Children's home run by Crossways Care Ltd in Tewkesbury

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:

 The young people receive very good-quality care from dedicated staff. This has helped them to make considerable progress since they were admitted to the home.  The home has shown exceptional commitment to a former resident, who was carefully prepared for semi-independence in an adult setting, but then left. The registered manager has helped to drive efforts to safeguard this young adult, who is currently in a potentially exploitative situation.  The staff are enthusiastic and motivated. They thoroughly enjoy the work and feel well trained and effectively supported to help the young people with the challenges of their daily lives.  External professionals say that the home provides ‘good care, and the risk management is excellent’. They commented that the staff show insight and understanding into the young people’s difficulties. One person said, ‘I have always felt part of a team with this placement. Communication is excellent

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The children's home provision is good because:

and we have a common focus.’  Education leaders are also extremely positive about the quality of the communication between the home and the school. They praise the manager’s focus and commitment to promoting education.  The home provides a clean, pleasant and relaxing environment, which is nicely furnished and well maintained. The home has a large garden, which provides plenty of space for the young people to enjoy.

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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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The quality and purpose of care standard

In order to meet the quality and purpose of care standard, with particular reference to:  prompt provision of accurate, up-to-date healthcare and placement plans and risk assessments for young people who are new to the home;  ensuring that the young people receive key worker sessions which relate to their agreed targets; the registered person must ensure that: 6.—(1) children receive care from staff who— (a) understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children; (b) use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— (b) ensure that staff— (ii) protect and promote each child’s welfare; (iii) treat each child with dignity and respect; (iv) provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s

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Recommendation

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

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Recommendation

 Ensure that the information set out in the statement of purpose is an essential part of the process of agreement between the registered person and placing authority to demonstrate that the placement in that home is the right one for that child, and that the home will be able to respond effectively to the child’s assessed needs. In particular, ensure that the company’s website displays the current statement of purpose, which accurately reflects the home and staffing arrangements, and that this document complies with the Children’s Homes Regulations 2015 (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, p.15, paragraph 3.6).

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Information about this children's home

This independent children’s home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to two children and young people irrespective of gender, who may have emotional and behavioural difficulties. The home is operated by a national provider of specialist services for children and adults with complex needs.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

10 March 2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Good

The experiences and outcomes for the young people in this home are good because the high-quality care that they receive has helped them to make considerable progress since their admission. They are happy and settled, and benefit from warm, nurturing relationships with the adults in the home. The young people were very positive about the staff, and one young person described the registered manager as ‘excellent’. The young people are treated with dignity and respect at all times. Each is valued as an individual, and the staff team has the ability to work with young people with diverse, complex needs. Some young people have experienced traumatic backgrounds, and occasionally their behaviour and responses reflect this. The staff have a very good understanding of the impact of trauma on the young people and tailor their responses accordingly. External professionals commented that consistency in the staff team has been

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Good

instrumental in helping the young people to develop a sense of permanence and trust. The staff team works very well with other professionals, who praised the home’s commitment to good communication. All the young people who have lived in the home recently have made good progress since they were admitted. A former resident, who moved to adult provision in March, has completed a full year at an agricultural college. The manager and staff are really proud of him. The registered manager has continued to support this young person, even though they no longer live in the home. Another young person has just completed a number of GCSE exams, which is an excellent achievement. During the inspection, the young person was applying for college places, with the support of her headteacher. The staff encourage and celebrate educational attendance and achievement. The young people have received rewards for completing educational targets, for example, meals out with

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Good

the staff, attending a music gig and going on holiday. The manager and staff have offered determined support to one young person who has been excluded from school. Although he receives 25 hours per week of educational input, this is variable in quality and some of the provision is therapeutic rather than educational. The registered manager has attended numerous meetings to help develop a viable plan for this young person’s education. He liaised with the virtual headteacher and educational welfare officers for the two authorities involved, and when necessary, has been appropriately challenging and assertive. One external professional commented that the manager ‘deserves a medal’ for championing this young person’s rights to high-quality education. The manager’s interventions have made a difference, and there is now a clear plan. The young person attended an introductory day at a local college during the inspection and is very pleased that his education will be based there

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Good

from the autumn term. The manager and staff also work effectively with other professionals to promote good healthcare. Consequently, the young people enjoy good health and have access to all the support that they need, including child and adolescent mental health services if required. The young people can also access private therapeutic resources, such as play therapy. The young people are encouraged to eat a healthy diet and take plenty of exercise. Both of them have gym membership and have increased the amount of physical activity that they do. Some young people have successfully climbed the three largest mountain peaks in Great Britain; Snowdon, Ben Nevis and Scafell Pike. Photos showing this achievement are proudly displayed in the home. One young person smokes. This takes place in a designated area and has not been challenged at this stage because the young person is new to the home and currently under pressure from taking exams. They are making healthy choices in

