Children's home run by Channels and Choices Kent LLP in Dover

Outstanding

The children's home provides highly effective services that consistently exceeds 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 flourish within an environment which provides nurturing, therapeutic care. Research-led attachment practice implemented by a team of therapists who guide and support staff, help young people develop trusting relationships and a more positive view of themselves.   Young people are making considerable progress in all areas of their development. They are managing their emotions more appropriately, improving their behaviour and becoming more self-confident. They are developing their self-esteem and acquiring suitable social skills.   Staff listen to young people and are responsive to their individual needs. Care plans are detailed and comprehensive with on-going review of strategies to ensure they effectively promote positive outcomes.   Extremely positive relationships are at the heart of all practice within the home, underpinning the safety and protection of young people. They develop a sense of safety, protection and trust in the adults who care for

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The children's home provision is outstanding because:

them, enabling them to accept the support staff offer.   The Registered Manager is dedicated to providing high standards of care and opportunities for young people to succeed and fulfil their potential. He provides clear leadership for a committed staff team who strive to provide young people with consistent, predictable care and a stable, secure base.   Although health and safety checks, including fire safety checks are routinely applied, fire safety measures have not been evaluated by a professional trained to undertake such an assessment.

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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

The registered person must take adequate precautions against the risk of fire, including the provision of suitable fire equipment in the children’s home. (Regulation 25(1)(a)) 20/11/2015

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Information about this children's home

The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three young people with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home is operated by a private organisation. It offers therapeutic residential care for young people.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

23/03/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

07/01/2014 Interim Satisfactory progress

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Outstanding

Young people are happy and relaxed in the home. Through consistent and predictable care, they develop trusting relationships and a more positive view of themselves. A social worker commented that they ‘have seen a massive improvement in all areas of the young person’s social and emotional development’ since being at the home. There has been change ‘in a positive way from being a social introvert and unconfident to now fitting in well with their peers and having self-esteem’. Staff closely supervise young people, engaging them in meaningful dialogue and activities, protecting them and promoting their welfare. Staff place their well-being at the centre of their practice. Young people have a strong voice within the home. They confidently express their views knowing that staff will listen and respond appropriately. An effective key working system provides tailored support through an individual action plan and

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Outstanding

daily sessions to address specific issues relating to their development. Through such intense key working, young people are acquiring alternative ways of thinking about difficult issues, building confidence in sharing opinions and discussing their feelings. Daily meetings are a regular forum for them to express their views and opinions relating to the running of the home and discuss issues arising from living as part of a group. Young people are aware of the complaints procedure. They use this process rarely but the Registered Manager ensures that any complaint is fully investigated with formal outcome letters to young people to conclude the matter. Consequently, they realise their views are important, they are listened to and respected. All young people engage in education, are learning and achieving. They are making excellent progress, bearing in mind their starting points and have very good records of attendance. One young person has received a certificate for pupil of the

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Outstanding

term, another a certificate for most progress in effort, behaviour and achievement. One young person has progressed to the extent that they are now successfully integrating into a local mainstream school. Effective links between staff and education staff foster partnership working to ensure young people’s individual needs are met. Staff are ambitious for them and keen to provide the support necessary to achieve their full potential. The Registered Manger takes on the role of ‘a good parent’ in ensuring young people have the best opportunities available to promote their education. Examples include researching the most appropriate local mainstream school to promote a young person’s education and arranging work experience for another young person to inspire them to work towards a career where they have particular interests. Activities are an integral part of the home’s therapeutic approach. According to

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Outstanding

young people’s specific interests, staff offer opportunities to participate in new experiences and pursuits so they can develop confidence, social skills and a sense of identity. Their activities also help promote positive relationships with staff and peers. Individual weekly activity plans include ice skating, football training and paintballing. Staff are supporting one young person to help organise a Macmillan coffee morning for charity at the local church to boost their self-confidence and integration into the local community. Detailed health plans ensure young people receive health services according to their individual needs. With a strong focus on their emotional health and well- being, staff work in partnership with the organisation’s clinical therapy team who deliver individual work with young people, group work and staff support and training. Dedicated ‘therapeutic thinking time’ meetings, led by therapists, allows

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Outstanding

staff to assess and evaluate their practice and support for young people in the context of their specific attachment patterns. Consequently, they receive effective strategies of support to advance their psychological and emotional well-being, resulting in considerable improvements in their behaviour and ability to manage their emotions. They are developing the ability to reason, negotiate and compromise with adults in a more age-appropriate way. Staff support young people to acquire independence and daily living skills as they mature in preparation for adult life. They are learning how to manage unsupervised social time, developing practical skills and taking more responsibility for their own self-care. A social worker commented that a young person ‘is making amazing progress’.

