Children's home run by Milton Keynes City Council

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:

 The quality of relationships between staff and young people is a strength of the home. Young people say that, and act as if they really enjoy living in the home.  Young people benefit from placement stability and the care of adults who understand them well.  Young people live in a culture that places their needs first. This enables them to build meaningful relationships and to make progress in their lives.  Young people receive consistent support, guidance and encouragement to engage in their learning. This results in an atmosphere where the importance of education is undisputed.  Young people are safe and live in a caring environment where they are helped to take appropriate risks.  Staff display a commitment to meeting the complex needs of young people. They are skilled at appreciating the often-subtle forms of communication, and this ensures that young people have a voice in the home.  Managers are enthusiastic and experienced and only want the best for the

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The children's home provision is good because:

young people in their care. They have high expectations of practice and show a desire to improve the home.

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions which must be taken so that the registered person 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 must comply with the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

13 The leadership and management standard

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the leadership and management standards, in particular the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to -

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Requirement Due date

2(e) ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each young person; in particular that no more than half the staff on duty at any one time, by day or night at the home should be from an external agency. 19/05/2016

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Requirement Due date

13 The leadership and management standard

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the leadership and management standards, in particular the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to -

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Requirement Due date

2(c) ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each young person; in particular that agency staff receive formal supervision. 19/05/2016

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Requirement Due date

(1) The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home; in particular ensure that stock records are accurate. 19/05/2016

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendation:  The home must compile a policy and procedure that takes account of young people aged over 16 who lack mental capacity who may require authorisation by the court of protection under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 to have their liberty deprived (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 50, paragraph 9.63)

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

8 September 2015 CH - Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

21 January 2015 CH - Interim Declined in effectiveness

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Good

Young people benefit from meaningful relationships with staff, which enable them to engage with the care provided. As a result, they make good progress and enjoy the stability of living in long-term placements. Young people said they, ‘really enjoy’ living at the home. Their demeanour when in the company of adults was extremely relaxed with interactions being caring and sensitive.

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Good

Parents and carers praise the home and in particular, the quality of individual care provided for young people. Comments included, ‘Staff go out of their way…they are fabulous… (name of young person) has made fantastic progress since living in the home.’

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Good

Young people live in a home that provides them with a very good standard of accommodation and facilities. The home offers an appropriate amount of space and young people are able to decorate their rooms with posters and personal belongings. Specific equipment ensures that young people are assisted in their mobility and care. The layout of the home balances the need to provide additional space and facilities without losing a sense of homeliness. For example, hoists do not impinge on young people decorating their bedrooms as they wish. The home is clean, hygienic and well maintained. Pictures of young people and their artwork adorn the walls, which adds nice personal touches and further cements the idea of a family setting.

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Good

Equality and diversity is suitably promoted, with an emphasis on learning about various cultures and faiths. This includes staff cooking meals from different parts of the world and using the occasions to celebrate the culture of the country in question.

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Good

Young people have a clear voice in the home. For example, the recent recruitment process for new staff involved their input. After potential staff had visited the home, young people were shown their photographs to gain their responses. Their views then informed the decision-making process. This is an excellent example of the importance of young people’s opinions being considered. The atmosphere is open, and young people are confident to express their views and opinions in the presence of staff and managers.

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Good

Admission procedures include an appropriate consideration of the complexities of each young person and the dynamics of the current young person group. This enables a clear emphasis on matching prospective new young people with the needs of the whole living group. This is particularly important given the specific needs that young people have. For instance, managers ensure that the needs of young people who may be extremely noise sensitive are considered appropriately alongside those that are loud and vociferous. This ensures a balanced living group and a lively yet safe atmosphere.

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Good

Programmes of care take account of the holistic needs of young people and involve them, and those important to them, in their development. Each young person's identity is valued, and any specific needs, whether cultural or religious, are known. Care plans provide staff with clear guidance as to how to meet the needs of young people. Particular emphasis focuses on addressing how young people communicate their feelings and wishes. This enables staff to hone in on how young people can communicate the same issues in vastly different ways. Close working with external partners, including the children looked after nursing service, and speech and language therapists, ensures the development of cohesive targets. This results in young people making good progress. For some young people, progress has been significant. For instance, young people who arrived with few or no verbal skills are now able to use a vastly increasing range of words. As the home provides care to

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Good

older young people, such progress is vital in helping them prepare for adult life.

