Children's home run by Worcestershire County Council in Worcester

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:

 Young people enjoy living at the home and make real progress from their starting points.  Young people are provided with a homely environment, are settled and enjoy positive relationships with staff.  Effective partnerships with teachers, therapists and other professionals improve young people’s engagement with services that are beneficial to their longer-term prospects.  Young people lead healthy lifestyles and participate in a wide range of indoor and outdoor activities.  Young people receive tailored care that reflects their individual needs.  Young people play an active part in the running of the home. Staff are attentive and respond practically to young people’s thoughts, wishes and feelings.  Generally, young people’s educational attendance and engagement improves. When young people struggle, good partnership work ensures that new strategies are put in place.  Staff are effective at keeping young people safe.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Managers are enthusiastic. They inspire the staff team to make a positive difference in young people’s lives.  The small staff team works hard to provide consistency during annual leave, sickness and vacancies, but this is not sustainable in the long term.

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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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Requirement Due date

13. In order to meet the leadership and management standard, the registered person must enable, inspire and lead a culture in relation to the children’s home that— (a) helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and (b) promotes their welfare. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— (d) ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child; (e) ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child. This specifically relates to reviewing the staffing structure to ensure that it is sufficient to cover periods of annual leave, sickness and staff vacancies. 31 August

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Information about this children's home

This is a local authority operated home. It provides care and accommodation for three young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

9 February 2016 Interim Improved effectiveness

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Good

Young people make good progress in important areas of their lives. They thrive in a homely environment that is organised around their individual needs. Young people enjoy living at the home. Professionals highlight the significant impact that the staff have had on young people and the achievements that they have made to date. Staff understand the barriers and challenges that young people face that are linked to previous life experiences. This insight enables them to help young people to manage their behaviour, social interactions and education. It has resulted in one young person moving smoothly on from the home into supported living. There is also some timely, well-planned work being undertaken to ensure that a young person’s transition onto his next school is successful. The registered manager and staff team successfully help young people to re- engage and sustain their education attendance following previous difficulties.

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Good

Young people who continue to struggle with education are constantly supported. There is ongoing, excellent partnership work with education staff. This means that plans are regularly reviewed and new strategies introduced, such as access to tailored programmes that might better match individual’s needs. Young people know the importance that staff place on education because staff participate in school events. For example, at a recent workshop on the Bayeux Tapestry, staff and a young person designed and made their own tapestry. Young people have an active input into matters that affect them within the home. There are frequent key worker sessions, informal meetings and daily discussions with the registered manager and staff team. These arrangements help build confidence and improve social skills such as negotiating, compromising and listening. Young people are given opportunities to make decisions about their day-

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Good

to-day lives that are consistent with their abilities and circumstances. Young people benefit from coordinated and reviewed care plans, which are regularly considered in light of progress made and new needs emerging. This ensures that the care offered is responsive and individualised. Professionals involved with young people reflect that communication from the home is timely and child-focused. Young people are able to plan how they want to spend their leisure time with support and guidance from staff. Young people have already planned, or at least discussed, their summer holidays. Choice and variety are encouraged and when young people express an interest in doing something new, for example singing lessons, this is usually encouraged. Because of this, young people’s leisure time experiences are enhanced as their enthusiasm and interest for particular hobbies, clubs, trips, holiday destinations or interests are nurtured. This adds to young

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Good

people feeling that they have a stake in the home and how they are helped to enjoy themselves. The staff help young people to learn age-appropriate life skills that increase their independence and ultimately prepare them for adulthood. Creative and imaginative play is used to make this process fun. Whether it is building dens outside in the garden or baking cakes, staff ensure that young people enjoy themselves. With staff guidance, young people learn to look after themselves and develop a greater sense of themselves. For example, a young person has learned to use contact lenses. Staff also support young people to take responsibility for others. For example, by keeping and caring for a pet. As young people near independence, staff support them to develop skills that are more relevant. This includes using public transport and budgeting for themselves. Young people learn these skills as part of a journey. Staff skilfully manage this so that young people do not at any

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Good

stage feel that they are no longer part of the household, not supported or cared for.

