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

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:

 Staff manage risk well and work with young people on how to manage difficult emotions more effectively.  Incidents of young people going missing from home have significantly reduced.  All young people engage in full time education.  Young people are consulted on a regular basis through formal meetings and during key working sessions. Their views are listened to and acted upon.  Young people have positive relationships with staff and each other and feel valued and cared for.  The home works well in partnership with other agencies to support young people.  Staff support young people to maintain contact with their families and carers.  The driveway leading to the home is in a poor state of repair.

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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 (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.

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the protection of children standard the registered person must ensure that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe:-

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Requirement Due date

(2)(d) that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. This is in relation to the home’s driveway. 30/11/2015

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Information about this children's home

The home is registered to provide care for six young people, of either gender, with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home is owned by a private company.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

04/02/2015 CH - Interim Improved effectiveness

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good

Young people make good progress overall from their starting points. This is due to the positive relationships with staff and the individualised care they receive. One social worker reports, ‘she’s come on so much since being there, the staff have been great with her’. Placement, care and behaviour plans are tailored to individual young people. There is evidence to show that plans are reviewed and updated to keep them current. Young people input into their own plans, which allows them to have a greater understanding of the strategies in place for them. The placement plan links well with key worker sessions and other areas of additional support. This helps young people build up emotional resilience and self- esteem. This is developed and supported by the organisations therapists. Young people's health needs are very well met. When a young person is admitted, the staff ensure that they are registered with the local health professionals and all

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good

health needs are actively pursued. Staff encourage young people to eat healthy foods and snacks. Young people take part in activities that include swimming, walking and rock climbing. This means that young people are receiving exercise that contributes positively to their health. There is an educational unit attached to the home, apart from one young person who is educated off site all of the young people currently attend. Good handovers between education and care staff exist, which help to secure a consistent approach to supporting young people’s overall educational progress. Young people views and opinions are actively sought both in the delivery of the care provided and influencing the running of the home. This is secured in both weekly house meetings and key worker sessions. One young person reports ‘we get listened to at the meetings, staff always ask do we have any complaints or grumbles or is there anything we would like to change’.

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good

The home supports contact with families and supervises contact where necessary to ensure it is a positive experience for young people. Staff work with parents and have good lines of communication with them to provide regular updates. Staff facilitate phone calls for young people who live far from home to allow young people communication with their families outside of contact. All young people living in the home have independence plans that they adhere to on a weekly basis. The plans include preparing a meal for all the other young people, budgeting, personal hygiene and doing their own laundry.

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Outstanding

Young people are safe as a consequence of staff having an excellent understanding of their risks and vulnerabilities. Previous behaviours that pose a risk to their welfare reduce. One young person reports ‘this is the only care home I have been in that can keep me safe’. Young people are kept safe through robust risk assessments, clear safeguarding procedures and regular appropriate training. Where young people are known to place themselves at risk in the community, staff retain in consultation with the police, items of clothing that may be required at a later stage for evidential purposes. Staff work highly effectively with other agencies to ensure any potential risks are harm are quickly addressed. The local police officers regularly visit the home and offer support and guidance to the young people and staff. The manager understands the importance of matching of young people’s needs. The young people currently resident in the home get on well together. Impact risk

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Outstanding

assessments are fully completed and acknowledge the needs of the existing group of young people. The home monitors internet use by young people to ensure that access to inappropriate sites is not taking place. Staff undertake e-safety work with young people to help them to understand the risks involved. This is to reduce the risk posed to young people by outside influences and provides further safeguards for them. All young people have a missing from home plan outlining individual risks, and strategies to manage them. As a result, young people going missing from the home reduces which in turn has had a positive impact on their safety and well- being. If young people do go missing, on their return they are offered a safe and well interview. This gives them the opportunity to speak to an independent person. Creative behaviour management strategies help young people to identify their own triggers, and work out strategies to help them through difficulties periods. A social

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Outstanding

worker reports ‘this is the best placement she has had, they have never given up on her’. The use of physical interventions are minimal and only ever used as a last resort to safeguard a young person or others. As a result, there has been a significant reduction in the challenging behaviour displayed. Young people are consulted following an incident of restraint to ensure they understand the reason why it was used and to explore alternative strategies for dealing with similar situations in the future. Young people live in a physically safe environment that is generally well maintained and kept safe through routine servicing of equipment and robust risk assessments. Staff are trained in fire safety procedures and they ensure that young people take part in fire evacuation drills so they understand how to leave the home safely in an emergency. Young people are very aware of their rights to complain. They are clear about the

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Outstanding

home’s complaints procedures and the avenues of support open to them. Young people have independent advocates which allows them to speak to someone confidentially outside of the home or they can raise complaints at the house meeting. The organisation has effective systems and processes for the recruitment and vetting of staff. This ensures that all staff are suitable to work with young people and they are kept safe from harm. Visitors to the home are required to show proof of identity and sign in before access is granted. This ensures that unsuitable adults do not have access to vulnerable young people.

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good

The home has an appropriately qualified registered manager. The manager has been in post since August 2013 and holds a National Vocational Qualification in leadership health and social care level 4. The registered manager has high standards and a commitment to making continued improvements to the service. The ethos of the home is young people and their welfare. Staff state that they receive regular supervision and are appraised annually. Reflective practice also aids improvement and is now included on the staff meeting agenda. The statement of purpose has recently been reviewed. It provides clear information about the level of service provided plus clear information for stakeholders about the aims and objectives and facilities offered. This means that children are suitably placed. Monitoring visits from someone independent of the home take place every month. The person undertaking these visits consults with young people, parents and other

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good

professionals to capture their views to contribute to the report. These visits help to ensure that care practice in the home is rigorously maintained. The home has a working development plan that is regularly reviewed to drive forward improvements to the home. This demonstrates that the manager has the vision to bring about improvement. The home works effectively with external professionals. A social worker reports, ‘communication is great I get weekly updates and regular phone calls’. As a result of this, all agencies working with the young person receive up to date information and ensures that there is a consistent approach. The home is a large detached farmhouse in a rural area. Young people have access to substantial grounds with its own gardens that can be utilised for outdoor play. The home’s driveway is poorly maintained with potholes that make travel to and from the property difficult. Overall, the home is well maintained and provides

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good

young people with a safe and secure environment. There were no requirements or recommendations at the last inspection

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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

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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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