Children's Home run by Time-Out Children’s Homes Limited in Calderdale

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 and young people’s life chances improve significantly due to the excellent opportunities that help them to prosper. This is irrespective of their individual challenges and barriers.  Very thoughtful and thorough care planning sufficiently informs the manager and staff team about children’s background history, strengths, needs and challenges. This helps the team to meet children’s needs and to deliver high quality care.  Experienced, motivated, versatile and diverse staff skilfully use their fully coherent knowledge and experience to ensure that the current child in placement can live his childhood in a nurturing and child-friendly environment.  The strong safeguarding culture and practice is very responsive to children and young people’s needs and takes into account their vulnerabilities and risks.  Strong leadership and management support the home’s statement of purpose, motivate staff development and underpin the excellent experiences

p.3

The children’s home provision is outstanding because:

that children and young people can participate in at this home.

p.3

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.

p.4

Requirement Due date

Ensure that the independent person’s report sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether children are effectively safeguarded, and the home promotes children’s well-being. The independent person must provide a copy of the independent person’s report to HMCI. (Regulation 44 (4)(a)(b)) 29 July 2016

p.4

Information about this children's home

The home is run by a private company and provides care and accommodation for up to two children and young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties.

p.5

Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

p.5

Recent inspection history

23 February 2016 Interim Declined in effectiveness

p.5

Recent inspection history

24 February 2015 Interim Improved effectiveness

p.5

Outstanding

Children’s and young people’s life chances improve significantly due to the excellent opportunities, delivered by the staff team, that help them to prosper. The team has versatility, high levels of resilience and capacity to go above and beyond its duties to underpin children’s and young people’s excellent quality of care and nurture.

p.6

Outstanding

Since the last inspection, one young person has successfully moved into another home within the organisation. This was in the best interests of their safety because the placement went into decline. It was a decision that the young person fully bought into. The transition was well planned, very successful and the young person is making good progress in their new abode. A younger child has subsequently moved in. Although this was an emergency placement and was quite traumatic for the child, very thoughtful and thorough care planning has sufficiently informed the manager and staff team about the child’s background history, strengths, needs and challenges. This enables the team to determine that it can meet the child’s needs. A member of staff consistently stayed with the child for three days to help him to settle. Consequently, the child has very successfully relaxed into the robust routines and boundaries at the home. He is happy and

p.6

Outstanding

playful. A staff member said, ‘His routines are excellent.’

p.6

Outstanding

The child is building some fantastic and endearing relationships with the staff who present as strong, diverse parental role models. This has helped the child to feel wanted and safe, and to be sufficiently confident to express himself through play and daily interactions with the nurturing adults around him. His key worker said, ‘We have a really good relationship. I understand him and he understands me.’ The staff team proactively invests in the child’s prosperity by laying the strong foundations that protect his vulnerabilities and promote his welfare. A professional commented that the home is, ‘More than able to meet his needs and it is the most appropriate placement.’ The manager said that the child, ‘Is so likeable and full of life.’ A staff member said, ‘The progress he has made has been brilliant.’

p.6

Outstanding

The staff team is highly responsive and committed to meeting the child’s cultural, heritage and identity needs. They do this with exceedingly good levels of respect and sensitivity, such as by supporting the child’s regular supervised contact that fortifies his sense of identity and by making sure that he has the appropriate skin and hair care. He is also able to follow a diet that incorporates his wishes and feelings and has access to books, toys and play equipment of his choice. The child’s regular church attendance meets his spiritual needs and provides him with opportunities to learn about God in Sunday school with other children . Saying his prayers with staff at bedtime provides a positive end to the child’s day.

p.6

Outstanding

The high value placed on education ensures that all children and young people who live at this home have every opportunity to aspire. The current child is not an exception. The registered manager and staff work effectively with education professionals to ensure that the child’s targets and goals exceed expectations. The child’s introduction to the organisation’s school shortly after his admission has quickly progressed from a phased transition to a full-time education timetable. He is making very good progress and an assessment of his educational needs is underway. He is also enjoying 100% school attendance, which has been a significant improvement, given his specific learning gaps prior to moving into the home.

p.7

Outstanding

Fun and exciting activities stimulate the child’s imagination, enabling him to play and participate in events that he may not otherwise do at home. For example, engaging in after school activities, playing with a range of toys, visiting museums, places of interest and going to the cinema. All these interesting pastimes broaden the child’s horizons and promote his positive social interactions with other people.

p.7

Outstanding

Staff actively support the child’s health needs by ensuring that he experiences a healthy lifestyle. For example, consuming a balanced diet, taking regular exercise and having access to primary and specialist healthcare services. The manager and staff team’s contact with the organisation’s therapist provides them with prompt support and advice that is bespoke to the child. This effectively supports the child’s emotional, psychological and behavioural needs, pending a full assessment, which, although it is early days, is helping the child to reduce his negative and risky behaviours. A staff member said, ‘We are here for him.’ The registered manager’s research into childhood early years and child development provides a sound insight into the child’s needs. She is disseminating the information to the team to enhance its child care practice further.

