Children's home run by Semi-independent House Limited in Peterborough

Good

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

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The children’s home’s provision is good because:

 Children are positively engaged in education.  Children participate in extra-curricular activities that increase their ability to build friendship groups.  Children have developed positive relationships with the staff and are able to identify staff that they would approach if they felt unsafe.  Professionals say that the staff are child-focused and that they actively advocate for the children. This has included encouraging placing authorities to revisit decisions.  The children have an external advocate who visits the home regularly.  Children are encouraged and supported to attend medical and health appointments.  The home has been redecorated and updated in several areas and now has a more homely feel.  Children’s views are listened to and responded to in key work sessions and house meetings. The manager provides a formal response to their requests.  The number of missing from home episodes has significantly reduced as

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The children’s home’s provision is good because:

the children have settled.  Some training refresher courses for staff are overdue.  Staff supervision is largely occurring at the expected intervals. However, records do not demonstrate that supervision sessions offer staff the opportunity to reflect on their practice.

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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 staff can access appropriate facilities and resources to support their training needs. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.11) In particular, ensure that all staff undertake the required refresher courses as identified on the home’s training matrix.

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Recommendations

 Put systems in place so that all staff, including the manager, receive supervision of their practice from an appropriately qualified and experienced professional, which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2)

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned children’s home can accommodate up to three young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The responsible individual for the service manages this home.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 15/12/2015 Full Good 15/05/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness 13/01/2015 Full Good 22/08/2014 Interim Sustained effectiveness

p.5

Good

There are three children living at the home. One child, who moved in recently, spoke positively about how the staff and children have welcomed him. He said that he will be able to select the colours used to decorate his bedroom. Staff encourage children to feel part of the home immediately by showing them where everything is, familiarising them with the area and including their favourite foods and activities in the weekly menu and activity planner.

p.6

Good

Several areas of the home have been redecorated and refurnished, in response to a requirement raised at the previous inspection. There are pictures of the children around the house and a number of motivational affirmations adorn the walls. Each of the children have photograph albums that show events that they have been involved in throughout their stay. These are given to the children when they leave and provide them with memories of their stay.

p.6

Good

The children’s placement plans are comprehensive and detail their needs. The staff use the placement plans to work effectively with the children, their families and professionals. The plans underpin care that promotes children’s progress.

p.6

Good

Children’s meetings occur fortnightly and the children sign the minutes. The manager adds comments to the minutes in response to any matters or issues raised. Children have raised suggestions about activities and holidays and staff have then organised these. Staff actively listen to and action the children’s views.

p.6

Good

A strength of the home is the interactions between the staff and children, which are warm and friendly. Children say that they like the staff and enjoy spending time with them. Children are cared for by staff whom they trust and feel able to approach if they have a problem.

p.6

Good

One child is an unaccompanied asylum seeker who has a limited English vocabulary. Staff recognise the child’s frustration at not being able to fully communicate and find creative ways to assist him to communicate. These include using basic words, signs and an interpreter telephone line. This child is attending a college course to learn English. He was happy to show that he can now write the alphabet and is able to point at items for staff to say and write the word, which he is able to copy. Consequently, his confidence is growing. This communication and learning supports the work that he is undertaking at college.

p.6

Good

Another child has recently commenced a level 1 construction course. He says that he is enjoying the course and hopes to go on to the level 2 course next year. A newly admitted child spoke about staff looking for a school placement for him. He also expressed an interest in construction. Staff place great emphasis on education and ensure that children enrol at school or college, and encourage and support them to attend. Staff promote the importance of education, which underpins children’s opportunities in adult life. Staff have fully addressed the requirement from the last inspection, relating to supporting children’s learning and development and promoting informal learning opportunities.

p.6

Good

Staff support children to access relevant mental health services, such as psychiatric assessment. One child’s advocate said, ‘He is refusing and the staff keep trying different ways to get him to attend, they are not giving up.’

p.7

Good

Children are encouraged to participate in extra-curricular activities. One child completed the National Citizen Service course in the summer. Staff carried out risk assessments to ensure that the child could participate safely in the residential elements of the course. He was so motivated when he returned that he organised a charity event where he, accompanied by staff, climbed Mount Snowdon. The experience he had has supported him to develop his social and moral outlook.

p.7

Good

The children undertake pre-independence work. Staff work with each child to develop a personalised plan to include tasks that build the child’s skill-base. One child spoke about his plan and said that he cannot wait to live independently. The home facilitates a two-week trial period in their semi-independent provision so that children will be able to see how they adapt and to identify areas that they need to develop. This gradual transition allows the children to appreciate the reality of living in supported lodgings with limited staff support.

