Children's home run by Jigsaw (Croydon) Limited

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 make exceptional progress in the home, supported by a committed and dedicated permanent staff team.  Staff benefit from an exceptional package of supervision, appraisal and training resources, which equips them to meet the needs of young people.  Young people benefit from a high level of consistency; the most recent admission occurred six years ago and the newest staff member arrived three years ago. This supports a close-knit family style atmosphere in the home.  Staff successfully advocate for young people and ensure that they receive prompt allocation of the specialist services they require.  Managers have introduced an exciting service development plan which includes a new ‘enrichment programme for young people’ and a case recording system. This provides incentives for progress and development and offers the opportunity to spend more time with young people.  Staff communicate very well with key partner agencies and share successful

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The children's home provision is outstanding because:

behavioural management techniques and risk assessments to support care.  Staff prioritise educational progress very well. Two young people have taken a combined total of 21 GCSEs examinations this summer.  Young people are exceptionally well settled and there have been no incidents of going missing.

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Information about this children's home

This privately run home cares for up to seven young people who may be experiencing emotional or behavioural difficulties. There is a semi-independent flat on the premises, which does not form part of this inspection.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

6 January 2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

30 March 2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Outstanding

Young people remain extremely settled in the home and make exceptional progress. One young person comments, ‘We are like a big family and look after each other.’ Young people enjoy regular, jovial banter and laughter with staff, with whom a close and very positive relationship is evident. One young person recently celebrated a birthday by offering staff the opportunity of being his ‘servant’ for the day. Despite the age difference amongst young people, bullying is never reported as a concern. Young people do not go missing from the home. Young people enjoy a huge variety of activities and hobbies. Staff strive to engage young people by numerous and creative means. Staff and young people record activities brilliantly in the house newspaper. In November, three young people represented the home at the remembrance day parade, as a scout, police and army cadet. These activities teach the value of teamwork and provide an enormous

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Outstanding

source of self-esteem. Young people learn new social skills. The family style atmosphere encourages tolerance and acceptance. The home’s pet dogs allow young people to express love, affection and empathy in a safe manner. The resident of the semi- independent flat moved there successfully from the home. He is currently attending university and is a frequent visitor. Young people see him as a source of inspiration and he offers effective, regular advice and advocacy. Case files show older young people supporting their younger peers when they struggle, emphasising that poor behaviour reflects badly on the home as a community. This supports behavioural management and good relationships in the home. Young people respond very well to the behavioural management scheme. Staff set individualised, aspirational targets each month and celebrate progress via a three- monthly award ceremony. Prizes on offer recently included a trip to a local

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Outstanding

amusement park and a paddle boarding lesson. Young people are extremely motivated and engaged by this. Staff prioritise educational achievement extremely well. Successful strategies, such as rewarding attainment with privileges, work very well. Two young people have recently taken 21 GCSE examinations in total this summer and are anxiously awaiting their results. Staff rewarded their hard work with a holiday to Spain, which was enormously successful. Both young people have three options for vocational courses in September and feel that staff have been integral to their success. Staff encourage young people to maintain friendships and relationships with both family and friends outside of the home. Friends are included in camping trips and activities, this supports the development of social skills and identity. Other young people enjoy regular visitation to mentoring families. Family members are encouraged to attend coffee mornings at the home and keep

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Outstanding

in regular contact with staff, where appropriate. One relative comments, ‘The staff are fantastic and superb. We work together as a team. I make contact arrangements with them, which is helpful.’ This helps to encourage consistency in behavioural management, promote an understanding of cultural awareness and alleviate any anxieties.

