Children's home run by A J Residential Care Ltd

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 experienced staff team provides good quality, individualised support and supervision to young people who have complex physical, emotional and social needs.  Consistent boundaries help young people who are newly admitted to the home to settle quickly.  Young people have clear, achievable goals set for them. Their continued progress is monitored by regular reviews. Young people make improvements in respect of their daily living skills, personal hygiene and social skills. Their attendance at school is excellent.  Staff are knowledgeable in respect of safeguarding policies and procedures and recognise the additional vulnerabilities of young people with learning disabilities.  The home has a strong leadership culture. They adopt a team approach resulting in staff feeling supported by managers.  The management team has a good theory and knowledge base and extensive experience in respect of learning disabilities.

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

 A new computerised system provides managers with a more effective method of monitoring and reviewing care plans.  Young people live at the home for many years. This allows them to develop a sense of belonging and the opportunity of living in a calm and relaxed family home.  Staff are experienced in supporting young people during their transition to their adult provision.

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Statutory requirements

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

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Requirement Due date

The registered manager must undertake such continuing professional development as is necessary to ensure that the registered manager has the skills needed for managing the home. (Regulation 29 (4))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, to ensure that supervision is provided by a suitably qualified person. 01/10/2016

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendations:

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Recommendations

 Children who cannot, or choose not to, verbalise have the right to have their views, wishes and feelings heard and respected in the same way as other children. Specifically in respect of the provision of more visual aids and pictorial consultation documents to assist young people in their care and decision-making. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 24, paragraph 4.24)  The registered person should oversee the welfare of the children in their care through observation and engagement with: each child, the home’s staff, each child’s family/carers where appropriate, and professionals involved in the care or protection of each child, including their social worker, independent reviewing officer, teachers, clinicians and other health professionals. In particular, to set up a system of recording feedback which will inform the management review of service improvements. (‘Guide to the

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Recommendations

children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.23)  Any individual appointed to carry out visits to the home as an independent person must make a rigorous and impartial assessment of the home’s arrangements for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the children in the home’s care. Specifically, to ensure that there are not repeated areas that are cut and pasted from the previous month’s report. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.5)

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned and family-run home provides care and accommodation for up to four children with learning difficulties or with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

01/03/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

19/03/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Good

Young people receive good quality, individualised support and supervision from the experienced staff team. Excellent care planning takes account of young people’s complex physical, emotional and social needs. The stable staff team knows the young people’s rituals and routines through spending a significant amount of time with them. Staff ensure that there are clear routines in place, which prevent young people becoming anxious, as there is predictability in their lives. This is particularly important for the young people at the home who do not like change and need consistency.

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Good

Young people admitted to the home settle well and begin to relax with staff. Staff are patient and work at the young person’s pace, recognising the importance of a low-stimulus environment and the low levels of interaction and engagement that some young people need. Staff collate information about young people to inform care planning and risk assessments. This ensures that their needs continue to be met by the staff.

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Good

An effective outcomes-focused system is in place. Clear, achievable goals are set and monitored by staff for each young person. Consequently, young people’s progress is reviewed regularly, enabling the setting of new targets. This gives a clear indication of what interventions are successful for each young person. When speaking about a young person, a professional said, ‘He is making progress in particular in respect of his lifestyle, diet and attending particular social activities.’

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Good

Young people make progress with their personal hygiene and take responsibility for their daily living tasks. Staff provide assistance when required but ensure that they maintain privacy and dignity for young people. Small changes can be significant for the young people at the home and offer them a level of independence. One young person is reported as, ‘caring about his own appearance now’.

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Good

Young people attend full-time education with excellent attendance rates. This is an improvement for one young person who used to struggle attending school in the past. Staff are in contact with the school and attend meetings to ensure that the young people are receiving the right level of support. Young people are achieving well, to the best of their ability.

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Good

Staff provide young people with healthy and varied food menus. They are encouraged to make the right food choices to ensure that they have a well- balanced diet. Young people have opportunities to become involved in leisure and sports activities in the home and community. They also visit local attractions with staff. These experiences provide young people with exercise and enhance their lives. Young people develop social skills, with one young person attending army cadets and recently participating in a camping trip. Young people become confident and they have a sense of pride in their achievements.

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Good

Staff form relationships with young people and get to know their likes and dislikes. Young people express their wishes during key working and monthly residents’ meetings. If young people have communication difficulties, staff develop a good understanding of their needs. However, there are limited visual aids or pictorial monitoring forms, which restricts young people from being fully involved in their care planning and decision-making. This also inhibits young people from fully expressing themselves now and into adulthood.

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Good

Staff have developed good relationships with young people’s family members and work to facilitate contact arrangements, including in the home. As a result, young people are able to have increased family interactions and it is a more enjoyable experience for everyone. Young people benefit from having these important relationships with family who will support them now and in the future. One family member said, ‘They are there to help us and they have done well with (young person).’

