Children's Home run by Hopscotch Care Limited in Cumberland

Good

The children's home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Young people share positive relationships with staff and each other.  Staff effectively enable young people to maintain valued relationships with family members and friends.  Staff encourage young people to participate in activities that enable them to socialise and widen their friendship group.  Young people say they feel safe and secure and well supported by staff to make positive changes to their behaviour.  Staff provide young people with clear boundaries and expectations that reduces the potential for conflict. The use of physical intervention is low and only used when absolutely necessary.  Staff strongly encourage young people to understand the value education and support them to attend education regularly. They support young people to access additional learning opportunities to enable them to broaden their knowledge and experience.  The home demonstrates frequent and consistent communication with placing

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The children's home provision is good because:

authorities and other agencies to progress plans for young people. Challenges made of partners are not always sufficiently robust to ensure a timely resolution.  The home maintains clear and comprehensive records that provide a clear account of young people’s daily lives, achievements and future plans. However, documentation does not always clearly identify who has made the record and when.  Staff are proactive in searching for young people when they go missing from the home and work in co-operation with the police and other agencies to ensure young people’s swift and safe return. However, not all young people receive an independent return home interview within a reasonable timescale.  Although fire safety is suitable in the home, regular fire drills do not take place particularly when new residents move into the home.  Essential information required to suitably plan for young people’s needs such as, placement plans are not in place at the point of admission for some young

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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 (England) Regulations 2015 and the Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards. The registered person(s) must comply with the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

5. Engaging with the wider system to ensure children’s needs are met: In order to engage with the wider system to ensure children’s needs are met the registered person must ensure that staff:

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Requirement Due date

(c) challenge the placing authority to seek to ensure that each child’s need are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. This is with particular reference to obtaining a copy of a young person’s care plan and confirmation of arrangements for his future education (Regulation 5 (c)) 21/07/2015

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Requirement Due date

After consultation with the fire and rescue authority, the registered person must ensure, by means of fire drills and practices at suitable intervals, that the persons working at the home and , so far as reasonably practicable, children are aware of the procedure to be followed in case of fire (Regulation 25 (1)(d) 21/07/2015

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records for each child which are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36(1)(c)) 21/07/2015

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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

 Ensure that when a child returns home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority must provide an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 45 paragraph 9.30)

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Information about this children's home

 The home is registered to accommodate up to five young people with emotional and behavioural problems  It is operated by a private organisation  The home offers emergency, medium and long term placements for young people

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

p.6

good

Young people experience good support from staff that are consistent and caring in their approach this helps young people to settle quickly into this home Establishing positive relationships with staff also enable them to make good progress in many aspects of their lives. Staff sensitively support young people from the point of their admission to make sense of the reasons for their care. Accordingly, young people soon achieve trust in staff, feeling able to share their thoughts and feelings and engaging successfully in planning their way forward.

p.7

good

Young people actively participate with staff in developing their individual placement plans, identifying appropriate incentives that will assist them in achieving agreed goals. Plans are unique to each young person and are reviewed on a regular basis to enable young people and staff to clearly identify the areas where progress is made. They can clearly see the progress they make since coming to the home and feel a sense of achievement in the changes they have made in their day-to-day routines and behaviour.

p.7

good

Young people thrive on the praise and encouragement they receive and appreciate the support staff provide. As such, they are successfully developing confidence in their abilities and displaying improved self-esteem. For example, improved personal appearance and self-image. One young person commented. ‘Staff help me change my behaviour and everything. I go to school now, mostly so I can see my girlfriend, but I wasn’t before’.

p.7

good

Most young people are engaging positively with education and further learning services. They acknowledge that this is a tremendous step forward due to previous poor attendance at school. Although one young person is not yet registered in a formal education setting, the home is pursuing this with the placing authority while providing alternative learning opportunities led by staff. This has some limited value but is viewed as worthwhile, providing an interim step to re-introducing full time education.

p.7

good

Staff help young people to appreciate the importance healthy lifestyles. They are encouraged to take part in a wide variety of sport and other activities that provide fun and good opportunities for physical exercise that improves their health and sense of well-being. Young people enjoy the range of opportunities that are available, with some regularly using local gyms and swimming pools, while others enjoy such as football, rugby and boxing. Staff actively support young people in developing and maintaining friendships made at school and in the community. They welcome peers into the home and regularly transport and facilitate activities such as cinema trips and other outings such as the school prom. Staff support of such activities provide young people with good opportunities to socialise with peers other than those they live with. This reduces the potential for feelings of isolation for those that are placed out of their home area.

