Children's home run by North East Lincolnshire Council

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged good at the full inspection. At this interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has improved effectiveness .

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home has met both requirements and the recommendation made at the previous inspection, and continues to improve. Ofsted is now able to have an overview of care and protection, as notifications of serious incidents are received appropriately. In addition, both the regulator and all interested parties know what care is to be provided, as the newly revised statement of purpose has been supplied in line with legislation. No breaches of regulation were identified at this visit. Young people continue to make good and, in some cases, exceptional progress in all aspects of their lives. The sense of security and belonging they have in the home empowers them to take advantage of their life chances. All four young people have appropriate education provision, and most of them respond well to the expectation that they will attend school on a daily basis. As a result, not only are they receiving an education that will prepare them for their future adult lives but

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

maintaining a routine of getting up on time in the morning. This will enhance their future job opportunities. A teacher said, ‘She took to it like a duck to water, she was absolutely brilliant. The guard she had up initially had gone, we put her in to a tutor group with a couple of other girls and she bloomed.’ The manager is aspirational for all the young people to achieve to the best of their abilities. Along with the committed and resilient staff team they provide young people with additional support either to meet their career dreams or to have the courage and ambition to take opportunities provided. For example, attendance at army cadets as preparation for a young person’s goal of becoming an army officer. Young people’s well-being and self-esteem are enriched as a result. The manager said, ‘He is doing so well in all aspects, you just wouldn’t recognise [young person’s name] that came in to the home as he is today. There is real growth there

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

for him.’ Young people’s physical and mental health improve as they take responsibility for their personal hygiene and engage with the nurturing care they receive. Young people feel valued as themselves as individuals. The effective partnership working with generic and specialist agencies, such as the child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) and ante-natal services ensures that individual needs are met. A parent reported that she believed staff delivered excellent care to her son and that they understand and meet all of his needs. The introduction of new, ‘streamlined’ care plans, based on the signs of safety model, has been a significant improvement. These ensure that information is not duplicated, making the records easier to read and understand. Young people take more interest in their records and their input is evident. This provides more of a sense of ownership, allowing young people to clearly see the progress they are

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

making. A young person said, ‘I am really happy here where everything is good’. All four young people in this home have different needs and are at different stages in their emotional development and maturity. The consistent care they receive within necessary yet warm boundaries allows each to thrive individually. Each young person has their own behaviour management plan, often developed in partnership with their education provider, so they fully understand what is expected of them. A teacher said, From the person I saw at the start, it’s a completely different young lady. She’s much more mature and responsible, she has come on in leaps and bounds, and is a much happier girl.’ The majority of young people respond extremely well to the firm boundaries, but there have been some violent outbursts on occasion. Physical intervention is used as a last resort, and all such incidents are carefully recorded in line with legislation.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This allows young people to learn from the consequences of their actions. A parent reported that her son was ‘safe in their care’. Any sanctions imposed are negotiated with the young person. These are reasonable and clear, allowing young people to understand the impact of their behaviour. Good partnership working with placing authorities and social workers allows consistent messages to be given to young people. As a result, they learn more positive ways of expressing any anger or frustration. There have been some incidents of bullying behaviour. The staff are well aware of the potential for these actions and address them immediately. Much improved recording systems ensure that the views of all parties, and their feelings on outcomes, are captured and acted upon. The proactive manager arranged for awareness training for the staff team to look at the issue, particularly on the use of ‘banter’ between young people. This was followed up by the effective use of

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

restorative practice with the young people involved. The subsequent decrease in the number of bullying incidents demonstrates that young people are being protected. As a result of the warm, trusting relationships they have with staff, all of the young people are now settled in the home. Consequently, there have not been any episodes of them going missing since before the last inspection. For one young person, this is a significant improvement. Good partnership working with all agencies, including those involved in tackling child sexual exploitation, and specialist police officers means that appropriate action would be taken if there were to be an episode of a young person going missing. This means young people are safeguarded by these measures. A young person said, ‘I couldn’t ask for more from here’.

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Information about this children's home

This children’s home is managed by a local authority. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to four young people who may have emotional or behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

03/03/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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What the inspection judgements mean

At the interim inspection we make a judgement on whether the home has improved in effectiveness, sustained effectiveness, or declined in effectiveness since the previous full inspection. This is in line with the ‘Inspection of children's homes: framework for inspection’.

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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 focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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Information about this inspection

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 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, work- based 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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