Children's home run by The Partnership of The Chartwell Group

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:

 Staff work sensitively with the children to support them and to involve them in the day-to-day decisions.  Children are engaged in their education. This is particularly positive, as most of the children have not been in education prior to living in this home. The children are learning new skills and gaining knowledge because of this.  Children go missing from this home, but when they do staff contact the police to ensure that the children can be found and returned. Staff are vigilant to the significant risks that exist in the community for these children.  Trained staff intervene to help to prevent children from harming themselves or others. The manager and staff review the records of these incidents to ensure that they have been carried out appropriately and to learn alternative ways to manage future occurrences.  The manager has liaised appropriately with the designated office for safeguarding in the local authority. Consequently, safeguarding procedures

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The children's home provision is good because:

have been followed, and children remain safe.  There has been constructive work with health professionals to look at the most appropriate ways of meeting some children’s complex needs. Some current methods are not suitable and may isolate some children from their peers. Further development is planned, to minimise the impact of the techniques used to manage children's complex needs on other children and the home.

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendation:

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Recommendations

 Take every step to make sure that individual children are not subjected to discrimination, marginalisation, or bullying from their peers by virtue of their disability or for any other reason. This is with particular reference to the use of personal equipment. (‘Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 16, paragraph 3.12)

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Information about this children's home

The home provides accommodation and education in a small group setting for a maximum of six boys who have emotional, behavioural and/or learning difficulties. The home specialises in offering long-term placements. The premises are registered with the Department for Education as a school.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

09/02/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

10/03/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness

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people living in the home are

Children are making good progress because of living in this home. Observations of staff interacting with the children show a caring and relaxed approach. The children comment on the good relationships that they have with staff. The children take part in regular, direct key-work sessions with staff who use these sessions to raise important issues and discuss children’s care plans. The staff use opportunities, such as going out for a walk, as times to begin some of this work. This means that not only are the children involved in the day-to-day decisions in their lives, they understand how staff support them. A placing social worker commented, ‘He has developed a good relationship with staff and with the other peers in the home.’ The children are involved in choosing activities, such as cinema, canoeing and playing computer console games. This takes place at a community meeting with staff. Recently, some children were involved in the planning and arranging of a

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people living in the home are

holiday in France. This helped to promote the group members’ ability to work together and learn about budgeting and about the local area that they were planning to visit. Children are engaged in education. Some attend a mainstream school in the community, and others attend a local college. The on-site school is meeting the needs of the other children. This is particularly positive, as most of the children were not in education prior to living in this home. The children are learning new skills and gaining knowledge because of this. There is a high level of daily communication between these education providers. This means that important information is shared, and there is a strong emphasis on consistency of care from the staff at the home and with those agencies. The work completed at this home with children in relation to education is especially constructive. Staff have supported and encouraged children to engage with college and school, where they

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people living in the home are

are learning skills that will prepare them for the world of work or further education. Previously, these children were not committed to education. Through the dedicated work of the key workers, children are now getting up earlier to catch public transport and completing their course work. The staff help the children to make and keep important appointments with doctors, dentists and other professionals. One social worker commented, ‘The staff always act promptly to help with any health needs that he has and they will follow up any issues that come from the consultations.’ These appointments help children to remain healthy. Sports and activities, such as walking and swimming, and a balanced diet all support the children’s physical well-being. Staff manage specific medical needs. There has been positive joint work with health professionals to consider the most appropriate ways of meeting these needs. Currently, however, some methods used to manage this are not suitable

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people living in the home are

and are likely to isolate some children in the home. The manager and staff are researching ways to promote positive care plans and management techniques to minimise the impact of children's complex needs on other children in the home. Staff share information with placing social workers on how the children are progressing in the home. One commented, ‘There is a good level of communication from this home.’ The manager routinely monitors the case records for each child. This ensures that targets set in care plans are followed up and that children’s needs are well met. Older children develop independent living skills as part of their pathway plans. Staff help them to learn to cook and budget prior to leaving the home. This means that they can practise these skills with confidence alongside staff who know and understand their abilities. Staff promote positive contact with extended families when it is assessed to be in

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people living in the home are

the children’s best interests. Staff travel with children to supervise if needed. This helps children to maintain these important connections with their heritage and their local area.

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people are helped and protected

Children are safely cared for in this home. One child said, ‘I get on really well with my key worker. She is very caring. She has helped me towards a planned move to a family placement.’ Staff regularly review the risk assessments to ensure that they have the most up-to-date information to work with. This helps to maintain safe- caring practice. Children go missing from this home. When they do, staff are alert to the significant risks that exist in the community for these children. In particular, staff understand the risks of exploitation. Staff contact the police to ensure that the children can be found and returned. Information is shared with all agencies, as described in the missing-from-care policy. Trained staff intervene to prevent the children from harming themselves or others. Since the last inspection, there have been 16 occasions when staff have restrained children. The manager and staff review the records of these incidents to ensure

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people are helped and protected

that they have been carried out appropriately and to inform the management of such events in the future. Children’s views are recorded following each incident, to gain their understanding of the occurrence. Some of the children have particularly complex needs, and their behaviour can challenge the carers’ ability to meet them. Staff in this home are skilful in managing these behaviours and positively reward the behaviour that is acceptable, and, as a result, negative conduct has reduced. The manager has liaised with the designated officer for safeguarding in the local authority, following an allegation made by a child. The manager also notified Ofsted of this and of the subsequent outcome. The designated officer reported that they were happy, that there was no safeguarding concern and that no further action was required. Safeguarding procedures were followed, and children remained safe.

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leaders and managers

The manager has been in post for 10 months, having previously worked in the home as a senior residential worker. She has a level 5 diploma in management. She proficiently organises the staff to meet the needs of the children who live in this home. Staff receive regular supervision, which addresses the safe-care plans for the children. She also oversees staff practice, as she will often work on shifts where she can observe the interaction and encourage positive interaction. The staff have received relevant induction and refresher training and completed the required level 3 diploma. This means that they have the skills to meet the needs of these children. The manager regularly monitors the care plans to ensure that children are reaching the objectives set. She also ensures that staff are directly engaging with children and targeting areas of their care plans to enhance their development. This monitoring, along with the scrutiny from the independent visitor, supports the staff

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leaders and managers

in meeting the children’s needs, as described in the statement of purpose. Placing social workers reflect that children have made good progress having lived in this home. They confirm that the staff keep them informed of how the children are developing. A social worker commented, ‘There is very good communication from school and between the home and myself.’ The manager has pursued the authorities to provide the services to the children that they require, for example, requesting information regarding the transition towards a foster placement for one child. The outcome has been positive, introductions to the carers have taken place and the plan is progressing. The manager reflects on the strengths of the home. She considers the strong work ethic and the commitment to working together to meet the needs of children as being significant. Looking ahead, the challenges of bringing the skill set of the new

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leaders and managers

staff members to the highest level possible and positively meeting the challenges that new children moving in will bring are her goals

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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

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

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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