Children's Home run by Wessex College Limited in Wiltshire

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 benefit from being cared for by a consistent, well-trained team of staff who are very child centred. The staff and young people have built strong relationships based on trust and mutual respect. The staff team has a detailed understanding of the needs of the young people, and works in a consistent manner in line with young people’s plans.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Young people are making good progress from their starting points upon admission. This is particularly true of their re-engagement in education. For some, this includes taking a number of GCSEs.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Safeguarding young people, and developing their understanding of their risk-taking behaviours and decreasing them are part of the core work undertaken by the staff. They have been successful in this area, as risk- taking behaviours have decreased and work continues.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Leaders and managers have developed effective monitoring systems. These are used to develop practice and to ensure that young people’s needs are met.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Leaders and managers work openly with fellow professionals, who praised them for their work and commitment to the young people and their families.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Consultation with young people is a strength of the service. Their input is sought in all aspects of the work undertaken. Young people said that they value this and feel listened to.

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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

 Staff should continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them.

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Recommendations

In particular, all staff should consistently request to see the identification of visitors. In addition, the registered manager should ensure that they obtain full details of incidents or allegations that young people have made against staff at previous placements (‘Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5).

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Recommendations

 As set out in regulations 31–33, the registered person is responsible for maintaining good employment practice.

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Recommendations

In particular, the record of staff interviews should include an explanation of the scoring system used to decide whether to employ or not (‘Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1).

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Recommendations

 Staff should be familiar with the home's policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective, and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child.

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Recommendations

In particular, key-worker records and the minutes of house meetings should reflect more detail of the discussions which take place (‘Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4).

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Information about this children's home

This children’s home is registered to provide care and accommodation up to for four young people of either sex with emotional and behavioural difficulties. It is one of four children’s homes operated by a private organisation. The organisation provides an independent school that young people from this home can attend.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

5 January 2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

6 March 2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Good

Young people benefit from living in a stable home where they have built strong and secure relationships with the staff who care for them. Young people’s views are sought throughout all aspects of the running of the home

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Good

Staff are adept at making both the admission to and departure from the home a positive experience. They clearly understand the anxiety and trauma that these situations can cause for young people. Arrangement for moving in and leaving the home are well thought through and carried out in a sensitive manner.

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Good

Young people are making good to excellent progress in their education. For some, this has been a slow process of re-engagement in education after a considerable absence. During the inspection, one young person was in the process of taking nine GCSEs.

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Good

Staff encourage and enable young people to take part in a range of activities which are fun and purposeful. These include physical activities. These help to improve their general health and well-being. One young person was very proud of their achievements in this area. Staff join in with the activities, as they feel that it helps to build relationships and bonds.

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Good

The staff team, with input from the organisation’s therapist, develops bespoke plans based on young people’s identified and emerging needs. These are reviewed and updated to ensure that they are current. One young person did not have the required documentation from their placing authority. The registered manager had frequently requested this. The documentation had not been received at the point of inspection despite good evidence that the manager had made effort to escalate the matter

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Good

Each young person has an allocated key worker and receives regular key-worker sessions. These address issues specific to that young person, as well as recent events, how to keep themselves safe and living a healthy lifestyle. Currently, the records of these notes are satisfactory, but do not contain much detail of the actual discussion. This is the same for the weekly house meeting minutes.

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Good

Young people benefit from living in a well-furnished, comfortable home. They are encouraged and supported to be involved in choosing the decor of the environment in which they live, especially their bedrooms. Young people spoken to are happy at the home. One who is about to leave said to their social worker that, if it was closer to her home town, she would happily stay.

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Good

Staff not only support the young people, but also work with their families. This has led to young people re-establishing contact with parents and family. For some, this has been the first step in them returning home.

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Good

Safeguarding arrangements are in place to protect young people. Policies and procedures in this area are current, and are closely adhered to in practice. Staff interviewed demonstrated a good understanding and knowledge of safeguarding matters. The team receives good-quality training which is regularly updated. Staff did not ask the inspectors for their identity at the start of the inspection.

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Good

Young people said that they feel safe at the home and all have a number of staff who they can talk to. Staff undertake both individual and group work with young people to develop their understanding of their risk-taking behaviours. This has led to a reduction in these behaviours.

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Good

There has been a reduction in young people going missing from the home, but this is still work in progress, for some. Records of these events are detailed and include return to home interviews. The staff have individual strategies in place which they follow when a young person goes missing from the home. These are reviewed after each event. Actions taken include staff following the young person, and visiting their families and friends to find them. Fellow professionals praised the staff for their commitment to the young people in this area.

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Good

Each young person has a behaviour management plan which is kept under review. This plan links to young people’s risk assessments, intervention strategy and therapeutic plans. Young people are fully involved in the development of these plans. This encourages a sense of ownership, as well as increasing their understanding of their behaviours.

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Good

Robust recruitment systems are in place and are followed in practice, which protects young people from adults who may wish to harm them. Currently, there is no explanation of what the scoring system for interviews means. This would add to the clarity on how the decision to employ is reached.

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leaders and managers

Leaders and managers of the home have ensured that the recommendations from the last inspection are met. The registered manager has been in post for 14 years and remains committed to both the young people and the staff team. Young people, staff and fellow professionals praised the registered manager for the work that they do and the support that they provide.

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leaders and managers

The manager has a range of effective monitoring systems in place to ensure that work carried out is of a good standard. Information gathered from this monitoring is used to improve practice which, in turn, benefits the young people through the care that they receive.

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leaders and managers

The home is appropriately staffed to meet the needs of the young people placed. Two new members of staff have been employed since the last inspection. They have undergone a comprehensive induction programme which has prepared them well for their roles. They have recently enrolled for diploma level 3. This provides staff with a sound base for future training and development. The organisation provides staff with good-quality training, including frequent updates to ensure that the staff team’s knowledge is in line with developments in social care practice.

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leaders and managers

The core staff team has been in post for a number of years. This provides a stable, well-trained team of staff who have the well-being of the young people and their families at the heart of their work. This view was echoed by fellow professionals. Staff supervision and appraisal were not looked at as part of this inspection. They will be evaluated at the interim inspection.

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leaders and managers

The statement of purpose is current, and accurately reflects services offered by the team. Along with the policies and procedures, it is reviewed at least annually to ensure that it reflects changes to legislation and practice developments.

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leaders and managers

Notification of significant events is done in a timely manner and to the appropriate bodies. These reports are detailed, and provide a comprehensive report of the events and action taken to prevent recurrence.

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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.

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What the inspection judgements mean

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.

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What the inspection judgements mean

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 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 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.

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Information about this inspection

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 Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and ‘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 0300 123 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, work- based 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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