Children's Home run by Barnardo’s in Oxfordshire

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged outstanding at the last full inspection. At this interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has sustained effectiveness. Planning for young people to commence short breaks is effective. It helps them to settle well into their programme of short stays. Staff use the information about the child provided by parents and the local authority to develop a plan of care; young people’s likes and dislikes are included and catered for. The aims and objectives of the stays are set out in the plans. This means that young people have the chance to use their stays productively. A parent said that staff ‘have listened carefully and appropriately to our knowledge as parents’. Another said, ‘I really appreciate all the help and care that the staff give both my son and the rest of the family.’ A social worker stated, ‘The needs of the young person and how staff could best support her were at the forefront to ensure her stays and that of others would be safe and

p.2

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

positive for all.’ Young people’s needs are usually extremely complex and staff take time to get to know each young person very well and to develop an excellent knowledge and understanding of how best to care for them. They are skilled in meeting highly effectively the range of needs that young people have and do so with respect for their individuality. A social worker commented that staff, ‘work really hard to ensure an individual approach to each child to make sure their stay is positive, and their needs met’. A parent said that staff, ‘accept her for who she is’. Young people enjoy their stays in the home and have a wide range of activities available to them. For example, in addition to watching television and doing arts and crafts, other activities they enjoy include using the Jacuzzi, cooking, playing in the garden on the activity equipment, going out in the bus and making new friends and socialising. A parent said of her child, ‘She whoops for joy when she knows

p.2

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

she is going and happily packs her bag… Last time she went, she asked if she could stay two nights’. Another said, ‘My daughter loves her stays.’ A young person’s short-break stay is part of a wider package of care to the young people and their families, and the manager and her staff have maintained excellent working relationships with parents, professionals and other agencies. They demonstrate a very strong commitment to supporting families and go over and above to ensure that young people get the support that they need. For example, there has been some excellent work with a young person who has had a prolonged stay in hospital. Staff have supported him, his mother and the hospital staff in managing the young person’s distress and complex behaviour. The high quality of the planning and work carried out is at risk of being compromised because the local authority does not always provide up-to-date paperwork, such as the results of review and other meetings, in a timely way. The

p.2

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

manager has followed this up with social workers, but information has still not been provided. The manager needs to consider escalating this to someone higher in the authority to ensure that this important information is forthcoming. Young people are kept safe in the home. There have been no safeguarding issues since the last inspection, and staff are aware of how to respond to issues of concern. Staff are also aware of the roles of the various professionals in safeguarding children. Risk assessments are developed and implemented to safeguard young people’s well-being and are updated as required. However, some are incorrectly dated and have not been signed by a person with parental responsibility, and some descriptions of young people’s behaviour are vague. For example, one assessment recorded that a young person shows behaviour towards other young people, but does not enlarge on what that behaviour was or in what

p.3

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

way it posed a risk. The work relating to young people moving on from having short breaks in the home is not well evidenced. The local authority does not always provide reports relating to transition meetings for young people, for the manager to base the home’s plan on. Anecdotal evidence is that young people are supported well by staff in their moves. The manager leads the staff team effectively and ensures that the quality of care remains high. The calibre of staff is good and, for the first time in many months, the home is fully staffed. A social worker said, ‘Managers and staff work closely, collaboratively and effectively with the local authority children's services and other health providers. We could not manage systemically without their expert support.’ A parent said of the manager and staff that they are ‘absolutely amazing, caring, dedicated professionals’. Another said, ‘The care is superb. It is so much so that to

p.3

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

(Name), it is a treat for him to go there.’ Shortfalls were found in the monitoring arrangements. While the manager undertakes a six-monthly review of the service, the focus is totally practice based and not at a strategic level to drive improvement. In the last report, there were no areas identified as needing improvement. The manager and staff, however, use the findings of complaints and incidents to learn from and to improve practice. The external person carrying out the monitoring of the home has left and a new arrangement is now in place so that this important means of supporting development is about to be re-established. The previous visitor ensured that the previous requirement was met as they were seeking and using the views of interested parties in their review of the care provided.

p.3

Information about this children's home

The service caters for a maximum of seven children and young people at any one time, including providing one emergency bed. It provides a residential short-break service and a domiciliary care service that is registered with the Care Quality Commission. The service is provided by a national charity in partnership with a local authority and a primary care trust. Children and young people can, therefore, be provided with care and health packages. Most of the children and young people using the service have complex health needs, or are on the autistic spectrum and have associated challenging behaviour.

p.4

Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

p.4

Recent inspection history

28/10/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness

p.4

Recent inspection history

10/02/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness

p.4

Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendations: The registered person should evidence what they have done to obtain important information from the local authority, such as the results of review meetings and transition planning meetings, including any actions taken to escalate concerns (’Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 10, paragraph 2.3).  Staff should be familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording (’Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.1).  Document how the registered person has worked with the placing authority to ensure that each child’s transition is planned and to help each child to prepare for leaving both practically and emotionally (‘Guide to the children’s

p.5

Recommendations

homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.9).  The registered person should make best use of information from independent and internal monitoring (including under regulations 44 and 45) to ensure continuous improvement (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.24).

p.5

What the inspection judgements mean

At the interim inspection, we make a judgement on whether the home has improved in effectiveness, sustained effectiveness, or declined in effectiveness since the previous full inspection. This is in line with the ‘Inspection of children's homes: framework for inspection’.

p.6

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 whom it is trying to help, protect and look after. This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

p.6

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 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 .

p.6

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,

p.7

Information about this inspection

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

p.7

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.7

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.7