Children's Home run by Prestige Adolescent Care and Education Limited in Cheshire East

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:

 Staff build strong and effective relationships with children that help them to feel loved and wanted.  The home is well-maintained and homely. Children feel a sense of belonging in the home and say they are happy there.  Children enjoy their lives and develop confidence and skills through positively engaging in a wide range of activities that meet their individual needs.  Children are safe in the home and feel safe.  The home works closely with partner agencies and parents to promote children’s welfare and safety.  Children’s voices are at the centre of the home’s practice.  Children have good experiences and outcomes and learn the practical skills they need for future independent living.  The registered manager competently leads a dedicated staff team.  Where the home is not meeting a child’s needs, for example, their safety needs, the home works with the placing authority and staff advocate for the

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The children's home provision is good because:

child to identify a more suitable placement so that children move on in a planned and positive way.

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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

13: The leadership and management standard

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that – (b) promotes children’s welfare. (2) In particular, the standard requires the registered person to - (h) use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. This is specifically in relation to reducing the high level of restraint and sanctions used. 30/01/2016

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Requirement Due date

13: The leadership and management standard

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Requirement Due date

The L&M standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that – (b) promotes children’s welfare. (2) In particular, the standard requires the registered person to - (f) understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home. This is in relation to improving staff members’ understanding of individual children’s needs and developing their parenting skills to enable them to respond effectively to challenging behaviour and form strong bonds with individual children. 30/01/2016

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Information about this children's home

The home is privately run and is registered for four children 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

02/07/2014 CH - Interim sustained effectiveness

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good

The home is extremely child-focused and places children’s well-being firmly at the centre of all its practice. Children receive highly personalised care that suits their individual needs. Key worker sessions are held frequently and in a way that supports children to reflect on their lives and learn better ways of dealing with life’s challenges. For example, children who have been exposed to child sexual exploitation in previous placements, learn how to recognise grooming and develop self-esteem, self-respect and an understanding of what a loving relationship involves. Children’s health is very well promoted. They receive the treatment and medicines they need and staff are knowledgeable about children’s individual health matters. The home work closely in partnership with health professionals to support the health of children with complex health problems. Consequently, children receive the best possible health support and treatment. Children enjoy

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good

a healthy, well-balanced diet. Smoking is not permitted and children who smoke and misuse substances benefit from support both from staff and from specialist agencies, which helps to reduce this behaviour. Children have excellent attendance at school and most achieve good educational outcomes, from their starting points. Staff take children to and collect them from school and support them to complete their homework. Children recognise that staff value their education and speak frequently to their teachers so that all professionals are working together to support each child. A child’s relative said, ‘She is doing really well. I’ve never known her to be so enthusiastic about school before’! Children enjoy participating in extra-curricular activities including after school clubs and drama groups, including Christmas productions. Where school placements break down, the home works closely with schools and the Virtual

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good

Head to make sure that children’s education needs are prioritised so that they are reintegrated into school as soon as possible. Children engage in a wide range of hobbies and activities in the community. This helps them to widen their experiences and develop their talents, interests and self-confidence. They enjoy baking and gardening and staff support them to keep their rooms tidy and clean so they learn the skills they need for future independent living, in an age appropriate way. Older children are supported to take driving lessons so they are well prepared for the workplace. Transitions to and from the home are well-managed. This helps reduce children’s anxiety and makes them feel welcome and wanted. Children receive a copy of the children’s guide which they report is informative and suitable for their use. Children develop strong relationships with staff and benefit from nurturing care and friendly banter. For example, a child explained, ‘I love it here. Staff are the

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good

best thing. They are funny and I like having a big cuddle. They try to cheer you up if you are feeling down.’ Children are proud of the home and feel they belong there, recognising that staff care about them and want the best for them. For example, one child said, ‘It’s lovely. I really love it here. Staff are kind and look after me really well.’ Another child’s relative explained, ‘They are very hospitable. It’s like visiting her in her own home. She is very happy and settled there’. This has been recognised by the children’s advocacy group, the Voice of the Child, who, in conjunction with the local authority have presented the home with an award for being ‘the homeliest home’. The organisation’s therapist works therapeutically with some children and advises staff on the best way to support those children, which enhances their progress. These children have made significantly good progress in regulating

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good

their emotions; in particular, in reducing their anger and anxiety levels and enabling them to deal with life’s challenges more effectively. For example, a child explained, ‘I used to be very angry all the time and I wanted to go home all the time but now I’m hardly ever angry. I feel happy.’ One child receives therapy from other sources but their progress is less good. Staff do not receive good guidance about how to respond most effectively to their particular challenging behaviour nor how to parent them in the best possible way. . The home promotes contact with families and helps children to maintain positive relationships with family members where this is in their best interests. For example, staff supervise phone calls and contact visits as necessary for some children. For others, they enable video contact and transport children long distances so they can enjoy and benefit from time with extended family.

