Children's home run by Educare Adolescent Services Limited in Cannock Chase

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 experience a care environment that feels like a family home, and they are part of the local community. The home is welcoming and well maintained, and young people have personalised their rooms.  Young people form trusting and warm relationships with the nurturing and highly committed staff team. The staff provide young people with fun while skilfully maintaining firm boundaries.  Young people quickly settle in the home and make exceptional and sustained progress in all areas of their development and well-being.  Young people make significant progress in their ability to understand their emotions and manage their behaviour. In the knowledge that staff will listen to them, young people are confident to talk to staff about their needs and views.  Highly experienced, skilled and child-focused staff have an in-depth understanding of young people’s complex emotional needs. Staff work very

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The children’s home provision is outstanding because:

effectively as a team to meet these.  Staff proactively advocate on behalf of young people.  Through their dedicated work, staff show an exceptional ability to adapt to new and challenging demands, including working with the issue of radicalisation.  The highly experienced staff constantly refer to research in order to support their practice. This includes theoretical approaches to meeting the needs of young people, and also research into young people’s cultural and religious needs.  Young people are safe and staff meet with them regularly in effective keyworker sessions to help them to understand how to keep themselves safe. Staff have recently successfully tackled some radicalisation risks.  The caring and child-focused registered manager provides the team with a positively impactful therapeutic model for working with young people. This strong leadership inspires the staff and ensures that they provide high-

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The children’s home provision is outstanding because:

quality, consistent care for each young person.

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned children’s home is registered for two young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties and learning disabilities. The home’s statement of purpose describes crisis intervention and short-, medium- or long-term placements for children aged seven to 17 years.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 10/02/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 15/07/2015 Full Good 24/03/2015 Interim Declined in effectiveness 10/12/2014 Full Adequate

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Outstanding

There are substantial strengths in the quality of care young people receive. Young people enjoy a welcoming, comfortable house where they can relax and focus on their own needs. They have personalised their rooms and, in the living rooms, there are many photographs of young people and staff having fun. This home feels like a family home because the highly skilled, experienced and child- focused staff create a relaxed atmosphere where young people can be themselves. Young people have local friends who knock on the door to ask if they are coming out. They engage in the community, meeting friends at the local ice rink and having friends over for birthday parties.

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Outstanding

Young people quickly form warm and trusting relationships with staff, sharing jokes and banter. One young person, who had stated that he did not want to settle here, now engages fully with staff. He has also invested in the placement by decorating and personalising his room. Staff are constantly vigilant to young people’s moods and behaviour. Based on a therapeutic approach and an in-depth understanding of the reasons behind the behaviour, staff respond to young people and changing dynamics exceptionally well and in a timely manner. Consequently, young people benefit from highly consistent care, which enables them to learn and develop within a highly nurturing and structured environment.

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Outstanding

Young people actively engage in the regular young people’s meetings, which immediately precede staff team meetings. They quickly receive feedback after the staff meetings where their issues of concern or requests are a regular item on the agenda. Staff listen to young people, involve them in problem solving and give them responsibility. For example, staff encouraged the young people to resolve their differences over trips in the car. The young people decided to have a rota over who sat in the front.

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Outstanding

Young people’s identity needs are given a high priority by staff, who strongly support family contact and advocate on behalf of young people. Staff provided one young Muslim person with the facilities and understanding that she needed to support her religious and cultural needs. When her family visited for contact, staff provided them with a place to pray.

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Outstanding

Young people enjoy a wide range of physical activities, which support their physical, emotional and social development. One young person goes horse riding once a week, and staff encourage her love of animals by enabling her to walk dogs at a local rescue on a regular basis. Another young person has discovered a talent for ice skating and enjoys going several times a week. Staff take him to the ice rink and he spends time with his friends before being collected later in the evening. This enables him to have free time, and supports his independence and confidence. This attention to detail by staff has resulted in this young person being able to start ice hockey lessons, which he is looking forward to attending.

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Outstanding

Young people have fun with staff; they play football together in the garden and, during the summer holidays, have day trips to theme parks and to the seaside. Staff carefully and sensitively manage conflict between the young people. Staff managed the relationship between the young people over the holidays with a detailed and creative plan of daily activities that they could do separately, as well as together.

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Outstanding

Young people make exceptional and sustained progress from their starting points when they were admitted to this home. All young people attend full-time education. One young person, who had missed two years of education and only attended part-time school when he arrived, now attends mainstream school full- time. Staff supported another young person to engage fully with a personal tutor in her A level studies. One young person has significantly increased her ability to recognise the link between her own emotions and behaviour. She is now able to reduce the escalation of conflict with other young people by actively deciding not to argue and, if necessary, removing herself from the situation. She commented that the staff had helped her with her anger.