p.7

Good

The children speak positively about the home. One child said that he felt safe and looked after. He said, ‘It is my home. When I leave my mum’s house, I say I’m going home.’

p.7

Good

One child has been missing from the home regularly, sometimes travelling a long distance from the home. Staff have worked with the police to raise awareness of the child’s vulnerability, which has led to the implementation of a clear management plan. The manager has worked with the placing authority to explore the triggers for these incidents, with a view to seeking alternative strategies. The child’s advocate said, ‘The manager fought for him to have more free time and his placing authority agreed.’ Staff have worked with him to increase his amount of free time. He is now regularly telephoning staff to collect him earlier than the agreed time and his missing-from-home episodes have significantly reduced. Staff feel that this is due to him having developed trusting relationships with them. The child’s social worker said, ‘He has had really good key work sessions and the staff are trying to encourage him. Something is going right and making a difference as

p.7

Good

the time between each episode of going missing is getting longer. It’s been about two weeks now that he hasn’t gone missing.’

p.8

Good

The manager has introduced a waking night shift in an attempt to help a child who struggles to settle at night. Staff identified the child’s actions as a sign of post- traumatic stress. In response, they purchased a tent for his bedroom and he sits or sleeps in it when he feels unsafe. This has resulted in him settling more easily at night. Staff clearly understand and act upon signs of distress.

p.8

Good

Staff are confident in working with children who have a history of self-harmful and sexualised behaviours. They conduct room searches when concerns arise but this is a rarity and is in accordance with the home’s policy. Children sign the record and comment on the search. Staff respect children’s privacy but take the necessary action to promote their safety.

p.8

Good

Staff receive training in physical intervention and it is commendable that, despite high levels of challenging behaviour, staff have only used physical intervention on one occasion since the last inspection. The staff successfully use diversion and de- escalation techniques, along with humour and their rapport with the children, to defuse situations of heightened poor behaviour.

p.8

Good

The home has an anti-radicalisation policy and senior staff have booked places on to an upcoming ‘Prevent’ duty training course. This is likely to support the staff to identify specific risks, signs and symptoms and take relevant action to safeguard children.

p.8

Good

The registered manager, who is also the responsible individual, has been in post since 2012. The manager is currently absent from the home. The deputy manager, who is qualified to level 5, is in day-to-day charge of the home during this absence. The deputy manager has a wealth of experience and is leading the staff team effectively. This ensures that the absence of the registered manager has a minimal impact on the home

p.8

Good

The managers have met the three requirements and six recommendations made at the last inspection. These related to education, the premises, bullying, transitions, partnership working and developing policies and protocols, and accurate recording, including significant life events.

p.8

Good

Four of the six staff have a level 3 qualification and one staff member is currently undertaking the course. The remaining staff member is currently in his probationary period and has not yet started his qualification. Staff report that they feel supported and guided by their managers. They have both formal and informal supervision. However, supervision records do not fully demonstrate that the sessions allow for reflection on practice. This limits opportunities for staff to review their practice and develop ways to further enhance their work with the children.

p.9

Good

Team meetings occur monthly. These include discussions about the children, household issues, training and areas of team development. These meetings facilitate practice discussions and support staff to develop consistent approaches that enable them to care for the children effectively.

p.9

Good

A previous shortfall related to inaccurate recording of staff working in the home. Managers have addressed this to ensure that the records reflect the hours worked and the time spent in the home by the staff. There is currently one vacant post in the staff team. The vacancy is covered by the permanent staff and with regular agency workers. The managers ensure that there are safe recruitment processes in place for permanent and agency staff. This means that the suitability of adults working with children is robustly checked.

p.9

Good

An independent visitor monitors the home monthly. The managers address any areas highlighted by the independent visitor prior to the next visit. This supports the drive for improvement.

p.9

Good

The managers reviewed the policies and procedures in January 2016. This included the bullying policy, which was a requirement of the previous inspection.

p.9

Good

The manager completes a six-monthly review of the quality of care provided. This includes some references to feedback sought from the children, families and professionals about the home. The reviews demonstrate the positive impact of the care offered.

p.9

Good

Some staff have not undertaken refresher training courses at the frequency specified in the home’s policies. There are gaps in training in fire awareness, physical intervention and food hygiene. Consequently, not all staff have the up-to- date knowledge they need in these areas.

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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 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, work- based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It inspects services for children looked after 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

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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