Children's Home, Residential special school run by Young Foundations Limited in Warwickshire

home are

The children's home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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The children's home provision requires improvement because:

 Relationships with the local head of the virtual school are not maximised to assist when young people do not attend, or make progress in education.  Bullying, aggression and damage has been a significant problem at the home in spring and summer. During this period, the group was not well matched, which had an effect on young people‟s vulnerability and well- being.  There is not yet a fully experienced and skilled staff team. The registered person relies on new staff, who have not completed their probation and induction period, to be in charge of the home at night.  The registered person is offering care for young people, over and above the home‟s registration categories. The statement of purpose advertises a service to too broad a range of young people‟s needs.  The matching of young people who are very vulnerable, with those who have challenging, dominant behaviour has the potential for poor outcomes.

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The children's home provision requires improvement because:

 Some documents are not up to date, or of good enough quality, such as documents to assess the impact of admissions on the group. Young people‟s risk management plans do not portray the good work carried out in practice. Independent monitoring reports are not sent by the visitor directly to Ofsted.

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The children's home strengths

 A new registered manager and a new deputy are leading the team well. They have been effective in making improvements. They model reflective care and promote the good relationships seen now between staff and young people.  A full staff team has been recruited and no agency staff are used now. The new staff team is enthusiastic, thoughtful and ambitious for the young people they care for.  Child protection referrals are well managed. The local safeguarding manager has no concerns about how the service responds to safeguarding concerns or allegations.  The registered person has invested in good „in-house‟ support from a consultant psychiatrist and psychologist. There is no delay for any young person who needs a mental health or psychological service.  There is good work with young people who self-harm and who have mental health issues.  Young people get a great welcome here: they are welcomed as individuals

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The children's home strengths

in planned admissions.  Staff have worked really hard to secure outstanding educational opportunities for a young person.

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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 education standard so that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so, in respect of engagement with the local virtual school head, the registered person must that staff- (2) (a) (i) help each child to achieve the child‟s education and training targets, as recorded in the child‟s relevant plans. 31/12/2015

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the protection of children standard, with reference to risk assessments and management of bullying, the registered person must ensure that staff- (2)(a)(i) assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child‟s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child; (iv) manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other. 31/12/2015

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Requirement Due date

13: The leadership and management standard

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the leadership and management standard, in relation to deployment of competent staff, quality of training, supervision and the review of the quality of care, the registered person must- (2) (a) lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home‟s statement of purpose; 31/12/2015 (c) ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

(h) use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home.

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the care planning standard, in relation to admissions in line with the home‟s categories of registration, and assessing the impact of admissions on existing residents, the registered person must ensure— (a) that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home‟s statement of purpose.

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Requirement Due date

(ii) manage and review the placement of each child in the home. 31/12/2015

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children‟s home a statement (“the statement of purpose”) which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1. Specifically, that the statement of the range of needs of the children for whom it is intended that the children‟s home is to provide care and accommodation, is consistent with the home‟s categories of registration. (Regulation 16, (Sch. 1) (1)) 31/12/2015

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure the independent person provides a copy of the independent person‟s report to HMCI. (Regulation 44 (7) (a)) 31/12/2015

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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 any shift leader has substantial relevant experience of working in a children's home and has successfully completed their induction for the home in which they are employed. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 54, paragraph 10.21)

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Information about this children's home

The children‟s home is registered to provide for six children and young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties and learning difficulties. Young people may stay after the age of 18 to complete their education. The home is one of two operated nationally by a national private organisation. A DfE registered school also operates on site, in a separate building. Some young people may attend.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

09/01/2015 CH - Interim Improved effectiveness

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people living in the home

Young people‟s educational support, achievement and attendance is as area that is not yet consistently good. Some young people have had very poor attendance at the organisation‟s school. The manager has tried, but struggled, to secure proper educational plans from placing authorities. The registered person has not made good links with the local virtual school headteacher to assist with issues that have become a barrier for some young people‟s progress. Other young people have done much better in their education. For example, staff advocated and supported one young person to sit and pass entrance exams for a local private school and secured funding from the local authority. They made arrangements for another to sit exams at the home, when anxiety threatened to disrupt this at school. Educational partners are very satisfied with the quality of staff input and their commitment to supporting young people in mainstream and community schools,

