Children's Home run by Time-Out Children’s Homes Limited in Calderdale

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 grow in confidence through the dedicated care that they receive. They feel cared about and, through the trusted relationships that they develop, can talk about things that they find difficult in their lives.  Staff offer stable and consistent boundaries that enable young people to begin to manage their emotions in a safe and acceptable manner.  Staff are open to learning and continuously improving the care that they offer young people. As a result, care is appropriately adjusted to the emerging and changing needs of young people.  Staff are vigilant, and good levels of supervision ensure that any risks to young people’s welfare are minimised.  The newly registered manager offers good leadership to the staff and she is committed to driving improvements in all aspects of care offered.

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions which must be taken so that the registered person 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 must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (‘case records’) for each child which include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child. (Regulation 36(1)(a)) 30/11/2016

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Requirement Due date

12. In order to meet the protection of children standard, with particular reference to how limitations placed on children and young people will be planned, managed and reviewed, the registered person must ensure that staff: (a)(i) assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child's relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child; and (ii) help each child to understand how to keep safe. 30/11/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that within five days of a measure of control, discipline or restraint, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35(3)(c)) 30/11/2016

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Requirement Due date

Subject to paragraph (5), the registered person must ensure that children are provided, at all reasonable times, with access to the following facilities which they may use without reference to persons working in the home: a telephone on which to make and receive telephone calls in private. (Regulation 22(3)(a)) 31/12/2016

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendations:  Children should have access to a computer and the internet to support their education and learning, unless there are specific safeguarding reasons why this would be inappropriate. In such cases, the home should consider whether and how it could support the child to access a computer and the internet safely. (‘Guide the children's homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 29, paragraph 5.19)

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Recommendations

 For children's homes to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. (‘Guide the children's homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9) This is with particular reference to the repair and redecoration of young people’s bedrooms, the repair or renewal of bedroom furniture, the repair or renewal of damaged doors and completion of decoration already commenced.

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Information about this children's home

The home is owned and run by a private company. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for two young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

26/08/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

18/06/2014 Interim Improved effectiveness

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Good

Staff offer consistent and stable care that helps young people to address their past experiences and manage their present difficulties. They develop trusting relationships with staff, and this supports their sense of belonging and feeling cared about. One young person said about her keyworker: ‘I love [X]. I absolutely love her. I can’t ask for a better keyworker. She has been there through thick and thin with me. She is just there when I need her.’ The emotional support that young people receive from staff supports and nurtures young people to develop a positive self-image. This gives young people the confidence to try new or challenging experiences. For example, one young person successfully completed a five kilometre fun-run that ignited an interest in keeping fit on a regular basis. Young people achieve in education, and staff fully support their aspirations and learning targets. Good liaison between education and the staff ensure that there is

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Good

a shared understanding about young people and the approaches taken to managing behaviour that may be challenging. In addition, it ensures that young people are fully supported to complete homework and work towards their academic potential. However, young people do not currently have access to a working computer in the home. This prevents their access to a variety of internet learning sites. Young people are offered a variety of activities that are fun and enjoyable. These include trips out to theme parks and the cinema, time spent with friends and visits to local parks and beauty spots. Staff also promote healthy leisure pursuits by providing gym membership. Through these activities, young people develop positive experiences and enriching use of their leisure time. Young people become more reflective of their actions and less reactive with regard to any safeguarding restrictions that staff may impose in order to keep them safe.

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Good

This is underpinned through the positive relationships that staff develop with young people and, over time, young people listen to and accept the advice that is given by staff. Staff understand young people well and, as a result, are able to adjust and tailor the care offered at an individual level. They understand how their previous life experiences impact upon current behaviours. In addition, young people are further supported by regular therapeutic input. One social worker commented: ‘This is the longest placement she has been in. The team around her know her. They anticipate her moods, and she is supported by the therapist.’ Young people’s views about the running of the home, activities, holidays and food choice are regularly sought. Appropriate requests are responded to, and this enhances young people’s sense of ownership and being listened to. For example, one young person requested a slide for the garden. This was then bought, and she

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Good

has taken this with her to her new placement. When young people move on from the home, there is good liaison and planning to ensure that the young people are supported. When appropriate, staff remain in contact with them. This promotes positive transition for young people and reaffirms their sense of being cared about. On the whole, the home is relatively well maintained. However, there are areas that require repair and redecoration. Young people do not have access to a phone without requesting to use the main office phone.

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Good

Staff understand young people’s vulnerabilities and the risks that some behaviours may pose to their welfare and safety. Good levels of supervision and vigilance ensure that any concerns are responded to promptly, and that risks for young people are minimised. As a result, there have been no incidents of missing from home since the last inspection, and young people do not engage in harmful activities such as drug or alcohol misuse. The staff and manager promptly respond to any allegations or suspicion of harm. These are appropriately shared with other agencies, and plans are put in place to minimise any risks. Although risks are responded to with immediacy, the measures implemented are not appropriately reviewed. Plans to ensure that young people manage their own behaviour are not clear, and restrictions remain in place without transparent evaluation of ongoing risk. As a result, the recommendation set at the previous inspection has not been met.

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Good

Staff are clear with young people about their expectations of standards of behaviour. Young people are fully supported to manage positively any disagreements or conflicts that they may have with others. Staff help young people, both collectively and individually, to live together and accommodate each other’s differences. Physical intervention is rarely used and is only employed by staff when methods of de-escalation have not been successful. Any such incidents are evaluated by the manager, and reflective discussion is used with staff in order to improve staff responses. However, it is not clear from records whether the manager has spoken to the young person about the measure. There is an appropriate vetting and selection process that is employed when new staff are recruited. This ensures that young people are protected from adults who may pose a risk to their safety and welfare.

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Good

The manager was registered to manage the home in July 2016. She has suitable experience and is working towards the level 5 diploma in leadership and management for residential childcare. Since her appointment, she has provided confident and knowledgeable leadership to the staff. The manager is ambitious to continuously improve the care offered and the outcomes for young people. A particular strength of the manager and staff is their openness to learning and continuous reflection on the progress that young people make. Through open dialogue among themselves and other professionals, they review their approaches and ways in which care can be adjusted in order to better meet young people’s needs. This is further supported by regular consultation with therapists who provide specialist support to young people. The manager has good insight into the strengths and areas for development in the home. She has placed effort into ensuring that the staff work cohesively as a team,

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Good

and that care is consistent in its approach to young people. Staff team meetings are focused on the progress of young people, and supervision and advice are offered both on a formal and informal basis. The manager has a range of systems in place that assist her in monitoring the quality of care that is provided. These include regular consultation with young people. The manager has a strong presence in the home and knows each young person well. However, not all case records and documents have been secured from the placing local authority. This reduces the ability of staff to gain comprehensive insight into the needs of each young person. There is thorough planning for young people who are joining or leaving the home. Young people’s needs inform the training that staff attend. This ensures that young people’s complex and diverse needs continue to be met to a high standard. Staff, when appropriate, seek to keep in contact with young people that have moved on.

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Good

The manager and staff regularly liaise with other professionals to ensure that information is shared in a timely manner. An independent reviewing officer commented: ‘Communication has been great. They have been proactive.’

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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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