Children's Home run by Choices 4 Children Limited in Lancashire

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 live in a caring and supportive environment. They receive good quality care from a committed staff team. They confirm they feel safe in their home and their views are taken into account when decisions are made. Safeguarding arrangements are strong and staff demonstrate a good understanding of child protection procedures.  Staff persevere and work tirelessly to improve young people’s experiences. Some young people require high levels of support and supervision, others are preparing for independence. They all benefit from individualised care that takes account of their complex needs.  Most young people make good progress and experience positive transitions into adult life. A young person described his time at the home as, ‘Good, friendly staff and there was good food.’  Partnership working is effective. Placing social workers and other professionals comment positively about staffs efforts to care of young

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The children's home provision is good because:

people, and confirm they do all they can to support them. They say that information sharing, planning and working together is effective in meeting young people’s needs. However, this good practice is not always sufficient to secure good outcomes for all young people, particularly those currently new to the home, who do not want to be there. They compromise their progress by making their own decisions about key areas of their lives. Some are not fully engaged in full-time education or training, which the manager needs to address with all educational professionals, particularly the virtual head teacher, to ensure young people have every opportunity to progress and that their progress can be measured.  The Registered Manager and deputy are experienced and generally provide effective leadership. The homes recent focus on managing young people’s challenging behaviour has resulted in some administration shortfalls being

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The children's home provision is good because:

identified at this inspection. These relate to the location risk assessment, the Statement of Purpose, the managers six-monthly monitoring report and the use of research and development to drive forward further improvement. Other areas noted for improvement relate to staff training, young people’s access to independent advocates and their involvement in staff appraisals. Also, a review of the practice of locking the kitchen and turning off electricity to young people’s bedrooms at night to manage behaviour needs to take place. These shortfalls have not impacted negatively on the outcomes for young people or on the care provided.

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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

The registered person must ensure that no measure of control or discipline which is excessive, unreasonable or contrary to paragraph (2) may be used in relation to a child. In particular, do not punish a group of children for the behaviour of an individual child by switching off the electricity to young people's bedrooms at night (Regulation 19 (1) (2) (j)) 06/08/2015

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Requirement Due date

13 The leadership and management standard In order to meet the leadership and management standard with particular reference to enabling, inspiring and leading staff the registered person must-

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Requirement Due date

(2) (g) demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on-

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Requirement Due date

(i) research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met.

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, that the registered person must have good knowledge and understanding of current legislation, inspection frameworks and new research to help inform staff practice. 06/08/2015

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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 the provider engages with all relevant people that have responsibility towards young people in the home, particularly the virtual head teacher (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 12, paragraph 2.7)

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Recommendations

 Ensure the home's Statement of Purpose indicates how the home provides individualised care to meet the Quality Standards for the children in their care. In particular, this relates to clear and accurate information about supervision arrangements. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 14, paragraph 3.5)

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Recommendations

 Ensure children are able to access all shared areas of their home unless there are specific reasons why this would not meet their needs. In particular, this relates to the practice of locking the kitchen door at night (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 15, paragraph 3.10)

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Recommendations

 Ensure staff regularly remind children of their right to access an independent advocate (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 23, paragraph 4.17)

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Recommendations

 Develop improved data collection methods to measure children’s educational progress (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 26, paragraph 5.2)

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Recommendations

 Ensure young people are in full-time education while they are of compulsory school age, unless their personal education plan contained within the care plan or other relevant plan states otherwise (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 28 paragraph 5.14)

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Recommendations

 Ensure staff have the relevant knowledge and skills to recognise and be alert to any signs that might indicate a young person is in any way at risk of harm. In particular, ensure staff receive refresher training in e-safety and are aware of the prevent duty to enable them to keep up-to-date with safeguarding practice (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 43, paragraph 9.12)

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Recommendations

 Ensure staffs annual appraisals take into account, where reasonable and practical, of the views of children in the home’s care (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 61, paragraph 13.5)

