Children's Home run by Bristol City Council in Bristol

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 make good progress in their personal development. This includes improved attendance in education, improvements in behaviour and significantly reduced incidents of going missing.  There is a strong co-ordinated approach to keeping young people safe. Effective multi-agency working is child-focused. Staff are proactive in locating young people when they are missing. Young people know that staff care for them.  Good levels of satisfaction with the care provided at this home are expressed by parents, social workers, the police and other agencies.  The manager and staff are skilled and experienced in responding to unsafe behaviours such as missing from care, self-harm and sexual exploitation. Prompt action is taken, resulting in regular risk management meetings to help and protect young people.  The manager has demonstrated strong leadership to raise standards of care and motivate the staff team. The management of this home has significantly

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The children's home provision is good because:

improved since the last inspection. Staff report that are supported very well through training, team meetings and development days. Team morale is good with a shared vision of continual improvement.

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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 a record is made of any complaint, the action taken in response, and the outcome of any investigation. (Regulation 39(3)) 31/10/2015

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Requirement Due date

44: Independent person: visits and reports

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children's home at least once each month. (Regulation 44(1)) 31/10/2015

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Recommendations

 Ensure that toilets and bathrooms are fitted with toilet roll holders and items to dry hands after washing. Enhance the décor of these rooms. For children’s homes to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 15 paragraph 3.9)  Ensure that the record of young people’s meetings are clear and presented in a child friendly manner. Children should be able to see the results of their views being listened to and acted upon. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 22 paragraph 4.11)

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Information about this children's home

This children’s home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to five young people of either sex, with emotional and behavioural difficulties. It is operated by the local authority.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

10/10/2014 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

04/03/2014 Interim Satisfactory progress

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good

Young people develop trusting relationships with staff. Staff engage closely with them showing affection, care and concern. Young people report that they know the staff care for them. This supports them to feel valued and understood. For those who are learning English as an additional language, a staff member has the language skills to translate and support them in their learning. This is an example of how inclusive staff strive to work with all young people and ensure their views are heard and acted upon.

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good

Social workers and other professionals report good communication from the manager and staff team. They work together effectively with the focus on young people. A social worker reports that a young person can present stressful and challenging behaviours yet the staff report very positively. The social worker is very satisfied with the progress the young person is making and welcomes the approach by staff to highlight the strengths even when there are some incidents of disruptive behaviour. Another social worker says, ‘They have been extremely accommodating and understanding of (a young person’s) needs, they keep in regular contact with me and their paper work is always sent through so efficiently’. ‘They do a great job and always have the young person’s best interest at heart – even when they are pushed to their limits.’ Personalised care planning supports young people in making progress. Consistency

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good

of response from staff derives from good record keeping and sound communication systems. This area of practice has greatly improved since the last inspection. A monthly recording system, for each young person, collates key information into a working document. Chronologies of significant events are carried forward each month to allow staff to have an overview. Staff report that this style of recording works well and enables them to identify patterns of behaviour and progress.

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good

Young people meet as a group to discuss choices in activities and menus. In addition, these meetings provide a forum for discussion and an opportunity to raise any concerns or suggestions. For example, young people have reminded others not to waste food, there have been discussions about choices in education after year 11 and the role of the safeguarding board. These meetings listen to the views of young people and at the same time provide useful information but the hand written records of these meetings are not always clear and are not presented in a child-friendly way. Young people are supported to develop their skills in independence at an appropriate pace to them. Young people who have left and moved on to their own accommodation report, ‘it’s really good, they helped me with independence’. Their advice to others young people is, ‘take the support that is given’.

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good

All young people are attending education. This is significant progress for those who have not been at educational placements for some time. Partnership working with education providers ensures that the setting and timetables are suitable to engage young people and support their learning. For example, integration into education after periods of absence can be gradual with a part-time timetable initially extended to full time. Staff are working towards improved attendance and punctuality with some young people. One young person has achieved 100% attendance each term and received an award for ‘Best Student’.

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good

Staff recognise the importance for young people to maintain contact with their families, friends, places of worship and the community that they identify with. Staff facilitate such contact when it is agreed within care plans. A parent reports that ‘staff are really great and communicate well with me’. To support young people living away from their families, mementos and photographs are collected to record their experiences living in this home. When young people move on from this home they are presented with a memory book.

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good

Young people enjoy activities through using the local leisure facilities and in the home such as cooking and board games. An overnight trip to a leisure park was greatly enjoyed. The residential trip encouraged young people to integrate with others when they often spend so much time away from the group and it provided some new fun experiences. On the success of this trip, young people are requesting to go again.

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good

The house provides a homely environment with a new kitchen and redecorated areas of the home. Young people like the home and some have plans to redecorate their bedrooms as a project with their keyworker. The toilet and bathrooms are clean and functional, however they are in need of redecoration and the fitting of toilet roll holders and hand towels.

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good

Young people say they feel safe living in this home and can talk to staff with their worries or concerns. Staff pay good attention to the safety of young people, they have a sound knowledge of how to respond to high risk behaviours such as self- harm, drug-use and the risk of sexual exploitation. Risk management within the home is regularly reviewed and frequently involves input from other professionals. Any incidents that impact on the safety and well- being of young people are escalated promptly to other agencies. This multi-agency approach provides consistent boundaries and responses from the adults involved in supporting young people. One example is where professionals work together with a common goal of reducing the amount of times young people are missing from the home.

