Children's Home run by The Partnership of Care Today in Staffordshire

Inspection date 02/09/2015

Previous inspection judgement Sustained effectiveness

p.2

Good

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

p.2

The children's home provision is good because:

 Young people say they feel safe and well cared for.  Placement plans and risk assessments are clear and detailed and assist staff to ensure that the welfare of young people is safeguarded.  Social workers report that staff at the home work hard with challenging young people.  Young people are consulted on the running of the home.  Young people develop good relationships with staff.  The manager and staff team is committed to ensuring young people are provided with a good standard of care.  Staff receive good support through training and regular staff meetings.  The manager and staff work in partnership with other professionals to support young people.  There is one shortfall in practice which relates to sanctions.

p.3

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.

p.4

Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):

p.4

Recommendations

The registered person must ensure that any sanctions used to address poor behaviour should be restorative in nature, to help children recognise the impact of their behaviour on themselves, other children, the staff caring for them and the wider community. In some cases it will be important for children to make reparation in some form to anyone hurt by their behaviour and the staff in the home should be skilled to support the child to understand this and carry it out. (The Guide to the Standards, page 46, 9.38)

p.4

Information about this children's home

The home provides care for up to four young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties. It provides medium to long-term residential care and is owned by a private company

p.5

Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

p.5

Recent inspection history

16/03/2015 CH - Interim Sustained effectiveness

p.5

Recent inspection history

13/03/2014 CH - Interim Satisfactory progress

p.5

good

Young people benefit from being cared for by a consistent team of staff who have a good understanding of their individual needs. A social worker reported ‘staff have tried very hard to engage with a young person who has complex needs and challenging behaviour’. Staff in the home are committed to ensuring that young people do as well as they can in all aspects of their lives. Staff value young people as individuals and speak very positively about them. This helps young people to feel confident about their relationships with staff and supports their progress. Planning documents identify individual needs, areas of risk and strategies. The plans are regularly monitored, reviewed and updated within the required timescales. Plans are linked into key work sessions with young people. This allows them input into their own plans and ensures they have an understanding of the plans and strategies in place for them.

p.6

good

Some young people’s engagement with their education provision is erratic. Staff use every opportunity to encourage young people to successfully engage in their education. Young people in the home who are over sixteen have been encouraged to attend further education or supported to find appropriate employment. Young people are in good health. The home ensures that they are registered with primary health care and specialist providers, such as doctors and dentist. Young people’s health is closely monitored and record keeping is good, enabling staff to inform medical professionals of health progress. This means that young people’s general health needs are being positively promoted. The views and opinions of young people are sought on aspects of the home, such as menu planning and activities. As well as key worker sessions young people attend weekly young people meetings. This means that they have an input on the

p.6

good

running of the home. Young people are supported by the staff team in maintaining contact with their families. The staff assist with transport and where required the supervision of contact. Staff understand the benefits of contact and build positive relationships with parents. This ensures that young people remain close to individuals outside of the home who are important to them. Young people are supported by staff to practise independence skills. This includes cooking, processing their own laundry, managing money, and keeping their bedrooms clean and tidy. Young people choose their bedroom décor which contributes to making it a more personalised space. One young person reported ‘I like my bedroom, I have designed it and chose the wallpaper’. Young people know how to complain if they wish to do so. The staff will support young people in making complaints if necessary and they are clear about their role

p.6

good

as advocate. Young people also have access to independent advocate services if they wish to speak to someone outside of the home.

p.7

good

Young people say that they feel safe. The staff team receives regular training in how to safeguard and promote children's welfare. This ensures that they are confident in the procedure to follow should any concerns arise. The organisation has a number of policies and procedures designed to safeguard young people and these receive regular review. Young people do not regularly go missing from home, but when they do, staff take effective action to minimise the risks and secure young people's safe return. This includes contacting and checking on young people’s whereabouts, so they can be returned home safely. Staff ensure young people receive a ‘return home’ interview from an independent professional. Staff use their positive relationships with young people to help them manage difficult and challenging situations. As a result, there have been no instances of physical restraint since the last inspection. Not all young people have responded

p.7

good

positively to the structure and boundaries that the home has in place to support them. Staff continue to work with these young people and other professionals to bring better outcomes for them in this area. The use of sanctions are kept to a minimum. Young people are praised for their positive behaviour and rewarded for their achievements. As a result, young people link positive behaviour to praise and reward. However, any sanctions imposed do not lead to a key work session or an appropriate piece of work. This means that there is no follow on input with the young person to guard against repeat behaviour. Young people live in a physically safe environment. Staff undertake regular health and safety checks and make sure that equipment is serviced. Staff are trained in fire safety procedures and they ensure that young people take part in fire evacuation drills so they understand what to do in the event of a fire or other

p.7

good

The home has an appropriately qualified and registered manager in place, who manages two homes. The manager has been in post since August 2012 and holds a National Vocational Qualification in leadership and management level 4. The staff team has a range of skills and experience among them. New members of staff receive good quality induction training to support them with the skills required to work with young people. Staff receive mandatory refresher training. The home has recently begun to use a reflective cycle model during team meetings. This enables staff to reflect on any incidents of significance and how they can learn from them. This means that the learning is captured from significant incidents and staff develop greater skills in their role. Young people receive support as outlined in the home’s statement of purpose. It provides clear information about the level of service provided and helps to inform

p.8

good

stakeholders about the aims, objectives and facilities offered. This helps to ensure young people are appropriately placed. Young people are protected by the organisation's robust recruitment practices. Staff are vetted and assessed as suitable before any appointment is confirmed. These procedures promote the safety of the young people by preventing unsuitable adults from working with them. Monitoring of the home is undertaken every month. An external person visits the home to monitor and report on the quality of care provided. The visitor seeks the views of young people and their parents or carers. They make recommendations where necessary and this contributes to the development of the service. The registered manager and staff team have good working relationships with external professionals, including the Police, youth offending service and social workers. This partnership approach contributes to the overall well-being of young

p.8

good

people. There was one requirement and four recommendations made at the last inspection. All requirements and recommendations have been met. This means that the independent visitor can now access all files, there is an improvement to health and safety, relevant paperwork affecting young people’s admission has been amended and the appropriate personnel files are now kept on site.

p.8

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