Children's home run by Aspire Residential Care Home Limited in Birmingham

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:

 Two young people have lived here for over two years. This is „home‟ for them. Placing social workers feel that staff „hold on to‟ young people whatever difficulties they have.  Young people are working hard on their independence and staff are supporting them well, both practically and emotionally.  Young people enjoy good-quality time with staff as well as extending their own social lives.  Staff communicate well with education providers, health professionals and young people‟s social contacts. This helps everyone to know where young people are, safeguards them and promotes their development.  Young people benefit from good advice and relevant guidance that helps them to understand how to live healthily, safely and stay law-abiding.  Staff benefit from clear, helpful guidance about therapeutic practice from a psychologist.  Staff ensure that young people have opportunities to widen their horizons.

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The children's home provision is good because:

Opportunities include the National Citizenship Scheme, holidays, independent travel to see friends and family and part-time jobs.  Young people rarely go missing.  The registered manager is very well organised and consults with young people regularly. She is open to advice from staff and professionals alike. She ensures that young people‟s records are clear and kept up to date.  The quality of staff practice is not always consistent. Some behaviour management approaches work less well and hold back young people‟s enthusiasm to take part in education and to behave well.

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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

13: The leadership and management standard In order to meet the leadership and management standard, the registered person must: (2)(b) ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate. 30/11/2016

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Requirement Due date

6: The quality and purpose of care standard In order to meet the quality and purpose of care standard, the registered person must: (2)(c)(ii) ensure that the premises are designed and furnished so as to enable each young person to participate in the daily life of the home. 30/11/2016

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Recommendations

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

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Recommendations

 Ensure that young people enjoy positive relationships that are characterised by unconditional positive regard for the young person on the part of the carer, where the carer acknowledges the importance of understanding and responding to the young person's lived experience of care. Positive, stable relationships help the young person to feel secure and cared about and for. ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 21, paragraph 4.3)  Ensure that young people are supported to understand the nature of the records kept about them and how to access them. Staff should keep and encourage young people to keep appropriate memorabilia of their time in placement. ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 62, paragraph 14.5)  Ensure that the necessary support is given to young people to enable them to access their education or training. ('Guide to the children's homes regulations

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Recommendations

including the quality standards', page 28, paragraph 5.13)  Ensure that all staff understand the factors that affect young people's motivation to behave in a socially acceptable way. Staff should encourage an enthusiasm for positive behaviour through the use of positive behaviour strategies. ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 39, paragraph 8.13)  Ensure that staff supervision enables all staff to reflect and act on how their own feelings and behaviour may be affected by the behaviour of the young people that they care for. ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 39, paragraph 8.15)

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Information about this children's home

This is a three-bedded home, offering care and accommodation for young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. It is run by a private company.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 21/03/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 13/01/2016 Full Requires improvement 18/03/2015 Interim Declined in effectiveness 05/11/2014 Full Adequate

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Good

Young people explained to the inspector that it feels like „home‟ because they have both lived here for at least two years now. They accept one another‟s differences and feel that most staff work hard to help them. Some staff, including the young people‟s key workers, have worked with them throughout the time that they have lived here. One young person told the inspector, „I have outgrown it now‟, but both young people still make good use of the help and support of staff. The quality of individualised care that young people receive has improved during 2016. It is now good overall. One young person‟s social worker said, „I think the staff have really made a difference. They do a great job with both young people – hats off to them – they advocate really well and contribute to my young person‟s progress plan.‟ The deputy manager told the inspector, „Staff have stuck with the young people through some really difficult times and we have seen improvements.‟

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Good

Young people know their communities well and enjoy access to a good range of activities and social opportunities. Staff encourage friendships and support young people‟s relationships with their families. Staff have helped young people to become competent with using buses and trains. Staff have helped both young people to apply for part-time jobs and attend interviews. One young person undertook various challenges during the summer as part of the National Citizenship Scheme. He held a part-time job for a short time. These experiences gave him more confidence and developed his ability to work in a team and solve problems. During the summer, both young people went on holidays with staff to places of their choice. This developed their confidence and social skills significantly. As a result, they made friends on holiday that they are keeping in touch with. Since August 2016, staff have been working in a focused way with both young

