Children's home in Cherwell

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged outstanding at the full inspection. At this interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has declined in effectiveness.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Risk management shortfalls, identified at the previous inspection have not been fully addressed. This compromises specific safeguarding guidance and demonstrates leadership weaknesses.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

A recommendation regarding the quality of young people’s risk assessments and fire risk assessments was made at the previous inspection. Actions to improve these have not been sufficient and as a result, this recommendation is repeated. Some strategies to reduce young people’s risks remain vague. For example, one risk assessment for a young person, who is at risk of self-harm, fails to advise staff in limiting the young person’s access to sharp objects when their mental well-being deteriorates. Another young person who has attended the school since April 2016 has an incomplete risk assessment. Such incomplete guidance does not fully describe the usual good practice implemented by the staff.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The fire risk assessment has not been fully updated since the previous inspection to include the risk of fire due to young people’s activities, or to include the actions needed to reduce these risks. The action taken in response to a requirement made by a private fire consultant in the school’s most recent fire risk assessment is not clear.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people’s progress and experience while attending this school remains outstanding and they make exceptional progress. Staff provide excellent support to young people to become well-rounded individuals, to develop their identities and the skills necessary to be independent when they leave.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people continue to make excellent progress in their education and daily living skills. They have good attendance at school and achieve a variety of qualifications. As a result, young people go on to further education including university or employment. This represents an outstanding achievement from young people’s starting points.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people make exceptional progress in developing their confidence and the skills necessary for adult life. A recommendation was at made at the previous inspection to ensure written plans were in place to support young people to develop their independence skills. Staff now set achievable targets and plan with the young person how they can accomplish them. Young people use a range of methods to demonstrate that they are able to complete tasks independently, such as preparing a meal, managing their money or accessing public transport. Young people work towards earning ‘trust time’, which allows them independent time in the community to go to the local town or meet friends.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people are able to follow their interests as well as develop their social skills and friendships with others. Young people’s hobbies and interests are promoted to a very high standard. There are a variety of clubs on site and young people are able to join clubs in the local community, including the local tennis and cycling clubs. Staff have supported a young person to try out for the British Olympic cycling team and they continue to take him to his training sessions in London.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The school has a specialist team on site which includes occupational therapists, speech and language therapists and clinical psychologists. This facilitates a holistic approach to support young people’s emotional and physical development. Staff work closely with the child and adolescent mental health team, along with young people’s general medical practitioners, to ensure that young people’s health and well-being are promoted.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The school’s approach to internet safety is outstanding and worthy of further dissemination. New software aids staff in identifying patterns and trends, informing them if young people are attempting to access unsafe sites. This information assists staff in developing young people’s risk assessments. More importantly, the system alerts staff at the same time that a young person attempts to access content that is considered inappropriate or unsafe. As a result, staff take immediate action to safeguard young people.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff report safeguarding concerns appropriately and work closely with other professionals to ensure that thorough action is taken to protect young people. There have been no missing incidents since the last inspection. When one young person left the site staff were extremely responsive and followed them, providing reassurance and guidance until the young person agreed to return.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people are encouraged to reflect on their behaviour and the impact that this has on others. As a result, they learn to manage their feelings in a more constructive way, leading to a reduction in incidents for some young people. There have been only five physical interventions since the last inspection. The low number of physical interventions demonstrates staff’s commitment to using de- escalation strategies to support young people to calm, and that they will only use physical intervention as a last resort.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Feedback received from parents and professionals in questionnaires was extremely positive. One parent spoken to during this inspection commented that coming to this school had been, ‘nothing short of miraculous for my son, he is the happiest he has been for years’ and that the, ‘school has changed our lives’, for the better.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The school’s location risk assessment has been updated and demonstrates extensive consultation with other professionals, including the local safeguarding board and the police. It has been reviewed to identify the risks presented by the local area and how these are to be mitigated. Areas such as the lake and woods within the school grounds have been fully risk assessed and actions to reduce these risks considered. This meets a recommendation made at the previous inspection.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Following a recommendation made at the previous inspection, managers have taken action to amend the recruitment policy to ensure that all previous employment with vulnerable adults and children are verified prior to a new member of staff starting at the school. No new staff have been employed since the previous inspection, therefore inspectors were unable to examine if this practice is yet embedded.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people feel able to make complaints. However, records of complaints do not detail all of the actions that staff have taken to investigate or address the complaint. Records of complaints relating to young people’s behaviour towards their peers do not evidence the action taken by staff to ensure the complaint is sufficiently addressed and a successful resolution has been found. This lack of clarity risks young people continuing to experience unwanted behaviours from other young people.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Sanction records demonstrate that the implementation of sanctions are fair and proportionate. However, incidents not resulting in the use of a sanction are held with those that do. This compromises the manager’s ability to monitor the effectiveness of sanctions and to take action to improve the quality of practice.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The school’s independent visitor provides feedback to managers about the quality of the care provided and how well young people are safeguarded. This supports managers in improving the quality of service provided. Contrary to regulatory requirements, these monthly reports have not been submitted to Ofsted in a timely manner and this compromises the regulator’s ability to monitor the provision in between inspections. The registered manager has already recognised this omission and is taking appropriate action.

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Information about this children's home

The setting is a residential special school that accommodates young people for up to 52 weeks per year. All of the accommodation is registered as a children's home. The home provides education and residential care for up to 45 children and young people, aged from 11 to 19 years old, across seven homes. Young people access the organisation's special school or go to mainstream college. Young people on the autistic spectrum (mainly with Asperger's syndrome) are admitted as weekly, term- time or 52-week placements. Currently, it is exclusively boys who live in the home. The provider is a registered charity.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 07/03/2016 Full Outstanding 23/09/2015 Interim Declined in effectiveness 17/03/2015 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 ‘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 a record is made of any complaint, the action taken in response, and the outcome of any investigation. (Regulation 39(3)) 08/11/2016

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendation:  The registered person should ensure that all incidents of control, discipline and restraint are subject to systems of regular scrutiny to ensure that their use is fair. In particular, ensure that sanctions are correctly recorded to allow for effective monitoring. (‘Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.36)

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Recommendations

 The registered persons should demonstrate how staff continually and actively assess the risks to each child or young person and the arrangements in place to protect them, to ensure that they remain effective. This is with specific regard to ensuring that risk assessments identify specific triggers and detail preventative strategies, also to ensure that the site’s fire risk assessment includes the risks posed by young people's activities (‘Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations including the quality standards’, April 2015, page 42, paragraph 9.5)

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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 ‘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 0300 123 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 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

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 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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