Children's home run by Cherry Cottage Limited in Wigan

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 live in a homely environment where they feel safe and secure.  Staff and young people form strong, trusting relationships, which creates high levels of communication.  Clear boundaries and routines, coupled with the support of staff, help young people to make good progress in all areas of their lives.  The home provides young people with an inclusive, non-judgemental environment where consultation and making choices are part of everyday life.  Each young person is in full-time education. High attendance levels allow them to make good educational progress.  The therapeutic element of the residential care provided is overseen and monitored by a qualified, experienced specialist who works closely and supportively with staff and young people.  Plans, strategies and areas of personal risk are individualised to reflect the identity and the specific needs of each young person.  Challenging behaviour is well managed. High levels of monitoring and

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The children's home provision is good because:

evaluation of behaviour patterns ensure that coping strategies are reviewed and updated regularly.  Staff have excellent relationships with partner agencies, working collectively with them to meet young people’s needs and to keep them safe.  The home is well organised and managed.  The manager has ambition and a clear vision for the future, regarding the way in which the home should develop and progress.

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions which must be taken so that the registered person(s) meet(s) 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

The registered person must ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child. (Regulation 13(2)(e) 03/01/2017

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Information about this children's home

The children's home is one of only two homes operated by the private company. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to four young people who have learning disabilities and/or 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

18/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

04/02/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Good

Young people are receiving high-quality care. Their complex needs and sometimes challenging behaviour are well managed. Difficulties and upsets are worked through with patience and understanding. This allows young people to form strong bonds and relationships with staff. Developing strong bonds and relationships underpins much of the work undertaken with young people. For example, many have experienced chaotic lifestyles that have resulted in conflict with adults, or have put them into situations of high risk. Clear boundaries and routines, coupled with staff support, allow relationships and trust to develop. As a result, young people settle and adopt lifestyles that are safer and more socially acceptable than the ones previously experienced. Integration into the local community and the use of its facilities allow young people to gain new experiences and develop more fulfilling lifestyles. This helps them to

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Good

move forward socially, emotionally and educationally. One young person not long in the home remarked, `Actually, it’s all right here. There are some nice staff who I like and get on with. I do some nice things like going horse riding, which I really like.’ The progress that young people make is evidenced in planning documents, risk assessments, monthly updates, reports prepared for reviews and in the records that reflect the individual work being undertaken. They are individualised to meet young people’s specific needs and updated regularly through a series of reviews. This keeps them current. Since the previous inspection, the home has introduced a new electronic system, which has led to improvements in both recording and monitoring. Social workers confirm that they are kept well informed by the home. They describe good levels of communication and collaborative working. For example, one described how, together, they were successful in approaching a local school and

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Good

then gaining a full-time place there for a young person. Each young person is in full-time education, attending schools located in the local community. Attendance levels are high, reflecting the good educational progress being made. Staff have developed strong, professional links with schools and fulfil a parental role that is supportive to each young person. For example, staff intervened quickly when two young people, in separate incidents, experienced some bullying at school. This resulted in matters being dealt with quickly and effectively. The everyday health needs of young people are fully met. All are registered and receive the services of community-based facilities, for example general practitioners, dentists and opticians. More specialist services, such as mental health services, can be accessed when required. The organisation that is responsible for the home employs a consultant child and adolescent psychotherapist who monitors and oversees the therapeutic

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Good

interventions available. In addition, the home accesses the services of an educational psychologist. This combination of services ensures that the physical, emotional and mental health needs of young people are being addressed. Most activities are pre-planned to meet individual need, making them purposeful, developing social skills and promoting good health. This is in addition to providing enjoyment and opportunities for young people to follow their own interests and to develop new ones. For example, two young people attend local gyms. Other individual activities, such as roller skating, swimming and horse riding, promote healthier lifestyles for young people. The high levels of communication that exist between young people and staff promote daily consultation. For example, in the lead up to the evening meal, staff and young people discuss and plan the evening ahead. More formal meetings take place regularly, in which young people can make suggestions and choices about

