Children's Home run by Full Circle Care Limited in Tameside

Outstanding

The children's home provides highly effective services that consistently exceeds the standards of good. The actions of the home contribute to significantly improved outcomes for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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The children's home provision is outstanding because:

 Staff strive to achieve the absolute best outcomes possible for young people. Young people benefit from effective, high quality support from staff. Care practice is highly individualised to meet the needs of individual young people.  The educational achievement of young people is exceptional, taking into account their individual starting points. Young people attend school or alternative educational provision and their educational attendance is exceptionally, positive.  Young people have strong relationships with staff and they sustain their positive attachments. Staff are good role models for young people to look up to and learn from.  Staff provide young people with continuity of care so they have stability and consistency in their lives. Young people thrive, and there is strong evidence of significant change and improvement in their lives.  The manager and staff are consistently ambitious and energetic about

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The children's home provision is outstanding because:

continuing improvement. They share and implement the home’s ethos, approach and philosophy in caring for young people.  The home maintains highly effective partnerships with social workers, schools, youth offending services and other professional agencies. Strong and effective partnerships ensure young people benefit from the best possible help, protection and support.  Risks associated with young people are well known and understood by staff. Risk taking behaviour, such as going missing from care from long periods, drug use, anti-social behaviour and offending have reduced significantly. Young people become increasingly safer because of the actions staff take to support and protect them.  There are no breaches in regulation. One recommendation is made to ensure, young people who are new to the home have updated, personal education plans to promote, their education.

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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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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

 ensure staff have the knowledge and skills to understand each child’s education and training targets and their next steps for learning. This relates specifically to the timely review of personal education plans, where appropriate. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 28, paragraph 5.11).

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Information about this children's home

This section should outline:  The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to six young people who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.  The home is privately owned and managed.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

13/03/2015 CH - Interim Improved effectiveness

p.5

outstanding

The progress young people make across all aspects of their welfare, physical, social and emotional development is exceptional, taking into account their individual starting points. They benefit from effective, high quality support from caring and capable staff. Care planning is extremely well planned, and practice is highly personalised to meet the specific needs of young people.

p.6

outstanding

Social workers report, ‘I feel that the quality of care is exemplary. The unit really understands the needs of the young person and staff persevere to ensure that those needs are met absolutely. Communication with social workers is great. I cannot stress enough, that this has really assisted this young person in having a better quality of life.’

p.6

outstanding

Young people describe their home as, ‘it’s nice, caring and loving.’ They report, ‘They help me with lots of things like my education. They help with pretty much everything. They know what they’re doing, they’re professionals and they take care of you.’

p.6

outstanding

Young people have exceptionally good relationships with staff and they sustain their positive attachments, with adults they trust and learn from. Staff provide them with continuity of care so they have stability and consistency in their lives. They know the young people well and make a significant difference to their lives.

p.6

outstanding

A social worker reports, ‘I have found the placement, so far, excellent with regards to communication and multi-agency working. I am always updated immediately of any incidents. The staff attend all care plan, PEP and LAC meetings. The young person appears settled in placement and is thriving. The staff, in my opinion, appear to always go above and beyond to provide a service for the young person and this is showing within his, excellent progress.’

p.6

outstanding

Staff advise young people about key health issues and they teach them how to lead and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Young people make positive lifestyle decisions and take responsibility for their own health. The home maintains highly effective partnerships with health professionals to promote young people’s good health. Young people have access to the services they need, including specialist support, to promote their psychological and emotional well-being. This includes access to counselling and therapy, in accordance with their identified needs, for such support. Medication is generally stored and administered safely. However, an item of medication was found to be missing recently, this was quickly identified, by staff. An immediate investigation was launched by the Registered Manager, but the findings from this are inconclusive. The arrangements for the safe storage, handling and keeping of young people’s medication have been reviewed and

p.6

outstanding

improved to make the home’s procedures, more robust. The loss of the medication did not have a negative impact on young people. Medical consent is in place and staff are clear about what health decisions and responsibilities are delegated to them.

p.7

outstanding

Young people enjoy exceptionally good attendance at school or alternative educational provision. Their educational achievement is exceptional, taking into account their individual starting points. Young people are making excellent progress in their training, work experience and education. Social workers report, ‘I have been extremely impressed with the care provided at this placement. Strong support in education and training. All staff appear to have an interest in positive outcomes for children.’

p.7

outstanding

The home provides young people with the equipment they need to support their learning, such as reading materials, books, study area and the use of a personal computer. Staff maintain strong and positive partnerships with the providers of young people’s education. The home provides effective support in education, including access to its own registered school, teaching staff, apprenticeships, training and work experience. As a result, young people have excellent opportunities to pursue their educational goals and aspirations for the future. Personal education plans are in place, however, one young person’s plan is need of review.

p.7

outstanding

Young people’s families report, ‘He has come on leaps and bounds since he has been at this home. He has begun to talk about his problems and attends college. This is because of all the hard work that the staff have put in to making him feel that he can talk about his problems and anything else that is worrying him. I am very grateful.’

p.7

outstanding

Young people benefit from a diverse range of positive activities. They enjoy music lessons, army cadets, going fishing, camping, music concerts, gorge walking and keeping their own pets. These activities enrich the lives of young people and encourage their social skills, interests and hobbies. A parent reports, ‘There is definitely plenty on offer. I know my child enjoys army cadets and his guitar, he also enjoys cooking for others.’

