Children's Home run by Amegreen Children’s Services in West Berkshire

Unique reference number SC473329 Inspector James Harmon Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Registered manager Mr Laurence Baker Date of last inspection 05/11/2014 2 of 8 Inspection date 09 – 10/03/2015

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Previous inspection sustained effectiveness Enforcement action since last inspection None

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Overall effectiveness good

Outcomes for children and young people good Quality of care good Keeping children and young people safe outstanding Leadership and management good

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Overall effectiveness

Young people experience a calm, stable, environment consisting of daily routines that address all aspect of their lives physically and emotionally. A careful selection process ensures that young people are admitted based upon their ability to have a positive impact on the home and their ability to form appropriate relationships with significant others, staff and other young people. This practice has proved effective as young people in the home are safe, settled, and achieving good quality outcomes under the guidance of staff who have developed open and honest relationships with young people.

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Overall effectiveness

The home functions to a high level due to the monitoring and forward thinking of the leadership and management team with a progress, development plan for the service giving consideration to the new children home regulations.

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Overall effectiveness

A consistent staff team is now in place and young people have continuity in their care as they are taught skills to prepare them for independence. Relationships with young people were observed to be engaging and thoughtful, a parent said that their child’s positive relationship with staff has improved their own relationship with the young person. 3 of 8

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Information about this children’s home

This home is one of a small group run by an independent provider. This home offers care for up to seven young people assessed to have emotional or behavioural difficulties, moderate learning difficulties or autistic spectrum disorders.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

05/11/2014 Interim sustained effectiveness 15/01/2014 Full good

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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 Regulations 2001 and the National Minimum Standards. The registered person(s) must comply with the given timescales.

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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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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people in the home develop a positive self-awareness and confidence that allows them to cope with their past, present and future plans. Young people obtain a level of emotional resilience that has assisted them in their ability to form and sustain attachments with staff and significant others while making substantial progress. A parent said her child, ‘has experienced the most settling period of their life while residing in the home.’

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people experience a healthy lifestyle and develop awareness into their individual health needs through routinely attending appointments that address their physical and emotional needs. Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services are made accessible for young people without delay resulting in improved emotional awareness for young people.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people that are newly admitted to the home and have behavioural needs are selected according to their ability to match with the other young people in the home. Detailed planning allows young people to settle quickly in the home and establish relationships with the other young people and staff.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people attend school and engage in their studies on a regular basis without having to be prompted, resulting in overall good academic progress. Some young people are scheduled to take their GSCE’s and making plans to transition to college.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Chores around the home are completed by young people, demonstrating a willingness to contribute positively to the functioning of the home and ensuring the atmosphere continues to be well maintained.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Contact arrangements with family, friends and significant others occur on a consistent basis, therefore young people benefit from spending time with those individuals that are important to them. A social worker said, ‘contact has strengthened his relationship with his family and improved the support they provide.’

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people are obtaining the necessary skills to move towards independence. In addition to cleaning bedrooms, washing laundry and completing daily hygiene, the majority of young people travel to school and use public transportation without staff. This leads young people to develop self confidence in meeting their own needs in future years. A young person had just completed a travelling independent programme with the local authority and was looking forward to his first day traveling 5 of 8 independently, the same young person successfully prepared an evening meal including a pudding from a recipe supplied by staff during the inspection.

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Quality of care good

All young people were observed to have good relationships with staff and behave appropriately. Staff engagement with young people has developed a culture in the home where there are very few behavioural issues. Staff respect the young people while offering guidance and boundaries that have yielded consistently positive interactions with young people. This approach has created a culture that has seen no behavioural difficulties and physical interventions in over 10 months. A good example of this involves, a young person that previously had a history of physical interventions prior to being admitted to the home and not had one physical intervention since moving here

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Quality of care good

A small number of sanctions have been given to young people; the staff approach is provide a sanction but place the responsibility on young people and offer a natural consequence. For example, if a young person eats another young person’s food they must pay the cost to replace it. Young people have responded well to this approach and said they agreed with the sanctions given in the home.

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Quality of care good

Young people views are actively involved in their day-to-day routines. The views of young people are gleaned informally during routine interactions with staff and formally at weekly house meetings. Young people felt their views were listened to by staff and often acted upon. Young people had a good understanding of when their wishes and views went against their best interest and understood the reasons if they did not get there way.

