Children's home run by ABC Children’s Homes Limited in Stroud

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 are happy and settled at the home.  The quality of the relationships between staff and young people is a key strength of the home.  Young people and professionals comment positively about how the staff ensure that the house offers a family environment.  Young people’s care is tailored to their individual circumstances and preferences.  Young people are given the opportunity to demonstrate that they are able to care for a pet. This gives them a sense of responsibility and commitment.  Staff anticipate and understand young people’s risks factors well.  Incidents in the home are low, and behaviour management is consistent.  Staff are happy in their roles and are well trained.  The staff team is dedicated to meeting the young people’s needs and to ensuring that they have happy childhood memories from their time at the home.  The management team has a clear focus on the needs of each young person

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The children’s home provision is good because:

in its care and the steps that managers and the staff must take to ensure that progress for each young person is achieved.  Partnership working with other agencies is strong and enables young people to make good levels of progress educationally, socially and emotionally.  Professionals, parents, staff and young people speak highly of the service.  There are two minor shortfalls in practice. These relate to record-keeping.

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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 they maintain in the home the records relating to schedule 4. This is specifically in relation to a copy of the staff duty roster of persons working at the home, and a record of the actual hours worked. (Regulation 37(2)(a)) 23/12/2016

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendation:  Ensure that both the arrangements for contact and any contact details (telephone numbers etc.) are included in the placement plan agreed between the registered person and the child’s placing authority and updated regularly. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 58, paragraph 11.15)

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned children’s home is registered to care for up to three young people who have emotional and behavioural difficulties. The home is currently offering medium- to long-term care for young people aged eight to 18 years.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

16/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Good

Young people are happy and settled at the home. They take great pride in their home environment and each other. Staff make sure that the home is well furnished, and offers young people a warm and welcoming atmosphere. This includes proudly displaying young people’s artwork throughout the home. Young people are encouraged to personalise their bedrooms, and this helps to give them a sense of belonging. A young person told the inspector, ‘It feels like a proper home here.’ The quality of the relationships between the staff and young people is a key strength of the home. A young person told the inspector, ‘They do help us. If we are sad, they will talk to us. They do care a lot.’ These relationships are based on a mutual trust and respect for each other and their surroundings. Professionals and parents also make positive comments about the way in which the staff enabled young people to make meaningful progress educationally, socially and emotionally.

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Good

For example, a young person told the inspector, ‘I’ve made a lot of progress here. I’ve grown up. Gradually, it’s got a lot better, and my behaviour has improved.’ Another young person said, ‘I was violent. I was into drugs and alcohol. I’m not interested in the slightest now.’ The staff have worked in partnership with schools to offer tailor-made educational packages. For example, one young person has been able to return to a mainstream school at her request, and her timetable focuses on her specific needs. This approach has enabled barriers to learning to be clearly addressed. Young people receive care that is tailored to their individual circumstances and preferences. For example, one young person found it easier to communicate to staff in times of crisis by sending text massages rather than initial face-to-face contact. The staff have embraced this and have been able to help the young person to make safer decisions.

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Good

Staff work hard to make sure that young people’s experiences and childhood memories are at the heart of their practice. For example, young people go on holiday together with staff. The young people shared with the inspector some recent memories of a holiday. They giggled uncontrollably as they shared their memories of a staff member’s bed continuously going flat, and their trying to repair it during a camping trip. Staff ensure that young people are involved in decisions about the development of the home through house meetings and key-working sessions. Young people also have access to advocates that help to strengthen their voice. When it is appropriate to do so, young people are encouraged to develop their levels of responsibility in preparation for the transition to adulthood. For example, young people are supported to complete their own washing and to develop skills such as cooking. Young people are also given the opportunity to demonstrate that

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Good

they are able to care for a pet. This gives them a sense of responsibility and commitment. The home’s care plans are detailed and individualised. However, these key records are not always updated in a timely manner. This creates a missed opportunity to ensure that assessments remain at an appropriate level to reflect the needs of the young person.

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Good

Staff work closely with other professionals, such as the child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) and the police, to help to ensure that all young people are safe and protected. Incidents of young people going missing from the home and self-harming are low. This is because staff work with young people, their families, social workers and the local police, to identify triggers. Young people are helped to understand how to keep themselves safe through established training programmes set up in the home. These include internet safety and recognising the signs of exploitation. Staff use a system of financial rewards and incentives to promote positive behaviour. Staff discuss with the young people how their behaviour has made everyone in the home feel, to help them to understand their own and others’ feelings. Young people are protected by the organisation’s vigorous recruitment practice. Staff are vetted and assessed as suitable before any appointment is confirmed.

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Good

This procedure promotes the safety of the young people by preventing unsuitable adults from working with them. Staff make sure that health and safety checks are routinely completed. This includes fire safety. This attention to detail helps to make sure that young people stay safe. Judgement grade

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Good

The registered manager has worked at the home for one year and holds a level 5 qualification in residential childcare. The registered manager is passionate and committed to providing high-quality care and continues to look at ways to improve the provision so that young people thrive. Staff say that they are well supported. All staff receive regular supervision, which enables them to reflect on the welfare of young people and on their own professional development. All staff either hold their level 3 qualification in residential childcare, or are working towards the award in the required period. The management team has a clear focus on the needs of each young person and the steps necessary to enable progress to be made. The management team is highly effective in escalating concerns that might be holding back young people from reaching their full potential. This professional challenge helps to remove barriers and enables ongoing development in young people’s learning, participation

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Good

and social achievement. The manager ensures that the statement of purpose clearly demonstrates the aims and objectives of the home. This makes it possible for parents or placing authorities to have a clear understanding of services available. The manager ensures that young people are provided with a children’s guide, providing them with information that is important for them to know and understand Partnership working with other agencies remains vital in helping young people to make good levels of progress educationally, socially and emotionally. A social worker commented, ‘[The home] has been consistent in [its] care of the young person I have placed. [It is] sensitive to his needs and keeps me informed.’ An independent reviewing officer commented, ‘The staff [were] very professional and helpful when I rang the unit, and welcoming when I visited them. They meet the young person [’s] needs very well, supported her emotional issues and she felt safe

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Good

at [the home].’ Duty rotas do not capture the times when the manager is at the home. This affects the staff’s awareness of his availability.

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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

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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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