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’s provision is good because:

 The home provides a high standard of individual care that is tailored to each young person and is informed by their wishes and views.

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

 Sustained links with health, social care and education professionals ensure that all children and young people make good progress, from their starting points, with their social, emotional and educational needs.

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

 Young people’s transitions to and from the home are managed well. There is effective matching, planning and preparation for new admissions. Young people get the help they need to move on to independence in the community.

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

 Young people benefit from long-term, stable and secure placements. This gives young people the time to form positive, nurturing and trusting relationships with the adults looking after them.

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendation:  Regulation 45 sets out requirements for the registered person to have a system in place which allows them to monitor the matters set out in regulation at least once every six months. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.2)

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Recommendations

Specifically, ensure that the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff are taken into consideration and evaluated as part of this monitoring exercise.

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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 four children with emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 20/01/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 05/10/2015 Full Good 12/02/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness 08/10/2014 Full Adequate

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Good

Young people who are new to the home settle in well because staff have a good understanding of the circumstances that have brought them to the home. There is an effective matching process that ensures, as far as possible, good compatibility between young people.

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Good

Staff take time to explain to young people, when they first arrive, how the home works. This helps young people to understand what to expect and the ways in which staff will help them.

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Good

These actions helps young people to make a positive transition into the care of the home. It provides a good foundation from which young people are beginning to make small but significant progress with their emotional and physical health, participation in activities and relationships with others.

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Good

There is effective planning and support for young people who are moving on to independence. Young people have participated in an innovative scheme which offers them the opportunity to live in a ‘taster flat’ for a time-limited period. The scheme provides a ‘live’ assessment of how young people will manage on their own. It also better identifies those areas where they will need more help, or time, to have those needs met.

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Good

After the summer, young people will continue to engage in their post-16 education. Some have already entered the world of work by securing part-time employment. Educational placements are in place for young people who are new to the home. This will enable them to continue their education without unnecessary disruption.

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Good

Young people are enjoying the summer holidays, and have a choice about the kind of activities that they want to engage in. This is one of the many examples of the regular consultations that take place with young people.

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Good

Since the last inspection, a new kitchen has been installed in the home. Young people also made a contribution to this by choosing the tiling and colour of the paintwork. This gives young people a sense of ownership, as well as making the home more comfortable. Judgement grade

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Good

Young people get good support to manage their behaviour. Staff provide clear and consistent boundaries right from the start of young people’s stays at the home. This provides young people with a sense of safety, security and good order.

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Good

Staff have a really good understanding of how young people’s learning difficulties and previous experiences can affect their behaviour. This knowledge helps staff to plan and successfully implement individual behaviour management strategies.

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Good

Staff are skilled in de-escalating situations when young people’s behaviour becomes challenging. They model a calm, reasoned response that tries to get to the root of the problem. Physical restraint and sanctions are therefore not needed.

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Good

Currently, there are no young people at the home who are at risk of sexual exploitation. On the very few occasions where young people have been missing from the home, appropriate steps have been taken to find them and bring them back home safely.

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Good

Young people’s assessments on this and other potential risks are regularly reviewed and updated as situations change and young people develop and grow. For example, where older teenagers have part-time jobs, staff have confirmed what the work entails and that the place of work is safe.

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Good

Additional safeguarding measures are in place to protect young people who are new to the home, and for whom there may be as yet unrecognised risks. For example, a waking-night member of staff will be employed until the manager is satisfied that the young person is settled at night.

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Good

The manager has been registered with Ofsted to manage this home since 2007 and has the required level 5 diploma. She successfully leads a team that has a good track record of helping young people to achieve positive outcomes in many areas of their lives.

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Good

The manager has a very good grasp of how the home functions and what is going on for young people day-to-day. This ensures that the home fulfils its statement of purpose, and that there is a focus on continual improvement.

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Good

Involvement in the ‘taster flat’ scheme is a good example of this, not simply in terms of participation but in the wider learning that has emerged as a result. This will help to shape independence planning for young people in the future.

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Good

Another example is the ‘lessons learned’ from a complaint made by a young person. This was investigated in a fair and balanced way, and demonstrated to the young person that their concerns were being taken seriously. The process and outcome has provided an opportunity for staff to reflect on the situation leading to the complaint, and improve and adapt their response.

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Good

These instances of dialogue, consultation and discussion with young people and staff are not evaluated by the manager as part of her six-monthly monitoring exercise. This is a missed opportunity to both capture the good work that is being done and to show others that their views are valued.

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Good

Young people are looked after by a well-qualified, experienced and stable staff team. It is supported, through supervision and training, to be effective in its work with young people. Together with strong partnership working, this enables staff to provide a supportive and nurturing environment for vulnerable young people.

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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

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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