Children's Home run by Archways Care Limited in Worcestershire

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 are cared for by a dedicated, experienced and stable staff team, who are knowledgeable of individual young people’s needs and can identify the progress they have made.  Care planning is clear and robust, giving detailed information about the young people and their lives at the home.

p.3

The children's home provision is good because:

 Young people have made developments while being at the home. Improvements relate to decreasing negative behaviours and missing episodes, increased educational achievements and greater stability in contact between themselves and their families.  Medication has been reviewed to ensure it is the most appropriate to meet specific needs.  Staff work well with a range of professionals, including the Police, social workers, education and counsellors. Staff are prepared for meetings and reports completed for these are child centred.  Safeguarding concerns are responded to promptly and good links are in place with child protection agencies.  Staff are well supported, receiving regular supervision and appraisal that targets weaknesses and helps to support their development.  Areas of development have been identified. These relate to clarification of young people’s free time, updating of the shower room and a need for

p.3

Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):  ensure young people are supported to express themselves as individuals and should be given an appropriate degree of freedom and choice in relation to day to day arrangements for their care (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 17, paragraph 3.21)  ensure staff provide a nurturing and welcoming environment. This specifically relates to the upgrading of the shower room. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 15, paragraph 3.7)  ensure monitoring equipment should has a written policy describing how this will support the safeguarding and well-being of those living and working in the home in accordance with regulation 24. Homes must gain consent to any monitoring or surveillance by the placing authority in writing at the time of placement. This specifically refers to bedroom doors where assessments need individualisation.

p.4

Recommendations

(The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 16, paragraph 3.16)

p.4

Information about this children's home

The home is one of four children’s home within a privately run organisation. The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to four young people. The home’s Statement of Purpose indicates that the general age range will be between 12 and 17 years of age.

p.5

Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

p.5

Recent inspection history

20/03/2015 CH - Interim Sustained effectiveness

p.5

good

Young people enjoy being at the home and develop while there. Significant improvements relate to young people’s self-confidence, educational ability and decreasing challenging behaviours. One young person stated: ‘I have learnt a lot and progressed; it’s just the right place for me.’ Relationships between young people and staff are strong. Staff are positive role models and young people talk about staff that they enjoy talking to or going out on activities with. Key work and young people’s meetings ensure they are listened to and their views responded to. Action points within key working meetings help to target specific areas for young people to develop. Activities are well organised and staff attempt to engage young people in new experiences to develop their skills and self-esteem. They were enthusiastic about a recent trip to Blackpool and the enjoyment of dog walking at a local charity. Young people are able to have time on their own when agreed by their social worker. One

p.6

good

restriction to free time has taken over two months to be examined and requires responding to by the placing authority. Young people’s contact arrangements are organised at the point of their admission to support their involvement with their families. Visits are encouraged, either at the home or with their families where appropriate. One parent stated that: ‘the staff are really good at keeping you up to date with everything that is going on and making you feel as though you are not missing out on their lives.’ Health plans are in place for all young people showing that regular dental appointments and opticians checks are completed. Healthy living is promoted through good diet and exercise. Sexual health information is available and discussed as part of key working to promote young people’s safety. Staff ensure medication reviews result in young people having medicines that are right for them and having less side effects.

p.6

good

All young people are successfully developing within their educational placements. Communication between the home and school is regular, with a head teacher stating that: ’I am always impressed by their level of support with the school, they are always very child focussed.’ Staff attend parent’s evenings and performances that young people are appearing in. Young people have successfully completed GCSE courses and are currently completing college. Staff have been diligent in making sure that young people are attending the best placement to meet their needs. The home is a pleasant environment that is comfortable and homely. Young people have been involved in choosing colours and furniture with the redecoration. The shower room is in need of updating to bring it in line with the rest of the home. All young people have advocates, so are able to talk to independent people if they have any concerns. This is positive and supports their safety. Young people are

p.6

good

aware of how to make complaints although none have been made since the last inspection. Good plans are in place to support young people moving into independence. They are involved with assessing their own skills and learning new ones. Young people are positive about moving out of the home, stating that: ‘I think I will have learned most of what I need to do well in the outside world.’

