Children's Home run by Friends Therapeutic Community Trust in Cambridgeshire

Outstanding

The children's home provides highly effective services that consistently exceeds the standards of good. The actions of the home contribute to significantly improved outcomes for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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The children's home provision is outstanding because:

 This home delivers exceptional care to young people with severe complex needs. Staff and managers demonstrate passion and commitment to the home’s ethos of therapeutic care.  Young people are safe and secure in this home. Staff and managers place young people at the centre of their practice. Young people build life skills and self-confidence, which support them to manage independent life.  Detailed and comprehensive risk assessments underpin care plans. Young people’s progress is monitored across therapeutic, educational and behavioural targets and risk is regularly reviewed and updated.  Staff work intensively as a team to provide integrated care that is personal to individual needs. Young people feel secure and settled and this is reflected in exceptional progress in managing their emotions.  Incidents of negative behaviour have significantly reduced as young people are better able to reflect on their responses.

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The children's home provision is outstanding because:

 Therapeutic input is integrated into the holistic approach that the home offers to support young people. As a result, young people make immense progress in developing emotional intelligence and a sense of responsibility for their own behaviour.  Young people have confidence in individual members of staff who know them well and who provide a model of positive parenting for them. Staff are ambitious for them and highly supportive in enabling young people to overcome emotional obstacles to meet personal goals.  Imaginative and creative initiatives are designed to help young people learn without pressure. Young people have gained invaluable experiences through participating in work related experience, holidays and special projects in liaison with voluntary organisations.  Young people’s views are considered at every stage. Conversations are frequently challenging but also reflect respect for young people’s views.

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The children's home provision is outstanding because:

Young people participate fully and positively as their confidence and self- esteem improve.

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Information about this children's home

The service is run by a charitable community trust and provides a therapeutic programme and treatment for up to 17 young men with emotional and behavioural difficulties and/or learning disabilities. The service caters for a specific range of needs and ages as detailed in the Statement of Purpose. There is a semi- independent bungalow on the premises. The wide range of facilities includes on-site education and vocational workshops to support accredited work-based learning courses. The community is now jointly registered with the CQC in view of the fact that they work with young people over the age of 18 years old.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

10/03/2015 CH - Interim Improved effectiveness

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Outstanding

Young people make progress because they learn to trust staff who know them well and care about them. One member of staff said: ‘We make progress through relationships. This isn’t always easy as young people are very damaged and there is a lot of transference.’ Grievances and complaints are discussed in the open forum of community meetings, where young people learn to resolve issues confidently. As a result, they have developed confidence in their ability to represent themselves well.

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Outstanding

A particularly impressive example has been the development of a social enterprise initiative. Staff from across the community worked with young people to set up a small business in the grounds to restore furniture. As part of this, a group of young people approached the charity trustees for a small grant. They planned the approach themselves, attended the meeting formally dressed in suits and successfully argued for the grant. A local voluntary organisation agreed to supply the basic materials and then sold the restored pieces on behalf of the community with outstanding success. This is an example of exceptional success and joint working.

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Outstanding

Education is an integrated part of the young people’s timetable. All young people have their individual timetables that focus on therapeutic needs but also include classroom-based lessons including academic subjects, distance based learning and work experience. The education provision is now accredited with the British Accreditation Council. Staff are ambitious for young people and do not accept that they should feel limited because of difficulties in the past. For instance, the social worker for one young person who had not achieved the GCSE grades that he had wanted said: ‘He is ambitious and I was impressed that staff were not trying to tell him that the results were good enough. We all want more from him.’

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Outstanding

Staff have individual skills and utilise them with young people in practical subjects such as mechanics, gardening and construction. Young people have been able to gain the work experience they have needed towards vocational qualifications. As a result, young people learn to take their work seriously and can plan for the future. This enhances their self-esteem.

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Outstanding

Staff and managers appreciate the importance of maintaining contact between young people and their families. However, this does need to be balanced with the young person’s therapeutic needs and the objectives of the placement. All arrangements are agreed with the placing authority. As a result, individual emotional welfare is safeguarded.

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Outstanding

Young people have to have hope and confidence when thinking about the future. Senior managers and charity trustees have recently agreed to extend the outreach service for young people who leave the community to 18 months. There is a bungalow in the grounds, which offers the opportunity for semi-independent living. In addition, as part of their preparation for leaving, staff take a group of young people to a local town where they live directly in the community for a week, budgeting, shopping and cooking, arranging activities and gaining experience in how to manage their day-to-day lives.

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Outstanding

Staff have been purposeful and creative in ensuring that young people have access to consistent and immediate support when they leave the community. For instance, they establish links with appropriate voluntary organisations that can work alongside young people on a frequent basis. Consequently, young people who leave the community have confidence that they will manage the initial stages of independence.

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Outstanding

Young people feel safe here because they belong to a community where they have been able to form relationships and express difficult and conflicting emotions openly. Staff know their needs and vulnerabilities well and are confident and purposeful in encouraging them to deal with any concerns or complaints frankly. This leads to young people feeling valued and confident. The mother of one young person said: ‘He feels safe and supported. He is acting as though a burden has been lifted.’