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Outstanding

There is a very clear purpose to the home. Staff use extremely well researched practices to encourage resilience and decision making in young people. Support is both intense and effective. Staff work a week-long shift pattern. The week concludes with a lengthy staff handover and exchange of necessary information. Young people benefit from the resulting consistency and retention of information. Restraint use is limited and managed well. Staff strive to avoid physical management; when it does occur, young people are debriefed well and managers assess any possible changes to risk assessment or behavioural management plans. This supports the safety of young people. Sanctioning is consistent and effective. When young people experience behavioural difficulties, staff offer a clear and reasoned explanation as to why a sanction has occurred. Staff regularly offer advocacy and young people have easily accessible means of

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Outstanding

complaining within the home. They enjoy access to a weekly residents’ meeting, a ‘grumbles book’ for minor gripes and a complaints box, if the matter is more serious. Managers respond promptly to any communications. Young people respond very well to daily shift planners. Excellent and effective risk assessments inform these planners, which consider key trigger behaviours to support young people during moments of high anxiety, such as night time routines. Interventions are innovative and purposeful. Staff offer extremely creative and often humorous anger management techniques, which young people appreciate. Multi-agency work is excellent in the home. Staff liaise tirelessly with key partner professionals to promote positive outcomes for young people. Staff attend therapy sessions to share behavioural management techniques. Risk assessments are shared with schools to assist them in managing young people. One professional

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Outstanding

comments, ‘We are impressed by their continued management and ability to hold his emotional and safety needs in mind.’ Young people are regularly encouraged to be transparent with staff. Staff understand that safeguarding can only be effective when trust is established. When concerns are noted, staff act quickly to implement extremely effective interventions such as a programme of life story work. Staff emphasise the importance of healthy living and have very good access to primary care services. Staff use cooking as a group activity to promote independence skills and emphasise the value of eating regular fruit and vegetables. Effective medication procedures ensure the safe handling and administration of medication. Medication records contain information on possible side effects to increase staff awareness and safety.

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Outstanding

Young people benefit from a strong and dedicated management team. The registered manager and homeowner has been in post since the opening of the home, sixteen years ago. She is a qualified social worker, qualified to level 4 and with over twenty years of experience of working with children and young people. She enjoys a high level of support from her deputy manager in the home. The deputy manager is qualified to level 5 and has been employed by the home for eight years. The registered manager was not present during this inspection and all information was easily obtainable from the deputy manager. Young people, the staff team and key partner professionals universally respect the management team. Managers have produced an exciting and innovative development plan and they have adopted a reflective and progressive approach. The new computer system is intended to cut down on the time spent case recording and to allow staff to spend

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Outstanding

more time with young people. It is designed to allow staff to monitor patterns in behaviour and allocate resources more effectively. In addition, staff have introduced a new ‘enrichment programme’. This is a tool which allows young people to chart their progress and development, in line with their hopes and aspirations. The service now benefits from the regular challenge and scrutiny of the independent visitor. Managers comment that ‘another pair of eyes’ has helped to support the maintenance of high standards in the home. There is a consistent channel of communication with the allocated inspector and reports are received each month. Staff morale is extremely high. The team is long standing and permanent, ensuring consistency and a common sense of purpose. One staff member comments, ‘We know each other so well it’s like being a big family, basically this house is like my second home.’ Staff report regular training, supervision and appraisal.

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Outstanding

Developmental objectives remain linked to the statement of purpose and provide inspiration and a high level of focus for staff. Staff access regular training from the home’s in-house psychotherapist, online and from the local authority. The in-house psychotherapist has worked with the home for over six years and offers training specific to the challenges faced in the home. This ensures that staff have a deep-rooted understanding of presenting behaviours and causes. Managers rigorously control admissions. The home has maintained the current group of young people for six years and maintained three vacancies. Managers decline referrals based on a likely impact of destabilising the home. This ensures that the home retains its close-knit family feeling and young people continue to make progress. Case files evidence very effective management audit and regular review of care plans and risk assessments. Staff have extremely clear guidance on the most

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Outstanding

effective behavioural management techniques. Managers use established procedures to challenge rigorously any delay in care planning for young people. Therefore, managers have an extremely clear idea of the needs and issues affecting young people in the home. Managers advocate very successfully for young people. They use experience and diligent research to support proposals for specialist services. Their extreme persistence and perseverance has secured swift allocation of specialist resources to support young people. Managers ensure that the home is in a good state of repair with all of the necessary risk assessments and checks undertaken in respect of the building. Staff remove potential hazards quickly to ensure that young people are safe.

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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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