Children's Home run by G B A Care 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 make individual progress across many areas of their lives such as in education, managing their emotions and developing positive relationships with family members.  Young people become increasingly safe through living at the home. Previous behaviours such as drug and alcohol use significantly decreases, and for many, ceases altogether. Young people make safer choices and missing from home incidences reduce or cease altogether.  Staff act as effective advocates for young people to ensure they receive the services and the support they need from other agencies. Young people’s educational needs are met and they develop aspirations for their futures.  Young people develop healthy routines that support their educational, emotional and physical development. The consistent and stable care that young people experience helps them to trust the adults who care for them.

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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 review the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the premises used for the purposes of the children's home at least once in each calendar year taking into account the requirement in regulation 12(2)(c) (the protection of children standard). (Regulation 46(1)) 13/02/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children ("a quality of care review") at least every 6 months. (Regulation 45(1)) 13/02/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must- supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed. (Regulation 45(4)(a)) 13/02/2016

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):  For children's homes to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children, they will in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 15, paragraph 3.9) With particular reference to the bathroom fittings being renewed or repaired.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff can access appropriate facilities and resources to support their training needs. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 53, paragraph 10.11) In particular, that staff receive refresher or further training on the model of care adopted by the home.

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Information about this children's home

This service is a privately run children's home. The home provides care and accommodation for up to four male children or young people with emotional and/or behaviour difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

17/06/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

03/07/2014 Interim Improved effectiveness

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good

Young people make good progress from their starting points in both attending and achieving in education. All young people are in appropriate education and many are developing aspirations for their future. The staff work hard at ensuring that suitable educational provisions are identified and that young people value the role that education plays in their lives. Attendance is high and young people say they enjoy education. For many, this is a significant improvement from their previous experiences of prolonged non-school attendance. Social workers commented, ‘He now attends school for the first time in 4 or 5 years. For him to attend at all is a big turnaround.’ ‘Previously his education and attendance wasn’t good, and now he is making good progress’ and, ‘For him to be attending has been really positive. He has complex needs and the placement are really good with him.’ The staff offer consistent boundaries and patient responses to young people’s

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good

complex needs and challenging behaviours. Through this, they learn over time to build trust and positively manage their emotions. When young people’s progress falters, staff work hard with other professionals to improve the care that is offered and meet their changing needs. As a result, young people experience care that continues to offer positive regard and emotional support. One social worker commented, ‘Outcomes have been very positive without a doubt. He enjoys being there. He shares his humour with staff and they have a high regard for him.’

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good

Young people’s views are important to the staff and they actively advocate on their behalf. As a result, some young people have increased contact with people who are important to them. Through their identity needs being addressed, young people cease to go missing and the need for physical intervention has dropped significantly. One social worker commented, ‘They really listened to him and how his family life was important to him. He has really thrived.’

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good

The good level of care that young people receive has a positive impact upon their self-esteem and willingness to look after themselves. Through consistent support, young people develop and maintain good routines that improve their physical and emotional development. Young people are offered a range of individual leisure activities to support their social and emotional development. A social worker commenting on the progress for one young person and said, ‘Previously he would not wash, or take a shower. Now he is clean. He would damage his room; rip the wallpaper, store urine in a bottle. Now he keeps his room tidy and he is eating well and has a good diet .’ Staff support young people to develop the social skills that they require to make a successful transition into adulthood. They learn to manage alternative views and opinions in a positive way, alongside acquiring the essential practical skills such as,

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good

negotiating public transport, laundry tasks and budgeting. Through responding to young people’s needs on an individual level, young people are willing to engage with the growing demands of late adolescence and are better prepared for their futures. One social worker commented, ‘They are very alert to his needs and the independent skills he needs to develop. They are very flexible in how they persuade him.’ Another social worker said, ‘I have to say that he has changed enormously and matured. He has managed his frustrations and discontent far better than he used to. He has good relationships with staff and he listens to them. I have been very impressed with (the home).’

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good

The good quality care offers young people stability, clear boundaries and consistency. One social worker commented, ‘His experiences at the home have been very, very positive. Prior to this we, and the previous placement, were really struggling with him. He has come a long way.’

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good

All young people identify staff who they trust and feel listen to their views and feelings. Staff work hard at resolving in a positive way any disagreements that effect the overall positive relationships that exist between staff and young people. Despite the challenges, staff are unfaltering in their positive regard and their support. One social worker commented, ‘X has a heightened sense of what is just and unjust and they listen to that and are able to explain the reasons why things might happen.’

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good

Young people develop socially, grow in self-awareness and are aware that others may have alternative views. One social worker commented, ‘He is getting better at acknowledging other people’s point of view. This is a biggie for me, that he recognises that others have a different point of view.’

