Children's Home run by Leicester City Council in Leicester

Inspection date 21/11/2016

Previous inspection judgement Improved effectiveness

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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:

 Children and young people are happy. They make significant progress especially with regards to their health, behaviour, education, communication, confidence and self-esteem. Staff have warm and supportive relationships with children and young people.

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The children's home provision is outstanding because:

 The ethos of this home is inclusive, child-centred and solution-focused. Staff go over and above to ensure that children and young people have the best opportunities to reach their full potential. To achieve this they know and understand the children and young people very well and work in partnership with parents and other agencies.

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The children's home provision is outstanding because:

 Really good safeguarding systems ensure that children and young people are kept safe.

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The children's home provision is outstanding because:

 The voice of the child is highly valued and staff are strong advocates for both children and parents (where appropriate).

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The children's home provision is outstanding because:

 Highly effective and supportive managers lead a committed, qualified and competent staff team. Staff provide individualised, creative and caring approaches towards children and young people.  The registered manager fully understands the strengths and weaknesses of the service and has robust plans to address any shortfalls.  Minor shortfalls were identified with regards to the size of some bedrooms, pocket money, Wi-Fi and care planning. The registered manager is fully aware of the shortfalls identified and already has plans to address them.

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendations:  Children's home staff should take every step to make sure that individual children and young people are not subject to discrimination. This specifically refers to the pocket money/incentive scheme system. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 16, paragraph 3.12)

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Recommendations

 Homes must also meet children's basic day-to-day needs and physical necessities. This specifically refers to ensuring that bedrooms within Springfield can continue to meet the needs of the children and young people as they grow and require more equipment. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 15, paragraph 3.7)

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Recommendations

 Children should have access to a computer and the internet to support their education and learning, unless there are specific safeguarding reasons why this would be inappropriate. In such cases, the home should consider whether and how it can support the child to access a computer and the internet safely. This specifically refers to the lack of Wi-Fi provision for children and young people. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 29, paragraph 5.19)

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Recommendations

 Effective care planning is essential to the success of placements. Care planning can be strengthened by adding further detail in some areas to ensure clarity for staff. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 56, paragraph 11.2)

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Information about this children's home

The home is run by a local authority. It is registered to provide care and accommodation to nine children: five children under short-break arrangements and a further four children under other arrangements. The home cares for children with learning disabilities and who may also have a physical disability. The home cares for young people on a long-term basis, for overnight stays and day care.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 25/11/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness 21/07/2015 Full Good 19/03/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness 03/12/2014 Full Good

p.5

Outstanding

Children and young people are happy in this home. A parent said, „He is so calm and relaxed here. It feels like a family when we come here.‟ Children and young people make significant progress with regards to their health, behaviour, education, communication, confidence and self-esteem. For example, children and young people who were not regularly attending education prior to moving to the home now have 100% attendance and one young person will be following a GCSE curriculum. A social worker who attended a parents‟ evening said that these children are now fully participating in their education. Staff also attend meetings at school including parents‟ evenings. This means that staff are fully aware of progress that children and young people make in their education.

p.6

Outstanding

Staff have warm and supportive relationships with children and young people. They chat to them about their school day while engaging them in activities. A social worker said, „The banter between them and the staff is terrific.‟

p.6

Outstanding

Children and young people who use this service and who live in the home often have complex healthcare conditions. Staff are trained to ensure that they are able to safely administer healthcare procedures such as gastrostomy care and emergency medication. A parent said, „They consider his every single need and if they are not sure they call us.‟ Staff work in partnership with parents and healthcare professionals such as nurses, physiotherapists and occupational therapists to ensure the best outcomes. For example, a young person, who goes to the home on a shared-care basis, had a life-limiting condition and was on an „end of life plan‟ four years ago and could not walk. The home worked with healthcare professionals and parents and now the young person is walking, has lived longer than anyone else with his condition and is no longer on an end of life plan. He has an active and enjoyable life.

p.6

Outstanding

Staff understand and value the voice of each child and young person. They act as strong advocates to ensure that the child receives the best service. A social worker said, „They have a very empowering approach to the young person despite his disabilities.‟ Equally, they value the voice of parents and seek to build strong and trusting relationships with them. However, if parents are compromising what is in the best interests of the child, staff will put the best interests of the child first.

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Outstanding

Children and young people enjoy the meals provided. They are sensitively supported during their meals to be as independent as possible. Special diets are catered for. A parent said, „They cook specific food he likes. It‟s just wow!‟ Children and young people enjoy relaxed and sociable mealtimes. Staff are highly committed to providing a tailored service for each child and young person. A parent said, „My son likes a particular type of fish so they wanted to know where they could buy it from. They are genuinely interested in him.‟ Staff know and understand the children and young people very well. So much so, that parents liken the care to be as good as they provide themselves. A parent said, „They take over our role as parents. This is the only place I have ever been able to leave him with my heart content.‟ Staff genuinely care for the children and young people that they look after.

p.6

Outstanding

Care planning mostly provides staff with in-depth essential information about children and young people. This enables them to have the comprehensive understanding that they have. However, some minor areas of planning could be strengthened. For example, the individualised incentive schemes are not detailed within the plans and there is no clear path to reaching children‟s and young people‟s aspirations, or aspirations that staff have for them.

p.7

Outstanding

Parents are welcomed and are seen as an essential part of the team caring for their child. They benefit from events like coffee mornings and other planned events where parents can get together to share experiences and acquire information. They particularly enjoyed the Eid and recent Diwali parties and are looking forward to the forthcoming Christmas party. Staff are supportive of parents and siblings with children with a terminal condition. They provide time and space for everyone to be able to grieve but also help to create positive memories. For example, staff supported a family trip out, where both children have life-limiting conditions. Parents would not have managed this by themselves, but now have positive memories to look back on.

