Children's home run by Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council in Wigan

Outstanding

The children's home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the home contribute to significantly improved outcomes for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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The children's home provision is outstanding because:

Young people make exceptional progress, taking into account their starting points. The experience of staying at the home is significantly improving their life chances.  Staff’s proactive approach and consistent care is enhancing young people’s experiences, progress and development.  Staff’s highly effective safeguarding practice, manages and minimises risks both inside and outside of the home. This makes the home an extremely safe and secure environment for young people to stay.  Excellent partnership working with specialist health and education services, consistently improves young people’s health, education, behaviour and resilience.  Staff’s competent approach to complex medication administration is ensuring young people’s health and welfare is promoted.  Research informed practice is making a difference in young people’s lives.  Young people benefit from being cared for by a stable, qualified and

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The children's home provision is outstanding because:

experienced staff team. Consequently, their holistic needs are effectively addressed and they develop trusting and respectful relationships with staff.  The home has a comprehensive statement of purpose, which clearly identifies the aims and objectives of the service and ensures stakeholders and young people now what to expect from the start  A good practice recommendation with regards to independent monitoring, will further improve the quality of care provided in the home.

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):

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Recommendations

ed person should actively seek independent scrutiny of the home and make best use of information from independent and internal monitoring (including under regulations 44 and 45) to ensure continuous improvement. They should be skilled in anticipating difficulties and reviewing incidents, such as learning from disruptions and placement breakdowns. They are responsible for proactively implementing lessons learned and sustaining good practice. In particular, if the information provided is inaccurate this will need to be challenged and amended

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

26/03/2015 Interim sustained effectiveness

p.5

outstanding

Young people make excellent progress because of their short breaks at the home. They experience short breaks in small compatible social groups. This enables them to learn about the needs and wishes of others, and develop important skills, such as, sharing and playing with friends.

p.6

outstanding

Young people are meaningfully involved in the planning, and participation, of fun activities. During the inspection, the home was colourfully decorated for Halloween and both the young people and staff were planning activities, including pumpkin carving and dressing up. This demonstrates staff’s inclusive approach to activity planning where everyone’s needs are carefully considered, to ensure that they all have equal opportunities to participate. One young lady said ‘this is fun, I want my face to be scary’.

p.6

outstanding

Young people develop greater social skills. Staff support them to explore their environment and provide them with opportunities to practice their individual and unique way of communicating. This in turn, promotes their independence by enabling them to express their wishes, feelings and needs. Parents confirm that this as an essential part of their stay, and are pleased with the benefit that this has on their child’s ability to socialise and communicate within the family.

p.6

outstanding

Staff provide personalised, comprehensive and well-planned care, which takes into account each young person’s complex needs and the views of family members. Social workers and other professionals including health and education professionals state that staff use their considerable knowledge and expertise to promote the welfare and development of children and young people. Consequently, staff are making a positive difference in young people’s lives and are fully supporting them to achieve their individual potential.

p.6

outstanding

Staff have in-depth knowledge and understanding of young people’s health needs; having regular communication, with parents and social workers, regarding specific health matters. Parents maintain primary responsibility for ensuring that health appointments are arranged and attended. This effective partnership working with parents and social workers is ensuring that young people’s health and medical needs are consistently addressed.

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outstanding

Young people’s health is further promoted during their short break using highly effective communication systems, including the use of pictures and symbols. For example, staff fully support them to make informed choices about what they would like to eat. This is also encouraging them to eat healthy and develop a healthy lifestyle. Both parents and social workers praised staff’s diligent approach to introducing new foods and ensure young people’s dietary needs are consistently met. Parents also confirmed that special dietary requirements are appropriately catered for. One Parent said ’I am always surprised when I hear what my son has had to eat as I struggle to get him to have this at home, but I am so happy that the staff try so hard to get him to try so many different and new things’.

p.7

outstanding

Young people enjoy an extensive range of activities. This is because staff meticulously plan their short breaks and focus activities around achieving identified targets. A wide range of activities provides young people with new experiences that are tailored to meet their individual needs. For example, trips to Blackpool lights, walks in the park, sensory activities and trips to the seaside. As a result, young people make continuous progress in meeting set goals.

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outstanding

Photographs of activities are taken. These are shared with parents at the end of all young people’s stay. Consistent effective communication with parents is ensuring that they too can benefit from the short break and not worry about their child. One parent said ‘My son’s face lights up when we arrive at the home. We can tell he loves it and he has a special bond with the staff, especially his keyworker. It’s the only night in the week me and my wife can relax and sleep, knowing he is in good hands, safe, but still having fun.’

p.7

outstanding

A particular strength of this home is the outstanding range of appropriate specialist services which staff help families to access for young people. This includes speech and language therapy and physiotherapists. This ensures their unique and highly complex physical, medical and behavioural needs are thoroughly met. Staff will also accompany families to complex health appointments, providing them with much needed guidance and support. Not only is this further enhancing partnership working it is ensuring continuity in young people’s care. For example, some young people are supported by both parents and staff to do specific exercises to strengthen their limbs.