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good

On the whole, the home is well-furnished and maintained and provides a welcoming environment for young people. Bedrooms are decorated to reflect their interests and personalities and they are encouraged to assist in re-painting. Such activities give young people a sense of ownership over the home. There are however areas in the home that require attention, such as the bathroom fittings that need renewing or repairing.

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good

Young people become consistently and increasingly safe through living at the home. Behaviours that previously posed a risk to their safety significantly diminish or cease. Young people experience care from staff that ensures they feel cared about and that their safety is a priority. A social worker commenting on the progress of one young person and said, ‘I must say I can do nothing but praise them – he has turned a corner. He was described as a street child, dirty, dishevelled, not going to school for years. He has totally changed his life around.’ Another social worker said, ‘Prior to this (placement) ‘X’ was in absolute crisis and totally, totally out of control. He was missing most of the time, out on the streets, taking drugs.’

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good

The staff employ strategies of persuasion and consistent messages, alongside following plans for managing risks. They know where young people are and where they should be. They are extremely active in searching for and locating young people when incidences of missing from home occur. These actions are underpinned by solid working relationships and open communication with other key professionals. This approach ensures that risks are fully understood and professionals take a shared approach to managing risk and formulating plans.

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good

The safety of young people is a priority. The manager ensures that the police are aware of any young person new to the home and appropriately shares information in order to assist planning and any future response. The police missing from home coordinator commented, ‘The home themselves do a lot of enquiries, they actively send people out looking. I’ve never had any issues with the home and I do speak with them quite regularly.’

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good

Over time, young people learn to manage their emotions in a positive way and behaviours that would have necessitated physical intervention from staff diminish. One Independent Reviewing Officer (IRO) commented, ‘He is very much more under control, it is very positive.’ A social worker commented, ‘His behaviour isn’t wonderful but there has been such a huge progress, especially his emotional life.’

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requires improvement

The manager provides effective leadership to her committed staff team and is both enthusiastic and driven to achieve good outcomes for young people. She is open to receiving advice in order to make improvements to the services and support offered. The manager was appointed in March 2015 and is currently making an application to become registered.

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requires improvement

At the previous inspection two requirements were made, one requiring notifications to be sent to Ofsted without delay and another to update the statement of purpose with details of the therapeutic input. These have now been met.

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requires improvement

The manager has insight into the strengths and weaknesses of the home and has formal and informal mechanisms in place to monitor the quality of care that is provided. However, the manager’s report, as determined by Regulation 45, has not been sent to Ofsted; was not available in printed format for staff to access and was not readily located by the manager. This limits the impact of the quality review and its role in developing plans for the home. In addition, the location assessment for the home has not been reviewed in a timely manner and therefore new or diminished risks have not been considered.

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requires improvement

The staff and manager are embedding the recently adopted model of care into the ethos of the home and practice is being reinforced through regular liaison with a psychologist. However, in-depth understanding of this model varies amongst staff. This means not all staff have a full and detailed understanding of the model of care they implement.

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requires improvement

Young people make good immediate progress and over the longer term they make progress across all aspects of their development. With continued support from an allocated psychologist, staff work hard to fully understand the complex behaviours of young people and are reflective of the approaches taken. The staff adopt a cohesive approach to the care of young people that ensures consistency and stability. One social worker commenting on the positive approach taken by staff said, ‘The home have provided a caring home environment. They all give the same message, they all say the same thing, they all reinforce.’ Professionals considered that the staff and the manager are active in their communication, timely in seeking meetings/discussions and, challenge other agencies when responses are not effective.

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requires improvement

Staff receive focused support via the formal supervision process and informal access to the manager on a daily basis. They feel emotionally supported to fulfil their role and this is further supported through training that covers a range of issues such as child sexual exploitation, self-injurious behaviour and substance misuse.

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requires improvement

When young people’s progress falters, the manager and staff are keen to identify the underlying reasons, liaise with other professionals and make adjustments in order to support continuous progress. One IRO commenting on efforts made to address a young person’s changing needs said, ‘It has been quite challenging but he had settled in and they had made changes in the staff team which positively influenced X’s responses.’ The social worker added, ‘There is always someone that is there for him and the manager recognises that there are underlying reasons.’

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requires improvement

Managers have identified the possible challenges of a small provider, in terms of limitation of staff numbers and over-familiarisation. In response to these challenges, they have recently taken measures to seek external challenge, scrutiny and advice. The full effects of this development have yet to be realised, although some changes have already been adopted, such as a formalised escalation process with local authorities to obtain required documentation.

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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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