Children's home run by Castle Homes Limited in North Northamptonshire

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 make good progress through the support of staff who help them to develop their independence and daily living skills.  Inter-agency working is strong. Excellent relationships exist with stakeholders and professionals, which results in a consistency of approach to young people.  Staff facilitate friends and family contact to make it a positive experience for all. Young people are able to maintain positive relationships and are encouraged to make new friends who are welcomed into the home.  The registered manager ensures that there is a culture of developing the service, ensuring continued improvement and learning from omissions and shortfalls in practice. However, some care plans were not updated immediately when a change of circumstances occurred. This is being rectified by the registered manager.

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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

13: The leadership and management standard In order to meet the leadership and management standard the registered person must— (2)(h) use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (2) (h)) 11/11/2016

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Requirement Due date

14: The care planning standard In order to meet the care planning standard, the registered person must ensure— (2)(c) that each child's relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (2) (c)) 11/11/2016

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Requirement Due date

32: Fitness of workers The registered person must ensure that for the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification, including agency workers if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained— (a) the level 3 diploma for residential childcare (England) (‘the level 3 diploma’); or (b) a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the level 3 diploma. (Regulation 32 (4) (a) (b)) 01/12/2016

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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

 Where children placed in the home are not participating in education because they have been excluded or are not in school the child should be supported to sustain or regain their confidence in education and be engaged in suitable structured activities. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.15)  No more than half the staff on duty at any one time, by day or night, at the home should be from an external agency. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.17)

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Information about this children's home

The children’s home provides a residential provision for up to four young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties. The children’s home is run by a private organisation.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 08/12/2015 Full Good

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Good

Young people living here experienced a short period of instability when two young people were admitted within days of each other. Relationships between the young people became problematic and staff initially struggled to calm matters. However, they persisted in addressing the issues through key work sessions, a bullying prevention workshop and regular meetings with all the young people. The bullying stopped for a short time, then resurfaced. The registered manager took further action to resolve this. Young people now report that there is no bullying in the home. They say that the home is calmer. One young person also said, ‘I’m happy here. There’s nothing I want to change.’ Another young person confirmed, ‘It is good here.’ Two of the young people are attending education full time. They are both motivated to gain paid employment. One is attending additional tutor sessions to help him to reach this goal. Staff support the other young person to attend college,

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Good

apply for part-time jobs and learn to drive. Staff recognise, value and support young people’s ambitions. Staff are struggling to ensure that another young person accesses education regularly. Staff actively encourage her to participate. However, this is currently not effective enough. The registered manager has now devised a new recording system and will ensure that actions taken are reviewed and evaluated. A personal education plan is in place to promote the young person’s academic achievement. Young people’s emotional well-being is a priority. They receive the health services that they require, including specialist mental health therapies. The registered manager attends a young person’s trauma therapy with her. This enables the registered manager and staff to gain more insight to enable them to better support the young person. Young people who are at risk of misusing illegal substances have had intensive

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Good

interventions, including key work sessions, management consultations, discussions with the local police community support officer and referrals to a health specialist. This has been effective, ensuring that young people receive a clear message regarding the seriousness of substance misuse. Staff encourage young people to work towards independence and complete pathway plans and learn new skills. One young person is shopping, cooking and budgeting for herself. Another young person said, ‘I do my own washing and basic cooking.’ Staff encourage young people by setting measurable targets and monitoring these during key work sessions. One young person proudly showed the inspector his cultural booklet where he had learned about his family origin. Staff work with young people to ensure that they are able to see those individuals who are important to them, such as parents and other relatives. Staff, in conjunction with social workers, facilitate contact and review arrangements. Young

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Good

people are encouraged to develop their sense of identity and to experience positive relationships. Staff make arrangements with a young person’s friend’s family to ensure that she can stay overnight at her friend’s home and remain safe. This is reciprocated, as young people invite their friends back to the home to visit and participate in activities. Young people’s social relationships are valued and promoted. The home feels like a family environment. Young people are able to personalise their rooms. Young people are encouraged to show a commitment to the home. They are able to care for pets, which creates a sense of belonging here and teaches them to take responsibility.

