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 make good progress especially those who are accommodated in  the home on a long term basis.  Most young people attend education and those not doing are encouraged to do so or to take up training opportunities.  Those in education have made positive academic achievements.   Those approaching adulthood are supported with transition plans and through  preparations to live away from the home.  Robust relationships between young people and staff enable young people to  feel safe and trust those that care for them.  Staff support young people to address health needs, engaging in medical  reviews and basic health care reviews.  The home maintains a homely feel within a large building which provides  plenty of options for space for young people to use to socialise or relax in.  Episodes of missing are well managed with plans in place which have been  developed with input from statutory agencies.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Pre-admission risk assessments and planning have impacted positively on how young people settle into placement.   Robust collaborative relationships with key stakeholders have impacted positively on young people’s plans.  Safeguarding concerns and allegations have been robustly investigated and process and procedures have been followed. 

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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

7 The children's views, wishes and feelings standard:

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the children's views, wishes and feelings standard the registered person is required:

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Requirement Due date

(2)(a) (ii)to ensure that staff help each child to express their  views, wishes and feelings

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Requirement Due date

(iv) regularly consult children, and seek their feedback,  about the quality of the homes care. 31/03/2016

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the protection of children standard the registered person must:

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Requirement Due date

(2)(a)(i) ensure assessment of 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. 31/03/2016

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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 the registered person is required to:

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Requirement Due date

(2)(f) understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of quality of care provided in the home. 31/03/2016

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):

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Recommendations

 ‘a record of supervision should be kept for staff, including the manager. The record should provide evidence that supervision is being delivered in line with regulation 33(4)(b) (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 61 paragraph 13.3)’

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Recommendations

 ‘all staff must have their performance and fitness to carry out their role formally appraised at least once annually (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 61 paragraph 13.5)’

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Information about this children's home

 The home is registered to care for up to 8 children with emotional and or behavioural difficulties.  The home is owned and managed by the local authority.  The home is a large older building located in the suburbs of a town within easy reach of all local amenities and services.  There is a bedsit within the home which can be used to support young people developing skills to move into independence.  There is access to a large garden and outside space.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

12/08/2015 CH - Interim sustained effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

03/09/2014 CH - Interim sustained effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

25/03/2014 CH - Interim Satisfactory Progress

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good

Young people are settled within the home and are making good progress. Those who have moved on had also made good progress academically and with their personal goals.

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good

Relationships with staff are positive with young people seeking support and guidance from key staff they trust and confide in. Relationships between young people and link workers are particularly robust and positive.

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good

Young people attend education and those which are not currently in education have daily planned activities to provide opportunities and stimulation. Staff are working assertively with others to gain education placements for all young people. Opportunities for work experience and more creative aspects of education have been instigated by staff ensuring young people have development opportunities as well as a daily routine.

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good

Those who have moved on have been supported to learn key skills which will promote their ability to care for themselves once they move. Support and education around budgeting, menu planning, shopping, domestic tasks and self- management skills have been facilitated via the bedsit area of the home. With outreach available in those initial stages to support young people settling into their new homes.

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good

Health plans are in place and young people well supported to gain treatment or advice regarding health needs. Those who have had anxieties about gaining health care have been supported to engage in services with positive outcomes.

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good

Placement plans are detailed regarding needs and how these needs are to be met; there is inconsistency in the reviewing of these currently.

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good

Robust pre-admission assessments have been implemented for the most recent admissions. This has enabled staff to admit young people in to the home in a planned way. A recent piece of work completed with a young person prior to admission enabled them to settle quickly and positively into their new home.

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good

Staff support young people to engage in a wide variety of activities on and off site. Young people are encouraged to develop their key interests and hobbies. Link worker sessions focus on going out with a young person and having one to one time either completing a task or doing a fun activity. Link worker sessions which explore targets, risky behaviours and which new skills to develop are not recorded currently and so limit evaluation of all the work staff do with young people.

