Children's home run by Pear Tree Projects Limited in County Durham

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:

 The leadership and management are excellent. The registered manager is passionate about her work. She is confident and knowledgeable and has the highest aspirations for the young people who live in the home. She leads her staff team well and is a very good role model. The responsible individual is also very dedicated to the work and has created an organisation that has a very well thought-through model, and which delivers high-quality care according to this model.  The home’s statement of purpose defines the client group as children and young people who are recovering from abuse, those involved in the abuse of others or children who are in both categories. Staff understand this complex area of work and are able to deliver safe, meaningful care, which allows these children and young people to make good or better progress during their placements. Managers and staff are knowledgeable about this emerging area of work. They keep up with research and indeed some

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The children's home provision is outstanding because:

undertake their own research at a high level.  The home and the organisation are run on a clearly stated set of principles and values, and these provide the basis for the care given to the children and young people. These work well and give a clear framework, in which staff can work and children and young people can live.  The home is part of a larger organisation, which has created an impressive array of resources for its own use. The organisation runs two schools, which provide the children and young people with education. The schools provide traditional, academic education together with a wide range of vocational activities and resources. These include a working farm, other rural life experiences and a range of more practical vocational skills training. The organisation values the outdoors and offers a range of outdoor activities.  The staff work closely with a number of appropriately qualified specialist

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The children's home provision is outstanding because:

workers, including psychologists, who offer support and guidance to staff, children and young people, and this contributes significantly to the quality of care.  The staff keep the children and young people safe, using a number of clear strategies. They carry out good-quality risk assessments. They offer very close supervision so that the children and young people have little unsupervised time until risk assessments suggest that this is appropriate. They also support the children and young people to keep very busy with enjoyable activities. This approach works very well.

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Information about this children's home

The home is run by a private organisation and is registered for the care and accommodation of up to three children who have 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

29/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

27/03/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Outstanding

The home is one of a number run by the same organisation, which specialises in working with children and young people who are recovering from trauma associated with abuse, who have abused others or who fall into both of these categories. Like the other homes in the organisation, this home shares a model of working and a set of principles and values that define how it is going to work. Broadly, the principles are based around high-quality care, close supervision of the children and young people and keeping them active with a range of education, training and leisure. This model is underpinned with strong, clear values based around respect and openness. This model of working has been carefully researched and formulated and provides excellent ways of working. Staff are asked to commit to the values and to be professional and effective. The children and young people are all visited and spoken to prior to admission, and

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Outstanding

a thorough assessment is carried out. The children and young people are asked to commit to what is on offer. The expectation is that they will be supervised closely until such time as it is felt safe for them to have unsupervised free time. There is an expectation of full school attendance. The organisation runs two small schools where, in addition to a full range of academic subjects being taught, there is a wide range of vocational options. These include experience of a working farm, a range of other rural vocational options and a range of other practical and vocational skills training. Some young people have moved on very successfully to further their education in local colleges, while still living at the home. The children and young people at this home have benefited hugely from what is on offer. They have made excellent relationships with the staff. They attend school well and make good progress and they take part in the full range of opportunities

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Outstanding

on offer. Their lives are substantially enhanced by the experience of living in this home. The care of the children and young people is individually planned and they are fully involved in the planning of this and in managing any risks that are apparent. The children and young people often have very low starting points, arriving with a range of difficulties and are often subject to high risks. Most young people leave having made significant changes to their lives and having greatly reduced risks. Because the children and young people spend so much time with staff, the opportunities to build strong relationships are available. The staff invest a great deal of time in these relationships, which are a very positive foundation of the work. The young people spoken to commented on how well they relate with the staff and how much the staff have done for them. They appreciate the efforts that staff make and clearly relate to them very well.

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Outstanding

The range of educational, vocational and leisure opportunities are well used by the children and young people, and it is clear that participating in these activities helps to raise self-esteem, builds confidence and resilience and provides a range of life skills. The children and young people are also encouraged to engage in community- based activities. One young person plays for a local football team, and another has joined a running club. One young person takes part in weekly sessions doing voluntary work at a local nature reserve. All these external activities complement what is on offer within the organisation and provide good opportunities for children and young people to build on their social skills. These activities are all supervised at appropriate levels. One young person talked enthusiastically to the inspector about how they enjoyed looking after and riding the horses at the farm and caring for the other farm

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Outstanding

animals. These activities can help to build empathy in young people who have abusive backgrounds. The young person talked about playing sports regularly, taking part in outdoor activities, being good at maths and enjoying a recent geology trip. The young person also showed off a mosaic decoration that they had made, which was of a very good standard. Despite significant learning difficulties, this young person is enjoying a rounded education in surroundings that they clearly find safe and secure, stimulating and engaging. The young people are encouraged to talk about their life issues, which are often profound and sensitive. The staff engage them well in meaningful and challenging key-work sessions, and a range of specialist workers that are external to the organisation are also able to offer support, guidance and specialist assessments. These all contribute to the good and often excellent progress that the young