p.7

good

Young people enjoy regular and frequent contact with their parents and extended family members. Clear arrangements exist for daily telephone contact and planned visits supported by staff to young people’s home areas. Families are also made welcome and supported to visit young people at the home. As such, young people maintain and have good opportunities to rebuild those relationships that are most important to them.

p.8

good

Staff listen to young people’s views and encourage them to take part in the day-to- day decisions about the home. This includes such as making choices about the appearance and décor of the home and their preferences for their own personal space. For example, young people are provided with double beds where this has been requested and have been enabled to purchase items to personalise their own bedrooms. This supports young people’s sense of belonging and gives them good opportunity to express their own personal identity.

p.8

good

Young people say that they feel comfortable in this home and get on well with all staff, appreciating the help they provide. One young person commented, ‘It’s good here; staff push for you. They have really helped me with my behaviour. I feel safe here and I have absolutely no complaints. Staff are all totally sound. I would give this house outstanding’.

p.8

good

Professionals speak highly of the consistent support provided by staff and management and identify this as having a clear and positive impact of the progress and achievements young people make. One social worker commented, ‘It is a good home and staff have a consistent approach to supporting him. They accommodate him well, they listen and help him. Overall the staff have done a fantastic job with him. He is now open to challenge and understands the word no’.

p.8

good

Young people feel safe and well protected by staff. They identify the home as being a safe place to live and feel that staff genuinely care. They report that all staff listen to them, provide good advice and support, helping them achieve positive changes in their behaviour. One young person commented, ‘Every single member of staff is sound; they have really helped me with my behaviour’.

p.8

good

Staff have a firm grasp of the past difficulties young people have experienced such as, risk taking behaviours, including drug and alcohol misuse that have negatively impacted on their lives and drawn them into offending behaviours. Individual risk assessments and behaviour management plans provide staff with a good understanding of current concerns and the strategies to follow to keep them safe. Staff work closely with Youth Offending Teams (YOT) and drug misuse advisors to ensure that young people receive targeted support and advice. This helps them address their behaviours and make more positive choices.

p.9

good

Staff actively engage young people in regularly reviewing their plans. This is successful in promoting their understanding of personal risks; seeks to reduce risk- taking behaviours and enables them to identify the progress they make. One young person commented, ‘Staff here got me off drugs in two weeks. I used to take legal highs and ended up in hospital. Staff have talked to me about it to help me. Others gave up on me but staff here haven’t’.

p.9

good

Staff respond quickly reporting young people missing when they do not return to the home when planned. This has happened on a number of occasions recently. Staff work in co-operation with police and play an active role in searching and returning young people safely to the home. One young person said, ‘When I go missing they find ways to bring me back. They will come and pick me up to make sure I get back; that’s because they care’.

p.9

good

Staff routinely speak to young people on their return to check they are safe and well and identify any specific reasons for not returning to the home. Staff seek to reduce such incidents by revising strategies to help reduce the occasions when young people are likely to absent themselves. Generally the home follows good safeguarding practice, ensuring that each young person has the opportunity to speak with an independent person about the reasons for their absence. However, on one occasion a young person failed to have the benefit of an independent interview as this was conducted by the Registered Manager at the request of a placing authority. Although the young person was unconcerned about this, his rights were not actively promoted on this occasion.

p.9

good

Staff promote positive behaviour, being clear in their expectations and providing consistent boundaries. They provide young people with consistent encouragement and use small incentives such as additional pocket money and treats to support changes in their behaviour. The need for physical intervention is extremely rare with young people being encouraged to talk through their anger and frustration and learn to negotiate and compromise.

