Children's Home run by G B A Care 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.

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The children's home provision is outstanding because:

 Young people’s life chances and their daily experiences improve enormously through living at the home. The care that they are offered significantly changes their abilities to communicate positively, develop ambitions for their futures and develop self-worth.  Young people are given unfailingly positive responses from staff, which support their emotional resilience and self-control. Previous negative and harmful choices are replaced with enriching experiences.  The care that is given by staff is underpinned by research and evidence- based practice. Regardless of young people’s starting points and the challenges that these bring, the strengths-based approach enables young people to move forward confidently with their lives.  The care and nurturing that staff provide, enable young people to develop positive identities that influence all aspects of their lives.

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that must be taken so that the registered persons meet 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 persons must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that within five days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure (Regulation 35(3)(c)). 31 July 2016

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Recommendations

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

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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 ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 62, paragraph 14.4). In particular, progress and achievement of young people should be drawn together in one document.  When a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority must provide an opportunity for the child to have an independent return-home interview ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 45, paragraph 9.30).  For children's homes to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments ('Guide to the children's home regulations including the quality standards', page 15, paragraph 3.9). In particular, this is with regard to repair

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Recommendations

or refurbishment of the young people's bathroom, clearing of trees and shrubs from the outside of the home and refurbishment of the downstairs games room.

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Information about this children's home

This children's home is run by a private organisation. It provides care and accommodation for up to three young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties and young people with learning disabilities.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

2 February 2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

16 February 2015 Interim Improved effectiveness

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Outstanding

Young people, before living at the home, have experiences that include involvement with organised, drug-related criminal gangs, suicide attempts of up to three times per week, high levels of aggression, social isolation and educational breakdown. Through the care and nurture that staff have brought to young people’s lives, all are now in education. In addition, crime-associated behaviours and drug use have ceased, risks associated with child sexual exploitation significantly diminished, self-harm significantly reduced and all young people have developed appropriate friendships. One of the principles of the model of care adopted by the home is the achievement of self-control and inner peace. This is reflected in the progress that young people make. The choices that young people make over time become increasingly positive. The consistent guidance and advice that they receive, through being actively listened to, promote good decision-making. One young person

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Outstanding

commented, ‘Before I arrived, I was an absolute mess. I had moved from placement to placement. I wasn’t in control of myself. I kept going into hospital. I have had blips, but I don’t self-harm anymore and I’ve started to open up more. Staff have made me stronger. I am in a better place now and staff listen to me.’ The staff actively pursue specialist support from other agencies and professionals, to ensure that young people’s needs are fully met. This includes therapy, drug and alcohol advice and child and adolescent mental health services. Young people are encouraged to express their feelings and to explore any negative thoughts. These in turn are responded to by the staff, and trusting relationships develop. The positivity that is reflected back to young people increases and strengthens their identities. Some young people who previously experienced very low self-worth and had little care or interest in their physical presentation, now

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Outstanding

regularly go clothes shopping and take pride in their appearance. One young person, reflecting on the change that has occurred for him, commented, ‘Good things are happening. I should be much appreciative for where I am at.’ There is active support, respect and encouragement for young people’s diverse cultural and religious heritages. This is reflected in the individual time given by staff to explore these areas, food that is bought and cooked, religious texts that are made available and the backgrounds of the staff team. Staff promote attendance at community groups that may provide additional support to young people’s personal interests and identities. Over time, young people’s willingness to engage with staff on activities and with other young people increases. They are offered and take part in a wide range of fun and educational leisure pursuits that include theme parks, cinema, ice-skating, charity fun-runs, local parks and museums. One young person commented that, at

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Outstanding

her request, staff had been willing to see the same film three times at the cinema, because she had enjoyed it so much. Young people develop respect for one another’s opinions and learn to manage any disagreements in a positive way. One young person with an interest in cooking regularly makes food for the whole home. All young people attend education and, when this falters, staff are quick to resolve any problems. This ensures that education continues to be promoted and plays a central part in the young people’s lives. The active part that staff take in young people’s education ensures that the young people learn resilience and to problem- solve difficulties. One young person commented, ‘When I first came here, I rarely went to school, but with staff help I went to an education meeting and things started to get better and it’s now good for me.’ Staff have high expectations and ambitions for young people to achieve in their lives. One social worker commented,

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Outstanding

‘School have seen a vast improvement in peer relationships, getting on with staff and her engagement.’ Since the last inspection, a requirement regarding the education plans for young people has been met. As a result, the plans are focused on clear learning objectives and reflect the model of care that is used by the staff. Staff establish good general routines that support young people’s health. They are also very sensitive to the individual needs of young people. One social worker commented, ‘The care team have really tapped into the nurturing approach with her. It really is the little things that have made the difference.’ Young people establish peer relationships that are positive, and friends visit the home and are made to feel welcome.