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Good

A comprehensive assessment process is in place to review the needs of young people against their initial care plan. These consultations take place regularly and include the involvement of the whole staff team. This enables all contributors of the care plan to review its effectiveness and subsequent progress.

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Good

Young people receive good health care with particular emphasis on meeting their emotional and psychological well-being. Young people are helped to attend routine medical appointments and to lead healthy lifestyles. This includes staff using their enthusiasm to play football.

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Good

In general, the storage and administration of medicines is appropriate. All medication is stored in locked cupboards and the staff who administer them have had appropriate training. Records are mainly accurate, however several entries showed, at the inspection, lower amounts of stock than was actually kept. This shortfall did not place young people at risk of harm.

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Good

Young people enjoy nutritious meals, and a healthy diet is promoted. The home caters for individual dietary needs and preferences. Young people say that the food is good. The home has its own cook whom young people see as a key part of the care they receive. The design of the home means that the kitchen area is set at the heart of the building. Mealtimes are social occasions and staff assist young people sensitively when necessary, but also guide and encourage the development of motor skills during the meal.

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Good

Education is valued and promoted in the home. There is an established culture that young people attend and engage in their learning. When necessary, appropriate challenges are made to local authorities to ensure that education plans are forthcoming. Education is established in the routines of the day. This results in a home where all young people attend school or college with attendance levels consistently at or near 100%. The home is proactive in liaising with education providers, and is seeking to improve this further. Link-workers attend parents’ evenings and are increasing their involvement in meeting with teachers during the term.

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Good

Young people are provided with good support to enjoy activities and pursuits. The routines of the home are set to provide structure, but at the same time are flexible and responsive to each young person's individual needs. Young people participate in sport such as swimming. They are also encouraged to join local clubs and to participate in their community, for instance by regularly attending youth clubs.

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Good

Contact with families, friends and those people important to young people is promoted within the confines of placement agreements. Staff are very supportive of such arrangements with parents and carers commenting positively about the caring nature of staff during visits. They also say that the sharing of behaviour management strategies has enabled them to follow these approaches at home. As a result, behaviour has stabilised during home visits, and the quality of such contact has improved. This has helped to strengthen family relationships that had previously been problematic.

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Good

The home is successful at supporting and guiding young people as they enter adulthood. Care planning takes account of the longer-term needs of young people and, in particular, pathway plans. The home is proactive at challenging placing authorities that do not have such plans in place, with a clear focus on the need to equip young people for their lives once they leave the home. Recent months have seen two young people move on. These young people received considerable support to cope with the stresses that change brings. This included staff visiting potential placements with them, and programmes of outreach support with key staff continuing to visit young people in their new homes once they had left. Such an approach assists in alleviating anxieties, and enhances the chances of successful transitions. Young people who have left are continuing to progress well.

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Good

Young people say that they ‘feel safe’ living at the home, while their behaviour suggests that they are very comfortable in the company of the adults who care for them. Positive relationships between staff and young people enable the young people to feel safe enough to discuss and express their feelings. This has helped young people to come to terms to with their emotions and to reduce their anxieties, for example in learning appropriate ways to approach people whom they have not met before.

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Good

Good links with the Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB) ensure that all child protection policies and procedures are consistent and agreed. The manager maintains appropriate links with the LSCB and with the local authority designated officer. No child protection concerns have arisen since the last inspection.

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Good

A suitable missing child policy, developed in conjunction with locally agreed protocols, appropriately safeguards young people. Individual risk assessments allow young people to engage successfully in activities in the community. This allows them to develop self-protection strategies as well as social and life skills. High levels of staff supervision provide a further layer of protection. No incidents of young people going missing have occurred since the last inspection.

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Good

Young people benefit from living in an inclusive environment where their inappropriate behaviours are responded to thoughtfully, giving consideration to their own ability to comprehend them. The continual focus on positive reinforcement significantly reduces the need to use sanctions. Staff impose appropriate boundaries with incentive plans allowing young people to gain appropriate rewards. This approach matches care plans and the aims and objectives of the young person’s behaviour targets.

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Good

Young people’s good relationships with staff mean that physical interventions are relatively low. Individual risk assessments, known to all staff, provide further safeguards to young people and detail the forms of restraint that can be utilised. Managers regularly scrutinise restraint records, which are accurate and up to date.

