Children's Home, Residential special school run by Staffordshire County Council in Staffordshire

Outstanding

The children's home provides highly effective services that consistently exceeds the standards of good. The actions of the home contribute to significantly improved outcomes for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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The children's home provision is outstanding because:

 Children love coming for short breaks and thrive in the relaxed and happy atmosphere provided by the warm and committed staff.  They make exceptional progress in their ability to communicate their views, wishes and feelings with the support of experienced staff who provide them with a wide and creative range of communication tools.  The highly skilled staff keep children safe with close supervision. They understand and diligently attend to each child’s safeguarding needs.  Highly trained staff plan, as a close team, to meet each child’s complex needs so that they are able to benefit to the maximum from the range of activities and relationships available on the short breaks.  Staff ensure that opportunities for children to make choices, develop independence skills and experience new activities are utilised to the full.  The child-focused registered manager strives to constantly drive up standards of service, regularly reviewing all aspects of the home’s and staff

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The children's home provision is outstanding because:

functioning. She demands that her cohesive staff team fully understands and works in keeping with the ethos of the home.  The registered manager ensures that staff identify and respond to children’s changing needs in close collaboration with family members and other professionals.

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Information about this children's home

This local authority resource centre provides short break care for up to six children and young people who have learning and/or physical disabilities and/ or sensory impairment. The centre is able to accommodate boys and girls aged 8- 18 years and provide emergency and assessment care during week- days, in addition to short breaks at weekends and in the holidays.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

13/03/2015 CH - Interim Sustained effectiveness

p.4

outstanding

Children look forward to coming for short breaks. They arrive, enthusiastic to choose which themed bedroom, including pirates and ponies, they will stay in and what they want to do to relax after school. Each room is decorated to provide a personalised space, which does not overwhelm the children. The home is warm and welcoming and necessary items such as hoists and high dependency beds are carefully arranged in ways that do not detract from the homely feel.

p.5

outstanding

Children enjoy being warmly greeted, by staff who they know well. Staff immediately encourage them to change out of school uniforms and enjoy snacks whilst listening to music, watching a favourite DVD, or choosing and playing with toys. Children respond with confidence to the staff and actively communicate their views, wishes and feelings using a wide range of individually and creatively designed communication tools. These include: pictures; symbols; items that mean something specific to the child; and verbalising and physically directing staff to what they want. A board in the corridor with ‘emotion face’ symbols enables children to tell staff if they are unhappy or worried. One child used these to tell me that he was feeling happy.

p.5

outstanding

Children really enjoy the food, which is a focal point in the evenings, when they all sit together at the table with staff. The cook is fully aware of their dietary needs, likes and dislikes, and provides them healthy with food that they really enjoy.

p.5

outstanding

Staff respond quickly to children who require reduced levels of stimulation and may move them to other rooms, or change the lighting, sounds and amount of furniture in the room if appropriate. This means that children are able to feel comfortable and are not easily distressed by what is going on around them. Staff are highly vigilant and rapidly pick up clues to a child’s moods and needs. They respond without fuss, which enables children to remain calm and engaged. Children like the large theme boards, which include Halloween, Christmas and other cultural and religious festivals. They enjoy trying different foods and artwork as well as outings to, for example, firework displays.

p.5

outstanding

All of this means that children thrive socially and make exceptional progress with their independence skills. They all make progress in their own ways and are proud of their achievements. Some make progress with, for example, eating, others, with toileting, trying new activities and saying please and thank you. One young person handed over his cup to fill with juice during dinner and staff observed that he had never done this before. All of the staff praised him and then he proceeded to repeat his new skill, beyond the point where he still wanted a drink. He was obviously enjoying the praise and achievement. The impact of these achievements on their self- esteem, confidence, social and educational development and home lives cannot be overestimated. A parent stated: ‘He really enjoys going, it’s made him become more independent and he will bring his plate to us and try and dry himself, he will use a bit of Makaton and socialises with other children’.

p.5

outstanding

One social worker commented: ‘They love ( the home) it's everything to them, they have come on so much, their behaviours have changed for the better and these improvements are now being put back into the home via the family support worker.’ A parent said, ‘she adores it and is very happy when I collect her.’

