Children's home SC408263

Good

The children's home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.2

The children's home provision is good because:

 Children and young people with a range of needs and vulnerabilities are making good and in some cases exceptional progress.  Staff and managers advocate well on behalf of children with professionals to ensure that children’s needs are met.  Staff have supported young people to undertake an excellent independence skills programme and have helped young people moving on to secure good quality accommodation.  Children and young people in this home grow in confidence as a result of being supported to take part in a range of activities and after school clubs and to develop positive peer friendships.  Staff work in partnership with families, and children and young people benefit from safe contact arrangements supported by staff.  There is a recommendation for the managers to improve health and safety monitoring, as a result of this inspection identifying minor potential hazards.

p.3

Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendation:  The registered person should actively seek independent scrutiny and make best use of information from independent and internal monitoring. This is with specific reference to ensuring that health and safety monitoring is effective and timely (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations’, page 55, paragraph 10.24).

p.4

Information about this children's home

This privately owned children’s home is registered for five children and young people who have emotional and behavioural difficulties.

p.5

Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

p.5

Recent inspection history

22 December 2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness

p.5

Recent inspection history

12 March 2015 Interim Improved effectiveness

p.5

Good

This home provides good care. Children and young people are making good and in some cases exceptional progress from their starting points. A professional said, ‘I am impressed with staff care. Staff are well trained and follow child protection procedures robustly. Another professional said, ’Staff are empathetic and motivated. They have been relentless in identifying opportunities and resources for young people.’ Admissions to the home are carefully planned. The manager ensures that full information is known so that placements are well matched and detailed risk assessments are in place. Children and young people are encouraged to visit, they choose the decor for their room and they are provided with a child friendly welcome pack. Staff support children and young people to understand the complaints process and how they can contribute to decisions about their care. A social worker said, ’My experience of the admission process is that it is seamless,

p.6

Good

the young person settled very quickly. When I visit I am impressed by the positive interactions I observe between staff and young people and between peers.’ Staff build trusting and nurturing relationships with children and young people with a range of needs and abilities. Staff are conscientious in ensuring that information about children’s progress is recorded and shared. They contribute to assessments and care planning, providing weekly summaries for social workers and parents. Staff support children and young people to attend essential health appointments, which are made promptly following admission. Plans are informed by up-to-date, accurate information and health needs are quickly identified. Staff are trained in first aid and dispensing medication and respond to each child’s health needs appropriately. As a result, children and young people have improving health. There is good information about each child’s and young person’s emotional health

p.6

Good

and welfare. The provider commissions a principal child psychologist to provide regular consultation with staff and managers, and children are referred to child and adolescent mental health services, if this is needed. Staff ensure that children and young people have contact arrangements in place with family and friends, they support and facilitate regular contact and listen carefully to children’s views about contact. A parent said, ’I did not know what to expect at my contact with my child but I thought the staff were sensitive and helpful. This meant we could enjoy our contact.’ Staff recognise the importance of daily routines and structure to developing stability for children and young people. They ensure that each child and young person contributes to their daily routine planning. All children and young people have education and training arrangements in place and they have excellent attendance records. Staff work closely with schools and education providers. Staff

p.6

Good

contribute to education planning meetings, celebrate achievements and reinforce progress with children and young people. Staff have received training in helping to motivate young people who are struggling with sustaining education and employment arrangements. As a result, all of the children and young people have stable routines in place and they are making progress in education and training. There is an excellent independent living skills programme for young people preparing to move on. This is an accredited two-part package and young people receive certificates that can be shared with prospective accommodation providers and employers, as evidence of their skills and knowledge. Staff in this home are proactive and tenacious in identifying good quality accommodation for young people moving to independent accommodation. After a young person has moved on, staff provide effective support in partnership

p.7

Good

with the placing local authority. Children and young people have taken part in a range of activities and after school clubs and are encouraged to maintain peer friendships. They have contributed to the local community through fundraising for charities. Staff support and encourage them to take up opportunities, which enhances children’s and young people’s confidence and social skills.

p.7

Good

Young people talked to the inspector about feeling safe in this home and staff reported that young people are ‘asked what they want to happen, rather than being told what should happen, to keep themselves safe’. There are detailed risk and behaviour management plans in place. They provide clear guidance and support staff to identify and manage risk-taking behaviours by children and young people. They support staff to de-escalate challenging behaviours and they help children and young people to keep themselves safe. Plans are regularly reviewed with children and young people and used to track the progress that they are making. Staff have received up-to-date training in safeguarding procedures, policies and practice. This means that they are able to contribute to risk assessments and provide informed, direct work with young people. Children and young people in this home have a range of vulnerabilities and needs,

p.7

Good

and staff have addressed a range of risks with them. This includes risks associated with the use of the internet and social media, vulnerability to exploitation, bullying and the impact of substance misuse. These issues are explored sensitively with young people in individual sessions with staff members. As a result of staff care and effective support, there have been reduced incidents of going missing and absences from the home, reduced notifiable incidents, reduced sanctions and a very low number of physical interventions. Where there have been incidents, staff have followed procedures, recording is detailed and managers maintain an overview. Young people are encouraged to share and record their feelings to help improve their good emotional health. For example, some young people record in ‘reflection diaries’ and some young people use drawings and art to express feelings. The managers have a good understanding of allegations of harm against adults

p.7

Good

who work with children. The managers have sought advice and made appropriate referrals to the designated safeguarding officer. New staff have been recruited following safer recruitment procedures, there is a thorough induction programme and all staff are aware of the whistleblowing policy.

p.8

Good

This home has a new management team. The manager was previously the deputy manager and is in the process of applying to be the registered manager. A new deputy manager has been appointed. Both are experienced managers and they are motivated and aspirational for children in their care. Children’s progress is at the centre of their practice. The deputy manager was previously the lead in children’s and young people’s education for this provider and she has used this knowledge and experience to promote education and training for young people within this home. Staff and managers know the children’s and young people’s needs well. Staff receive regular supervision. Managers use internal monitoring and quality assurance processes to ensure that they have an overview of practice within the home. For example, case responsible social workers receive a weekly summary about the progress of children and young people. The deputy manager is currently

p.8

Good

quality assuring every summary to develop practice. Managers welcome the scrutiny by the independent visitor and from commissioners. They respond promptly to any recommendations. This inspection identified a small number of minor health and safety issues, the managers addressed these immediately and there are no risks to children and young people. There is a recommendation for the managers to improve health and safety monitoring. The staff and young people have contributed to the home’s development plan. Children are consulted with about their day-to-day care. During this inspection, managers acknowledged that there was a need to further develop young people’s meetings, to add value by making them more child led and more creative in securing children’s views. A ‘grumbles book’ has recently been introduced that has proved to be effective as young people are using this. Managers have reviewed grumbles, provided a written response and have made changes as a result.

p.8

Good

The managers ensure that they work closely with partners in each child’s network to identify children’s and young people’s needs and progress their care plans. Staff and managers have received positive feedback from families and professionals for advocating on behalf of children and young people. Staff report that they receive good training and development opportunities, enhancing skills and confidence. A recently appointed member of staff said, ’I love my job. The atmosphere here is positive and caring; staff are committed to children doing well. This is a supportive and knowledgeable staff group.’ While there have been a number of changes in the management and staff team, the commitment and skills of the whole team has resulted in the maintenance of a stable, calm environment and the children and young people have continued to develop and make progress.

p.9

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’.

p.10

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

p.10

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.

p.10

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

p.11

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 .

p.11

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,

p.12

Information about this inspection

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.12

Information about this inspection

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.12

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

p.12