Children's Home, Residential special school run by Hesley Services Limited in Doncaster

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:

 The senior management team has a clear vision to bring further improvement to the quality of care provided to young people.  A cohesive and multi-professional approach is operating extremely well. This includes health, education and care support teams working to provide continuous good care, and in turn young people are making progress.  There is an increase and improvement in working partnerships with external community services, including health professionals.  The service is consistently extending social, leisure and activity opportunities to broaden young people’s life experiences and engage them in the wider community.  Staff are working to extend young people’s communications skills, to enable them to make choices and express their views about their own daily lives.  There is an enhanced focus on the life-long benefits of learning in education, and a 24-hour curriculum.

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendations:  The registered person must have systems in place so that all staff, including the manager, receive supervision of their practice from an appropriately qualified and experienced professional, which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care (‘Guide to the children’s home regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2). In particular, all staff must receive formal supervision in line with the service’s policy.  The home’s policies and procedures on the protection of children should reflect any requirements of other relevant legislation (‘Guide to the children’s home regulations including the quality standards’, page 44, paragraph 9.22). In particular, the whistle-blowing policy should inform the staff of the procedure to

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Recommendations

follow, setting out clear timescales to notify all relevant parties (including parents) for the completion of the investigation. Guidance should stipulate the action to take when practice concerns are raised that do not meet the threshold for safeguarding.

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Information about this children's home

This provision is a residential special school owned by a private organisation. The school offers care and accommodation for up to 36 children and young people between the age of eight years and 19 years. Children and young people have severe learning disabilities and complex needs, including autism. This provision is registered with Ofsted as a children’s home.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

15/02/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness

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Good

Young people make sustained progress over time. This relates to being able to manage their emotions and behaviour better, improved health outcomes, increased attendance at school, improved educational attainment, social interaction and communication skills. Young people respond well to structured daily routines and consistent care in a safe environment. This makes them feel safe and secure and enables them to develop, relate to and enjoy the world around them. Young people’s health outcomes have significantly improved, as they are able to access all appropriate treatment. This has been enhanced because of the support and care that they receive to manage new environments, for example hospitals. Young people benefit from a strong focus on and commitment to their attendance and engagement in school and learning. Young people’s education attendance and learning have increased. Young people’s communication skills continue to be developed. This enables them

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Good

to express themselves, their feelings and wishes. This ensures that young people actively engage with others, make choices and give their views about their own lives. Young people thrive because of their participation in extended social and leisure activities throughout the week. Some young people have experienced an outdoor pursuits holiday. This included taking part in canoeing and wall climbing. Young people make choices about their preferred activities, which are wide ranging. They enjoy sensory play, swimming, horse riding, cycling, attending youth clubs, eating out in restaurants and visits to wildlife and theme parks. This results in their gaining skills and confidence to partake in social situations and broaden their everyday enjoyment and experience of the world around them. Young people gain durable independence skills. They learn self-care skills, including washing and dressing, cooking, shopping and taking part in chores around their

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Good

home with the help of staff. The active promotion of young people’s independence skills supports them to be more self-sufficient and prepares them for adulthood. Young people and their families greatly benefit from the careful and well-thought- out planning that supports their moving to adult services. Staff recognise the importance of this to ensure that the move is a successful and positive move. Staff communicate well with parents, supporting all family contact by telephone and visits. A parent said, ‘I visit regularly to see my son. He is well cared for. Staff are welcoming and keep me informed about his care.’ Those families who live a considerable distance from the home have made use of the on-site family accommodation. This positively promotes and provides young people with regular contact with those who are important to them.

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Good

Young people are kept safe. They benefit from support and close supervision from a core staff team that knows them well. Consequently, there have been no missing-from-home occurrences. Staff understand and have a wealth of knowledge of each young person’s vulnerabilities and they implement protective measures. This reduces and/or eliminates significant risks to individual young people. This effectively helps to keep young people safe from harm. Young people receive good support to manage their anxieties, which can affect their presenting behaviour. Staff support young people to follow individualised behaviour support plans and structured routines. This assists in reducing young people’s anxiety levels as they respond well to a more predictable daily life. Young people are physically held when they are at risk of harm to themselves or others. Close monitoring and assessment of these incidents occur, to check that such

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Good

measures are required and to assist in preventing future occurrences. As a result, young people manage their emotions more effectively, and their behaviour remains more stable. Complaints and allegations are taken very seriously. Managers and staff take appropriate action to address concerns, and all relevant professionals are notified. This ensures that young people are protected and safeguarded. However, there are not clear procedures and timescales to follow for incidents that fall short of safeguarding thresholds but remain practice-related concerns. Specified timelines for notifying parents, social workers and other relevant personnel are not included within the relevant procedure. Addressing this shortfall would further enhance the service’s approach to attending to care practice concerns promptly in the best interests of young people. Judgement grade

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Outstanding

The registered manager has been in post since March 2015. He holds the required qualifications for the post. He has relevant experience in managing and working with children and young people, including young people who have learning disabilities. The senior management team is clear about the strengths and weaknesses of the service. Managers have successfully continued to develop and quality assure the service and they aspire to provide the very best care for young people. As a result, changes and improvement have been made to staff practice, resources and support that focus more keenly on the needs, care and progress of young people. A more effective multi-disciplinary approach and greatly enhanced communication systems have made noteworthy improvements to young people’s care. This also brings a more cohesive staff team that has a clear aim of working together to improve the quality of care for young people.

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Outstanding

A now well-established senior management team and three care managers bring stability, clear direction and oversight to the staff working at the school. Young people benefit greatly from the high ratio of care staff supervision to support their needs and from improving staff retention. The on-site clinical team and the newly appointed clinical assistants work alongside the care support team to support the young people’s health, behaviour and well-being. In addition, excellent staff training opportunities equip the care staff team with the necessary skills to care for young people who have severe learning disabilities and autism. Consequently, all young people receive good care. These significant improvements now need time to become embedded in practice in order for young people to achieve outstanding progress and experience. Staff support has greatly increased, with more management oversight, regular

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Outstanding

meetings and supervision. A staff member said, ‘We do get lots of support and are listened by our managers.’ Staff receive formal supervision that includes reflection of their practice. However, not all staff receive supervision in line with the frequency stipulated in the home’s policy. This is a missed opportunity to further monitor care practices, but is not currently affecting the quality of care that young people receive. The one requirement and one recommendation made at the last inspection have been actioned. Physical intervention documents record the lead up to events in good detail. This enables the manager to assess and evaluate whether staff have taken suitable action to safeguard the young person involved and others. Each young person’s case file details the progress that they have made against their individual support plans and other supporting records. This progress is detailed explicitly in each young person’s multi-disciplinary team review, which

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Outstanding

takes place on a frequent basis. Furthermore, there has been the development of young people’s life storybooks. These provide a photographic and pictorial account of young people’s achievements and experiences. This gives young people and their families a comprehensive record of their journeys and progress. When transition arrangements have not been implemented in a timely manner, managers have been proactive in liaising with, and in some instances challenging, placing authorities to address these shortfalls. This has supported positive planning for young people’s moves to adult services. There has been an expansion of external partnership working with other agencies and professionals. Strong links with local community health teams improve young people’s access to a wider range of health services. This includes the specialist epilepsy nurse. This demonstrates that young people receive the specialist health

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Outstanding

services that best meet their individual needs. Thorough and detailed monthly regulation 44 visits continue to identify areas for improvement. Prompt action is taken to address any areas for development. This ensures that the quality of care for young people continues to improve and that monitoring systems remain robust.

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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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