Children's Home run by Prestige Adolescent Care and Education Limited in Staffordshire

Good

The children's home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.2

The children's home provision is good because:

 The new manager has taken over a service that is operating well.  Young people enjoy a property that is spacious and of a high standard.  Overall, young people make good progress. The majority of young people stay for a significant amount of time and establish good relationships with staff.  Staff provide each young person with a wide range of social and recreational opportunities. This widens young people’s horizons and several have started new hobbies.  Staff do as much as possible to keep young people in education. Consequently, young people improve their life chances.  The parents of young people grow to appreciate the service and help young people to succeed.  Young people benefit directly or indirectly from the therapeutic objectives of the service. The company therapist provides support that improves young people’s emotional welfare.  The risks that young people face decrease markedly. As a result, young

p.3

The children's home provision is good because:

people participate fully in normal activities and feel optimistic about the future.  Senior managers carefully consider any changes to the staff team. Consequently, the consistency and continuity of support received by young people is of a high standard.  The independent scrutiny of the home is of a high standard.  This inspection raises one requirement and four recommendations. Improved attention is particularly required to some potential risks, including the locality assessment and the security of vehicle keys.

p.3

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.

p.4

Requirement Due date

12: The protection of children standard In order to meet the protection of children standard to ensure that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe, the registered person must ensure— (2)(b) that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (2)(b)) This is with regard to staff’s belongings, including their car keys, being secure. 21/11/2016

p.4

Recommendations

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

p.4

Recommendations

 Ensure that staff continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. This is with regard to assessing ligature points. ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 42, paragraph 9.5)  Review routinely the effectiveness of any restraint system commissioned. ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 49, paragraph 9.58)  Review the appropriateness and suitability of the location and premises of the home at least once a year. The review should include the identification of any risks and opportunities presented by the home’s location and strategies for managing these. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.1).  Ensure that the six-monthly reviews of quality enable the registered person to identify areas of strength and possible weakness in the home’s care, which will

p.4

Recommendations

be captured in the written report. 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)

p.4

Information about this children's home

This home provides accommodation for up to four young people who have emotional and behavioural difficulties. It is one of four homes owned by a private company.

p.6

Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 30/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 19/01/2016 Full Good 23/03/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness 15/01/2015 Full Good

p.6

Good

Young people benefit from a large, modern house located along an unmade lane, close to suburban amenities. The property has a rural feel but is only a short distance from bus routes and shops. Each young person has a spacious bedroom and staff ensure that high standards of presentation prevail. The vast majority of residents who have left the home recently benefited from stays of over two years. This positive result reflects well on the processes of matching and support. Three of the current group of young people were admitted in the first half of this year and one young person has been here almost a year. All the young people are from nearby authorities. Staff undertake planned admissions, whenever possible, and all young people receive a thorough welcome. Young people and their families feel valued, which helps them to engage with staff. This is the basis of young people’s good progress. After only a few months, one parent

p.7

Good

said, ‘It’s brilliant! I’ve seen big changes and they’ve turned her round.’ Individual programmes help each young person to prepare for the next stage in their lives. Staff consult each young person regularly. Because of young people’s meetings and frequent sessions with key workers, young people’s views are clear. They are pleased with the care that they receive. Respect for young people’s views led to staff not attending a recent statutory review meeting. This was unusual but reflected the young person’s wishes and the chairperson obtained staff views in other ways. Young people’s views also play a substantial part in the choice of activities, especially during the recent summer holidays. Several young people have broadened their interests and learned new pastimes, which they thoroughly enjoy. For example, one young person has earned a season ticket for his favourite football team and another young person goes fishing and was successful in a recent

p.7

Good

tournament. These activities have helped young people to develop relationships with staff and invest in their placements. Young people get on well with staff most of the time and are compatible with each other. There is a pleasant and supportive atmosphere in the home. Staff encourage lively conversation, for example during well-organised mealtimes, and educate young people about appropriate participation. Staff advocate well with other agencies when ensuring that each young person has the correct package of formal education. This has substantially assisted one young person recently, helping both his learning and his demeanour. His next of kin said, ‘It’s the best place! They’re lovely people and they’ve got his interests at heart.’ All the young people benefit from the therapeutic objectives of the service, although not all of them currently choose to see a therapist personally. The organisation has its own therapist but, because of the financial arrangements,

p.7

Good

some young people use local mental health services. Most young people face significant emotional difficulties, some of which are particularly challenging. Staff handle these issues very well. A key feature is their close liaison with other professionals when deciding on strategies to keep young people safe and help them to move forwards. Professionals feel that young people progress well in the home. One professional said about her young person, ‘She’s settled here better than anywhere else.’ Another professional said that her young person had ‘made up lost ground’. Staff help every young person to increase their independence skills. Staff alter the programmes well to reflect each young person’s needs and targets. With staff support, one young person has progressed quickly and is planning to move to a more independent placement soon.