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Good

other areas of their life, through going to the gym and eating sensibly. Information about reducing smoking is available to them, when they feel ready for this challenge. The young people in this home enjoy a wide range of activities. One young person enjoys skateboarding, BMX and playing football with staff. Free time has enabled some young people who previously struggled with peer relationships to make friends and learn about how friendships should be respected. Another young person, who has now moved on from the home, was cycling to and from his youth club three times a week to access community activities. The young people are consulted daily about every aspect of their care. They have been asked about any wish for advocacy, and some have taken this up, but did not wish to continue to see the advocate. There have been no complaints since the previous inspection. The young people understand how to raise any concerns and have ready access, through a friendly,

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Good

child-centred children’s guide, to the necessary information to do so. The young people in the home understand that there are clear boundaries around their behaviour. Physical intervention is rarely required. The staff provide consistent messages about acceptable behaviour and only implement restorative measures when necessary, and then after careful thought. Positive behaviour is appropriately rewarded. Consequently, behaviour in the home is good. The home works very well with young people who are preparing for independence. One recently admitted young person has already established the self-confidence to enjoy free time. She is cooking on her own, completing her own weekly shop within budget and managing her own laundry. Another young person is enjoying helping with food preparation and learning new skills. During his time in the home, a previous resident made extraordinary strides in developing independence and learning to live and work alongside other people. He

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Good

learned to travel independently and in addition to attending college, sustained a year of work experience alongside the company’s maintenance man. The young people enjoy regular and well-supported contact with their families. Some young people have been able to attend family events and make a contribution. This helps them to maintain their place within their families and to develop a sense of personal identity. There has been one new admission since the previous inspection. This was very well planned and managed in terms of the support which the young person received. The young adult who left the home was helped and supported to do so very sensitively. The care planning documents and risk assessments for the recently admitted young person have not been fully updated to reflect the new placement. Their healthcare plan has also not been updated for some months. In addition, the key work sessions with the young people are not always focused on their personal

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Good

targets. This reduces the opportunity for young people to link the work undertaken with them with their personal objectives.

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Good

The young people are settled and safe in the home. Their behaviour is generally good and they have positive relationships with each other, so there is currently no bullying. The young people are also effectively protected from other forms of harm. If any concerns arise, the registered manager acts quickly to work with the placing social worker, the police and other relevant agencies to help keep young people safe. The home has worked effectively with a young person who struggled with the notion of equality between men and women. During the course of this young person’s placement, they were helped to understand the importance of equalities and to make appropriate choices to help them to treat all adults with respect. The home provides a safe, relaxing and calm environment for the young people, with plenty of space for them to enjoy outside activities and have some separation when they need this. There have been no child protection concerns within the home since the previous

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Good

inspection. Staff interviewed were clear about what they would do if a young person made a disclosure to them. The company has a designated safeguarding officer and a deputy, who have strong links with the local authority designated officer (LADO). The registered manager understands when a safeguarding concern should be escalated to the LADO and would apply this fairly, irrespective of the young person’s individual needs. For reasons beyond the home’s control, one young adult fell into difficult circumstances after he left the home. The staff and registered manager have correctly identified safeguarding concerns and have advocated strongly with external agencies to help to protect the young person and improve his safety. Their ongoing commitment to this young man is commendable. Overall, the pattern of risk-taking behaviour has reduced for both of the young people currently living in the home. Some young people go missing occasionally,

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Good

but this is usually for a short duration and is known to be their way of responding to difficult emotions. When this happens, the staff follow their agreed protocols and look for the young person for an agreed period before contacting the police. On the one occasion when this has happened since the previous inspection, the local authority social worker completed a return home interview promptly to make sure that the young person had not come to any harm during their absence. All the staff have received training in safeguarding, physical intervention and e- safety, to help them to keep the young people safe. Internet use is carefully monitored and the home has a secure IT system to help protect the young people. The registered manager promotes a positive culture within the home, which minimises the need for physical intervention. There has been a considerable reduction in the number of serious incidents. Consequently, there have been no

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Good

restraints since the previous inspection. If the young people require correction, a restorative measure is used so that they learn from their behaviour. There have been very few such measures required since the previous inspection. The home has positive relationships with the local police and with the missing person coordinator. This helps to ensure that there is a child-focused approach to any offending behaviour. The staff have a very good understanding of the young people’s individual vulnerabilities. The registered manager has ensured that there are detailed risk assessments in place. Although one young person’s risk assessment requires updating, it still provides the staff with sufficient clear strategies to help them to respond to the young person appropriately. Risk assessments place an emphasis on what works for each young person, emphasising de-escalation techniques. Following concerted efforts to improve staff recruitment systems in recent months,

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Good

the company now has a safe system. The files inspected contained all the documentation required by regulation. References had been verified by telephone and the results of checks were appropriately recorded. Where further information is required, managers seek additional references and conduct a written risk assessment to inform the appointment decision. The staff files are split between head office and the children’s homes, so that there is a need to view files in both locations to obtain a complete picture. For example, qualification certificates are kept in the home, and so are not on the staff file at head office with the remaining regulatory information. There was one example found where the qualification certificates were at head office, but had been temporarily mislaid when the member of staff’s previous home closed. The registered manager searched for and located these after the inspection. The home is safely located, and although it is on a busy road, the young people

