Children's Home run by Roundhouse Care in Staffordshire

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 progress in all areas of their development.  Staff are experienced. Each young person receives very good quality care from staff.  Relationships between young people and staff are excellent and young people feel supported and valued.  All young people are in education. They make progress and communication between home and school is good.  The home environment is warm and welcoming with young people’s contributions evident in each area.  Young people are treated with dignity and respect.  The manager and staff are proactive in relation to young people’s health needs.  There are a few shortfalls in some areas of practice. This includes not all staff being fully familiar with child protection procedures, young people being admitted outside of the home’s statement of purpose and staff training.

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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, in particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure –

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Requirement Due date

(vii) are familiar with and act in accordance with, the home's child protection policies. 19/02/2016

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the care planning standard, in particular the standard in paragraph (1)

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Requirement Due date

Requires the registered person to ensure –

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Requirement Due date

(2)(a) that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. 19/02/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees undertake appropriate professional development (Regulation 33(4)(a)). 19/02/2016

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Information about this children's home

This home, which is operated by a private provider, is registered to provide care and accommodation for three young people with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

07/05/2014 CH - Interim Improved effectiveness

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good

Young people develop positive, warm and nurturing relationships with staff. They are treated with dignity and respect. They say, ‘It is the best place to live!’ Social Workers say, ‘She has made great progress. Staff have been wonderful and made a great difference’.

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good

The quality of individualised care provided for young people is very good. Positive relationships between young people and staff are a foundation for ensuring their progress. Taking into account their starting points, young people make significant progress in all areas of their development.

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good

Staff encourage positive behaviour. This approach is reinforced through individual key work sessions and young people’s meetings. Young people begin to understand how negative behaviour impacts on their well-being. They learn to take turns and enjoy each other’s company enhancing an understanding of respecting others and valuing peers and adults.

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good

All young people attend school and make progress with their educational attainment. Attendance is very good and young people are supported by staff to complete homework improving their educational prospects and abilities.

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good

Where young people have complex health needs, liaison with and communication between staff and health professionals is excellent. In addition, young people’s emotional well-being is addressed at each stage to minimise distress and anxiety. For example, where hospital visits are necessary. Staff work closely with young people involved and ensure their full involvement in planning their care. Consequently, they feel reassured as their voice is heard and their views are known and understood.

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good

Young people enjoy a fantastic assortment of extra-curricular activities. These include dance, guides, youth club, gymnastics and other outings. Young people say that they enjoy their clubs, and love to see their friends. Staff comment that young people have developed in maturity – progressing from needing close supervision at activities to increased independence. Young people’s self-esteem and confidence improves as a result. In addition, young people have free time at home where they relax, watch television or DVDs. Young people learn how to amuse themselves without always relying on adults. Resilience and ability to manage routines and free time increases. Young people live in a warm, very well decorated and homely environment. Their bedrooms are decorated to personal taste and reflect individual personalities. Communal areas are well resourced, welcoming and relaxing and young people say that they like their home.

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good

All young people are involved in the running of the home. They contribute ideas to menus and planning social and leisure events. Where appropriate, young people develop age appropriate skills including helping with chores at mealtimes, keeping their rooms clean and tidy and budgeting skills. Some have independence plans which monitor progress towards independence targets. Young people’s development is monitored and additional support is in place where necessary to ensure consistent progress.

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good

Young people maintain contact with their families where possible. This ensures that important links are retained and assists young people’s self-knowledge about their backgrounds and identity. Young people invite their friends to their home and are encouraged to have positive and fun experiences with friends. Young people value their environment and their sense of belonging is improved.

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good

Young people say they feel safe at the home. Positive and supportive relationships between young people and staff means that young people approach staff and know that they will listen to them. Staff know each young person well, and understand their strengths and vulnerabilities. Young people are well protected as staff take action to minimise identified risks. Young people are effectively supported by carefully assessed individualised risk assessments. This information is reviewed and monitored regularly to ensure that it is up to date and relevant to each young person. Changes are effectively communicated within the staff team meaning that a consistent and caring approach is maintained for the benefit of young people. There are no incidents of young people going missing from care or being sexually exploited as staff ratios, supervision and support is always in place. Staff work very well together to support young people’s behaviour. Positive

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good

behaviour is consistently promoted and young people develop self-confidence and their communication skills improves with the support of staff. They learn how to talk to staff if they are anxious or worried about anything thus avoiding a heightening of anxiety and behaviour. Young people are supported to take age appropriate risks, such as learning how to travel or shop independently. Close liaison with the young person and their professional network means that if changes need to be made to plans, these can be addressed quickly and proactively avoiding unnecessary distress for young people. Young people’s safety is further promoted through the appropriate vetting of staff. There are effective and safe recruitment practices in place which mean young people are protected from adults who may wish to harm them. Young people benefit from living in a home that has a safe and secure environment. Regular safety checks ensure that the equipment poses no risks to

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good

young people. Fire drills are regularly completed and fire equipment serviced to ensure that it functions properly. All staff and young people are conversant with the fire drills and the need for evacuations from time to time to maintain vigilance and safety for all.

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good

Not all staff are confident about the safeguarding policy relating to allegations against staff. Consequently, the safety of young people is placed at risk by staff not having sufficient knowledge to protect them from harm.

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requires improvement

The Registered Manager is suitably qualified and experienced. He has worked for many years in residential care settings and he holds a National Vocational Qualification level 4 in leadership and management. He is focussed on the welfare and protection of young people in his care. There are a number of areas that require improvement. The Statement of Purpose does not accurately reflect the current service provided to young people. For example, the home provides a short break service for one young person. The statement of purpose does not include this aspect of service provision and does not consider the impact on young people who live at the home in long term placements.

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requires improvement

The home is registered for young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties. Some young people living at the home also have learning disabilities and complex needs. Not all staff are trained in understanding these needs and as consequence lack knowledge which can inform practice.

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requires improvement

The management team regularly monitors the quality of care provided and seeks feedback from young people, professionals and families about the care provided at the home. Young people feel involved as they know that their opinions and views matter and that adults listen to them.

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requires improvement

The registered manager welcomes external scrutiny. Monthly independent monitoring visits inform the registered manager of progress and areas for development relating to all aspects of young people’s care. The registered manager has clear ideas about the strengths and areas of development for the home, including developing the physical environment and increasing young people’s involvement. The registered manager has plans in place to progress these developments meaning that the service continues to improve for the benefit of young people.

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requires improvement

The registered manager and team work well with the wider professional network to secure good outcomes for young people. Social Workers reported very positively about the good service provided by the home and about the good quality reports received from staff. One said, ‘I am kept informed and the reports from staff are of good quality’.

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requires improvement

Where young people have not settled in their placement, managers liaise with other professionals to ensure the safety of all young people. Consequently, young people’s distress or upheaval is minimised as difficulties are resolved as speedily as possible.

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requires improvement

Case records have been improved and written in a format accessible to young people. This gives them greater understanding of their records and reinforces positive memories of their time at the home.

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requires improvement

All staff receive supervision monthly in line with the organisation’s policy. This provides staff with opportunities to discuss any concerns they have about practice or young people’s needs. Young people receive good coordinated care as staff are supported and challenged. In addition, staff receive annual appraisals where they discuss performance and targets for the following year. Young people benefit as staff are supported and challenged in aspects of their practice. There were no requirements or recommendations made at the last inspection.

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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. 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

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What the inspection judgements mean

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 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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