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Good

Young people live at the home for many years. They develop a sense of belonging and the opportunity of living in a calm and relaxed family home. This is particularly important for young people who need a low-stimulus, predictable environment. One staff member said, ‘We are a close-working family home, which makes children feel more secure. There is a good staff team.’

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Good

Staff are experienced in supporting young people moving to adult provision. They develop an individualised plan for each young person. Young people who have lived at the home for many years have a smooth transition. They move with minimal distress and staff remain in contact with them. This facilitates family life and stops young people from becoming isolated when they leave.

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Outstanding

Young people are kept safe from admission. Managers ensure that comprehensive information is obtained when a young person is admitted to the home. A high ratio of experienced staff provides care and supervision for new young people until the home completes their own risk assessment. Highly detailed risk assessments take into account every aspect of young people’s vulnerabilities. The staff team is extremely knowledgeable about the additional risks that young people with learning disabilities face. Staff fully understand and identify the individual factors that could compromise young people’s safety. Risk assessments are regularly reviewed to ensure that strategies remain effective. A high level of care and supervision ensure that young people are kept safe from self-harm or injury. The home is a safe environment for young people and alterations are made to provide further protection and safety when needed.

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Outstanding

Staff receive regular, high quality supervision. Their safeguarding knowledge is tested to ensure that this is current and up to date. A training matrix is in place to ensure that staff receive ongoing training and updates. Staff are knowledgeable in respect of safeguarding policies, including whistle-blowing procedures. An outside agency is available to provide independent investigation if needed. This is particularly important as there are several family members working at the home.

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Outstanding

Young people can display challenging behaviour which could cause a risk to themselves or others. For one young person, there has been an escalation in his aggression, which has resulted in damage in the home and harm to staff. This has led to an increase in the frequency and level of restraints used. Staff recognise that this is because of his learning disability and do not criminalise the young person. They show insight about how police involvement would raise the anxiety levels of the other young people at the home. This is excellent practice, which reflects the staff commitment to maintaining safe care and protection for all young people.

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Outstanding

Staff make accurate and detailed recordings of any incidents. These are monitored and evaluated by the management team. Staff identify known antecedents to explain the change in conduct and any triggers, and develop an understanding about the function of the behaviour. Behavioural management plans are revised, and these are agreed with staff. Monthly team meetings are reflective and staff discuss strategies to manage young people’s behaviour. These take place more frequently if necessary and contain a teaching element.

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Outstanding

Staff have recently attended bespoke, physical intervention training. This ensures that staff feel confident when managing young people’s negative behaviours and that the whole staff team adopts a consistent approach. Through knowing the young people well, staff identify changes in their demeanours or behaviours which indicate an escalation in negative behaviours. Staff develop strategies to distract and de-escalate situations. They take decisive action so that all young people are kept safe during any escalation of negative behaviours.

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Outstanding

Young people do not go missing from home due to the high levels of staff supervision. They are also not at risk of child sexual exploitation or radicalisation, although staff have received training to raise their awareness and enable effective responses when needed. Young people have limited awareness of danger or risk but the highly vigilant staff offer them continued protection. Judgement grade

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Good

Since the last inspection, there has been a change in the management structure although roles and responsibilities are not yet finalised. The new registered manager has been in post since May 2016 and has the necessary skills and knowledge to undertake this role. He holds the level 5 diploma in leadership and management for residential childcare (England). The home has a strong leadership culture and has adopted a team approach.

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Good

Since the management change, a new computer system has been installed. The benefits so far of the new management structure and computerisation of records include the update and improvement of policies and procedures. These are now easier for staff to access. Young people’s care planning files have been reorganised to provide more effective monitoring. Staff supervisions and a training matrix easily identify training and development needs. Staff now receive high quality, regular supervision. The manager also received regular supervision. However, this is not from a suitably qualified person to assist with his continued professional development.

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Good

The management team has a good theory and knowledge base, and extensive experience in respect of learning disabilities. They impart this knowledge and skill to staff members. The new structure makes staff feel supported by the managers, especially during periods when young people are displaying negative behaviours.

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Good

There is a full staff team at the home, with recruitment currently taking place to replace staff who will shortly be leaving. The management team ensure that staffing levels remain high, with no agency workers used. This means young people are not confused or unsettled through constant changes of staff. The good levels of staffing meets the needs of the young people living there.

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Good

The registered manager has a visible presence at the home and works some shifts. This ensures that he maintains a relationship with the young people, which he considers is important as it, ‘gives me more of a handle on what is happening.’ This also enables him to monitor staff through observational practice and identify strengths and any areas for improvement to ensure that young people receive the best possible care.

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Good

The manager has developed links with a number of professionals. He has a good working relationship with the local authority social work and transitions team. This ensures that he can get a prompt and co-ordinated response to assessment, support and intervention for young people. However, the manager acknowledges the need to compile a more effective system of collating feedback received from all stakeholders to inform the manager’s bi-annual monitoring report.

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Good

An independent person undertakes comprehensive monthly visits, however this level of detail is not reflected within the reports.

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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

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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