Children's home run by Kids

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:

Staff understand the needs of children and young people well. Care is warm and nurturing. Positive relationships help staff to ascertain the views of children and young people. Children and young people look relaxed in their surroundings.

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The children's home provision is good because:

Feedback from parents, professionals and staff indicate the progress that children and young people make over time. This progress relates to tasks that will increase independence and improve their life skills in the future. Children and young people have good access to activities both in and out of the home. Staff use their creative skills to engage young people well.

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The children's home provision is good because:

Physical intervention has not been used as a behaviour management strategy. Staff are trained to deescalate and distract children and young people when they become anxious and this strategy works effectively. The home is calm. Staff have a good understanding of the child protection policy and their responsibility to keep children and young people safe.

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The children's home provision is good because:

The registered manager works hard to improve the experiences that children and young people have during their short break. New systems have been implemented, succinct records and rigour in monitoring to assist in the homes development. The home is organised and families’ state ‘is providing a better service we can rely on’.

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The children's home provision is good because:

The quality of the home continues to improve. The refurbishment is ongoing and many areas of the home are now boasting a new lease of life. Children and young people make decisions in the refurbishment plan: they particularly enjoy the new, well-equipped sensory room.

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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 with the given timescales.

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13: The leadership and management standard

(1) In order to meet the leadership and management standard the registered person inspires and leads a culture that: (a) helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and (b) promotes their welfare.

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13: The leadership and management standard

(2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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13: The leadership and management standard

(a) lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers outcomes, set out in the home's statement of purpose.

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13: The leadership and management standard

In particular, that the manager reviews care plans and risk assessments more frequently to reflect the current needs of young people. 01/07/2016

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):

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Recommendations

 continue to improve the home to provide a welcoming and nurturing environment. Paying particular attention to the garden area and first floor of the home (‘Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9).

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Recommendations

 ensure staff have access to specialist training that improves their skills and expertise in caring for children and young people with autism spectrum disorders (‘Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.11).

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Information about this children's home

This is a private short break children’s home which is charity run. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for no more than seven children and young people with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties, learning disabilities and physical disabilities. It may only accommodate children or young adults under short break arrangements.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

27 January 2016 Interim Improved effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

17 November 2014 Interim Declined in effectiveness

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Good

Care is individualised and planned in a way that meets needs. Children and young people have a dedicated member of staff caring for them during their stays. This increases the opportunities for young people to build positive relationships and progress. Staff are attuned to the needs of children and young people. Care provided builds on children’s and young people’s interests, goals and sensory needs.

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Good

Staff introduce children and young people who are new to the home in a sensitive manner. Collaborative working with parents and professionals informs the initial introduction period and builds relationships. Staff encourage children and young people to lead this process, overnight stays do not commence until children and young people are ready.

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Good

The quality of care that children and young people receive is exceptional. Staff build solid relationships with children and young people that are caring and compassionate. Communication methods used in the home vary depending on children’s and young people’s needs. Staff successfully engage children and young people to ascertain their views about their care.

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Good

Children and young people make progress that increases their independence and their ability to manage their anxieties positively. Targets and goals are individual and relate to day-to-day tasks, such as brushing teeth, making a drink or crossing the road safely. Young people learn to successfully manage their strategies that help to keep them calm. A member of staff said ‘it’s not just respite: it’s an opportunity to grow’.

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Good

The home is designed to meet the needs of children and young people who stay here. Children and young people make the most of the array of activities available within the home. Staff prepare the home depending on which children and young people are visiting. Fun and imaginative games are accessible and encourage participation. Two specialist vehicles mean that access into the community is readily available.

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Good

Staff support children and young people when they reach significant transitions in their life. The home continues to support some young people during their transition into future services when they reach 18. This supports children and young people to move on successfully. Ongoing refurbishment in the home continues to improve its presentation. Since the last inspection, extensive work to decor and soft furnishings gives a cosier and homely feel that had been lacking. The registered manager recognises this as on ongoing project. Areas in need of attention are the first floor and the garden area.

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Good

The registered manager implements a clear child protection policy. All staff have attended training in safeguarding children and young people. Designated safeguarding leads are trained to the appropriate level. Staff have good knowledge of how to protect children and young people from harm. Staff support children and young people to manage their behaviour when they become anxious. Behaviour management strategies detail how best to do this. Staff have been successful in reducing the amount of incidents in the home. As a result, there have been no physical interventions since the last inspection. Staff are skilled in de-escalating situations, and a member of staff said ‘communication is so vital in behaviour management’. Positive reinforcement is a strategy used to replace sanctions. Staff display certificates that praise young people for positive choices. All children and young people have individualised risk assessments with strategies

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Good

that are proportionate to their needs. The risk assessments help keep children and young people safe. One young person’s risk assessment was not updated to include new risks identified. The registered manager had not identified the need to prioritise its review. Children and young people have not gone missing from this home. However, individual missing protocols are in place that detail how to respond to such an incident. High staffing ratios minimise the risk of this. In addition, the front door is locked, and the registered manager considers this an appropriate restriction to keep children and young people safe. Children and young people have independent access to the outside garden areas. Each young person has a personal emergency evacuation plan that is individual to their needs. Weekly fire tests, servicing and regular fire evacuations contribute to a safe environment. Specialist moving and handling equipment is serviced as

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Good

Staff have training to enable them to meet specialist health needs that can cause a risk to children and young people. Health care plans detail the care that children and young people need in the event of a seizure or anaphylactic shock. A designated person take responsibility for these health needs during the children’s and young people’s short breaks.

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Requires improvement

Systems that the registered manager has put in place to improve the service are yet to embed. Some care plans and risk assessments have not been updated to include the most recent changes and developments in young people’s lives. The registered manager was not familiar with the updated local authority care plan for one young person. While this does not impact on the direct care to the young person, the longevity of this oversight would have a negative impact on the young person’s permanence.

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Requires improvement

The registered manager leads a team that puts the needs of children and young people first. Changes to the home are having a positive impact on children and young people and their families. A parent said ‘the manager is very good; everything is in order and consistent now’. Another parent described the service as ‘amazing and gold star’.

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Requires improvement

The registered manager does not evidence well the progress that children and young people make during their time here. The introduction of targets and goals is a good starting point, but it is difficult to see the child’s positive journey that is described by parents, professionals and staff.

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Requires improvement

The home’s development plan defines the priority areas for improvement. They specifically relate to the strategic and management task to improve systems rather than the direct care.

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Requires improvement

Monitoring systems in place to review the quality of care are effective. The registered manager has increased his oversight of records and monitors these effectively. The management team has a strong presence in the home, which includes observation of the day-to-day care that children and young people receive.

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Requires improvement

The arrangements in place to support staff are effective. Supervision is regular and facilitates the opportunity for staff to reflect on the care they provide. Casual or agency staff receive supervision in line with the supervision policy, and this is dependent on the number of working days. The registered manager conducts the recruitment process in a safe manner that suitably vets and checks new staff. The workforce development plan clearly sets out the induction and probationary process. New staff say ‘I feel supported’. All staff receive the mandatory training required for their role. Staff do not have access to specialist training to meet the needs of children and young people with autistic spectrum disorders.

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Requires improvement

The registered manager improves relations with children and young people and their families by conducting home visits. Good relationships with key professionals who support children and young people make for better collaborative working. A professional said ‘they are brilliant; they have gone above and beyond and communicate well’.

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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 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

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What the inspection judgements mean

harmed or at risk of harm or 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 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 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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