p.7

Outstanding

Children’s and young people’s ability to become increasingly independent ensures that they do more for themselves, irrespective of their age. This boosts their confidence and self-esteem. For example, developing social graces, learning to share, telling the time and helping to clean up after activities. The young person who recently moved on remains in touch with the manager and staff, which shows their close bonds.

p.7

Outstanding

The home provides a child-friendly, well-resourced and safe place for children to grow and experience positive family life. Photos of the child and family members around the home reinforce the value of their presence. The current child’s bedroom is personalised, with further plans to decorate the room in collaboration. Judgement grade

p.7

Good

A strong safeguarding culture and good risk management systems promote children’s and young people’s safety and welfare. This concurs with the home’s statement of purpose. It states, ‘We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expect all therapeutic carers to share this commitment.’ Consequently, the children and young people are sufficiently safe and live their childhoods in a secure and nurturing environment. The staff team understands the known risks to children and young people. They make every effort to keep them safe inside and outside of the home, often initiating discussions about ‘stranger danger’ in the community and about road safety. A staff member reported that the child in their care is, ‘Feeling safe, he wants to stay.’ Professionals and parents do not raise any safeguarding concerns in relation to the current child placed there.

p.8

Good

The staff team is acutely aware of and highly responsive to children’s and young people’s vulnerabilities. This includes the signs and symptoms of child sexual exploitation and their propensity at times to run away. These are not issues that impact negatively on the current child placed. However, the team’s experience of caring for another young person with such risks show the strong track record of effective multidisciplinary collaborations that has informed the individual risk management strategies. Effective partnerships with the police and social care agencies help to reduce risk and educate the young person about the importance of safe self-care. However, despite the staff team’s hard work and endeavours, there has been one known serious incident that placed the young person and others at risk in the home during the night-time hours. In spite of the remedial action taken to immediately respond to the concern, the then acting manager and

p.8

Good

team recognised that they could no longer keep the young person safe. A planned move has ensued, in consultation with the young person, and this was considered to be in her best interests.

p.8

Good

Children and young people respond positively to the consistent and age- appropriate routines and boundaries implemented by the team. This has proved to be particularly beneficial to the current child in placement, who thrives within his daily routines. This provides him with a strong sense of safety and has contributed to a reduction in the child’s challenging and risky behaviours. He is now able to better self-regulate by taking himself to his room and he is able to express his emotions in more constructive ways. Consequently, physical interventions are decreasing and the rewards and praise for good behaviour give the child a sense of pride in his achievements.

p.8

Good

No new staff recruitment has taken place since the last inspection. Therefore, the child benefits from having regular and reliable staff who know how to help and protect him. The routine servicing of all fire, gas and electrical equipment ensures everyone’s safety in the home. Judgement grade

p.8

Good

The registered manager has returned to the home following a period of absence. She has been in charge of running the home since 2013. She holds both a degree and a relevant management qualification, which renders her suitable to manage the home. An acting manager who was covering the absence resigned without notice three days prior to the registered manager resuming her post. Notwithstanding this, staff speak positively about the acting manager’s leadership. One said the acting manager, ‘Did a fantastic job.’ The registered manager’s professionalism and excellent ability to grasp the progress of the young person who left and the new child in placement has enabled a smooth management transition with no negative impact on service delivery.

p.9

Good

The registered manager values her team and makes this known to them at every opportunity. She said, ‘I’ve got a great team.’ Similarly, staff speak highly about the registered manager. One said, ‘I love how she works because she brings the fun factor. She is the best manager.’

p.9

Good

The registered manager has strong, aspirational and motivational leadership skills, which include her keen eye for driving forward quality and improved outcomes for children and young people. She has an exceptionally good insight into their individual needs and risks. This enables her to make child-centred decisions in collaboration with the organisation’s education and therapeutic teams and external professionals. The staff team embraces this approach and implements their shared knowledge, talents and skills in practice and with confidence.

p.9

Good

Good training opportunities reinforce high quality care practices. Most staff have achieved the required childcare qualifications and have opportunities to develop their interests and progress within the service. A member of staff said, ‘She pushes you to do more and more. She wants you to do your best.’ All staff are making a good start studying towards a therapeutic qualification that promotes their capacity to deliver. Staff feel well supported through formal and informal supervision, which enables them to provide the best possible care to children and young people. The plans in place to develop supervision are intended to promote more rigorous and reflective practice. Regular team meetings, handovers and effective work with partners ensure that the children’s and young people’s care, behaviours, incidents and progress are handled with sensitivity and respect.

p.9

Good

The registered manager has a clear and thorough understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the service through effective monitoring. This has enabled her to act promptly on identified deficiencies. A development plan incorporates the views of staff and young people. These are realistic, achievable and demonstrate that everyone is actively consulted and listened to. The registered manager is highly responsive to addressing the recommendations raised following external monitoring visits. However, the independent visitor still fails to give her explicit opinion that children are safe and the home promotes their well-being. The provider is addressing this issue.

p.9

Good

The home successfully fulfils the aims and objectives as outlined in the statement of purpose, such as, ‘Never losing sight within the big picture of the small actions that make a real difference to children’s daily lives.’

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’. 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

p.11

What the inspection judgements mean

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 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. 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

p.12

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 .

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 children looked after 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