Children's Home, Residential special school run by Cambian Whinfell School Limited in Westmorland and Furness

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 benefit from living in a home that has a school on site and where care and teaching staff work cooperatively and cohesively together to provide a 24-hour curriculum, which gives young people a high level of consistency of care.  Plans, strategies and areas of personal risk are all individualised to reflect the identity and the specific needs of each young person.  Young people live in an inclusive, non-judgemental environment that promotes choice, consultation and celebrates achievement.  Young people make significant progress in all areas of their lives, something that is appreciated and recognised by parents, other professionals as well as the young people themselves.  Dependent young people have their potential maximised leading to them becoming independent young people.  The strong, trusting relationships formed between young people and staff contribute significantly to the way that the home functions and keeps

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The children's home provision is outstanding because:

behaviour management issues down to a minimum.  Young people feel safe and are kept safe. Challenging, disruptive and unsafe behaviours reduce significantly as they settle into the home.  Senior staff have high aspirations for the young people as well as having high expectations of staff.  Young people are looked after by a stable, experienced, fully committed and well-trained staff group, who are well organised, supported and managed by the stable senior staff team.

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendation:  Update the young person's guide to reflect the active role undertaken by the independent advocate, along with the contact details of the National Youth Advocacy Service (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 24, paragraph 4.22).

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Information about this children's home

This privately owned children’s home provides care, accommodation and education on site for a maximum of 14 young males with a learning disability, including complex needs and autistic spectrum disorders. Accommodation is split with the majority of young people living on the main site, with facilities for some to experience a semi-independent living situation, located a short distance away.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

p.5

Recent inspection history

8 February 2016 Interim Improved effectiveness

p.5

Recent inspection history

30 March 2015 Interim Improved effectiveness

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Outstanding

Young people receive care of the highest quality which allows them to settle into long-term placements where their individual needs are recognised and met. Disability is not viewed as a barrier to achieving a full, meaningful lifestyle. Difficulties and challenges are worked through constructively and with patience, allowing young people to form strong bonds and excellent relationships with a staff group that provides a high-quality consistency of care. As a result, young people progress and move forward socially, emotionally and educationally.

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Outstanding

Young people’s progress, based on their starting points, is outstanding. For example, one young person described the time in his life immediately prior to admission as the lowest point of his life where he felt he had no hope and had no ambition for the future. He now has clear ambition based on a wide variety of skills that he has developed that give him a number of positive options for when he leaves. He summed this up by saying, `I have really changed since I came here. I had no interest in school at first, but now love it. I feel better about myself which helps me when I think of the future and make plans.’ One of his parents spoken with took this further saying, `He has completely transformed and turned his life around. One of the main reasons is the patience and understanding shown by staff coupled with the high level consistency of care. He has formed incredible relationships with staff. He has thrived in all areas of his life.’

p.6

Outstanding

Another parent described the excellent support systems for herself and the family put into place by the home and how they can contact someone 24-hours a day, particularly when her son is at home. Reflecting on his journey through the home and school she says, `I can’t praise the place enough. My son before he came to the school must have been the most implacable child around due to the serious levels of violence he was prone to.’ She concluded by saying, `They have worked wonders with him.’

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Outstanding

There is a real strength in the relationships that form between young people and staff, which underpins the ethos and culture created in both the home and school. This consistency of care provides young people with continuity in their lives as they develop trust in others and build self-confidence. As their self-esteem grows, so to do opportunities to achieve real personal success.

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Outstanding

For example, one young person who described himself as being in a dark place before he was admitted, described the recent success he has achieved in college. This has led him to shortly undertaking voluntary work overseas with people less privileged than himself. To do this, he had to plan and raise some of the funding himself. He also received the total support and backing, including financial, from the home and school. This has proved to be an outstanding achievement and a great success for all concerned.

p.6

Outstanding

The outstanding progress that young people make can be mapped by reviewing planning documentation, coping strategies, assessments of individual risk and in the individual work undertaken by staff. Plans, strategies and assessment of risk are individualised and tailored to meet specific needs which cover cultural, health, educational, emotional, social and family needs. Plans are detailed, are of the highest quality and constantly reviewed and updated through rigorous monitoring. This keeps them current and relevant to young people’s needs.

