Children's Home run by Partners in Care Limited in Westmorland and Furness

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.

p.2

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

 Young people are fully engaged in their placements because they feel loved and cared for. The relationships between staff and young people far exceed the standard for ‘good’. Young people are visibly happy in the home.  Every effort is made to ensure that the home feels like a family home. Decor and furnishings are of a high standard, bedrooms are personalised and there are numerous photographs of young people around the communal areas.  Staff go beyond expected levels on a day-to-day basis to ensure that young people receive the best care possible.  Managers at the home have high aspirations for young people and high expectations of staff. They lead by example and are always open to new ideas and innovation.  Young people’s progress is exceptional. Their risks reduce dramatically from their point of placement and they achieve success across a broad spectrum.  Good communication ensures that behaviour management is consistent

p.3

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

across the staff team. Young people respond exceptionally well to boundaries in place and work hard to achieve targets and make progression towards their goals.  Young people have extensive support to prepare for transitions into adulthood. When they leave to be independent they are as prepared for this as possible.  Staff are champions in different areas, and use research and resources to educate young people about a variety of issues that may affect them, such as child sexual exploitation and drug use.  In addition to good internal communication, the home works in a proactive and well-coordinated way with external agencies to deliver high-quality, joined-up care to young people.

p.3

Information about this children’s home

A private organisation operates this children’s home. This service is registered for up to three young people who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

p.4

Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 25/02/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 11/08/2015 Full Outstanding 30/03/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness 28/01/2015 Full Outstanding

p.4

Outstanding

Young people living at this home believe that they live in a brilliant home. They report that, ‘It’s outstanding, really, everything about it is outstanding’. They are highly engaged in their placements and benefit from a committed and highly caring staff team which consistently goes over and above to ensure that young people have a positive placement experience.

p.5

Outstanding

Transition work is highly developed and detailed. The work put in by staff to ensure that young people are prepared for independent living has a positive impact over a long period and on their future life chances. Where placing authorities are not fully supporting young people to transition, the home more than fulfils its role in providing practical and emotional support to young people to ensure that they are ready to move. One young person moving on has received support to obtain a lovely flat, continue in her job and pass her driving test.

p.5

Outstanding

New admissions to the home are very well considered, with both the young people and the staff team having input into the decision-making so that any decision to admit a young person is jointly owned. This means that staff and young people alike are committed to ensuring that any new placement is warmly welcomed and supported to succeed. Placement matching is thorough and ensures that young people placed have a positive impact on each other and develop mutually beneficial relationships. For example, the admission of a new, very young resident has enabled an older resident to act as a role model, which has developed his attitude, maturity and tolerance.

p.5

Outstanding

Young people in this home are evidently very happy. Their positive relationships with staff are highly apparent and their day-to-day experiences are filled with laughter and warmth. Young people say that they feel loved and cared about, and that there are many good things about the home.

p.5

Outstanding

Consultation is highly developed for young people to express their wishes and feelings. They engage well in key worker sessions and are regularly asked to feed back about their placement experiences. They take part in young people’s meetings where staff champions research various topics and present them to the young people in a fun and interactive way.

p.5

Outstanding

Young people make exceptional and sustained progress due to the care and support they receive. They attend and engage in education, are healthy, learn social and independence skills and enjoy safe and often increasing levels of family contact. Staff at the home show commitment to continuous progression for young people and are constantly looking for ways to improve the support they can offer.

p.5

Outstanding

Where placements break down unexpectedly there is a highly proactive response to trying to resolve issues and make plans for the young person to move on positively. Very close inter-agency work ensures that young people making transitions under difficult circumstances are helped to do so in as positive a way as possible.

p.6

Outstanding

Some young people have specific diagnosed health conditions. Staff use research- informed practice really effectively to ensure that the young people’s health needs are fully met and also to enable them to be up to date with any research and developments relating to the conditions.

p.6

Outstanding

Young people’s risks significantly reduce from the point of placement, and over time this reduced risk is sustained. Young people identify that they feel safe and understand what progress they have made in this area.

p.6

Outstanding

For young people who display challenging behaviour upon entry to the home, consistent behaviour management techniques are agreed and implemented. These are regularly reviewed and changed as necessary. Staff feel able to put forward new ideas for positive behaviour management and young people are consulted about what works best for them. Good communication ensures that behaviour is always managed consistently and this adds to young people’s sense of predictability and ensures that they feel increasingly safe.

p.6

Outstanding

Physical intervention is rarely used, and where incidents have occurred these are well recorded. A significant amount of evaluation and reflection work takes place between the young person, staff and manager to review effectiveness and to identify why the intervention was necessary and whether anything could be changed to reduce the likelihood of recurrence.