p.6

outstanding

Staff keep children extremely safe. Risk assessments are thorough and robust, taking into account all aspects of each child’s physical, emotional and behavioural needs. The staff address a very complex range of needs including autism, immobility, the administration of medication, moving and handling, with great skill and care. Daily handovers always include the complete record of each child’s needs, which ensure that all staff on duty are fully appraised of every detail in a child’s life, and what may impact on their safety and wellbeing on that day. There are no incidents of children missing, self-harming or of any physical intervention. Whilst some children are immobile, others are very physically active, and require close supervision in the home and the community to ensure that they are safe. Warm and positive relationships with staff, alongside firm boundaries and an orderly calm atmosphere, are key to managing children’s behaviour and

p.6

outstanding

thereby reducing behaviours, which can lead to accidents. Consequently, children become increasingly safer as staff get to know them and they get used to the home and feel secure and safe. Parents say, ‘She is definitely safe. The children range in ages and issues but the staffing levels ensure they are all supervised. Environmentally in and out the unit- she is safe. She has 1-1 staff-they know her well and know her limitations. Her medications are all exact- they check it’. Staff work closely with families and other child-care professionals, including therapists and education. This ensures that staff remain fully aware of children’s physical, psychological and emotional wellbeing and respond appropriately to their safeguarding needs. Professionals say: ‘Young people are safe, the building is secure, harnesses and helmets are always put on. Outings are appropriate. Medication is correctly labelled and logged.’ Another parent confirmed: ‘Safe-yes.

p.6

outstanding

He has reins on when he is out, he is fine on the bus and his medication is well managed’. Judgement grade

p.6

outstanding

The registered manager holds a level 4 qualification in management and has 25 years’ experience in child-care. She has managed this home for over 10 years.

p.7

outstanding

The child-focused and creative registered manager is constantly seeking ways to drive up standards in the service, ensuring that her staff team is equipped to meet the complex needs of the children. Planning and service development is central to her work and her reports of the quality of service review demonstrate ongoing use of consultation with staff, young people, families and professionals to understand what is needed.

p.7

outstanding

The registered manager has a highly skilled, experienced and knowledgeable team. They confirm that she is both supportive and challenging in regular supervision and team meetings. They are all are encouraged to contribute ideas that will develop the home. Staff benefit from up-to-date and relevant training.

p.7

outstanding

The registered manager recognises that regular monitoring of the progress made by each child, supports staff to plan work, which will move them towards independence. Her emphasis on the need to give children choice and independence, has resulted in very positive and effective work being undertaken in the home.

p.7

outstanding

Staff, parents and professionals all provide very positive feedback about the quality of management, aims of the service, skill of the staff and standard of communication. One child care professional said: 'All the staff are very very positive, I've never seen them flustered. They are very enthusiastic in reporting what young people have done and how they have been, they know about your child specifically. They want young people to enjoy themselves but make progress’.

p.7

outstanding

A staff member said: ‘The manager is always striving to improve the service. We are all involved by things being shared and discussed in staff meetings and through supervision. All the staff have a big input into any changes and the development of the unit. We all feel valued and our opinions are valued’.

p.7

outstanding

Close collaboration with other professionals, including attending risk meetings and Child in Need reviews, ensures that staff are able to effectively address individual children’s needs. The registered manager has regular meetings with the specialist children’s disability team manager to discuss young people and their needs, including the suitability of placements and assessments. She has instigated a system of star charts, which illustrate where children are in their development when they first start having short breaks, and their subsequent progress and changing goals. This informs future planning regarding skills and social development. Development plans are creative and push the boundaries for children. The registered manager has also introduced an ‘Improving Outcomes’ tool, which asks questions of staff about what they are doing for a child, why, and how the outcomes have and can, be improved. It includes the views of the children

p.7

outstanding

and challenges staff to think about them in detail. Staff use this document to assess and plan for children and will share it with parents on a six-monthly basis.

p.8

outstanding

In addition, the registered manager has introduced a competency test for her staff, which addresses the government’s new Quality Standards and, for example, asks them to explain the home's approach to practice like managing behaviour. This is a challenging test that requires staff to prepare and to think about what they are doing and why. It demands that staff understand the ethos of the home and can talk confidently about it. The registered manager and the staff provide children with an outstanding service that really makes a positive difference to the lives of the children and families who access it.

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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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