Children's home run by Channels and Choices Limited in Dover

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 thrive and flourish within an environment which provides successful nurturing and therapeutic care. Research-led attachment practice, implemented by a team of therapists that guides and supports staff, enables young people to develop trusting relationships and a more positive view of themselves.   Young people with highly complex needs and attachment difficulties are making exceptional progress in all areas of their development. They are managing their emotions more appropriately and improving their behaviour.   Staff understand the emotional needs of each young person and continuously explore ways of supporting them to promote their safety, welfare and development.   Extremely positive relationships are at the heart of all practice within the home. Young people feel safe knowing that staff listen and respond to their specific needs.   The registered manager leads the staff team with energy and drive, striving

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The children’s home provision is outstanding because:

continuously to implement strategies to improve young people’s outcomes. The staff team is equally motivated to provide opportunities for young people to succeed and fulfil their potential.  

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Information about this children’s home

The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to four young people with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home is operated by a private organisation. It offers therapeutic residential care for young people.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

11/02/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

26/03/2015 Interim Declined effectiveness

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Outstanding

Young people are happy and relaxed living at the home. Through consistent and predictable therapeutic care, young people with complex emotional needs, resulting from severe attachment disorders, are flourishing and making excellent progress. They are confident and more able to express their emotions appropriately, with a subsequent significant improvement in their behaviour. Within a short period, young people who are new to the home and who have experienced numerous placement breakdowns respond positively to staff support. Their level of violence and aggression in times of distress reduces as they gain trust in staff and begin to have a more positive view of themselves. Young people progress to the extent that one young person has recently moved to a foster placement and planning has commenced for two other young people to make the transition to foster placements. Young people feel listened to and valued. Young people’s daily meetings are a

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Outstanding

regular forum where they can express their views and opinions relating to day-to- day matters and discuss issues arising from living in a group. Staff use discussion topics to extend young people’s awareness and understanding of issues in the wider world. During the inspection, young people were engaged in dialogue with staff about food banks, which led on to a discussion about homelessness. Staff had prepared for this topic and young people demonstrated an interest and curiosity in exploring the social issues. Daily, targeted key work sessions help young people to acquire alternative ways of thinking about difficult issues and give them opportunities to discuss their feelings. A social worker commented that they: ‘are now observing an emotionally open child, which was not how he previously presented.’ Young people are aware of the complaints procedure and use it as a way of making their views known. Complaints are well recorded, including an outcome

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Outstanding

letter to the young person when the matter has been investigated. It is evident that the manager and staff take the views of young people seriously. This raises their self-esteem, knowing that staff appreciate them as unique individuals. All young people attend education. Staff are proactive in their role as a ‘good parent’, recognising when young people need extra help to improve their literacy and numeracy, providing extra spelling and mathematics checks and ongoing support with reading. Staff work closely with education staff to promote attendance and progress. A young person who started on a part-time timetable has quickly settled, now has almost a full timetable and is demonstrating a positive attitude and involvement in all aspects of school life. Another young person has fully embraced the position of mentor at school and is proving an excellent role model. Staff are ambitious for young people and keen to provide the support

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Outstanding

necessary for them to achieve their potential. Activities are an integral part of the home’s therapeutic approach. Young people have opportunities to participate in new experiences so that they develop social skills, confidence and a sense of identity as they pursue their individual interests. This also helps to promote positive relationships with staff and peers. One young person volunteers twice a week at a local animal rescue charity and is involved in fundraising for charity at school. Another young person, who has difficulties integrating into peer groups, has recently started to attend youth club, and is showing a dramatic increase in her self-confidence. Another young person has scooter lessons and staff help to keep him physically active. Close monitoring of young people’s health ensures that their specific needs are identified and met. Staff work in close partnership with health services to promote

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Outstanding

young people’s well-being. Particularly close and successful working with the organisation’s clinical therapy team ensures that young people’s emotional and psychological health and well-being are high priorities. This team delivers individual therapy, group work and staff support. Clinical psychologists’ reports and assessments of emotional needs identify young people’s attachment style with clear recommendations for strategies of support. Staff implement strategies to compensate for developmental delays, with a keen focus on play and therapeutic activities. Consequently, young people receive effective support to advance their psychological and emotional well-being, resulting in considerable improvements in their behaviour and their ability to manage their emotions. As young people develop into young adults, they receive appropriate support to build their independence skills. Independence plans include unsupervised social

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Outstanding

time, unsupervised internet access and use of a mobile phone, in addition to ensuring that young people acquire the necessary self-care and daily living skills to prepare them for their next stage. Planned and structured key working, in close liaison with each young person’s social worker, enables young people to begin to take responsibility for themselves at an appropriate pace and level. Staff provide sensitive support for young people to maintain positive relationships with their families. Judgement grade

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Outstanding

Through close supervision from thoughtful and consistent staff, young people develop a sense of safety, protection and trust in the adults who care for them. Extremely positive relationships are at the heart of all practice within the home. A young person commented that: ‘We all get on. Staff listen and try to sort things out for me.’ The aim of the home is to help young people develop a secure base from which they can achieve their full potential. Staff are successful in providing a warm, stable environment where young people settle, thrive and make significant progress. Routines and boundaries help young people develop a sense of emotional stability. One-to-one staff ratios contribute to safeguarding young people. Staff provide therapeutic, nurturing support based on a detailed assessment of each young person’s needs. Comprehensive care plans, with a focus on emotional needs, guide staff to provide targeted, personalised support. Current, individualised

