Children's Home run by Living Life (UK) Limited in West Northamptonshire

Good

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

p.2

The children's home provision is good because:

 A key strength is the passion and commitment which drives forward best practice across all aspects of the service set by the owner of this home. Children are happy and feel safeguarded by care arrangements.  Leaders and managers set extremely high expectations of the staff team and want only the very best outcomes for children. Staff are well-trained, including the delivery of monthly training provided by a child psychologist who works closely with the service. Sustained service development is evident.  The management of this home is highly effective, resulting in extremely well- planned care, delivered in consultation with children, families and involved professionals. Professionals contributing to this inspection note excellent partnership working as a strength of the service.  The therapeutic and nurturing culture provided ensures that each child makes progress from their starting points on admission. There is a warm and welcoming

p.3

The children's home provision is good because:

atmosphere provided for children, where having fun is seen as important.  Highly organised and effective safeguarding arrangements ensure children’s wellbeing and protection. There have been no incidents of children being absent from the home or engaging in risk taking behaviours in the community since the home opened.  Each child has made progress since the time of admission. For some this is improved self-confidence, for others improved engagement with education.

p.3

Information about this children's home

The home is registered to provide care and accommodation up to five young children or young people. The home provides care and accommodation for children or young people with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home is one of two registered children’s homes operated by a small private provider.

p.4

Recent inspection history

This is the first inspection of this service

p.4

Good

Children build trusting relationships with staff and are confident in the care that they receive. Comments from children include, ‘this is the first placement where adults treat me the best I have ever been treated’. Comments from involved professionals reflect on children’s experiences. ‘It is a lovely home, just nice when you walk in, the staff are always welcoming, always something going on’.

p.5

Good

Children are encouraged to share their views and to contribute to daily living arrangements. Discussions at the dinner table and weekly ‘get together’ meetings always start with encouragement for children to talk about positive aspects of their day or week. This practice has supported children to begin to recognise the positive progress they have made and also to identify progress made by their peers.

p.5

Good

Children say that they were made to feel welcome on their admission and confirm they were provided with information about their placement. Care planning is comprehensive. Children receive individualised care which reflects their age and gender. They are helped to understand about their past histories and say that their views trigger changes to care arrangements. Each child begins to show improved emotional resilience and some are noted as developing a more positive self-view. For example, by showing improved confidence when interacting with others. Children are now spending more time with others, when on admission they opted to spend much of the time alone. They are taking more interest in their appearance and beginning to be interested in areas such as hair styles, music and clothing. Parents describe the positive progress they have noted, ‘ xx has calmed and is a much happier child, which I see as because of the structure of the setting

p.5

Good

and the opportunity to receive therapeutic care’.

p.5

Good

Children make good progress in relation to their educational achievement and attendance. For example, children now attending for increased hours after agreements reached with schools. Staff spoke with pride about a child’s recent achievements in end of year exams. Educational professionals report positively on the support provided to children which has impacted positively on their education. Comments include:

p.5

Good

 ‘They have been very professional but determined to push forward the school timetable for xx. We have set up regular phone calls to promote good communication. The outcome of that is that actually xx is now making good progress’.

p.5

Good

 ‘I definitely feel they are promoting education and supporting xxx to arrive at school in the right frame of mind’.

p.6

Good

 ‘Regular and detailed phone and email contact helps us to make sure we support the child as effectively as possible in school. We have been hugely impressed with the home’s nurturing approach’.

p.6

Good

Children take part in interesting and stimulating activities and are encouraged to develop personal hobbies. For example, some children attend a football club, others choose to go swimming. Recent activities include, a trip to a farm, a local activity park and an historic stately home. Currently there is much excitement planning a summer holiday on the coast. The organisation is also preparing for a community music project planned to take place through the summer holiday period.

p.6

Good

Children learn improved awareness about their emotions and behaviours. They are supported to learn coping strategies through discussion and reflection on incidents with key members of staff. Incentive schemes and positive reinforcement encourage children to take increasing responsibility for their behaviours. Comments from involved professionals note behaviours as being well-managed, ‘considering how complex this child’s needs are, they have done as well with him as I would ever expect’. Also, ‘I feel that staff have worked hard at helping a particular young person understand and manage her behaviour’. While incidents resulting in physical holds are high in number, records demonstrate that interventions have been necessary to prevent imminent harm. This is an area of care which leaders and managers are monitoring closely to ensure each hold is necessary and proportionate. The possible impact of the use of physical holds and the impact of

p.6

Good

aggressive behaviours on the stability of the home results in placement review discussions with placing teams. This demonstrates that the staff team recognise when the group are affected by the behaviours of single children.

p.6

Outstanding

Staff are well trained in safeguarding children, including awareness about risks for children who may go missing and the risks and potential relating to child sexual exploitation. Safeguarding arrangements are always prioritised and care planning reviewed as and when necessary. As a result, staff are fully aware of their responsibilities should they identify a child at risk of harm. On occasion that a young person raises a concern about their care this is listened to and when and organised records are maintained to reflect any safeguarding concerns and the actions taken in response. This demonstrates the high priority given by leaders and managers to safeguarding issues.

