Children's home run by Alicie Enterprises Limited

Good

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

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Young people make consistent progress from their own starting points and learn new skills such as managing their own anger.  Young people make excellent progress in education. They are encouraged by a committed and dedicated permanent staff team.  Staff benefit from a comprehensive and thorough training programme, which gives specialist guidance in areas such as around child sexual exploitation.  Young people benefit from regular and effective key work and reduce risk- taking behaviour such as running away from the home.  Risk assessments are thorough and comprehensive, giving clear guidance to staff. This supports a consistent response from staff and keeps young people safe.  Staff engage creatively with young people, recently offering a work experience package within the home to support an interest in cookery.  The home is lacking a development plan and clear guidance for service improvement. The current statement of purpose does not reflect recent

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The children's home provision is good because:

changes.  The hallway on the first floor is in a state of disrepair and is in need of repainting.

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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 within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

45: Review of quality of care (2) In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating— (c) any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children. 30 June 2016

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Requirement Due date

6: The quality and purpose of care standard In order to meet the quality and purpose of care standard with particular reference to the second floor walls, the registered person must ensure (2) (c) that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to (i) meet the needs of each child. 30 June 2016

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendations:

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Recommendations

 Ensure that when a restraint occurs, that young people are given the opportunity to express their feelings about the experience of the restraint as soon as is practicable. Ideally within 24 hours of the restraint incident, taking the age of the child and the circumstances of the restraint into account ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 49, paragraph 9.60).  Provide opportunities and support where needed for children to engage with their local children in care council or other such local arrangements, which enable the representation of the views and experiences of children ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 23, paragraph 4.15).  Ensure that following elements of the workforce plan should be included in the statement of purpose (in accordance with Schedule 1 (paragraphs 19 and 20)), the staffing structure, experience and qualifications of staff and arrangements

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Recommendations

for supervision of staff practice ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 53, paragraph 10.10).

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Information about this children's home

This is a private children's home registered to care for up to three young people with emotional or behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

13 January 2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Good

Young people feel proud of their home and are happy. One comments, ‘I love it here. I would not change anything.’ They get along well with staff and laughter is constantly heard. The home remains decorated with photographs celebrating a number of recent group activities and artwork completed by young people. This artwork contains motivational and positive words and phrases. Former residents regularly return to the home and act as a mentoring influence. This supports a community feel to the home, where achievement is celebrated and young people learn from each other. Progress in education is excellent. All young people are engaged in an appropriate provision. One young person is completing five GCSE examinations this summer. This is a tremendous achievement and the product of hard work and dedication. Her teacher comments, ‘She has flourished in a stable placement where staff are dedicated and professional.’ Staff access extra tuition and laptop computers from

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Good

school to support attainment. This progress is an inspiration to others and raised self-esteem for the young person concerned. Staff offer inventive sources of support. One young person recently undertook a two-week period of work experience to cook and manage the food in the home with staff support. This developed her understanding of cooking and informed future career choices. She has since successfully moved on from the home. Young people learn new self-care skills and improve hygiene. Staff adopt effective strategies, including the purchase of extra bathroom products to encourage engagement. Staff support healthy living and monitor food intake well. All young people have easy access to primary care services, and some engage well. Medication is safely stored and issued to young people. Young people participate in sporting exercise and gym membership. Young people benefit from regular and effective key work. These sessions often

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Good

occur outside of the home if confidentiality is required. Key work supports close relationships where issues remain promptly addressed. Young people consider their behaviours in the context of those on arrival, giving a clear view of progress and insight into their own role in managing behaviour. Young people benefit from a young and diverse staff team. They spend time together in the local community, evaluating the impact of certain behaviours and developing/role modelling keep safe strategies. Staff use group discussion to address sensitive issues such as sexual consent. This removes any stigma and allows young people to share experiences in a safe environment. Behaviour is good in the home and there is no use of restraint. Staff use excellent verbal skills and strong relationships to manage behaviour well. When sanctions are required, case recordings indicate a full explanation and young people consider

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Good

the implications of their actions for themselves and others. This allows them to manager their own behaviours more effectively. At present, the home does not have a recording system to debrief young people in the event of a restraint. This will ensure a full evaluation of any incident. Staff celebrate culture and difference and regularly challenge discriminatory comments when they occur. Young people maintain contact with their home communities and cultural background . Regular residents’ meetings support consultation and consider cultural events such as Chinese new year. This supports education and an understanding of the wider world. Young people enjoy these activities. There are presently insufficient opportunities for young people within the local community. Engagement with local youth organisations will help broaden the experiences of young people.