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Outstanding

With the help of sensitive staff, a young person has been able to mature, and to make and sustain friendships. When staff redecorated her bedroom, they made a decision to encourage her to make her room more in keeping with her chronological age. With her agreement, staff removed her early childhood books and toys, but kept them in the office in recognition that at times of stress she may wish to read or play with them. Staff have been able to support her maturity while having a clear focus on her stage of emotional development and needs.

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Outstanding

The safety and well-being of young people is of paramount importance to the registered manager and staff. Young people feel extremely safe and well supported by staff who they trust and respect. All staff are trained in child protection and are alert to young people’s vulnerabilities, including potential risks of child sexual exploitation.

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Outstanding

Staff write detailed, thorough and effective risk assessments. These help young people to take reasonable risks as part of their growth and development and at the same time, staff are able understand the risks and manage them safely. Since the last inspection, there has been a significant reduction in young people going missing from home. This has been as a direct result of the positive rapport between staff and young people, and the protective steps taken by staff to help to reduce the likelihood of further incidents occurring. These protective steps include knowing the triggers for incidents and using a wide range of activities as a positive alterative.

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Outstanding

Young people have improved their ability to manage their behaviour, and physical intervention is now seldom required. This has been achieved because the staff team show trust and respect towards young people and use their positive relationships to avoid challenging behaviour escalating.

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Outstanding

Skilled staff undertake regular key work sessions with young people; amongst other issues, these sessions focus on feelings, behaviour, relationships and internet safety. Young people are encouraged to reflect on the consequences of their behaviour and staff have demonstrated an ability to work with a range of complex issues, including radicalisation. Their close collaboration with a wide range of professionals including local authorities, the police, schools, therapists and the community, helps to enhance the safety of the young people. The social worker for one young person commented, ‘I worked effectively with the staff. The staff showed excellent professionalism and joint working in the area of radicalisation (new area of work)’.

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Outstanding

Young people are comfortable about reporting any concern, and have confidence that any form of bullying will be tackled promptly and effectively.

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Outstanding

Staff training is relevant and up to date including social media and e-safety issues. Staff supervision is reflective and focused on these key areas of safeguarding. These measures mean that when young people use the internet, they are protected from harm. This includes staff being diligent when young people are using the internet and all computers are fitted with filters.

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Outstanding

This home is very well led and managed. The registered manager has over 11 years’ experience of working with children and young people. He holds a level 3 qualification in youth in the community, level 3 health and social care, children and young people, and a level 5 qualification in leadership and management. He has been in his current post since January 2015. During this time, he has taken the service provided to young people from adequate to outstanding. This excellent progress has required significant changes in practice and culture. The registered manager also manages another home judged to be outstanding in the company, with the support of two deputy managers. All staff at the home are qualified to level 3 and have first aid qualifications.

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Outstanding

Despite the registered manager’s increased responsibilities within the company, he provides his staff team at the home with a high standard of guidance, support and development. He has created a strong, skilled and effective team. The registered manager is exceptionally committed to providing high quality care and constantly strives to improve standards. He has a strong therapeutic approach to the care of young people, which is inspirational for staff and highly beneficial for the young people. The registered manager believes that the home should feel like a family home, where young people have a sense of belonging. He has achieved this goal.

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Outstanding

Both the registered manager and his deputy provide staff with calm and knowledgeable guidance, which enables them to create a relaxed atmosphere for the young people. Clear and accessible recording systems support staff to work efficiently and confidently. Records of work with young people are detailed working documents and help to demonstrate their progress and experience. Excellent communication with other professionals includes providing weekly progress reports for social workers.

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Outstanding

As part of his ongoing review of the service, the registered manager sends questionnaires to family and professionals for feedback each month. Staff views are also taken into account, as is feedback from young people. Staff receive regular supervision, which is reflective and structured, and enables the registered manager to monitor the quality of practice.

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Outstanding

Regular team meetings include discussions about key working. The registered manager is introducing the team to the playfulness, acceptance, curiosity and empathy (PACE) therapeutic model of working with young people. The registered manager is keen to use research to underpin the practice of his team. For example, he has used research to help understand the different religions and cultures that go beyond young people’s practical requirements. The registered manager has made good use of the internet to increase his understanding and knowledge. Through this, he had approached local religious groups to ensure that appropriate staff are always on duty who are able to support young people to observe dress codes, religious festivals and diets.

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Outstanding

The local authority virtual school inclusion mentor commented, ‘The registered manager is very committed to young people and their well-being. This is evidenced in the personal education plan and care-planning meetings that he attends’.

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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 standard’. 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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