p.7

Outstanding

Responses from external professionals add to the positive comments received from parents. For example, the social worker of a young person comments that, `Staff are skilled, patient and demonstrate high levels of professionalism.’ Another professional linked to youth justice states, `I would say the relationships they build with young people are outstanding which underpins the outstanding work that’s undertaken.’

p.7

Outstanding

The school and home overlap seamlessly and blend well into providing a genuine 24-hour curriculum, providing young people with high levels of consistency, which they are so comfortable with. Information is available to show that young people re-engage well with their education, reflected in the exceptional attendance figures. Educational progress based on starting points remains excellent with young people able to achieve recognised educational attainments that any future employer or further education college would recognise. For example, a high proportion of young people achieve well with GCSE and A levels.

p.7

Outstanding

The arrangements made to promote young people’s health are excellent. Daily health needs and care are addressed through the long-standing, community-based arrangements that provide for a young person’s every-day health needs. The home has maintained its well established links into specialist services such as local mental health services. In addition, young people have regular access to a range of specialist staff employed in the home including an assistant psychologist and speech and language therapist. These arrangements cover all areas of a young person’s physical and mental health.

p.7

Outstanding

An extensive activity programme, which promotes fitness and exercise as well as healthy eating, actively promotes young people’s health. A community-based nurse visits regularly, assisting with general health issues as well as providing specialist input. For example, with sexual health issues. Overall, young people’s physical, emotional and psychological health needs are being well met. An example of how fitness improves came in discussion with a young person who described difficulty in climbing the hill located to the rear of the home. He has just taken part and completed a fell race, something he is very proud of. Well established arrangements for an independent visitor who visits young people regularly remain in place. Since the previous full inspection, arrangements for an independent advocate to visit monthly are now well established and feature regularly in life in the home. This has been established by the home after

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Outstanding

identifying the needs of young people and recognising the limitations and inabilities of some placing authorities to provide their own advocacy services.

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Outstanding

As a result, and at the homes own expense, young people now have the opportunity to meet regularly with an independent advocate. This is one of a number of examples where the home has looked to improve its own practice alongside the overall aim to improve outcomes for young people.

p.8

Outstanding

Young people have access to a guide to the home, which contains most of the information that they need when new to the home. However, the guide would benefit from having a section that describes the role of the independent advocate as well as listing their contact details.

p.8

Outstanding

Consultation levels between young people and staff are high. Time set aside before and after school, along with regular formal meetings, gives young people daily opportunities to make choices and make suggestions. Young people are happy with these arrangements and give examples of where requests made have been acted on by staff. A recent example being in a wider selection of fruit being made available. This gives young people some empowerment regarding certain aspects of the home’s daily functioning as well as giving them choices to make daily.

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Outstanding

Transforming young people, who on admission are highly dependent, into people with greater self-confidence and belief in themselves is a real area of strength. Work on developing independence starts early. Aspirations are high and disability is not viewed as a barrier to enjoying a full and purposeful lifestyle. Independence is honed further with the home’s own semi-independent unit located in the local community. This excellent programme and progression towards independence gives young people confidence, ambition and the skills to live as independently as possible.

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Outstanding

Young people benefit from living in an environment that is purposely of low stimulus to meet their needs. They are relaxed and at ease in their surroundings, which they say that they like. Bedrooms are all single occupancy and personalised to suit the taste of the occupant. The overall state of repair, quality of decor, furnishings, fixtures and equipment is high.

p.8

Outstanding

All young people spoken with make it clear that they feel safe. The discussions held with parents and other professionals support this. Safeguarding practice is of a high quality. For example, recently and using its own resources, the home provided practical support to a family, following safeguarding concerns that had been raised. This is one of three recent examples where the home has taken decisive action and gone beyond what would normally be expected of them to support young people and their families, in an effort to create safer environments.

p.9

Outstanding

A well-trained and experienced staff team understands fully their roles and responsibilities in keeping young people safe. Excellent cooperative working partnerships and practice with external agencies allow for multi-agency working of a high quality to take place.

p.9

Outstanding

For example, following an assault by a young person early into their placement on a staff member, an imaginative and practical multi-agency package has been put together that allows individual work with the young person to be undertaken, without the need to criminalise. This piece of work is proving to be highly successful with the young person who is more settled, now engaging positively with staff. As a result, there has been no repetition of the violence as he starts to make considerable progress in all areas of his life. This is another example of some of the exceptional work being undertaken with young people.

