due to a well-embedded framework of policies and procedures. The staff team works efficiently with the local authority and shares information about young people from other areas coming to live at the home. This engagement and partnership working also extends effectively to the local police, health, education, and community services.

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Leadership and management outstanding

A highly motivated and core group of experienced staff provide young people with a sense of permanency. Staffing levels provide for one-to-one support, which some young people need in order to express their needs, stabilise behaviour and experience nurture. Effective staffing levels mean that young people’s care can be flexible and adapted according to their needs, emotional well-being, behaviour, and the extensive range of regular activities.

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Leadership and management outstanding

Quality of care is excellent because training is organised in a way that supports the on-going development of the staff who then plough this into the service. Staff embrace professional development and see supervision as an opportunity to think about their practice and build on their experience.

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Leadership and management outstanding

Young people’s records provide a meaningful and individualised account of their looked after experience and achievements. Trends and patterns are used to address improvement. For example, care and safeguarding plans adapt and improve as a result of progress review reports on the young people. Monthly manager’s checks and reports generated by the independent visitor to the home drive improvement. The manager and staff are extremely adept in adapting their practice in order to gain the best impact for young people.

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Leadership and management outstanding

There are no statutory requirements or recommendations set as a result of this inspection. This is testament to the effective operation of the home and excellent outcomes for young people. 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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