Children's home run by Outdoor Care Limited in Northumberland

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:

 The young person has experienced long-term stability and security through living here. The meaningful and trusting relationships he has formed with staff have been central to the exceptional progress he has made.  Staff demonstrate their skill and commitment in the quality of the support that they provide to the young person. They have planned the young person’s imminent transition to adult care in meticulous detail. This increases the likelihood of lasting success.  Good care plans and regular summaries of progress enable managers and staff to track the impact of their work with the young person. Good relationships between staff and other professionals ensure effective collaboration to overcome any difficulties. In addition, staff fully involve families, supporting parents and providing additional reassurance to the young person.  The vigilance and awareness of staff ensures that the young person is safe at all

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The children’s home provision is good because:

times. They manage particularly complex behaviour, which could make the young person extremely vulnerable, calmly and effectively.  The inspection has identified the quality of risk assessment as requiring attention. In all other respects, leadership and management are good. Both the responsible individual and the registered manager are hands-on in the daily life of the home. They are effective in marshalling the work of the staff team to ensure an excellent quality of life for the young person and a sound footing for his future.

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions which must be taken so that the registered person 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 must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

12. In order to meet the protection of children standard, with particular reference to maintaining detailed risk assessments, both of young people and activities within and outside the home, the registered person must ensure that staff: (2)(a)(i) assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child. 9/09/2016

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Information about this children’s home

The home provides accommodation for one child with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties and/or learning disabilities. It is operated by a private company.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

30/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

29/01/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Good

The young person has lived here for over three years. He is comfortable and relaxed with staff, who have a deep knowledge of his needs and preferences. Over the period of his placement, the young person has made exceptional progress. He has full attendance at school and college, is in good health, and has developed a degree of confidence and self-esteem which he never had previously. These improvements are as a direct result of the carefully planned and consistent approach of the staff towards his care. A social work professional said, ‘It is clear that the staff have really helped the young person to change in a positive way. They always talk about him positively and with real affection.’ Staff are continually thinking of ways to help him improve. For example, when he plays golf with staff, they encourage him to count his shots. This helps with his understanding of numbers and ability to engage independently in simple financial transactions.

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Good

The young person sees the small staff group as his extended family. He trusts them to act in his best interests and give him support when necessary, saying, ‘What I like most about the home is that the staff always do the best for you.’ Staff record individual sessions with him as evidence of the work they do to address particular issues. These demonstrate that staff are non-judgemental in confronting inappropriate behaviour while firmly reinforcing what is socially acceptable. Staff work well with other services to maintain the young person’s health. They are creative, persistent and committed in overcoming difficulties. For example, the young person’s fear of dentists has prevented him from having necessary treatment. Taking advice from other professionals, and using their own unique understanding of the young person’s fears and feelings, staff have doggedly tried a number of approaches to resolve this. In terms of the young person’s emotional

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Good

well-being, staff facilitate his engagement with services such as counselling. Coupled with the sense of security and attachment that he has to the home, this kind of work has helped the young person to develop greater resilience and self- assurance. Staff are responsive to the young person’s views and wishes. Innovative practice ensures that the young person is able to understand what is happening in the home day to day. For example, photos of which staff are on duty are displayed. In the bathroom, picture symbols provide a gentle prompt for him to have a daily shower. Staff have drawn up a ‘communication passport’, which will help people working with him in the future to understand more easily what he says. Staff endeavour to meet the young person’s preferences for leisure activities. He is a keen angler, and enjoys walking and camping. In addition, staff encourage and support his interest in horticulture. One member of staff has helped him to

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Good

create an imaginatively themed garden in the grounds of his college. The young person is immensely proud of this and has clearly developed a sense of achievement in his work.

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Good

The quality of the work that the home has done to prepare the young person for transition to adulthood is particularly noteworthy. In his daily routines, the young person is encouraged to do things for himself. A member of staff has patiently shown him how to cook meals, including curries made with fresh spices and naan bread made from scratch. Staff support him in having as much control over his finances as possible, consistent with keeping him safe. His move to adult supported accommodation has been particularly well planned. Staff have liaised closely with the new provider and the young person’s parent to ensure that the move goes smoothly. A senior manager of the new provision said, ‘I cannot fault the staff of the home and the way that they have shared their good practice and support plans. I’ve never had this level of support and planning from an organisation, ever.’ The young person has been gradually introduced to his new

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Good

staff group. A camping weekend including one of these staff is about to take place. This carefully considered planning is a model of good practice, helping to reduce the young person’s anxiety and enthuse him for this new stage in his life.

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Good

Staff provide a level of supervision and support which keeps the young person safe. Staff are always on hand, even when the young person is at school or visiting family. This kind of oversight is discreet whenever possible, ensuring a degree of privacy and independence while providing assurance that the young person cannot come to harm. In the time that he has been here, the young person has never gone missing. Should it happen, clear procedures are in place, which minimises risk. General risk assessments are in place for the premises, activities and outings. There is also a risk assessment which sets out potential sources of harm for the young person. The format for these assessments does not follow conventional practice. As a result, these documents are insufficiently comprehensive, do not rate the level of risk, and are not subject to regular, meaningful, review. These shortfalls reduce their usefulness.

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Good

Staff set expectations of behaviour which are clear for the young person to follow. These include acting with consideration towards others and undertaking appropriate self-care tasks. He is encouraged to behave appropriately through the use of positive incentives and praise. It is rare for the young person not to earn the full range of rewards available each week, indicating the success of this approach. Sanctions are not used, and it has never been necessary to use physical restraint. Some aspects of the young person’s behaviour, linked to his level of understanding and emotional needs, are complex. They would be difficult for the general public to understand and tolerate. As a result, he could be vulnerable to exploitation or abuse. Staff manage this behaviour with skill and sensitivity, and, in collaboration with health professionals and the young person himself, have devised a strategy of harm minimisation. This is excellent practice, which reduces the risk of harm

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Good

The registered manager is experienced and suitably qualified . In addition, the responsible individual is on-site most days, occasionally covering shifts when necessary. She has an excellent relationship with the young person and with his family members, ensuring a consistency of approach throughout the staff team. Following a requirement made at the last inspection, the registered manager’s monitoring of the home’s performance and its impact on the young person, has been markedly improved. It evaluates and takes account of the views of the young person, family members, social worker and staff. This helps to form an accurate picture of the home’s impact on the young person’s progress and where further improvements could be made. Monthly monitoring reports by an independent person are also detailed and evaluative, giving a clear opinion of the home’s performance. The registered manager has addressed in full two other requirements made at the

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Good

last inspection. Following formal reviews of the young person’s care by the placing authority, notes of the meeting are immediately placed on the file. This ensures that all staff are aware of decisions made and any actions that need to be taken. In addition, the bathroom has been tidied up and looks more attractive. The premises in general are comfortable and have been recently decorated. Plans are in hand for a complete refurbishment of the bathroom. Maintaining the home in a suitable and attractive condition conveys to the young person that he is valued. Staff receive regular formal supervision. The format has recently been improved to encourage staff to reflect more directly on how the quality of their work makes a difference to the young person. The skills of staff are refreshed through a programme of regular training. Some of this is delivered by a psychologist who is commissioned by the responsible individual to provide support to staff. This

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Good

enables them to meet the needs of the young person more effectively.

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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 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 whom 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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