Children's Home run by Kirklees Council in Kirklees

Good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.2

The children’s home’s provision is good because:

 Young people make progress in education and are given consistent support from staff to achieve in this area of their lives. This is further supported through individualised recreational activities that build upon their sense of achievement.  Young people learn to negotiate relationships and appreciate the differences that exist between people. They are offered good role models by staff who reflect these differences in experiences, backgrounds, ethnicity and culture.  Staff offer young people stable and reliable relationships. Through these relationships, young people learn to trust and listen to the advice and guidance they are given.  Over time, young people invest in the home. They feel that staff care about them and are concerned for their well-being, and behaviours that pose a risk to their welfare and safety decrease.  Young people are listened to, and staff manage their growing independence

p.3

The children’s home’s provision is good because:

through reflective discussion. As a result, young people grow in self- awareness and incrementally understand how to make positive decisions.

p.3

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.

p.4

Requirement Due date

14. In order to meet the care planning standard, with particular reference to ensuring that relevant plans and assessments are secured from the local authority within a timely manner, the registered person must ensure that children: (a) receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home (c) that each child’s relevant plans are followed. 19/09/2016

p.4

Requirement Due date

5. In order to meet to meet the engaging with the wider system standard, with particular reference to timely and effective challenge, the registered person must ensure that staff: (b) seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs. 19/09/2016

p.4

Requirement Due date

13. In order to meet the leadership and management standard, with particular reference to effective management auditing systems that take into account the quality of recording, timely updating of documents and the recording of progress made by young people being focused and evaluative: (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to: (f) understand the impact that quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home (h) use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. 30/09/2016

p.4

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)) 30/09/2016

p.4

Requirement Due date

In order to meet the protection of children standard, with particular reference to staff understanding of risk and acting 19/09/2016 appropriately in response to known risk and updating risk assessments in a timely manner. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure: (a) that staff: (i) assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child (iii) have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm.

p.4

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 by the registered person to do so (‘the authorised person’) has spoken to the user about the measure and has signed the record to confirm it is accurate and within five days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(b)(i)(ii)(c)) 30/09/2016

p.5

Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendations:  When a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority must provide an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. Homes should take account of 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).  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

p.5

Recommendations

regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2).

p.5

Information about this children’s home

The children’s home is owned and operated by a local authority. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for six young people who experience behavioural and emotional difficulties.

p.6

Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

p.6

Recent inspection history

09/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness

p.6

Recent inspection history

12/03/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness

p.6

Good

Young people are fully supported to maintain their educational provisions and to achieve. All eligible young people have taken exams and are preparing to move forward into the next phase of their learning. Many have ambitions and are clear about their careers. This has been achieved through staff consistently reinforcing the benefits that education brings to their current and future lives. As a result, their life chances improve. For those young people who experience difficulties in mainstream learning environments, staff work hard to identify suitable provisions that support their strengths and interests.

p.7

Good

A strength of the home is the good quality relationships that exist between staff and young people. Staff offer young people consistent warm regard and patience. They are available to the young people and respond in a timely manner to their needs. As a result young people grow in confidence and begin to confide in staff and share the difficulties they may face.

p.7

Good

Young people are helped to increase their independence and learn skills that will be required as they move towards adulthood. Staff work hard at negotiating with young people the choices and decisions they wish to make, while ensuring that their welfare is promoted. The views of young people are understood well by the staff and young people feel listened to. A social worker commented, ‘They (staff) open doors and opportunities for her. They don’t communicate frustrations and fully encourage. She places confidence in them.’

p.7

Good

There is a high level of participation by young people in meetings, and they have regular and easy access to independent visitors. One independent visitor said, ‘There is never an atmosphere and people seem to get on well here. Young people in themselves feel comfortable raising things if they aren’t happy. They are very able to put their views across and let the staff know how they feel about things.’

p.7

Good

Young people’s individuality, culture and religious beliefs are treated with respect and dignity. This approach is further strengthened and reflected in the diversity of staff available to young people and the positive role models that are offered. One social worker commented, ‘She has a fantastic relationship with her key worker and she really looks up to her as a role model.’

p.7

Good

The home is a friendly and welcoming environment in which young people are encouraged to bring friends and family back to visit. As a result, young people often have friends to visit after school or at weekends. Young people enjoy a variety of activities, which are chosen by them, and achieved through staff participation. These include trips to the cinema, bowling, go-karting, boxing and gym membership.

