Children's home run by Silverlining Childcare Limited

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 get good introductions to the home. They look forward to moving in and settle quickly.  Staff have enabled young people to engage regularly in full-time education. This is the first time in years for some young people.  Staff are well motivated to help young people and do good things with them. This means that young people are enjoying life in the home and are not going missing.  Young people do a lot of cooking and eat together around the table with staff.  Staff are successfully teaching young people about the practical aspects of adult living.  Staff are celebrating with young people all the good things that happen and are helping them to save good memories and successes for the future.  Young people are behaving safely and are learning about good relationships.  Incidents are few and there are no restraints because staff are teaching young people by example and are working very well as a team.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 The manager makes sure that staff know about young people’s needs and that they regularly talk about how best to meet those needs.  Parents and social workers are impressed with the progress that young people are making and say that it is down to improved management and staff practice.  A few areas of practice require improvement. Young people move on without all their things. Staff are not encouraging young people to see their records as a living document. In addition, the manager has been slow to develop internal monitoring systems and to secure her staff team’s continual development.

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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

Complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (‘a quality of care review’) at least once every six months and ensure that it meets all parts of Regulation 45. (Regulation 45 (1), (2), (3) and (4)) 11 August

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendations:  Ensure that children are encouraged by staff to see the home's records as 'living documents' supporting them to view and contribute to the record in a way that reflects their voice regularly. This is specifically about ensuring that risk assessments and behaviour management plans are understood and helpful to young people and staff alike (‘Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 58, paragraph 11.19).  Complete a workforce plan, which can fulfil the workforce related requirements of Regulation 16, schedule 1 (paragraphs 19 and 20). The plan should:  detail the necessary management and staffing structure (including any staff commissioned to provide health and education), the experience and qualifications of staff currently working within the staffing structure

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Recommendations

and any further training required for those staff, to enable the delivery of the home’s statement of purpose;  detail the processes and agreed timescales for staff to achieve induction, probation and any core training (such as safeguarding and health and safety and mandatory qualifications);  detail the process for managing and improving poor performance;  detail the process and timescales for supervision of practice (see Regulation 33 (4) (b)) and keep appropriate records for staff in the home. The plan should be updated to include any new training and qualifications completed by staff while working at the home, and used to record the ongoing training and continuing professional development needs of staff, including the home's manager (‘Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.11).  Work with the placing authority to ensure that each child's transition is planned

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Recommendations

and help each child to prepare for leaving both practically and emotionally. This is with particular respect to being proactive about keeping in touch during early days of moves to semi-independence arrangements, including making sure that young people have all their belongings from the outset (‘Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 57, paragraph 11.9).  Ensure that staff appraisals take into account, where reasonable and practical, the views of other professionals who have worked with the staff member over the year and children in the home's care. As part of the performance management process, poor performance should be addressed by a timely plan to bring about improvement (‘Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.5).

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Information about this children's home

This is a three-bed home for children and young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties. It is run by a small private partnership company.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

25 February 2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

2 September 2015 Full Requires improvement

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Recent inspection history

17 February 2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Good

Young people’s experiences and progress have improved significantly over the last four months. A new young person’s move into the home was well planned. He was able to get to know all staff and existing young people before deciding to move in. He felt very welcome because his favourite meals were prepared for him when he came to visit. Everyone played football on the evening of his first sleepover because he enjoys football. Most of all, staff and young people spend time with him and talk to him. As a result, the young person was happy to move in and quickly settled. He said, ‘It is cosy, like home, and it works because all the staff do anything for us and we do anything for them.’ His social worker said, ‘I’m very impressed with the progress made by my young person in the short space of time he’s been here. He has done really well and feels very secure here.’ Staff have worked extremely hard to help young people to engage regularly in full-

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Good

time education, training and work experience. Staff seek out training providers. Staff are well informed about what young people are learning; how well they are doing and what they need the most help with. The two young people in placement at the time of this inspection are both now attending alternative educational and training provisions. One young person is attending for the first time in years. Staff encourage and enable young people by attending with them, helping them to get there, establishing a good daily routine, meeting regularly with the training providers and helping young people to see the value of what they are learning. Young people are now much more realistic about the education and help that they need in order to secure work and useful adult lives. Staff are now much more motivated and organised in helping young people broaden their horizons and experience new things. Staff are helping young people

