Children's Home run by Progress Care and Education Limited in Lancashire

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 with complex needs and disabilities make good progress in their emotional wellbeing, education and safety from their individual starting points.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Young people’s families report high levels of satisfaction with the care and support their children receive from the staff.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Young people have enhanced their communication skills, as a result of the effort by staff to understand them better.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Young people are learning from new experiences, such as having their hair cut for the first time, enjoying pantomimes and camping holidays.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Leadership and management is strong and effective, setting high standards of child centred practice, which are followed through by the staff.

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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 that supervision allows sufficient time for the staff to reflect on their practice and the needs of children. (The Guide 13.2 page 61)

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Information about this children's home

This is a privately owned children’s home. It provides care and accommodation for up to four children with learning disabilities. All the children attend the company school.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

02/03/2015 CH - Interim improved effectiveness

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good

This is a good home where young people with complex needs and disabilities experience a nurturing and homely environment in which to settle. Staff are very caring, supportive and encourage young people to reach their potential. They progress in all areas of their life, in particular, their education, learning new skills, emotional and behavioural development.

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good

The staff and young people have forged good relationships together. Despite some staff turnover since the last inspection, at present the team remains stable and some of the core team have worked here for many years. This helps to provide consistency and predictability for young people. A parent commented: ‘They are brilliant, communication is excellent, they couldn’t do anymore.’

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good

The care each young person receives is attentive and respectful. Plans are detailed and underpin care practice. Furthermore, excellent partnership working with young people’s families and partner agencies makes sure that they receive high quality care. Effective relationships with the company school promote their educational development and success.

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good

Young people are supported to express themselves as individuals and their choices are gained through various communication methods such as ‘I pads,’ ‘pictorial exchange’ and ‘sign along’. These strategies are continually developing to respond to each young person’s bids for communication. For example, multi-disciplinary reviews regularly take place for all professionals to share information, interpret behaviour and devise alternative methods for better understanding their uniqueness .

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good

Young people have access to medical expertise to enable them to lead a healthy life. Services are sought and multi-agency working ensures that their health needs including, emotional and behavioural are assessed and met. The staff fully support them to attend appointments and have been successfully in encouraging a young person to attend an appointment for the first time ever.

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good

The staff fully support young people to participate in society overcoming barriers to disability. They participate in a wide range of activities of their choice including: swimming, camping holidays, bicycle riding, sensory centres, trampoline activities, country walks, meals out, theatre and museum trips. These experiences help build their confidence and integrate them within their community. Young people living here are placed outside of their placing authority areas. This has not negatively impacted them as regular, meaningful contact arrangements are in place to continue those important attachments with their families. Moreover, the staff have forged excellent relationships with families, which ensure continuity of care. They also make arrangements directly with them and provide transport and support.

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good

The safety and protection of young people is a focus of care practice. Their families have a strong sense of safety for their children. There are no incidents of young people missing from care or any serious incidents or allegations. Furthermore, all the staff have regular training in safeguarding and fully understand how to protect young people. Policies and procedures are in place to guide staff practice and complement the culture of safety in the home.

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good

The staff fully understand young people’s needs and continually develop and adapt strategies to manage their individual behaviours. Young people at this home on occasion self injure as part of their complex behaviour. Again, these incidents are fully analysed to identify patterns and triggers to prevent further occurrences. Physical interventions with young people are also reducing significantly. Reports of these are fully reviewed by the Registered Manager for their appropriateness and to consider any learning for staff that may be apparent. The deputy manager is also an advanced trainer in a certified method of physical intervention and well informed of the latest research and developments in care practice.

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good

Young people live in a physically safe environment where they are protected by well managed health and safety procedures. Trained experts assess and review fire safety and health and safety matters. Moreover, fire evacuation procedures for each young person are in place. This demonstrates their commitment to keeping young people safe. Judgement grade

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good

The Registered Manager has been in post here since October 2014 and became the Registered Manager in March 2015. She has the necessary skills, qualifications and experience to perform her role. The impact upon the operation of the home is clear. She has brought stability and motivation to the staff team alongside an in- depth knowledge of caring for young people with complex needs and disabilities. This is filtered through to the staff, who are highly complimentary of her effective management.

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good

A child centred ethos is prevalent within the home’s culture and their needs are at the heart of its operation. The staff work as a team and have appropriate skills and experience in working with young people with disabilities. They receive regular training, supervision, appraisal, and team meetings to ensure their competence in caring for young people. Staff are suitably qualified or working towards a recognised qualification.

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good

Young people's care is scrutinised by effective systems of monitoring, which include monthly visits by a designated person in accordance with regulation. The Registered Manager is clear about the strengths and weaknesses of the home and plans for development of the service are realistic. For example, she is intending to further develop communication with young people, as well as creating a sensory garden for young people. All the recommendations have been met since the last inspection. Supervision, appraisals and training are now taking place regularly.

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good

The quality of relationships between the staff and partner agencies are very good. All professionals spoken with during this inspection report high levels of satisfaction at the professional relationship they have and the progress of young people. One social worker said that: ‘I continue to be impressed by the high level of care and commitment shown in order for him to reach his full potential .’

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good

The home's written records are generally good and provide a picture of young people's daily living. The files capture each young person’s progress and are filled with photographs of them enjoying life. Their information is securely stored and shared confidentially to protect their safety and privacy.

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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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