Children's Home run by Amegreen Children’s Services in West Berkshire

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 nurturing relationships with young people, and spend quality time with them.  Young people are kept safe by relationship based strategies rather than restraint or police involvement in the home to manage behaviour.  Young people’s previous risky behaviour such as going missing, substance misuse, or self-harm is now rare.  Young people are very well-prepared for independence, and learn a wide range of key skills.  Young people are successfully and strongly encouraged and supported to routinely attend appropriate education and training facilities.  Young people’s emotional health is very well-promoted here.  The organisation prioritises the needs of existing young people over new admissions and will run with vacancies if necessary.  The home builds highly effective relationships with external colleagues, and families to get the best outcomes for young people.  The home’s leadership team complement each other exceptionally well, and

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The children's home provision is good because:

create a culture within the home of high aspiration for young people.  There are some administrative and scrutiny shortfalls, but these do not adversely affect the safety and well-being of young people.

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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

ensure that Ofsted as the regulator is promptly notified of any notifiable serious event. (Regulation 40 (4) (a-e)) 01/04/2016

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Requirement Due date

44: Independent person: visits and reports:

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the independent person sets out her opinion in the report as to whether children are appropriately safeguarded: and the conduct of the home promotes children's well-being. (Regulation 44 (4) (a) (b) ) 01/04/2016

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):  ensure that children are individually consulted about arrangements for getting them up in the morning (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 22, paragraph 4.11)  ensure that children are actively encouraged to read their records and add further information to them (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 62, paragraph 14.6)  ensure that outcomes identified and progress made by children in building relationships and achieving socially acceptable behaviours can be recorded and measured. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 38, paragraph 8.4)

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Information about this children's home

This privately owned home accommodates up to four young people of mixed gender, with emotional or behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

21/05/2015 CH - Interim improved effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

05/11/2014 CH - Interim sustained effectiveness

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good

All young people have strong and trusting relationships with at least some of the staff in the home, and also with staff in the wider organisation. Some young people have been living in homes run by this organisation for years, while others are relatively new. However, all receive highly individualised care from staff who generally listen well and always seek to promote young people’s welfare. All young people are valued in this home, for example, there are photographs on the walls of all the young people who have ever lived there. Many still keep in touch, and some still visit and demonstrate appropriate attachment. A local authority professional said, ‘he (young person) is now in a safe environment, where people care about him, listen to him, put boundaries in and he’s thriving.’

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good

All young people are in education or training, and although there are times for some when attendance falls, staff work successfully to get them back on track. This still represents significant progress for these young people. Young people’s physical health also improves. Some are supported in their wish to stop taking medication, while others have received long overdue dental work which improves their general health.

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good

Young people’s emotional health is particularly well-promoted in this home. Staff are well-supported to understand behaviour, and the general environment is one where individuals are valued and respected. Boundaries are clear, and inappropriate behaviour and language is not tolerated. Young people’s achievements are celebrated, and working hard and having fun are encouraged. For example, the organisation has a stable where young people can earn extra monies if they wish. Appropriate sanctions are used when necessary, but rewards are much more commonly used. Some young people require a more personalised approach to their psychological well-being, and the home supports them in easily accessing individual therapeutic resource and funding this. A local authority professional said, ‘he (young person) is much more contained and less aggressive.’

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good

A particular strength of this home is the extent to which young people are prepared for independent living. All young people are adept at basic self-care, washing and cooking. In addition, young people learn life skills such as how to negotiate with commercial companies, how to manage money and travel and other practical skills. Each young person is successfully developing these skills at their own pace, and the deputy manager has produced a helpful guide to track each person’s progress. Young people are rightly proud of their respective achievements; ‘he can cook twelve meals from scratch now,’ said one social worker.

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good

Young people are well-integrated into the community and join in local activities such as football or the gym. Some young people have local friends, and most have supported contact with various family members. This helps to sustain sometimes fragile key relationships. Young people are confident about using the complaints system, and all have access to an advocate or independent visitor.

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outstanding

Young people have a particularly strong sense of safety and well-being in this home, and trust staff to protect them if things are not going right. Young people are not left together without a staff presence, and staff use these opportunities well to chat or play card games with them. This constant, interested presence means that situations do not escalate and issues can be worked through at an early stage. This strategy is clearly successful in de-escalating conflict, in that there have been no incidents of restraint, bullying or police to the home to manage behaviour since the last inspection.

