Children's home run by Esland North Limited in Amber Valley

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 and young people present as very happy and settled. The progress they make and the experiences they have are very good.  Children and young people have positive relationships with staff, who know them very well. Staff are very caring. They are skilled and insightful and have a genuine attachment to those they care for. They provide children and young people with consistency and structure alongside high levels of emotional warmth, praise and encouragement.  The range of experiences and activities and their involvement within the local community enhance the quality of children’s and young people’s lives. They have fun. They develop confidence and enjoy improved self-esteem.  Children and young people are respected and valued. Their views are central to the running, design and decor of the home. They are consulted and contribute to their own placement plans and risk management and behaviour support plans.

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The children’s home provision is good because:

 The actions of staff, underpinned by robust risk management and behaviour support plans, keep children and young people as safe as possible.  Partnership working is well established. This results in consistent, multi- disciplinary support to reduce risks and improve children’s and young people’s outcomes.  The manager provides excellent leadership through her child-focused practice, commitment and passion. Her staff team share her enthusiasm and dedication to ensure that children and young people receive the best care and support possible.  Some areas for improvement are identified as a result of this inspection. These are not regulatory shortfalls, or matters which are having an impact on the safety and well-being of children and young people. Rather they are areas where an already very good service could improve further.

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendations:  Ensure that when modifications are made to the home intended to safeguard children’s welfare, decisions in relation to this are informed by a rigorous assessment, and are kept under review, with specific reference to regularly reviewing risk assessments regarding the need to use door sensors on bedroom doors. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.10)

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Recommendations

 Ensure that staff help each child to prepare for any moves from the home, whether they are returning home, moving to another placement, or leaving to live independently. This includes supporting the child to develop emotional and mental resilience to cope without the home’s support and, where the child is moving to live independently, practical skills such as cooking, housework, budgeting and personal self-care, with specific reference to evidencing how gaps in children’s skills and knowledge relating to practical skills and personal safety are addressed. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 17, paragraph 3.27)

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Recommendations

 Ensure that staff have the knowledge and skills to understand each child’s education and training targets and their next steps to learning, with specific reference to staff developing an understanding of what a good-quality personal education plan is, so that they are empowered to challenge and establish how they can better help children reach their educational potential. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.11)

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Recommendations

 Ensure that every effort is made so that the responsible local authority provides an opportunity for a child to have a return interview after they have been absent missing from care or away from the home without permission. The home should take account of the information provided by such interviews when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect each child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30)

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Information about this children’s home

A private company operates this home. It is registered to accommodate up to two children and 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

8 March 2016 Interim inspection Improved effectiveness

p.5

Good

Children’s and young people’s experiences and overall progress are very good. A child said: ‘Living here has made a big difference to my life. It is my home, the staff are lovely and my behaviour has changed so much.’ Feedback from professionals regarding children’s and young people’s experiences and progress is also positive. An independent reviewing officer commented: ‘After a series of placement breakdowns, this child now has stability and positive relationships. She has been reintegrated back into full-time education, she is developing insight into her difficulties and she is happy.’ Placements endure and children and young people with chaotic histories start to thrive.

p.6

Good

A key strength of the home is the positive relationships that children and young people have with a committed staff team who know them very well. Children and young people learn how to trust adults as a result of the emotionally warm and consistent care that staff provide. One child said: ‘Living in a home with loving and caring staff has really helped me. I sleep better as I am no longer stressed. The staff feel like family.’ Another young person commented: ‘Staff here have made a difference to my life. They always push me and want the best for me.’ These positive relationships, alongside high levels of praise and encouragement, provide a solid foundation from which children and young people can develop in all areas of their lives.

p.6

Good

Children and young people benefit physically and emotionally from engaging in a wide range of leisure activities and new and exciting experiences both in their local community and further afield. Some enjoy horse-riding, going to the gym, camping and going on holiday. Others enjoy skateboarding, golf, cycling and spending time with friends. Children and young people go on regular day trips out and get involved in themed days to enhance their understanding of different cultures and social issues. They also get involved in community events. One child has recently raised money for charitable causes by completing the ‘race for life’ and by selling cakes she had baked at a local shop. As a result of the various activities undertaken, children and young people have fun. They develop a sense of achievement and they make a positive contribution to their community. This helps build their confidence and self-esteem.

