Children's home run by Reading Borough Council in Reading

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.

p.2

The children's home provision is outstanding because:

 Children’s plans are extremely comprehensive.  Children’s admissions to the service are very well planned.  Staff engage exceptionally well with children.  Staff are supportive and responsive, and interactions are filled with joy and laughter.  Staff are adept at understanding children’s cues to their wants and needs, when they are unable to communicate verbally.  Children staying together are matched extremely well.  During their stays, children have fun, and are positively occupied and stimulated.  Children are able to develop new skills in a safe and caring environment.  Staff ensure that all achievements are celebrated.  Children have a real voice in the running of the service.  Staff provide competent, high-quality care for children with complex needs.  Staff and managers have established excellent relationships with parents, schools and social workers.  The registered manager is driven and determined to provide the best for

p.3

The children's home provision is outstanding because:

children.  There is a vibrant and caring atmosphere in which children have extremely positive experiences.  The manager is extremely resourceful, and ensures that the service engages in innovative practice to provide excellent care to children.  There are excellent links with the wider community.  The manager and her team are extremely child focused and ensure children are able to fully participate in the running of the service.  Managers and staff are devoted to continually improving the service.

p.3

Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):  When considering new placements, the registered manager should fully consider the impact that the placement will have on the existing group of children and evidence their judgement supporting compatibility with existing residents (‘Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.4).

p.4

Recommendations

 The registered persons must ensure that the recruitment procedure safeguards children and minimises potential risks to them.

p.4

Recommendations

In particular, to ensure that all the required checks specified in schedule 2 are completed (‘Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1).

p.4

Information about this children's home

The home is run by a local authority and is registered to provide short-break care for up to six young people who have a learning disability, physical disability and/or sensory impairment.

p.5

Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

p.5

Recent inspection history

20 January 2016 Interim Improved effectiveness

p.5

Recent inspection history

19 February 2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness

p.5

Outstanding

Staff provide personalised care to children who have extremely complex and diverse needs. Staff have excellent knowledge about each child and know their likes, dislikes, interests and preferences. This means that children are relaxed and comfortable during their stays, and receive care in the way that they prefer.

p.6

Outstanding

Prior to admission, staff work with parents, schools and other professionals to obtain as much information as possible about the child. Children are able to visit the service prior to staying overnight, and staff use these opportunities to obtain further information to inform the child’s plan of care. As a result, children’s plans are extremely comprehensive and ensure that each of their admissions to the service is very well planned.

p.6

Outstanding

Staff and managers have established excellent relationships with parents, schools and social workers. They regularly attend children’s reviews and use these relationships effectively to identify children’s specific needs. As a result, they have an exceptional understanding of each child’s character and personality. This is demonstrated in the service’s outstanding care plans. Each individual plan provides a distinct picture of the child, identifying their particular needs with detailed strategies for staff to care for them and promote a positive experience.

p.6

Outstanding

Staff engage exceptionally well with children. They are supportive and responsive, and interactions are filled with joy and laughter. Staff are adept at understanding children’s cues to their wants and needs when they are unable to communicate verbally. Staff have also received training in intensive interaction. This has improved their engagement and relationships with children who have autism, who may not be able to communicate verbally or may struggle to engage with others. Staff implement their learning effectively, using touch and eye contact to provide comfort and reassurance. As a result, children are relaxed around staff and feel valued by them. This promotes their self-esteem.

p.6

Outstanding

The children staying together are matched extremely well. This has supported them to develop friendships and their social skills. However, the manager does not currently evidence the decision making around matching. The manager is aware of this and has developed a risk assessment, but this is yet to be implemented

p.6

Outstanding

During their stays, children have fun, and are positively occupied and stimulated. Two parents spoken with explained that their children ‘love’ going to the service. Children are matched on their abilities, which ensures that activities and resources are tailored to suit their needs. This enables them to take part in a range of activities, including trips out. This ensures that children have opportunities to try new things and widen their experiences.

p.6

Outstanding

Children are able to develop new skills in a safe and caring environment. Staff work closely with parents and the child’s school to develop shared goals. This ensures a consistent approach and, through small achievable steps, children have been able to build on their abilities and develop new skills. Considering the complex needs of the children whom the service supports, these are exceptional achievements and it supports children to build on their self-confidence and self- esteem. However, in some cases staff have not consistently recorded against children’s targets, which may affect their ability to monitor the child’s progress.

p.7

Outstanding

Staff ensure that all achievements are celebrated. The home uses star moments to celebrate children’s progress. Children are provided with certificates and a copy is put on the star moment’s achievement wall to demonstrate their accomplishment. The service also holds awards evenings. This allows children to celebrate their achievements with their families and builds on their confidence, ensuring that they feel valued.

p.7

Outstanding

The manager has encouraged children to arrange events to raise money for their chosen charity. This enables them to make a positive contribution to the community and builds on their sense of self-worth and self-esteem.