p.7

good

Young people feel safe within the home and are positive about the staff team’s ability to keep them safe. Regular health and safety checks around the home support the safety of both staff and young people. Risk assessments relate to pertinent aspects of young people’s lives at the home and show that there are decreasing risks as they become increasingly settled. However, all young people have bedroom door alarms, irrespective of the risks relating to them. An assessment of their use is necessary.

p.7

good

Staff are trained in safeguarding, including child sexual exploitation, and are fully aware of their safeguarding responsibilities, which they take very seriously. Detailed safeguarding records have a clear chronology of the actions completed. They show that the management team has good links with a range of safeguarding services and professionals, including the police.

p.7

good

Some young people do go missing. This has significantly reduced as young people settle at the home; and following multi-agency risk management meetings, strategies implemented have helped reduce these incidents. Young people are aware of the risks relating to going missing, following discussions with staff.

p.7

good

Some young people were assessed as at risk of child sexual exploitation when admitted. The home works well with organisations supporting young people with such risks. One worker stated: ‘the staff have been fantastic with understanding and responding to the level of risk and also advocating on her behalf.’

p.7

good

The young people’s positive behaviour is encouraged through an incentive system. Staff efficiently implement this system, through monitoring young people’s behaviour, providing opportunities to engage in constructive activities to help develop self-esteem, life skills and fitness. They provide young people with clear and consistent messages and approaches; have an in depth understanding of young people’s backgrounds and individual circumstances to provide the support young people require. Staff appropriately intervene when young people display challenging behaviour, such as verbal abuse, self-harm and anger. Restraints recordings are detailed, showing self-reflection by both young people and staff, in order to improve behaviour and care practice.

p.8

good

Safe recruitment procedures are in place to safeguard young people. The organisation ensures employees are appropriately vetted, showing a commitment to the safety of young people. Young people are involved in the recruitment of staff and their views of potential staff are considered.

p.8

good

The manager has been in post since February 2015 and is in the process of registration. The manager is currently working towards their level 5 diploma in leadership and management. He has shown a strong awareness of his role and is supported by an enthusiastic and diligent deputy. The manager uses a good range of monitoring systems to ensure they are aware of the staff teams’ strengths and necessary development. External monitoring is completed monthly, with developmental areas being responded to by the home where necessary.

p.8

good

The home’s workforce plan shows that the home has a good range of experienced and qualified staff. Staff are well supported in their role. They receive regular formal supervision that examines their performance and highlights their strengths. When staff practice falls short of acceptable standards, the manager immediately addresses this through performance management procedures. This means that young people’s continual development and safety is supported. Staff receive annual appraisals to examine their working practice and subsequent personal development plans give clear targets for staff to work towards. Training programmes for staff are reflective of young people’s individual needs, in addition to mandatory training requirements. As a result, staff have the skills and knowledge to support them. This further promotes their welfare and well-being.

p.8

good

The management team challenge poor decisions relating to care from external parties. Young people have subsequently been able to stay at the home, increasing their stability, while others benefit from improved educational outcomes.

p.9

good

The management of care planning is excellent. Placement plans are both pertinent and detailed, giving a clear picture of young people’s time at the home and targets for their development. Staff and young people have a strong involvement with the review process. Reports are child centred and an independent reviewing officer stated that: ‘the staff that attend reviews are always well prepared and are responsive to actions raised.’ Key workers take responsibility for the updating of files, which are easy to navigate through for both staff and young people.

p.9

good

The home meets the aims and objectives in the Statement of Purpose. Staff fully embrace the ethos of the home and view this as central to their work to provide young people with a child centred approach. Strong communication is central to the staff team and external parties. A social worker stated that; ‘staff always know what is going on and can give information about young people’s development.’

p.9

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