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good

Young people do occasionally go missing. These incidents have significantly reduced since residing at this home. Young people are developing attachments to the staff and recognise the safety that this placement provides often calling it ‘home’. Staff actively search for young people when they are missing, demonstrating that they care and want the young people to return safely.

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good

The manager and staff team have developed strong links with the police through the community support officer. As a regular visitor to the home, the officer develops good relationships with young people to deliver e-safety training, undertake a return home interview or simply have a chat. The police report that, ‘Staff are proactive in keeping young people safe. They provide structure and activities to engage young people and arrange additional 1:1 support if young people need this.’

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good

Partnership working is established with health professionals and the emergency services to ensure a co-ordinated response to young people who may self-harm. As a result, health care plans are produced with clinical input and clear strategies are agreed with regards to contact with paramedics and presentation to hospitals. This collaborative working provides a safe response to young people at times of distress and reduces their self-injurious behaviours.

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good

Young people are supported in managing their behaviour through rewards and daily targets. These incentives are effective as young people enjoy the financial gain. Sanctions are applied when young people fail to follow house rules and generally these are considered fair. Physical intervention is used to protect young people when they may harm themselves, restraint has not occurred for almost a year. This practice is a reflection of the nurturing environment staff create.

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good

Young people have access to the internet that enables them to maintain contact with family and friends, and use the internet as an educational tool. Restrictions are applied for the safe use of the internet. A member of staff has the role of e- safety champion and supports young people to create safe passwords and control privacy settings. Training enables this member of staff to keep abreast of the changes in information technology to cascade to other staff and young people.

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good

New staff are subject to safer recruitment procedures, ensuring they are suitable to work with young people. The physical environment is subject to regular checks for fire safety and the avoidance of any hazards. This ensures the home is a safe place for young people, staff and visitors.

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good

The Registered Manager has been in post for three years. She is suitably experienced for the role with a qualification in social work. To maintain her professional development, the manager completes regular training, takes account of research in social care and has enrolled for the Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management for Residential Childcare.

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good

The manager has made significant improvements since the last full inspection and has turned around a previously dysfunctional staff team. She has developed her leadership style to motivate and lead a full staff team to deliver good quality care to young people.

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good

All staff report very positively about the leadership and management of this home. They are clear on the statement and purpose and recognise their contribution to its delivery. The manager and staff team are able to reflect on significant changes over the last year. They list improved recording systems, structure and routines, staff training and team development days as contributors to their child focused and professional practice.

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good

Staff report, ‘we have stepped up’, ‘the manager has pulled this team together’ and that team morale is good. Building the team is supported by regular staff meetings’ training events and team days. The success of team days is captured in excellent records including photographs, a brainstorm of strengths and weaknesses and an action plan to further develop the home. These colourful documents are displayed in the office and serve as a useful reminder of team goals.

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good

The assistant managers’ report on their specific roles with clarity. They know of, and understand, their responsibilities in relation to supporting staff and monitoring their practice. Key workers attend supervision with young people’s case files, enabling their line manager to have oversight of their work and ensure that young people are progressing in all aspects of their development. Assistant managers welcome the changes in the rota to provide them with additional time to undertake management tasks.

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good

Records have greatly improved in response to a recommendation from the last inspection and the staff team are considering smart ways of working to reduce duplication. An area for improvement is in the record of any complaint. The manager sensitively and thoroughly investigates any complaints and records the actions taken. The record lacks clarity on the outcome of the complaint and fails to adequately record the satisfaction of the complainant.

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good

Staff meetings and team days have enabled staff to consider the implementation of the Quality Standards for children’s homes. An assistant manager reports how the team have embraced the aspirations of these standards in that a response from staff used to be ‘young people won’t do that’ and now the team are saying, ‘how can we support young people to do that’? Staff say that training provided by the local authority is very relevant and effective to their performance. Training on an approach to safeguarding that considers the strengths and the risks has been received well and implemented in practice and recording systems.

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good

Proactive and regular monitoring is effectively used to develop practice. Records evidence management oversight with comments for staff to improve practice such as, ‘provide more details’ or ‘add the time’ to the recording. Each month young people are asked to rate their experiences from one-ten on a series of questions. For example, how much do you like living here? What can we do to make you happier? These responses inform the manager of the views of young people in addition to the conversations held. The manager is very responsive to this feedback and strives to improve young people’s experiences of being in care at this home. For example, a satisfaction score of five led the manager to direct the keyworker to establish what can be done to raise the score to a higher result?

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good

Social care professionals say that there is good communication between them and the staff team. On the odd occasion when there is a breakdown in communication, the manager apologises and promptly resolves the matter.

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good

A shortfall from the local authority has been the lack of monthly monitoring by an independent person during April and July 2015. The Responsible Individual reports it has been difficult to recruit to this role but an independent person is now in post to complete monthly visits. The absence of this monthly monitoring has had a minimal impact on young people due to effective oversight by the manager and her senior team.

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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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