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Outstanding

Children who live in the home receive pocket money and an additional amount as an incentive to complete agreed tasks. Staff have tried to ensure that incentives are used in accordance with each individual‟s understanding of them, but in doing so have created an unequal system. A recommendation has been made to address this.

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Outstanding

Children and young people are encouraged to be as independent as possible. They learn new life skills such as personal hygiene, getting dressed and undressed, eating and drinking and better communication. If children are unable to complete the task, staff sensitively support them.

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Outstanding

Children and young people are usually introduced to the home on a gradual basis, helping them to settle quickly. For two children this wasn‟t possible. However, staff were warm, friendly and nurturing using all their skills and knowledge to settle the boys. Their social worker said, „When they first arrived they were asked what they wanted for tea. They asked for sausages which they hadn‟t got so they said “let‟s go out and get some”.‟ Parents and professionals agree that staff go over and above to ensure that the individual needs and wishes of children and young people are fully addressed.

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Outstanding

Staff fully recognise that moving on to an adult placement is a major life event for young people in this home. Staff implement carefully considered transition plans to ensure that young people are able to settle quickly into their new homes. A social worker said, „Staff are clear that they will do anything they can to support the young person to transition to an adult placement. They obviously care for him and want the very best for him.‟ Staff work in partnership with parents at this difficult time as parents are viewed as an important part of helping young people moving on successfully. A parent said, „There is a parent‟s event coming up where they will get people in to talk to us about transitions. They want to make sure parents are well informed. They are helping us to think about the next stages of his life.‟

p.8

Outstanding

Children and young people enjoy a range of activities both indoors and in the local and wider community. Activities are geared towards each individual‟s hobbies and interests. For example, some children and young people enjoy shopping, building bricks, the cinema and origami. One young person is a football supporter and attends all his club‟s matches both home and away. However, children and young people have asked for internet access via Wi-Fi. This has been agreed within statutory reviews but there continues to be a significant delay with the local authority agreeing to this. The registered manager continues to strongly advocate for children and young people to be able to access Wi-Fi.

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Outstanding

Children and young people have opportunities to have experiences that they would not ordinarily get due to the knowledge and skills of the staff team. A social worker said, „He gets opportunities to try out things he wouldn‟t normally get to do. For example, being able to walk down to the shops.‟

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Outstanding

The environment is practical and currently meets the needs of the children and young people that use the service. It is warm and welcoming. Specialist equipment is provided and maintained to ensure safety. Two children, who currently live in the home, have profound physical disabilities. They have separate accommodation that currently meets their needs. However, as they grow and require more equipment, the accommodation will become too small for them. The registered manager has begun discussions with the local authority about building an extension in order to provide enough space for them.

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Outstanding

Children and young people are safely looked after in this home. Staff follow the appropriate safeguarding procedures when needed. They have warm and trusting relationships with children and young people. This enables children and young people to feel safe and secure. Children and young people do not go missing from this home as a general rule. However, on one occasion, just after admission, two children left via the garden. Staff acted quickly and they were returned within minutes. A social worker said of the incident, „The staff recognised the reasons why the boys had done it and put plans in place to ensure it didn‟t happen again. There was no panic and it was dealt with calmly and in a considered way.‟ Staff have a good understanding of procedures to follow if children and young people go missing from the home.

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Outstanding

Positive behaviour is highly promoted. Clear analysis of presenting behaviours enables staff to carry out careful, targeted interventions. Staff regularly reflect on practice to understand what works well and what doesn‟t work so well. This leads to creative approaches that are simple but effective. Approaches are shared across the service and with parents and partner agencies. For example, a young person who likes calm environments and becomes anxious in loud situations uses a different entrance to access the service, away from the other children. This means that he has a calm environment when he first comes in. This enables him to access the service at his own pace to ensure that he feels comfortable and ready to engage in the opportunities on offer. This had the effect of reducing his anxiety. The young person feels so comfortable now that he was able to enjoy the recent Diwali party with his parents.

p.9

Outstanding

Staff are well trained in physical intervention techniques but rarely use them. They ably use distraction, humour and their in-depth knowledge of the young person, which alleviates the need for physical intervention. If physical intervention is used, managers and staff thoroughly reflect on the incident to ensure that it was the right course of action and think about any learning points to inform future practice. Care plans are reviewed and updated accordingly.

p.9

Outstanding

The registered manager is vastly experienced and appropriately qualified. She is supported by an equally experienced and qualified team of assistant managers who together inspire and motivate the staff team. They provide highly effective and supportive leadership to a committed, qualified and competent staff team.

p.9

Outstanding

Staff provide a strong, consistent but caring approach towards children and young people. Children and young people are at the centre of all practice. Staff are highly motivated and enthusiastic about providing an outstanding service for children and young people and continually strive to improve the service that they offer. Parents agreed that staff are „really friendly and supportive‟. One parent said, „Staff are very welcoming, understanding, approachable and accessible.‟ The registered manager has effectively implemented a strong development plan and strives to continually improve the service. She demonstrates a robust understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the service and is quick to address identified shortfalls. For example, a development day was being held during the inspection to address gaps in staff knowledge.

p.9

Outstanding

Robust detailed monitoring tools are utilised to ensure that managers have an in- depth understanding of care practices. Such tools enable them to challenge and extend staff practice. The ethos of this home is inclusive, child-centred and solution-focused.

p.10

Outstanding

Staff have access to a robust training programme, which enables them to meet the needs of the children and young people effectively. They are very well supported by the management team and each other. A member of staff said, „My supervision enables me to reflect and develop my performance.‟

p.10

Outstanding

Staff work in close partnership with other agencies. Very good partnership working enables staff to provide the best outcomes for children and 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 looked after children 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 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 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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