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outstanding

Young people benefit from staying in an environment, which is exceptionally safe, child friendly and welcoming. It is extremely well resourced, providing a choice of sensory rooms to meet their specific needs and preferences. In addition to the lounge, there is a computer and dvd lounge where young people can relax. The home is fully equipped with games and toys to ensure it caters for young people’s wide range of age and ability.

p.7

outstanding

Staff’s proactive approach to safeguarding is ensuring young people’s welfare and safety during their stay at the home. Furthermore, their comprehensive knowledge and understanding of young people’s complex needs is enabling them to recognise and interpret young people’s behaviour including signs that indicate distress, or a change in mood. Consequently, a knowledgeable and competent team respond swiftly and effectively to minimise any potential harm caused by such changes. Furthermore, staff are well trained in meeting complex medical needs. This alongside safe and effective medication procedures, is further enhancing young people’s safety.

p.8

outstanding

Young people are extremely well supervised at all times. This significantly reduces the risks of them going missing; there have been no missing incidents at this home. Missing procedures are regularly discussed at team meetings to ensure all staff are kept fully up to date with any changes in research, policy and procedures. They are therefore well prepared if such situation should arise.

p.8

outstanding

Detailed risk assessments clearly highlight what action staff should take if there are any concerns around young people’s behaviours. These are regularly reviewed; updated and signed by all staff to ensure they are fully aware of strategies to take should incidents occur. Comprehensive risk assessments, clear and effective protocols and a competent team are enhancing young people’s safety at this home.

p.8

outstanding

Staff carefully consider the matching of groups of young people to ensure compatibility and positive experiences are available for everyone. High staffing ratios also ensure that close monitoring and supervision is in place in accordance with their individual risk assessments. As a result, the service is highly effective in preventing incidents of bullying. Consequently, young people feel safe and are very relaxed and comfortable during their short breaks.

p.8

outstanding

Positive behaviour is consistently promoted. Staff use effective de-escalation techniques and creative alternative strategies, including using humour to diffuse situations appropriately. Staff discuss young people’s behaviours at team meetings and strategies are continually reviewed, to ensure they remain effective. Restraint is rarely used in the home and no incidents have been recorded in the last few years. Sanctions used are minimal, and reflect the young people’s level of understanding.

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outstanding

Staff use a positive praise approach which immediately rewards good behaviour. This was observed during this visit and was shown to be effective with young people who responded well to the praise given. For example, one young person was involved in clearing the table after their evening meal. Throughout the activity, staff continually offered the young person praise as he gradually completed each task. The young man smiled throughout and looked to staff for reassurance. He was pleased and clapped excitedly when he had finished his tasks. This further develops young people’s confidence, self-esteem and independent skills.

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outstanding

All staff, including ancillary staff, attend regular and up to date training in safeguarding matters. This includes understanding the particular vulnerabilities of disabled young people. Staff demonstrate expert knowledge and understanding of the signs, both physical and emotional, that may indicate a young person is at risk of harm. Staff readily communicate any concerns to both parents and appropriate safeguarding professionals. Staff spoken to were able to explain what they needed to do if they had any concerns about a young person’s welfare. They work closely and effectively with all relevant agencies to protect young people and to actively promote their welfare. Professionals highlight that this home always provides particularly useful information to inform all care planning and review meetings.

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outstanding

All the required safety certificates are in place to evidence a very safe and well- maintained building. Moreover, there are robust fire safety procedures in place. This includes regular fire drills that involve young people to ensure that everyone knows exactly what to do in the case of a real fire.

p.9

outstanding

The well-established and stringent recruitment and selection process is further enhancing young people’s safety by ensuring a safe and competent workforce. Judgement grade

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outstanding

Young people benefit from being cared for by a team that is effectively managed and supported. The registered manager is a well-qualified, highly skilled, enthusiastic leader who places young people at the centre of her practice. Her excellent leadership and management style ensures that staff are also extremely committed and dedicated to their work. They are well trained, highly motivated and maintain the highest quality of care for young people. This was confirmed in all the feedback received from both parents and professionals involved in young people’s lives. One social worker said ’this is a very well established and highly valued service. Young people make excellent progress and parents all talk positively about the service provided. They really do have children at the centre of everything.’

p.10

outstanding

Managers and staff receive regular and effective supervision. This focusses on young people’s experiences, needs, plans and feedback. There is effective support and challenge, during team and management meetings, to ensure that the professional development of staff and managers creates an environment for good practice to thrive. Staff said ‘we get many opportunities to reflect on practice and are encouraged to identify any further training needs we may have, this helps in our role.’

p.10

outstanding

The service has well established networks and relationships with a range of agencies and professionals who are involved in meeting the needs of young people. Staff work collaboratively with teachers, social workers, health professionals as well as maintaining links with agencies with lead child protection responsibilities. This effective joint working is most definitely improving and sustaining excellent outcomes for young people.

p.10

outstanding

The manager is assertive and persistent in reviewing, challenging and escalating where there is insufficient progress. For example, the manager challenged the local authority around an inappropriate placement for a young person when she was concerned the placement was not effectively meeting his needs. Through planning and support, this was successfully progressed; demonstrating a commitment to developing young people’s positive life experiences. The home is achieving its aims and objectives as set out in its statement of purpose. This sets out clearly the help and support provided to young people, which keeps the placing authority, families and other agencies informed. The young person’s guide has also been updated, and both consistently meet the children’s homes regulations 2015.

p.10

outstanding

The Registered Manager recognises the strengths and weakness of the service and regularly identifies approaches to improve services. Which are reflected in the home’s development plan that sets out targets for the forthcoming year. One of the recent targets, which is currently being reviewed, is the quality of the monthly independent monitoring visits. These reports do not sufficiently provide an up to date account of safeguarding or welfare concerns. On occasions, these reports have provided contradictory information, which impacts on the manager’s own monitoring of the home.

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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. procedures set out in 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

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Information about this inspection

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Information about this inspection

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