Children's Home run by Surrey County Council in Surrey

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 have good relationships with staff; they trust those that care for them.   Positive collaborative working with others has a positive, impact enabling young people to access a variety of organisations and services to meet their needs.  Staff provide a homely, caring and nurturing environment. Staff are persistent in their goal of supporting young people to achieve their best.   Health plans consider all aspects of emotional and physical well-being.   Life story and scrap books enable young people to create their own visual story, through which they better understand their childhoods.  Young people are making good progress in all areas of their development. They are developing their individual skills, learning how to self-care, budget and sustain positive relationships.  Staff promote education, training or employment for each young person.  Working towards independence plans focus on individual needs and

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The children's home provision is good because:

networks.  Effective safer recruitment processes in place.  Safeguarding concerns are reported with procedures and policies implemented with good quality recording.  Staff are knowledgeable about risk factors and how to minimise risks which are present.  The management of high risk behaviours has not been underpinned by robust planning, and has been exclusively reactive. 

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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 protection of children standard the registered person must ensure all staff: (2)(a)(i) assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child. (Regulation 12 (2)(a)(i)) 01/12/2015

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the care planning standard the registered person must ensure: (2)(e) that the child’s placing authority is contacted, and a review of that child’s relevant plans is requested, if- (i) the registered person considers that the child is at risk of harm or has concerns that the care provided for the child is inadequate to meet the child’s needs; (ii) the child is, or has been, persistently absent from the home without permission; (Regulation 14 (2)(e)(i)(ii)) 01/12/2015

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Requirement Due date

Statement of purpose: The registered person must compile in relation to the children’s home a statement which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1, and keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it. (Regulation 16 (1)(3)(a)) 01/12/2015

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Requirement Due date

Fire precautions: the registered person must ensure, by means of fire drills and practices at suitable intervals, that persons working at the home and, so far as reasonably practicable, children are aware of the procedure to be followed in case of fire. (Regulation 25(1)(d)) 01/12/2015

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):  The registered person must have systems in place so that all staff, including the manager, receive supervision of their practice from an appropriately qualified and experienced professional , which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. (13.2-page 61 Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations).

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Information about this children's home

 The home is registered for up to 7 children with emotional and or behavioural difficulties.  The home is owned and managed by the local authority.  The home care for young people aged between 15 and 18.  The home has a separate two bedroom flat which is part of the larger fabric of the home but is accessed by a separate door.  The home is located in an urban area within easy access of community provisions and services.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

11/03/2015 CH - Interim improved effectiveness

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good

Young people are making good progress and each have personal achievements to celebrate. These include academic achievements, maintaining employment and developing positive relationships with others. Those who have moved on from the home have continued to make progress and are settling into adulthood and the next step in their lives.

p.7

good

The young people’s health plans are comprehensive, detailing all aspects of health care. A wide variety of health services are accessed meeting both physical and emotional needs. Staff are creative in ways of supporting each young person to access the individual support needed. Healthy lifestyle education is provided via key work sessions focussing on key subjects e.g. substance misuse and sexuality.

p.7

good

Staff support all young people to engage in education, training or employment. When a young person refuses to attend education a review occurs involving the young person exploring options for a daily plan of activity. Opportunities for work experience have been arranged at local shops with staff providing incentives to encourage young people to engage. Those attending college are encouraged to seek a part time job to supplement their basic allowances while also developing work experience.

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good

Staff focus on supporting young people to develop skills to equip them for adulthood and life after the home. Including learning budgeting skills, cooking, cleaning and personal care tasks. This is promoted by the opportunity to develop semi independence by moving into the flat. Young people have stated that ‘they feel it has really helped them to prepare for when they have their own home.’

p.7

good

Care plans are detailed and include all aspects of need e.g. cultural needs are celebrated by young people accessing community services to meet their individual preferences. Individual plans have risk assessments incorporated into them. Risk assessments lack clarity regarding interventions and strategies to be used. Review and monitoring is inconsistent and so risk is not managed robustly and consistently.

