Children's home run by Kirklees Council in Kirklees

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‟s complex physical, social and sensory needs are met within a stable and caring environment. They make progress across a number of areas in their lives through careful attention to their individual needs.  Young people grow in confidence and develop skills to manage more complex social situations. Through this, their life chances improve and they enjoy an increasingly wider range of activities.  Staff encourage and succeed in developing young people‟s independence skills in line with their development and individual circumstances. Young people develop trusting relationships with staff that enable them to tolerate and benefit from group situations.  The care offered is delivered by a committed acting manager and equally committed staff team. Young people‟s needs and preferences are central to the running of the home.

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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

The registered person must keep under review and revise the placement plan as necessary. (Regulation 18(7)) 31/08/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised to do so („the authorised person‟) has spoken to the user about the measure and has signed to confirm it is accurate, and within five days of the use of the measure the registered person or authorised person adds to the record that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35(b)(i)(ii)(c)) 05/08/ 2016 The protection of children standard

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Requirement Due date

12. In order to meet the protection of children standard, with particular reference to risk assessments being reviewed and updated and staff receiving up-to-date safeguarding training, the registered person must ensure that staff: (iii) have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; (v) understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person. (Regulation 12(2)(a)(iii)(v)) 15/08/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records („case records‟) for each child which include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child; and are kept up to date. (Regulation 36(1)(a)(b)) 15/08/ 2016

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Requirement Due date

13. In order to meet the leadership and management standard, with particular reference to reviewing staffing levels and ensuring sufficiency of staff, the registered person must: (2)(d) ensure the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child. (Regulation 13(2)(d)) 31/10/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33(4)(c). 31/08/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16(3)(a)(b)) 15/08/ 2016

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendation:  For children‟s homes to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 15, paragraph 3.9) – with particular reference to the redecoration of bedrooms, sitting rooms and replacement of privacy screens to bedroom windows.  The registered person must have systems in place so that all staff, including the manager, receive supervision of their practice from an appropriately qualified and experienced professional, which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟ page 61, paragraph 13.2) – with

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Recommendations

particular reference to records of the supervision being legible, focused and reflective in nature.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and run by a local authority. The home provides short breaks for children with learning and physical disabilities and sensory impairments.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

14/03/ 2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

20/02/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Good

Young people‟s experience of the short break service is such that they feel secure, develop social independence from their families and enjoy the fun activities that are provided. Over time and relative to their complex needs and starting points, they make progress in many aspects of their lives.

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Good

Achievements for young people include: being able to sit with others at a table and enjoy a meal; establishing good routines that enable young people to sleep through the night; a reduction in negative responses such as trying to hurt others or breaking things within the family home and increasing their abilities to communicate their wishes and needs. One community care officer commented, „He seems really settled when there. Staff are in tune with him. His communication has come on a lot; he is a lot more verbal.‟

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Good

Staff work very hard at establishing trusting relationships with young people. This is achieved through patience, consistent responses and a genuine warmth that is communicated to them. As a result, young people experience fewer incidents of distress and learn to manage their emotions in more positive ways. This enables them to access community activities that previously would not have been considered possible. These activities include trips to the seaside, local parks, swimming, ice-cream parlours, cinema and shops. One parent commented, „I can‟t fault the service; the staff are really good. She chats about what she has done.‟

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Good

Young people are individually and appropriately encouraged to develop skills in independence, such as dressing, bathing, shopping and cooking tasks. This better prepares them for adult life and offers them a sense of achievement. Staff are ambitious for young people and these successes are consistently built upon. For example, one young person, through the patient support from staff, now no longer requires a specialist bed to sleep in at night. A social worker commented, „They do tend to go the extra mile. “X” has made great progress.‟

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Good

Parents and other professionals report that the staff and manager provide a service that is responsive to individual requests and the needs of young people and families as a whole. Use of the service is carefully monitored by the acting manager so that young people are carefully matched with possible friendships or group needs.

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Good

Young people new to the home are sensitively introduced to the environment of the home, staff and other young people. This is done at a pace that is in line with young people‟s overall responses and confidence levels. For example, one young person has extended introductory tea visits in order to increase his confidence, both in the staff and in being away from parents.

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Good

Although education remains the responsibility of parents, young people‟s educational needs form an important part of their time at the home. This is supported through the maintenance of good routines, provision of educational activities and staff fully participating in review of services and other multi-agency meetings.

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Good

Young people benefit from a spacious environment with good outside play facilities. They appreciate the themed bedrooms and many have their favourite rooms to stay in. The decor of the home, however, is tired and in some places worn and tatty-looking. Privacy screens on bedroom windows have deteriorated and require replacing and some of the communal sitting areas are stark and clinical in appearance. A recommendation from the previous inspection, however, has been met, and young people now benefit from reupholstered settees.