p.6

Outstanding

Missing from home incidents do not occur frequently, and there has been only one since the last interim inspection. The home has efficient and robust systems in place for managing any incidents of missing from home and works closely with other agencies to reduce any risks. Unfortunately the one missing from home incident which occurred was part of a larger issue, which ultimately has led to a placement breakdown. The home took effective and appropriate action at every stage of this incident and demonstrated support and commitment to the young people involved.

p.6

Outstanding

Staff work diligently in order to educate young people about areas of risk. Staff champions become highly knowledgeable about their specific areas of risk and communicate and educate both young people and the staff team on a wide range of topics.

p.7

Outstanding

As young people’s risks reduce they are permitted greater freedoms. Young people progress to having unsupervised overnight contact in their home areas where appropriate, which is a huge reward to them for their efforts to keep themselves safe.

p.7

Outstanding

Young people can identify staff members who they would be able to speak to should they have any worries or concerns. They are confident that staff would listen and help them to resolve any issues they experience with sensitivity. These positive relationships allow young people to trust and rely on those caring for them to make good decisions in respect of their safety and welfare.

p.7

Outstanding

The home uses safe recruitment processes to ensure that all staff are suitably vetted and do not pose any risk to young people.

p.7

Outstanding

The home continues to be very effectively led by an experienced and aspirational manager who has been in post since July 2014 and has now completed her national vocational qualification level 5. A new deputy manager, who was appointed in September 2016, was promoted from a team leader position within the home, and therefore brings continuity, experience and knowledge of the young people living there, as well as an already established relationship with the manager, staff team and young people. All staff have completed or are in the process of completing the national vocational qualification at level 3.

p.7

Outstanding

The staff team remains stable and managers are committed to continued staff development, acknowledging and valuing the individual strengths and skills brought by each member. They maintain positive, supportive relationships and communicate effectively to ensure that the care provided to young people is consistent and of the highest quality. Staff are ambitious for the young people and work together to promote the best possible support to achieve positive outcomes. They have an excellent understanding of each individual young person’s needs, which remain at the centre of practice. The culture within the home promotes a happy and stable environment that benefits young people, where they feel cared for and encouraged.

p.7

Outstanding

Supervision and appraisal are considered important by staff members, and offer a supportive environment and development opportunities. Supervision is regular, purposeful and progressive. Young people are appropriately involved in commenting on staff performance. New professional development plans have been introduced recently, providing clear objectives which are reviewed regularly, and the range of internal training will be broadened further as part of this development. Staff also access external training opportunities to develop their knowledge for specific issues relating to the young people in their care, and in enhancing multi- agency working.

p.8

Outstanding

Communication with external agencies remains exceptionally strong and effective. In particular, regular contact with schools ensures a consistent approach. Staff will advocate on behalf of young people to ensure that their wishes and feelings are considered and acted upon and are proactive in maintaining effective working relationships with other professionals and families. Shortfalls in responses from other agencies are assertively challenged and the manager and staff are persistent in their efforts to ensure that young people’s needs are met.

p.8

Outstanding

The home demonstrates excellent transitional planning for young people. Clear identification of needs and risks contribute to effective care planning, which promotes a positive introduction. Staff take a very active role in identifying appropriate educational provision for young people new to the locality and in identifying leisure activities to promote well-being and integration.

p.8

Outstanding

The progress made by young people is clearly demonstrated over time. Staff show a deep understanding of their individual needs and respond consistently to promote a positive impact on young people’s understanding, development and achievements. Expectations are communicated clearly, and young people are kept informed of any changes and are included in planning. Staff demonstrate empathy and celebrate successes and progress made with the young people.

p.8

Outstanding

Internal monitoring systems remain robust and of very high quality, and demonstrate sustained improvement over time. The manager continues to strive to improve all aspects of the home, consulting with the staff team in the development of processes to ensure that there is safe and consistent child-focused practice. There is a commitment to continuous improvement and development across the team. Any weaknesses are identified quickly and decisive action is taken to effect improvements. This results in a home where there is ambition to provide continued excellent care for young people.

p.8

Outstanding

It was noted at the last interim inspection that the home planned to recruit an alternative independent visitor. This has been achieved and the quality of external monitoring is found to have improved and to be insightful and beneficial to the ongoing development of the home.

p.8

Outstanding

The home continues to achieve the aims and objectives set out in its statement of purpose, which is regularly reviewed, and clearly states the help and support offered, while keeping local authorities, families and other agencies informed. There were no requirements or recommendations made at the last inspection. There are no requirements or recommendations made at this inspection.

p.9

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’.

p.10

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

p.10

What the inspection judgements mean

harmed or at risk of harm or result in children looked after not having their welfare safeguarded and promoted.

p.10

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

p.11

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 .

p.11

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,

p.12

Information about this inspection

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.12

Information about this inspection

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.12

Information about this inspection

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

p.12