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Quality of care good

The individualised placement plans of the young people are completed with a large amount of staff input and detail the young person’s journey through care. The young person’s records are kept up to date and care plans are followed in collaboration with the placing authority, resulting in the setting of achievable goals for young people to accomplish.

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Quality of care good

The educational needs of the young people are supported and encouraged by staff that routinely engage with education professionals. A professional in education described their relationship with the staff as excellent. Proactive communication by staff has been reported as positive by education professionals. 6 of 8 Staff continuously work with young people and promote their relationships with significant others, resulting in positive outcomes for them. Some young people have successfully established relationships within the community and are invited by their friends parents to visit (with appropriate risk assessment by staff).

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Quality of care good

A wide range of activities are available to young people to build, confidence, social skills and peer relations such as go karting, paintballing and trips to the cinema.

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Keeping children and young people safe outstanding

The safeguarding of young people is exceptional. Young people said, ‘they feel safe inside and outside of home.’ The behaviour of young people continues to be managed effectively by staff resulting in young people displaying no challenging behaviour or undertaking any behaviour that may place them in harm’s way.

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Keeping children and young people safe outstanding

Young people do not go missing from the home. In the event that a young person goes missing, there is a missing person policy in place for staff to follow along with an individual missing person policy assessing the risk to each individual and detailing the steps to be taken. There were no issues of safeguarding reported to the local authority involving young people since the previous inspection.

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Keeping children and young people safe outstanding

Managers have completed safer recruitment training and have recently appointed new staff under the guidance of this training, therefore staff hired to work with young people are safe and suitable. All risk assessments pertaining to young people are up to date and informative.

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Keeping children and young people safe outstanding

The environment of the home has an up to date risk assessment detailing the physical safety for young people while taking into account the neighbouring community and any risk it may pose for young people.

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Leadership and management good

The registered manager has a wealth of experience working with children and young people and has been consistently in post for two years. The registered manager effectively manages the home by providing stable leadership, and role modelling of good practice while being aware of the individual needs of the young people and staff. 7 of 8 A proactive management style as led to no complaints being made by young people, professionals or staff; therefore the focus remains on caring for young people without distraction. Records are kept locked and stored safely, allowing the records to remain confidential but accessible for staff to document the progress and experience of the young people.

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Leadership and management good

There was one statutory requirement from the last inspection which has been met and ensures that the staff evidence that young people, their parents and placing authorities are consulted in regards to the care of young people.

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Leadership and management good

The recruitment process allows leaders and managers to select to best possible candidates to work with young people. New staff are monitored closely and provided training and timely feedback which ensures successful engagement with young people.

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Leadership and management good

Staff training is up to date, specifically in key areas such as safeguarding, health and safety and first aid. Staff complete training on a regular basis and are informed of changes in practice as they occur. Evidence of staff training is documented accordingly and it was observed that on the final day of the inspection safeguarding training was rolled out for staff across the company.

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Leadership and management good

Supervision of staff is provided at least once per month. Staff are provided with regular informal supervision, due to registered manager being a consistent presence in the home and working alongside staff. The appraisal process for staff is being reviewed by management to ensure it is prompt and meaningful for all staff.

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Leadership and management good

Leadership and management are aware of the strength and weakness of the home and able to identify reasonable plans of improvement to the service without having a negative impact on young people.

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Leadership and management good

Young people benefit from the monitoring of the home being of very good quality while providing an overall view of young people’s progress. The independent visitor is consistent and has established relationships with the young people. Conversations with leaders and managers by the independent visitor have contributed to effective critique of the services effectiveness. Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Leadership and management good

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Judgement Description

Outstanding A service of exceptional quality that significantly exceeds minimum requirements.

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Judgement Description

Good A service of high quality that exceeds minimum requirements.

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Judgement Description

Adequate A service that only meets minimum requirements.

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Judgement Description

Inadequate A service that does not meet minimum requirements.

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this inspection is to assure children and young people, parents, the public, local authorities and government of the quality and standard of the service provided. The 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 relevant regulations and meets the national minimum standards.

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Information about this inspection

The report details the main strengths, any areas for improvement, including any breaches of regulation, and any failure to meet national minimum standards. The judgements included in the report are made against the framework of inspection for children's homes.

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