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Good

to save photos and souvenirs to remind them of what they have done. For example, they have all been on a day trip to Blackpool. They went go-karting and to a car track race day. They regularly go out for a meal together to celebrate birthdays and successes. They also regularly play indoor football and put on barbecues in the garden. Young people are enjoying an active and good-quality lifestyle. They like being here and feel motivated to work harder for their own futures. A young person who has lived here for about three years told the home’s monthly visitor, ‘I like them all really. There isn’t anyone I don’t like here. They try to give me good advice and are usually fun.’ Young people do a lot of cooking and eat together regularly around the table with staff. They plan and prepare meals alongside staff and really enjoy this. Staff are also concentrating hard on helping young people to learn to manage money

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Good

realistically and look after themselves and their things. Staff work together with young people in a helpful way, so that young people do not feel patronised or held back. This means that young people are maturing and becoming more confident and competent. They are setting their alarms, getting up on time and being more sensible with their money. One young person said before he left, ‘It was really good here and they have taught me well. I will miss it.’ Staff keep in good contact with young people’s social workers and parents about independence plans. This ensures that good plans are made and the timing of moves is right. For example, one young person has experienced a short period in a training flat with high levels of emotional and practical support from staff. Staff talked to him late at night when he felt lonely and shopped with him for all the ingredients he needed for his planned meals during his stay. Conversations

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Good

continue and a gradual transition into independence is planned with continuing support from staff. Young people are also seeking work. Staff have helped them to prepare a resume about themselves to take around local shops. One parent said, ‘I think what they have done is practically got my young man ready for independence.’ Young people’s relationships with their families and friends are improving. This is because staff understand the long-term importance of positive relationships and help young people like a good parent does. For example, staff give young people helpful, realistic advice about birth control and the responsibilities of early parenthood. Staff encourage young people to have enjoyable, safe and positive relationships with peers and they take the trouble to meet the parents of peers that young people are spending a lot of time with. Staff also help young people to improve their relationships with their parents through positive and open

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Good

communication. A social worker said, ‘I was impressed that the manager came with me to visit the parents of my young person’s friends.’ Staff work well with the wider team of professionals and parents to ensure that young people get well-planned help. For example, staff send helpful weekly reports to social workers and, where appropriate, parents. Staff make clear and relevant contributions in young people’s reviews and help young people to say their views. A social worker said that a senior member of staff is ‘really good at contributing to the plan.’ A parent said, ‘I can’t be critical of them. I think they give an excellent service.’ Young people’s transitions out of the home still require improvement. For example, one young person recently experienced a hastily arranged move to semi- independence. Staff made sure that he had a memories book and a farewell meal with them all, but did not ensure that he had all his things moved with him. Staff

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Good

were not proactive enough about visiting or phoning him during the first few days of his move to semi-independence. They did not make it easy enough for him to get in touch during the first few days, thinking a few weeks ‘to settle in’ would be better. This left this young person with insufficient emotional support. Judgement grade

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Good

Good relationships now develop between staff and young people. This is because the support and care that staff provide is much more effective than previously. Staff develop good skills in behaviour management and stay committed to making positive relationships with young people. For example, staff encourage and support a young person in the peaceful aspects of the religion that he is interested in. A member of staff said, ‘We use our bond with him to help him.’ Staff helped obtain the relevant religious texts in English for the young person and encouraged him to meditate and pray. Staff are alert to the potential risks of radicalisation and to any indications that young people could be preoccupied with ideas of aggression and violence towards others who are seen as against their religion. Staff find out what adults are teaching at places of worship where young people are attending. They meet with key religious leaders and police to establish which adults are appropriate and safe

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Good

for young people to spend time with. Thanks to staff’s help, young people are able to control anger and reduce previous levels of damage and assaults to much more minor and occasional outbursts. Overall, there is a feeling of well-being and a secure atmosphere throughout the home. Incidents are few and young people have not needed to be restrained for some months. This is because staff are teaching young people by example and are working very well as a team. Staff talk to one another about how they are working with young people and what works best. One member of staff said, ‘We talk to one another about our practice. We can’t always mimic, but we listen to what other staff have done and use and try to adapt it for ourselves.’ Staff are sensitive to young people’s moods. They help young people to recognise what is happening to them. Staff give helpful options to help young people to calm down or distract

