Children's home run by Oldham Children’s Social Care in Oldham

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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This children’s home provision is outstanding because:

 The individual needs of young people and their families are thoroughly assessed by consistent joint planning arrangements.  Young people really enjoy their time within the service. They grow in confidence and develop excellent relationships with staff.  Most young people have met the staff team prior to a weekend stay, because staff work with them in the community and at home.  Parents and young people are invited to visit the service, and this enhances partnerships.  Young people’s likes and dislikes are individually addressed. Young people are able to plan their favourite dishes while staying at the service and choose one of the three themed bedrooms.  Excellent support plans ensure that young people are provided with dedicated key sessions that have a significant, positive impact on their lives.  Relationships between staff, families, social workers and family support workers are excellent. Parents commend the service, and social workers would like more

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This children’s home provision is outstanding because:

services like this for young people and their families.  Very thorough impact assessments ensure that only young people who want to engage with the service attend. When the placement is an emergency, the impact on current residents is the deciding factor on whether a bed is offered.  There are no incidents of young people going missing when planned respite is agreed. In some cases, emergency placements will absent themselves from the home. Quick and effective action is taken to ensure the safety of young people in these instances.  There have been no circumstances in which physical intervention has been required.  Staff receive excellent training to help young people to overcome complex difficulties.  Young people receive one-to-one support to address problematic behaviours and build on positive family relationships.  Young people are provided with excellent support in order to effect positive and

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This children’s home provision is outstanding because:

lasting change in their lives. Staff are extremely consistent, knowledgeable and organised in their work.  Excellent training opportunities are available to staff and young people.  The registered manager and staff continue to develop the service, based on theoretical frameworks and current research that inform practice. There are no requirements or recommendations made at this inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

This is a local authority short-breaks service, offering weekend accommodation for up to four young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 01/06/2016 Interim Not judged

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Outstanding

Since the last interim inspection in June 2016, 72 young people have accessed the service. Forty young people have successfully worked with staff and carers to strengthen their family relationships, while 32 continue to receive support enabling them to remain with their families. Within this period, the emergency bed has been accessed on seven occasions. The home offers weekend short breaks for young people who are experiencing difficulty within their families. Placements are only agreed when young people want to spend time within the service, and both the families and the young people want to work with staff to make positive change. Placement plans are highly effective. Plans are agreed between young people and their families, and identify the key problems that each of them face. Staff work closely with the family support service to ensure that issues and concerns are addressed consistently. Individual and group-work sessions highlight planned and

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Outstanding

targeted work. Young people engage very well and are clearly receptive to new ideas and ways of managing difficulties. As a result, 40 young people have been successfully discharged from the service. Young people and their families are provided with excellent strategies to manage difficulties in the family home, for example routines, boundaries and quality time enhance relationships. A parent said: ‘The time at the service made a whole world of difference. My child received one-to-one support and got along well with the staff, which was a massive step for them.’ Educational attendance and attainment are regularly reviewed for each young person accessing the service. Staff maintain regular contact with named school advisers and plan accordingly where additional support may be required. Likewise, staff assist young people with homework during their weekend stay. A staff member said: ‘Helping them do their homework gives us an insight into where they are up to and

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Outstanding

what interests them. Some young people don’t realise how bright they actually are.’ A social worker commented, ‘The young person has settled so much that they recently received 188 positive behaviour points.’ The responsibility for young people’s health remains with their parent or carer. In the event that a young person becomes unwell while accessing the service, parents are contacted and the appropriate action is taken to address illness. However, staff provide young people with excellent sessions addressing physical, sexual and mental health topics. Young people contribute well to sessions and provide positive written feedback to staff. Young people are able to pre-book the bedroom of their choice. Bedrooms are decorated to individual themes as the New York room, the London room and a comic character room. The emergency bedroom is decorated in calm colours, and is suitable for a male or female resident. A young person said: ‘I booked the London

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Outstanding

room this time. I have stayed in the New York room. I am going to decorate my bedroom like this when I get older.’ Likewise, young people decide on their individual menu for their weekend stay. They are offered the opportunity to assist in the preparation and cooking of the meals, which include a variety of desserts. Consequently, consultation with young people is highly prevalent in the planning for individual care. Indoor and outdoor recreational activities are readily planned and available. Activities such as scrambling, bouldering, golf, and visits to museums and art festivals are a selection of recent ventures. Likewise, board games, arts and crafts and cooking routinely take place as part of each young person’s weekend stay. A social worker said: ‘The staff are great at getting young people involved. They will always encourage young people to suggest something new to try, and they just go for it.’