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Good

Young people like living in the home and enjoy the company of the whole staff team. They state that they feel safe at the home and professionals agree. Young people can talk to staff and know how to make a complaint should they need to. Staff have a clear understanding of how to manage any safeguarding allegations. They receive regular safeguarding training, which includes a range of topics including children missing from home and awareness raising, in relation to child sexual exploitation. There have been no complaints, safeguarding concerns or incidents of young people going missing from the home for a significant period of time. Robust recruitment procedures are followed, which ensure that young people are protected from being looked after by people who may not be suitable. Young people are enabled to have the same social experiences as other young people their age. This includes having free time away from staff with friends and

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Good

staying overnight with friends. Staff effectively balance the need for safety while enabling them to take reasonable risks as part of growing up and becoming more independent. Staff significantly reduce risks by using agreed strategies. These are continually monitored and reviewed. As a result, young people have new skills that effectively help them to cope with anxieties. Staff work effectively in partnership with other agencies and professionals to ensure that safeguarding procedures are followed. This includes arrangements for any going missing from care events. Staff understand the risks and vulnerabilities that young people face and actively work to ensure that everyone is protected. Staff have a positive approach to the management of challenging behaviour. The use of physical intervention is rare, with only one taking place since the interim inspection. Individualised plans ensure that staff are properly guided in their responses to negative behaviour. Staff

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Good

discuss behaviours and lessons learned and do not give consequences or sanctions. Professionals consider risks are well managed and behaviour improves as a consequence of the overall practices and approaches of the team. Staff promote young people’s ongoing protection by undertaking regular fire drills and tests of fire prevention equipment. Effective monitoring of all matters relating to health and safety are carried out consistently. Health and safety risk assessments are regularly reviewed and internal checks are undertaken in order to maintain the overall safety of young people and staff. The young people and staff have created and maintain a very welcoming and personalised home and garden. Any damage is quickly repaired. The young people are actively involved in the decoration and layout of the home and feel that ‘the garden is one of the home’s best bits’.

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Good

An informative range of information is available about the service including the home’s statement of purpose. Young people, social workers and staff are clear about what the service is expected to achieve and the way in which care and support is to be provided. The registered manager and assistant manager are appropriately experienced. They have just completed their level 5 diploma in leadership and management for residential childcare. As managers, they have high expectations and a child- focused approach. They promote reflective practice through regular one-to-one supervision, group meetings, suitable training and a team approach where everyone works together. Staff feel professionally supported and this helps underpin their work with young people and each other. The registered manager and deputy manager have a detailed understanding of young people’s histories, current needs and risks. This understanding positively

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Good

influences the care that is delivered. Care plans are regularly reviewed and updated to reflect the changing and fluctuating needs of young people. Managers can demonstrate the positive difference that the staff team makes because progress is closely monitored. The managers and staff regularly attend team meetings around the home and liaise with key professionals to ensure that appropriate services and arrangements are secured. Where necessary, they will give robust challenge to other professionals on behalf of young people. Staff are experienced and qualified in meeting the needs of the young people. Professional growth is valued. For example, 33% of the staff team holds a 12- monthly nurturing and attachment qualification. Other members of the staff team are now attending this. It is an action point in the home’s development plan that all staff within the team will complete this course. The home's internal quality assurance and monitoring systems include a range of

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Good

management activities that draw together information about how well the home is operating and if young people are making good enough progress. The registered manager and deputy manager acknowledge that staffing has been their recent challenge. Some staff have left and as managers they have been quick to recruit to the vacancies. However, due to this being a small service, covering these vacancies in the interim as well as annual leave and staff sickness has been very tiring for the remaining staff. New staff have now started in post. The registered manager is planning to review the staff structure and cover arrangements with the responsible individual. This is to ensure that they are robust enough in the future so not to put undue stress on the existing team. The strong commitment by staff to consistent, strong attachments and trusting relationships has meant that young people have continued to make positive

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Good

progress. There were no requirements or recommendations made in the last inspection report.

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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

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

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Information about this inspection

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

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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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