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Good

themselves. For example, staff might encourage a young person to help them make a meal or clean the bathroom. Other staff might try playing practical jokes. Staff encourage young people to plan their day. Staff lead by example on this and are more organised themselves. Staff are also more committed to spending time with young people than they were previously. Staff make sure that planned activities go ahead and they talk about things regularly at the meal table to ensure that young people feel really included and wanted. All of this means that young people are enjoying life in the home and are choosing not to go missing. Staff say that young people now feel accepted. Young people are learning how to be responsible with their free time because they know that staff care and want them to be safe. Staff make a point of rewarding the behaviour that they want young people to display. They praise young people regularly for taking care of things and not

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Good

damaging them or hurting people. Staff use ‘feel good diaries’ to make three positive remarks about each young person’s day. Staff also display certificates and photos on the ‘wall of achievement’ to celebrate all young people’s successes, including success in overcoming their behaviour problems. These approaches are working for young people: they like knowing that they are maturing and succeeding. Staff and the manager have spent a considerable amount of time devising lengthy behaviour management plans and detailed risk assessments for young people. However, these have not been updated as young people’s risks have reduced. Some of the risk management strategies described in them are no longer applicable and the documents do not show how young people have progressed towards safer behaviour. These documents are repetitive and unclear to help young people or staff. Staff are safely recruited and their practice is discussed with, and seen by, the staff

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Good

team and the manager. Staff make sure that young people can raise concerns, either directly to them or to their independent visitor, social worker, independent reviewing officer or Ofsted. Young people have not made any complaints or allegations since the last inspection. Young people are comfortable around staff and staff are comfortable and appropriate around them. Staff know what to do if they are concerned that a young person is being harmed, including whistleblowing if they are concerned about the conduct of another member of staff. Staff know that they have to leave the premises pending enquiries if an allegation is made against them.

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Requires improvement

The registered manager has been working at the home for about nine months. She has a level 5 leadership and management diploma. All staff are either attained their level 3 diploma in residential childcare or working towards the qualification in the required 2-year period. Leadership and management requires improvement. The registered manager has been slow to act on some of the requirements and recommendations made at previous inspections. In particular, little progress has been made in developing the home’s internal monitoring system. This means the registered manager has not sufficiently assessed the quality of care that young people receive. There is still no clear workforce plan. These shortfalls results in the manager and staff not being clear about priorities for the home and to have a clear understanding of the strengths and weaknesses in their practice. The manager is not preparing well for staff appraisals. She is not canvassing the

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Requires improvement

views of young people and other professionals to inform appraisals. In addition, she is not clearly identifying strengths, weaknesses and targets for improvement for staff to focus on. This means that appraisals are more of a tick box exercise than a real opportunity to enthuse and develop staff. More positively, the manager has focused well on improving staff practice and young people’s outcomes. The manager has taken steps to develop her professional practice. For example, she has recently sought professional supervision from an independent and experienced former children’s home manager. She is beginning to develop more practice skills and insights. She has joined a professional organisation for children’s homes. She has completed training alongside her staff team about fire safety, risk assessment and ‘active listening’. She uses regular team meetings and supervisions well to ensure that staff are

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Requires improvement

advised about what is expected of them and encouraging them to have high expectations of young people. The manager briefs staff well about young people’s individual needs and regularly discusses with staff how to best meet these needs. For example, she is planning in detail the subject areas that staff will cover with young people in their key working sessions. She is making sure that the help, advice and learning that staff provide addresses each young person’s areas of need as set out in their care plan. The manager is also discussing and monitoring the quality of this work with staff and young people to make sure that young people really are learning what they need to learn in order to progress. The manager is working more with social workers, parents and others to ensure that the home makes a greater contribution to young people’s wider relationships. For example, she facilitated a meeting between a young person and their father to

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Requires improvement

help re-establish communication that was more positive. This worked and they started to see one another again. Similarly, the manager met with police and senior Sikhs in the locality to address questions about the appropriateness of some associations a young person was making. This helped her to identify which adults were appropriate and safe role models for young people. Young people’s educational needs and future prospects are improving because the manager is being more proactive and making a better contribution to planning. For example, the manager was quick to organise meetings with relevant professionals so that a young person could start education almost as soon as he came to live in the home.

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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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