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Recommendations

 Ensure the registered persons annual review of the suitability of the location and premises of the home, fully considers the views of other appropriate professionals that have a statutory responsibility for safeguarding children in the neighbourhood where the home is located (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 64, paragraph 15.1)

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Recommendations

 Ensure the registered manager's report, produced under Regulation 45, clearly identifies any actions required for the next six months of delivery within the home and how these actions will be addressed as a means to using the report as a tool for continuous improvement of the home. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 65, paragraph 15.4)

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Information about this children's home

This is a private children’s home that provides care and accommodation for up to four children and young people with learning disabilities and emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

05/02/2015 CH - Interim improved effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

21/01/2014 CH - Interim Satisfactory Progress

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GOOD

Young people are safe at the home and say, ‘It’s an alright place to live.’ They confirm staff are always available to support them. They are well cared for and respected, which helps develop their self-esteem and confidence.

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GOOD

Young people benefit from a nurturing environment. They receive excellent support from an experienced and consistent staff team who effectively deliver individualised packages of care. As a result, most new young people settle quickly and begin to develop strong and trusting relationships with staff and each other. Staff work tirelessly to provide opportunities for young people to succeed. They are not daunted by setbacks and are relentless in their efforts to help young people achieve their potential.

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GOOD

Parents and professionals are involved in young people’s care and fully endorse the quality of the care and support provided in the home. A placing social worker described the home as, ‘The best she had ever seen.’ Another spoke positively about communication and staffs dedication and support of a young person and that he, ‘Always found staff approachable.’

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GOOD

Staff provide a consistent and balanced approach to young people’s care. Individual placement plans, behaviour support plans and risk assessments are reviewed regularly to reflect the changing needs of young people. Staff provide regular updates to parents and professionals that inform them about the progress and achievements young people make and help in planning and setting future targets and goals.

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GOOD

Staff work proactively with young people and their placing authority to ensure reviews are timely and include the views of young people. Young people participate in their care planning, which means they know what progress they are making. They know how to make a complaint if they are unhappy with any aspect of their care. Staff use regular planned and unplanned individual sessions with young people to address any issues or potential worries that may arise.

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GOOD

Some young people have been at the home only a short while and need time to settle. They continue to display some of the same behaviours they were presenting prior to admission. Staff take appropriate action in response to any incidents and are committed to helping young people achieve stability and permanence. Young people are encouraged to take responsibility for their behaviour. Staff help them to develop coping strategies to manage any periods of crisis and help to bring about positive change. However, not all young people are ready to engage in individual work and have not yet learnt how to resolve conflict positively. Consequently, police support has been required on a number of occasions to respond to young people’s challenging behaviour. This action has not criminalised young people.

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GOOD

Despite their short time in placement, young people begin to make some progress in some aspects of their lives. They enjoy relatively good health and learn to understand the importance of a healthy lifestyle. They have access to a broad range of specialist health professionals such as, local child and adolescent mental health services and primary health care providers, which enables individual health needs to be assessed and met. When young people are reluctant to fully engage in all their health appointments, staff continue to offer encouragement and support, and through their persistence have overcome some young people’s resistance to engage with services.

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GOOD

Young people receive good information and advice about the risks of smoking and drug and alcohol use. They have access to appropriate specialist services that can help them to quit. Some choose not take this advice at this time, which may compromises their future health and well-being. Staff recognise the importance of continuing to support young people to make positive lifestyle choices and regularly discuss this with young people and with parents.

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GOOD

Staff promote and support young people with their education. However, some young people refuse to attend a school placement and currently receive only a few hours of home tutoring. This is mainly due to their previous placement history, lack of stability and historical poor attendance, but means they fail to achieve their educational potential. Staff are proactive in chasing the placing authority to ensure where possible full-time education placements are made available to young people. However, they have not identified some key educational professionals, such as the virtual head teacher, who has an important role in providing appropriate education provision for young people in care. Despite this, there are some careful and considered plans in place to increase educational hours for some young people. Personal education plans should take account of the previous history of poor attendance and challenging behaviour and aim to gradually reintroduce young

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GOOD

people to full-time provision, unless this is not in their best interest. Some young people have been supported with college applications and have secured full-time placements, which are due to start at the beginning of the new term.

