Children's home run by Esland North Limited in Preston

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

 Young people benefit from a highly supportive, caring and nurturing environment and have consistency and stability in their lives. Highly effective partnerships between staff, psychologists and therapists contribute to significant change and improvement in their lives even when their needs are complex and challenging.  Young people make outstanding progress across all aspects of their welfare, and their physical, social, emotional and behavioural development, taking into account their individual starting points. They enjoy living at the home and are developing a strong sense of permanence and belonging.  The home meets the aims and objectives as set out in its statement of purpose, consistently delivering a high quality service for young people. Staff share and implement the home’s ethos, approach and philosophy. Research- informed practice continues to develop, from a strong and confident knowledge base that makes a significant difference to the lives of young

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

people.  The home has achieved accreditation as a centre of excellence with the Association for Psychological Therapies for implementing RAID principles effectively. This was a major undertaking and an outstanding achievement for the home. The registered manager ensures that child-centred values and principles are firmly embraced and embedded in all of the aspects of the home’s practice.  Staff proactively promote the safety and well-being of young people. They have an excellent understanding of their specific needs and vulnerabilities, and take appropriate action to address them. Young people become increasingly safer as a result of the actions staff take to support and protect them. They are kept safe and have a very strong sense of personal safety.  Young people benefit from exceptionally well-planned, highly individualised care that promotes their needs effectively and contributes to behavioural

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

change and improvement in their lives. They enjoy trusting and secure relationships with staff and sustain their positive attachments. Staff are positive role models that young people look up to and learn from.  There are no breaches of regulation. Consequently, there are no requirements or recommendations made as a result of this inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to six young people who may have emotional, behavioural and/or learning difficulties. The home is privately owned and managed.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 21/03/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 21/01/2016 Full Outstanding 28/01/2015 Full Outstanding

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Outstanding

The home can demonstrate effectively the positive difference it has made to the lives of young people. The progress young people make across all aspects of their welfare, and their physical, social, emotional and behavioural development, is outstanding, taking into account their individual starting points. There is evidence of significant change and improvement in the lives of young people.

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Outstanding

Young people develop secure and trusting relationships with staff who protect, help and support them. They develop a strong sense of permanence and belonging. Young people benefit from a highly supportive, caring and nurturing environment that promotes change and improvement in their lives. Young people’s views about the home, and their relationships with staff, are consistently positive. Young people report, ‘It was absolutely terrifying coming here, to be honest. But now I’d rather be here than at my own home. This has become my home. I’ve worked on my issues and have developed loads of independence skills and improved my social skills. I think it’s outstanding because this is more like a home to me. I enjoy being here.’

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Outstanding

Young people have positive relationships with adults whom they trust and look up to. Care planning is extremely well planned and practice is highly individualised to meet the specific needs of the young people. Case holders and key workers actively involve young people in their relevant plans to share their knowledge and understanding of them. Consequently, young people know what goals and targets they are working towards. One young person said, ‘Sometimes we discuss things and I don’t even realise it’s a direct work session.’

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Outstanding

The views of young people are central to all aspects of how the home operates and develops its practice. Consequently, young people are meaningfully consulted and involved. Staff ensure that young people are involved in their risk assessments, progress meetings, care planning and looked after children reviews. This ensures that they can influence and contribute to key decisions and express their views and feelings. Child-centred practice ensures that the rights and entitlements of young people are consistently well met.

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Outstanding

A parent reports that: ‘The staff are very helpful and support my child’s needs. He is safe at the home and always talks about the staff. He is always telling me about the activities he is doing. He has really settled in and has all the help he needs and gets on with the other children and staff. Everything about the home is excellent.’

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Outstanding

Young people are registered with doctors, dentists and opticians and have access to these services when they need them. Additionally, they have access to therapy to help them make sense of their past experiences, and to address their needs, feelings, emotions and behaviours. Staff work closely with therapists and psychologists to support each young person’s therapeutic journey to promote their emotional and psychological well-being.