p.7

Outstanding

Children have a real voice in the running of the service. Staff ensure that children’s views are heard through a variety of forums, including individual work as well as children’s meetings. Children have also been consulted on the service’s location risk assessment and have been involved in interviewing potential staff. This is excellent practice. It has been achieved through the service’s focus on enabling children to communicate their opinions through various communication methods. Children have access to an advocate to support them to share their views. This enables children to be at the centre of the planning for the service.

p.7

Outstanding

Two parents of children who use the service described the staff as ‘excellent’. Staff receive specialist training to meet individual health needs, when required. This ensures that they have the skills and knowledge to provide competent, high-quality care for children with complex needs. Judgement grade

p.7

Good

Children appear comfortable and relaxed while using the service. Staff have an excellent insight into the signs and indicators that children are uncomfortable or upset. Staff anticipate children’s needs and are responsive, ensuring that children feel safe and secure. Staffing numbers allow for high levels of supervision and support, to make sure that children have positive experiences and are kept safe.

p.8

Good

Children have individual and comprehensive risk assessments, from which strategies are developed so that staff can care for them in the best way. These risk assessments are regularly updated to ensure that staff have excellent knowledge of how to care for the children and to protect them.

p.8

Good

Staff are competent, vigilant and suitably trained in safeguarding procedures. They are consistently aware of children’s specific vulnerabilities and take appropriate action to protect them. Any issues of a child protection nature are managed appropriately. Children do not leave the home without permission, yet suitable procedures are in place should such an incident occur.

p.8

Good

Staff consistently promote positive behaviour through praise and celebrating children’s achievements. Staff have an excellent knowledge of why children display particular behaviours. They understand challenging behaviour as communication, and respond to it as such. They successfully interpret behaviour, and distract or divert children. As a result, there has been one physical intervention but no sanctions since the previous inspection.

p.8

Good

The required recruitment checks have not been completed to a high standard. This is because a full employment history is not always obtained. The reasons for a prospective employee leaving their previous employment with vulnerable adults or children have not been verified. As a result, the service cannot be confident that it has fully carried out the required recruitment checks on every occasion.

p.8

Good

The service’s environment is a safe one, with regular health and safety checks carried out. Each child has a personal evacuation plan, and regular fire evacuation drills are conducted. These help to prepare staff and children, should an emergency occur. Judgement grade

p.8

Outstanding

The registered manager has been in post since March 2012 and holds a national vocational qualification (NVQ) 4 in children and young people, as well as an NVQ 4 in leadership and management. She provides an outstanding level of leadership to ensure that the home is managed in an efficient and effective way. The manager has high aspirations for the home to be outstanding in every aspect of care provision. She is driven and determined to provide the best for children. This is communication throughout the whole staff team, resulting in a vibrant and caring atmosphere in which children have extremely positive experiences and are able to develop new skills.

p.9

Outstanding

The manager has an excellent understanding and knowledge of supporting children with complex needs. She is extremely resourceful and ensures that the service engages in innovative practice to provide excellent care to children. This includes accessing intensive interaction training for staff to improve the experiences of children who are non-verbal and often do not like to engage with others.

p.9

Outstanding

Partnership working within the service is exceptional. Managers and staff work proactively and positively with others, offering professional challenge or advice when necessary. There are excellent links with social work teams and the wider community. This means that the needs of each child are met to the highest possible standard. Staff and manager have excellent communication with parents through regular meetings, phone calls, newsletters and diaries.

p.9

Outstanding

The manager leads by example, not only within the home but also within the wider community. This is exemplified by her work with other organisations to improve the information provided to children with learning disabilities across the area.

p.9

Outstanding

The manager and her team are extremely child focused and ensure that children are able to participate fully in the running of the service. This includes the reviewing of the location assessment. This was achieved through a focus group, when children were consulted to obtain their views on the building and area. Feedback was positive and demonstrates outstanding practice by the manager.

p.9

Outstanding

The manager provides strong leadership and effective management. Through rigorous monitoring, she fully understands the strengths and shortfalls of the service. The home’s development plan is extremely comprehensive and demonstrates that both managers and staff are devoted to continually improving the service, and is worthy of wider dissemination. An external visitor completes monthly reports which contribute to maintaining the high-quality care provided. The service’s statement of purpose sets out how the service provides and cares for children. This ensures that everyone involved with the service understands what the service’s aims and objectives are and what it intends to provide.

p.9

Outstanding

A healthy staff environment is promoted, and the staff feel supported. Supervision and appraisal are thoroughly completed. The manager is extremely committed to developing her staff. Each staff members has a comprehensive development plan. External professionals such as the virtual head are invited to staff meetings to ensure staff that have the expertise to deliver excellent care.

p.10

Outstanding

The manager ensures that staff undertake a variety of training, including mandatory training in safeguarding, first aid, fire awareness, food hygiene and behaviour management. All those staff who are required to have completed their diploma have done so, and those who have not are currently in the process of doing so. Staff have also undertaken specialist training in areas such as attachment, intensive interaction and autism. This ensures that staff have the skills and knowledge to provide outstanding care to children.

p.10

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.11

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.

p.11

What the inspection judgements mean

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.

p.11

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.

p.11

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.

p.11

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.

p.12

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 .

p.12

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,

p.13

Information about this inspection

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.13

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.13

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.13