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Good

There is little or no sign of bullying-type behaviours. The high levels of staff supervision further reduce the risk of incidents occurring unnoticed. Staff work hard to integrate the young person group wherever possible, but are also mindful of the potential for some young people to bully others inadvertently. When issues arise, staff skilfully help young people to see that their actions may have been harmful to others, for instance pushing each other out of the way to get to a toy.

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Good

The home environment is appropriately secure. External doors are operated through an electronic keypad system. Young people living at the home lack comprehension and awareness of the dangers of roads; a main road runs close to the home. A number of young people are aged 16 and above. The home has details of legislation relating to the deprivation of liberty for older young people. However, there is currently no agreed policy and procedure to confirm when there is a need to consider applications to the court of protection. Although this shortfall does not place young people at risk, there is a need to update practice in this area. Since the last inspection, new staff have been appointed. Appropriate recruitment procedures were followed effectively. This helps prevent young people from being cared for by people who may pose a risk to them.

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Requires improvement

Young people live in a home that is run with enthusiasm and a clear commitment to providing care that is individualised. The manager was registered with Ofsted in September 2015 and has a vast level of experience of working with young people with learning disabilities and managing the homes that they live in. She is a qualified social worker and is fully aware of the strengths and weaknesses of the home. The registered manager combines this role while also being registered as manager for another children’s home run by the local authority. This home is nearby and provides similar care and accommodation to younger children on a more respite basis. Many of the young people currently living at the home have made successful transitions from the home for younger children. This has allowed the registered manager to remain a valued adult in the lives of these young people as they approach adulthood. It also enables her to understand the complexities of

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Requires improvement

their needs, which is vital in guiding the staff team.

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Requires improvement

Robust actions have ensured that the one requirement and one recommendation made at the last inspection have been addressed. Staff have now received updated training in child protection, and display a sound understanding of safeguarding protocols and practices. Assessments are in place for young people who have cot- style beds. These include input from the occupational health team. This ensures that their use is appropriate and in keeping with the specific health needs of the young people, and ensures their safety.

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Requires improvement

Parents praised the home and the care provided to young people. Comments included, ‘Staff work so hard… (name of young person) has made incredible progress…they (staff) could not do more.’ Social workers confirmed that the home places the individual needs of young people as the paramount concern. This is particular notable in helping young people to attend education and move on from the home and into adulthood successfully.

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Requires improvement

A suitable complaints process, which is followed in practice, is in place. Very few complaints have been made, with the registered manager responding swiftly and appropriately. The atmosphere is open and young people clearly have a voice in the home.

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Requires improvement

Good levels of inter-agency working are in place, to ensure that young people are provided with the services that they require. For example, the registered manager has appropriately challenged partner agencies to put in place firm exit strategies and pathway plans, at the earliest possible opportunity. Parents and carers commented positively on the levels and quality of communication between the home and themselves. Such established networks result in joint strategies aimed at assisting young people to settle and progress.

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Requires improvement

Appropriate monitoring processes, that routinely assess, review and evaluate the quality of care being provided, are in place. The registered manager completes regular reviews of care that are objective and reflect the progress of young people. Independent monitoring, which provides a useful critique of the home and the quality of care provision, occurs monthly.

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Requires improvement

Good numbers of staff are available to care for young people, although they are not always permanent. On a number of occasions, more than half of the staff on duty at certain times were from external agencies. Wherever possible, the same members of agency staff work at the home regularly, which helps young people to get to know them. However, agency staff have not received formal supervision, despite working a considerable number of shifts. The management team acknowledges this shortfall and began arranging supervision sessions immediately. The high use of agency staff, although not ideal, has not had a negative impact on the quality of care. Observations of staff practice showed both permanent and agency staff providing sensitive, caring and thoughtful care with young people accepting this from all the adults. A recruitment process is underway with young people involved in expressing their views on the candidates who have visited. The

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Requires improvement

registered manager noted that this would hopefully lead to the employment of more permanent staff in the very near future.

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Requires improvement

Staff receive good levels of training with a vast majority of them holding a relevant qualification in care. The few that do not are currently working toward obtaining one. The local authority encourages continued career development with some senior care staff being supported to complete the level 5 diploma in care and management.

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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 children looked after 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 that 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 whom 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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