Children's home run by Sheffield City Council in Sheffield

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 receive care that successfully and consistently meets their complex health needs.  Care is provided in a purpose-built home. This means that children and young people with complex needs are safe and comfortable.  Children and young people are safe during their short breaks. They are supervised well, both within and outside of the home. Parents find this reassuring.  Children and young people are supported to develop their communication skills. This assists them to make choices and influence decisions about their care.  Monitoring is effective in ensuring that children and young people enjoy good-quality care, make progress and have the opportunity to enjoy new experiences.

p.3

Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendations:  The registered person should ensure that children are offered a wide range of activities both inside and outside of the home ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 31, paragraph 6.5). Specifically, consider extending the range of outdoor play equipment.  Registered persons must ensure that there are procedures in place for welcoming and introducing each child to the home ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 57, paragraph 11.7). As part of these procedures, review and update the Children's Guide.

p.4

Information about this children's home

This is a local authority short-break service. It can accommodate up to six children with profound physical disabilities and learning difficulties.

p.5

Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

p.5

Recent inspection history

17 February 2016 Interim Improved effectiveness

p.5

Recent inspection history

26 October 2015 Full Requires improvement

p.5

Recent inspection history

24 March 2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness

p.5

Good

Children and young people have fun during their short breaks. Parents feel that their children benefit from staying at the home. One parent commented, 'My son, who is non-verbal, loves it. This is reflected by the fact that he starts clapping with joy even if we pass it along the way!'

p.6

Good

One parent feels that one of the best things about the home is that they, 'provide a fun, safe and stimulating environment’. If they choose to, children and young people can participate in a wide range of activities that takes them into their local community and beyond. This provides, for some of them, first-time experiences such as going to the park to feed the ducks, seeing a film at the cinema or riding on a canal barge.

p.6

Good

Children and young people also enjoy quieter pastimes, such as watching their favourite television programmes, having 'pamper' and craft evenings or use of the sensory room. They enjoy the use of the outdoor play area, which includes a swing adapted to take wheelchairs. A parent suggested that one of the things that the home can improve is to provide a wider range of outdoor play equipment. A recommendation is raised for the provider to consider this proposal.

p.6

Good

The emphasis, therefore, is on personal choice, participation and consultation. This extends to children and young people choosing to have their short breaks at the same time as their friends and contributing to the home's mission statement. Some have helped to write their own care plans, risk assessments and moving and handling assessments. This empowers children and young people and gives them confidence and a sense of self-determination.

p.6

Good

All of the children and young people who use this short-break service do so on a 'children in need' basis, with parents retaining responsibility for their children's health and education. Staff support them in their roles by ensuring that children and young people, during their short breaks, get to school on time and prepared for the school day.

p.6

Good

There is frequent communication with parents and with the specialist schools and colleges that children and young people attend. This helps to identify whether children and young people may need additional support because of illness or a disrupted night's sleep, for example.

p.6

Good

Children and young people's complex needs are well understood and this helps them to maintain optimum good health. The profound nature of their disabilities calls for constant vigilance and a prompt response if they become unwell. Staff exchange information with parents about any changes in their children's health and medication needs before, during and after the short break. One parent commented, 'They always discuss my son and his needs. This is something that happens regularly due to changes in his health, medication and behaviour.'

p.6

Good

Although children and young people generally spend only a few nights a month on their short breaks, they still have time to acquire new skills. One parent commented on the, 'new independence skills' that their child had gained. Other examples include one young person learning to feed himself independently, another to use a dining chair to sit at the dining table, instead of the feeding chair.

p.7

Good

Staff ensure that children and young people are given a voice. This is achieved through regular consultation, the effective use of a range of alternative communication aids and strong advocacy. For example, with the support of the advocacy service, one young person secured himself a place at residential college. Children and young people can see the results of their meetings with staff recorded, in symbol format, on a large board. This helps them to see that their views are being listened to and acted upon. It also has the potential to help to extend the 'vocabulary' of children and young people who use symbols to communicate.

p.7

Good

Children and young people receive their short breaks in a home that is purpose built for children with complex disabilities. As such, it has all the required equipment to protect their safety and well-being as well as that of staff.

p.7

Good

Children and young people are catered for in a way that takes into account any cultural preferences. One parent commented, 'We don't eat beef for religious reasons, and they ensure my son is not given beef in his meals.'

p.7

Good

Children and young people are safe and secure during their short breaks. Staff are alert to situations or changes in behaviour that may indicate that children and young people may need extra help or protection. The risks of their going missing from the home, or when they are out and about in the community, are extremely low because of high staffing levels. There are no children or young people who are at risk of sexual exploitation. Children and young people's safety is more likely to be compromised by errors in medication or poor moving and handling practice. The risks of this occurring are minimised by effective staff training and close monitoring of staff practice. Advice from a skin specialist nurse has also helped staff to identify where bruising is likely to occur during moving and handling. This helps to protect children and young people as it helps staff – and parents – to distinguish bruising that may indicate

p.7

Good

Children and young people who are vulnerable because they cannot move away from danger, or tell others about it, are protected by one-to-one staffing ratios and the constant presence of staff. Children and young people occasionally present risks to themselves and each other through the behaviours that can arise as a result of their disability. Parents feel that staff manage this well. One parent said, 'They know my child. They know how to handle her.'

p.8

Good

The registered manager holds the registered manager's award and a social wok degree. She has managed this home since 2010.

p.8

Good

The manager ensures that the home fulfils its statement of purpose, to 'provide a high standard of care, understand each child's needs and preferences, work in partnership with parents, in an environment where children can flourish and are supported to contribute to the life of the home.'

p.8

Good

This is achieved through effective planning and support that meet the needs of children and young people with profound disabilities, provided by staff who receive supervision and training that support them in delivering good-quality care.

p.8

Good

Close attention is also paid to scheduling short breaks. This ensures the appropriate mix of children and young people, to promote friendships and to avoid competing needs. Every effort is made to ensure that introductions to the home go smoothly and at the child's pace. To enhance further this process of introduction, the children's guide to the home should be updated.

p.8

Good

Partnership working with parents and professionals is a clear strength of the home. A social worker commented, ' They always try and help out in emergencies, such as providing extra respite, taking children in earlier, letting them stay later when needed.' One parent said that the service was, 'absolutely a life-saver.' Monitoring is effective in ensuring that children and young people’s current and emerging health needs are met, that they are safe and getting the most out of their short breaks. The manager uses information drawn from consultation with parents, other professionals and children and young people to reflect on practice and to improve the quality of care provided.

p.8

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 children looked after 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 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 that 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 whom 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