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Good

are old enough to understand the risks from traffic. The registered manager has an effective location risk assessment, which shows that this is a relatively safe area for children and young people to live. There is also an effective compatibility risk assessment in place for the young people. Risk assessments are in place on all activities that the young people undertake. Country walks and locations that they visit are also risk assessed. Some of these locations relate to a young person’s previous placement some distance away, and must be updated to reflect the local leisure facilities that the young people now visit. The registered manager said that he had not had time to redraft these documents, partly because of the safeguarding concerns in relation to a former resident. The need to do so is included in the requirement made under leadership and management.

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Requires improvement

Leadership and management require improvement because there are a number of shortfalls in terms of young people’s records. The following shortfalls were found:  The home has a policy that all young people must have a Personal Evacuation Plan to help them to escape in the event of fire. The most recently admitted young person does not yet have one in place.  The manager has not completed the updating of the care planning and risk assessment documents that accompanied a young person from another home within the company. The placement plan and risk assessment appear to have been amended by replacing the name of one home with another. On closer reading, the detail within the text does not relate to the present home. For example, one document refers to this being an emergency placement, which was not the case.  This young person’s healthcare plan has not been updated to reflect the new placement and any other change in circumstances.

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Requires improvement

This means that case records, upon which the staff may rely for accurate information, do not reflect clearly the detail of the young person’s current life. The young person has now been in placement for eight weeks and there is no justification for this delay in updating her documentation. If the manager has not been available due to time constraints to carry out this work, it should have been delegated to an appropriate colleague. In addition, the manager has not ensured that key workers follow the targets set for the young people, so that sessions are meaningful. The recording in one young person’s key worker file reflects day-to-day conversations that are helpful and supportive, but they are not focused on helping the young person to achieve the changes that they want to make. A requirement has been made. Also, the home does not have local authority children looked after documentation that relates to this service. The children looked after documents relating to the

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Requires improvement

previous placement within the company are on file. However, the home can demonstrate that this has been requested. The social worker advised the inspector that the new paperwork has been completed and will be brought to the forthcoming review. The statement of purpose on the company’s website is extremely out of date, so a recommendation has been made to replace it with the current version. This will enable professionals and parents who may wish to access information about the home to obtain an accurate picture. Some minor amendments were required to the current statement of purpose, but this was completed during the inspection. While the registered manager was on holiday, the home either did not complete or did not record one of the weekly fire alarm tests. This was an isolated example and the system has been tested weekly since this date. Other health and safety checks have been conducted at appropriate intervals.

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Requires improvement

The home has a qualified, experienced registered manager who has worked hard to improve the quality of the service over the past year. He has a relatively new staff team, with several members who have joined in recent weeks and months, but there has been stability within the team and morale is good. New staff confirmed that they have received a useful, detailed induction and that they feel well supported to undertake the tasks required of them. The staff team confirmed that they receive good-quality training so that they have the skills to meet the young people’s needs. This has a positive impact on the young people. The manager and his deputy ensure that all the staff receive regular supervision, at a frequency determined by their stage of induction. The registered manager is well supported and supervised by the head of care. The staff’s practice is supported by a consultation facility with an external,

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Requires improvement

clinically-qualified professional. The registered manager has a keen interest in therapy and is considering undertaking further training to develop his skills in this area. The registered manager has regular visits from the Regulation 44 independent person. These reports are well structured and provide sufficient challenge and scrutiny of the service. The registered manager prepares a six-monthly Regulation 45 report and has submitted this to Ofsted. The report provides an effective overview of his service. He also has an effective development plan, and understands the home’s strengths and weaknesses. The registered manager has responded positively to the single requirement made at the previous inspection. He has ensured that the staff improve the way in which they record any behaviours that result in a restorative measure. This helps the young people to understand the reasons why these measures are put in place, and

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Requires improvement

to move forward to more positive behaviours. The registered manager prioritises the young people’s needs at all times, and all the practical aspects of running the home are well executed. The manager ensures that young people are safe, that they have good-quality transitions into and out of the home and that a high priority is placed on education. He monitors staff practice, and challenges appropriately to bring about improvement in the service. The home provides a very pleasant, attractive physical environment which is safely and promptly maintained. The quality of the furnishings has recently been improved, and the home provides for the young people’s basic needs. It is enhanced by a large garden to the front and rear of the house, which gives plenty of space for the young people to be together with staff or seek some privacy if required. The registered manager has developed positive relationships with other

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Requires improvement

professionals so that they can work together to support the young people’s needs. He is in the process of developing community links and the staff team has considered how the home can support local charities. This has been put on hold while the young people’s education has been prioritised. Placing authority and education professionals say that the home communicates very effectively and works well with them to meet the young people’s needs. The home also works effectively with Ofsted, and submits notifications of any serious incidents as required.

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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

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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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