Children's Home run by Doncaster Children‟s Services Trust Limited in Doncaster

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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:

 The young person is benefitting from intensive support and is making good progress from his initial starting point.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Staff have a very good understanding of the young person’s needs they have the skills, experience and competence to meet them.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 There is effective management of the home and staff are committed to continually improving and adapting their service to meet the needs of the young person.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Quality assurance monitoring is effective and is contributing to improved outcomes for the young person living at the home.

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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

6 The quality and purpose of care standard (2) (c) ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to— (i) meet the needs of each child. This is with specific reference to replacing kitchen cabinet doors. 07/08/2015

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children’s home a statement (“the statement of purpose”) which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1 (Regulation 16 (1)). 07/08/2015

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Information about this children's home

The children's home is operated by an independent Trust for up to five young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties. The home provides planned, medium- term care for young people with the aim of returning them to live with family members or in other permanent placements.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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people living in the home are

The home currently accommodates only one young person; this is in line with his care plan which states that a solo placement is required. The young person has responded very well to this arrangement. It has allowed staff to provide him with a clear predictable routine and to focus intensively on meeting his very complex needs with pleasing results. A professional commented that, ‘A lot of hard work has paid off.’

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people living in the home are

The most significant improvement of this high level of quality care and attention is the young person’s engagement in education. Working closely with professionals from health and education, the manager and staff have successfully increased the number and variety of learning opportunities. This has taken account of the young person’s developmental and emotional needs and the young person is now re- integrating into full time education.

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people living in the home are

Emotional health is promoted because there is a lot of discussion with the young person, in an informal way, about feelings and emotions. This helps to lessen frustration, enables him to get on better with others and helps him to gain some insight about his behaviour. A health professional noted the young person to be ‘making steady progress’ in this respect. Good physical health is promoted and the young person’s development is within the range expected.

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people living in the home are

The young person engages in a wide range of activities. This includes participating in fund-raising events, going out for meals and attending a youth club. This helps to link the young person in the local community and guards against social isolation. Some of these activities – such as abseiling for charity – help to stretch personal risk-taking in a safe and controlled way. It generates a sense of individual success and confidence when achieved.

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people living in the home are

Other activities focus on calm concentration, such as fishing and being read to, as well as playing games and developing friendships. A professional noted that one of the young person’s biggest changes is, ‘His ability to engage in play with others. Staff have really encouraged developmental play and have got alongside him to achieve that.’

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people living in the home are

The young person’s voice is heard about things that matter to him. A professional noted that staff are good advocates on his behalf and supportive of helping him to get his views heard; ‘When decisions are being made, they always ask how he will have a say.’ The young person lives in a home that is generally comfortable and well-equipped but cabinets in the kitchen are still missing the cupboard fronts. This does not meet the young person’s need to live in a home that is well-maintained. The recommendation set at the last inspection to remedy this has not been met. A requirement is therefore set to ensure this basic aspect of maintenance is undertaken.

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people are helped and protected

The safety, progress and well-being of the young person falls under the caring scrutiny of a number of significant adults, including family, who have frequent contact with him. He is protected by this high level of vigilance and by a staff team who clearly recognise and respond to his complex needs.

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people are helped and protected

Staff understand the reasons for any challenging behaviour. They are skilled at using distraction techniques, adapting strategies and exercising patient understanding. They rarely need to use the positive handling holds they are trained in. Although still a significant aspect of the placement, challenging behaviour is gradually diminishing in frequency and severity.

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people are helped and protected

The manager and staff have a well-informed safeguarding practice sensitive to the needs of the young person. This is gained through discussion, observation, reflection and training. Allegations and complaints, no matter how minor, are properly and fully investigated. Safeguarding practice is underpinned by robust risk assessments and action plans which staff implement to good effect. The young person does not go missing from the home and professionals feel that he is safe here. Judgement grade

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leaders and managers

The Registered Manager has managed this home with skill and clear leadership for nearly two years and has previous management experience for four years. She is a qualified social worker and has the required Level 5 diploma for registered managers. She keeps her knowledge and skills up to date with self-directed research, reading, training and attending conferences.

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leaders and managers

The manager constantly monitors the young person’s needs, plans, behaviour and the quality of staff intervention. She is quietly authoritative, but consults with and listens to what staff have to say about how things are going and how they can be improved. For example, at a recent team meeting staff were asked to discuss individually their strengths and weaknesses, ‘in order to help each other meet (the young person’s) needs.’

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leaders and managers

The manager is realistic about what is going well and not so well for the young person. There is recognition that although progress is going in the right direction, this is still very early stages for this young person and more can be achieved.

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leaders and managers

A professional noted that, ‘There is success and there are wobbles. The manager builds on that success and manages the wobbles well.’ Another professional thought that the manager and team, ‘Form an important component of the core team of professionals working with this young person.’

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leaders and managers

The staff team are very confident in their work; highly motivated, skilled, knowledgeable and well-qualified. The manager does not underestimate the impact of the work and by small acts of good management reinforces their practice, persistence and skill. For example, one member of staff is praised for good shift planning; on another occasion the manager passed on compliments from the psychologist, ‘for the great progress that has been made in supporting and caring’ the young person.

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leaders and managers

Staff members can also nominate each other for good practice and receive a gift in return. This is a good example of how staff recognise each other’s good practice and helps to boost morale.

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leaders and managers

The Statement of Purpose says that the home seeks to provide young people with, ‘an environment where they are able to achieve good outcomes in all areas of their lives.’ This is clearly achieved. There are minor discrepancies in this document when measured against the regulations. This has no impact on the young person but a requirement is set to address this.

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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

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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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