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Requires improvement

The children's home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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The children's home provision requires improvement because:

 Young people are not supported following allegations.  Significant incidents are not always recorded.  Interim staff do not always have the knowledge of young people‟s needs.  Young people and staff relationships are not always positive.  Young people are not fully involved in their care planning.

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The children's home strengths

 Young people excel in their education.  Young people make good progress from their starting points in relation to missing and child sexual exploitation.  Young people engage in a wide range of chosen activities.  Permanent staff members and managers have high aspirations for 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

6: The quality and purpose of care standard

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the quality and purpose of care quality care standard the registered person must ensure that children receive care from staff who -

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Requirement Due date

2 (b)(iv) provide personalised care that meets each child‟s needs, as recorded in the child‟s relevant plans, taking account of the child‟s background. 11/11/2015

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Requirement Due date

7: The children's views, wishes and feelings standard

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the children‟s views, wishes and feelings quality standard, the registered person must ensure that children receive care from staff who -

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Requirement Due date

(c) take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children‟s care and welfare and their lives

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Requirement Due date

2 (iii) help each child to understand how the child‟s views, wishes and feelings have been taken into account and give the child reasons for decisions in relation to the child. 11/11/2015

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the positive relationships standard ensure that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on

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Requirement Due date

(a) mutual respect and trust; (b) an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and (c) positive responses to other children and adults

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Requirement Due date

2 (ix) understand how children‟s previous experiences and 11/11/2015 present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children.

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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 quality standard ensure the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children's home that -

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child, are kept up to date and are signed and dated by the author of each entry (Regulation 36 (1)(a,b,c)) 11/11/2015

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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 staff continually and actively assess the risk to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. Where there are safeguarding concerns for a child, their placement plan, agreed between the home and their placing authority, must include details of the steps the home will take to manage any assessed risk on a day to day basis (The guide to the quality standards, page 42, paragraph 9.5)

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Recommendations

 Ensure children are encouraged by staff to see the home's records as 'living documents' supporting them to view and contribute to the record in a way that reflects their voice on a regular basis (The guide to the quality standards, page 58, paragraph 11.19)

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Recommendations

 Ensure children are actively encouraged to read their records and to add further information to them. They should be regularly reminded of their rights to see information kept about them and be given information about how they might be supported to access their records in later life (The guide to the quality standards, page 62, paragraph 14.6)

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Information about this children's home

The home provides care and accommodation for up to three children with emotional and or behavioural difficulties. The home is owned by a private provider.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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requires improvement

This is the home‟s first inspection since registration in October 2014.

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requires improvement

Young people are consulted in various ways by making complaints, in meetings, regular letters from the manager to key workers and debriefings with young people. This gives them a voice over everyday decisions. However, not enough consideration is given to the process of investigation when incidents occur and whether young people should be consulted. This compromises the transparency and effectiveness of consultation.

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requires improvement

The home works hard to support young people to re-integrate back into school or college improving attendance month on month. An educational professional comments, „the home has been amazing and has been totally supportive.‟ As a consequence of this tailored support, young people who have been out of education for over two years are now taking their GCES‟s.

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requires improvement

Young people receive well-coordinated healthcare that meets their individual needs. This includes the manager often advocating strongly for services that support young people‟s emotional and psychological needs.

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requires improvement

Contact with family members and significant others is advocated and fully supported. Managers and staff facilitate transport for family members to ensure good positive contact is achieved. As a result, young people maintain important connections with their family.

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requires improvement

Young people get daily opportunities to participate in activities that support their personal development, talent and abilities. For example, going shopping, bmx- ing, pamper days, croccie trail and the cinema. Young people participate in charity events and secure part-time work. All these opportunities help to equip them with the skills, confidence and self-esteem to progress successfully into adulthood.

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requires improvement

The majority of staff are sensitive to the cultural and developmental needs of young people, supporting them to adjust to transitions caused through separation and loss. However, some staff do not complete a full induction that enables them to have a full understanding of young people‟s presenting needs, history and effective strategies to be used to diffuse any situation. As a consequence, relationships breakdown and results in allegations being made.

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requires improvement

Newly appointed staff are not made sufficiently aware of their duty to use the whistleblowing policy to express their concerns without delay. This lack of knowledge means concerns about staff‟s professional practice are not promptly escalated. This weakness in safeguarding practice has on one occasion delayed an incident being immediately reported

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requires improvement

The home utilises a reward scheme to recognise and promote improvements in young people‟s behaviours. Physical intervention is used appropriately and only where necessary. Behaviour management strategies generally are managed well. This means that young people are supported to develop their self-confidence and social skills and have an understanding of what is acceptable behaviour.

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requires improvement

Proactive and effective working relationships are in place with appropriate agencies that supports young people. As a result of collaborative working, the safety of young people is further secured. Incidents of missing and child exploitation have significantly reduced.

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requires improvement

The registered manager has been in post since the home was registered in October 2014. He has the appropriate skills, qualifications and experience to undertake his duties.

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requires improvement

Case records reflect the plans for each young person and the progress they have made since moving to the home. However, managers do not ensure staff write young people‟s report in a manner that is first and foremost for their benefit. As a result, young people do not meaningfully engage in their plans. Staff are not aware of their responsibilities to ensure young people understand what support is available to them in the future with accessing their records. This hampers young people‟s future knowledge as to how they can request this information.

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requires improvement

Young people‟s transition into the home is on the whole planned. Young people receive a young people‟s guide prior to moving into the home and also manage to meet with the manager. This approach, helps young people‟s understanding of the home, expectations and boundaries, helping allay any worries.

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requires improvement

Managers are ambitious and aspirational for young people. The statement of purpose reflects the aims and objectives provided by the home. This helps partners including placing authorities to have a clear understanding of the home‟s vision, values and aims. Staff receive regular supervision and say they are happy with the support they get from senior management.

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requires improvement

Young people benefit from a large property which is comfortable and homely. There is room for communal living and space if the young people require more privacy. Fire evacuations are undertaken regularly. This provides young people with a safer and comfortable home to live in.

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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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