Children's Home run by Capstone Care Provider Limited in Nottinghamshire

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:

 An experienced and knowledgeable registered manager understands how to implement improvement strategies.  A dedicated deputy manager provides steadfast support for the registered manager. Consequently, they are an effective management team.  A stable and committed staff team provides high standards of care to all young people, regardless of the challenges that they face.  The multi-cultural staff and management teams have excellent knowledge and skills in meeting the needs of young people that relate to diversity or heritage.  From the point of admission, young people feel welcome in the home. They quickly develop positive and trusting relationships with all staff members.  Safeguarding knowledge is robust, and child protection practice is very good.  There are several areas which the registered manager needs to address to promote further improvement:  The manager is required to improve upon care planning for young people.

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The children's home provision is good because:

Specifically, in relation to planning, assessing and monitoring young people’s independence skills and readiness for leaving care.  Development plans are in place, but do not fully reflect plans to improve quality of care for individual young people.  The manager has not ensured notifications to local authorities in regards to young people admitted or discharged from the home.  The internal quality assurance reports are submitted to Ofsted in line with regulation. However, the manager should consider which topics are relevant to report upon and what actions can be taken in relation to the next six- month period.

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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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13: The leadership and management standard

In order to meet the leadership and management standard: (2) the registered person must ensure that they— (f) understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home. Specifically, to ensure that development plans reflect this information. 10 August

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14. The care planning standard

In order to meet the care planning standard: (1) the registered person must ensure that children— (a) receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home. With particular regards to effectively planned and assessed independence planning. 10 August

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14. The care planning standard

The registered person must notify, without delay, the local authority for the area in which the children’s home is located of every admission of a child into the home and every discharge of a child from the home. (Regulation 41 (1)) 10 August

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendation:  The registered person is responsible for deciding what each review should focus on, based on the specific circumstances of the home at that particular time and any areas of high risk to the children that the home is designed to care for, such as going missing or exploitation. They will consider what information or data recorded in the home will form part of the evidence base for their analysis and conclusions. There is no expectation that the registered person will review the home against every part of the quality standards every six months. Registered persons should use their professional judgement to decide which factors to focus on. The review should enable the registered person to identify areas of strength and possible weakness in the home’s care, which will be captured in the written

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Recommendations

report. The report should clearly identify any actions required for the next six months of delivery within the home and how these actions will be addressed. The whole review process and the resulting report should be used as a tool for continuous improvement in the home (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.4).

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Information about this children's home

This is a privately owned children’s home that provides care for up to three children and young people who have emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

16 March 2016 Interim Declined in effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

26 March 2015 Interim Improved effectiveness

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Good

Since the last inspection, the home underwent a brief period with no young people in placement. The registered manager used this time to implement change and improvement. A priority for the manager was to ensure that young people newly admitted to the home were compatible with each other. Additionally, to ensure that the staff team has the skills to meet individual needs. The attention to ensuring individualised care has been very successful in promoting progress with young people and in ensuring that their time at the home is positive. Young people have described the home as ‘really good’, ‘sound’ and ‘a nice home’. The relationships between staff and young people are very good. Young people feel that staff listen to their views and wishes. They feel that there is mutual respect between young people and staff. A social worker commented, ‘The young person appears to have developed good relationships quickly with the staff at this

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Good

home. The staff must have good skills as he can be very resistant to working with staff!’ Another professional said, ‘Staff relate really well to this young person. This young person has issues with some professionals, but residential staff are open and honest with him and he responds really well.’ This means that, from a basis of trust and confidence, young people are able to listen, learn and accept advice and guidance. Therefore, they are positive about their placement plans and engage positively with staff and professionals. A key strength of this home is ensuring that the individual needs of young people are central to all care planning. Staff have excellent knowledge and skills in providing care for young people from a diverse range of social, cultural and ethnic backgrounds. They know the locality well and have good networks with local resources to meet a variety of cultural needs. Staff provide positive role models

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Good

insofar as representing a range of cultural backgrounds, ages and gender. Consequently, young people relate with staff in a manner similar to a family setting. The communal home environment is similar to a family home, with a comfortable living and dining area and a kitchen used by both staff and young people. The home has a lovely garden, with lawns, trees and an array of flowers. This provides a secure and private area for young people to sit and relax or eat their meals outdoors. The manager and staff encourage young people to tend to the vegetable garden, which grows food used in daily menus. Staff and young people cook fresh meals daily. Young people benefit from a range of foods which reflect their cultural needs, choices and preferences. There is an abundance of evidence that the routines of the home promote young people’s independence skills. Staff routinely support young people to develop new

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Good

skills and to reinforce and improve upon existing life skills. Young people learn to budget, maintain their semi-independent accommodation, and participate in a wide range of domestic tasks. They receive support and encouragement to prepare and attend job and college interviews. However, staff do not assess young people’s competence in regards to independence skills upon admission and do not systematically assess and review their acquisition of skills. This means that staff are not clear about what young people need to be taught to ensure that they have the necessary skills for successful independent living.