p.7

outstanding

Young people are actively involved in all aspects of their care. They attend group meetings and have regular one to one sessions with staff. This ensures they can influence their care and contribute to the running of their home. Young people know how to make a complaint and have access to advocates, if they need an independent adult to make representations on their behalf. There have been no complaints raised by young people since the previous inspection. Young people report, ‘When I got to know the other kids and staff I settled down. They’ve done a lot for me and have helped me, so much. They give advice and I have learned to get on with it. I’ve matured and realised what mistakes I’ve made, and moved forward. This is the best place I’ve lived. The school staff are really helpful and I did really well in my GCSE’s. I’m now in college and work experience. This is a house where you would want to be taken care of…It’s welcoming, positive

p.7

outstanding

There are effective arrangements to help young people with their independence. School leavers, are engaged in employment, training and work experience and are allowed to take appropriate risks to promote their resilience, growth and natural development. They develop their practical skills in cooking, shopping and budgeting to promote their readiness for adulthood.

p.8

outstanding

Young people are routinely supported to have contact with their friends and families even where, they live a long way from home. Staff facilitate contact taking place so young people can sustain their close relationships with the people who are most important to them.

p.8

outstanding

Parents report, ‘The staff are more than helpful in trying to help contact between me and my son as the distance is sometimes a problem. I would like the staff to know they are appreciated and the manager goes over and above her duty to make sure all the boys are happy and looked after.'

p.8

outstanding

Staff effectively prioritise the needs of young people entrusted in their care. They place their safety at the centre of their practice and demonstrate a good understanding of their needs and vulnerabilities and they take appropriate action, to address them. Young people become increasing safer and benefit from effective support, help and protection.

p.8

outstanding

A social worker reports, ‘There are clear risk assessments in place which are reviewed regularly to ensure the safety of the young people. Staff are well trained and systems are in place to keep young people safe. Staff are always positive and have the children's interests at heart, while managing risk appropriately.’

p.8

outstanding

Significant incidents are reported to the appropriate authorities charged with a duty to protect young people. Highly effective partnerships with children and young people’s services, the police, schools and other safeguarding agencies are maintained to promote the safety of young people. Young people are protected from abuse and all other forms of significant harm.

p.8

outstanding

Risk taking behaviours, such as offending, drug use and going missing from care for lengthy periods, have reduced significantly. When young people do go missing, or are absent without authority, there are effective arrangements to promote their safe return. Risks associated with young people are well known and understood by staff. The use of clear risk assessment, pro-active safe working practice and effective, behaviour management strategies promote the safety of young people so they are less likely, to suffer actual harm.

p.9

outstanding

Young people’s positive behaviour is promoted. Staff are consistent in their approach in implementing clear rules and safe boundaries. They understand how young people’s strong feelings and emotions can often be communicated through difficult behaviour. They anticipate issues, identify triggers and help young people understand the consequences and implications of their own behaviour. The use of restraint is exceptionally rare and, if used at all, it is only ever used to protect young people from harm.

p.9

outstanding

The accommodation is consistently maintained to high quality standards for young people. They benefit from a physically safe, appropriately secure, homely and comfortable living environment. Health and safety matters are addressed effectively to promote a safe environment for young people.

p.9

outstanding

The home benefits from a well-qualified, trained and highly experienced Registered Manager, who exercises strong and effective leadership of the home’s operation. The manager has been in post since July 2009. Senior staff are employed to support the Registered Manager and deputise in her absence. As a result, young people benefit from a home that is managed efficiently and effectively. They report, ‘Christine, she’s a really good manager. You can talk to her, she’s like a second mum really.’

p.9

outstanding

Staff report, ‘The Registered Manager is brilliant in not only the support and care she provides to the young people but also the staff. She puts everything into making sure the young people and staff team are supported.’

p.9

outstanding

The home meets the aims and objectives, as set out, in its Statement of Purpose. It consistently delivers an outstanding quality service for young people and their families. The manager tracks the progress young people make and can evidence considerable change and improvement in their lives. Young people benefit from effective services and the support the home provides them.

p.9

outstanding

There are robust systems in place for monitoring the performance of the home in order to improve outcomes for young people. The manager makes good use of the home’s effective, monitoring activities to secure the home’s improvement and improve, the progress and experiences of young people. There were no requirements or recommendations from the previous inspection.

p.10

outstanding

The Registered Manager and residential staff are consistently ambitious and energetic about continuing improvement. The manager leads the staff team by example and provides them with clear purpose and direction. She stimulates their enthusiasm and channels their efforts effectively in order to achieve the best possible outcomes for young people.

p.10

outstanding

Staff effectively prioritise the needs of young people. They ensure their plans address their needs, hopes and aspirations for the future. Managers and staff actively contribute to young people’s reviews. This enables them to influence and where necessary, challenge, professional decision making where they believe this is in the best interests of the young people.

p.10

outstanding

The training needs of staff are effectively identified and met. They benefit from good quality training to develop their skills and knowledge to meet the specific needs of the young people. They benefit from regular, professional supervision and appraisal from leaders and managers who effectively, support them.

p.10

outstanding

The home maintains highly effective partnerships with the families of young people, their schools, social workers and other agencies to provide them with the best possible help and support. Young people’s families report, ‘The home has helped so much with my nephew, from helping him with day to day life, sorting out college to enable him to do something he has a passion for, but most of all making him feel at ease to speak out and address his problems and issues…The staff do an amazing job with my nephew.’

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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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