Children's Home run by Shropshire Council in Shropshire

Good

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

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Young people have positive and enjoyable experiences while on their short break.  Young people form excellent relationships with the staff team. Staff are committed and dedicated to ensuring that young people get the best from their time away from their family.  Young people benefit immensely from the activities that the staff provide. It gives young people the chance to experience opportunities that they may not have had before their short break.  Young people recognise the importance of keeping fit and well, and take responsibility for their own health.  Staff support education and talk to young people about making the right choices in their careers. This helps young people to have aspirations for their futures.  Young people are safe. There is minimal use of physical intervention.  Young people do not go missing from the home during their stay.  A longstanding manager leads the home. Staff retention is excellent.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 The team are all qualified to a suitable standard and hold a relevant qualification in caring for children and young people.  There are some areas requiring improvement. These are in relation to the home environment, fire, record keeping, monitoring and children’s records.

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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

12. The protection of children standard:

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the protection of children standard, the registered person must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

(2)(d) the premises used for the purpose of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. 31/10/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must take adequate precautions against the risk of fire. In particular, in relation to keeping fire doors closed. (Regulation 25(1)(a)) 31/10/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (‘case records’) for each child and keep them up to date. (Regulation 36(1)(b)) 31/10/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that the records are kept up to date. (Regulation 37(1)(b) Schedule 4(1)(c)(d)) 31/10/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month. (Regulation 44(1)) 31/10/2016

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Information about this children's home

The home provides short-break care and accommodation services for up to five young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. It is owned and operated by a local authority.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 10/02/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 03/12/2015 Full Requires improvement 12/02/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness 29/08/2014 Full Adequate

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Good

Young people enjoy their short breaks. Their short break gives them a chance to ‘chill out’ and be themselves. A young person said, ‘I really enjoyed it. It was really fun. It was nice to have a break. I can’t wait to come back.’ Another young person said, ‘When I come here it clears my head a lot, because when I am here I don’t over-think things and I don’t argue with my family.’ Over time, young people develop a sense of belonging. This makes them feel part of the home. A young person said, ‘I have been accessing the service for about three years. It’s like a holiday. I get a break. I see this place like a second family. I know all the staff and most of the kids. I relax here. It is chilled out.’

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Good

Some care plans are not kept up to date with current information. For example, one record says that a young person is in full-time education, when they are now on a reduced timetable. This has the potential to mislead staff when providing the appropriate educational support.

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Good

Young people form excellent relationships with the staff team. Staff are committed and dedicated to ensuring that young people get the best from their time away from their family. Staff show that they are dedicated, because they take a valued interest in each individual. They work closely with young people to find out how they can enhance their experiences while they are there. A young person said, ‘I know it’s good, here. They are kind and very supporting. They like to do things with you.’

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Good

Staff provide a diverse range of activities to meet the individual needs of each young person. They are tailored to meet the age and ability of all young people accessing the service. Young people benefit immensely from the activities that staff provide. The service gives young people the chance to experience opportunities that they may not have had before their short break. For example, some young people went to the beach for the first time because they had access to a short break. Young people make friends during their short break. This expands their social circle and improves their confidence and self-esteem. A young person said, ‘I have made loads of friends here from lots of different places.’

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Good

Young people are encouraged to eat a healthy diet and are supported to take part in physical activities. Medication arrangements are safe and appropriately managed. This keeps young people fit and well. Staff work in partnership with families to support access to any health appointments that young people need to attend while on their short break. Young people recognise the importance of keeping fit and well, and take responsibility for their own health. A young person commented in a survey about the home, ‘Since I came here, it’s helped me stay off drugs and I feel a lot better than I did before I came in.’

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Good

Young people are encouraged to learn independence skills while on their short break. Basic life skills such as cooking, cleaning, shopping and helping with the laundry are some of the tasks that young people help with. This helps them to prepare for adulthood.

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Good

Young people are able to make and receive telephone calls. A designated area is provided for young people to speak in private. Young people do not have access to their mobile phones during their short stay. This helps them to relax and to enjoy the time that they have with minimum disruption and distraction.

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Good

Staff transport young people to education and talk to them about making the right choices in their careers. This helps young people to have aspirations for their futures.

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Good

Young people are consulted during their stay. They are involved in planning their own activities. A staff member said, ‘They make decisions and ask us if they are OK. Staff will make a suggestion and, if anyone is against the decision, we talk about it and agree for something else.’ As a result, young people feel valued.

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Good

Advocacy services are available and do make unannounced visits. This gives young people the opportunity to speak to an independent person, should they have any complaints or concerns.

