Children's home run by Doncaster Deaf Trust in Doncaster

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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:

 Children and young people make excellent progress in all areas of their development. They make significant progress in their behaviour, communication and education.  Children and young people experience stability in a home where they can communicate with everyone. For some children and young people, this is a 'first time' experience. This reinforces their identity and celebrates their diversity. As a result, children and young people's emotional health improves and their confidence flourishes.  Children and young people enjoy exceptional relationships with staff. The highly qualified and experienced staff team shows empathy and understanding of each young person’s very complex and individual needs.  Children and young people feel safe in this home. Staff have an in-depth understanding of the risks that children and young people may encounter. The staff team members are all confident in following safeguarding

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The children's home provision is outstanding because:

procedures and are quick to do so when necessary.  Staff have high expectations and aspirations for all children and young people. Consistent guidance and boundaries encourage children and young people to maintain positive behaviour. As a result, children and young people’s behaviour significantly improves.  The management team is extremely effective. Members are ambitious and dedicated to ensuring that children and young people receive the very best of care. They work hard to ensure that children and young people develop the skills that they need for later life.

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Information about this children's home

The children's home is operated by a charitable trust and is registered to accommodate seven children and young people who have a sensory impairment.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

15 March 2016 Interim Improved effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

26 February 2015 Interim Improved effectiveness

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home are

Children and young people thrive in this unique home where staff understand their very special needs. The mix of highly experienced hearing and non-hearing staff provides children and young people with carers who have empathy and understanding of their needs. As a result, strong trusting bonds form between staff, children and young people. This allows children and young people to feel confident to express their feelings because they know that staff will understand. Children and young people feel fully respected and valued. Their views are central to the running of the home. House meetings and individual sessions with staff give children and young people opportunities to express their feelings as part of a group and on their own. Children and young people report that they especially enjoy the individualised time. Children and young people are fully involved in their care planning. They all know their personal targets. They are proud of their

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achievements and look forward to the rewards that they receive for completing them. This helps to raise individuals’ confidence and self-esteem. Diversity is reinforced, celebrated and valued. Children and young people are able to communicate with everyone in the wider specialist community. This promotes social inclusion and brings children and young people new opportunities. For example, some children and young people who were previously isolated find themselves at the heart of a wider social scene. They now enjoy youth clubs, community social clubs, meals out, and holidays away. Some children and young people make new friends for the first time. This helps them to develop a sense of belonging and strengthens their identities. One professional commented, ‘He has progressed so much he is unrecognisable. He has grown into the person he should be. For the first time, he is happy. His identity has grown because he has deaf

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friends and he is part of the deaf community.’ Children and young people make good and in some cases outstanding progress with their education. The united approach between the home and the specialist on- site school provides children and young people with excellent support. Staff make sure that there is efficient information sharing with the school. This means that any issues that arise for individuals are quickly resolved, providing children and young people with the emotional and practical support that they need to do well. Children and young people benefit from joint targets set between home and school. This helps to reinforce learning and promotes good academic progress. Children and young people enjoy a range of healthy home cooked meals. They are encouraged to make healthy choices and to try new foods. This benefits their health now and will help them to make positive choices in the future. Children and

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young people enjoy a range of physical activities such as gym, swimming and football. This improves their physical fitness and enhances their social skills and confidence. Children and young people’s emotional health is highly prioritised; close links with specialist mental health services ensure that they quickly receive any support that they need. Children and young people are well prepared for their transition to adulthood. They learn skills that will be essential in later life, such as shopping, budgeting, cooking and laundry. The manager goes beyond to support young people after their move. This ensures that their transition goes smoothly and that individuals continue to feel well supported.

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protected

All children and young people feel safe in this home. Staff have an exceptional understanding of each individual and of any particular risks that they may face. They help children and young people to understand risks and to learn how to keep themselves safe. This helps children and young people to become safer at home and in the community. Staff have high expectations of children’s and young people’s behaviour. They consistently reinforce clear boundaries. Consequently, incidents of challenging behaviour are low. Any incidents that arise are quickly defused and there has been no recent use of physical intervention. Children and young people are responding well to new reward systems. They are proud of their achievements. This has led to a significant drop in the use of sanctions. The emphasis on positive behaviour is inspiring children and young people to continue to achieve. One grandparent commented, ‘The change in him is significant. He was so frustrated before he went

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there. His behaviour was difficult and now the change in his behaviour is amazing. A hundred percent improved.’ Everyone is valued as an individual. Staff promote relationships built around trust and respect. Children and young people learn to respect differences, and there is no bullying in this home. All children and young people know how to complain and there are different ways in which they can do this. Children and young people particularly benefit from one-to-one talk time with staff. This gives them opportunities to talk about any worries and to explore their feelings. Children and young people rarely go missing from the home. If this should happen, staff quickly take action to safeguard them. Staff are supported by high-quality individual profiles and risk assessments. These clearly indicate the steps that staff should take in these situations. This helps them to locate children and young people as quickly as possible.

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protected

Staff are confident in following safeguarding procedures. They have an excellent understanding of risks that can affect children and young people, such as child sexual exploitation. Staff know the signs to look for in order to make sure that children and young people are safe. Online safety is highly prioritised and staff are extra vigilant about children’s and young people's use of social media. This is helping significantly to improve children and young people’s understanding of staying safe online.

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leaders and managers

The registered manager is highly experienced and well qualified. She has been in post since 2011. The manager is committed to ensuring that children and young people receive the best quality care possible. She is clear about the strengths of the service and focuses on continuous improvement. Her reflective and thorough monitoring of the quality of care allows her to identify any issues quickly and to address them. She is well supported in her role by a highly motivated deputy manager, a dedicated responsible individual and school senior management team. The established and committed staff team reports that it is very well supported by the manager and the wider management team. One member of staff commented, `I love working here. Children and staff are valued as individuals. They make sure we are supported as workers. We are all really valued by management.’ Staff receive regular supervision, which helps them to reflect on their practice. As a

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leaders and managers

result, they feel confident to undertake their roles. The manager is extremely focussed on ensuring that children and young people receive the support that they need. She works hard to maintain excellent working relationships with other agencies, such as social workers, specialist mental health services and the police. Maintaining positive relationships with families is highly prioritised. The manager is exceptionally sensitive and patient with families. Consequently, they place trust in the service. As a result of the support given to families by the manager and staff, some children and young people and their families have developed positive coping strategies. This has allowed some of them to spend quality time together for the first time. Relationships, which had completely broken down, are now flourishing. The home’s statement of purpose is accurate. The home fully meets its aims and objectives by providing individually designed care programmes. This enables each

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leaders and managers

child or young person to maximise their skills and potential.

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What the inspection judgements mean

The experiences and progress of children and 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 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 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 children and young

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What the inspection judgements mean

people being 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 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 children and young people. They read case files, watched how professional staff work with children, children and young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care given to children and 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 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

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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