p.8

Good

In a wide range of consultation exercises, and during conversations with their social workers, young people say that they feel safe at the home. This reflects the fact that young people learn to protect themselves and face, for example, a substantially lower likelihood of child sexual exploitation. The local police confirm this progress. Unsettled behaviour escalated in the first half of this year. For one young person, this reflected his need for a different sort of placement. Overall, young people’s behaviour improves and they learn to reflect on their circumstances and responsibilities. One relative said, ‘He’s content here. If he’s done wrong, he apologises.’ The young person’s social worker said, ‘This is my first child here and I’ve been impressed with the staff.’ When young people have been missing, their social workers investigate the causes thoroughly. One young person has engaged so well with staff and in new activities that he no longer goes missing at all. This

p.8

Good

substantial improvement benefits him in a wide variety of ways. Other young people have also ceased putting themselves at risk in this way. Staff are fully aware of the risks faced by each young person and keep them under review. Some young people address their emotional difficulties by self-harming. The staff team liaises closely with other professionals and young people’s families to be sure that it uses proportionate strategies. External professionals feel pleased about the team’s ability to act cohesively. Young people successfully use this platform to take control of their own safety. In this context, the lack of assessment of ligature points is of concern although it is not currently a primary risk. Staff understand and implement the behaviour management policy well. When young people put themselves at significant risk, staff consider using physical intervention. The number of incidents of physical intervention naturally varies but

p.8

Good

has declined to almost nil during the last quarter. This is a positive reflection on young people’s progress in a relatively short space of time. After staff have used this procedure, the manager reviews the incident to check whether the action was appropriate and legal. As permitted by the procedure, staff have restrained young people on the floor both face down and face up. Face down holds increase the risks to young people. Although staff speak to each young person afterwards, it is not clear that the organisation routinely reviews the effectiveness of the restraint system and particularly this aspect of it. Routine checks and servicing of equipment ensure that young people and staff benefit from a high level of safety. However, staff use their own vehicles at work and do not always store the keys sufficiently securely. The potential misuse of vehicles by young people is a serious hazard even though the likelihood of it

p.8

Good

occurring at present is low. The home has a written assessment of the risks posed by social issues in the area. Currently, this shows that the home is well located. However, the assessment lacks analysis of the physical features in the neighbourhood, including, for example, farm animals, waterways and woodlands.

p.9

Good

The service now has a new manager who moved here from another home within the company. After a smooth handover, the previous manager left for a post outside the company in September 2016. The new manager was already an experienced registered manager and is on target to complete an appropriate management qualification within the required timescales. She is proactive with other agencies and ensures that other professionals understand her views, especially about the needs of the young people. The last inspection raised one recommendation only. As a result, young people who go missing now receive timely return home interviews. The home has an up-to-date statement of purpose, which accurately reflects the staffing arrangements. A senior manager made minor amendments to the statement of purpose during the inspection. The home’s manager intends to use her first quarterly review of the service to reflect on the whole document. Senior

p.9

Good

managers keep a good focus on young people’s needs both generally and specifically. A major part of this is their maintenance of an effective staff team. There is good continuity of care to young people and a balance of genders and ages within the staff team. This provides vital security to young people and a range of positive role models. The senior team members ensure that each shift operates efficiently. The two deputy managers have extensive experience and provide other staff with structured supervision. Staff take opportunities to work at other homes in the organisation, which is helpful experience, and to develop professionally. Staff also benefit from a thorough training programme. The vast majority of staff members are qualified and the other staff members are on target to qualify within the statutory timescales. It is to the credit of the team that there is a steady flow of compliments from visitors.

p.9

Good

Since the last inspection, there have been no complaints from outside the home and very few by young people. Key workers closely oversee and record the progress of each young person. Young people are familiar with their records and understand their targets. Staff meetings serve to review these targets and drive young people’s aspirations. High-quality independent monitoring occurs. The company receives useful and insightful reports that include the views of young people and people from outside the home. The previous manager regularly compiled satisfactory reports about the quality of the service. Such reports occur at a higher frequency than required but are highly descriptive and do not always contribute to improvement of the service. The new manager is keen to address this and the other shortfalls identified in this inspection.

p.10

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’.

p.11

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

p.11

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.

p.11

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

p.12

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 .

p.12

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,

p.13

Information about this inspection

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

p.13

Information about this inspection

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.13

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

p.13