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good

Professionals report this is a good home. They value the high levels of support children receive that enables good experiences and outcomes.

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good

Individual risk assessments support staff to identify risks to children’s safety and mitigate against them. These are regularly and frequently reviewed, as are children’s placement plans. Staff keep up to date with children’s plans and know the personal safety risks for each child. Children become increasingly safe as they significantly reduce missing behaviour and substance misuse. The incidence of children going missing is low and staff are highly proactive in their efforts to locate and return those children who occasionally go missing. Access to the internet is fully supervised until children have a good understanding of the risks associated with social media and know how to stay safe. All children report they feel very safe at the home. The environment is physically safe and well maintained. One child said, ‘I feel very safe here. We did the fire safety thing on the first day I came and staff make sure I know things and know

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good

how to get out if there’s an emergency.’ Children report there is no bullying although they do squabble and there have been times when staff have intervened to prevent bullying. One child described this, saying, ‘You don’t get bullied here - if there is any bullying, staff take charge. They don’t allow it.’ A police sergeant, familiar with the home, said, ‘I am very impressed. I have been involved in strategy meetings following allegations made by a child. The home’s reports of incidents are of a really good quality, totally transparent. They show safety is paramount. The staff are all excellent. They have clear strategies to deal with incidents and they share the learning with the whole team and use it to improve the way they work with other children. They use de-escalation appropriately and show what action they have taken in response to triggers - I can’t rate them highly enough.’

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good

Children are consulted about their daily lives. There are clear boundaries which they know and mostly follow. Behaviour management strategies are consistently implemented but there is a very high use of sanctions and restraint. While restraint is only used to prevent serious assault and danger to staff and children, the frequency of its use is of concern. Records do not indicate that its use is carefully reviewed and fully reflected on to consider whether alternative, earlier interventions could have prevented the need for restraint. More needs to be done to increase staff’ parenting skills and reduce the use of this behaviour management strategy, which is not successful in altering children’s behaviour. Similarly, the effectiveness of particular sanctions is not evaluated well so some children continue to receive sanctions that are not restorative in nature and do not lead to improved behaviour.

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good

An experienced and qualified registered manager has been in post since the home opened in 2013. She drives improvement in the home by continually prioritising children’s needs and working effectively with other agencies. This ensures, in most cases, children get the support they need across all areas of their development. The manager challenges other agencies, as appropriate, when they do not meet their obligations to children. Most children make good progress from their starting points. The statement of purpose was updated in April 2015 and a copy was provided to Ofsted. It reflects the work of the home. Previous recommendations have been mostly met and staff are clear about how to respond to an allegation or disclosure of abuse. Several allegations against staff have been made by children. All have been fully investigated and found to be unfounded. All staff receive appropriate levels of induction, supervision and core training.

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good

Staff report they are very well supported and supervised and that staff morale is high and team work is good. Partner agencies and parents say the staff are friendly and communication is very good. The home keeps them well-informed about children’s progress and any significant incidents. Staff make effective contributions to placement plans and reviews. Staff have received further training in looking after children with attachment difficulties. This is in response to a recommendation made at the last inspection to support staff to develop the skills and competencies necessary to understand children's behaviour and intervene constructively. Although most children make good progress, not all staff have the very high level of knowledge and skills necessary to ensure the best responses to a minority of children’s complex and challenging behaviour. In particular, some staff do not have the understanding and parenting skills to respond in the most effective way to children who have

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good

suffered high levels of early trauma or have significant attachment disorders. This means that for a minority of children, progress is slow and limited. A recommendation to review incidents of challenging behaviour has been addressed but more needs to be done to ensure trends, patterns or issues emerging from incidents are fully reviewed. Current reflective practice has not been sufficient to substantially reduce the reliance on restraint and sanctions.

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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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