West End House & The Bungalow

Outstanding

The children's home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the home contribute to significantly improved outcomes for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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The children's home provision is outstanding because:

 Young people develop a strong sense of belonging and security from living in a stable, family-style home. The young people are making excellent progress in many aspects of their lives since coming to live here.  The young people are listened to, they are kept safe and are well cared for. The dedicated staff team look after them exceptionally well.  The young people are settled and enjoy living in their home. They are active members of the community, taking part in local clubs, leisure activities and employment.  The staff team’s priority is the safety and welfare of the young people. Likely risks are minimised and well managed. Clear boundaries, alongside a flexible, caring approach, contribute to young people’s feelings of well-being and security.  As the young people grow up, they develop effective independent living skills and maintain their employment. They are very well prepared to become successful young adults.

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The children's home provision is outstanding because:

 Effective partnership working arrangements with other services benefit the young people, who receive appropriate help to support their personal and social development.  Managers and staff show an outstanding grasp of each young person’s needs and their rate of progress. Individual care plans are robustly implemented and regularly reviewed for effectiveness.  Staff are well qualified, well trained and competent and work cohesively together to form a strong and reliable team. Good support from managers who are visible results in the delivery of sound care practices.  Recent staffing and structural changes in the home have been positively dealt with, reducing the risk of any possible detrimental impact on the daily experiences of young people.

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that must be taken so that the registered person/s meet(s) 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

6: The quality and purpose of care standard In order to meet the quality and purpose of care standard, the registered person must: 2(b)(vii) provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably. 31/12/2016

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Requirement Due date

44: Independent person: visits and reports The independent person must provide a copy of the independent person's report to HMCI. (Regulation 44(7)(a)) 31/10/2016

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendations:  The regulation 45 report should clearly identify any actions required for the next six months of delivery in the home and how those actions will be addressed. The whole review process and the resulting report should be used as a tool for continuous improvement in the home. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.4)  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 living in the home care. (‘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 is a local authority’s children’s home, which provides medium- to long-term placements for up to four children and young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The bungalow, which is adjacent to the main house, provides flexible accommodation for up to two young people, to support the development of their independent living skills as they grow into young adults.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

16/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

30/03/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Outstanding

The young people are making outstanding progress, given their starting points when they came to live in the home.. The excellent standard of individualised, nurturing, care and support that they receive reinforces the many achievements they make in relation to their education, health, and emotional and social well- being. The staff protect young people from possible risks of harm and help to minimise disruptions in their lives. Consequently, the young people remain in their home for a substantial period. The young people are happy, kept safe and enjoy living in their home. It is very much ‘their home’, where they feel safe and secure and trust the adults who look after them. The young people know that the staff really care about them and do their best to look after them well. They have learned from experience that staff will always help them to face and overcome any difficulties they may encounter. Staff

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Outstanding

stand by them and support them through both the good times and the challenging moments.. Relationships between the young people and staff members are strong, based on mutual trust and respect. A professional commented, ‘The young person is realising that the staff really care about them, and this is making a noticeable difference to their well-being.’ The young people are fully included in daily decisions about the things that affect them. They are listened to, and their views and opinions are taken into account before decisions are reached in their home. Their involvement gives them some ownership of their lives and their futures. They are learning to negotiate successfully, understanding the meaning of compromise and making improved choices for themselves. The young people have learned how to establish good relationships with their neighbours and they are accepted members of their local community. They gain

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Outstanding

local jobs and apprenticeships, play in local sports teams and perform in local shows. Their involvement and achievements increase their talents, self-confidence and feelings of self-worth and belonging. All young people regularly attend school, college or work, and for some of them this is a significant achievement. As they grow up, the young people receive outstanding help and support to develop their independent living skills. The reward scheme encourages young people to participate in the rigorous and structured independent living skills programme. The adjacent bungalow to the main house provides young people with their own independent accommodation and ready support. A young person said, ‘I like living in the bungalow and having my own space. I know staff are just next door if I need them.’ Individual young people learn to drive and pass their driving tests. They successfully compete against other local young people to gain

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Outstanding

apprenticeships and employment or take up further education opportunities. The young people successfully move into more independent living situations. They receive excellent outreach support from staff, which helps them to settle into their new home and manage their independence. Staff provide this planned support for as long as each young person needs it. Thereafter, some young people may continue to call the staff anytime they need particular support; they know that the staff will help them. Staff keep in touch with all the young people they have looked after by sending them birthday and Christmas cards. Staff support young people to keep in contact with their families and their friends, often driving many miles to facilitate this. Friends can sleep over and they are made welcome when they come to stay. Young people are able to take part in many of the same things that their friends choose to do. For example, they play

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Outstanding

football, meet up in town and go to music festivals. They are developing their social skills, and forming and maintaining friendships.

