Children's home in Cannock Chase

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:

 There is good leadership and management. The service is led by a very established and experienced registered manager who drives forward service development and child-centred practice.  The team has very positive and professional relationships with parents and involved professionals. It is apparent from comments collated during this inspection that the service is held in high regard.  Children and young people feel safe and are safe. Detailed and effectively implemented risk management strategies promote children’s and young people’s protection and well-being.  There is an experienced and committed staff team who know the children and young people really well. As a result, they are relaxed and know what to expect during a short break stay.  A range of opportunities are developed to engage children and young people in activities appropriate to their needs while also promoting new experiences. As a result, self-confidence improves.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 A particular strength is the well-planned and enthusiastic support provided to aid young people transitioning into adult placements. As a result, they settle quickly and potential anxieties are allayed.  While staff training arrangements are generally good, one area has been identified for further improvement. Currently staff who work regularly in the home but are not on permanent contracts do not always undertake the same training as core staff. This raises the potential that they will not develop the appropriate level of skills and knowledge.

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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

Only employ an individual to work at the children's home if the individual has the appropriate experience, qualifications and skills. For the purpose of regulation an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if by the relevant date the individual has attained the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) or a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma. (Regulation 32 (2)(a) (3) (b) (4)(a)(b)) 31/12/2015

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Information about this children's home

This home provides placements for three children or young people with complex learning disabilities under short break arrangements. The service is operated by a large national private provider.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

03/02/2015 Interim Sustained Effectiveness

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good

Children and young people receive a high standard of personalised care and support from an experienced and committed staff team. They each have consistent and stable short break arrangements, which for some have been the same for several years. They are happy and comfortable during the time spent here away from home. As a result, they are confident in care arrangements, feel relaxed and know what to expect.

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good

Staff genuinely care for the children and young people and want only the very best for them. Parents hold the service in high regard. Comments included: ‘I can’t speak highly enough about them, they always go above and beyond. This is the young person’s second home’, and, ‘they always put the young person first. I can tell this because they never talk about resources or systems, always looking to put the young person first.’

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good

Staff understand the realities of the progress likely to be made by individual children and young people. However, they always strive to support them to reach their personal potential and to help them learn new skills. For some this may be to improve eye contact, to make a personal choice or to help with their own personal care. For others this may be helping the staff with food shopping or preparing a meal.

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good

The team works hard to help children and young people to make personal choices and to improve their communication skills, for example, by using personal schedules, communication symbols, social stories and sign language to promote engagement. The ‘intensive interaction training’ recently attended by some staff has strengthened their understanding of the needs of individual children and young people and has informed improved ways of supporting personal progress.

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good

Excellent support and effective planning underpin arrangements when young people move on to adult placements. Two young people have recently moved on and the feedback about the management of the process is very good. Comments include: They were really supportive with the young person’s move, they even came with us to look at new places’, and, ‘they supported the young person to visit us and worked with our staff giving hints and tips and sharing knowledge diet/preferences.’ The use of social stories further assists young people to make a smooth transition into a new placement.

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good

Parents retain responsibility for their child’s health and education. Staff work closely with parents and involved professionals to monitor and maintain health and well-being. Staff know the children and young people really well. This means that they pick up very quickly if someone is unwell or in pain. Education arrangements are supported and involved professionals report that the team works well with them, exchanging information which supports the school day.

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good

Children and young people take part in stimulating activities and access community resources. Recent social experiences include a holiday to the coast, dog walking, swimming, bowling and eating out in a restaurant. As a result, children and young people become more confident and comfortable engaging in social activities.

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good

Children and young people feel safe and are safe when staying at this home. This is because there are robust risk management arrangements which are effectively implemented into practice. Children and young people are supervised at all times. As a result, staff are close by and step in quickly to prevent any safeguarding issues evolving. Parents say that they can tell their child feels safe by the manner in which they respond when talking about the home or when observed in the home.

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good

Behaviour is well managed. Staff have a very good understanding of the vulnerabilities, predictable behaviours and potential risks for individual children and young people. Risks and behaviour management strategies are developed in consultation with parents and involved professionals. This means that behaviours are managed consistently across each area of children’s and youn g people’s lives. While physical holds are sometimes used, these are mostly to redirect and are only used as a last resort.

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good

Children and young people do not go missing. This is because the high levels of staff supervision reduce the risk and opportunity for children and young people to leave the full supervision of staff.

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good

Children and young people live in a safe and well-maintained environment. Fire safety and food hygiene arrangements are prioritised. A range of health and safety monitoring is undertaken and the safety of children and young people is guided by detailed risk assessments which are kept under review. Judgement grade

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good

The home is managed by an extremely experienced and qualified registered manager who has overseen and led this home since 2007. The manager has well- established relationships with parents and involved professionals. It is apparent from the feedback informing this inspection that the manager is held in high regard for her enthusiasm and commitment. The manager is aware of each child’s plan of care and monitors the progress made, taking action to adjust care arrangements if necessary. She drives forward child-centred practice and has maintained a strong focus on service development. There is, however, shortly to be a management change as the current manager is moving on to a new role. The provider organisation has recognised the need for immediate management cover and has made interim management arrangements. A permanent manager has already been recruited and is shortly to commence in post.

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good

The service operates in accordance with the home’s statement of purpose, which has been reviewed to bring the document in line with adjustments to regulations and the introduction of quality standards in April 2015. Staff understand their roles and responsibilities and are confident in the leadership and management arrangements.

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good

Staff training and personal development are seen as important. New staff undertake induction training then progress to complete a level 3 diploma in relation to residential childcare. A programme of core training is also provided which includes safeguarding disabled children, autism awareness, behaviour management, food hygiene and fire safety. This means that children and young people are cared for by well-trained staff. One area of weakness in relation to training is noted. Staff known as ‘bank’ staff, who work as and when needed and are employed directly by the organisation, do not always progress their training to a level 3 as required by regulations. This means they may not reach the necessary level of skills and knowledge.

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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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