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Good

people on their individual independence plans. Both young people are doing their own weekly food shopping, budgeting, laundry, cooking and washing up. Young people have also been taking responsibility for cancelling and rearranging any appointments with different professionals. Staff are pleased that young people are taking more pride in their personal care and appearance. Young people are also doing well with making more healthy meal choices and improving their bedrooms. However, young people do not have access to the communal crockery and cutlery that staff use. This gives a restrictive and institutional feel to the kitchen. It does not encourage young people to share or work together, even to make a communal cup of tea. Some staff give young people too little support, encouragement and help with cleaning and budgeting when they are clearly struggling. This has the potential to demoralise young people and make them feel uncared for.

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Good

Nevertheless, other staff give young people empathy that is much more obvious. They offer their help with completing tasks like washing up or cleaning bedrooms. These staff work alongside young people and create spare time to play board games or do outdoor activities like football together afterwards. Young people are more motivated by this approach. Staff stress to young people the importance of education and training for success in life. Staff advocate well with schools, colleges, employers and local authorities, just as good parents would. The staff support young people to overcome their problems with attendance, commitment, paying attention and relationships with peers and teachers. Staff have helped one young person to get onto a post-16 educational programme. His attendance improved greatly because he felt better at this provision. He achieved a GCSE pass at grade C in mathematics and aims to obtain further GCSEs in 2017. However, complex health and relationship problems

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Good

continue to severely threaten both young people‟s educational outcomes. In addition, some staff do not follow agreed plans that require them to get young people to engage in their education. Similarly, some staff do not demonstrate enough determination and commitment to find what works to motivate young people to go to their education or training every day. Young people receive very good support with their physical and mental health. Most staff are nurturing and caring. They encourage young people‟s interests in sports and the countryside. They see the link between physical and mental good health. For example, they make time to offer hill walking and football, even if young people do not often take up these offers. One social worker said, „Staff have continually gone “above and beyond” what is expected and have “held onto” my young person when others would have ended the placement.‟ Staff have sourced

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Good

good psychological support for young people and they are engaging in therapy sessions. Young people are receiving the right medication and professional support with their health needs. Staff are committed to both young people and are making a direct contribution to identifying the right semi-independent accommodation and support for them. This provides young people with a sense of stability. However, young people still do not keep copies of their own plans or agreements. Staff have not started or maintained a collection of memorabilia about young people‟s years here. Time is running out for this work. Young people have missed out on the ongoing enjoyment that comes with creating and looking at memory books.

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Good

Staff are good at understanding and managing each young person‟s risks. The support and care that staff give is well planned and it helps the two young people to become increasingly safe. Staff use key sessions well. The sessions give young people good opportunities to discuss their risks and learn more about them. For example, sessions on self-harm and smoking help young people to talk about things that stress them and ways of coping with stress. Staff make good use of booklets, websites and short films to give young people clear information. This helps young people to make well-informed choices and know about safer coping strategies. Incidents of self-harm are few as a result and young people are making some efforts to reduce their smoking. Young people live in an urban area and now enjoy free time in the community. Staff talk to young people about this. They give them relevant information, including video clips from popular websites on subjects like gangs, drugs and

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Good

sexual relationships. Staff show young people that they care about where they are and who they are with. They make enquiries about the circumstances of any friends that young people want to stay with overnight and they encourage this, where it is safe and positive for young people. For example, both young people have regular stays with girlfriends because staff have talked to the girls‟ families about the arrangements and they are satisfied that the circumstances are suitable. Young people are also encouraged to bring their friends and girlfriends to the home for meals or outings. The staff team‟s good practice also means that young people very rarely go missing. Staff manage situations and behaviour in the home well overall. Young people are now rarely causing any damage in the home. Staff regularly address issues of smoking in bedrooms and safe use of social networking. They have helpful discussions with young people. They provide teaching and information. For