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GOOD

Young people are offered opportunities to participate in a broad range of social and sporting activities, such as, go-karting, gym, fishing and wall-climbing. This helps to develop self-esteem and confidence and provides opportunities for positive engagement in the wider community. Some young people are reluctant to participate and for others participation is behaviour dependent, which means they can be socially isolated and become more dependent on relationships with staff. However, staff persevere in their support of young people and research different activities for them to try. Where appropriate, young people benefit from regular contact with family and friends. Staff facilitate, supervise and support contact arrangements. This helps young people develop and maintain positive relationships with those that are important to them.

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GOOD

Young people develop personal care skills with the support of staff. They are encouraged to learn basic practical and life skills, which help to promote a positive transition into adulthood. Individual independence programmes take account of young people’s skills and abilities. They enjoy a variety of healthy, nutritious meals that young people help to choose and prepare. This enhances their health and physical well-being.

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GOOD

Young people say they are safe, secure and well cared for in the home. They confirm they can talk to staff if they have worries or concerns and know how to make a complaint if they are unhappy with any aspect of their care. There have been no complaints since the last inspection.

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GOOD

Effective systems are in place to support and safeguard young people. Staff are fully trained in safeguarding procedures and receive regular refresher training. They are confident and competent in implementing the home’s policies and procedures if they have any concerns, or allegations are made about young people’s welfare. The provider delivers good training for staff but they would benefit from additional training with regard to internet safety and awareness. This would ensure staff understand the implications of the Prevent duty and make sure their knowledge is kept up-to-date. There have been no child protection referrals or issues of sexual exploitation and no self-harm issues or bullying at this home for some time.

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GOOD

Young people receive high levels of support and supervision. Electronic monitoring devices are in use on external doors and young people’s bedroom doors to ensure their safety. The use of this measure at night quickly alerts staff to young people who are out of their bedrooms and may require staff support. If young people do go missing from the home, staff know the local area and community well. They immediately go looking for young people and try to return them safely back home with the support of the police.

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GOOD

The police confirm that effective links have been developed between the staff, the police missing person’s coordinator, the local police and specialist police services. If incidents do occur, there are now clear practices and agreements in place that staff understand. The home’s written records show a high number of incidents of young people being reported missing from home and going absent without permission, although these have recently significantly reduced. This is mainly due to regular strategy meetings and a review of individual care plans to help improve outcomes for young people. Some young people are being supported to move back with their family and others have moved to semi-independent provisions. All such episodes are monitored, fully considered and reviewed to promote young people’s safety and welfare.

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GOOD

Individual risk assessments and behaviour management plans clearly identify young people’s risks, which helps to protect them. Positive behaviour is promoted with clear and consistent boundaries to help young people understand the effects of their behaviour on themselves and others. Regular individual sessions, target setting, incentives and rewards are used to help young people develop socially acceptable behaviour. Staff help them to develop coping strategies to manage any periods of crisis and help them bring about positive change. As a result, young people begin to learn and adhere to appropriate boundaries.

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GOOD

The home has appropriate written records that confirm physical restraint has not been necessary for more than a year, and minimal sanctions have been used. However, some sanctions imposed on young people are institutional in nature; for example, turning off the power to electric sockets in young people’s bedrooms at night. This measure of control is not proportionate as it impacts not only on the individual young person, but on the group as a whole. Also, locking the kitchen at night as a means of controlling young people’s movement within the home is not acceptable as a behaviour management strategy where there are no safeguarding issues identified for young people.

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GOOD

The Registered Manager ensures staff are carefully selected and vetted before starting work in the home and visitors are checked and supervised as appropriate. This helps deter unsuitable people having access to vulnerable young people.