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Requires improvement

Young people feel safe and protected from harm when they have a short break. Staff provide a relaxed and enjoyable environment where young people enjoy spending time. They can relax and enjoy themselves without having any pressures from external influences. A young person said, ‘I feel 100% safe when I am here.

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Requires improvement

The environment that young people live in does not always protect their privacy. Not all bedroom windows have suitable curtains or blinds. This does not guarantee that their dignity is preserved. Window restrictors are not in place on all upper-floor bedrooms. This does not keep young people safe.

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Requires improvement

All staff are trained in fire safety, and regular fire drills and tests of equipment are completed. Young people and staff know how to act in the event of a fire. However, some fire doors in the home are propped open during hot weather. This does not protect everyone in the event of a fire. The home’s risk assessments are not reviewed annually, with some eight months past their last review date. This does not guarantee that any changes to risks are actively monitored. The testing of portable appliances is now overdue the annual inspection. This does not ensure that all electrical equipment is safe.

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Requires improvement

Some food stored in communal areas has not been removed after being thrown/falling behind furniture. As a result, it is left rotting. This has the potential to place young people’s health at risk.

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Requires improvement

Young people do not go missing from care. They choose to keep themselves safe by staying with staff in or around the home. When activities take place off site, they engage with support from staff. Young people’s access to the short-break service helps to remove them from influences that may have negative consequences. As a result, young people remain in the care of their families, instead of becoming a child in care.

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Requires improvement

Since the last inspection, the bedroom door alarms have not been needed. Young people feel extremely safe. A young person said, ‘Windows and doors are closed. The home is alarmed. There is no use of the bedroom door alarms.’

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Requires improvement

There have been no complaints received since the last full inspection. Young people know how to complain and feel comfortable talking to staff about their concerns. This helps to address underlying issues before they become a complaint. A young person said, ‘I have never had to make a complaint, but know who I would go to if I needed to. I feel safe when I am here.’

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Requires improvement

All staff are trained in the use of physical intervention. It is only used as a last resort. Since the last full inspection, there has been minimal use of the measure. Staff use de-escalating techniques to diffuse difficult situations. Behaviour is managed well by staff, because they understand the individual needs of young people. Staff work closely with young people to build good, strong and positive relationships with them. As a result, young people are not involved in crime and do not go missing while on their short break. This keeps them safe and protected from harm.

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Good

The service benefits from a longstanding manager who is suitably qualified and holds a national vocational qualification level 4 in the management and care of children and young people. A dedicated and committed staff team supports him. The staff team hold suitable qualifications in caring for children and young people. Staff retention is excellent. There has been no movement of staff since the last full inspection. This helps the team to work effectively and efficiently. As a result, young people receive good-quality care.

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Good

The manager and the team know that they improve the lives of young people, because they regularly share feedback that they receive about the service. They monitor the success of young people on a daily basis. This helps them to identify what is good and what needs to be improved. A staff member said, ‘We have daily books that show progress from their start point. It shows their journey through short breaks. There is more of a reflective log for showing progress. We go to all meetings to update and share information. This helps us to see young people’s progress.’

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Good

The team works in excellent partnership with parents, teachers and health professionals. They extend their support through outreach. This helps to keep the links and channels of communication open between parents, young people and the short-break service.

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Good

The manager provides good training, supervision and appraisal for his staff team. This ensures that staff are up to date with changes to legislation, are knowledgeable and skilled to undertake their role, and have opportunities for personal development. Staff feel that the success of the service is down to good leadership and management. A staff member said, ‘The success is good management. We feel that we have the backing of the management, and they always listen to us and back you up. The quality of support is excellent.’ As a result, the service thrives.

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Good

The manager monitors the quality of the home and provides a bi-annual report to Ofsted. An independent visitor undertakes further monitoring. However, visits are not always completed on a monthly basis in line with regulation. This means that opportunities to report on the service are lost.

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Good

Not all records that are required to be held are kept up to date. For example, the admission and discharge log book does not clearly identify, from the first admission, the address prior to placement. This does not guarantee that factual and correct information is stored.

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Good

The statement of purpose is reviewed and updated when required and the manager and staff team are clear about the aims and objectives of the service.

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Good

The manager challenges services that are not effective. The deputy said, ‘We often challenge education. There was a period of time when schools were using us as a stop gap for young people who were not in education. There was an expectation that we would provide education. We discussed this, as it was not acceptable.’

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Good

The manager has taken action to address the requirement made at the last inspection, with bedroom door alarms no longer in use.

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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’. 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 looked after children is safeguarded and promoted. Minimum requirements

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What the inspection judgements mean

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 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 ‘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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