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Outstanding

A therapist reports that: ‘Therapy focuses on emotional management and this is reinforced by residential staff. Often young people initially present as unable to identify specific triggers for their offending behaviour. Therapeutic input provided by psychologists helps the young people to explore the reasons why they engaged in harmful behaviours, thereby identifying risk factors and ways to manage them.’ Young people report, ‘Therapy went well. I am getting the help I need. Staff help us, with what we need help with.’

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Outstanding

Medical consent is in place and staff are clear about what health decisions and responsibilities are delegated to them. The arrangements for the storage, safe keeping and administration of young people’s medication ensure that these are managed safely. Staff promote a healthy lifestyle and provide support with any health issues as needed. Young people make positive lifestyle decisions and take responsibility for their own health. There are no current issues with drugs and alcohol or self-harm. Young people benefit from effective wrap-around support that promotes their physical and emotional well-being.

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Outstanding

Young people attend school regularly with excellent support and encouragement from staff. Where education becomes difficult for young people, staff work positively with the providers of their education to resolve those difficulties. Having an alternative on-site educational provision allows young people to access their education in a smaller, less intimidating environment. Staff actively support school leavers to attend further education to help them achieve their aspirations and educational goals. Social opportunities are actively encouraged and supported. Young people enjoy a broad range of enjoyable and stimulating activities, both at home and in the wider community. Consequently, they develop social skills, friendships and self-confidence. Young people enjoy playing board games, pool, gaming, satellite TV, cooking and computing.

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Outstanding

Young people report, ‘The days out are the best thing. The staff are good and they help each young person differently. I have loads of Icopes and that’s good because I’ve got some really good friends at skating. I like doing all of the activities, like going to Jump Nation, roller skating, bowling, the cinema and Blackpool.’

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Outstanding

Staff promote contact for young people so that they can sustain their close relationships with the people who are most important to them. The arrangements for contact are appropriately and carefully assessed to ensure that contact is a safe experience for everyone.

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Outstanding

Staff enable young people to take appropriate risks to promote their growth and natural development. Young people progress from having close supervision to having unsupervised free time, which increases their independence and self- confidence. Young people benefit from relevant plans to promote their planned transition to adulthood.

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Outstanding

Staff proactively promote the safety and well-being of young people. They have an excellent understanding of their specific needs and vulnerabilities, and take appropriate action, to address them. Risks associated with young people are well known and understood by staff. Young people are supported and protected effectively. They feel safe and have a strong sense of personal safety.

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Outstanding

Staff practice results in sustained improvement in the lives of young people, where the risk of offending and engaging in harmful risk-taking behaviour is substantially reduced. Young people benefit from a safe, supportive and nurturing environment that addresses their specific needs and vulnerabilities through effective care planning, risk management and therapy. A therapist reports that: ‘They continue what we do in therapy. It works well. There’s a balance between care and control.’

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Outstanding

Staff have high behavioural expectations of the young people. They implement stringent rules and safe boundaries to ensure that young people are kept safe from harm. Staff support young people in the community through reduced supervision programmes and individually tailored support plans. This process is overseen and agreed through a multi-agency approach. Proactive partnerships are maintained with therapists, social workers and other professionals to ensure that young people benefit from the best possible help and all-round support.

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Outstanding

Therapists report that: ‘The home provides a safe, secure and structured environment in the form of a residential, educational and therapeutic package designed to support the well-being of young people. The ethos of the home is very much focused towards positive reintegration, rather than restriction or punishment. There is a good system of monitoring the children that provides a balance between allowing necessary freedom alongside observations to keep the children protected. Young people are supported through a reduced supervision (iCope) programme, which promotes independence and autonomy. This is a gradual process and is a great opportunity to enhance practical skills and psychological well-being.’

