Children's Home run by Sheffield City Council in Sheffield

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 enjoy very settled placements and make good progress from their starting points. Young people who have moved on to independence continue to have effective support, guidance and advice.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Young people‟s risk-taking behaviours are reducing. Young people are safe, and are supported with clear safeguarding strategies and boundaries.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 The atmosphere in the home is supportive and friendly. Staff offer young people acceptance and emotional warmth.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Leadership and management are outstanding. This enables young people to experience the flexible and enduring care relationships that many other young people outside of the care system take for granted.

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):  Examples of incidents that are likely to be considered serious, affecting the welfare of a child, include: where they have been missing for a considerable period of time and their whereabouts is unknown. ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 63, paragraph 14.11)

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Recommendations

Specifically, consider the point at which the threshold of 'a considerable period of time' is met.

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Recommendations

 Reviews should be underpinned by the quality standards, as described in regulations 5 to 14. ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 65, paragraph 15.2)

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Recommendations

Specifically, strengthen the contribution by children, parents, staff and other stakeholders to the review process.

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Information about this children's home

This is a local authority children‟s home. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for five young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

27/01/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

26/03/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Good

Young people feel that moving to the home was a good thing. They stay here for the long term, generally until they are ready for independence. During that time, they experience a significant period of security and stability. This gives young people the chance to establish some strong attachments to staff who they can continue to rely on, even when they leave the home. Although this journey to adulthood is sometimes punctuated by setbacks and difficulties, overall, young people‟s unique and very diverse needs are met and they make good progress. This is because the work of the manager and staff has impact. Their efforts make a positive difference to young people‟s experiences and achievements. There is a particular concentration on young people‟s emotional well-being and how this can be improved. This supports young people to express their emotions, accept help from others and gain self-confidence. Engagement in education, work or training is strongly promoted. Staff support

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Good

young people as they pursue the different options of what to do next after the age of 16. There is very effective liaison with a range of post-16 education and training providers. This helps to prevent young people becoming disengaged from education and keeps their options open. Young people are involved in activities such as karate, voluntary work, learning to play musical instruments and travel away from the home. As well as helping them to make constructive use of their spare time, these activities provide young people with opportunities to gain new skills and knowledge. Transitions to and from the home are managed well. The manager takes a considered approach to new admissions to the home. Safe admission decisions are made, taking into account both the unique needs of young people who could be placed and those already living in the home. This ensures that new placements will get off to a good start and that the lives of the current group of young people are

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Good

not disrupted. Young people have a gradual introduction to the home through visits and overnight stays. One young person said that, „Although I was expecting the worst, actually it‟s been really good.‟ Staff understand that young people still have strong attachments to their families, despite their difficulties. When it is safe to do so, families are therefore included as much as possible throughout this process. Staff then continue to promote contact in a way that protects young people, yet is sensitive to the needs of parents. An independent reviewing officer noted, „Staff supported one young person to have a break from contact, and guided her in explaining this in a way that was not hurtful to her family.‟ Young people get good-quality support to prepare for independence. The home is flexible about leaving dates, if this meets young people‟s needs. An extra year in the care of the home has been invaluable for some young people, adding to the

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Good

chances of making a success of adult life. Staff have an excellent understanding of the vulnerabilities of care leavers and fully appreciate their need for continued help. They act as any good parent would by providing excellent support for young people once they are living independently. For example, staff frequently contact them by telephone to check on how they are managing. Young people take advantage of invitations to Sunday dinner and can continue to use the home for important network meetings. This provides young people with reassurance and an important „safe base‟, if they need it. Young people benefit from the warm, nurturing family environment provided by the manager and staff. An independent reviewing officer noted, „It feels like home. There is always someone in the kitchen with cooking going on.‟ He described one young person „preparing a buffet for her reviews, which made her more relaxed and gave her a sense of ownership and of “hosting” the review.‟

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Good

This is a good example of how staff seek ways for young people to be comfortable and confident about expressing their views. It is a strength of the home and supports young people to influence the direction of their care and the running of the home. One young person noted that „one of the good things about the home is that staff listen to us.‟

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Good

Young people have no concerns about bullying, and they say that they feel safe here. Staff understand the types of risk that young people may be subject to, and there is effective work to minimise dangers. Risk-taking behaviour, including incidents of missing from the home, have been reduced. There are effective systems in place to follow up on any concerns relating to this type of behaviour and exposure to child sexual exploitation. An independent reviewing officer noted safeguarding practice to be „an area of strength‟. In relation to a specific situation, the independent reviewing officer commented that the manager and deputy manager „negotiated skilfully, offered practical support and quite simply did not give up – they behaved like good parents.‟ Young people receive a consistent response from staff about behaviour and boundaries. Young people know what is expected of them, reducing the need to

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Good

test this out. When challenging behaviour does emerge, staff are adept at defusing the situation and use physical restraint only as a last resort. A recommendation to notify the regulator of serious incidents „without delay‟ has been met. To further improve, the manager should introduce guidance to indicate the point by which Ofsted should be notified when young people have gone missing for a prolonged period of time.

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Outstanding

The registered manager has managed this home since 2008 and has a level 4 qualification in management. He provides excellent leadership and management, and demonstrates commitment to the values of trust, fairness and openness. This provides excellent role modelling for young people. The manager and staff are highly competent and show genuine commitment to young people. They routinely „go the extra mile‟ to support young people, particularly in their outreach work with those who have moved on to independence. For example, staff and their family members have contributed baby clothes and equipment to a young mother who has recently left the home. On another occasion, a member of staff spent the day supporting another care leaver on a football training course. The manager and staff share a strong sense of purpose in creating a culture of high aspirations for all young people, no matter what their background and

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Outstanding

abilities. This contributes to young people making definite progress during their time at the home. One of the strengths of the home is that the manager and staff persevere when things are not going well. They do not give up on young people, but work together to find solutions to problems. They draw on the advice and expertise of other professionals to get the best support for young people. One professional thought that the home‟s approach to partnership working was excellent. He reported, „They have been open to suggestion and are in no way defensive when discussing options.‟ Young people do well at this home, because staff receive the support that they need to do a good job. The manager invests in his staff by providing them with focused supervision and training that has impact. One member of staff commented, „Supervision gives me the chance to discuss work and see where I can improve.‟ Training and learning events help staff to link knowledge directly to practice. One

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Outstanding

member of staff noted, „Child development training gave me the knowledge to understand how and why a child was reacting and how to respond.‟ Staff also use their own particular skills and aptitudes to help young people. For example, one member of staff, who is a musician, is teaching a young person to play guitar and helping her to make contacts in the music industry. The manager has improved his system of evaluating the impact of the work of staff. He knows what is working well for young people and what needs to be done differently for them to gain greater benefit. However, the manager‟s six-monthly review could be further improved by capturing more of the extensive consultation that takes place with young people, their families and other professionals.

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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‟. 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

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What the inspection judgements mean

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 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 „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 Text phone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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