Children's Home run by 3 Dimensions Care Limited in Devon

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:

 Young people are making progress in this home. Staff recognise achievements and empower young people to feel proud of themselves. The good quality care provided enables young people to develop. Significant areas of improvement have been the ability to settle to bed, improved health and hygiene, reduction in anxiety and the ability to recognise feelings and to express them appropriately to staff.  Young people invest in reward systems which in turn improves their behaviour. Reward systems are personalised to meet each young person’s needs. Staff work together to ensure a consistent approach. Young people respond well to this ethos.  Attention to detail is given when young people are new to the home. Transition plans gradually introduce young people to the new environment. Bedrooms are personalised to taste. Photographs are a common feature in this home, they are displayed everywhere and create a sense of belonging.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Records that detail incidents are exceptional and provide a clear story of the young person’s experience. De-escalation techniques are commonly used and effective. Physical intervention is rare. On the one occasion physical intervention occurred, records evidence the welfare of the young person was considered to be paramount.  Staff give young people the opportunity to widen their experiences. Young people go on holidays and take part in activities in the community such as football club, Guides and Cubs. Staff support young people to complete independent tasks such as shopping and budgeting.  Staff are clear about their responsibility to safeguard young people. The registered manager shows proficiency to manage safeguarding concerns when they arise. Excellent joint working with other agencies keeps young people safe.  The registered manager knows the strengths and weaknesses of the home well. The needs of young people are prioritised, particularly during recent

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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

6: The quality and purpose of care standard

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the quality and purpose of care standard, with particular reference to ensuring placement plans are reviewed to reflect the current needs of young people and that impact risk assessments consider all young people in the home, the registered provider must ensure that staff

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Requirement Due date

(6)(2)(b) (ii) protect and promote each child's welfare (iv) provide personalised care that meets each child's needs, as recorded in the child's relevant plans, taking account of the child's background 25/11/2015

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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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Recommendations

 ensure a review is undertaken into the use of plastic cups, plastic mirrors and the occasional locking of doors (Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations including the quality standards, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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Information about this children's home

The service is run by an established provider. The home is registered to provide medium to long term care and accommodation for up to four young people who may have emotional and behavioural and/or/learning disabilities. The home is managed as two separate self-contained flats within one house. The registered provider bases its practices on the integration of home, education and therapeutic services working together to meet the needs of the child. Young people living in the home can also attend a school run by the provider and have access to in-house therapeutic support.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

18/03/2015 CH - Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

11/09/2013 CH - Interim Satisfactory Progress

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Good

Young people make great strides in terms of their progress. Staff measure progress the young people make in many ways. The registered manager says ‘it is not always the achievement of the task we focus on but the fact that young people can recognise feelings such as; ‘I am proud’’. One young person has started to display their emotions, which is a huge achievement, another has started to give hugs and one young person now settles well in their bed and has a good night’s sleep. The young people are starting to have a healthier lifestyle, both emotionally and physically. A number of the young people are new to this home, their progress is directly linked to them feeling settled in their new environment. One-to-one chats with their carers help identify their worries or areas they want to move forward in. One young person now goes to Cubs on their own. A social worker said ‘she has started to talk about her feelings, this is a big step for her, I think it shows she is making

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Good

progress’. Staff encourage young people to make the most of the location in which they live. Visits to the beach or park are a regular occurrence. Recently they all went on holiday which was a first for one young person who told the registered manager ‘I am so excited I am literally bouncing off the ceiling’. Photographs are displayed around the home of young people having fun. It is a lovely feature of the home and makes it a welcoming and personal environment. Young people move into the home successfully. Initial visits, introductions to other young people and staff, and a ‘young people’s guide’ all contribute to transitions being a success. At house meetings, young people are asked how they wish to personalise their bedroom. One young person requested a princess net and this is now hanging above her bed. Young people have their own carers dedicated to them, which promotes consistency and positive relationships. The registered manager identifies this has

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Good

been a challenge with some staff moving on. Despite this, positive relationships were observed between young people and staff. Staff know young people well and are getting to know their personalities. A grandparent said ‘He talks about all the staff and people there, I know he is happy’. Young people have good access to local practitioners to meet their basic health needs. A clinical psychologist is also available to support the young people emotionally if they have an identified need. Staff take good consideration of information from psychological assessments to ensure they are providing care in a therapeutic manner. Staff follow these care plans well and do not commence intensive support until young people are ready to take part. Staff are excellent at promoting education to young people. All the young people are in school or college. Staff support one young person to continue at the same school where she has established relationships, rather than moving to a more local

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Good

school. One young person now has friends at school and this is an achievement for them. Placement plans are comprehensive and describe each young person well, particularly when they first arrive. Usually an update takes place to reflect a young person’s progress. However, one placement plan viewed failed to do this. It failed to identify progress with social friendships, attendance that now occurs at a local club and change in school.