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good

Young people’s views and feelings are not routinely gathered and this is evident in young people’s plans or reviews. The staff and young people sit together each day to share a meal and talk about the day and what’s going on in the home. This is social event with all young people appearing to engage and contribute to it.

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good

Staff promote and support contact with friends and families as per the plans in place for each young person with review being requested when required.

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good

The home provides a safe environment for young people, work has been completed to improve the quality and appearance of the home. The manager has a plan in place to address the areas continuing to need addressing and improvement.

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good

Each young person has someone they trust and can confide in with each reporting they feel safe in the home.

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good

Episodes of missing are well managed and coordinated with clear plans in place, reporting and recording is robust with return to care interviews offered to young people on return. Plans are formulated with input from other statutory organisations ensuring a clear approach.

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good

Each young person has a child sexual exploitation risk assessment in place. Risk assessments do address risks which are present but not all risks are considered and explored e.g. young people smoking in the home. Risk assessments are in the main reviewed each month. Safeguarding concerns and allegations are robustly reported, recorded and investigated with policy and procedure being followed. Staff training has been provided including guidance and education about the risk factors associated with child sexual exploitation. Staff have good knowledge about ‘whistle blowing procedures’ to be followed by staff when required.

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good

Incidents are well reported and recorded with assessments and behaviour management plans in place for young people. Physical intervention has been avoided with staff using alternative strategies and techniques to de-escalate situations. All staff have been trained in the homes preferred behaviour management strategy and approach.

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good

Sanctions have been recorded, one young person has been given the same sanction repeatedly which has not been linked to the behaviour or cause. Review of the effectiveness of the applied sanction has been applied and the belief that the sanction is the most effective for the young person currently. The home do not currently have a system in place for recording rewards and achievements of young people.

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good

Monitoring and oversight of the home environment is not consistently provided throughout all areas as some low level risks and issues have not been identified and addressed, for example, first aid boxes contain out of date items.

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good

Chemicals and substances for cleaning present in the home have not been stored behind locked doors as the homes policy prescribes.

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requires improvement

Previous recommendations and requirements have been implemented and acted on.

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requires improvement

Leaders and managers have positive relationships with young people, with good insight and understanding into young people’s needs.

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requires improvement

There are robust relationships in place between the home and agencies. Professionals regularly visit the home to explore the support they can offer to young people. There has been a positive impact on young people because of this. They have developed relationships with others who have offered them support and guidance to assist them in addressing issues and concerns. Staff have nurtured relationships with the local community and have utilised these relationships to seek opportunities for young people for work experience and employment.

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requires improvement

There are inconsistencies in documentation within care plans. Records vary in detail and quality, with gaps in recording. Young people do not have clear goals and targets identified in their plans and so monitoring and review is also not systematic. Managers are implementing a new process and style of placement plan incorporating areas which have been identified as lacking in the current paper work systems.

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requires improvement

Young people’s wishes and feelings have not been sought; they are not evident in their plans, reviews or within the future development plan of the home. There are no formal processes in place to gain young people’s views. House discussions take place during the evening meal but there is no formal system in place to ensure these are listened to or impact on the quality of care provided in the home.

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requires improvement

The manager’s systems for reviewing and evaluating the quality of care provided are not robust with areas requiring improvement not being identified and addressed. Key gaps in recording and environmental checks have not been identified by the manager.

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requires improvement

The statement of purpose is kept under review with the ethos and objectives of the home clearly described.

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requires improvement

The staff team is stable, with regular team meetings occurring providing opportunity for discussion, reflection and staff development. Staff access a wide variety of training and learning. The induction process for staff is also robust with an in-depth learning package for new staff. All staff have the required qualifications or are enrolled within the programme.

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requires improvement

Staff supervision is not occurring in line with the homes policy and procedure with gaps in recording. Staff have not received a review of their development with no appraisals in place for over a year.

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requires improvement

Staff recruitment processes are robust with safer recruitment guidelines being adhered too.

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requires improvement

The home has recently employed a maintenance person who has had a positive impact on the home environment. Aspects described as needing improvement have been addressed with a clear plan in place to address other key areas.

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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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