Children's Home run by First 4 Care Limited in Doncaster

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 admitted to the home feel welcomed and settle quickly as a result of the good quality, nurturing care and attention received from staff.  Young people and staff enjoy spending time together and strong relationships are established.  Staff offer praise and encouragement and young people’s self-esteem and confidence grow.  Parents are involved in the care of their children and relationships develop between the home and young people’s families. This results in increased contact for young people.  Clear and robust strategies are in place to ensure the safety of young people. Young people are safe and relaxed in the home.  Staff know the young people well. They are alert to any signs or symptoms that might indicate a young person is at risk of harm.  Young people are able to test out hobbies, sports and interests, which offers them new experiences and challenges.  Supervisions and team meetings take place regularly and the manager

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The children’s home provision is good because:

encourages staff to reflect upon their practice.  Child-friendly care planning documents encourage young people to assist in completing them. A stringent review process is in place to ensure that young people continue to make progress and that their identified outcomes are met.

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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

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45(5)). In particular, to set up a system of recording feedback which will inform the management review of service improvements. 01/09/2016

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to statutory requirement notice.

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendation:  The registered person should review the appropriateness and suitability of the location and premises of the home at least once a year. The review should include the identification of any risks and opportunities presented by the home’s location and strategies for managing these. Specifically, looking at the areas in close proximity to the children’s home and the risks these present to young people to make the existing locality risk assessment more localised. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.1)

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Information about this children’s home

The home provides care and accommodation for up to three children with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. It is operated by a private company.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

p.5

Good

Young people admitted to the home are welcomed by staff and settle quickly as a result of the good quality, nurturing care and attention received from staff. The staff team is working well together. This provides stability and consistency in the care given to young people. The result is that young people are safe and relaxed in their home as new staff are not regularly coming into the home.

p.6

Good

Young people choose their key workers. This results in positive key working sessions as the young people pick staff members they are comfortable with, or who they most relate to. Young people and staff enjoy spending time together and strong relationships are established. Staff listen to young people and get to know them well. Young people respond by spending more time at home. One young person said, ‘Staff don’t treat us as if they are staff. We are like family.’ This provides young people with an important sense of belonging.

p.6

Good

Young people trust the adults caring for them, which results in a more open and honest dialogue. Young people talk to staff about their thoughts and feelings, which provides a stepping stone for them to start an external therapeutic or counselling relationship.

p.6

Good

Staff offer praise and encouragement, and young people’s self-esteem improves. This results in them becoming confident in embarking on new experiences and they develop goals for their futures. Young people receive advice and support about education and careers opportunities. One young person was encouraged to sit exams after many years of non-school attendance. This has led to improved chances to enrol on college or training courses.

p.6

Good

Staff develop links with local schools. This results in increased attendance as young people secure places at a school which best meets their needs. Staff transport young people to actively encourage and support their engagement at school. They attend school meetings and advocate on behalf of young people. This makes sure that young people get the best possible support at school so they can reach their full potential.

p.6

Good

Staff regularly update parents about young people. Parents are involved in their children’s lives and this naturally develops relationships between the home and family. One parent said, ‘They keep in touch and keep me updated.’ As a result, contact between young people and their families has increased significantly. This maintains important family relationships, provides support and increases the chance of young people returning home.

p.6

Good

Young people have the opportunity of participating in a range of activities. Staff obtain information about church services in the local area and support young people wishing to attend church. Young people are able to test out hobbies, sports and interests, which offers them new experiences and challenges. This helps them make new friends, and they discover hidden talents, as well as keeping themselves focused, active and busy.

p.7

Good

A healthy diet, combined with taking part in recreational sports, improves young people’s health and leads them to take control of their lifestyles, such as reducing cigarette smoking. There are good links with the looked after children nurse who visits the home to provide advice and undertake medical assessments. Staff assist young people in engaging with medical and sexual health professionals to ensure that they remain safe and protected.

p.7

Good

Young people work alongside staff to participate in normal household tasks. This develops their independent living skills in a natural and enjoyable way. Incentives are used successfully, which motivates and encourages young people to undertake additional tasks to increase their range of skills. They become confident, and obtain daily living and working skills which prepare them to make an easy transition into independent living.

p.7

Good

Young people are actively involved in their care planning, risk assessments and day-to-day choices. This helps them to recognise the significant progress they are making. Young people know how to make a complaint if necessary and clearly make their views known to staff and managers. Young people are proud of their bedrooms, which they design and personalise. Young people take ownership of the home, which is homely, spacious and well decorated, with photographs of the young people and their families.

p.7

Good

Staff use ‘My Chats’ to encourage young people to share their concerns in structured key working sessions. This time is used to educate young people about issues such as substance misuse, child sexual exploitation and internet safety. The culture of openness within the home encourages young people to discuss issues spontaneously. As the staff know the young people well, they are also alert to any signs or symptoms that might indicate that a young person is at risk of harm. Young people feel safe and protected by staff but also empowered to protect themselves. They take control of their lives and there is a reduction in risk-taking behaviours. One young person said, ‘They are getting me back on track.’

