Children's home run by Shropshire Council

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 provision is outstanding because:

 Young people maintain settled placements over a long period of time. The home provides exceptional stability.  Young people return home or into adult care in an extremely well-planned and sensitive manner.  Young people are fit and well, and benefit from a diverse range of activities to meet their individual needs.  The staff team is long-standing, committed, dedicated and passionate about the home. Staff work closely with young people, family and parents/carers to help to strengthen bonds and increase the chance of young people returning home.  Young people remain in and do well in education. Staff work remarkably well in partnership with education professionals.  Young people feel safe living at the home. They rarely go missing from care.  Young people do not engage in socially unacceptable behaviour and there have been no occasions when the police have had to visit the home.  Research-based practice is used to embed the importance of the family.

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The children’s home provision is outstanding because:

Staff work extremely closely with families to improve relationships that may have broken down or be in extreme difficulties.  The manager is committed and supported by a passionate, well-trained, skilled and knowledgeable staff team.  There are some areas identified for improvement: recording complaints, activity risk assessments, monitoring records, the quality of independent visitor reports, record keeping and reporting significant events.

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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

The registered person must ensure that a record is made of any complaint, the action taken in response and the outcome of any investigation. (Regulation 39(3)) 04/01/2017

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendations:  Staff should continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements to protect them. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5)  The registered person should ensure that all incidents of control, discipline and restraint are subject to systems of regular scrutiny to ensure that their use is fair. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.36)  The registered person should actively seek independent scrutiny of the home and make best use of information from independent and internal monitoring (including under regulations 44 and 45) to ensure continuous improvement. They should be skilled in anticipating difficulties and reviewing incidents, such as learning from disruptions and placement breakdowns. They are

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Recommendations

responsible for proactively implementing lessons learned and sustaining good practice. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 10.24)  Ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)  Ensure that the registered person notifies Ofsted and other relevant persons if one of the situations specified in regulation 40(4)(a)–(d) occurs. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 63,

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Information about this children’s home

The home is one of two children’s homes provided by a local authority. The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for five young people with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 12/02/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 24/11/2015 Full Outstanding 24/03/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness 28/11/2014 Full Outstanding

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Outstanding

Young people settle at the home remarkably well. They benefit from a sustained placement that provides them with excellent care and nurture. The home radiates a warm, welcoming feel that helps young people to feel cosy and relaxed. Staff welcome visitors to the home and support contact arrangements. This helps young people to feel proud about the home that they live in and strengthens bonds between family and friends. Young people form strong attachments and healthy relationships with the staff. Young people make good friendships with each other. Conflict is managed extremely well when there are personality clashes. This encourages young people to respect each other.

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Outstanding

The staff team is long-standing, committed, dedicated and passionate about the care that it provides. This helps young people to trust and have confidence in the staff who care for them. A young person who recently moved from the home said, ‘I loved the home’. The views, wishes and feelings of young people are obtained on a daily basis. Staff understand the individual personalities of each young person and how to engage them to participate. This gives all young people the chance to have their say about the care that they receive. As a result, young people feel valued and listened to.

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Outstanding

Parents, carers and professionals speak highly of the care that young people receive. They recognise the progress that young people make from their starting point. For example, one young person is now able to socialise more, will take part in outings and is managing better in school. This is important to the individual, because they have overcome their personal barriers.

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Outstanding

Young people are fit and well. Staff are dedicated to encouraging and advising on the importance of healthy eating and physical fitness. Staff put exceptional work into planning mealtimes and activities with young people. This keeps a mindful approach to the importance of keeping fit and well. The arrangements for medication are safe. Young people attend all routine health appointments. As a result, young people thrive and grow.

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Outstanding

Young people’s confidence, social abilities and self-esteem improve because they have access to a diverse range of activities that meet their individual needs. The home is exceptionally well resourced. There are appropriate games and activities to meet the varying ages and abilities of all young people. This makes sure that all young people have an equal range of experiences, regardless of their age or ability. Some young people said they had been on holiday in a caravan. Others said they experienced a summer camp for the first time. This means that young people experience rewarding opportunities.

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Outstanding

Staff work remarkably well with education professionals. They share information that helps both the home and the school staff to understand how each young person is doing. This makes sure that the right learning environment is provided that gets the best results for each individual. This means that young people do exceptionally well, regardless of the barriers that they face.

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Outstanding

Young people return home or into adult care in an extremely well-planned and sensitive manner. The manager and staff work tirelessly to prepare young people for independence. As a result, young people leave care prepared and able to face adulthood with pride and confidence. A parent wrote to the staff when her daughter left care and said, ‘Thank you for the care and help. The impact that your input made on her has made a huge difference to her and how she manages her life.’ This is a testament to the staff’s dedication and commitment.

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Outstanding

The manager and staff use research-based practice in helping to strengthen relationships between young people and their families. This holistic approach encompasses the importance of returning young people home by instilling strong, healthy values into the family. When young people are placed at the home, there is an expectation that the family signs up to work with the home to deliver the innovative care package. This gives families the chance to rebuild difficult relationships. A parent commented about the new approach and confirmed that he had been made aware of it during a core group meeting. This increases the chance of young people returning home.