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Good

There is a clear, caring ethos in the home. Staff follow a simple principle of nurturing resilience and self-worth in young people prior to encouraging them to make informed and positive decisions. Staff are engaged in the process and take visible pleasure in positive results. Child-centred decision making is consistent. When damage occurs to the home, staff ensure that repairs occur in school time to avoid any unnecessary distress for young people. The hallway on the first floor of the home requires decoration. This will offer a more attractive environment. Staff have excellent relationships with other agencies including police, schools, social workers and therapeutic services. Young people access specialist support services to reduce risk-taking behaviours, such as cannabis use. Staff support engagement by the sharing of information with key professionals, one comments, ‘I always know what is going on, this really helps me to plan my sessions and

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Good

support the young person.’ Work with allocated therapists supports the development of behavioural management strategies, life story work and an in depth understanding of family histories. Young people enjoy safe access to the internet. Close relationships with staff allow the sharing of social media passwords and open discussion around possible dangers. This keeps young people safe. Feedback from parents is positive, one comments, ‘She is [has] done really well there, they do everything they can and everyone gets along.’ These positive relationships support a good exchange of information and effective safeguarding. Contact with relatives and friends is encouraged and supported when appropriate. Staff liaise with allocated social workers to agree overnight contacts, subject to risk assessments. This helps to stabilise young people and reduce incidents of going missing behaviour. Close relationships with staff ensure that young people

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Good

maintain phone contact with staff when not in the home. Despite young people arriving in the home with a history of absconding, the most recent incident occurred in February 2016. Staff engage with the local community to support safeguarding. Local police provide extra information on known associates of young people to support more thorough and effective risk assessments. Local shopkeepers are aware of the ages of young people and reminded of the consequences of selling alcohol or cigarettes to minors. Advocacy is strong in the home. Recently, staff supported one young person in accessing legal representation to challenge the offer of an inappropriate provision. The appeal was successful and she successfully moved from the home at a more appropriate time. The home is a safe environment, where all health and safety risk assessments remain undertaken in a timely manner.

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Good

The home benefits from a committed and dedicated owner and registered manager. The registered manager has been in post since the opening of the home. She qualified as a social worker in 1994. She is passionate about improving the outcomes of young people in her care. She is an active member of a local group of care home providers. This ensures consistent beneficial discussion and appraisal of practice issues by colleagues in other provisions. The registered manager’s in depth social work knowledge allows effective challenge to issues of drift and delay in care planning for young people. The registered manager works well with young people and leads by example. Her consistent presence allows a unique insight into the needs of young people and issues affecting the staff team. She is rightly proud of the improvements made in the home. The registered manager plans to complete her level 5 qualification in June 2016.

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Good

This course has developed her management skills and supervisory responsibilities. The home has improved the filing system, making information readily accessible. Senior members of staff now successfully complete some supervisory responsibilities. There is a genuine ‘family ethos’ in the home. Young people benefit from a small, committed, permanent staff team. Staff meetings are well attended and a crucial forum for evaluating behavioural management strategies. One staff member comments, ‘We are a real team here, talk to each other all the day, the young people respect it.’ The home has recently recruited two new members of staff who benefit from planned induction and a thorough probation period. Staff are highly motivated by regular supervision and appraisal. Clinical supervision occurs monthly and offers a useful source of insight and reflection. One staff member comments, ‘It really helps me to unload and think things through.’

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Good

Despite the registered manager having a clear idea as to the weaknesses of the service, a service development plan is lacking. The home continues to develop areas of weakness such as the development of independence skills. The registered manager adopts an open and reflective style and receives support and scrutiny by regular monthly visits from the independent visitor. Admissions to the home are well controlled. These occur following planned introductions and full consultation with staff and young people. This ensures a comprehensive assessment prior to arrival and a smooth transition into the home. There is strong management oversight of risk assessments and case recordings. Monthly reports are regular, clear and concise. Staff remain supported to offer a clear analysis of progress based on improved recording processes. Managers offer a comprehensive training package. Staff lacking the appropriate level 3 qualification are due to complete this in June 2016. Both the host local

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Good

authority and specialist private providers provide training on important issues such as the radicalisation of young people and around child sexual exploitation. This supports an excellent culture of learning and development in the home.

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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

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

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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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