Children's Home run by Leicester City Council in Leicester

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:

 Children and young people make good, and in some cases exceptional, progress while living in or staying at this home, as a result of receiving highly personalised individual care from a skilled staff team.  Staff provide good quality support to vulnerable children and young people with complex needs, communication difficulties, autistic spectrum disorders and who may require a level of health care. They are cared for by a well-trained, stable and committed staff team.  Consultation with parents, children and young people takes priority. Opinions are respected and valued. Their views are central to the running and development of the home.  Transitions for children and young people new to the home, or young people who are moving on to new placements or adult life, are sensitively managed, resulting in a better likelihood of success in the next stage of their lives.  The management team works diligently to raise standards and provide a service

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The children's home provision is good because:

that is personal and individual to each child. They understand the strengths and weaknesses of the home and have clear development plans for continual improvements to the service.  A requirement made at the last inspection is repeated as, at the time of this inspection, modifications planned for a part the building remain postponed. This means independence opportunities for some young people accessing or living in one part of the home are limited due to the layout of the building.

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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

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Requirement Due date

(1) The quality and purpose of care standard requires the registered person to-

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Requirement Due date

(2) (c) ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

(i) meet the needs of each child; and (ii) enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. 01/09/2015

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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. This specifically relates to: a statement of the range of needs of the children for whom it is intended that the children’s home is to provide care and accommodation. Details of the home’s ethos, the outcomes that the home seeks to achieve and its approach to achieving them. (Regulation 16 (1)) 01/09/2015

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Information about this children's home

The home is run by a local authority. It is registered to provide care and accommodation to nine children: five children under short break arrangements and a further four children under other arrangements. The home cares for children with learning disabilities and who may also have a physical disability. The home cares for young people on a long-term basis, for overnight stays and day care.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

19/03/2015 CH - Interim Improved Effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

03/03/2014 CH - Interim Satisfactory Progress

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good

Children and young people have a variety of care arrangements. Some live at the home, some have weekly shared care: others visit for short overnight breaks or visit for day care. This flexibility in different care arrangements enables children, young people and families to receive a high level of support to meet their individual needs or to enable them to spend more time together as a family, for example, using additional support to have a trip to a theme park together.

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good

Individual progress for some children and young people is significant, despite the short amount of time they spend at the home. Children and young people are able to practise their social skills and have other experiences they may not have been able to have at home. For example, one young person has been able to go to the opticians for the first time with the support of staff and also went to the cinema to see a film. As a result, children and young people grow in confidence and feel more comfortable in the community.

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good

Children and young people who live in the home on a long-term basis continue to make extremely positive progress in relation to their starting points. For example, one young person has made significant progress with their independence skills, enabling them to manage some aspects of their self-care independently without the aid of staff. As a result, the young person has increased self-esteem and confidence in their own abilities.

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good

Strong relationships are evident between staff and children and young people. Staff are warm, kind and caring towards them, and they feel safe and secure in the presence of staff. The high number of skilled staff means the home can offer children and young people opportunities they may not have at home. This includes attending social events in the community or eating in restaurants, helping ensure they have opportunities to broaden their horizons, interact in society and experience new things.

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good

Contact with parents or people significant to the lives of children and young people is promoted where appropriate and is well organised. For example, one young person has contact with friends and family in a private area of the home. Contact arrangements help promote positive relationships between children and people significant to them as well as giving parents a voice in the care of their child. Transition into and out of the home is extremely well planned and sensitively executed. Since the last inspection, one young person moved to a new permanent placement; this transition happened over a number of months at a pace agreeable to him, enabling him to feel safe and secure in his new environment and be well prepared for this important change.

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good

Support for children’s and young people’s health needs is excellent due to close partnership working with local hospitals and other health care providers such as the child and adolescent mental health service. A good level of training promotes a clear understanding of safe administration of medication. Delicious, nutritious and home-cooked food, which meets children’s and young people’s individual dietary needs, is provided in plenty. As a result, children and young people, who are totally dependent on adults for their care, remain healthy and well.