p.7

Good

Young people have input into their risk assessments and are fully aware of what action will be taken by staff if they are putting themselves at risk of harm. Staff respond quickly to absences or missing from home incidents. There are clear procedures in place, which the staff follow. The police, professionals and parents are notified promptly to ensure the safe return of the young person. When necessary, any concerns are escalated and strategy meetings requested with the placing authority. Return to home interviews always take place. The information obtained from young people is used to look at why they decided to run away. This helps staff to understand and minimise future incidents to ensure that young people remain safe.

p.8

Good

Staff work with young people to reach a safe compromise, which allows for a good balance of home time and community time. Young people feel listened to and happy that they are receiving age-appropriate free time with friends. Staff are aware of young people’s whereabouts and complete agreed safe and well checks. Young people feel cared for but not stifled by staff so return home at the agreed times. As a result, missing from home episodes have drastically reduced.

p.8

Good

Staff have a good knowledge of safeguarding, including internet safety. Clear and robust strategies are in place to ensure the safety of young people at risk of child sexual exploitation. Young people are also educated in how to keep themselves safe from exploitation.

p.8

Good

Staff constantly praise and reward positive behaviour. Young people’s achievements are celebrated. There have been no physical interventions. Although the staff have received training, they prefer to use de-escalation techniques to calm the situation rather than restraints. Police intervention is a last resort when the safety of the young person requires it. Staff use restorative practices to improve negative behaviour. Young people learn to take responsibility for their actions and develop empathy.

p.8

Good

Staff reflect in supervision and team meetings about the reasons, causes and responsibility for young people’s behaviour. This ensures that responses are effective and staff are consistent in their approach. This makes a cohesive and strong team with young people knowing the consequences of their actions. Young people know they are being treated fairly and benefit from being encouraged to learn from their mistakes.

p.8

Good

Careful matching takes place when looking at new admissions to the home. However, the staff team recognise s when a placement needs to end, particularly if they are unable to keep a young person safe or if their behaviour is compromising the safety of other young people at the home. Judgement grade

p.8

Outstanding

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since June 2016. Prior to this, she was the acting manager since March 2016. She has significant management experience within residential care for children, young people and young adults with challenging behaviour and learning disabilities. To ensure that her knowledge is current and up to date, the manager has recently gained a level 5 diploma qualification in leadership for health and social care and children’s and young people’s services.

p.9

Outstanding

She enjoys and recognises the benefits of training and learning and has recently completed train the trainer prevention of radicalisation training to impart her knowledge to staff. The manager is keen that the staff team has the necessary qualifications and skills to undertake its roles. Since joining the children’s home, she has produced a training matrix for staff to ensure that training is up to date and current. All staff either have the level 3 diploma for the children’s and young people’s workforce or are working towards gaining this.

p.9

Outstanding

Supervisions and team meetings take place regularly and the manager encourages staff to reflect upon their practice. This helps to develop their skills and abilities. An outside therapeutic services agency is now invited to team meetings to discuss the young people in more detail. Young people benefit from having a properly trained and experienced staff team, as staff gain a deeper and broader understanding of the issues affecting young people and how to empower young people to make progress in their lives.

p.9

Outstanding

Staff recruitment records are excellent and there is now a full staff team in place. Rigorous checks of applicants ensure a safe workforce. Young people’s views are considered and they are included in the recruitment process. This has created a team of mixed ages and genders. The young people benefit from the eclectic range of experience, talents and skills the team possesses.

p.9

Outstanding

Staff morale has improved significantly as a result of the changes made since the manager’s arrival. New staff feel welcomed and have a good induction in place. Existing staff now feel supported and listened to and speak of having a good work/life balance. When speaking about the manager, one staff member said, ‘She is like a breath of fresh air and is very supportive.’

p.9

Outstanding

The manager is methodical and has completely reorganised and redeveloped the files within the home. Staff find the care plans and risk assessments clear and straightforward to follow. Child-friendly care planning documents encourage young people to assist in completing them. They are aware of the objective and targets set for them. The manager has a stringent review process to ensure that young people continue to make progress and that their identified outcomes are met.

p.9

Outstanding

The manager has introduced ‘My Chats’ forms to record discussions with young people and key work sessions undertaken. Staff evidence work undertaken and progress made by young people. Vital information is not missed, which provides further safeguarding for young people.

p.10

Outstanding

The manager has developed excellent links with professionals to ensure that multi- agency working takes place and she is proactive in developing further associations with others. There have been no neighbourhood incidents involving young people. However, there have been unwarranted neighbourhood complaints about parking as the property is in a cul-de-sac. The manager recognises that a weakness of the home could be the location, being so far away from the next town. Young people are reliant on staff to take and collect them from friends, which can make it difficult for young people to invite their friends back to the home.

p.10

Outstanding

The manager has made physical changes to the environment, which was previously described as ‘cold and uninviting’. A warm, comfortable and inviting home has been made, which is described by a young person as, ‘feeling like home’.

p.10

Outstanding

The requirements and recommendation from the last inspection have been fully met within the timescales set.

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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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