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Good

example, staff have provided young people with information about the dangers of fire and the impact of cyberbullying. Staff look for ways to praise young people when they behave well. They tell them that they are proud of them, like good parents do. They treat them to shopping trips, meals or games of pool. However, staff sometimes impose sanctions and house rules that are not relevant to the behaviour and do not appear to work. For example, staff sometimes impose supervision of all young people‟s spending if young people have been smoking or obtaining cannabis. Staff sometimes turn off the power to a young person‟s room as a sanction for lighting up a cigarette indoors. Staff do not have evidence that these sanctions work. Occasionally, serious incidents start when such sanctions are imposed. Staff are regularly working with a psychologist to help them reflect on and understand how their own attitudes and behaviour are affected by young

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Good

people‟s behaviour. The psychologist said, following a training session with staff in August 2016, „Reflect, reflect, reflect.‟ Young people are well supported if they make complaints or allegations. Staff and managers work well with local authority safeguarding professionals and with local police. Staff know about the extent and nature of any criminal activity in and around the location of the home. Managers use thorough and safe recruitment procedures so that young people are cared for by staff who are suitable to work with them. This means that young people are well safeguarded in the home and in the community. Judgement grade

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Good

The registered manager has worked in the leadership team for many years. She has an excellent understanding of the young people‟s individual needs and development. She role models a therapeutic, empathic approach to young people‟s care. She successfully applies her learning disability nursing and registered manager qualifications and experience to working with young people‟s emotional and behavioural difficulties. One young person‟s social worker said, „The manager has been excellent in sourcing services to help address my young person‟s mental health needs, and has been readily available day and night to support staff and respond to any issues or crises.‟ Since registering in June 2016, the manager has enrolled on the level 5 diploma in leadership and management for children and young people‟s residential care. The manager is extremely capable and well organised. She is skilled at developing clear and practical documents that underpin and promote good outcomes for

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Good

young people. For example, she produces clear, detailed behaviour management plans for each young person. She consults young people about these plans as part of regular discussions that she has with young people. She regularly updates and alters the plans as young people‟s situations change. These plans show staff clearly what strategies they should use and how to use them. The home‟s manager has overseen a complete rewrite of the home‟s statement of purpose. She makes clear that the home should be a „nurturing family environment‟ where „improving young people‟s self-esteem is a focus in all the work that we do‟. The statement of purpose also says that staff will „do their utmost to use non- physical interventions and a therapeutic approach in crisis situations and incidents‟. The manager works hard to ensure that all staff understand and take on this ethos. She has sourced attachment and mental health training for staff. She has

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Good

introduced a culture of hard thinking about young people‟s experience of care and debriefs about staff practice when things have gone wrong. This is care practice that aspires to be outstanding. The manager has recruited a number of new staff. There is a good mix of skills among new and long-standing staff. Staff are qualified in residential childcare or are on track to achieve qualification within two years of starting work. However, staff still do not always work consistently well as a team. Some of their practice is variable. Staff are sometimes frustrated with one another and with other leaders in the management team. Staff meetings often lack time or priority for reflection. One member of staff said to the manager, „We need to have a more standardised approach as we could be conflicting. At times, staff appear a bit more lenient. We need more reflective practice.‟ The home‟s psychologist said, „The staff and

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Good

management team are not that supportive of one another. There is confusion and no analysis of the impact of leadership changes in who does what.‟ Despite this, young people benefit from care practices that are good overall, and have improved since the manager came into post. The manager has very good monitoring and reviewing skills. For example, her last six-month review of care concludes with a clear list of actions to be taken and an explanation of the benefits to young people and the organisation as a whole. The manager follows the advice of the home‟s monthly independent visitor and Ofsted inspector. She incorporates their advice and recommendations into her development planning for the home. She has met the requirement and recommendation made at the last Ofsted inspection. Similarly, the manager has taken all relevant advice, including from local police, and used it to write an accurate, regularly updated review of the risks to young people in this location.

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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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