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

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 do well to meet the complex and diverse needs of young people.  Young people relate well to staff members and appreciate the support they provide.  Young people make good progress in most aspects of their lives.  The support provided has enabled a number of young people to leave care and return to live with their families.  Young people are good at making their views understood. Staff are good listeners and act on young people’s views and wishes.  Transitions to and from the home are successful as result of the detailed planning that takes place.  Young people are protected by staff and come to understand that they have a responsibility to protect themselves.  Harmful and risky behaviours reduce as placements progress.  The registered manager is knowledgeable, experienced and provides good leadership.  The staff team works well together to create the circumstances in which young people thrive.

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Information about this children's home

This privately-owned home provides accommodation for up to four young people 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

23/03/2015 CH - Interim Improved effectiveness

p.4

good

The staff team provides high-quality care to young people with diverse and complex needs. Structure and routine provides safety and security for young people. The progress made by young people living at the home, as well as those who have now left, is considerable.

p.5

good

Young people have good relationships with staff members. The atmosphere in the home is friendly. Young people know that they can rely on staff members who are attentive and approachable.

p.5

good

A particular strength of the home is the establishment of routine. Staff have established stable places in education for young people currently resident, and for those that have left the home since the last inspection. Many of them arrived either without a school place, or in the habit of not attending school. The staff team have worked hard to get young people to understand the importance of their education. The high expectations of staff have made a massive difference to young people. Their educational and social needs are met in schools alongside their peers. This has had the effect of making them feel (in the words of one young person) ‘normal, like the other kids at school’. It is also improving their prospects for life after care.

p.5

good

Young people engage with staff and outside agencies to improve their health. There is regular support provided by the in-house therapist and Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, which ensures that any medication prescribed is safe and effective. This specialist support combined with the nurturing care of the home, has a healing effect of young people’s emotional and psychological well- being.

p.5

good

Staff take what young people have to say seriously and act on their views and wishes. Young people’s consultation meetings take place regularly in which preferences are expressed on a range of issues, including menu choices and activities. These meetings help young people to understand the rules of group living; the importance of sharing, the need to be considerate of others, and that young people have different needs and desires. The process by which young people are encouraged to negotiate the living arrangements so that all can benefit, provides a useful lesson that will benefit them even after they have left care.

p.5

good

Where it is safe and appropriate to do so, staff ensure that young people maintain contact with their families on a regular basis. This makes young people feel less isolated and maintains their relationships with their loved ones.

p.5

good

Transitions to and from the home are managed sensitively. For the three young people who have left the home since the last inspection, the success of the work done by the staff team meant that they were able to return to live with their birth families. The care provided does not end when young people leave the home. Staff and managers maintain contact and when requested, advocate and seek support on young people’s behalf.

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good

Young people at the home have a range of distinct risks and vulnerabilities. Staff have assessed these risks, and they know how to anticipate and respond to them. The management of risk in the home is an ongoing and detailed process. Depending upon the presenting issues for each young person, the process results in a reduction in offending, self-harm, going missing and exploitation. As a result, young people are safer now than when they came to the home. They have a better understanding of the dangers they were exposed to previously. This has helped them to build resilience to avoid such situations in the future.

p.6

good

Once the persistent missing episodes had ended for one young person and the level of risk had reduced, he was allowed to return to live with his family again. His mother was in no doubt of the considerable difference the staff team had brought about. In a card expressing her thanks, she wrote ‘Your care and support has been fantastic. I’ve got my son back. He’s changed so much and it’s all down to you’.

p.6

good

Young people say that they feel safe in the home and are justified in saying this. Recruitment of staff members is detailed and robust. This makes sure that only adults who are safe to work with young people are employed in the home. Access to the internet is supervised by staff. Software filters add another layer of security. Room searches take place infrequently. When they have been necessary it has been to recover items used for self-harming.

p.6

good

Behaviour is well-managed by the use of role-modelling, praise, rewards and sanctions. This means that physical interventions are rarely necessary. Young people are encouraged to demonstrate self-control in situations of conflict. All of these checks and controls mean that young people are kept safe from harm. Judgement grade

p.6

good

The registered manager is appropriately qualified and has been at the home since it opened six years ago. She provides hands-on leadership to a stable staff team, many of whom have also worked at the home for some time. Young people benefit from this because staff are accustomed to working with each other. They apply boundaries consistently and fairly, based on a good understanding of the young people.

p.7

good

The manager and her deputies drive the progress of young people across all aspects of their development. There are many examples of the difference the home has made. One young person who arrived wearing a tag due to his offending behaviours was helped by staff to engage in education at school. He progressed to studying for qualifications in his free time and secured an apprenticeship in building construction. Another young person at risk of exploitation has settled in the home. She appreciates the protection staff members provide for her. She is happy to comply in sharing information to help keep her safe.

p.7

good

Regular and detailed supervision of staff allows them the opportunity to reflect on their practice in a supportive environment. This is augmented by training that is effective in developing their skills and knowledge.

p.7

good

The registered manager has a firm grasp of the business of care and is helped by comprehensive regulation 44 reports by the independent person. Strengths and weaknesses identified in the manager’s own monthly and quarterly monitoring are addressed promptly.

p.7

good

As a consequence of the efforts of managers and staff, the home is achieving its aims and objectives as set out in its statement of purpose.

p.7

good

The staff team is supported in its’ work by a wide variety of agencies, with whom professional relationships are good. Families, independent reviewing officers, police, schools and health services work effectively in partnership to ensure that young people make progress and are safe.

p.7

good

Responses from partner agencies are mostly positive and productive, but when this is not the case, the manager and staff are good advocates for young people by challenging practice or decisions they regard as not in the young person’s interests.

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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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