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outstanding

There has been one incident of missing since the last inspection. This was a serious missing episode lasting several days. It was well-managed by the home and involved active searching, two multi–agency strategy meetings, and a local authority return home interview. For some young people missing from home behaviour was routine. This is now much reduced and is a rare occurrence, so these young people are now much better protected from harm. Other risky behaviours such as substance misuse, self -harm and offending behaviour are also greatly reduced, and so young people are becoming increasingly safe.

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outstanding

Young people’s needs and aspirations are carefully assessed and individualised risk assessments arise from these. These cover generic risks such as the risk of sexual exploitation and e-safety, and activities and risks specific to that young person. Risk assessments are regularly monitored, and as the young person’s risk profile changes they will be given more freedoms. This means that gradually, young people are encouraged and supported to explore in a safe manner previously restricted activities such as using a mobile phone. This helps give them the skills to live in the future in an unregulated environment. Judgement grade

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good

This home is effectively and efficiently managed by a well-qualified registered manager who has been in post for three years. He is also the registered manager for a separately registered two-bedroomed children’s home which is a short walking distance away. Arrangements for providing management oversight for both homes are satisfactory.

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good

The manager and his deputy are highly ambitious for young people in their care. They want the best for each of them, and this is reflected across the staff team. A major strength of this home is working with others such as local authority colleagues, schools, and families to achieve optimum outcomes. This strategy has been very successful, for example, some young people have returned to their families and others have obtained more suitable education placements.

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good

Staff cover is always sufficient and staff have good quality, regular supervision. This is effectively supplemented by routine psychotherapeutic consultation for the whole staff team. This helps build emotional resilience and understanding which supports staff in responding professionally to young people’s behaviours. In addition, the organisation offers a good range of training other than mandatory courses. These courses appropriately reflect the issues affecting young people in the home. This whole package means that staff feel ‘well-supported’ by their organisation, and young people benefit from this.

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good

The staff team is generally cohesive and mutually supportive. There are regular meetings where possible strategies to work with young people are discussed. Usually, this results in a very consistent approach to young people but in a minority of situations for example, practice when getting young people up in the mornings is not always consistent.

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good

Case records are competently completed, and local authorities are very positive about their timeliness and content. But, young people are insufficiently involved in contributing to their case recording. This limits their understanding both of their histories and their progress.

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good

The statement of purpose has recently been updated, and has been sent to Ofsted in line with the first requirement at the last inspection. It accurately reflects the ethos of the home. Staff are aware of it, and appreciate the particular child-centred and therapeutic model which underpins their daily care. The home has also fully met the second and final requirement from the last inspection relating to the complaints procedure.

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good

There is regular, independent monitoring of this home and the independent visitor demonstrates a good understanding of the young people living here and the ethos of the home. However, the reports lack sufficient judgement on arrangements for safeguarding and promoting young people’s welfare. This limits their usefulness as tools for independent scrutiny, and is not in line with regulatory requirements.

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good

The manager is very well aware of the plans for each young person and the progress that is being made on these. He takes an active role in driving their progress and together with his deputy has a thorough knowledge of each young person’s needs and aspirations. He thoughtfully completes his bi-annual monitoring and routinely checks and signs off sanctions and other behaviour management activities, but does not routinely map young people’s progress against outcomes. This would help evidence the impact of care given by the home, and give young people a tool to see their achievements.

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good

A significant event was not notified to Ofsted, but this did not adversely affect the outcome of the event or the safety of the young person. However, it did limit independent scrutiny of the issue in question and was not in line with regulatory expectations.

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good

Admission policy is a major strength of this home. The home has had a vacancy for some months now, but it has not been filled as the needs of current young people have been prioritised. This has given young people a lengthy period of stability and safety. Transitions out of the home are equally carefully managed with bespoke arrangements reflecting individual needs.

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good

The home is located in a pleasant area, and there are good relationships with neighbours and the local community. Inside the home is warm, homely and comfortable. Damage is rare, and if it occurs it is promptly put right. Young people are very proud of their home, its facilities and their room.

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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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