Children's Home run by The Beeches UK limited in Peterborough

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 keep young people safe; young people‟s lives stabilise while living in this home.  Young people enjoy positive experiences and they make sustained and significant progress in several areas of their development.  Young people enjoy positive relationships with extremely committed and caring staff.  Good quality individualised care is provided by an established and experienced staff team. They provide young people with high levels of structure, routine and consistency alongside high levels of praise and encouragement.  Managers and staff work in close partnership with placing authorities, the in-house school and other educational providers, specialist mental health services and parents. This ensures that approaches to care are consistent.  The registered manager provides good and enthusiastic leadership. She is very child focused and has high aspirations for young people. Managers and staff collectively and continuously strive to improve the quality of young

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The children's home provision is good because:

people‟s lives.  This inspection identifies some shortfalls and areas for improvement. These are in relation to supervision practice, documentary and recording shortfalls, young people not having access to all areas of the home, and in respect of improving consultation feedback to young people. These matters are not currently having an impact on the safety and well-being of young people.

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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

The registered person must ensure that children can access all appropriate areas of the children's home's premises. (Regulation 21 (b)) 23/12/2015

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4) (b)) 23/12/2015

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which include all information and documentation listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child, with particular reference to the date and circumstances of any measure of control, discipline or restraint used, copies of personal education plans prepared by the child's placing authority and the result of any review of the placing authority's plan for the care of the child. (Regulation 36 (1) (a)) 23/12/2015

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s): Ensure that children see the results of their views being listened to and acted upon, with particular reference to the minutes of young people's meetings being more child friendly and including feedback regarding young people's views and suggestions during these meetings. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 22, paragraph 4.11)

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Recommendations

Ensure that all records are kept up to date, signed, and dated by the author of each entry, with particular reference to risk assessments being updated. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 62, paragraph 14.3)

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Information about this children's home

The home is operated by a private company. It is registered to accommodate up to five young people with learning difficulties, and emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

23/03/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

24/02/2014 Interim Satisfactory Progress

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Good

Young people‟s experiences and overall progress are good. A young person said: „My whole life has changed for the better. I have stopped running, I am going to school and I have got a part time job. I do lots of activities and I never get bored. I am so much happier and I am now looking forward to a happy future.‟ Young people‟s lives stabilise. They experience structure and they develop life and coping skills. They develop confidence and start to realise their own potential.

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Good

Young people have excellent relationships with insightful staff who know them well. One young person said: „The staff are awesome. They are kind, all of them.‟ Another commented: „They know me inside out. If I am upset they know it without me having to say and they know how to make me feel better.‟ Observations of staff demonstrate that they are consistent, supportive and very caring. These positive relationships, alongside high levels of emotional warmth, praise and encouragement, provide a solid foundation for young people to develop in all areas of their lives. A parent said: „My daughter has made progress and when she does things the staff are full of praise for her.‟

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Good

All young people of a statutory school age are making good educational progress. A parent said: „Our daughter is doing really well at school. She is learning to write her name and numbers. She is cooking and doing science projects.‟ A social worker commented: „We could not keep this young person in education before as she kept going missing. Now she is in full time education, doing work placements and she even has a part-time job. She has really developed enthusiasm for learning and a work ethic.‟ As a result, young people‟s opportunities and choices in adulthood improve.

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Good

Young people engage in a range of activities within the home and the local community, tailored around their individual choices and preferences. Some young people enjoy interacting with animals brought into the home on a fortnightly basis from a local voluntary organisation. Others enjoy participating in a range of sporting activities and clubs in the local community. A parent said: „Our daughter goes horse riding and hand cycling and she enjoys lots of trips out. The staff are very good at helping her keep fit and they provide her with lots of healthy choices.‟ Young people have fun, they get fit and they become part of, and make a positive contribution to, their community. This helps to build their self-confidence and contributes to improved physical and emotional health.

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Good

The ethos of the home is to help young people with learning difficulties to develop life and independence skills. Help is effective and the progress young people make in this area is very good. A young person who very recently moved out of the home into an adult provision commented: „I learnt how to be a good man at the home. I got good at cooking and I can make toad in the hole. I can do my washing, my own shopping and I can keep everything clean.‟ A social worker said: „The independence work being undertaken is good. This young person is now travelling independently and this is massive progress. The placement is giving the chance to learn all of the skills needed for adult life.‟ Improved life skills will be of great assistance to young people when they move on to the next stage of their lives.

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Good

Staff respect and value the young people. They encourage them to express their views about all aspects of their care, through individual key working sessions, feedback questionnaires and during young people‟s meetings. For non-verbal young people, the use of an electronic tablet, Makaton, pictures, symbols and social stories helps them make individual choices and express preferences in relation to their day-to day care. A parent commented: „My daughter now chooses things for herself and she is making decisions. She chooses what she eats and drinks and what clothes she buys.‟ Good levels of communication and consultation are empowering for young people and help raise their self-esteem. To improve further, there is scope to provide a more child-friendly format of young people‟s meeting minutes, including actions staff take in response to views and suggestions.

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Good

The home provides young people with a comfortable environment. Their bedrooms are personalised and photographs of them around the home serve as a reminder of good times, experiences and achievements. However, young people do not always have full access to all areas of the home. On the day of the inspection the young people‟s games room was locked. Managers and staff were unable to provide a reason for this. While this is not affecting the safety and well-being of young people, it means that their access within the home is restricted. As a result, young people are not living in a home that is as homely and welcoming as it should be.

