Children's home run by SES Avocet Limited

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:

 This service delivers consistently outstanding care to young people with a background of trauma, sexual, physical and emotional abuse. Managerial oversight is highly effective.  This is a safe and stable home. A skilled leadership team prioritises the welfare and safety of young people very effectively. They scrutinise all new referrals carefully to ensure that admissions are appropriate. Planning for a new arrival is intensive and coordinated.  Assessments of risk are extremely comprehensive and balanced with effective management strategies that are regularly reviewed and adjusted as necessary.  Young people benefit from a highly organised approach to their care where their educational, social and behavioural milestones are integrated into a seamless care plan. Excellent systems for assessing and analysing their progress support them and ensure that they achieve their goals.  The service has an extensive range of resources to support staff to carry out

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The children's home provision is outstanding because:

effective work with young people. Staff and young people have direct access to therapeutic and psychological expertise.  Staff in both the care teams and learning centre are well supported and trained to deliver a highly professional service. Work with young people is regularly informed by research. Staff are highly nurturing and form close bonds with young people. Young people with a history of non-school attendance are able to engage in a full day and make progress in achieving literacy and numeracy targets.  Young people know that their views are taken seriously and they contribute to their care reviews as well as staff recruitment and appraisals. Staff show exemplary skill in enabling young people to participate in their residents‟ meetings. Consequently, they feel valued and develop a positive self-view.

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Information about this children's home

This privately owned home is registered for up to eight boys aged eight to 14 years on admission. It is registered as a children‟s home because it provides 52-week placements. Education and administration facilities are on site and separate from the living areas. There is also a separate building that is used for two older boys who are learning to be more independent.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

29 December 2015 Interim Improved effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

17 March 2015 Interim Improved effectiveness

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Outstanding

The home provides an integrated therapeutic environment where the central relationship is between young people and their key workers. Young people make progress because they are looked after by staff who speak of them fondly and know their needs and vulnerabilities in detail. From the beginning of their placement, each young person has a set of objectives which reflect their emotional, educational and behavioural milestones. Staff are extremely skilled and purposeful in ensuring that young people make early progress by linking goals. For instance, one young person constantly used bad language. In consultation with the child psychiatrist, staff focused on reducing this verbal abuse, which led to the young person beginning to feel more in control. This worked alongside his learning objectives of increasing his vocabulary and being able to tolerate being part of a small group. He was supported extensively by his

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Outstanding

care worker and in time he was able to participate fully in a group discussion. This enhanced his self-esteem and promoted his role with other young people. Many young people come with a history of poor educational attendance or attainment. Care staff support them by reinforcing daily routines, which are all organised around the school day. Consequently, young people who are expected to refuse formal education engage more quickly than expected. Given their starting points, this is remarkable progress. However, simply attending is not enough. The head of education is determined that each young person should meet their personal and social objectives and attain realistic but ambitious levels of numeracy and literacy. Each young person has a full-time education bespoke programme based on an assessment of their ability and matched with nationally recognised goals. Young people have benefited from this committed approach; some have

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Outstanding

gone on to study at college while others have performed successfully in work experience. Staff and managers also expect all young people to develop life skills that will support them as they grow up and start to think about the future. This is partly based on recent research on the successful impact of highly regulated activity to help young people engage in routines. This work begins immediately as an integral part of their overall programme. Staff are extremely skilled in using all opportunities to help young people to learn. For instance, paying the bill for a meal in a café helps them to count accurately, enhances their budgeting skills and helps them to behave confidently in public arenas. Parents speak highly of the quality of partnership with staff. They feel valued and part of the team. The mother of one young person said: ‟He is calmer and listens more. That is a big change. The staff work well with us, hand in hand. They keep

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Outstanding

me updated and vice versa. My son knows we talk and if I say “No”, it is “No” from staff too.‟ Young people participate fully and confidently in the running of the home. They attend planning meetings to review their progress against targets. Young people are part of the recruitment process and interview candidates in a separate panel. They have provided feedback in the annual appraisal of the home‟s principal and were fair and balanced. In addition, all young people attend a regular residents‟ meeting where they raise significant and serious issues such as the role of the provocative victim or the impact of bullying. Staff provide exemplary support, preparing young people to present their comments and encouraging a reflective approach. As a result, young people listen to each other and learn to behave respectfully. The keynote speaker at the recent annual conference visited the children‟s home and commented: „I think that you have it about right from what your young people

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Outstanding

are saying. What I witnessed and seeing how you are structured, this is already a robust service.‟

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Outstanding

Young people feel safe and are safe because staff and managers work together in a highly organised system to review any concerns. Young people are confident that if they raise a concern with a worker, it will be addressed promptly. They may not always agree with the outcome, but they are sure that they will be taken seriously. Staff are confident that they would know how to respond to any safeguarding matters. They receive regular training and are alert to signs of internet abuse or sexual exploitation. In addition, managers have responded enthusiastically to an initiative introduced by the police, whereby a local officer attends the home to talk to staff and individual young people about any emerging risks. These can include criminal damage, substance abuse or verbal aggression. Consequently, young people are clear about the consequences of their actions and learn to avoid negative behaviour. Managers deal with any child protection allegations immediately, following formal