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Good

The home’s detailed safeguarding policies and protocols, individualised risk assessments, placement plans and behaviour management strategies provide clear guidance to staff. These documents direct staff about how best to provide help and support to promote their individual welfare needs and to keep them safe from harm. Effective personalised care meets young people’s individual physical, emotional and psychological health needs. For example, over the past 12-month period, the young people have improved their own understanding about how to keep themselves safe from possible harm. On only one occasion has a young person been missing from the home. Furthermore, the young people show a far better understanding about how to use the internet safely, reducing their risk of on-line exploitation. The young people are increasing their awareness about risky relationships and behaviours, and this helps to promote their future safety and

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Good

welfare. Individuals are making well-considered and safer choices about managing their health issues and about how they spend their leisure time. Very few disciplinary measures have been employed to manage individual young people’s unacceptable or challenging behaviours. The staff team forge strong working partnerships with other professionals and agencies, to support the delivery of focused and personalised care to individual young people. Staff appropriately seek advice and support to help safeguard the young people, minimising any known risks and supporting individual development. A child and adolescent mental health service (CAMHS) worker commended the home’s delivery of care to young people. They said, ‘It is an absolute pleasure to work with this children’s home. Staff freely seek advice from my service and they effectively implement multi-agency care plans. They are child centred in all that they do to meet individual needs.’

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Good

The very positive relationships that exist between the staff and the young people contribute to the effective protection of individual young people. The young people trust staff who look after them diligently. They feel able to talk to them about any worries or concerns that they may have. They have confidence that the staff will help and support them, however difficult the issue may be. These robust relationships underpin the high quality of the focused care provided to the young people and help to keep them safe. Staff support the young people to learn from their mistakes and help them to consider alternative and safer choices. Key work carried out in the home helps individuals to reflect on their past and to recognise their competencies and vulnerabilities. Staff encourage individuals to take more responsibility for their behaviour. The young people learn to become more accountable and considerate

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Good

of the impact of their actions on themselves and on others. The home appropriately notifies all relevant agencies of any significant incidents and works collaboratively in partnership with other safeguarding agencies to protect young people. Regular fire and health and safety checks are undertaken for utilities and services, the home, its grounds and activities. These actions contribute to ensuring that the home’s environment is physically safe and appropriately secure for young people and staff to live in. The home’s recruitment and selection practice and the supervision of staff were not looked at during this inspection. These confidential documents are kept securely by the registered manager and were not available for inspection during his absence from the home. The interim responsible individual is looking into this matter to find a way of remedying this shortfall. Judgement grade

p.8

Good

The registered manager and senior staff operate well-organised management systems to ensure the effective and efficient daily running of the home at all times. The registered manager is suitably qualified and experienced to manage the home. He was registered with Ofsted in September 2014 and he has been the manager of this home since 1 April 2014. Since commencing this role, the registered manager has achieved the level 5 diploma in leadership and management for residential childcare (England). Focused and safe care designed to effectively meet the needs of each young person underpins the operation of this home. The well-led staff team have very high aspirations for the young people they look after. Managers and staff show an excellent understanding of each young person’s diverse needs and demonstrate a strong level of commitment to helping and supporting them. Sound, partnership working arrangements and open communication with other professionals and