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Outstanding

people make. Some young people who have histories of being severely abused have been able to rebuild their lives and to achieve and be successful. Others, who have histories of harming others, have been able to make substantial changes to their behaviour and have been supported to become safer when in the company of others. For the young people in this home, these are significant changes, and these changes are a direct result of the high-quality care delivered by the staff in the environment and culture created by the organisation. The staff use well-constructed ways of measuring the progress of the young people and evidence this clearly. It is, therefore, very apparent that the young people make good or better progress in all or most areas of their lives. The young people are expected to take responsibilities for learning new skills, and the staff support them to do this so that they are prepared well for independence.

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Outstanding

Over the previous year, two young people reached their 18th birthdays and have moved successfully to independent living. In general, the young people understand what the home has to offer prior to admission. They make a good commitment to the expectations and rules and benefit hugely from the opportunities on offer and the care given to them. Staff spoken to were passionate about their work and dedicated to the young people. One parent spoken to by the inspector said, ‘They have done an amazing job.’ The staff help the children and young people to maintain and develop better contact with their families when this is appropriate, and some of them are able to restart unsupervised contact with their families.

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Outstanding

The staff work with many children and young people who have high risks associated with them. They understand these risks well. Partly, this is because of their level of knowledge. They have been well trained and have read relevant material and research. This is enhanced by their relevant experience. Most of the staff are long serving and have worked with this client group for some considerable time. One staff member spoken to by the inspector had an excellent understanding of risks, of measuring them and of understanding the dynamics and variables that constantly change around these risks. Risks are assessed and measured over time, and it is clear that risks reduce substantially as the children and young people settle and engage with the staff and the work. Many of the risks are reduced substantially by the emphasis on close supervision of the children and young people. However, the staff are very clear and practical and

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Outstanding

know that children and young people need to be trusted and tested, and they acknowledged that, if young people make small mistakes, they can work with them to improve the situation. Because the staff deal with children and young people who have been subject to or involved in sexual abuse, many of the risks are associated with these areas. The staff are strong on providing appropriate sex education, on assessing risks of sexualised behaviour and on working to reduce these risks. The home has kept the children and young people living there very safe. In the year since the previous full inspection, there have been no missing-from-home incidents, except for one situation in which a young person returned home late. There have been no safeguarding issues and no major incidents of concern. Staff have not had to use any physical interventions and have only put a very few sanctions in place. This is because expectations and rules are very clearly put in

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Outstanding

place, and the young people are content to abide by these. This happens because the young people are genuinely engaged and genuinely interested in making better lives for themselves. Staff suggest that the older young people living in the home often provide good role models for younger children and young people. There have been no complaints or allegations made, and no bullying has been recorded at the home. The children and young people are fully involved in planning their lives and in the running of the home. The children and young people in this home become increasingly safe. They engage in less risky behaviour and pose less risk to others over time. The safeguarding in the home is excellent. The children and young people in the home clearly feel safe and secure and, because of this, they are able to make many positive changes in their lives.

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Outstanding

The registered manager is very experienced and is appropriately qualified. She is also passionate about her work and is completely committed and dedicated to the task of caring for some very challenging children and young people. She is confident and highly able to challenge others when required. She has built excellent contacts with external workers and services and maintains those relationships. Perhaps most noteworthy of all, she has a very good understanding of the task set out in the organisation’s model of working and is able to put the theory of this into everyday practice. This requires a great deal of motivation and attention to detail. The home is small, so that the registered manager is very ‘hands on’ with the children and young people. She spends plenty of good-quality time with them and is able to be challenging and nurturing. She has high aspirations for all the children and young people at the home and goes out of her way to put in the effort

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Outstanding

required to support them to achieve so much. The children and young people make progress and, in part, this is due to the resources in the organisation and the close working relationships that the registered manager has established with the schools and the activity workers. It is also due to the close working relationships with outside professionals and services, which the registered manager has established effectively. The registered manager monitors the care practices in the home thoroughly. There is a comprehensive model in place, which measures progress over time and this works very well. The registered manager is also strong on the continuous development of the staff team and the service offered. The staff are supportive of the registered manager and say how much they value her support and supervision. Supervision is regular and is of good quality, appraisals are completed thoroughly and training is provided for staff when it is

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Outstanding

needed. Training is up to date, and all the staff are appropriately qualified. The statement of purpose outlines the aims and objectives of the home, which incorporate the aims, objectives, values and principles of the organisation. The registered manager ensures that these are fully met. She has created an environment that is not only safe but also one where young people can thrive and blossom. She has an excellent understanding of the often-complex needs of the children and young people and is able to ensure that these are met and that priority is given to the areas of greatest need or highest risk. No requirements or recommendations were made at the previous inspection and none has been made at this inspection.

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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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