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Good

Staff understand how to implement safeguarding policy, procedure and protocols. Therefore, they are prepared to provide an immediate and proactive response to any potential safeguarding concern. Since the last inspection, there have been no safeguarding incidents, allegations or complaints. Behaviour management is highly effective. There have been no physical interventions since the last inspection and the use of sanctions is minimal, but proportionate when used. Young people respond positively to the use of incentives to encourage the achievement of individual targets. Positive staff relationships are the pivotal factor to promote positive behaviours. Young people have occasionally been absent from the home without permission, but do not go missing. When young people fail to return to the home at the agreed time, staff immediately instigate missing from care protocols and liaise with the police, social care staff and relevant individuals. Staff ensure that they

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Good

communicate with young people, ascertain their location and risk assess the situation. This prevents young people from being ‘missing’ as staff listen and respond to reasonable requests. Young people report that they have positive relationships with each other and bullying is not an issue in this home. Dynamics between young people are highly positive, which results in a calm and ordered environment. Safeguarding practice in this home is effective in reducing incidents of young people engaging in criminal or antisocial behaviours. When young people are subject to specific court orders, staff and managers provide high levels of support to both young people and criminal justice workers. Excellent inter-agency collaboration supports young people to avoid activities that may lead to involvement in the criminal justice system. This promotes improved life chances. The registered manager has built effective links with the local police service. A

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Good

police officer said, ‘The manager has attended meetings with other professionals where information is shared in relation to local knowledge and risks.’ The manager has a current locality risk assessment in place. This means that the manager and staff have a good awareness of the community and any potential risks to children and young people. The health and safety of young people, staff and visitors within the home is assured through routine checks and servicing. The home has a continual programme of maintenance, which ensures timely repair and remedial work. The recommended level of public and employee liability insurance is in place.

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Good

A strong and well-qualified management team leads the home. The registered manager for this home has substantial relevant experience of residential childcare. He has successfully completed the level 5 diploma in Leadership in Health and Social Care. This means that he has suitable qualifications and experience to provide leadership for this home. The registered individual supervises and provides senior management support to the registered manager. Additionally, a deputy manager provides operational support within the home. Since the last inspection in March 2016, the registered manager and responsible individual have made demonstrable improvements within this home. The interior and exterior of the home have greatly improved. A scheme of redecoration has continues. The replacement of carpets, fixtures and fittings in some areas of the home now provide a cleaner and more comfortable appearance. There are plans in place to renovate all of the bedrooms, including improving

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Good

shower rooms and kitchens which adjoin the semi-independent living spaces. This provides a safer and more homely environment. The fire officer has visited the home and met with the manager. Improvements to fire safety include an upgrade of the fire alarm system and a review of the fire risk assessment. This means that staff, young people and visitors have better protection in the event of a fire. Supervision and appraisals are now consistent and both staff and managers retain good-quality supervision records, which reflect the content of professional discussions. Staff and the registered manager are unanimous is stating that they benefit from regular supervision and feel supported in their role. Staff have participated in a comprehensive training programme. This means that they have the relevant, up-to-date training and knowledge to deliver a consistent and sound quality of care. Additionally, training records are now easily accessible,

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Good

clear and up to date. This shows that the managers understand and can monitor the individual training needs of each staff member. The management team has spent considerable time in auditing and improving upon the home’s records and young people’s case files. All records relating to young people are clear, secure and available for auditing. This means that staff, young people and inspectors have an accurate picture of the delivery of care. Monthly monitoring visits by an independent visitor provide an objective view on the effectiveness of the home and any shortfalls. Additionally, the registered manager produces a quality assurance report every six months. These combined quality assurance systems promote the improvement and development of the service. However, internal monitoring is too broad in scope to provide a meaningful overview of the home’s past performance and fails to set out plans for the forthcoming six months.

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Good

The registered manager uses a development plan to map out and monitor improvements in the home. This tool is pragmatic in content, but fails to consider the impact of quality of care on the progress and experiences of each young person. This has no detrimental impact at present, as the young people are new to the home. However, improvements in development plans would ensure that young people receive a consistently good quality of care, linked to their individual needs. Partnership work with statutory and voluntary sector agencies is very good. Managers and staff collaborate with partner agencies and communicate effectively on all matters. Notifications on significant issues are consistently provided to the professional team. However, the registered manager needs to ensure that all admissions and discharges from the home are notified to the relevant local authority.

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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

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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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