Children's Home run by Steps 4 Life Care Limited in Wolverhampton

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:

 Risk assessments promote young people’s safety and welfare. These are detailed and specify the actions to be taken by staff to protect young people and reduce their risk of harm.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Staff work in partnership with placing authorities, local police, safeguarding agencies and other professionals. The registered manager effectively challenges the response of other agencies when this is detrimental to young people’s progress, safety and welfare.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Young people enjoy positive relationships with staff. This enhances their feeling of safety and security and enables them to make good progress in the home.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Internal care planning routines ensure that young people recognise their achievements and progress. This supports their continued development.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Young people grow in self-esteem and self-confidence. They participate in activities that develop their hobbies, interests and interpersonal skills. This supports their emotional well-being.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Staff encourage young people to express their views and opinions regarding their care and the development of the service. This ensures that young people are involved in decisions about their care.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Some areas for improvement have been identified. These include ensuring that all complaints records are completed in full; medication systems and supervision are more robust; staff understanding child protection procedures; physical restraint records hold all required detail and young people have appropriate access to their living areas.

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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 provider must ensure that staff— (2)(a)(vii) are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. 18/01/2016

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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)) 18/01/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home. (Regulation 23(1)) 18/01/2016

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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)) 18/01/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure. (Regulation 35(3)(a)(vii)) 18/01/2016

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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)) 18/01/2016

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Information about this children's home

The home provides care and accommodation for up to three young people with emotional and /or behavioural difficulties (EBD). The home is owned and operated by a private company.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

p.5

good

Young people make good progress in this home because they receive personalised care and support. They enjoy positive relationships with staff and these enable them to engage in regular one to one sessions. These are used to discuss their behaviours, safety, achievements and progress. Young people are encouraged to review their internal support plans and risk assessments during these sessions. This comprehensive approach means that young people are involved in the care planning process and decisions about their support needs.

p.6

good

Education is well supported in the home. Some young people benefit from individual education packages that reflect their leaning needs and challenge any barriers they face. When young people do not have suitable school placements, managers work in partnership with specialist education agencies to reduce disruption to young people’s learning. Although there has been a delay in accessing appropriate education for some young people, staff ensure that in these circumstances they provide a ‘structured day’. This includes ‘in-house’ tutoring. This temporary measure means that young people do not disengage from education.

p.6

good

Staff work with external health professionals commissioned by the provider. Young people do not experience a delay in accessing the additional support they need because of these arrangements. For example, young people are referred to therapeutic counselling services to prepare them for more formal psychological input. This supports their emotional well-being and welfare. However, there are weaknesses relating to the safe administration of medication for young people. Protocols relating to controlled medication lack detail and audit systems are not robust. The negative impact of this is reduced because the home carriers little medication of this nature, although improvements to these systems are necessary to protect young people.

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good

Young people are involved in decisions about their care and the development of the home. They say they understand how decisions are made and the degree to which they are able to influence these. This enhances their day to day experience of living in the home. In addition, staff consult with young people about the activities they would like to do. Young people are encouraged try new activities and learn new skills. This increases their self-esteem and confidence and helps them to develop their social and emotional skills.

p.6

good

Young people say they know how to make a complaint and are confident that any issues they raise will be taken seriously and addressed. Records show that on most occasions, complaints are fully investigated and resolved and young people are provided with feedback. However, the registered manager has failed to respond appropriately to one complaint within acceptable timescales and a young person has not received an appropriate response.

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good

Staff work with social workers and the placing authorities to ensure that young people are able to maintain relationships with their families. When contact restrictions are in place, staff clearly explain these; and young people receive practical and emotional support to attend contact visits. This means that young people are not isolated from their families.

p.7

good

The home is maintained to a good standard. Young people are encouraged to personalise their bedrooms and are involved in decisions about the decoration of communal areas. However, they are not consistently given access to all areas of their home. For example, the kitchen and lounge areas are locked at night. Young people say they are ‘not bothered’ by this restriction, but this habit has become custom and practice in the home and detracts from the homely atmosphere.

p.7

good

Young people are safe in the home and say they feel safe. This is because risk assessments are tailored to reflect and respond to their risk taking behaviours. Staff encourage young people to contemplate their behaviours and consider the consequences of their actions. When young people use self-harm to manage their frustrations and anxieties, staff closely monitor their environments and complete one to one sessions. This provides young people with an outlet to voice and express their concerns. As a result, young people become increasingly safe in the home.

p.7

good

Teaching young people to be accountable for their own behaviour is central to the ethos of the home. The use of sanctions has reduced because staff deploy a restorative justice approach to supporting young people to take responsibility for their behaviour. Staff are trained in the use of physical restraint techniques. Emphasis is placed on verbal de-escalation. There has been an increase in the frequency and duration of physical restraint since the last inspection. This is due to a change of young people living in the home. However, records of restraint and sanctions do not consistently include an evaluation of the effectiveness of these measures of control. This hinders the registered manager’s ability to review the use of this practice to determine the appropriateness. Staff receive training on safeguarding referral processes relating to the handling and recording of allegations. However, for some staff their knowledge and

p.7

good

understanding of this essential aspect of child protection is poor. This potentially places young people at risk of harm because staff are not familiar with the home’s child protections policies and procedures.

p.8

good

There have been a number of episodes of young people going missing from the home since the last inspection. The registered manager works in effective partnership with local police, multi-agency sexual exploitation teams and the Local Safeguarding Children Board to protect young people from harm in these circumstances. Young people’s safety is promoted through detailed missing from home plans. These specify the actions to be taken by staff and others to ensure that young people are quickly located and returned to the home. This integrated approach to protecting young people means that young people become increasingly safer.

p.8

good

The home is maintained to a good standard. Health and safety and fire risk assessments are regularly reviewed and update. This means that young people reside in as safe and secure home.

p.8

good

The manager is has been registered with Ofsted in relation to this setting since July 2014. She is an experienced residential childcare practitioner and residential manager; and hold suitable qualifications for this role, including level 4 awards in the management of children social care services. The requirements and recommendations made at the last inspection have been addressed in full. These include ensuring that young people’s case files contain all necessary documentation. This demonstrates the home’s capacity for continued improvement.

p.8

good

The registered manager assesses young people’s progress against the aims and objectives of their internal and statutory care plans. She understands young people’s individual needs and ensures that staff have the skills and knowledge to meet these. Staff undertake regular training that reflects young people’s risks, backgrounds and individual needs. However, their knowledge, practice and performance is not effectively scrutinised. This is because formal supervision is of poor quality and does not relate to practice issues or personal development. This means that incidents or poor or unsafe practice may not be reviewed as required.

p.8

good

There is a clear statement of purpose in place that details the aims and objectives of the home. Social workers and other professionals confirm that they understand the services provided by the home and the support available to young people. This document emphasises the importance of effective partnership working. Practice in the home reflects this ethos. The registered manager confidently challenges other agencies when their performance falls short of expectations. This means that young people experience an integrated approach to managing their care and meeting their needs. This supports their development and progress.

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good

Monitoring systems in place assess the quality of care provided by the service. The registered manager is aware of the strengths and weaknesses of the service, taking account of young people’s progress and feedback for the independent visitor. She is able to identify patterns or trends that negatively impact on young people’s development and devises action plans to address identified shortfalls. This means that the service continues to evolve to reflect young people’s individual needs.

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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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