p.6

Outstanding

The risk management of children’s individual and group care arrangements is exemplary and also highly effective. Extremely well developed and broad ranging risk assessments support the effective management of potential hazards and risks. Staff use written risk management strategies as working documents which inform all aspects of day-to-day care. Risk assessments are also developed in consultation with the whole team. Comments from staff include, ‘everyone’s views are seen as important in reducing risk’. Children do not go missing from the home and do not engage in risk taking behaviours in the community. For some children this is an improvement from the time of their admission, showing that they have become safer since moving to this home. Children’s understanding about personal safety improves because of the care provided. While this is early steps for some children, the work undertaken is of a high standard and improves their understanding of

p.7

Outstanding

issues such as internet safety and stranger danger.

p.7

Outstanding

A particular strength is the manner in which each part of a child’s day is effectively planned to ensure the elimination or reduction of potential risks. For example, handover meetings ensure each member of staff understands their role with which child, that routines are planned to reduce any potential for peer conflict and also to ensure that children feel safe and protected. While there have been times when some children have been impacted negatively by the behaviour of others, events has been well managed and actions taken promptly to strengthen safeguarding arrangements.

p.7

Outstanding

Incidents of self-harm are well-managed. Staff receive excellent support and guidance which enables them to provide the right level of care and emotional support to children at risk of self-harm. As a result children learn coping strategies which at times reduces their need to self-harm. Incidents are reported on appropriately to involved mental health professionals and their recommendations are sought and reflected into care arrangements. Placing social workers are confident in the way self-harm incidents are managed.

p.7

Outstanding

Children live in a very safe and well-maintained environment. Management oversight is robust thus ensuring that children are safe within the home. A high priority is afforded to environmental health and safety. For example, fire safety drills are undertaken each time a new member of staff or child comes to the home. These have been undertaken both very early in the morning and late at night to ensure that both staff and children understand the actions to be taken should a real fire occur. Judgement grade

p.7

Outstanding

The leadership and management of this home is exceptional. No requirements against regulation or recommendation have been set as a result of this inspection. The highly motivated registered provider has used her experience of running a separate children’s home for many years to structure the highly effective management of this new service. An enthusiastic, very experienced and qualified Registered Manager is in day-to-day charge. The assistant psychologist and the operations manager, who each have defined roles in monitoring and quality assurance, strengthen the leadership team further. Independent monitoring visits drive forward service development. The visitor captures children’s views and overall experiences in their reporting. This means that the Registered Individual is able to understand the quality of care provided through independent eyes. Involved professionals have a positive view about the leadership and management

p.8

Outstanding

of the home. Survey responses confirm a view that this service is ‘excellent’. Comments include ‘I have been very impressed by the manager‘s ability to understand and prioritise children’s needs’. Also, ‘I was so impressed with the service that I suggested this home for another child’. The Registered Manager is noted to have followed up relentlessly on some outstanding paperwork from a placing team. This demonstrates she fully understands her role and will take action when necessary to ensure the response from other services is effective.

p.8

Outstanding

There is comprehensive evidence that the service meets the objectives and ethos of the home as set out in the Statement of Purpose. The home looks and feels like a family home and is maintained to a high standard. Children’s needs and wishes are prioritised and are always central within service delivery. A recent addition is the introduction of a child focused placement plan. This promotes children’s understanding of the plan for their care at an appropriate level to their age and understanding. The Registered Manager proactively creates opportunities to gather children’s views about all aspects of the service. For example, questionnaires completed by children promote further development of the service. Children’s views on the staff team are sought and used to inform team development. Children are also involved in staff recruitment. As a result, they feel listened to and that their views are valued.

p.8

Outstanding

The Registered Manager has high expectations of the staff. She ensures that each member of the team has a clear understanding about their role and responsibilities in the care and protection of children. Staff hold the management team in high regard. They feel supported and comment about how caring and helpful the team structure is. This is not by accident as the management team have created a culture where the interactions between the team are understood by all to be indicative of the care provided to children. Staff are highly skilled and also committed to promoting positive outcomes for children. Staff training and development is seen as important. Monthly training facilitated by a child psychologist who works closely with the service strengthens the provision of expected core areas of training. The staff value these development sessions. Comments from staff include, ‘the psychology seminars are very useful and help

p.8

Outstanding

The management team closely monitor and also evaluate the progress made by each child. Managers are fully aware of the plan of care for each child and have high expectations for their progress and development. Comments from involved professionals about service strengths include, ‘attention to the detail of a child's life which is so important in amongst the 'big' decisions that are made. The nurturing, compassionate approach to children and commitment to meeting children where they are, whilst always having next steps in mind’ . Managers meet with keyworkers on a monthly basis to reflect on progress over the previous month and to confirm the plan of care for the next four weeks. As a result, care arrangements are adjusted promptly to promote improved outcomes for children. Involved professionals are kept updated about children’s progress and confirm a view that communication from the team is highly effective. Comments from involved

p.9

Outstanding

professionals include, ‘the partnership working we have experienced from the service has been excellent and clearly in the child's best interests’.

p.9

Outstanding

Leaders and managers have a comprehensive understanding of the strengths of the service. Committed to the provision of care being of only the highest of quality and wanting the very best for children has driven sustained service development since the home opened in October 2014.

p.9

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.

p.10

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

p.10

What the inspection judgements mean

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

p.10

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

p.11

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 .

p.11

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,

p.12

Information about this inspection

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

p.12

Information about this inspection

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

p.12

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

p.12