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Good

Young people have individual risk assessments in place to keep them safe. Risk assessments are proportionate to the age of young people. The registered manager has gathered information from a wealth of professionals to compile a thorough assessment. An update occurs when new information presents itself. One assessment details the progress a young person is making in reducing self-harm; another had additional information following an occasion when a young person attempted to run across a road.

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Good

Behaviour management strategies are a strength of this home. A focus on positive reinforcement of acceptable behaviour has good results. Young people are clear about the goals they are working towards and this acts as a deterrent for inappropriate behaviour. Sanctions are not used and are not part of the ethos of the home. When young people struggle to manage their behaviour in a positive way, staff listen to them and give them choice. Incidents do occur and staff use de-escalation and disengagement techniques effectively to calm the situation.

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Good

Rewards are varied and always mean something to the young person. Young people are involved in setting what the rewards will be and this helps them to achieve them. Staff are excellent in consulting with young people. Some young people have helped to write their behaviour management plan and review it if an incident has occurred. This provides staff with the information of how young people wish to be responded to if they get angry. Physical intervention has occurred once in the home. Behaviour management records detailing this are explicit and provide evidence of good practice. Staff supported the young person and chatted with them once they were ready. The young person had the opportunity to discuss the incident with an independent agency. Due to the registered manager’s involvement in the incident, the responsible individual monitored the records and conducted the staff debrief. This practice shows good leadership and management.

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Good

Young people do not go missing anymore and this is an improvement. Despite this, each young person has a ‘missing protocol’ that is shared with the local police. Young people know risks associated to the internet and social media. Staff educate them well in relation to this. As a result, one young person has been able to raise concerns that did not directly impact on her or the home. This shows the young people know about risks and how to keep safe.

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Good

Some young people said ‘I hate it here, it’s one down from being in secure’. These comments were explored as part of the inspection and no evidence was found to authenticate these views. The registered manager plans to consult with young people about their feelings and concerns.

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Good

An Independent Reviewing Officer said of the staff ‘they are quick to report and quick to refer to the Local Area Designated Officer if required’. The registered manager ensures young people are safe and follows the Safeguarding Procedure well. One parent told the registered manager ‘I am happy she is there, I know she is safe’.

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Good

The registered manager completes impact risk assessment to consider the needs of young people when matching them together. These assessments consider the matching of two young people to the same flat. However, it fails to consider the mix of all four young people. This is an oversight that the registered manager plans to rectify.

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Good

The registered manager is suitably qualified and has a wealth of experience that she brings to run this home efficiently. The registered manager enjoys spending time with young people. Most recently, by stepping in to ensure sufficient staffing, her relationships with the young people have strengthened. An independent reviewing officer said ‘the manager is excellent. She has kept the stability and continuity for young people’. The staffing structure has experienced some instability of late. A number of staff have left since the last inspection. The registered manager acknowledges staff have left that had developed positive relationships with young people. The established staff team pulled together to provide some consistency for young people. Recent appointments have been made which is set to replenish and develop the staff team.

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Good

Recruitment of staff in done is a safe manner which aims to protect vulnerable young people. Staff receive an induction that provides them with skills to work with the young people living in the home. Supervision of staff is effective and focusses on the progress the young people make. Staff self-evaluation skills are developed and so staff can clearly identify their individual training needs. One member of staff highlighted a need for additional autism training which the registered manager is sourcing.

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Good

Staff describe the ethos of the home to be ‘nurturing’ and ‘providing a therapeutic environment that makes young people feel safe and secure’. The statement of purpose clearly defines this as its aim. Specialist training and support from a clinical psychologist enables young people to receive care based on the objectives in the statement of purpose.

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Good

The registered manager is passionate about the care she provides young people. In particular, their emotional well-being and encouraging young people to identify feelings. This is significant to the young people who live here who may have experienced huge trauma previously in their lives.

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Good

The registered manager identifies the homes shortfalls but these are not always identified in the development plan or monitoring tools. Nevertheless, her knowledge of the service the home provides is unquestionable. The registered manager has prioritised the need to settle young people into the home. The number of staff vacancies filled recently will enable her to drive the home forward. One key area the registered manager identifies is clearly recording evidence of outcomes for young people.

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Good

During the inspection some young people raised some concerns about the environment in which they live. Complaints about only having plastic cups, that mirrors have been replaced with plastic ones and also, on occasion, doors have been locked for no apparent reason. A recommendation from this inspection is for the registered manager to review these decisions.

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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

The inspector has looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people living in the children's home. She considered the quality of work and the difference adults make to the lives of children and young people. She 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, she talked to children, young people and their families. In addition the inspector has 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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