Children's home run by The St Christopher School in Southend-on-Sea

The effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of

children and young people since the most recent full inspection. This home was judged good at the last full inspection. At this interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has improved effectiveness . The registered manager has made progress against the requirements and recommendations raised at the last inspection. A robust process is now in place to ensure that staff recruited are checked thoroughly for their suitability to work with vulnerable children. This process has been utilised in recruiting the most recent member of staff to join the team. All staff are now registered and enrolled to complete the level 3 diploma in residential childcare and have completed the first module. A staff member who has taken on the role of mentor to assist individuals with the learning required to complete the course further supports them. It is anticipated that all staff members will complete this qualification over the course of

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The effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of

the next 12 months which is not within the required timeframe. The manager has worked in consultation with education colleagues to develop a tool that assists staff to evidence the progress that children make through accessing this service. Staff identify appropriate targets for individual children, dependent on their unique starting point, against which information is regularly recorded and reviewed. Similarly, the manager has redesigned the format of the risk assessment. Each child now has any risks identified and considered in a way specific and particular to them. A highly individualised management plan is then implemented, painting a clear and distinct picture of each child with suggested strategies to best minimise concerns. Staff now receive supervision that is both practical and reflective from a trained counsellor. A new format for recording sessions has been devised and is being used regularly. This clearly evidences how the process is used to encourage and enable

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The effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of

continuous professional development and improve practice. Children are supported to access short breaks here through a gradual introduction to staff and the facilities. When they and their carers feel comfortable and confident this is increased to overnight stays. Children are then encouraged to participate in the day-to-day running of the home at a level appropriate to their understanding and ability. Photographs show them helping with many household tasks, improving their ability to undertake simple jobs thereby adding to their self- confidence and independence skills. Carers are clear that this encourages and enables children to make progress and gain new skills. In recent feedback, one parent said, ‘He is learning life skills that we find difficult to work on at home. Staff motivate him to help with small tasks.’ Some children continue to access the service for many years. The manager was able to give clear examples of how they

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The effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of

have supported older children, who felt ready for a move, to access more appropriate resources better suited to their changing needs. Children are given the opportunity to take part in a variety of activities both in the home and out in the community. They have access to high-quality resources on- site, including a state of the art sensory room and a newly purchased exercise bicycle. In addition, they are able to use the sports hall and swimming pool belonging to the school with which they share the site. The manager is proactive in obtaining direct feedback from carers and children about the service that they receive. The manager was in receipt of a high number of responses to the most recent survey. Information provided, mostly by carers, was overwhelmingly positive and a number referred to the ‘homeliness’ of the service offered. One child said, ‘I can come and have a great time away from home but still feel like it is home.’ In addition, the manager regularly oversees and audits

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The effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of

care plans, risk assessments and all mandatory logs. Staff have developed effective working relationships with others to support the progress and improve the experiences of children accessing this service. They regularly attend relevant meetings and reviews, often hosted within the home. They work particularly closely with the on-site school, which many of their children attend. In this instance, they are able to offer a service that is particularly well integrated and holistic. There have been no significant incidents and few occasions when physical intervention has been necessary. When situations have required staff to intervene, methods used have been low level and proportionate. Full detail is recorded and managers audit each record to ensure responses are appropriate. Consideration is then given to whether risk assessments require updating. Young people do not go missing, although staff are aware and alert to where this

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The effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of

could be a possibility and understand what to do should an incident occur. There have been no allegations made against staff. When necessary, staff use sanctions that are proportionate and appropriate, both to the situation and to individual children’s understanding. Staff do not always ensure that detail of this is recorded separately in the sanction record. The manager and deputy know the children and their families very well and lead the staff group by example, offering good-quality and highly-individualised care. They have worked hard to implement the requirements and recommendations of the last inspection and have a clear vision of how to continue to improve the service.

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Information about this children's home

This home is a purpose-built, residential short-break facility for six children and young people with learning and physical disabilities. It is run by a charitable organisation.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 29/12/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness 21/09/2015 Full Good 09/12/2014 Interim Sustained effectiveness 06/08/2014 Full Outstanding

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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.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification, the level 3 diploma in residential childcare (England) (‘the level 3 diploma’), by the relevant date, which in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home of 1st April 2014, is 1st April 2016. (Regulation 32 (3)(b)(4)(a)(5)(b)) 16/12/2016

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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 in all relevant files and documents, with particular regard to ensuring that information regarding sanctions imposed is recorded in the appropriate log. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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What the inspection judgements mean

At the interim inspection we make a judgement on whether the home has improved in effectiveness, sustained effectiveness, or declined in effectiveness since the previous full inspection. This is in line with the ‘Inspection of children's homes: framework for inspection’.

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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 focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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Information about this inspection

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 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

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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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