Children's home run by Jubilee House Care Trust Limited in Welwyn Hatfield

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:

 Children make progress in all areas of their development and enjoy their short breaks.  Staff and managers follow careful admission procedures to ensure that they know about a child’s needs, vulnerabilities and behaviours and balance these with management strategies.  Staff and managers develop detailed behaviour support plans that lead to highly personalised and individual care.  Staff are alert to potential risks from the internet and teach children to access the internet safely.  Staff and managers prioritise the safety of children but are not risk averse. Activities are carefully assessed and supervised, and children gain confidence from going out and learning that they can cope in the community.  Staff prioritise participation of children and have developed some innovative ways of helping children to express their views. They use this feedback to inform their practice. Children benefit from this positive cycle of information.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Parents have confidence in the care provided and praise the relationships between staff and their children. Parents are enthusiastic about the progress that their children have made. They feel supported by staff and work as part of a team alongside other professionals.  The registered manager is a highly visible presence in the home and leads staff who are provided with good training, support and supervision to give them the competencies to meet the changing needs of the children in the unit.  Two shortfalls were identified during this inspection, relating to records and completion of a monitoring report. This has not had a direct impact on the quality of care provided for the children.

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Statutory requirements

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

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for the children (‘a quality of care review’) at least once every six months and supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed. (Regulation 45(1)(4)(a)) 16/09/2016

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendation:  Ensure that staff are familiar with the home's policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording, particularly with reference to information about aims and objectives and progress children make against these. (‘Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62 paragraph 14.4)

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Information about this children's home

This short-break centre is run by a registered charity. It offers overnight short-break care places for up to five children and young people with learning disabilities, who may also have physical disabilities. Day care is offered on the same site for children and young people with similar needs.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

16/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

12/03/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Good

Children benefit from their breaks because they are looked after by staff who know them very well, speak of them fondly and work together with families to help the children to develop confidence. For instance, staff and parents liaised closely when a child was showing signs of extreme anxiety. His mother said: ‘We recently moved and he had a very bad delayed reaction. We told the staff and they worked very hard with him around social stories and gradually have got him round.’ Many children are not able to communicate verbally or make their feelings known easily. They appear happy and relaxed with staff and can make their wishes known directly, such as by asking for a meal, or indirectly through workers. Staff have started to develop some innovative ways to improve how children may participate in the running of the home. For instance, the home has a children’s council, and staff are looking at ways to improve this, based on seeking an independent way of

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Good

getting the children’s views. The team has introduced ‘snack chat’ where, during their short refreshment breaks, staff will help children to focus on a particular issue, for instance how they feel about the way that staff work with them, and they feed these views back to staff. One staff member said: ‘Participation is a really big focus for us, to improve it so that we can show that their wishes are being respected. It brings something for everyone.’ All children attend school, and staff and managers liaise constantly with education staff, either directly or using the child’s communication book, to ensure that there is consistency of response. In addition, staff and managers from the home attend behaviour management training with teachers at the local school. Children benefit from these close working relationships as any issue or incident is discussed in a timely fashion. Children benefit from a plethora of activities in the home. Staff want them to enjoy

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Good

their breaks and assess each activity so that children are safe but can always have fun. The mother of one child who had displayed extreme anxiety said: ‘He would pull his hair out but this is rarely the case now. Staff understand him so well and they work so well with everyone. If he can’t go out because they don’t think he is safe, they won’t leave him out. He’ll have a water fight in the garden. He has more confidence.’ At the same time, staff are not risk averse and will take children into the community provided that they are well prepared. For instance, children have a bag of essential items including communication aids. Recently, staff took two children to a local seaside town shopping for the day. The children had challenging behaviours so the expedition was carefully assessed. In the event, this went without incident. This greatly enhanced the self-esteem of the children involved. Staff support children’s progress with their health. For instance, one child has

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Good

found it difficult to tolerate taking medication. An external professional said: ‘We are working with staff to try to increase his ability to take medication by introducing different tastes and liquids and getting him used to a syringe. We work together with the family and school, so that we all do and say the same thing when he reacts.’ While there is still much to achieve, he is much more secure and responds to treatment more calmly. This is a striking accomplishment for all concerned.

