Children's Home run by Coventry City Council in Coventry

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 very positive relationships with staff and feel supported and cared for.  Young people make progress because of the service that they receive from staff at the home.  Staff work closely with young people and their wider networks to promote each young person‟s safety.  Staff work hard with young people and professionals to ensure that young people make progress with their education, enhancing their life opportunities.  Young people are involved in activities in the local community and enjoy a range of life-enriching experiences.  Staff carefully assess each young person‟s needs prior to their joining the home to ensure that other young people are not destabilised.  Young people live in a homely, welcoming environment. Staff are highly effective role models for young people.  Young people are encouraged to develop independence skills but it is not always clear what progress young people have made in this area from their

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The children's home provision is good because:

starting points.  Some young people have additional needs but some information presented to them by staff, including the children‟s guide, does not take account of communication needs.  Recording of physical interventions needs to be improved.

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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

(3) The registered person must ensure that: (b) within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so („the authorised person‟)— (i) has spoken to the user about the measure; and (ii) has signed off the record to confirm it is accurate. (Regulation 35 (3)(b)(i)(ii)(c)) 11/11/2016

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendations:  Ensure that the children's guide is age appropriate, provided in an accessible format and explained to each child to make sure that they understand it. („Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 24, paragraph 4.20)  Ensure that staff prepare each child for any moves from the home, whether they are returning home, moving to another placement or living independently. („Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 17, paragraph 3.27)

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Information about this children's home

The home provides short-term assessment placements of a maximum of 12 weeks for up to five children or young people. Assessments inform decisions about the next suitable placement for young people. The service is operated by a local authority.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 24/02/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 22/10/2015 Full Good 03/03/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness 26/11/2014 Full Adequate

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Good

Young people often arrive in crisis, and they receive good-quality support and care from staff. The short-term nature of the service means that staff work hard to gain young people‟s trust and confidence. They are successful in doing this. Young people are helped to look ahead and their views and wishes are considered as part of their daily and longer term plans. Young people experience an ethos that encourages stability at a time of emotional difficulty. Staff gently work with young people, encouraging them to reflect on their current circumstances and overcome difficulties which impede their progress. A social work manager commented, „A great positive about the home is staff ability to make connections with young people. So much so, that many young people do not want to leave!‟ Young people experience the right kind of support, which enables them to embrace a more stable lifestyle. This helps them to re-establish social and educational

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Good

routines. Not all young people are in full-time education, but some have successfully engaged again in full-time school or college. They have excellent attendance and punctuality, maximising their educational opportunities, and giving structure to their lives. Staff are proactive in pursuing additional opportunities for young people if they are unable to receive full-time education immediately. A teacher commented, „Staff courteously challenge school about various matters concerning the young people they care for.‟ Young people‟s continued good health and well-being are a priority for staff. Detailed health plans help staff to monitor individual needs. Sound advice and guidance helps young people to make informed choices about their health. Staff are vigilant in protecting and promoting young people‟s privacy whenever possible and carefully consider how and when information is shared. Young people understand that adults caring for them have their well-being at heart.

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Good

Staff practice in a non-discriminatory way, understanding the importance of promoting equality and fairness. They challenge any form of unfair treatment of young people. Young people expand their knowledge and understanding of socially acceptable ways of behaviour, helping them to integrate into society. Young people live in a home which is spacious, clean and has a very homely feel. Given the short-term nature of the service, and that young people are often in emotional turmoil when they arrive, occasional damage does occur. However, this is swiftly rectified by staff and contractors, and the home maintains a pleasant and welcoming feel. The registered manager keeps a close eye on the fabric of the home and plans to upgrade various furnishings to ensure that good standards are maintained. Young people clearly enjoy spending time in their rooms and they furnish them with personal possessions according to their taste. One young person

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Good

said, „This is my pad! I am going to put my number on the door, and have a bell!‟ Mealtimes are lively, enjoyable occasions when young people and residents sit together enjoying a range of healthy, freshly prepared, nutritious food, which offers something for all tastes. Young people sometimes cook and bake with the home‟s cooks, and they contribute their ideas towards menu planning. Young people learn valuable skills about health and nutrition. Young people have a good quality of day-to-day life. Staff warmly welcome young people home from school each day and help them to prepare for evening routines, including completing homework. Young people participate in a range of activities in line with their preferences. This enriches young people‟s lives. Young people feel involved in their lives at the home. The young people‟s guide is informative, but for some young people with additional needs, it may appear

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Good

complex. The registered manager is reviewing the guide to ensure that it is accessible for all. Young people are all encouraged to learn age-appropriate independence skills, and they are responsible for their rooms, laundry and help with other chores around the home. However, it is not always clear how staff identify areas where young people need help, particularly for some young people who may soon be moving to semi- independent living.