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good

The home environment is well maintained to ensure that it is physically safe. Staff advise young people regularly on fire safety within the home and have discussed the means of evacuation should an emergency occur. However, they have only carried out a limited number of fire drills since the home opened. This is insufficient in making sure that all young people, particularly those new to the home, are practiced and prepared for evacuating the premises during day and night-time hours.

p.9

good

Young people live in a home that is competently managed and led by a suitably qualified and experienced Registered Manager that has been in post since the home opened in August 2014. He possesses the relevant National Vocational Qualifications in both supervisory management and working with children and young people and is supported by two deputy managers that have delegated responsibilities in supporting staff and the smooth running of the home.

p.10

good

The Registered Manager has shown care in managing admissions to the home to ensure that young people are reasonably matched and likely to get on well together. This avoids placements that could potentially disrupt those already settled in the home. Usually the home makes sure it obtains a good range of information from placing authorities to plan for new admissions. However, despite several requests made to one young person’s social worker the home was still lacking some essential planning documentation from the placing authority weeks after the placement began. The delay in obtaining this information demonstrated an insufficient vigorous challenge of the placing authority to meet their obligations to the young person.

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good

Both managers and staff share a clear understanding of the individual needs of each young person placed and can identify the good progress that has been made since their time in placement. For most young people this has included significant progress in their attendance and achievement in education, a reduction in offending and alcohol and drug misuse. Many young people demonstrate a growth in confidence and self-esteem and have developed a good sense of belonging within the home.

p.10

good

Young people are supported by a stable staff team that have mostly worked at the home since opening. Staff are safely recruited and benefit from an initial induction process before starting work in the home. The management team supervise staff on a regular basis to monitor and support their professional practice and an annual appraisal process exists to consolidate the home’s performance and development planning. Staff regularly access training opportunities organised by the home to improve their knowledge and skills. Staff say these arrangements work well and have successfully supported the staff team to grown in confidence. The Registered Manager identifies the importance of maintaining good community relations and has been proactive in developing relationships with police, local businesses and residents to ensure that the home’s place in the community is viewed positively. The Registered Manager has liaised effectively with local police

p.10

good

and neighbours concerning some disruption and damage in the home. The home has achieved good resolution of such issues between young people and neighbours, promoting and maintaining their acceptance in the community. One young person commented, ‘There have been some problems with the neighbour but that is all sorted now. I said sorry and staff didn’t tell me to do it’.

p.11

good

The management team recognise the need to involve young people more closely with the home’s development plan and as such have updated this recently to include the participation of young people in further developing the appearance of the home and use of available space. This aims to provide young people with a greater sense of belonging and comfort within the home.

p.11

good

Staff update young people’s records regularly ensuring that the information available is current and relevant. The content of information is well recorded and organised to provide a good account of young people’s daily lives, achievements and future plans. However, some records are not consistently signed and dated by staff as required.

p.11

good

The provider successfully meets the aims and objectives as detailed in their Statement Of Purpose. The document is comprehensive and ensures young people, their families, placing authorities and other professionals are clear about the services the home offers and the facilities it provides. The Registered Manager regularly reviews and updates the document as required.

p.11

good

The home's quality assurance arrangements work effectively. The home's independent visitor regularly monitors and reports on the home's activity and standards of practice. Reports demonstrate a thorough and robust challenge of practice that enables improvements to be identified and addressed.

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What the inspection judgements mean

The experiences and progress of children and young people are at the centre of the inspection. Inspectors will use their professional judgement to determine the weight and significance of their findings in this respect. The judgements included in the report are made against Inspection of children's homes: framework for inspection.

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What the inspection judgements mean

An outstanding children's home provides highly effective services that contribute to significantly improved outcomes for children and young people who need help and protection and care. Their progress exceeds expectations and is sustained over time. A good children's home provides effective services that help, protect and care for children and young people and have their welfare safeguarded and promoted. In a children's home that requires improvement , there are no widespread or serious failures that create or leave children being harmed or at risk of harm. The welfare of looked after children is safeguarded and promoted. Minimum requirements are in place, however, the children's home is not yet delivering good protection, help and care for children and young people. A children's home that is inadequate is providing services where there are widespread or serious failures that create or leave children and young people being

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What the inspection judgements mean

harmed or at risk of harm or result in children looked after not having their welfare safeguarded and promoted.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people living in the children's home. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference adults make to the lives of children and young people. They read case files, watched how professional staff work with children, young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care given to children and young people. Wherever possible, they talked to children, young people and their families. In addition the inspectors have tried to understand what the children's home knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people who it is trying to help, protect and look after. This 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 Children's

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Information about this inspection

Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards. the guidance raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted, which is available from Ofsted's website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, workbased learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It inspects services for looked after children and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Information about this inspection

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

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Information about this inspection

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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