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Good

Many children come with very complex needs. They have little or no sense of danger, and this means that staff and managers need to take comprehensive steps to ensure that they are safeguarded. The home environment is attractive and comfortable, but rigorous maintenance and fire assessment protocols ensure that children are safe. Staff are recruited using rigorous practices, and the manager ensures that they have the right levels of experience and aptitude for this demanding work. Due to high staff ratios, children are supervised at all times while in the home. This has the double advantage of ensuring their safety while enabling staff to develop a detailed knowledge of each child and how to best respond to them. Staff recognise that the children can be vulnerable to outside dangers and are very alert to the possible threats of internet grooming and abuse, and they operate basic parental filters in the home. In addition, staff are vigilant and recognise that,

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Good

as the children grow into adolescence, they need careful guidance. One member of staff said: ‘Many of the children have electronic tablets and phones so we talk to them about keeping themselves safe. It is basic training, getting them to talk to an adult to make sure that the person they are talking to is ok. Gradually they do this automatically.’ This means that children learn how to protect themselves. Managers follow detailed admission procedures for new referrals. These include site visits by parents, followed by home assessments, when staff meet the child and discuss any special needs or areas for development. Managers liaise with local schools and specialist professionals to make sure that they have a comprehensive understanding of a child’s needs. Because of this core activity, any risks are understood and matched with reliable management strategies. Staff compile a comprehensive support plan, covering every aspect of a child’s

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Good

development, needs and preferences. In addition, the registered manager takes advice from families and schools, to ensure that, when a group of children is due to stay, there are no known personality clashes which might impair their enjoyment of the break. Alongside this, the manager organises the staff rota so that workers who have particular skills, such as working with children with challenging behaviour, are matched where they can be most effective. This child- centred approach means that children settle and their families can also enjoy the break. Staff and managers are purposeful and persistent and want children to learn from new experiences. For instance, plans for one child to go out into the community were postponed following an incident away from the home. However, following a discussion with family, staff tried again with an improved plan, and this time the child managed very well. As a result, children gain in confidence and learn to

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Good

manage being in the community. However, staff and managers do not consistently track progress of all children against their starting points, which means that it is not always clear what goals or outcomes have been considered for the child or what progress they have made. The manager accepts this and is working on adapting the current system, so that the child’s achievements are explicit in their records. On occasion, children in this home can display very challenging behaviour because of their diverse needs. Staff and managers work hard to promote positive behaviour, to build confidence and to reduce anxiety. Staff receive regular training to manage physical intervention, with a particular emphasis on de-escalation techniques to reassure and calm an agitated child. Many children have not been restrained at all. The manager carefully monitors all incidents, to identify underlying causes. This consistent approach, with the emphasis on building

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Good

relationships, has positive consequences for children.

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Good

The registered manager has been in post for 12 years. She has a national vocational qualification (NVQ) level 4 in care and management and is currently undertaking an NVQ level 7 in care and strategic management, due to finish in December 2016. A new deputy manager is joining the staff team shortly and will begin an NVQ level 5 on appointment. The management places a high priority on staff qualifications. The majority are already qualified to NVQ level 3, with one staff member currently on training and one due to start when she completes her probation. The manager ensures that she monitors the quality of care offered regularly. She checks all support plans and, where appropriate, amends to improve children’s stays. She maintains a consistent presence in the home and regularly observes the care offered. She knows the children well and speaks of them with pride and affection. Feedback and involvement from parents and carers is sought in a variety

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Good

of ways. Parents are positive about the standard of care and were particularly complimentary about the consistency and quality of management. One parent said: ‘She knows the service inside out. Although there have been staffing changes, the consistency of the manager makes all the difference.’ Staff say that they feel supported and encouraged by managers to work effectively and to make continuous professional development. Talent is recognised and encouraged to progress and, where practice needs to improve, the manager is able to challenge effectively and appropriately. Supervision takes place regularly and is both reflective and practical. Detailed minutes with clear action points follow, enabling staff to progress and develop their practice. Training is appropriate to the specific needs of the children accessing the service. An efficient review process enables the manager to ensure that all staff undertake the necessary updates

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Good

within specified timescales. The manager has been a strong and consistent presence in the home for many years. She is proud of the achievements and strengths of the service. At the same time, she is clear about areas that require improvement and refinement and has a clear plan to develop the workforce and services offered. The requirement and recommendation raised at the last inspection have been met. Work has taken place with staff to ensure that they are able to assess and manage identified risk. Consequently, plans to reduce identified concerns are more robust and consistent. This ensures that children are effectively safeguarded. Staff demonstrate that they understand the home’s statement of purpose and can evidence how they are achieving the aims and objectives accordingly. Partnership arrangements with professionals, including social workers, are good. For instance, a social worker said that staff are ‘good at keeping in touch’.

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Good

The manager is confident and able to advocate on behalf of children and families. One child who has challenging needs was on the point of being moved to a specialist resource some distance from his home. Staff and managers worked hard to support the family so that the child could stay at home. The parent said: ‘Our experience has been heart warming. Until two years ago, we didn’t have any help whatsoever; they came in and rescued us – really.’ The manager did not provide Ofsted with her monitoring report spanning the last six-month period to review the quality of care. This prevents Ofsted from having an up-to-date view of the progress that the home is making. It has not, however, had an impact on the care provided to the children.

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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 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, workbased 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

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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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