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people living in the home

describing it as very positive. They appreciate that staff will be in school during transitions, ready to offer the emotional support necessary for young people to learn. The mix of young people at the home during the spring and summer was not good. Staff were previously not able to manage the level of bullying, challenging behaviour and damage to the home. Vulnerable young people were targeted and unhappy. Depending on the outcomes for their young people, placing authorities express differing experiences over the quality of care.

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people living in the home

The quality of young people‟s experience on a daily basis is now good. Young people have plenty of opportunities to have their say, in formal group and one-to- one meetings and in everyday life. The atmosphere is now of close, calm, familial, respectful care characterised by good relationships. Young people get a really warm and individual welcome to the home. Staff with particular responsibilities to bond with a new young person, plan the bedroom décor with them and make sure they have the toiletries and colour of towels they like, ready for their arrival. It is not unusual for young people to visit, share a meal and stay overnight before the final decision is made to move in. This is very good practice.

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people living in the home

Young people are now getting on with their lives and are making progress in their health, wellbeing, emotional maturity and education. One said that things were much better now. Comprehensive „in house‟ person centred plans are written in conjunction with young people. Staff use direct key working sessions with young people to share „good parent‟ advice and guidance about the issues that affect them, based on their local authority placement plan. There is very good support for young people‟s psychological and psychiatric needs from consultants employed by the organisation. They provide skilful assistance to the new staff team as they develop their skills in working with young people. There is a weekly opportunity for direct work with the consultant psychologist. Young people are working well with this. This „in-house‟ service works in an integrated way with external child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) and

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people living in the home

hospital psychiatric services to ensure consistency. Young people who move on in a planned way, get the support they need to develop into young adults, learning skills to help in their independent lives. Those who live far from home and families, get good support to maintain those important relationships. Families get a warm welcome, and staff support regular contact where this is part of the plan. They work with families to maintain good daily routines while away from home, so that there is consistency in good health and sleep patterns. Everyone enjoyed a summer beach holiday this year. The manager is keen that young people enjoy ordinary teenage experiences and make regular friendships through school and the community. She makes careful plans so that even the most vulnerable have safe opportunities to extend their horizons. Young people said that things are better at the home.

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people are helped and protected

Bullying has had a serious impact on the lives of some young people. They have not always felt safe or secure, and their own behaviour has deteriorated. During a period of staff change and serious challenge from young people through spring and summer, police intervention was necessary on occasion. The combination of young people led to manipulative dominant behaviour towards those more vulnerable. Restraint, sanctions and damage to the building were a feature of life then. The manager took steps to engage placing authorities about solutions and negotiated placement endings when it was clear staff were unable to safeguard young people. Risk assessments are not always up to date or complete. They do not always describe some of the measures staff should take to reduce the likelihood of serious self-harm or attempted suicide. For example, they do not make clear when staff should increase their checks of young people when alone in bedrooms, or remove

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people are helped and protected

items with which young people may self-harm. Consequently, unfamiliar, or inexperienced staff may not know how to reduce or manage these risks. Current young people say they feel safe and well cared for. They are relaxed and comfortable with staff, showing good signs of wellbeing and security. Sanctions and physical interventions are now rare. Staff, who they like and are happy to spend time with, talk to them about boundaries for acceptable behaviour. For example, a young person and their keyworker were able to bond and talk about settling into the home over a six-mile hike in the local countryside. Safeguarding allegations and concerns are managed well. The local authority safeguarding manager has no concerns about how the manager implements child protection procedures. The manager and staff, are up to date with safeguarding training and use this wisely, for example, consulting about any issues that arise

