Children's Home run by Searchlight Care Services Ltd in Stoke-on-Trent

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:

 The young person has strong and secure relationships with staff.  Managers ensure that the young person receives consistent care from a small staff team. This means that boundaries are maintained providing stability.  The young person makes continual progress across all areas of his development, including developing emotional resilience.  Staff are skilled in working effectively with professional stakeholders and families. This ensures that the young person’s outcomes are maximised.  The young person feels safe and is safe. He does not go missing and any risk taking behaviours are quickly identified and addressed by staff.  The young person benefits from engaging with local youth groups and developing social and independence skills.  Staff advocate effectively on behalf of the young person so that he receives the services he needs.  Staff support the young person to become increasingly healthy.  There are shortfalls which reflect a lack of monitoring and reviewing by

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The children's home provision is good because:

managers over the quality of care provided to drive forward improvements.

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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

In order to meet the leadership and management standard the registered provider must ensure the: -

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Requirement Due date

2. (h) use of monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. 29/02/2016

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Information about this children's home

The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for two young people with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home consistently provides care for only one young person. The home is privately owned and operated. It is one of a number of small homes operated by this organisation.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

25/02/2015 CH - Interim Sustained effectiveness

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good

The young person has trusted and secure relationships with staff who have known him over a number of years. This provides him with a strong sense of permanence and security. Staff know him well and listen to him. They encourage him to talk about what is difficult. He understands how to complain and staff support him to do this with his placing authority when he is not happy with the response he receives. Staff promote the young person’s contact with family and friends where that is safe and in his best interests. This helps him maintain a sense of identity.

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good

The young person receives individualised care, he is in a solo placement and therefore staff can devote all their attention to promoting his progress. They do this through engaging actively with his college to support his education and work placements. His independent reviewing officer said: ‘Staff support with college has been good when the staff there just weren’t getting him.’ He has achieved entry level qualifications in English and maths and vehicle maintenance and continues to make good progress. Staff support him in achieving the vocational experience he wants in farming including volunteering at a farm over the school holidays.

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good

Staff support the young person to become healthier. They are proactive in addressing health issues, such as smoking cessation, and offering access to specialist services where necessary. Staff encourage the young person’s engagement with youth clubs where he has developed and sustained positive friendships. This represents significant progress. He has also had an opportunity to work as a volunteer youth worker. This promotes his involvement in the local community and his self-confidence.

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good

The young person’s rights are well understood. He has been offered an advocate but has not taken this up as he feels well supported by his staff team. This is recognised by his independent reviewing officer: ‘The placement is very successful. Staff have advocated well on his behalf including in reviews.’ The young person has his friends come to share meals and he has requested they sleep over/he sleeps over with them which is currently being assessed. Staff make good use of their delegated authority to take the young person on holiday.

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good

The young person is clear about his plans. He is secure in the knowledge that staff will be there for him to successfully move on in the future. He is developing the emotional resilience and practical skills to become increasingly independent. Judgement grade

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good

The young person feels safe and staff support him to become increasingly safe. The placing social worker said: ‘…he has a sense of safety and security in the home and really positive relationships with staff.’ Staff respond quickly to new risk taking behaviours and offer their own support, and specialist support, appropriately.

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good

Staff understand the risks associated with internet use and they, and the young person, have completed online training to further their knowledge and understanding. As a result, the young person has made progress in this area and staff are able to allow him to take age appropriate risks in accessing social media.

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good

The young person does not go missing. He has strong relationships with staff who he keeps staff appraised of his whereabouts at all times. He is in frequent contact with them and there has only been one unauthorised absence in the period since the last inspection. Staff understand the general protocols to be followed if he was missing. Staff are aware of issues of sexual exploitation and ensure that the young person understands these risks. Consequently, staff are confident the young person is safe when he is away from the home.

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good

Staff work in partnership with the police. They attend regular forums to keep up to date with potential policing issues which effect the local community and the home. Staff understand child protection procedures to follow should the young person be subject to any harm including allegations against staff. Staff ensure that Ofsted is informed of any significant events which allows the regulator to review and monitor patterns and trends.

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good

The home is managed by a suitably experienced and skilled registered manager who has been in post for 6 years. He holds an appropriate qualification in the level 4 National Vocational Qualification in leadership and management. He also manages two other single placement children’s homes and the day to day running of the home is delegated to the deputy manager. Managers have ensured that previous recommendations have been addressed although, in relation to keeping risk assessments up to date and relevant to understanding the young person’s progress, that was completed during the inspection.

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good

The home operates in accordance with the statement of purpose to ‘implement positive outcomes for young people in terms of being healthy, staying safe, enjoying and achieving, making a positive contribution, achieving economic wellbeing.’ Staff achieve this through working consistently as a team to provide individualised care to one young person which maximises their progress. Managers ensure that the young person’s wishes are at the centre of the home. He is involved in decision-making regarding day to day events such as meals and also more complex decisions regarding staffing. There has been a small, consistent staff team which has contributed to the young person’s strong sense of security. Recently staff changes have been necessary and the young person has coped well. This reflects the progress he has made. Managers support the young person to complain about services where he is not satisfied with the response. This ensures

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good

that the young person receives the service he needs.

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good

Managers ensure that staff are safely recruited and vetted. They receive an appropriate induction to the home and are therefore well prepared to meet the young person’s needs. Staff receive regular supervision both formally and informally which meets their needs. Their training is up to date and reflects the needs of the young person.

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good

Managers understand the strengths of the home, however, weaknesses are not always well recognised and monitoring of the quality of care has not led to continuous improvement. For example, the fence has needed repairing for months, this is evident to the independent visitor, staff and the young person. This is important as the home borders a busy petrol station. The registered manager has insufficient oversight of what is taking place in the home and in ensuring that there is robust monitoring. He has the capacity to rectify these shortfalls.

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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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