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Outstanding

procedures and liaising promptly with the local safeguarding team. Young people are supported to participate in discussions and contribute to the outcome. Consequently, they know that adults place their safety at the centre of their practice. Young people in the home have complex needs. The management team, assisted by external consultants, scrutinises new referrals comprehensively to ensure that team members have full information about the young person‟s background history, risks and vulnerabilities. Once they have made a commitment, planning for the new arrival is intensive and coordinated between the care team and learning centre. Risk assessments of behaviour are robust and extremely detailed, underlying the need for constant vigilance. As a result, young people make a positive start to their placements. Young people remain safe because staff who know them work together purposefully in a well-integrated system. Staff constantly review young people‟s

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Outstanding

behaviour and ensure that any known or potential risks are managed. This information is shared with the whole community. One external consultant said: ‟They succeed because they are endlessly reflective and leave nothing to chance.‟ Staff know young people extremely well and speak fondly of them. The registered manager commented: „Our whole approach is to promote positive behaviour.‟ Staff and managers recognise that disruptive behaviour can reflect the need for reassurance. For instance, one young person had been the subject of a high number of restraints. His care worker suggested that he was in fact seeking physical comfort, so the staff group agreed to initiate safe hugs. The results have been dramatic. While his behaviour remains volatile, the incidents of physical intervention have declined notably and his confidence has increased. Managers acknowledge the importance of a theoretical and analytical framework

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Outstanding

that links academic research and their work with young people. For instance, recent research on working with traumatised children and brain development in young people who have been abused, have been shared with staff throughout the community. This is applied to work with young people in a precise way. For example, the risk assessment for one new young person says, ‟He may become heightened and anxious and there may not be an obvious reason. His history of trauma may trigger flashbacks. It is important to remain calm and consistent.‟ As a result, young people remain safe. Staff and managers are determined that young people should feel optimistic about their abilities. It is critical to the „no limits‟ ethos of the home that there is an ambitious programme of activities offering a breadth of experience, from trips to London or the West Country to local sailing courses. Some young people have visited France and Finland, including spending time with local families. They were

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Outstanding

accompanied by a member of staff who worked with the family in advance to prepare them and address any concerns. As a consequence of this especially careful approach, young people were able to benefit from experiencing a new culture and language and meeting new people. Their self-esteem improves and they view their future with greater optimism.

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Outstanding

The registered manager is suitably qualified and has extensive experience of working with vulnerable young people. She works alongside the principal and head of education as part of the senior management team. This reflects a highly coordinated approach to the service that is repeated at all levels within the community. For instance, managers from both the care and learning centre teams meet weekly to review progress and share information about all young people. Feedback from these discussions is passed back to staff as part of a continuous dialogue. This reinforces a sense of joint ownership and responsibility throughout the staff group. Young people witness staff working together closely and this enhances their sense of security. The management team recognises that this is difficult and demanding work and place a high value on training and qualifications. All care workers are either qualified to NVQ level 3, about to start the course or will commence the training

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Outstanding

when they have finished their induction. In the same way that young people are encouraged to think about their futures with „no limits‟, so staff are encouraged to plan ambitiously. Some members of the management team are embarking on NVQ level 5 courses or other advanced professional pathways. Staff are confident and questioning about their practice and young people gain from this dynamic approach. The management team has very high expectations of their staff and their professional skills. The registered manager has recently introduced a new system of core standards for care staff modelled on professional standards for teachers. This provides a structured way to track staff progress through a set of competencies. Staff members have to produce evidence of how they have met these expectations throughout the year and this contributes to their annual appraisals. This rigorous approach is balanced by a different set of support

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Outstanding

meetings when staff can discuss more informal or personal issues. One member of staff said: ‟Sometimes people have had a tough time so it‟s important that managers understand the pressure.‟ Managers comprehensively review the quality of the service using a range of reports, including incidents of negative behaviour, feedback from professional partners and comments from young people. Care coordinators produce a monthly report on each young person, giving an update on daily routines, education, activities, contact and any behaviour management incidents. These are scrutinised by the manager and sent to the allocated social workers in their placing authorities. Professionals speak highly of this meticulous approach. The social worker for one young person said: „He is the most traumatised young person I have ever worked with. I am not sure this is the right place for him but they are very, very committed

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Outstanding

to working something out. They really want to help him.‟ If managers disagree with the local authority plans for a young person, they are assertive and vigorous in challenging these decisions. Young people are aware of this and gain confidence knowing that they are valued. The management team is ambitious for the service and demonstrates passion and commitment. For instance, the current annual development plan focuses on continuing to improve the participation of young people, pursuing partnership on a local, national and international level and revising assessment and outcome measures. Robust external monitoring arrangements help them to scrutinise their progress. This relentless drive for improvement means that the management team never takes their success for granted. The management team is also keen to learn from the experience of others and to spread the message to staff. The annual conference arranged by the provider

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Outstanding

focused this year on the message of „Positive Futures‟. Feedback from staff and young people was very positive. One member of staff said: ‟It reinforced to me how the smallest thing can make a difference at some point… keep talking and reassuring even if it seems like the young person isn‟t listening.‟

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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 that 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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