Children's Home run by North East Lincolnshire Council in North East Lincolnshire

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 experience high standards of care that take account of their individual needs, strengths, and disabilities.  Staff use their experience, knowledge, and skills very effectively to ensure that young people make exceptional progress across all aspects of their development.  Young people live in a very friendly, welcoming, warm and nurturing environment.  Safeguarding practice is outstanding, responsive to the needs of young people with disabilities, and takes account of their additional vulnerabilities.  The home is well led and managed. Staff have a strong commitment to the young people’s welfare and uphold the aims, objective, and values of the service in practice.  The positive impact of the leadership arrangements is clearly evident in the excellent progress and experiences of the young people.

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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 with the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

13. In order to meet the leadership and management standard, with particular reference to using the reports prepared under Regulation 44 and Regulation 45 to identify areas for improvement, the registered person is required to:

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Requirement Due date

(2)(h) use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. 31 August

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Recommendations

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

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Recommendations

 The registered person must ensure that recruitment, supervision and performance management of staff safeguards children and minimises potential risks (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1). In particular, ensure that background checks in a foreign language are translated into English.

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Information about this children’s home

The local authority has registered this children’s home to provide care and accommodation for up to three children with learning and physical disabilities.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

17 March 2016 Interim Improved effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

16 March 2015 Interim Improved effectiveness

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Outstanding

Young people absolutely thrive in this home. Their individual, complex needs are completely supported, with high levels of sensitivity, targeted planning and encouragement. They make great progress in respect of their own care needs and succeed in a group living environment. One professional commented, ‘Progress has surpassed expectations.’

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Outstanding

The home environment is friendly, welcoming, happy, at times exciting but also with periods of calm, which suits all the young people. One commented, ‘It’s amazing, very cosy and the staff are lovely.’

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Outstanding

Very careful and thoughtful planning builds on young people’s strengths and reduces the effects of their disabilities. They have valuable positive experiences daily, enhanced by the consideration and empathy of staff. Relatives report that standards of care are very high, that young people are happy and achieve more than they thought was possible.

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Outstanding

The outstanding quality of care and attention to detail facilitates progress in all aspects of life. One young person’s progress is so exceptional that there are now plans for her to move to foster care and benefit from the opportunity to grow up in a family home. Another, who was previously very timid and reclusive, is much more sociable, has learned new independence skills, and has developed her speech and communication. She is in a much better position to voice her opinions and make her views known. Young people are more confident and benefit from the settled, emotionally secure environment that staff have created. A different professional commented, ‘There is nothing to improve about this home.’ While some progress may be in small steps, staff will persevere, knowing that each developmental step a young person makes will enhance their future life chances.

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Outstanding

Young people are as fit and healthy as possible. Staff ensure that they attend all their health appointments and access services that they did not previously use. In one case, this has helped a young person immensely with her mobility, to the extent that she no longer relies on a mechanical hoist and enjoys spending time out of her wheelchair. There is a strong commitment to a diet free from processed foods, which has additional health benefits for the young people. Staff also use targeted, individual programmes effectively, such as to help young people improve their dental hygiene.

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Outstanding

Staff are fully committed to providing high levels of care and support, and breaking down barriers that young people’s disabilities may present. One young person goes to Guides and church weekly, has enjoyed a guide camp and is part of a reading group. Other activities young people enjoy include trips out, swimming, discos and a youth club. A young person who is very keen on music but apprehensive about crowds goes to the disco and sits outside listening. Staff are sensitive and patient in supporting her progress and encouraging her participation. Young people enjoy fund raising and have baked cakes and completed a sponsored walk. These events help them to take an active role in community life.

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Outstanding

Staff are keen to ensure that young people have very positive experiences wherever they go and whatever they do. When young people go into hospital, care staff are by their side 24 hours a day. Staff are willing to go shopping in their own time, wrap presents, and plan young people’s birthday celebrations very carefully. Plans have been made to support young people to enjoy their own holidays away. For those not keen on going on holiday, staff are planning to use the time creatively when others are away to make this a special time for the young person still at home.

