Annex A. Request for information at a full inspection of a children’s home

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:

 The staff group is dynamic, long standing and experienced. They are committed to supporting young people and ensuring that they reach their potential.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 All permanent staff access a range of training from the local authority. This equips them to best meet young people’s needs.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Young people have personalised care plans with strong evidence of multi- agency working and management oversight. Information is consistently shared with professionals to ensure young people are supported.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Managers provide strong support for staff and advocate consistently for young people. This ensures they receive the specialist services which have helped them.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Young people respond well to staff members and are proud of their new purpose-built living environment. 

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Management of the home is strong and there are established and well- planned processes for both the admission and discharge of young people. This ensures that only appropriate referrals are accepted and young people are able to move on in a planned manner .

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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

 The registered person should have a workforce plan which can fulfil the workforce related requirements of regulation 16 schedule 1 (paragraphs 19 and 20.) The plan should: Detail the necessary management and staffing structure. (The Guide page 53, paragraph 10.8)

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Recommendations

 Records must be kept detailing all individual incidents when children go missing from the home (regulation 36 (schedule 3 (14)) This information should be shared with the placing authority and, where, appropriate with the child’s parents. Evaluation of missing incidents should be undertaken to identify any gaps in training, skills or knowledge for staff or to record and retain evidence of what worked well. This evaluation should inform the review of the quality of care. (The Guide pages 45 and 46, paragraph 9.31)

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Recommendations

 Homes are required to develop and keep under review a ‘Statement of Purpose’ (regulation 16 and schedule 1.) The home’s Statement of Purpose should be child focused, indicating how the home provides individualised care to the Quality Standards for the children in their care. (The Guide pages 14 and 15, paragraph 3.5)                     

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Information about this children's home

The home is managed by the local authority. The home provides accommodation for up to five young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties. The local authority’s semi-independent accommodation is available in the same building but does not form part of the registration.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

p.5

Good

Staff and young people are really proud of living and working in the building. The home is purpose built with large areas set aside for socialising and key work.

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Good

This work is supported by individualised care plans. Young people’s risk assessments are thorough and reviewed regularly. This helps promote their safety. Young people have an active role in care planning and residents meetings are offered monthly. These meetings facilitated recent trips to Brighton and to the theatre.

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Good

Young people feel listened-to and valued. Recently they sat on the interview panel during a recent round of staff recruitment. This was hugely empowering. The local advocacy service is well established. This provides an independent person for young people to talk to.

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Good

Behaviour management is good. Young people respond well to the rewards-based system. Young people say, ‘Staff are nice, make me feel welcome, this place should be outstanding and I feel that I have really grown up here.’ Risk-taking behaviour such as going missing from care are openly addressed in key work sessions. Staff attend the local Serious Youth Violence Panel to share information and build relationships with other professionals such as the local police.

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Good

Transitional arrangements are successful. A social worker commented: ‘They turned his life around; his needs were extremely well met.’ During this inspection there were several ex-residents who visited the home to socialise with staff.

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Good

Keyworkers consistently advocate on behalf of young people for example, seeking to press for appropriate specialist assessments. They are consistently present at all relevant professionals meetings.

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Good

Health care and healthy eating is prioritised. There are monthly visits from the looked after children nurse.

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Good

Young people make progress with specialist therapeutic services. Keyworkers promote the importance of therapy and reward young people’s attendance. This enables young people to receive the specialist help they need and make progress. Young people are proud to live in the home. They are encouraged to invite friends and family to the home for activities. Keyworkers mediate successfully with parents and friends. This helps to promote safe contact with families and meaningful relationships.

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Good

Staff are committed to developing their skills. They attend regular training to keep up with key issues such as child sexual exploitation. They work well as a team and prioritise children’s needs. Staff are knowledgeable of the home’s policies and procedures and implement them confidently and with consistency.

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Good

There are comprehensive behaviour and crisis management plans that are clear and well documented. These offer clarity and minimise dispute.

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Good

One young person is not presently in education or training. Proactive efforts have been made to access an appropriate course in full consultation with the virtual school.

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Good

Young people feel valued and prioritised,. One says, ‘My keyworker is always looking out for me and has got my back.’ Staff consistently push for professional’s meetings as means of avoiding delay in care planning and frustration for young people. Young people are kept consistently informed of all relevant information regarding their care.

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Good

The acting manager is appropriately qualified. She has completed an level 5 course in systemic family practice and staff are completing a module of Focus on Practice. The development of work on parental engagement and mediation will be outlined in a revised Statement of Purpose. The importance of detailed case recordings has been prioritised.

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Good

Young people understand why they are looked after and engage well with planned key work sessions. They are aware of the complaints procedure and managers respond appropriately to their complaints.

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Good

Friends and family are encouraged to visit the home to promote better relationships and address any concerns that parents may have. Keyworkers work in regular liaison with families and recently prepared a young person for a weekend away with her family.

p.7

Good

Young people occasionally go missing. They are encouraged to remain in contact with staff by mobile phone, consequently reducing reports to the police. Information with regards to the frequency and pattern of missing behaviour is not presently being collated and analysed appropriately. A new computer system is due to be implemented in July to remedy this.

p.8

Good

The usage of sanctions is minimal and restraint is not used. Staff set boundaries by communicating well with young people, allowing them to talk through what has happened and consider if things could have been handled differently. Young people are actively consulted throughout this process. Young people’s achievements are celebrated by rewards and extra privileges.

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Good

There is a strong staff team dynamic. Presently there are three staff on sick leave, but the team has ‘pulled together’ to minimise disruption and ensure young people’s welfare.

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Good

Information sharing is encouraged. One social worker referred to the ‘excellent flow of information and holistic package of care’. There is a link child protection advisor within the local authority; staff receive regular training from her and case discussion on issues such as child sexual exploitation to support their work in promoting young people safety.

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Good

Management and staff work liaise with the virtual school and education providers, monitoring young people’s attendance and punctuality. Education attendance is encouraged.

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Good

The Registered Manager left in February 2015. At present two long-standing staff members are acting as managers with a locum due to be in position by the 29 June. Senior managers continue to maintain a consistent presence in the home during this time. Young people have been informed of the changes in structure and any anxieties minimised.

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Good

Visits by an independent person have been carried out on a monthly basis; their reports indicate robust and appropriate challenge to managers who have a clear understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the service. Record keeping has improved with management oversight.

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Good

Supervision is regular and well documented. It is described by staff as being ‘reflective and probing’. Appraisals encourage training opportunities and ensure staff retention.

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Good

Staffing levels are sufficient. Managers are attempting to fill two vacancies by recruiting staff who reflect the ethnicity of the young people. Usage of agency staff is limited and only after a programme of induction and supervision so that young people experience consistency in those caring for them.

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Good

Managers actively monitor admissions to the unit. At present the unit is at 40% occupancy due to young people’s high needs. All admissions are well-planned and conducted with the full agreement of the staff team.

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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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