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Outstanding

Young people and their families are provided with excellent information. With the exception of the emergency placement, staff are already working with young people and their families in the community, therefore relationships are formed. New young people and their parents are invited to visit the service for a cup of tea and to spend time talking to staff. Written information is also provided, and this details the expectations of the service, family and young person. Furthermore, all young people and their families are provided with a detailed complaints procedure. When emergency placements are made, young people are provided with information about the service and contact information for external support agencies, should they wish to access them. There have been no complaints regarding this service. The ethos of the home is based on theoretical child development frameworks, and is supported by current research and development. This informs practice really well and

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Outstanding

means that young people receive an excellent service based on the needs of young people in today’s society.

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Outstanding

Young people’s weekend short-break placements are consistently supported by detailed risk assessments. Assessments are developed in partnership with young people, parents and social workers. They provide an excellent insight into the issues presented by young people, and detail clear and effective responses to potential concerns.

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Outstanding

Impact assessments are also completed for each referral to the service. A dedicated protocol for emergency placement requests ensures that a suitable matching assessment is undertaken prior to any decision being made. This makes sure that young people accessing the placement do not have a disruptive or negative experience. Likewise, staff have access to the authority’s online electronic system. This enables staff to read up-to-date information in relation to school, health and family intervention prior to making a decision regarding a placement.

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Outstanding

Young people accessing the service understand that disruptive behaviours are not tolerated. Clear house rules are in place and are routinely followed by those who are resident. Parents and social workers understand that if a young person was to become distressed or disruptive, the placement would be brought to a close. A staff member said: ‘This is a period of calm: a time for young people to be away from disruption in their lives. It wouldn’t work if young people did not want to access the service.’ Consequently, there are no episodes of bullying, or instances requiring physical intervention or sanctions during the stay.

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Outstanding

Some young people who access the service are at risk of child sexual exploitation. Staff work hand-in-hand with external agencies and young people to address risk. Likewise, specific training courses such as ‘Trauma bonds – The pull of the perpetrator’, aimed at staff and young people, help them to identify the signs of risk and equip them with an understanding of abusive relationships. Staff work collectively in the community with parents and young people to minimise the risk of child sexual exploitation.

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Outstanding

Young people are included in a large range of training opportunities, including on mental health and teens, domestic violence, technology and teens, and anxiety disorders. Individual and group-work sessions support learning and offer young people the opportunity to discuss matters openly. Young people grow in confidence and develop an understanding of their own behaviours, which helps them to make positive and lasting change.

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Outstanding

Young people who access the service in a planned manner do not absent themselves or go missing from the service. However, of the seven emergency placements made, two had stated that they did not want to stay and had returned to their family home. On these occasions, the registered manager and staff took appropriate action to contact the out-of-hours service and police to ensure the continued safety of the young people.

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Outstanding

The registered manager has been in post since June 2007. She holds the diploma in social work, and has the appropriate skills and experience to undertake her duties. This is the home’s first full inspection since the service changed premises in May 2016. Short-break placement plans are clear, realistic and extremely well documented. Young people have a personal care plan, and this helps them to record the progress that they make towards their outlined goals and aspirations. Plans are reviewed on a six-weekly basis with young people and their families, and are updated accordingly. All work undertaken with young people is extremely well planned and in accordance with risk assessments, targets and future plans.

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Outstanding

The registered manager closely scrutinises all the work undertaken within the service. External monitoring is robust. Views of stakeholders, parents, young people and staff provide an holistic overview of the performance of the home. When matters are raised as areas for development, these are invariably addressed on the day of the visit.

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Outstanding

All staff receive regular planned and structured supervision. Records highlight a consistent approach to maintaining the already high standard of the service. Staff say that they are very happy working at the home, and enjoy working with the young people. Staff feel very well supported, and that their skills and experience are valued within the service.

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Outstanding

Staff attend regular updated mandatory training. Additional specific training is provided within the service and is also offered to young people, including against gang culture and crime. Staff are extremely proactive. For example, when a Children in Need assessment identifies areas for development for young people, the staff ensure that prompt individual and group-work sessions address these areas.

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Outstanding

The registered manager ensures that all referrals to the service are suitably assessed for compatibility. Evidence of impact assessment leading to decisions not to place demonstrates a clear commitment to providing successful placements for young people.

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Outstanding

The statement of purpose is routinely reviewed and updated, where necessary, with a copy forwarded to Ofsted in accordance with regulation.

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Outstanding

The service is based in a residential area close to schools, bus and train links, and local amenities. It is well decorated with stylish furnishings throughout. Young people have access to private and communal space, both inside and outside of the home.

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Outstanding

The registered manager and staff place the needs of the young people at the forefront of their practice, and this is evidenced in the excellent progress that they make.

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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.

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What the inspection judgements mean

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.

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What the inspection judgements mean

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

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What the inspection judgements mean

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.

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Information about this inspection

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 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 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.

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Information about this inspection

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Information about this inspection

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Information about this inspection

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Information about this inspection

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