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Good

Young people say they feel safe and social workers and parents confirm this. One young person said: „The staff make it a safe place to live. They are good at listening.‟ Another commented: „There is always someone here who I can talk to.‟ A transitions worker said: „Staff are really committed. They have provided the young person with a safe and secure environment.‟ Positive and trusting relationships with staff provide young people with a good sense of safety and well- being.

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Good

There are no instances of bullying in the home. Careful placement matching and a clear focus on supporting young people to develop empathy and respect for one another is effective. A young person commented: „All the young people here are lovely, we get on so well. It feels like a family with a few different mums.‟ This contributes to young people‟s sense of safety.

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Good

An enabling approach to risk management ensures that young people have the opportunity to engage in new experiences and challenges as part of their development. A social worker said: „Risk assessments in this home are meaningful and a proactive tool to help young people get to the next stage of their lives. This young person is now at a point where she is taking measured risks as part of her development. She owns her plan, she understands it and the plan has mechanisms within it to keep her safe.‟ More regular monitoring and updates to risk management plans in line with the home‟s own procedures, would improve risk management practice further.

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Good

Staff know young people well. Young people benefit from good staffing ratios and effective multi-agency packages of support. An independent reviewing officer commented: „There is good partnership working and the staff effectively co- ordinate a complex care package. They have played a significant role in enabling health and social care professionals to do what they needed to in order to help and support this young person.‟

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Good

Although some young people have a significant history of running away from home, there have been no incidents in this home. A young person said: „Since moving here I have become a lot safer. I have stopped running. I have learnt about danger and about good and bad people.‟ The positive relationships young people have with staff, effective missing from care procedures and work undertaken with young people in respect of the dangers associated with going missing has provided a good level of protection in this area.

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Good

Staff manage complex and challenging behaviours well. Positive relationships, high levels of praise, staff insight and consistent approaches are effective in reducing incidents of challenging behaviour and helping young people to behave in more socially acceptable ways. Incidents of physical intervention are low because of effective and proactive behaviour management strategies. There have been 15 low level restraints involving one young person since the last inspection. On each of these occasions, it was used in order to prevent injury. Detailed recording and debriefs for staff and young people enable those involved to reflect on each incident. In addition, good management monitoring of all incidents increases staff capacity to improve practice further.

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Good

The company has a robust recruitment and selection procedure for new staff. This helps to ensure that only those who are suitable to work with young people and do not pose a risk to their safety are employed.

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Good

The registered manager is suitably qualified and highly experienced, having been the manager of this home since 2004. She is passionate and extremely child focused. She manages the home well and leads by example. Her commitment filters down to the staff team. Parents and professionals consistently comment on the commitment and dedication of the staff team. An independent reviewing officer said: „I dread to think what the outcome for this young person would have been if she had been in a less committed environment. The care is impressive.‟ A cohesive and motivated staff team ensures that young people‟s needs are met to a consistently good standard.

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Good

The manager has addressed the three requirements and one recommendation raised at the last interim inspection. She has also thoroughly investigated one complaint made in respect of medication practices to the full satisfaction of the complainant. Lessons were learned, disciplinary action taken and practice improved to eradicate the risk of recording errors occurring in the future.

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Good

Staff undertake a programme of training that covers mandatory and more specialist areas in relation to the needs of the young people living in the home. Staff work in partnership with specialist health and social care professionals to inform their practice. As a result, young people benefit from care provided by skilled staff who are equipped to meet their complex individual needs.

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Good

Staff attend regular and productive team meetings and the majority have regular supervision, which monitors and supports their practice and development. However, one waking night member of staff has only had two sessions of supervision in the last ten months. Although there is no evidence to suggest that this is having a negative impact on the care being provided to young people, it has the potential to do so. All staff require regular and effective supervision and support to be able to reflect on their practice and the needs of the young people.

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Good

The home fulfils its commitment to young people as outlined in the statement of purpose. It provides clear and accurate information to parents and placing authorities about the care and services the home offers. Staff provide young people with a guide with relevant information about the home. This is produced in both a written and pictorial form to reflect different ages and levels of understanding. Young people‟s case files include comprehensive placement plans that provide a coherent picture of the care provided to young people. Some files do not however hold all information required. For example, they do not have records of the dates and circumstances of incidents of restraint. In addition, some do not have up to date copies of local authority personal education plans or a record of the outcome of placement reviews. As a result, case records are incomplete, which prevents care and interventions from being informed by each young person‟s relevant local

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Good

The manager effectively monitors the progress young people make. Weekly progress reports enable social workers, parents and carers to see what young people have achieved in all aspects of their development. Monthly care strategy plans and good quality reports produced for statutory reviews demonstrate the progress young people are making. Additionally, staff monitor progress through the collection of photographs of experiences and certificates of achievements. They provide young people with a record of their progress and experiences and something they can treasure and be proud of in the future.

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Good

Quality assurance monitoring, both internally and externally, is effective in identifying strengths in the home as well as minor shortfalls. Both systems provide for consultation with young people, parents and professionals. This ensures ongoing assessment and analysis in order to drive continued improvements.

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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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