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people are helped and protected

and acting on advice. Staff do identify and understand the risks in young people‟s history and in their psychiatric background. Their practical input and good relationships with young people help them to gain insight into how they can keep themselves safe and develop more positive ways to cope with life challenges. There is some excellent work helping young people to understand the triggers for their own behaviour and take creative steps to calm down and focus on positives. Staff build up really strong connections with young people through this highly individual work. Where young people have setbacks in their mental health, and require inpatient treatment, staff and the manager are committed to their return. They visit hospital, take mementos, and support young people‟s well-being while away from the home. The service has not looked after any young people who have been at risk of child sexual exploitation (CSE), or who go missing from care (MFC), but the manager

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people are helped and protected

has ensured staff are well prepared. She has shared knowledge, good policy and procedures with staff in training and has been proactive with local specialist police. Police report constructive dialogue with the manager and they have spoken to staff meetings about these issues. They describe the service as, „balanced, proportionate and caring.‟ The manager‟s clear grasp of safer recruitment principles prioritises child protection principles in the selection and retention of staff. The manager is strengthening the already good recruitment procedures further, to ensure that staff do not withhold information about their personal suitability to work with children before, or during, their employment. This demonstrates the registered person‟s robust approach and high expectations of their workforce. The environment is a safe one for young people and staff to be in. Regular health and safety checks, repairs and maintenance mean that the house is again a lovely,

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leaders and managers

The aims and objectives of this service, as set out in the September 2015 statement of purpose, are misleading. The home is registered for young people with learning disabilities and/or emotional and behavioural difficulties. It now advertises an additional specialist service for children with mental health problems and diagnosed mental disorders, but has no registration for this category of need. The system to decide admissions, and the admission impact document does not take account of the wide offer of care for young people with very different needs. The format does not consider how to match the two distinct categories of need for which the home is registered. It does not demonstrate the impact of the new young person on the existing residents, or give priority to the safety and stability of the group. The document serves to demonstrate why the admission is a good idea rather than as tool to assist with a decision.

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leaders and managers

For a period, now past, the mix of young people was incompatible. The stability of the group was affected by challenging, destructive and bullying behaviour. Two placements disrupted. Low permanent staffing during this period affected consistency. A full, permanent staff team is now in place. Young people are now compatible. Most recent admissions have been of young people from psychiatric hospital with a clinical mental health diagnosis and staff are managing their needs well. The registered person is building a stronger staff team. However, inexperienced staff are sometimes left in charge of the home at night. The staff team is recently complete and, consequently, 60% of the team are new and relatively inexperienced. The registered person has trained them: they are enthusiastic and show good insight, but not all have demonstrated their competence through a completed probationary period and induction.

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leaders and managers

Some documentation and aspects of managerial review are not yet good. The independent visitor does not send the reports of the visits directly to Ofsted. Staff speak highly of the training and the support from their managers, but the records of supervision do not show the level of reflection that staff say happens in practice. Training programmes around learning disability and the developing specialism of mental disorder are largely informal. It is not clear how consultation with placing authorities, children and families feeds into improvement of the home. Last year‟s review of the quality of care did not demonstrate this. The manager is working on the most recent review currently. The last inspection found no regulatory or minimum standard shortfalls. The registered manager has been in post since January 2015, having previously worked as the deputy for several years. She is recently registered and holds an

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leaders and managers

appropriate qualification in working with children and management. She has considerable experience in residential care, children and management. A new deputy is similarly well-qualified and experienced. They make an effective team. This has been challenging period for the service, but things are improving. The registered manager, deputy and responsible individual are making improvements to prioritise the needs of current and new young people. It is the manager who has spearheaded decisive and effective action. For example: increasing the cohort of permanent staff at the home; tackling staff poor practice; securing more in-house psychological resources to meet the needs of young people, and making the house more comfortable and better maintained. Staff are appreciative of the supportive environment that the manager and deputy provide. Leaders and managers do actively challenge when the responses from

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leaders and managers

other services are not effective. For example: the manager showed tenacity in securing a consistent CAMHS service for young person from out of county. The new staff group and the new management team are having an improving impact on the experience of the current young people.

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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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