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Good

Young people are supported to make better choices through the advice that staff give and the continuing positive regard that they receive. As their self-worth increases, their motivation to seek out harmful experiences diminishes, and their attention gradually moves towards increased hope and optimism for their future. Young people consider the rules, boundaries and incentives that are set to be fair and achievable. They are encouraged and helped to problem-solve difficulties that they face and are offered a range of strategies to resolve conflict. As a result, they learn to live together and to manage relationships that are important to them. For the majority of young people, incidents of missing from home virtually cease. For others, these incidents are precipitated by factors outside the home, such as bereavement. When these incidents occur, staff are active in following the young people, seek their return and appropriately contact other agencies. On the whole,

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Good

when young people return to the home following being missing, they are offered an independent return interview. This, however, has not occurred on every occasion and therefore evaluation as to the reasons or patterns for these incidents is limited. Since the last inspection, a recommendation has been met with regards to improved risk assessment documentation. As a result, these assessments are individualised and pull together all relevant information in one document. This ensures that staff are clear in their understanding of triggers for action and of how best to respond to young people. Young people are clear that they feel safe at the home, trust the staff and feel a sense of ownership. Any disagreements are quickly resolved and young people feel accepted for who they are. Physical intervention is only used when all other means of de-escalating the incident have not been successful and is always followed by a

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Good

restorative conversation between the staff and the young person. This process enables and encourages young people to reflect and to develop greater self- awareness. However, the manager does not routinely speak to the young person following the physical intervention, as is required by regulation.

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Good

The manager is currently applying for registration with Ofsted. He previously worked at the home and has successfully made the transition into leadership. He has a clear understanding of each young person’s needs, their strengths and vulnerabilities. His presence is felt and seen in the home and he is very accessible to staff and young people alike. The manager and staff promote young people’s participation in decisions about how the home is run and about future developments, for example, redecoration, reassigning the use of one of the rooms from games room to sensory room, and everyday choices such as activities and the weekly menu. The manager and staff have a clear understanding of the progress that young people make. There are suitable mechanisms in place to review decisions made by staff and to reflect upon any changes that may need to be made to improve the care offered to young people. The manager has produced a quality of care report,

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Good

as required, and there is suitable evaluation of appropriate issues. However, there is no current system established for regular tracking of key areas such as education attendance, significant incidences or missing-from-home occurrences. The system currently relied upon is retrospective rather than contemporary. The management team ensure that there is good daily support available to staff, and regular formal supervision is well established. Supervision is reflective, focused and appropriately challenges staff to improve continuously the care given to young people. There are clear induction processes for new members of staff and this ensures that young people’s care remains of a high quality and is consistent. Training for staff is quickly identified and is based on young people’s presenting needs. The work of the staff is underpinned through a model of care that is evidenced and research based. Through its application, young people begin to succeed in all areas

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Good

of their lives and their care plans are progressed. An independent reviewing officer (IRO) commented, ‘I don’t know if there is any other place that could have progressed his plan any better than this home. They are doing as good as you can do.’ The staff and management team develop and maintain active working relationships with all relevant agencies. Professionals concur that information sharing is prompt, regular and informative. One IRO commented, ‘They send me monthly update reports, one of the few homes that do, and I have a lot of conversations with them, which is quite unusual for me as an IRO.’ Progress of young people is well understood by staff and the manager. However, recording of such is spread out over a number of documents and is not drawn together in an accessible way. This limits staff ability to share and regularly review the achievements and successes with young people. On the whole, the home is reasonably furnished and has suitable facilities for

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Good

young people’s needs. There are, however, areas that would benefit from repair or refurbishment, such as the young people’s bathroom, cutting back of the large trees that surround the property and clear timescales attached to the structural work intended for the current games room.

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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 children looked after 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 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 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

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