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Good

agencies contribute to achieving the best possible outcomes for individual young people. Working relationships with the virtual school team and CAMHS are excellent, ensuring that the young people receive appropriate education and health care provision. The refurbishment of the kitchen and bathrooms has removed the previous health hazards identified during the last inspection. The upgraded rooms provide the young people with modern and hygienic facilities. Staff have continued to work hard in their quest to continually improve the home to make it a comfortable and pleasant home for young people to enjoy living in. Staff have decorated the young people’s bedrooms and the dining room, and new carpets and flooring have been fitted. However, the sitting-room armchairs and sofa are considerably worn and are in need of replacement. The downstairs hallway, which runs the length of the main house, is in a poor state of repair and decoration. Walls are scuffed and marked,

p.9

Good

and doors, doorframes and skirting boards have been damaged and are in need of repair and redecoration. The wooden panels affixed to the external front door of the home and the internal office door, to cover damage, reduce the homely appearance of the house for the young people. Staff members are undertaking work in the garden to build a raised decking area, funded by a local charity. Plans are in place to hold a barbeque when it is completed, when the young people can invite the fundraisers to the event to say ‘thank you’. Staff have dug and planted new flowerbeds and cultivated a herb garden, to improve the garden and to provide fresh herbs for cooking. Staff encourage the young people to participate. The young people are fully involved in the running of their home and in making plans for its development. The young people’s inclusion in decision-making contributes to their high level of satisfaction about living in their home.

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Good

The quality of the young people’s plans has been improved since the last inspection, resulting in the provision of clearer guidance to staff about the implementation of individual plans. The new plan format enables the progress and outcomes of the young people to be measured more effectively. Plans are regularly reviewed and evaluated, facilitating the minimisation of any emerging difficulties and reducing possible periods of drift in the young people’s lives. The local authority provides staff with a good range of training opportunities that are relevant to their work. New staff are given a mentor who helps them to complete a thorough induction programme within the first six months of their employment. The home has a system in place to make sure that staff are provided with opportunities to obtain appropriate qualifications within required timescales. Most staff have achieved the diploma workforce level 3 award or similar. Currently,

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Good

two staff members are completing this award, and plans are in place for two recently employed staff members to commence this award in January 2017. The core training available equips staff to develop their knowledge, skills and competence to work with and meet the specific needs of the young people they look after. Staff are satisfied with the training provided. Regular team meetings are held, with other professionals attending to enhance staff learning and to support the development of the young people. Staff raise and discuss particular issues and develop strategies together that help young people to be effectively looked after. Well-defined shift handover sessions ensure that accurate and relevant information is shared within the team to provide safe, consistent and high-quality care to the young people. Changes implemented by the local authority have resulted in a number of staffing changes being made in the home. This has been well managed, ensuring that a

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Good

core team of staff remains working at the home to provide consistency and stability for the young people. Sufficient staffing providing an improved gender balance is now in place each day, to effectively meet the needs of the young people. The home’s statement of purpose and the young people’s welcome pack contain pertinent information about how the home operates and about the care and services that the young people can expect to receive. Inspection findings show that the stated aims and objectives of the home are thoroughly embedded in care practices. The home's records are securely stored. Staff support and involve young people in understanding the contents of their plans, key-work sessions and other documents that concern their care. The young people contribute their views about the content and implementation of their placement plans, and comment and sign each monthly review of their plan and progress.

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Good

The home’s monitoring processes evidence shortfalls in improving practice standards. However, there is no evidence found to show that these shortfalls have had a detrimental impact on the safety and welfare of young people. The registered manager completes six-monthly reports to review the quality of care provided by the home. His reports identify some strengths and weaknesses in the home’s operation and some actions for improvement. However, the reports lack a robust evaluation and analysis of the information gathered and the trends and patterns identified. The report is likely to bring about only limited improvement in the quality of care provided to the young people. The independent monthly visitor does not demonstrate sufficient rigour and challenge in their monitoring visits of the home. Few recommendations for improvement are made in the reports, and comments about direct observations made at the visits regarding the quality of care practices are very limited. Reporting

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Good

does not clearly highlight the views of the young people. Visits tend to be made late morning or early afternoon, and thus the visits do not capture a full picture of life in the home. The likelihood of the young people being present in the home around midday is low because all the young people attend work, college or school each day. Furthermore, particular comments made are repeated in subsequent reports. The monthly independent reports have not been regularly and promptly sent to Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, as is required by legislation.

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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 that 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 that 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 whom 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, 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

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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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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