p.6

Good

Children’s and young people’s physical and emotional health is promoted through attending core health appointments with their GP, dentist and optician, healthy eating and exercise and access to specialist help and support specific to their individual needs. One young person has managed to significantly reduce his drug use as a result of specialist support and another child has benefited greatly from therapeutic input. She said: ‘Going to see my therapist has really helped me with my anger’. It has also given her some insight into her experiences and helped her to understand and develop more appropriate relationships with others.

p.6

Good

From their starting points, children and young people make good educational progress. For example, one child has progressed from having no school attendance to 100% engagement in a full-time package of education. Another young person is very proud that he has managed to sit an exam and is now awaiting the result. Staff are eager to help and support children and young people to reach their full educational potential. However, in order to achieve this, they would benefit from guidance in relation to what a good personal education plan is. This would help empower them to challenge and establish how they can better help children and young people who are behind with their education to catch up and reach their educational potential.

p.7

Good

Children’s and young people’s views are central to the running of the home. They are consistently sought through weekly house meetings, through placement plan sessions and through feedback questionnaires about the quality of their care and those who care for them. A child commented: ‘I asked for the house to be redecorated and it happened. I chose the colours, the curtains and the cushions. Staff are good at listening and making things happen.’ Children and young people are also involved in the preparation and review of their placement plans and behaviour and risk management plans. As a result of good consultation, children and young people feel valued and their confidence and self-esteem grows.

p.7

Good

Staff work closely with family members, where appropriate, to help children and young people maintain and improve relationships with those important to them. Staff support children and young people very well to ensure that supervised contact sessions are a positive experience. A social worker commented: ‘Contact used to be chaotic and very upsetting for the child. However as a result of the support from staff, contact is now calmer, of a better quality and family relationships have improved.’ This helps to improve children’s and young people’s sense of identity.

p.7

Good

Professionals confirm that staff work hard in order to help older young people to develop emotional resilience and practical life skills in preparation for moving into adulthood. However, plans and records in relation to this lack detail. Targets and timescales are unclear. The records highlight gaps in young people’s knowledge, particularly in relation to personal safety in the community, but not how these gaps have been addressed. As a result, older young people may not be as well educated or prepared for the challenges they face in the near future as they could be. Judgement grade

p.7

Good

Children and young people say that they feel safe and have become much safer living in this home. One child said: ‘I feel safe here because of the people around me’. Another young person commented: ‘I know I can rely on staff and I know they are always there for me. They have got my back.’ The positive and trusting relationships that children and young people have with staff and each other, as well as high staffing levels, help create an emotionally safe and secure environment. This provides children and young people with a good sense of safety and well-being.

p.8

Good

Managers and staff have a good understanding of the home’s safeguarding and whistleblowing procedures. When a child made an allegation about a senior member of staff, staff at all levels prioritised the safety and well-being of the children and young people. The allegation was promptly reported to the appropriate people and, through good liaison with the designated officer, interim safeguarding arrangements were agreed. A detailed internal investigation then followed, resulting in no areas of concern being identified. The manager and staff’s good understanding of safeguarding and practices reduces the risk of harm to children and young people.

p.8

Good

Comprehensive multi-agency packages of help and support provide children and young people with the opportunity to address their individual difficulties. For example, one young person’s package of support includes direct key work from staff, input from the youth offending team and support from a drug and alcohol service. As a result of such coordinated approaches, incidents of risky behaviours, such as violence, aggression, substance misuse and going missing, reduce.

p.8

Good

Although some children and young people have a significant history of going missing, incidents of this occurring have reduced. A police officer said: ‘In respect of missing incidents, the young people are kept as safe as possible as a result of the actions of staff’. On the occasions that one young person has gone missing or has been away from the home without permission during this inspection period, staff robustly implement his individualised missing from home procedure. They know his routines, associates and places he may visit. They search for him and continually try to make contact by telephone. As a result, he is always promptly located. This young person’s relative said: ‘When he goes missing the staff never let up until they have got him back home. His welfare and safety is top priority.’ On his return, staff welcome him and undertake debriefs with him. Independent return interviews are always offered to children and young people following missing

