Children's Home run by Staffordshire County Council in Staffordshire

Unique reference number SC028905 Inspector Rachel Ruth Britten Type of inspection Interim Provision subtype Children's home

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Registered person Staffordshire County Council Registered person address Staffordshire County Council, Wedgwood Buildings Tipping Street STAFFORD ST16 2DH Responsible individual Richard Ronald Hancock Registered manager Joanne Louise Heath Date of last inspection 01/12/2014 2 of 5 Inspection date 17/03/2015

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Previous inspection good Enforcement action since last inspection none

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This inspection

This home was judged good at the last full inspection. At this interim inspection Ofsted judge that it has sustained effectiveness .

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This inspection

Thirteen young people have been placed in this local authority assessment home since the last inspection. Most placements are made on an emergency basis and vary in length from one day to four months. Young people enjoy periods of stability and nurture here. Staff and managers make a strong contribution to good quality care planning from the outset and are sensitive to young people's feelings of anxiety when they first arrive. For example, an emergency duty team coordinator recently emailed the home saying, 'how impressed I was with the professional, friendly and welcoming behaviour of staff towards the young person I took to be placed there last night.' Staff ensure that young people have some choices, perhaps which bedroom they have. They take time to explain to young people what the home is like, where things are, and how to contact their social workers and independent reviewing officers (IROs). A social worker recently said, 'many of the young people

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This inspection

we work with have had a really good experience of being at this home when they have not experienced this before - you should be very proud of what you have achieved.'

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This inspection

The home has a team plan which aims to improve young people's voice through consultation. Consultation with young people in weekly staff meetings has improved. Young people are better engaged in the life of the home and make sensible activity choices because staff are responding promptly and positively to their ideas. For example, a trip to London is being planned and staff have obtained more sheet music to use with the piano. Staff are actively keeping in touch with young people when they have left. This is beyond the transition support that is often part of young people's moving on plans. Young people's exit questionnaires say they value this continuing contact and remember particular staff for their company and the conversations they had. This gives staff a positive message about the longer term success of their nurturing, respectful care style. The home's monthly visitor comments on this too, saying 'staff spend a lot of time just talking to and being with

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This inspection

3 of 5 the young people. They are caring and intuitive in engaging with the young people'.

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This inspection

The manager and senior staff lead the home well. For example, they hold pedagogic monthly meetings where behaviour management issues and young people's individual progress and care planning are reflectively considered. The manager has also shared with staff the issues raised at the last inspection. This helps them understand the difference that changes aim to make. As a result, staff are committed to making sure young people can use the advocacy services of their IRO and that young people can feel empowered to express their views and feelings. However, there is still too little review of the practice of sanctions and measures of control. Staff are still not recording young people's responses to the measures imposed on them. Measures of control are repeatedly used with no consideration of their effectiveness or appropriateness to the issue they aim to address. Staff say that often it is conversations, apologies, or help to put things right, that work far

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This inspection

better than sanctions. Furthermore, managers are not identifying trends and patterns in the use of sanctions and rewards. This means that they cannot work out what works best or why and if young people are progressing. As a result, many sanctions imposed have no real effect on behaviour and impair the otherwise positive relationships that staff make with young people.

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The home works well in partnership with the local authority it serves and with local police, health and education services. Young people resume attendance at their schools and colleges promptly after moving here and many have established much improved attendance and attainment. The location of the home means that there is access to very good leisure facilities, many of which are well monitored, staffed and policed. The home has well developed links with local police and neighbours. This, combined with good relationships and creative working, safeguards young people well. As a result, the number of incidents of going missing or of community disorder when young people are out on free time, are minimal.

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This inspection

Leaders and management have improved their work with the regulator since the last inspection. The home's statement of purpose is kept up to date and sent to Ofsted when changes are made. The home's monthly visitor now sends reports directly to Ofsted, meaning that these are received in a timely way. The Ofsted survey link has also been used proactively to gain feedback about the home for the regulator. However, the three monthly reviews of care are not yet undertaken promptly at the end of the period. They still contain little evaluation of the messages for development arising from inspections or consultations. Managers continue to seek feedback from IROs, social workers, parents and children using questionnaires which are often not returned. Useful messages from 'phone consultations and discussions are not captured. This means that messages about care planning, behaviour management, or practice methods, are not captured by the manager or incorporated

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This inspection

into reviewing documents. This shortfall continues to prevent management monitoring and review from really helping to develop and improve the home. 4 of 5

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Information about this children’s home

The home is part of a local authority residential provision for looked after children. It provides care and accommodation for young people with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. It provides emergency, short- term assessment placements for a maximum of five young people, of either gender. Placements are for a maximum of 12 weeks, other than in exceptional circumstances.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

01/12/2014 Full good 26/03/2014 Interim good progress 31/10/2013 Full outstanding 07/03/2013 Interim good progress

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Statutory Requirements

This section sets out the actions which must be taken so that the registered person/s meets the Care Standards Act 2000, Children's Homes Regulations 2001 and the National Minimum Standards. The registered person(s) must comply with the given timescales.

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that messages arising from consultation with children, parents and placing authorities are used within the review system for improving the quality of care provided in the children's home (Regulation 34 (3)) 18/04/2015

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) improve the review and monitoring of the use of measures of control, restraint and discipline in respect of children accommodated in the home. (Regulation 34 (1) schedule 6.12) 18/04/2015 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Reg. Requirement Due date

This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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What inspection judgements mean

At the interim inspections we make a judgement on whether the home has improved in effectiveness, sustained effectiveness, or declined in effectiveness since the previous full inspection. This is in line with the Inspection of children’s homes: framework for inspection.

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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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