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Outstanding

Contact with friends and family is actively promoted. Staff fully appreciate the importance of maintaining and developing family relationships. As young people make the transition to adult services or alternative placements, they will benefit from continuity that relatives can provide. Relatives always receive a warm welcome, are included in celebrations such as birthday parties and young people are equally supported to attend family events such as weddings.

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Outstanding

All young people have excellent attendance at school and progress well with their learning. There is good communication between care staff and school staff about young people’s needs and sharing of positive care strategies.

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Outstanding

Young people are very safe. The manager and staff go that extra mile to keep it this way. They have an excellent understanding of the additional vulnerabilities stemming from the disabilities that young people have.

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Outstanding

The registered provider has appointed an independent advocate. She visits unannounced at random times as an additional voice for young people and as an extra safeguarding measure. Young people are also empowered to have a strong voice of their own, significantly influencing their day-to-day care and running of the home. This very inclusive approach puts young people at the heart of care practice. One visitor commented, ‘Young people are always happy, I have never seen any distress and staff always respond well to their needs.’

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Outstanding

The manager has developed a stable staff team, many of whom have known the young people for a long time. This adds to the emotional security of young people, provides good consistency and continuity, and reduces the number of adults providing intimate personal care.

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Outstanding

Staff are very effective in implementing care plans and risk assessments that take account of young people’s individual needs and risks. This has eliminated the throwing of objects, drastically reduced the risk of isolation, and improved communication skills. Staff are fully aware of identified triggers and they are adept at avoiding situations that may cause young people anxiety.

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Outstanding

The reduction in both anxiety levels and frustrations about being understood adds immensely to the safe environment, and significantly improves the young people’s well-being. There is a large reduction in the levels of young people’s challenging behaviour as a result. Such incidents are rare and staff are very skilled in supporting young people at these times without the need for any physical intervention.

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Outstanding

Staff have researched the individual health needs and disabilities of each young person. This information is very thoughtfully applied in planning young people’s care and promoting their welfare. For example, weighing up the decision for one young person on whether to move bedrooms to one that provides overhead tracking, whether this is needed prior to his transition to adult services and assessing the impact that the room change may have on his current emotional well-being.

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Outstanding

High staffing levels allow for effective supervision of young people, so that their whereabouts are known at all times. There are no missing from home incidents and staff know the procedures to follow should this occur.

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Good

The registered manager has managed this home very successfully since it opened two years ago. She has a huge amount of experience in residential childcare and has achieved the required qualifications. There are two able and competent senior care officers who work closely with her, ensuring seamless, effective and efficient management arrangements.

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Good

The manager uses her skills, knowledge, and experience very effectively to put young people first and to promote their needs. Care provided is in line with the Statement of Purpose, which aims to provide young people with, ‘physical and emotional care of the highest quality and of a nurturing type; and ensure that each young person experiences warmth, stability, structure, and boundaries constantly and consistently.’

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Good

Staff are well trained, effectively supported, and supervised to provide the structure, empathy and safe, secure environment that young people need. Staff have a vast amount of experience and are able to help new staff adapt quickly to the role. As a result, young people receive high levels of support and have very positive experiences of the home. Staff have a very respectful, non-judgemental attitude that promotes the uniqueness of each individual regardless of their needs and disabilities.

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Good

While the manager has a good overview of the service, both her internal monitoring and the external monitoring from an independent visitor lack rigour. This may miss opportunities for a more comprehensive and robust challenge of the service. For example, background checks on new staff are completed to ensure that they are suitable to work with vulnerable young people. One check obtained from overseas, which was best practice in this instance, had not been translated into English. All other checks were suitable, which minimised any negative potential impact on young people.

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Good

The home works in close partnership with families and other agencies and has strong links with the schools that the young people attend. Relatives and professionals all commented very positively about the quality of care, welcoming environment, inter-agency communication and the progress that young people make.

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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 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, 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,

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Information about this inspection

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

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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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