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Requires improvement

Young people benefit from a secure and stable environment that provides supervision from staff who have a good understanding of each young person‟s vulnerabilities. As a result, young people are protected from possible exploitation, bullying or other forms of abuse. However, although risk assessments are in place, these have not been reviewed or updated in a timely manner.

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Requires improvement

There has been one missing from home incident since the last inspection. The response from staff was swift and decisive and resulted in the young person being returned to the home within minutes.

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Requires improvement

Young people are offered clear and consistent boundaries that ensure that they enjoy a sense of safety and develop trusting relationships with staff. As a result, young people learn to manage their emotional responses to situations in a more socially acceptable way. This is turn better prepares them for adulthood and more demanding community-based activities.

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Requires improvement

Staff successfully de-escalate situations, in order to manage young people‟s more challenging behaviours. Physical restraint is only used when necessary to protect the young person or staff from harm. However, recording of these incidents does not meet regulatory requirements. It is not clear from the records whether the manager has spoken to the member of staff about the measure or the young person, with timescales. As a result, a requirement set at the previous inspection has not been met.

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Requires improvement

Changes in young people‟s presentation is observed and monitored by staff. Concerns are appropriately raised with other professionals and meetings sought in order to thoroughly assess and respond to these changes. Although appropriate professionals and parents are informed when physical intervention has been necessary, the sharing of full documentation is delayed. For example, in one particular instance, copies of the incident reports were not automatically sent to the social worker, and therefore the detail and nature of the intervention was not immediately apparent. This limited the social worker‟s insight into events and subsequent discussions with family.

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Requires improvement

Staff recruited to work with young people are suitably checked and vetted. This ensures that young people are not exposed to adults who may present a risk to their welfare and safety. Young people benefit from staff who have many years‟ experience in meeting complex physical, emotional and social needs and are dedicated to young people‟s progress in all these areas. However, managerial access to complete training records is hindered by separate systems that record safeguarding training. Currently, the manager relies upon staff individually updating their own training files, many of which are out of date. As a result it is unclear which staff have received up-to-date safeguarding training.

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Requires improvement

The home has been without the presence of the registered manager for over six months. The current acting manager has carried out day-to-day management of the home over this period of time. Clear and early indications from the organisation that the manager was to apply for registration have not occurred.

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Requires improvement

Since the last inspection, three of the five requirements made have been met. As a result, young people enjoy a greater number of opportunities for community-based activities. The manager has established and improved her monitoring of the quality of care provided to young people. Therefore, management insight has increased, enabling a greater understanding into areas of care that require improvement. This in turn has enabled her to produce a management report as required under regulations.

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Requires improvement

However, a requirement made relating to physical restraint has not been met. In addition, not all young people benefit from the newly adopted paperwork that records their progress. Although the staff and manager have good awareness of young people‟s starting points, goals and achievements, this is not always recorded in a uniform and focused manner. This creates vulnerabilities in terms of accurately capturing information, and evaluating its significance for future planning and goal setting.

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Requires improvement

There are pressures upon staff and the management team as some vacant posts are not appointed to, including that of a deputy manager‟s post. This has created excessive supervisory responsibilities for the remaining deputies.

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Requires improvement

In addition, planned improvements to young people‟s documents have not taken place. Not all staff have benefited from annual appraisals and the recording of some supervision is unfocused and in some instances illegible. This creates difficulties for anyone but the author of these notes to review the previous supervisory discussion.

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Requires improvement

The Statement of Purpose has not been updated to reflect changes in management structure. Up-to-date documents such as education, health and care plans and child in need plans have not been secured from the relevant social care teams. The managerial oversight of these responsibilities is compromised. This is as a result of managers working on shift to ensure that day-to-day care given to young people is not affected. The manager is aware of the shortfalls that exist and has a plan in place in order to ensure that improvements are made.

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Requires improvement

Since the previous inspection, the manager has completed consultation with the local authority‟s inclusion officer. Some files have benefited from this consultation and changes to recording. There has been an improvement in meaningful goal setting and the recording of progress for young people with complex social, physical and sensory disabilities. Other improvements have included the introduction of individual consultation with young people and bright and colourful displays as a result of young people‟s meetings.

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Requires improvement

The manager has good insight into the young people‟s strengths, vulnerabilities and progress from their starting points. She offers good support to staff through her daily presence within the home and leads a staff team who are both dedicated and very experienced within the field of caring for young people with complex needs. The manager is accessible and approachable and, when necessary, will offer practical support in the care of young people. Regular team meetings ensure that young people are discussed in detail and that they remain the focus of activities within the home.

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Requires improvement

Both parents and professionals consider the manager and staff to offer good levels of communication and that the services young people receive support their continued progress. Parents report confidence in the level of care that their children receive. One parent commented, „I know she really likes going, as she has me write the dates on the calendar.‟

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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 that 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 0300 123 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 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

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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