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Good

Extremely positive relationships between staff and young people are at the heart of all practice in the home. Through close supervision from thoughtful and consistent staff, young people develop a sense of safety, protection and trust in the adults who care for them. They settle at the home, flourish and from a secure base make significant progress. A parent reported that ‘they don’t worry about their child and know they are well cared for’. Another parent commented that their child ’looks happy and they haven’t seen them as settled in a while’. Staff identify and understand the specific needs of each young person. Detailed and comprehensive care plans, with a focus on their emotional needs, guide staff to provide targeted support. Individualised risk assessments are current with appropriate measures in place to protect young people from harm. Staff amend strategies promptly when young people display behaviour which increases the risk

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Good

of harm. Through constructive involvement with the therapy team, staff implement effective approaches to help and protect young people. Trusting relationships reduce the necessity for physical intervention when young people become distressed and are in a high state of anxiety. They build confidence in staff, knowing that staff respect their views, will listen to them and will be responsive to their needs. Consequently, they are able to accept support staff offer. Personalised positive handling plans identify triggers and warning signs, with guidelines and strategies to support young people presenting challenging behaviour. Incidents involving physical intervention are rare. Following such an incident, staff give young people the opportunity to put forward their view of the incident. Their comments inform future strategies to provide more effective support. Staff undertake training to provide such support safely and all such

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Good

incidents are well-recorded and closely monitored by the Registered Manager. Staff respond effectively when young people leave the home without permission, applying agreed procedures, including return interviews, to safeguard them and ensure their safe return. Young people with a history of being missing from home and involving themselves in criminal activity are receiving valuable support to understand the risks they face. Consequently, they have not been involved in offending behaviour while away from the home and staff are encouraging them to keep to the boundaries of their agreed social time. Staff review and strengthen safeguarding measure following such incidents. An experienced safeguarding officer provides the Registered Manager and staff with advice and guidance in relation to safeguarding concerns, ensuring appropriate consultation and referrals are made to the local authority designated officer. There have been no such referrals since the last inspection.

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Good

Staff receive comprehensive training in all aspects of protecting young people including on-line safety and child sexual exploitation. On-line safety is continually addressed with young people in key working sessions to raise their awareness of the dangers they may face and educate them to keep themselves safe. A social worker commented that they are ‘confident and satisfied that the young person is in a safe environment and have no concerns around safeguarding issues’. Robust recruitment processes are in place to safeguard young people from unsuitable adults working with them. All checks on prospective employees are undertaken before they commence working at the home. Health and safety checks are up to date. Appropriate fire safety measures are routinely applied. However, the Registered Manager completes the fire risk assessment but has not been trained to undertake this specialist evaluation as to

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Good

whether fire protection measures are robust.

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Outstanding

Young people benefit from effective management and clear leadership. The manager has been in post since August 2014 and is registered with Ofsted. He is currently undertaking a Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management for Residential Childcare. He provides valuable support and guidance for the staff team and evidently understands the needs of young people living at the home. Through an ‘open door’ approach, young people seek him out to discuss their day and any particular concerns they have. A staff member reported that the Registered Manager is ‘a very good manager and very good with the young people and providing support for staff’. Staff are committed to providing a family environment where young people receive consistent care and a stable base from which they can develop and fulfil their potential. Staff undertake comprehensive induction and training ensuring they are competent and confident in supporting young people with complex needs. On-

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Outstanding

going staff development expands the staff team’s knowledge and understanding of attachment theory. A renowned academic, specialising in the application of attachment practice, leads this staff development so that staff can fulfil the aim of providing a nurturing and therapeutic approach to young people’s care. A team of qualified therapists work closely with staff in ‘therapeutic thinking time’ sessions to analyse young people’s behaviour and emotions, and devise strategies relevant to their specific attachment style. Consequently, young people receive directed and individualised support helping them make progress and achieve positive outcomes. Staff receive regular supervision which provides opportunities to discuss issues affecting their role and young people’s care. Records demonstrate a robust approach to staff practice with a clear focus on meeting young people’s needs. Staff appraisals include valuable feedback from young people who provide

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Outstanding

thoughtful assessment of staff’s strengths and weaknesses, contributing to a meaningful review of performance and areas for development. Monitoring of the home to maintain high standards of care is robust. Continuous review of records and staff practice by the Registered Manager contributes to his thorough understanding of activity within the home and young people’s progress. Quarterly internal monitoring reports are detailed and evaluative with a focus on young people’s progress, achievement and areas for further development. Monthly independent visitor reports highlight any shortfalls and contribute to action for on- going improvement. A current development plan also highlights particular elements requiring attention. Staff work extremely positively and effectively with other agencies and professionals, including close liaison with social workers, the youth offending service and education staff. Consequently, young people are achieving positive

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Outstanding

outcomes in ceasing their criminal activity and drastically improving their school attendance. A social worker commented that ‘the manager is always in communication with me’.

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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

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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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