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Good

Safeguarding training includes training about child sexual exploitation and whistleblowing. One young person’s risk of child sexual exploitation has considerably reduced as a result of staff intervention. She was previously judged to be at high risk. However, she now rarely goes missing. Her social worker says, ‘This is the best placement to manage the risk to her. They keep her safe.’ In the event that a young person leaves the home without permission, staff do their utmost to locate them. Staff visit areas where young people may go. They work with police to safeguard young people. The recommendation from the last inspection to update the missing from home policy has been met. Safeguarding procedures are followed in detail. However, in one instance there was a significant delay in reporting an important matter. This prompted an internal investigation from which lessons have been learned. Staff have a good knowledge of e-safety. Software assists in keeping young people

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Good

safe as well as staff providing education about risks in the cyber world. Staff ensure that suitable restrictions are enforced where required. Young people learn to use social media safely. An ethos of restorative justice and appropriate consequences help young people to manage their behaviours. An external restorative justice manager facilitated a workshop with staff on this issue. Staff have put their learning into practice. Staff maintain close links with the local police community support officer, who visits the home regularly and interacts well with young people. Young people are learning to trust the services and organisations which exist to protect them. Robust recruitment processes are in place to safeguard young people from unsuitable adults working with them. All checks on prospective employees are undertaken before they commence work. Newly qualified staff undertake training and shadowing opportunities prior to working with young people. A new staff

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Good

member reported, ‘I feel well supported. I can ask anyone anything and they will help.’ Health and safety checks are up to date. An issue raised by the inspector in relation to health and safety was addressed immediately. Fire safety measures are routinely applied. External visitors to the home are adequately supervised.

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Good

The registered manager has a level 5 qualification in leadership and management. She has been a registered manager for seven years and has worked for the organisation for 14 years. She has the necessary qualifications and experience to manage the home. She has a good understanding of the young people’s needs and staff performance. She is evaluative of the work of her team and motivates them to improve their practice. The young people’s care plans are detailed. Staff report that they are informed about young people’s needs prior to their admission. However, staff have not always followed the care plans. The recording format has recently changed and this contributed to important information regarding a young person’s care plan being omitted. This has been addressed and the young person was not at risk because of this. The registered manager systematically monitors the quality of care provided to improve practice. During the crisis period, internal monitoring was not as robust as

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Good

usual. In response to this, the registered manager initiated a quality development and governance process to analyse and evaluate the leadership and management processes. She also employed an additional deputy manager to support her to implement the actions identified. This led to improvements. However, further work is needed to ensure that improvements are embedded. Good relationships between staff and external professionals result in effective multi-disciplinary working. A social worker said, ‘The young person is doing very well considering where she was before she was placed. She has developed some positive relationships with staff.’ Another social worker reported, ‘I cannot think of any improvements that can be made as the level of care was excellent.’ Supervisions are regular and evaluative. Staff report that they are well supported and able to reflect on their practice. A member of staff said, ‘Any issues are

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Good

addressed in supervision. Communication is good.’ Another staff member said, ‘I can ask the registered manager anything I need to and she will respond.’ The registered manager now has regular supervision, which equips her with the necessary support to improve the home. The registered manager is currently recruiting for new posts. Staff cover shifts to reduce reliance on agency workers. The registered manager only uses agency workers that are familiar with the young people. However, they do not all have the level 3 diploma for residential childcare or are enrolled on the course. The statement of purpose accurately describes the aims and objectives of the home, which are followed in practice. The children’s guide is easy to read with useful information to prepare young people as to what to expect when they arrive. The location risk assessment is thorough. The registered manager consults with the local community support officer and other professions and local services. This

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Good

information is used to inform the staff about risks in the area.

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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 looked after children 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 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 (Carcass), 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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