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GOOD

Young people enjoy a safe and secure home environment as good health and safety arrangements are in place. There are regular practice evacuations to ensure young people know how to exit the building safely and quickly in case of an emergency.

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REQUIRES IMPROVEMENT

The home is generally well managed by an experienced Registered Manager who has been in post since May 2014. He is currently working towards a relevant leadership and management qualification. He is supported by an able deputy and a motivated staff team who demonstrate a high level of commitment, and understand the needs of the young people in placement. A member of the team said, ‘We’re a small team, we work well together and are very supportive of each other.’ Another said, ‘The home goes over and above for the welfare of young people in our care.’

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REQUIRES IMPROVEMENT

The manager is proactive and has been successful in challenging placing authorities where their care plan is not meeting young people’s needs or where services are not effective. However, he also needs to be proactive in identifying any other professionals who have responsibility towards young people, especially with regard to young people who are not in full-time education. He needs to engage with them to ensure young people receive the services they are entitled to. Also, young people should be reminded of their right to access an independent advocate, especially where young people want to challenge the placing authority about plans for their future.

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REQUIRES IMPROVEMENT

The staff routinely undertake mandatory training including, safeguarding, first aid and behaviour management training. Opportunities are available for additional training in response to young people’s emerging needs. The manager should act and respond to new research and developments to ensure all staff have good knowledge and understanding of the current issues, new legislation and Ofsted inspection framework. This will help identify any further training needs for staff and ensure they have the opportunity to develop their practice.

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REQUIRES IMPROVEMENT

The homes aims and objectives are set out in its Statement of Purpose. The document is comprehensive and generally well written. Despite regular reviews of this document it does not give clear and accurate information in respect of arrangements for staff supervision. Staff confirm they feel well supported by their colleagues and manager and receive regular supervision and annual appraisals. However, there is no process for young people to contribute to the annual review of staffs performance, which is a missed opportunity to seeking young people’s opinions about those who care for them. In addition, the manager has not yet completed the homes annual review or consulted with appropriate people to form a view about the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the home. This means that the information relating to the protection of young people and services available to them is not up to date.

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REQUIRES IMPROVEMENT

Young people’s records are well arranged, stored securely and of a good standard. This provides young people with a good overall picture of their experiences at the home. They are regularly involved in decisions about their care and influence the running of the home. Staff actively involve parents and other professionals in the care planning process, which ensures a consistent approach to young people’s care. Effective internal monitoring and quality assurance systems are in place to ensure that the quality of care is regularly monitored. Consultation with young people, parents and other professionals influences the progress of the home. Any problem areas identified are generally attended to promptly and appropriate action taken.

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REQUIRES IMPROVEMENT

The manager has a realistic understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the home and knows how he intends to improve the service they provide. He intends to further improve the six-monthly review of the quality of care by clearly identifying any actions and how they will be addressed; using the report as a tool for continuous improvement in the home. He is also reviewing the information required to effectively measure and monitor young people’s educational progress, especially where young people are not in full-time education.

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REQUIRES IMPROVEMENT

Significant events are notified to all relevant agencies in a timely manner, which ensures that appropriate action is taken to protect young people.

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REQUIRES IMPROVEMENT

Young people live in an old and very welcoming farmhouse. It is spacious; well- furnished and decorated and is well maintained and regularly repaired. There is ample outside space to socialise and play, and there is a lake, where young people can go fishing. They benefit from living in a home that provides a very homely and comfortable environment.

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REQUIRES IMPROVEMENT

The manager acknowledges the shortfalls identified at this inspection and demonstrates a willingness to address these areas with some urgency. He intends to do this with improved monitoring systems that better capture data, reviewing documents and with improvements to care practice, which will improve outcomes for young people. There were no requirements or recommendations made at the last inspection, which demonstrates the manager is fully committed to an improvement agenda.

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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

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Information about this inspection

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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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