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Good

Young people feel safe living at the home. They rarely go missing from care. The staff share relevant information about the young people who reside at the home with the police. This close working helps the police and staff to return young people home quickly if there is any event.

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Good

The use of physical intervention is used only as a last resort by trained staff. The manager is an approved trainer in the home’s chosen method of restraint and has, on occasion, been involved in the use of the measure. Following an event that the manager was involved in, the record presented a disproportionate length of time for the young person being held. For example, one hold was recorded as lasting for 50 minutes. The record did not detail the fact that the young person was sat among the staff without being held. As a result, the record appears worse than the event actually was. The manager did not identify this when monitoring the record and no action was taken to remedy it. This impacts on the data collected for monitoring purpose, as it is not factual and exaggerates the incident. Young people receive praise and rewards for their achievements and positive behaviour. Sanctions are fair and proportionate. Young people know and

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Good

understand the consequences for their actions, and learn how to manage and change their behaviour to be more acceptable.

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Good

Staff do not routinely write a risk assessment for group activities in the community prior to a trip. Staff assess the group dynamics and identify the support required verbally. This does not help the manager to evaluate the effectiveness of the risk if something goes wrong.

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Good

Young people do not engage in socially unacceptable behaviour and there are no occasions on which police have had to visit the home for such a reason. The staff are responsive and alert to managing behaviour that is inappropriate. Bullying is not tolerated. Staff are extremely quick to respond to and act on any bullying behaviour. This protects young people from harm.

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Good

There are no young people who are at risk of or subject to child sexual exploitation or radicalisation. Staff receive good training to identify and support young people who may be at risk. This protects vulnerable young people.

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Good

Complaints and allegations are managed well. The manager responds to and investigates any allegations, providing feedback about the outcome to the relevant parties. The manager has not recorded in line with regulation a complaint that was received from a member of the public about a young person. Although it has been dealt with properly, the lack of recording means that the data misrepresents the facts to review the quality of care.

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Good

Young people receive the appropriate support to access medical attention in emergencies. For example, a staff member noticed the discomfort that a young person was in when he returned from school. The staff’s quick response and reaction in recognising that the young person was injured enabled him to receive medical attention at the hospital for a significant injury. The manager did not feel that it was reportable as a significant event, because it occurred at school.

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Good

Two staff have been safely recruited since the last full inspection. Young people are involved in the recruitment process. They influence who is recruited. This helps to keep them safe and provides them with familiar adults whom they have already met. Visitors to the home are asked for identification and are not left unattended, when relevant. This keeps everyone safe.

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Outstanding

The home is exceptionally well managed by a qualified, knowledgeable and experienced leadership team. The registered manager holds a level 5 diploma in management, and is supported by a dedicated and qualified deputy. The management arrangements remain consistent. Staff rarely leave the service. They, too, are loyal and committed to the home. Staff are suitably qualified to a level 3 diploma or equivalent in the care of children and young people. The culture embedded in the home’s ethos and values is demonstrated in staff’s daily practice. As a result, young people receive an excellent quality of care.

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Outstanding

Staff receive a variety of training that enhances their personal development, skill and knowledge. They feel valued by the manager, because she invests in her team. Regular supervision and appraisal provide important opportunities for staff to share their experiences about the care that is provided and how they want to develop personally. The manager’s ‘open door’ policy helps staff to access her at any time for her to talk through or advise on current issues. Staff feel at ease with the manager. This helps to maintain a stable workforce.

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Outstanding

The manager strives to improve the service. She is extremely innovative and proactive in finding alternative ways to shape the future of the home. The recent introduction of equine assisted learning has led to stables being built to accommodate the horses. This makes the therapy more available to all young people who wish to participate.

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Outstanding

The manager consistently strives to implement research-based practice. It is used to embed the importance of the family. Staff work extremely closely with families and young people to improve relationships that may have broken down or when families and young people may be experiencing extreme difficulties. This new approach reaches out to families in crisis and gives them comfort that there is hope for young people to return home successfully. This exemplifies the dedication of the manager and the team in driving improvement in the provision of excellent- quality care and returning children home.

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Outstanding

The quality of care is regularly monitored by an independent person who is familiar to the young people and staff. The consistency of the independent visitor makes it more relaxing for young people to talk to and share their views. The reports do not always reflect the good work being done and do not provide much depth in the evaluation in relation to the regulation. The manager receives good feedback from the visitor and often takes part in the consultation with him. Additionally, the manager undertakes her own quality assurance. This is robust and identifies patterns and trends that help to shape the home’s development plan. The continued improvement is reflected in the exceptional efforts and improvement that young people make while they are living at the home.

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Outstanding

The aims and objectives of the statement of purpose are met. Staff understand the ethos and values of the home, and deliver them in practice. They have a true sense of care, and go above and beyond expectations. The manager has taken action to address all of the requirements from the last inspection. The records required to be held in relation to staff recruitment and the children’s register are now all in place. Proofs of consent for the use of monitoring and surveillance are easily retrieved now that they are held electronically.

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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’. 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

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What the inspection judgements mean

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 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 0300 123 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 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

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

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