Children's Home, Residential special school run by Sheffield City Council in Sheffield

Unique reference number SC458115 Inspector Debbie Foster Type of inspection Interim Provision subtype Children's home

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Registered manager Nicholas Paul Barber Date of last inspection 09/07/2014 2 of 5 Inspection date 09/03/2015

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Previous inspection outstanding Enforcement action since last inspection none

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This inspection

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

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This inspection

This home demonstrates a capacity to improve. Young people continue to make progress in areas relating to being able to undertake daily living tasks, positive behaviour, communication and taking part in social and community activities. All young people attend school regularly and consequently they are supported and are reaching their individual education targets. Staff are committed to young people accessing education and where young people are experiencing difficulties staff are supporting them in school too, proactively working with schools to ensure young people achieve. All young people are supported to develop life skills at a pace that is appropriate to their individual needs and abilities.

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This inspection

Young people benefit from taking part in a number of activities, both inside and out of the home that broaden their experiences and promote their general development. For example, they go out on trips to the cinema, laser quest and to local parks; they cook and do arts and crafts with staff and they enjoy spending time on laptops, tablets and playing electronic games. Some young people attend a local youth club. A young person said ' I went to laser quest last night, it was good, sometimes we go to the cinema or go shopping, we get to do lots of things when I visit, it’s good.' This supports young people's inclusion in the community and extends their social experiences.

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This inspection

Since the last inspection some young people have moved on to adult services, others have come to live at the home and some have started to access the short break service. Staff give high importance to planning and supporting young people through these transitions. Young people are given time to adjust to this major change in their lives, with a number of visits, and overnight stays where required. This assists in reducing anxiety and gives young people the opportunity to meet the other young people they will be living with and the staff who will be caring for them. As a consequence, young people have a more positive experience during their 3 of 5 transition. They are fully supported to manage this change, to settle in to their new home or the short break service.

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This inspection

Family contact and support is high on the agenda of the staff team. Excellent communication exists and parents report that they are pleased with the progress their children are making.

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This inspection

Staff are building further on their skills to communicate with young people using Makaton sign language and other communication systems. They have good links with the speech and language therapists. Young people have very positive relationships with staff. The staff are knowledgeable on the care, support and vulnerabilities of each young person in their care. No young people have gone missing from the home. Staff see each young person as an individual and this is reflected in the bespoke placement care plans which are positively supporting their progress and achievements.

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This inspection

The manager’s robust internal monitoring processes identify the strengths and shortfalls within the home, and highlights areas for development. This has a very strong focus on improving outcomes for young people. Changes to the way young people are being cared for and supported are made as a result on analysing patterns and trends, for example in relation to their behaviour. This is further enhanced by the recent employment of the mental health support team and learning disability nurse which are now part of the extended staff team and service provided at the home. Young people now have immediate access to health professionals which brings additional improvement to the excellent care already provided by the existing staff team. A staff member said, ‘our aim is to come to work and make sure young people are happy and are safe. When they are smiling, are settled and enjoying activities you know you are doing a good job,’ and, ' when you see the progress

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This inspection

young people have made overtime, this is brilliant, and so rewarding.'

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This inspection

No requirements or recommendations have been made at this inspection. 4 of 5

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Information about this children’s home

This home is part of a special school, which provides education and residential care for children with autism and complex learning difficulties. As a maintained school providing over 295 days of residential care per year, the whole school is registered as a children's home.

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Information about this children’s home

The school offers residential provision in two areas within the main house. One area provides accommodation for 52 weeks per year, the other offering a short-break service.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

09/07/2014 Full outstanding 05/02/2014 Interim good progress 05/07/2013 Full adequate Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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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