p.7

Requires improvement

Although staff complete risk assessments and these are reviewed, they are not consistently reflective of up-to-date information and risks recorded elsewhere. For example, staff did not make the safeguarding links between previously identified risks and behaviours recorded in a planning meeting and the young person’s current activities. As a result, a young person engaged in an activity, in knowledge of the staff, that was later prevented by the social worker. This decision then resulted in the young person feeling both angry and distressed.

p.8

Requires improvement

Physical interventions are rare. There has been only one low-level physical intervention since the previous inspection. However, the recording of such interventions does not meet regulation. The manager has not indicated whether staff or the young person were spoken to about the about the measure.

p.8

Requires improvement

Young people benefit from a calm and stable environment. Incidents are infrequent and, when they do occur, young people are assisted to manage the situations and reach a positive resolution. One young person commented, ‘I feel safe. When you feel safe you can be yourself.’

p.8

Requires improvement

Staff work well with other agencies to ensure that when young people go missing from home, the risks are understood and additional support is secured to reduce those risks. On the whole, young people stay in contact with staff when they are absent from the home. Staff are particularly active in maintaining this contact, encouraging young people to return and collecting them to ensure their safety. As a result, young people become increasingly safe in the choices they make and the friendships they develop, through the trust that develops between themselves and the staff. Risks associated with child sexual exploitation and drug use reduce.

p.8

Requires improvement

Young people are spoken to by the staff following a missing from home incident, and they are offered an independent return home interview. However, the manager and staff do not request any relevant information gathered from the interview. An opportunity to gather information, that may inform an evaluation of those incidents, is therefore missed.

p.8

Requires improvement

Staff take a restorative and learning approach to managing young people’s behaviour. Through open and frank discussions, young people learn alternative ways of approaching problems and positive ways of dealing with difficulties.

p.8

Requires improvement

The registered manager is suitably qualified and experienced and has been registered to manage the home since 2013. She leads a stable and equally experienced team of staff. They work cohesively and, due to the very low turn- over of staff, young people experience consistency of care.

p.9

Requires improvement

A requirement made at the last inspection has not been met. Not all young people have suitable social work assessments and plans for transitions. As a result, one young person has no identified post-18 provision and her plans remain unclear, despite her being only one week away from adulthood. This has resulted in this young person experiencing uncertainty with regard to her future.

p.9

Requires improvement

Management challenge and escalation of concerns, regarding the lack of suitable assessment and identified provision, have been significantly delayed. The pursuit of appropriate intervention has not been sufficiently vigorous to ensure that young people feel confident about their move-on plans.

p.9

Requires improvement

Management auditing of the home’s files and documents have not been effective in improving staff recording. Documents that update young people’s progress have not been completed in a timely manner and the recording of key working with young people does not relate to the outcomes and goals. Although files are audited for the presence of documents, the quality of those documents is not sufficiently scrutinised. For example, areas of work identified in previous months have no mention or resolution in the subsequent month’s documents.

p.9

Requires improvement

There are systems in place, and an overview provided by the manager, in order to produce a management report on the quality of care provided by the home. These systems, however, do not incorporate and take into consideration the views of young people, parents or professionals. As a result, the report does not meet regulation and an opportunity is lost to enhance and improve the care with information from this feedback.

p.9

Requires improvement

Staff feel supported by the management team and the manager is both approachable and available to the staff and young people alike. She leads by example and is engaged with the running of the home. She has good insight into the needs of the young people and their histories. Young people make progress through living at the home and the quality of care that is provided.

p.9

Requires improvement

Appropriate appraisal and supervision are provided to the staff and these are supplemented by regular team meetings and open daily discussions. One independent visitor commented, ‘Management is very helpful and approachable. If a member of staff isn’t sure of something they are quick to ask a manager. They seem quite confident in going to seek advice.’ However, supervision does not always incorporate a reflective approach to the discussions.

p.10

Requires improvement

The manager is open to improving the care given to young people and has insight into the strengths and weaknesses of the home. Each young person is understood well, and the relationships that young people develop with staff are promoted. For example, young people who have developed trusted relationships with night staff are taken out during the day by those staff.

p.10

Requires improvement

The home is well maintained and has a homely feel. Young people are encouraged to make their rooms their own, and communal space is utilised well at all times of the day. Group activities between the staff and young people are promoted and this enhances cohesion and positive group living.

p.10

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’.

p.11

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

p.11

What the inspection judgements mean

harmed or at risk of harm or result in children looked after not having their welfare safeguarded and promoted.

p.11

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

p.12

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 .

p.12

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,

p.13

Information about this inspection

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.13

Information about this inspection

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.13

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

p.13