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Good

certain areas of the home’s operation, for example food, activities and clothing needs. This gives young people some empowerment regarding certain aspects of the home’s daily functioning and choices to make on a daily basis. Young people are given tasks, roles and responsibilities around the home that provide them with useful skills. This is designed to improve their independence and to give them a sense of responsibility. As they progress, they are given more responsibility for managing themselves. For example, during the inspection, a young person was allowed unsupervised time in a local park. Another is starting to return from school using public transport. These and other tasks are designed to improve self-confidence as young people move towards living more independent lifestyles. Young people live in a house that is indistinguishable from others around it and provides a warm, homely and child-friendly environment. There is space for them

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Good

to play, or to be on their own if they wish. Single-occupancy bedrooms are personalised to suit the taste and the needs of the occupant. The overall state of repair, quality of decor, furnishings, fixtures and equipment is good. Judgement grade

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Good

Young people feel safe and secure in the home. Staff are adept at keeping them safe when sometimes they veer towards behaviour that could put them at risk. A trained staff team understands its roles and responsibilities in keeping young people safe. Staff have good, cooperative working partnerships and practice with external agencies, providing young people with greater protection. This is recognised by partner agencies. For example, the social worker of one young person said, `Overall, I am really pleased with the placement. They are working through challenges and difficulties well.’ Another reflects on how `they manage her risk really well whilst keeping her safe’. Young people live in an environment where they are kept safe. For example, risk assessments linked to safety inside and externally to the home, are revised and updated appropriately. Service contracts are in place for emergency and other vital

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Good

equipment. Fire drills take place with the frequency that ensures that young people new to the home have the experience of evacuating the home, should an emergency take place. Good staffing levels reduce the chances of bullying taking place. Bullying in the home is not an area of concern to young people. Boundaries that are clear, coupled with consistent daily routines, provide young people with a level of security that they are comfortable with. Overall, behaviour management is well handled, but since the last inspection the number of incidents requiring physical intervention has been relatively high. The reasons for this, which include young people who have moved on from the home, are known and explainable. All incidents are monitored effectively with de-brief sessions put in place. This gives staff opportunities to review strategies and practice with a view to reducing the number of incidents taking place.

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Good

Incidents of young people going missing are rare occurrences in this home. Suitable risk assessments are in place, and staff are fully aware of the procedures to follow, which take account of local protocols for children who are missing. Staff retention is an area that the management team views as needing improvement. During the last twelve months, the movement and influx of staff has been relatively high. Recruitment practice and clearance procedures are thorough and meet with regulatory requirements and current guidance. Longer-serving staff are re-checked regularly, which is deemed to be good practice. This ensures that young people are only being looked after by staff that have been suitably cleared and recruited. Judgement grade

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Good

The home benefits from having an experienced, well-qualified and dedicated manager. Previously, the manager was managing two children’s homes. Recently this situation has changed, and the manager now only has the responsibility for managing this home. This is viewed as a positive step and is fully supported by Ofsted. There have been considerable changes to the staff team over the last 12 months due to a number of factors. This led to a period of staff shortage. Senior staff have looked to rectify the matter, and the home will soon be fully staffed once again with a permanent staff team. Although this period led to some inconsistency to the continuity of care, no noticeable dip in the quality of care took place. Currently, staff morale is high, and this has a positive effect on young people, who live in a happy, cohesive establishment full of good humour and appropriate laughter. Staff are supportive and buy into the culture, ethos and working practices

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Good

developed in the home over the years. Staff said that they feel well supported, with the programmes of supervision and appraisal taking place with consistency. They participate in a core training programme that covers all the expected areas, such as safeguarding, child sexual exploitation, first aid and others. These are refreshed regularly, which helps to ensure that skills remain current to meet the needs of young people. All staff, apart from one new to the home, are now professionally qualified. This person is now signed up and ready to start their training. The internal and external monitoring of the home is good. Written reports are used effectively, for example in helping to identify issues that translate into the home’s written development plan. This contributes to the view that the manager and senior staff have a clear understanding of the home’s strengths and are able to identify areas that require development.

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Good

The home has a good record of compliance, and no requirements or recommendations were made following the previous inspection. The home has experienced some recent difficulties linked to staffing, but steps have been taken to rectify the situation. The home can now look forward to a more stable period when it should continue to progress and make improvements that will, ultimately, improve outcomes for young people.

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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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