Children's Home run by Care Focus Limited in Essex

Outstanding

The children's home provides highly effective services that consistently exceeds the standards of good. The actions of the home contribute to significantly improved outcomes for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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The children's home provision is outstanding because:

 Young people make exceptional progress from their starting points.  Staff successfully apply the social pedagogy approach  Young people are aware of the progress that they make and feel proud because they see that their lives are improved.  Young people engage in education and make progress.  Young people learn how to cooperate effectively with others.  Young people learn that to go missing has an impact on their safety; this behaviour reduces dramatically.  Young people learn new skills in managing anger and expectation.  Young people lead healthy, energetic, and busy lifestyles.  Parents feel included and well informed of their child’s progress.  The registered manager is an exceptional individual who is highly dedicated and committed to enriching the young people’s lives.  The staff team are energetic, creative, fun and attune to the needs of each of the young people.  The staff team understand the aims and objectives of the statement of

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The children's home provision is outstanding because:

purpose and apply the approach outlined.  External agencies praise the work of the home and recognise the progress that their young people make.  One shortfall in quality standards has no impact for young people.

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s): Ensure that all staff have their performance and fitness to carry out their role formally appraised at least one annually. With specific reference to, where staff move within the organisation, ensure the manager for the home the member of staff is working in has access to the annual appraisal. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 61 paragraph 13.5)

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Information about this children's home

This privately run home is registered to provide care for up to four young women with emotional and or behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

11/08/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Outstanding

Young people make significant and meaningful improvements from their starting points. Using knowledge from recent research into practice staff apply the social pedagogy approach to coach and care for young people. This ensures that the young people experience warm, yet professional relationships with the staff who work together effectively.

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Outstanding

Those who leave the service, receive unconditional advice and guidance to help them to move on and to make important decisions. This reflects the behaviour of a responsible and supportive parent. One stakeholder said: ‘I think that they produce really good outcomes for young people leaving care.’

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Outstanding

Since the last full inspection all young people are new to the home. They each come with significant histories of missing, violence, and social vulnerability. Living in the home has transformed their lives. They are emotionally and physically safe, thriving and looking forward. One young person said: ‘This home is a delight. I cannot say enough about the help that all the staff give me. I get angry and hit out at others. I can see now that’s not the way to do things. I see this as my second home.’

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Outstanding

Access to and engagement with a range of health services enables young people to slow down and prioritise their physical and emotional well-being resulting in improved appearance and health. One placing social worker said: ‘My young person is definitely making strides.’

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Outstanding

All young people, some of whom have been unable to engage with education for a number of years, are attending school daily. One member of staff said: ‘ We always encourage them in the classroom.’ All young people receive the individualised help that they need to identify their academic and vocational potential from an engaged and creative staff team. Preparing CV’s enables them to think about what future employers may be looking for. This enables young people to see beyond their current circumstances and consider their future.

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Outstanding

Young people have regular opportunity to contribute to the running of the home and to express their views about the targets set in placement plans. They take part in bespoke activities which reflect their individual personality and interest such as horse riding, singing lessons and army cadets. This motivates and inspires them towards reaching their potential and recognising their unique worth. Staff go above and beyond to ensure that young people spend time and communicate with those who are important to them. They professionally and creatively ensure that the contact plans identified by the placing authority come to life and receive priority. The approach safeguards young people and places value on identity. One parent said: ‘I keep in touch every day. My daughter is doing really well there. The staff deal with her really well. The structure, routines and the way that they manage her behaviour is very good for her.’

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Outstanding

All young people say that they feel safe. One young person said: ‘Yes, I feel really, really, really safe here.’

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Outstanding

One young person said that staff help her ‘100 percent.’ Another young person said: ‘All of the staff are really great. What I like best is that they come to me and always ask me how I am. They don’t wait for me to come to them. That makes a big difference.’

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Outstanding

Staff invest significant time in the young people and apply the principles of unconditional positive regard to help to develop meaningful relationships. They also successfully use humour to motivate and engage. This helps them to understand the young people’s internal world and to identify quickly and competently potential risky behaviours. They record and review findings of events or disclosures of information. In addition they communicate and share reflections routinely. At the end of each shift they review progress and name what has gone well. There is learning from each incident and, tracked by the registered manager, these reduce significantly over time. They recognise achievement and go out of their way to praise and reward good behaviour. One young person said: ‘If I have been difficult all night and good for even just one minute the staff will always tell me that I did really well in that one minute.’ Staff connect with the young people

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Outstanding

who feel helped believing that the adults can teach them to manage and change their behaviour.

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Outstanding

Physical interventions are few and reducing. One young person said: ‘When I first came I did need to be held to keep myself safe, we talked about it afterwards and I have been learning about other ways to get the anger out.’ This means that young people successfully learn to use alternative coping strategies.

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Outstanding

Staff manage any occasional incidents of missing proactively and efficiently. As a result incidents have now reduced dramatically to zero. One young person said: ‘If I did go missing from here. I know what would happen. Staff would follow me and bring me back so I don’t go missing.’ This means that young people know that staff will keep them safe from external influences.

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Outstanding

Staff apply the aims and objectives of the statement of purpose. One external professional described the team as ‘dedicated and committed.’ They understand that the practice in the home is informed by current research into social care and as a result are proud of the help and support that they offer. Staff represented for this inspection describe their role as: ‘Professional parents here to make a difference.’ One member of staff said: ‘Every day is different. I love that we make a difference; the little things are so rewarding. I love that the young people see this as their home.’

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Good

A creative and inspirational individual, the registered manager has been in post since the home opened. She has now achieved the required Level 5 Leadership and Management qualification as evidence of her knowledge, skill, and experience. Staff see her as a strong leader. One member of staff said: ‘She is the glue that keeps all of us together.’

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Good

Suitably delegated tasks across the team ensure that the home is efficiently organised and runs smoothly. Household routines mean the active contribution of both staff and young people. For example, the waking night staff help to prepare wholesome meals in advance enabling staff to spend more time alongside the young people during the day. The registered manager oversees the systems to ensure that all staff understand and follow through on their responsibilities.

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Good

External managers are also visible and accessible which provides a reliable and consistent infrastructure for the registered manager, staff and young people.

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Good

Feedback from quality assurance processes helps the registered manager to stay on top of the administration and gives her ideas to improve the effectiveness of the home. The development plan reflects her ideas for progression. She said: ‘I want the young people to see this as their home. To be able to relax, have fun, and feel safe.’

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Good

Effective and proactive relationships with external agencies means that there is a hands on approach to responding to and dealing with any issues as they arise. There have been no safeguarding issues or complaints since the last inspection.

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Good

The managers responded to the requirement and recommendation made at the last inspection.

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Good

Regular supervision and appraisal enables the leaders and managers to identify staffs strengths and support them with areas for professional development. One appraisal requested for one member of staff had been completed but was not available for this inspection. This shortfall has no impact for the young people.

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Good

Reflecting the aims and objectives of the statement of purpose, this home is making a lasting difference to the lives of young people. One young person said: ‘My life has changed since I came to live here.’

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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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