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Good

Young people respond well to the support and interventions of staff at the home. They feel safe and they begin to work with staff to change risk factors affecting their lives. Professionals are uniformly positive about the home. A social worker said, „Staff addressed the significant safeguarding issues regarding a young person and they are skilled in quickly building rapport with vulnerable young people at a difficult time.‟ Staff have developed strong working relationships with police, social workers and other agencies to promote the safety of each young person. Staff work closely with young people to increase their understanding of all aspects of safety, including risks of sexual exploitation, going missing from care, social media and bullying. Young people are kept safe as staff know and understand the clear strategies that they must follow if they have any concerns about them. Staff employ innovative

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Good

approaches to engage young people‟s attention, and make information meaningful to them, including using YouTube clips from the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) command, and having one-to-one discussions about the use of different social media applications, including how the applications interact with each other. Young people‟s understanding of different types of risks increases, helping them to make informed decisions about their actions. Young people often arrive at the home in crisis. There are a high number of episodes of young people going missing from care or being absent without permission. Staff, social workers and police work together to identify individual plans for each young person, pertinent to their circumstances. Staff gather information about young people‟s networks enabling them to look for them in known areas, minimising episodes of going missing. Some young people have

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Good

reduced or stopped going missing, and where this work is ongoing, staff are tireless in their efforts and continue to support each young person, promoting their safety. Young people recognise the progress that they have made in working with staff, increasing their self-esteem and life opportunities. Staff are proactive if they have any concerns about young people‟s safety. For example, records detailing incidents of concern are well-written, informative and clear, helping managers and other professionals to take informed action to protect young people. When they read their records, young people will understand that staff did all they could to promote their safety and they had their best interests at heart. Young people benefit from personalised behaviour support plans. These encourage them to focus on positive behaviour through gaining rewards and taking responsibility for their actions. Young people learn to manage their behaviour in

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Good

socially acceptable ways. Incidents of physical intervention are rare, but records are not always completed fully. For example, they do not always include young people‟s views following the incident, or include a manager‟s oversight of the incident. Consequently, if young people look at their file, they may not have all the information that they need to understand why a physical intervention was necessary. In addition, they will see that a manager has not reviewed the incident and commented upon it. Health and safety checks are all completed regularly in line with organisational expectations, leading to a safe environment for young people. In addition, staff recruitment checks are thorough, meaning that young people are looked after by staff who have been thoroughly vetted.

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Good

The registered manager is a qualified social worker. She is an experienced manager who has been in post for five years. The registered manager provides strong leadership and sets high standards for staff ensuring that a good service is maintained for all young people living at the home. Young people‟s welfare and progress are the focus for all managers and staff. The service reflects that as described in the home‟s statement of purpose. Managers and staff work extremely effectively with partner agencies to avoid delay and drift for young people, and aim to put the voice of the young person at the centre of planning. For example, managers have liaised with social workers to re-examine one young person‟s care plan given his wish to stay with his family. Young people are reassured that adults listen to their views and act upon them. The registered manager thoroughly scrutinises all referrals to the home and

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Good

carefully considers the impact of each new young person on those already living there. Young people benefit as the manager makes sure that they receive every support possible to make progress with their lives. A young person who had left the home commented, „Staff were so nice. They made me feel comfortable. Everyone lives together like a big family.‟ The registered manager has forged excellent relationships with professionals. One teacher commented, „The managers at the home are proactive in requesting training related to educational matters. We consider managers and staff to be “on the ball” regarding education. They value it highly, and communicate very well with us.‟ A social worker said, „I rate this home highly. Staff are knowledgeable and get things done.‟ Staff morale is high and staff say that they feel supported by managers. Staff receive regular supervision, and say that this helps them to work effectively with

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Good

young people. Most staff have obtained the level 3 diploma in caring for children and young people in residential care. When they have not, they are enrolled on the course and aim to complete it within the required timescale. Staff training is comprehensive and includes not only the core training courses including safeguarding and health and safety, but also courses relevant to individual young people‟s needs, such as caring for young people with autism, and caring for young people who may self-harm. Staff are encouraged to share information and contribute to workshops, increasing knowledge for all staff. Consequently, young people are cared for by staff who are well trained and understand their needs. The registered manager has a good overview of the strengths and areas of development for the service. Areas for development include continuing to develop strong partnership working, managers attending the child sexual exploitation

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Good

champions group, and developing the restorative justice approach with police to avoid criminalising young people. The registered manager works closely with the independent visitor and she welcomes scrutiny. This ensures that the service continues to develop and improve for the benefit of young people. There were no requirements or recommendations made at the last inspection.

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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 (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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