Children's Home run by Care Focus Limited in Essex

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 from their starting positions. Achieving good emotional well-being is a priority.  Education attendance and progression is a focal point.  Young people feel safe and well cared for. As a result they come to accept the help resulting in behavioural change.  Professional working relationships with placing authorities are effective.  The home has a new registered manager who is supportive and has developed good relationships with staff and young people.  Family contact is supported and progressed.  Young people develop good meaningful relationships with staff.  There are some minor shortfalls in records maintained in the home such as updating of risk assessments, supervision records, and completion of annual appraisals. Some staff are lacking in some of the required induction training being provided in a timely manner.

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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 registered person must ensure that all employees - undertake appropriate continuing professional development; receive practice related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4) (a) (b)(c)) 01/03/2016

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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

 Ensure a note of the content and or outcomes of supervision sessions is kept for each member of staff and ensure that both the person giving the supervision and the staff member have a copy of the record (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 61 paragraph 13.4)  Ensure staff are familiar with the homes policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording with specific reference to maintaining risk assessments for young people who self-harm (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 62 paragraph 14.4)  Ensure there is a workforce plan which can fulfil the workforce related requirements of regulation 16, schedule 1 (paragraph 19 and 20). The plan should: Detail the processes and agreed timescales for staff to achieve induction into the home, probation and any core training (The guide to the Quality Standards, page 53 paragraph 10.8)

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Information about this children's home

This home is one of a small group, run by an independent provider. Staff offer individualised care and support for up to four young women. Teachers provide education within the setting. Young people can access direct therapeutic intervention through the provider.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

02/09/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

02/10/2014 Interim Declined in effectiveness

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Good

Young people receive good quality individualised care from motivated and engaged staff who enjoy what they do. One young person said: ‘Although the young people live here as a group all of the staff know us and treat us as individuals and that makes a big difference.’

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Good

Young people make notable progress from their starting points. They develop trusting relationships with individual staff. In turn, this gives them the confidence to accept help and engage with a range of other services. For example, young people routinely access therapeutic support provided through the provider. This helps them to improve their understanding of their circumstances and develop self- awareness. They also regularly access a range of external services such as the looked after nurse, general practitioner and other specialist health services. This helps them to increase their awareness of issues which have an impact for young people universally. The result for the young people living in this home is an overall improvement in self-presentation and self-care skills. One placing local authority social worker said: ‘They know my young person really well and how to work with her. She has made really good relationships with staff. My hope is that she can

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Good

Attendance at, and engagement with education progresses. One parent said: ‘My child is now regularly going to school and getting on with lessons which is a great improvement.’ The home works with education staff to identify where additional help is required. Together they advocate, for example, to access extra tuition or work experience. Young people benefit from the encouragement staff give them to engage with supplementary educational activities. This helps them to realise their potential and to prepare them for their future.

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Good

Young people benefit from regular contact with family. Staff consistently help to facilitate arrangements. They proactively look for opportunities to work with the placing authority to identify where contact could be increased. This helps young people to maintain their identity and strengthen extended family relationships.

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Good

Staff closely supervise young people ensuring that they have purpose and are busy. They thrive from the routine and structure provided while having ample opportunity to influence and shape personal plans. Staff routinely invite them to contribute to, and share their opinions about the running of the home. This helps them to feel valued and to practice domestic responsibility within a safe environment. Young people have fun with staff. They engage in a range of different activities in and out of the home including cultural celebrations, gym, walking, youth club, board games, and knitting. They receive help to explore personal tastes and interests, for example, in music. They develop an understanding of issues impacting on wider society because they learn about and support national charities. Some young people take part in sponsored silences and bake to raise money. This helps to increase awareness and progress in organisation skills.

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Good

Young people feel safe and well cared for. A member of staff said: ‘All the staff are on the same page. We all want the best outcomes for the young people.’ One young person said: ‘The staff here are very caring and they do a really good job. I could not ask anything more of them.’

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Good

Missing continues to be sporadic and has again recently reduced to zero. One young person said: ‘I don’t go missing here because I know the staff would not want that.’ Staff are responsive, taking any incidents or possibilities of missing or unauthorised absence very seriously. They are fully aware of their responsibilities and follow local protocols to ensure young people’s expedient return to the home. When managers and leaders assess that young people cannot be safe within the structure provided, they take decisive action to ensure the well-being of the wider group. This means that they are prepared to take difficult decisions to make sure young people’s needs remain in focus.

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Good

Physical intervention continues to be is unusual. When used, it is as a last resort to keep young people safe from harming themselves or others.

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Good

Young people at risk of causing self-harm receive help and support to make progress. One young person said: ‘I used to harm myself but I have not done that since I came to this home.’ A representative from an external agency said: ‘My young person does continue to harm herself but the frequency has reduced significantly.’ Staff are sympathetic and attentive to those young people who cause self-injury. They complete risk assessments, however, this inspection identified that updates do not contain all pertinent information. Should staff on shift be unaware of each young person’s current vulnerabilities this has the potential to have an impact on their ability to safeguard.

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Good

Senior managers have developed an effective structure, easily understood by the young people, designed to encourage each young person to achieve. Boundaries and expectations are clear. Staff employ a range of creative strategies to engage, distract, and coax young people to behave and participate. Because they know what staff expect, they frequently come round and take part in their placement plan. In time, they come to expect to have their efforts recognised and rewarded. The result is frequently stability and positive behavioural change.

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Good

Supported by senior external managers the homes manager has been in post since the last interim inspection and registered with Ofsted in September 2015. He is near to completing the required level five management and leadership qualification. The manager is caring, responsive and has successfully developed good relationships with both young people and staff. One young person said: ‘The manager is fantastic here. He is willing to listen and give good advice.’ A member of staff said: ‘We can go to him about anything and feel that he really makes a difference.’ This means that he is approachable and he is having a positive impact across the home.

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Good

The regulations from the previous inspection have been fully met.

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Good

Representatives spoken to and records sampled evidence that the managers and leaders make successful endeavours to engage and build relationships with the range of professionals who visit the home. This ensures that young people have access to all of the support that they need to progress from their starting points. One agency said: ‘Communication is good and consistent. The manager makes sure that I follow through on what I should.’ This shows that there is a proactive approach to moving things forward for the young people.

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Good

There has been some changes in the team and the registered manager has ensured the young people receive explanation. The provider arranges general induction for new staff into the company. However, arrangements for induction into this home vary, and a consistent approach linked to a workforce plan, was not evident during this inspection. Staff receive supervision and have the opportunity for informal discussion with the managers and leaders. However, arrangements fall short because staff do not routinely receive written notes. These shortfalls have no direct impact for young people.

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Good

Annual appraisals sampled had not yet taken place in line with regulation. While staff have access to training such as fire marshal, first aid and safeguarding. In view of the issues that the young people living in the home bring, the breadth of training attended at the time of inspection by some of the team falls short. For example, a number of staff have not received training in child sexual exploitation. Furthermore, less than 25% have achieved the required level 3 qualification. This represents a shortfall in regulation because these arrangements imply that employees do not yet have access to sufficient routes for professional supervision development.

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Good

External monitoring of the home helps the manager and leaders to identify and make plans to act upon areas for improvement. Combined with quality assurance systems, all of these processes inform the homes development strategy which identifies a broad range of areas for action. This means that the registered manager is developing his awareness of the homes strengths and weaknesses. He is keen to work with staff and senior managers to address the shortfalls to ensure there is no direct impact 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

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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