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good

At the previous inspection, a requirement was made about ensuring the environment meets the needs of disabled children and young people. This specifically applied to an area of the home where building work to increase the space available and to provide unaided access in to the garden was postponed. At the time of this inspection, despite the registered manager’s and responsible individual’s best efforts, the plans were still waiting for agreement. Therefore, the requirement is repeated as children’s and young people’s opportunities for increased independence are limited due to the design of the building.

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good

A professional stated, ‘Safety of the children remains paramount to the staff at the home and any concerns regarding a child's welfare are reported appropriately.’ Vulnerable children and young people are protected by staff, who strive to balance their safety needs with their right for independence. In consultation with parents, use of locked doors in corridors across the home has decreased. While safety of children and young people is still an absolute priority, this measure has increased some children’s and young people’s opportunity for independence. For example, some are now able to directly access the garden without the aid of staff. This new way of working is reinforced by good quality risk assessments, which are effectively implemented. High levels of supervision by staff who are familiar with children’s and young people’s individual needs helps ensure they are not at risk in the home, in the community, or at risk of going missing.

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good

Children and young people benefit from clear routines and positive use of behaviour management techniques; there are low levels of physical intervention with only one occasion since the last inspection. Challenging and complex behaviours are well understood and managed. Effective strategies de- escalate challenging behaviour to ensure children’s and young people’s safety. Incidents are well recorded. Any untoward incidents are examined by the manager to ensure that practice in this area remains effective and to consider lessons learnt.

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good

Carefully implemented safeguarding monitoring systems help protect children and young people, supported by clear and efficient communication with professionals such as social workers. For example, should a child or young person sustain a bruise or mark, appropriate strategies are followed to ensure children’s and young people’s safety, and the information is shared. Staff demonstrate a thorough knowledge of safeguarding processes and whistleblowing procedures. This helps ensure children and young people remain safe while staying at the home.

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outstanding

The manager has been registered with Ofsted for over two years. She holds the appropriate residential management level 5 qualification as required by regulation. Since her registration, the manager has worked consistently and diligently to create a well-run, effective and high quality service. A committed and enthusiastic management team drives improvement and innovative ideas. They lead by example. The team has a clear awareness of the home’s strengths and weaknesses as well as an up-to-date understanding of children’s and young people’s progress. There is an ambitious development plan to further improve the quality of care and experiences of children and young people. Embedded in these plans are the opinions of children, young people and parents, demonstrating the high regard they are held in and how their views help shape the development of the home.

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outstanding

The home’s recently revised statement of purpose does not provide enough information about the types of care the home offers, for instance day care, short breaks or long-term care or how the impact of the different types of care provided is considered for each child or young person. It requires amendment to ensure it is a true reflection of the home.

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outstanding

There is a committed, stable and experienced staff team. Relief or agency workers are used on occasion to supplement the number of staff on duty, especially during busier periods such as school holidays. The manager aims to use the same workers to aid consistency for children and young people. The enthusiastic staff team is well supported through regular one-to-one supervision as well as case supervision and has opportunities for regular informal discussions as well as team meetings. A member of staff described the management team as, ‘very supportive’.

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outstanding

Staff benefit from access to a wide variety of learning experiences. As well as mandatory and specialist training courses, some attended a recent seminar about the emotional implications of working with young people; some are considering further professional development such as social work qualifications. There is a comprehensive training plan to ensure staff remain as up to date as possible. Training to meet children’s and young people’s health care needs is provided through health care providers; this ensures staff are competent in meeting the individual needs of children and young people.

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outstanding

Consistently positive feedback was received from stakeholders and parents about their engagement with the home, children’s and young people’s progress and levels of consultation. Parents feel confident in leaving their child or young person in an environment which is safe and where they know they will be well cared for and have new experiences. A parent of a young person who is new to short breaks at the home stated, ‘I was very impressed with her care when I left her the first time. All the staff are very good at communicating, they ring me to let me know how she is getting on. They care for my feelings as well. My child is getting the benefit of attending. She is vulnerable and they look after her.’

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outstanding

Opportunities for consultation with parents are well used and swift action is taken on any feedback. The home also provides opportunities for parents to meet each other at coffee mornings held at the home, providing a system of informal support for each other. There are plans for a parents’ forum. A professional stated, ‘There is very good liaison with families. They are inclusive of family who receive invitations to various parties and events through the year.’ This demonstrates how parents’ views are valued and consultation methods are effective.

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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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