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Outstanding

Young people benefit from care that remains sensitive to their specific needs and experiences yet remains alert and responsive to the possibilities of the risks that the young people could present. Young people benefit from effective therapeutic interventions that address their needs, feelings, emotions and behaviours effectively. They become increasingly safer as result of the actions that staff and others take to protect and support them.

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Outstanding

Young people have not gone missing from care since the last inspection. However, should they do so there are effective procedures and arrangements to promote their safe return. There have been no complaints or restraints since the previous inspection and the use of sanctions is kept to an absolute minimum. Young people benefit from effective support through one-to-one working that provides them with support strategies, so that they can manage and self-regulate their own feelings and behaviours.

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Outstanding

Staff are trained in RAID and follow the principles effectively, as outlined in their training for dealing with young people’s behaviour at source. This encompasses creating a nurturing environment that focuses on developing positive behaviour. Negative behaviour, while managed effectively, is not given the same levels of energy. Consequently, only good behaviours are reinforced. A therapist reports that: ‘Systems are in place that focus on positive behaviour. Difficult behaviour is managed by focusing on alternatives and understanding the triggers for this rather than having a punitive approach.’

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Outstanding

The home provides young people with a physically safe, appropriately secure, warm, comfortable and homely environment. Health and safety matters are addressed effectively to promote a safe environment for young people.

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Outstanding

The home benefits from a well-qualified, skilled and extremely experienced registered manager who exercises strong and effective leadership of the home’s operation. The manager leads staff by example and is inspiring in their leadership approach. They create a culture and ethos of creativity and positivity that stimulates staff’s enthusiasm and channels their efforts effectively. They provide staff with clear purpose and direction that challenges them to improve the life chances, experiences and outcomes for young people.

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Outstanding

Staff are supported effectively, and are extremely well managed and led. They benefit from regular, professional practice-related supervision and have their performance appraised each year. They have access to a broad range of high- quality training to enhance their practice, skills and knowledge in meeting the complex and challenging needs of the young people. A member of staff reports that: ‘My induction here was more informative than my six months at another children’s home. I did three to four shadow shifts as an extra member of staff. A bad day here would be like a good day anywhere else. The best thing about the home is the positivity.’

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Outstanding

The home has achieved accreditation as a centre of excellence with the Association for Psychological Therapies, which was a major undertaking and an outstanding achievement for leaders, managers and staff. The registered manager ensures that the RAID principles and child-centred values are firmly embraced and embedded in all aspects of the home’s practice. They create a culture of creativity, enthusiasm and positivity that contributes to significant change and improvement in the lives of young people.

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Outstanding

An independent reviewing officer reports that there is: ‘Excellent communication and preparation for looked after children, and consistent support for contact and good educational provision. In my meetings with young people it is very clear that they respect the staff and are happy to share their funny stories with me. Staff are really committed to making a difference.’

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Outstanding

There were no requirements or recommendations from the last inspection. The home meets the aims and objectives as set out in its statement of purpose, delivering an outstanding, high-quality service for young people. Leaders and managers are consistently ambitious and energetic about sustaining the home’s continuing improvement.

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Outstanding

Staff maintain highly effective partnerships with social workers, schools, independent reviewing officers, psychologists and therapists to ensure that young people benefit from the best possible help and all-round support. The manager escalates concerns and professionally challenges any decisions if they believe decisions are not in the best interests of young people. They prioritise the needs of the young people and ensure that those needs are consistently and effectively met.

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Outstanding

There are effective arrangements for monitoring the performance of the home. An independent person visits the home each month to review the home’s practice and the registered manager completes a robust review of the quality of young people’s care. With these combined, there are robust systems to ensure that the home’s strengths are understood, and its weaknesses are identified, so that leaders and managers can take appropriate action to secure, improvement. There are effective systems for reviewing and improving the standard and quality of young people’s care.

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Outstanding

There are no breaches in regulation. Consequently, there are no requirements or recommendations made as a result of this inspection.

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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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