Children's Home run by Time-Out Children’s Homes Limited in Calderdale

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 live in a nurturing and supportive environment where they feel safe and enjoy positive relationships with staff.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Young people are provided with very stable placements. This allows them to experience secure attachments and develop trusting relationships.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Care planning is good and as a result young people’s educational, emotional, health and social needs are met. Overall, young people make good progress at this home, particularly in their education and emotional wellbeing.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Consistent monitoring of all aspects of the home's functioning ensures that young people enjoy good quality care. Partnership working is effective in holding others to account and enables young people to get the resources and support they need.

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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

The independent person must produce a report about a visit ('the independent person's report') which sets out, in particular, the independent person's opinion as to whether – children are effectively safeguarded; and the conduct of the home promotes children's well-being (Regulation 44 (4) (a)(b)) 05/02/2016

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):  The behaviour management strategy should be understood and applied at all times by staff, and must be kept under review and revised where appropriate. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 46, paragraph 9.34) This is with specific reference to including how limits on free time will be planned, managed and reviewed.  The report produced under Regulation 45 should clearly identify any actions required for the next 6 months of delivery within the home and how those actions will be addressed. (The Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, page 65 paragraph 15.4)

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Information about this children's home

This is a private children's home. It is registered to take two young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

26/08/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

18/06/2014 Interim Improved effectiveness

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good

The home fully meets the commitment in its Statement of Purpose to provide a nurturing environment in which young people can feel safe and secure. Young people respond well to this; they make good progress from their initial starting points, particularly in education and emotional wellbeing. They enjoy healthier lifestyles and, because of improved psychological health, can invest in themselves and their future.

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good

One young person said that living at the home has been a good thing and that, overall, her life has changed for the better 'especially my education'. Another young person will be going to university later this year. These achievements have been made possible because of the impact of staff intervention, good partnership working and young people's own motivation. A social worker commented that his young person, 'has been very happy and achieved a lot' at the home.

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good

Promoting young people's emotional wellbeing is a fundamental aspect of the home's ethos and informs the day-to-day work of staff. The success of this approach is evident in the way that young people can identify and define their needs and, importantly, recognise when they need more help. This also helps them to become more resilient and gain more confidence. Feeling good about themselves has enabled young people to concentrate on other things, such as their education and wider learning experiences.

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good

Young people welcome the opportunity to speak to the in-house psychologist and say that they find these sessions useful. When they reach a point that they feel they no longer need this intervention, young people continue to be supported in a therapeutic way by staff. This helps to sustain their emotional wellbeing.

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good

Staff are effective in implementing care plans that focus on the individual needs of young people. They understand what needs to be achieved to make sure young people make good progress and enjoy life. This is helped by agreed delegation of authority; this means there are no obstacles to young people being able to get on with their lives.

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good

Young people are now on the cusp of adulthood. They are accomplished in many of the basic skills they will need when they leave the home. They can cook simple meals, manage their finances and deal with household chores.

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good

As with any teenagers, young people have a lot to say and find it easy to make their views known. This ranges from ideas about how things can be improved at the home, to choosing food and activities to how they want to be woken up on a morning.

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good

Young people are within reasonable distance of their placing authorities. This makes it easy to receive visits from their social workers and maintain contact with friends and family members.

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good

Young people say they feel safe here. They are well informed about the risks associated with going missing from the home. This doesn't happen often, but when it does staff act very quickly by following young people and immediately alerting the police. This reduces the amount of time young people are exposed to possible risks such as child sexual exploitation.

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good

Staff work in close co-operation with the police and social workers to prevent these incidents from becoming repeated patterns of behaviour. Through effective key working, young people understand these risks and why staff have to take steps to protect them. One of these measures is a reduction in their 'free time' – time away from the supervision of staff.

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good

This is a part of an agreed and necessary strategy to safeguard young people. The behaviour management policy could be improved to explain how limits on free time will be planned, managed and reviewed.

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good

Overall, young people's behaviour is managed well, with support, care and consistency. Young people have the opportunity to explore and understand their emotions; to reflect and develop their own strategies to manage their behaviour.

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good

A good range of risk assessments address young people's known and likely behaviours. These are regularly reviewed and updated when new concerns emerge. A recommendation to complete the location risk assessment has been met. As a result of these measures, young people are increasingly safe at the home. Judgement grade

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requires improvement

The home has had two acting managers in a very short period of time. Due to personal circumstances, neither could remain in post and so progress to registration. The provider has taken immediate action to fill this vacancy and interim managerial support for the home is in place.

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requires improvement

Although young people have been unhappy with this rapid change, the provider has ensured that the impact on them is minimised. The immediate staff group who have daily care of young people is unchanged. Staff practice continues to have a positive impact on young people and they continue to make good progress across all aspects of their development.

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requires improvement

The last acting manager had identified a number of areas for improvement. He had a good grasp of the situation of young people despite being at the home for only a matter of weeks. He ensured that he promptly addressed a number of shortfalls identified by the independent visitor.

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requires improvement

The visitor's reports provide detailed scrutiny of the home, but do not clearly state that young people are safe. This is a requirement from the last inspection that has not been fully met.

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requires improvement

The previous acting manager produced a six monthly report which incorporated some useful evaluation, but sets no clear action plan for the next six months. A recommendation is set to improve practice in this area.

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requires improvement

The home achieves the aims and objectives outlined in the Statement of Purpose. Staff have continued to receive good quality supervision and training as outlined in this document. Staff say that training is relevant and learning points are readily implemented in their day to day practice with young people. This is a staff team that regularly reviews its practice and learns from any incidents that occur.

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requires improvement

Social workers say that this is a home that they would recommend to others. They complement the home on the quality of their communication and ability to work in partnership with them. Managers have been efficient at pursuing professionals for information and resources; despite the changes in management, good working relationships have been maintained with child protection agencies, education and health services. This helps to provide all round support for young people.

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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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