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good

Staff encourage young people to share their views and opinions via a selection of methods, weekly house meetings, key work sessions, progress reviews and through the complaints process. House meetings have a positive impact and enable young people to explore key issues within the home. They also provide opportunity for young people to influence day-to-day care provided, e.g. menu planning and creating shopping lists.

p.7

good

The kitchen area is a hub of the home with many activities and conversations taking place there. Young people sit in this area and chat about their days and join in day-to-day tasks which take place in the home. During this visit several young people drank tea and chatted while adding notes to a young person’s life story book while sat in the kitchen. The home is large but has a comfortable homely feel to it which young people and staff take pride in. Young people also utilise outside areas finding places to relax and chat.

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Requires improvement

Young people feel safe at the home and trust those that care for them. They seek support and guidance with matters which worry and concern them. These relationships are developed over time and ‘staff really care’ about the young people in their care.

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Requires improvement

Staff knowledge and understanding about risk factors is of good quality they have insight into the risks which impact on those in their care. They work well with a variety of organisations to develop support strategies. Young people are learning how to keep themselves safe and reduce their engagement in risky behaviours.

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Requires improvement

Policy and procedures are in place and these are followed and implemented when concerns arise. They work with the local safeguarding board when the need arises and they access training available to develop staff.

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Requires improvement

Risk assessments and plans are in place to minimise risk levels and address concerns. Some plans lack clarity, focus and robust review to address significant levels of risk which are present. The impact of this is that responses are reactive to situations, a strategic approach and consistency are lacking. Those at risk of child sexual exploitation and missing episodes have plans in place but these specifically lack the clarity and focus required. Return to care interviews are offered to young people by a sister home but the detail of these is not always present in the home, impacting on the ability to review and alter practice and plans if required. The management of high risk young people has been impeded by an absence of good sharing of information with some stakeholders. This has included the placing authority, which is also the provider of the children’s home. There have been no physical interventions in the home for a significant period of

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Requires improvement

time. Staff use de-escalation techniques to support young people with learning self-management of behaviour. Opportunity for reflection post incidents encourages development of self-management and consideration to the impact of their behaviour.

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Requires improvement

The building is well maintained and repairs are made swiftly. The home is equipped with CCTV and other door alarm systems which are utilised when required. Environment checks are not being regularly completed as per the homes process and procedure with gaps in fire checks, fire drills and checks to first aid boxes.

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Requires improvement

All new appointments of staff have included safer recruitment processes. Staff receive induction training which includes child protection and behaviour management training.

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good

Leaders and managers are effective in their leadership of the home; they motivate and drive the staff team. The focus of the staff team is the young people in their care and supporting them to make progress and improve their individually within their capacity. Managers are appropriately qualified and are experienced within their field.

p.9

good

Young people are well prepared and the home prepares well for all new admissions. Pre-admission assessments allow for thorough risk assessment and planning with specific focus on impact. Emergency admissions do not occur and so pre-planning is present and all admissions well considered. If concerns are raised about meeting needs then delays in admission have occurred to ensure a smooth transition. Staff are achieving the aims identified within the Statement of Purpose but update of this document is required to reflect the current staff team and description of the home.

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good

The Young Persons Guide is informative and provides all information needed within the first few weeks of living at the home.

p.9

good

Managers monitoring processes have highlighted aspects to improve. This was evidenced within changes to the incident reporting system which have occurred. Structure of staff meetings has also altered and a reflective supervision session introduced which has directly benefited staff development. Managers have good insight into the strengths of the home. Weaknesses in care planning are not so readily identified with gaps in aspects of process, reporting, recording and intervention strategies where robust strategic oversight is lacking.

p.9

good

Supervision when it occurs is effective but gaps in frequency are having an impact on aspects of staff development and practice. This is also impacting on the effective management of staff performance.

p.10

good

Induction process is thorough alongside a comprehensive training schedule including child sexual exploitation. All staff are either working towards or have the appropriate qualifications required.

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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

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

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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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