p.8

Good

incidents, but not when they have been away from the home without permission. Additionally, independent return interview reports are not being shared with the home. Managers and staff need to challenge placing authorities about this as it is a missed opportunity to gather information to reduce risk. Staff manage children’s and young people’s behaviours very well. Positive relationships, clear and consistent boundaries, proactive strategies and incentive schemes are effective. A child said: ‘My behaviour has got better and better and I have learnt to solve my own problems’. Recourse to physical intervention has become very rare, with only two incidents since the last full inspection. This is a testament to the skill of the staff in de-escalating challenging situations. A child said: ‘Unlike in my previous home, staff do not put me in restraints. Instead they talk to me and help me calm down.’ On the two occasions when physical

p.8

Good

interventions were necessary, full debriefs with the child and staff followed. This, and good management oversight of behaviour management, has contributed to significant reductions in challenging behaviours.

p.9

Good

The home is warm and welcoming. It is a physically safe and secure environment. All health and safety checks are undertaken on a regular basis and fire drills take place at regular intervals at different times of the day and night. Door sensors are used as an additional safety measure during the night to monitor when children and young people leave their bedroom. Placing authorities agree at the commencement of the placement whether this additional safety measure is required. However, this is not reviewed thereafter. As a result it is difficult to know whether the use of such a safety measure remains proportionate as children and young people progress and their needs and levels of risk change.

p.9

Outstanding

The manager is experienced and is currently working towards the required management qualification within the timescales stipulated in the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015. She is extremely organised, aspirational and ambitious for children and young people. Through networking with other professionals from different agencies she has built up extremely strong working relationships with those who can provide direct help and support to children and young people and the staff team. For example, as a result of good links with partner agencies a representative from the local multi-agency support hub (MASH) and a therapist have recently attended team meetings to provide the team with information about their roles and services. The designated officer is also scheduled to attend a team meeting in the near future.

p.9

Outstanding

The manager leads by example and demands high standards from her staff team. At the same time, staff feel valued and extremely well supported. Initiatives such as an ‘employee of the month’ award and her open door policy are empowering. The staff team are highly motivated and they share their manager’s passion and commitment to improving children’s and young people’s lives. One member of staff said: ‘The manager is so supportive. She pushes me to learn more. My good work is praised and she is very hands-on and brilliant with the children and young people.’ Another commented: ‘It is a great place to work, I wake up looking forward to coming to work. The children and young people are amazing.’ Morale in the home is extremely high, and a cohesive staff team ensure that children and young people consistently receive quality care and support.

p.9

Outstanding

All staff are either suitably qualified or working towards the required qualifications. All staff also engage in in a comprehensive training package which includes mandatory courses, additional training which reflects the needs of the children and young people living in the home, and training in relation to potential emerging issues, such as radicalisation. The manager monitors the effectiveness of the training undertaken in practice and through the use of case scenarios during team meetings. A member of staff said: ‘The scenarios we work through have been really helpful and force staff to discuss and reflect on what we have learnt, how we work and how we can improve.’

p.10

Outstanding

In addition to the training described above, staff receive high-quality, regular supervision. Newly implemented supervision templates promote reflective practice and serve as a guide to explore staff members’ developmental needs. Such high- quality supervision, as well as regular team meetings which reflect on the needs of each individual child or young person, ensures that practice is closely monitored and adapted in line with changing or emerging needs.

p.10

Outstanding

Managers and leaders very effectively monitor the progress the children and young people make. Data collected in respect of all aspects of children’s and young people’s lives enables the manager to analyse patterns and trends in behaviours and their progress. This information informs placement and risk management plans and helps ensure that they remain relevant and up to date. It also contributes to weekly progress reports, which are written to a consistently high standard. Through these monitoring systems, the manager is able to clearly demonstrate what impact living in the home is having on children’s and young people’s lives.

p.10

Outstanding

The home’s statement of purpose is up to date. This document, and the children’s guide, are readily available in the home for anyone who wishes to see them, in order to understand what services are provided. The documents provide an accurate reflection of the home, and the staff and managers are working in line with the stated aims and objectives within them.

p.10

Outstanding

Quality assurance systems, internally and externally, are comprehensive. This, as well as leaders and managers taking any complaints seriously, and seeking continual feedback from children and young people, family members, professionals and the staff team, has helped drive improvements in the lives of the children and young people living in the home.

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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 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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