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Outstanding

Staff and managers acknowledge that young people may present with very complex and challenging behaviours. They are committed to ensuring that young people have a successful placement but balance the needs of any proposed new referral with the profile of the existing group. Consequently, they devote considerable time and resources to reviewing background history and professional assessments. Young people are always visited in advance by senior staff who discuss the placement with them and ascertain their views. If this is successful, they are offered a five-week assessment period when they work with clinical and care staff and are matched up with a young person who acts as a mentor. This highly integrated and comprehensive approach improves their chances of being able to settle. The social worker for one young person said: ‘He knew what to expect. Everyone knows about each other so there are no secrets and no labels.

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Outstanding

He was ready.’ Staff and young people work within the ‘four cornerstones’ approach which provides straightforward guidelines: decisions are made by consensus in community meetings; young people learn therapeutically through living together; staff and young people need to be able to work together in a positive way and young people need to remain connected with the outside world. This provides a clear framework for staff and managers to use in promoting positive behaviour with young people.

p.6

Outstanding

Young people make progress because they commit to a rigorous programme of therapy, education and work experience balanced with social and leisure activities. All staff and young people are expected to attend community meetings at regular times during the day when all aspects of community life are reviewed. Subjects covered range from basic household routines, checking lesson or activity plans to making special requests such as wanting a pet.

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Outstanding

However, the chief objective of these meetings is to provide an opportunity to reflect on their actions. One member of staff said: ‘They make progress because they know they can’t get away with poor behaviour. Any incident is examined in detail immediately so this keeps them under review. If they make progress, this is celebrated in the same forum so this does wonders for their self-esteem.’ This rigorous approach to behaviour management requires dedication from both staff and young people but has proved strikingly positive and successful. For instance, there have been very few incidents requiring restraints. Community meetings are chaired by young people who apply for the role. Young people are empathetic and supportive of one another. As a result, the voice of every young person is heard and respected.

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Outstanding

Managerial oversight is exceptional. Staff are aware of the need for constant vigilance and levels of supervision for individual young people are regularly reviewed for accuracy and effectiveness. Young people can apply for increased levels of independence but these requests are scrutinised by senior managers who review recorded behaviour and any significant incidents before reaching a decision. All activities are subject to a risk assessment, including social events such as bonfire night celebrations and the Christmas programme. Staff are energetic and purposeful and want young people to have experiences such as an annual holiday. Staff undertake specialist training for any activity, check details to ensure maximum levels of safety are in place and ensure that they can match detailed risk assessments with management strategies for individual young people.

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Outstanding

The independent reviewing officer for one young person wrote to them after a statutory review: ‘It was good to hear that you are doing really well, managing your education and your expectations for the future. While it has been challenging for you, we were able to hear that you are becoming more mature and able to express your views more clearly.’ Given the starting point for many young people, this is indication of exceptional progress. Judgement grade

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Outstanding

Leaders and managers demonstrate effectiveness and passion in working with young people. The community operates in the context of a charitable trust whose values, in particular the provision of specialist accommodation for children in need, lie at the heart of their approach. There is a sustained commitment to learning from research and using this to develop the service. For instance a 10 year research programme of services run by the charity has recently concluded that ‘positive change has followed the majority of respondents who have followed the therapeutic programme. Thus it would appear that investment in placements is well worth making.’

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Outstanding

The development plan for the community outlines the strategic goals for next year including education, integrating primary care and therapeutic activity and maintaining a stable organisation. This rigorous approach to maintaining a strategic overview safeguards the future of the community and provides young people with secure care.

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Outstanding

Staff and managers use feedback from a number of sources to monitor the progress of young people. During the initial assessment period, detailed risk assessments are completed alongside management strategies. An individual treatment plan is devised to outline goals including therapeutic treatment, education and family contact. This is reviewed every three months fitting in with the statutory review every 6 months. In addition, staff discuss all young people on a rolling programme of two weekly meetings; these are followed by individual meetings including the young people themselves. This strong emphasis on teamwork and intense scrutiny of the progress of individual young people emphasises that nothing is left to chance. Young people benefit from sustained attention to their needs and vulnerabilities.

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Outstanding

Staff and managers understand the importance of building up strong relationships with other professionals involved with a young person so that everyone has a role and a contribution to make. Some young people are placed at some distance from their local authorities so there is an emphasis on maintaining contact by phone and direct visits. Professionals are made welcome, attend meetings with staff, join the community for meals and have extended contact with their young people. The social worker for one young person was able to visit with a member of the family and noted how much progress that he had made in a short time: ‘He can still be challenging when angry but is able to manage this better now because he feels that he has support. He has told me staff care for him.’

p.8

Outstanding

Senior managers are also aware of the importance of developing relationships in the community and staff have approached this with drive and imagination. Typical examples are taking on the upkeep of the neighbouring church grounds in agreement with the local parish council and attending local neighbourhood watch meetings. The community also holds an annual bonfire celebration that was attended by over 600 people last year. A local dramatic theatre group attended for a week’s residential course and created an event with the young people.

p.8

Outstanding

Managers are aware that staff need professional support to manage the pressure of this work. They attend weekly group meetings in their specialisms. All staff receive monthly supervision and records indicate that this is full and reflective. Workers use high praise commenting on the constant drive for improvement, the ability of managers to reflect on strategies and their understanding of the impact on staff personally. One member of staff said: ‘This place is inspirational. When I felt improvements could be made in some systems, I was encouraged to go ahead. When I needed support personally, this was arranged very quickly.’ Staff receive mandatory training as part of their induction and individual training needs are discussed in supervision and as part of appraisals. Accurate records are maintained by administrative support services.

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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

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Information about this inspection

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Information about this inspection

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