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Outstanding

risk assessments demonstrate that staff fully understand the risks associated with each young person. Clear strategies guide staff in providing effective interventions and appropriate measures to protect young people and advance their development. Constructive involvement with the therapy team enables staff to discuss and analyse strategies and implement effective approaches to help and protect young people. Daily, individual key work sessions are integral to the support offered to young people in addressing identified risks and specific needs. The content of these sessions is linked to up-to-date key worker action plans. Plans are reviewed regularly by managers, ensuring that the focus remains relevant to areas of development. Unplanned key work sessions address immediate specific issues such as a young person’s anxiety around a tooth extraction. Consequently, young people receive proactive support from all staff. These sessions also provide young

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Outstanding

people with opportunities to build effective, positive relationships with all staff and not just their allocated key workers. A whole-team approach is used to support the therapeutic ethos of the home. Through exploring with therapists the meaning of young people’s behaviour in the context of their past experiences, staff understand and respond appropriately to their emotional needs and de-escalate potentially difficult situations effectively. This understanding of young people’s behaviour, together with the attachment and trusting relationships they make, reduces the necessity for physical intervention to manage behaviour. Young people are learning how to manage their emotions, to listen and to think rationally. They become more self-confident in talking to staff about their concerns, thoughts and views, knowing that staff will respond. Consequently, incidents involving physical intervention have reduced dramatically.

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Outstanding

One young person, who frequently needed staff to intervene physically, is responding positively to one-to-one therapeutic support, to the extent that no such incident has occurred for nine months. A young person recently admitted to the home is also demonstrating a positive response to the care they are receiving and incidents necessitating physical intervention are reducing. Such progress demonstrates that young people increasingly feel safe, secure and looked after by staff. Staff undertake training to implement physical intervention safely, and managers carefully monitor such incidents to ensure safe practice and to evaluate support strategies. Incidents involving young people leaving the home without permission are not frequent. Staff follow agreed procedures and protocols effectively to safeguard young people and to minimise the risk of harm. Return interviews are completed and inform preventative work undertaken through key work sessions to develop

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Outstanding

young people’s awareness of the risks they face and how to keep themselves safe. An experienced safeguarding officer provides the registered manager and staff with advice and guidance in relation to safeguarding concerns, ensuring that appropriate consultation and referrals are made to the local authority designated officer. Staff receive comprehensive training in all aspects of protecting young people, including online safety and child sexual exploitation. The staff team’s appreciation of the dangers that young people face increases their vigilance in identifying potential risks. As young people mature, staff provide them with opportunities to start to take responsibility for themselves, with careful consideration of risk and reasonable monitoring. Thorough recruitment processes are in place to protect young people from unsuitable adults working with them. All checks on prospective employees are undertaken before they start working at the home.

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Outstanding

Health and safety checks are up to date. Appropriate fire safety measures are routinely applied. Judgement grade

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Outstanding

The manager has been in post since April 2015. She is suitably experienced, having worked at the home for several years and is registered with Ofsted. She is currently undertaking the level 5 diploma in leadership and management for residential childcare and expects to complete this qualification in October 2016. Supported by an enthusiastic and efficient deputy and an experienced and dedicated senior manager, the registered manager leads the staff team with energy and drive. Their effective leadership motivates the staff team to think about different strategies to support young people’s development. A member of staff commented: ‘Managers are open to trying new things with young people. They are very approachable and open to ideas from staff. Staff are encouraged to use their initiative, talk things through with them and try new strategies.’ Such confidence within the staff team is supported by the training they receive, led

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Outstanding

by a prominent academic, in applying a research-based therapeutic model. Ongoing staff development, led by therapists in the form of monthly therapeutic thinking time meetings, helps staff to analyse young people’s behaviour and devise strategies specific to their attachment styles. Young people benefit from this exploration of their behaviour and emotions, which results in practical strategies that staff implement in a thoughtful and meaningful way. Staff also undertake a comprehensive training and induction programme, ensuring that they are sufficiently skilled to meet young people’s support needs. Staff who have not yet achieved the level 3 diploma are working towards this qualification within the required timescales. Staff receive regular monthly supervision. Records demonstrate a robust and reflective approach to practice and a clear focus on young people’s needs, specific risks and protective strategies. Actions agreed in supervision are followed up. Staff

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Outstanding

appraisals include valuable feedback from young people and colleagues. Supervision and appraisal are used effectively to improve staff practice and embed the ethos of the home. Managers are committed to maintaining high standards, addressing any shortfalls and improving outcomes for young people. Continuous review of records and staff practice by the registered manager contributes to her thorough understanding of activity within the home and young people’s excellent progress. Monthly reports from an independent person identify action points to address any shortfalls. Very detailed and evaluative quarterly internal reports have a sharp focus on young people’s progress, achievement and areas for further development. A current development plan highlights areas for improvement to ensure that young people continue to experience high standards of care. Staff work positively and effectively with other agencies and professionals,

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Outstanding

including the local authority designated officer, in relation to safeguarding concerns, education staff and health specialists. These constructive relationships allow staff to challenge plans and proposals when they consider them not to be in the young person’s best interests.

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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 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 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 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, work- based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It inspects services for children looked after 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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