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Outstanding

Despite the home accommodating a number of young people with long histories of going missing and placing themselves in situations of high risk, there have been no incidents of any young people going missing since the previous inspection. This is a reflection of the progress being made by young people and the levels of trust that they place in a group of staff who act as excellent role models.

p.9

Outstanding

Young people operate within clearly defined boundaries that they are comfortable with. They live in an environment where they feel safe and respond positively to the strong and trusting relationships that they develop with staff, their peers and others who live in the local community.

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Outstanding

Relationships with their families also flourish. This stability, coupled with greater self-esteem, confidence and developing maturity, goes a long way to reducing the number of serious behaviour management issues within the home. Any incidents that do take place are managed safely by staff and monitored effectively by senior staff.

p.9

Outstanding

Young people benefit from being looked after by a staff group that has experienced little change, which gives young people added stability and consistency in their life. Recruitment practice and clearance procedures are thorough and meet with regulatory requirement and current guidance. Longer serving staff are being rechecked every three years, which ensures that young people are only looked after by staff who have been suitably recruited and cleared.

p.9

Outstanding

Young people are living in a non-punitive, safe environment where their needs are identified and met. Detailed risk assessments are reviewed and updated regularly. They identify risks in and around the whole campus, along with activity-based assessments of risk which help to ensure that staff and young people are kept safe. Appropriate service contracts ensure that safety equipment is well maintained, which adds to the levels of safety in the home.

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Outstanding

An experienced and suitably qualified registered manager works as part of a senior staff team that has had no changes since the previous inspection. Senior staff from the home and school work collectively and cohesively, sharing the ethos and vision created for the home and school. They have high expectations of staff, setting them high standards. This reflects on the whole staff group that collectively demonstrates that they have the highest aspirations and ambition for the young people in their care.

p.10

Outstanding

Staff report that they feel well supported. Communication levels between them are high and effective, which ensures that staff handover meetings are well prepared and managed. This gives the team coming on duty a clear understanding of the events that occurred previously and allows for effective preparation and management of the forthcoming shift. For example, in the deployment of staff around the building and with the allocation of staff to work with identified young people.

p.10

Outstanding

Retention of staff is very good with few changes having taken place within the last year. The high staff morale and positivity noted at the previous inspection remains intact. The formal programme of supervision that takes place with consistency, coupled with annual appraisal, supports the views of staff that they are well supported. As well as aiding professional development, it allows them to explore the impact that they have on young people. This helps them to understand the implications of their actions, giving them greater appreciation of their responsibilities.

p.10

Outstanding

Young people have now become involved with the appraisal programme where they are invited to make specific comments on their key worker. This is outstanding practice and reflects the high levels of consultation taking place. Young people report that they feel valued in the home and are happy that their views are taken seriously. Staff are expected to participate in the extensive training programme that is in place. This means that core skills such as safeguarding, first aid, physical intervention and others are refreshed and updated regularly. This ensures that skills remain current to meet the needs of the existing group of young people.

p.10

Outstanding

The training programme, along with other areas, is closely monitored by senior staff who are now aided with the introduction of an up-to-date modern electronic monitoring system. This gives senior staff an overview of how the programme is progressing and alerts them to issues that could be problematic. As a result, the overall monitoring of the home has improved.

p.11

Outstanding

The home has an excellent record of compliance. No requirements were made following the previous inspection. The one recommendation made led to improvements in the way that concerns raised by young people regarding their access to the internet and Wi-Fi are being handled by staff.

p.11

Outstanding

Managers have a clear understanding of the home’s strengths and areas that require development. The proactive management team regularly reviews and reflects on current practice and looks to see if it can be improved. Both internal and external monitoring is thorough with detailed reports being produced.

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Outstanding

Information picked up through these monitoring exercises is cascaded into a high- quality written development plan that is used as a working document to drive progress. For example, recent areas of improvement include enrolling care staff on level 3 training once their probationary period has been completed, replacing kitchen and office doors as fire doors and a full audit of risk assessments. The ability to critically review and then improve practice is a particular area of strength.

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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

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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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