Children's home in Stratford-on-Avon

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:

 This home is outstanding because of the remarkable progress made by the young person and excellent support provided by staff.  The young person is the only resident, and the service completely revolves around him. He is making full use of the extensive, personalised opportunities created.  The young person feels safe inside and outside the home. He recognises and avoids dangerous social and practical situations.  The staffing arrangements have provided an exceptionally high degree of continuity over several years. The young person benefits from secure and trusting relationships in which there is a lot of affection.  The young person receives a top-class service from his placing authority and a range of other professionals, including the in-house therapist. He has matured emotionally far beyond expectations.  The young person has achieved a particularly high degree of independence and has gained from the associated social, financial and emotional benefits.

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The children’s home provision is outstanding because:

He is already achieving some of his ambitions and has challenging but attainable aspirations.  Substantial criminal and major behavioural difficulties have ceased. The young person controls his actions appropriately, which helps him to succeed in a variety of situations, including work, personal relationships and college.  With support from staff, the young person has transformed his engagement in education. As a result, he is on a realistic and meaningful career path and he now understands the value of education.  The young person enjoys an excellent range of social and recreational opportunities. He has a wide social network. His improved self-confidence has resulted in his building bridges with his family.  External professionals rate the service very highly.  The manager uses research, training and other opportunities to improve his work and that of the team. This is an ongoing, rather than an occasional

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The children’s home provision is outstanding because:

process, and leads to imaginative practice.  Whenever possible, the manager adapts the processes needed to run the home to meet the young person’s need to learn independence skills.

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Information about this children’s home

A large private company operates this home. The service is for one child who may 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

23/02/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

03/02/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Outstanding

The young person recently wrote, ‘I like the staff team. I feel safe and it feels like my home. It’s a happy place. I’m very lucky living [here]!... You only have to look at the progress [I’ve made] to see [this service is] outstanding.’ This is exactly the case. With carefully structured care, he has already done exceedingly well in all areas of his life, firstly, in learning to avoid and deal with difficulties and, secondly, by improving himself and his life chances. Documentary evidence shows a remarkable and impactful picture of wide-ranging and substantial difficulties, such as going missing, which have ceased. This applies particularly over the past 18 months, since he has lived here, although he has been living at a home run by this company for about six years. External professionals consistently praise the service. The independent reviewing officer has known the young man for a long time and recently said, ‘He has had a first-class experience here with excellent

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Outstanding

staff and manager support. [This] has transformed his behaviour and laid the foundations for his transition to adulthood. This is his family, and there is a lot of genuine affection and respect.’ The young man’s social worker reported, ‘This is an excellent placement, and he is thriving.’ The exceptionally well-personalised package of care has been a resounding success. The organisation invested in this opportunity, based on a careful assessment of the young person’s needs, and this has paid dividends. The staff and manager transferred with him from the previous home, which made the move to his new home much more positive, as he maintained close relationships with his carers. Subsequently, the team of four staff has stayed the same with hardly any input from unfamiliar adults. This is a benchmark arrangement, providing an immensely secure base for the young person. He now works for three days a week

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Outstanding

and attends college, has his own motorbike, and is in a long-term relationship. He is achieving his ambitions and feels confident about the future. With regular help from an in-house therapist, the staff team implements packages of care, which focus on specific issues. Staff use a clear theoretical model in a progressive way so that the young person experiences success at each stage. Given the age of the young person, the firm focus now is to help him to gain a high level of independence skills. Although the placing authority is some distance away, it has contributed substantially by facilitating consistency of workers, compiling transition plans in good time, and providing extra funds. The service itself has required some adjustment to remain completely child focused in challenging economic times. The young person found, and kept, a part-time job working with the public. This has manifestly increased his social skills and allowed him to save

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Outstanding

for a motorbike. He was fully involved in making the financial and practical arrangements, seeking and obtaining the agreement of other people. He committed to and implemented agreements about safety and maintenance. This objective to purchase a motorbike has proved to be an inspired tool in his development, partly because it was a challenging and somewhat controversial target. All his allowances go directly into his bank account and he manages them on line. Payments will soon increase as he takes responsibility for some household bills. The young person uses these transferable skills to tackle obstacles in a considered and respectful way. This is in marked contrast to his previous methods before he moved into this home. A police officer commented, ‘There is no police involvement now. He is polite and respectful now, which wasn’t always the case.’ Staff act in a fully professional way but have established extremely close bonds

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Outstanding

with the young person. If there is some over-indulgence, it simply reflects they care. They know how to get the best from him and he appreciates it. The high- quality furnishings and fittings in the house demonstrate this too. Mementos of events, photographs and a large professional portrait of the young man all take pride of place. There is a glossy compilation of the pictures taken earlier this year in Turkey, where he showed a close interest in the country’s culture and religion. Staff arranged a surprise birthday party recently. The young person wrote a message to them afterwards saying, ‘I’d like to thank all my staff for making my birthday the best ever!’ The staff and young person know that they all face the challenge of separation next year and are planning accordingly. Minor changes to the team and the young person spending time alone in the house are important steps on this journey to adulthood. For his part, the young man has recently

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Outstanding

accepted regular meetings with the therapist, which are designed to help him to explore in detail and plan for his move into adulthood. This acceptance of extra support is indicative of his substantial emotional progress as are his recent efforts to build bridges with his family. His speech therapist commented, ‘His self-esteem is in a different place now. He has much more self-awareness. He’s come a long way and can now self-monitor.’ The opinions of the young person inextricably entwine with the running of the home. His input is intrinsic to the service, and consultation by staff with him is far beyond an exercise. This is difficult to achieve and is only effective because of careful work by the manager and staff. Their support is constantly evolving as the young person’s responsibilities increase. The independent visitor, reviewing officer and social worker provide valuable practical and emotional safety nets.

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Outstanding

From a low level of engagement, attendance and achievement, the young person now attends college full time. As recently as the last academic year, he received frequent exclusions from school. However, this improved and he sat six examinations, which was a significant achievement. He is highly committed to attending a vocational course at college and achieving an apprenticeship. Given his motivation and skill, this is now a completely attainable ambition. The young person has learned to manage a significant health issue, which affects his attention and requires medication. Despite this, social difficulties are now almost non-existent. The young person now makes amends for outbursts by apologising and changing his approach. Teachers who knew him previously are extremely impressed with his progress. Nevertheless, staff remain alert to any obstacles and distractions. One recent improvement they made was to provide

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Outstanding

packed lunches. This removed the problems caused by his leaving college at lunchtime and returning late. Staff also understand his rights and use them to good effect. They arranged for his pupil premium to be used to buy a handheld computer device loaded with applications to help with his education.

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Outstanding

The measures taken by staff to ensure the young person’s safety are exceptionally effective. Staff apply a clear theory of behaviour management. This has helped them to prevent and de-escalate incidents particularly well. The young person has learned from discussions with staff and is now able to manage his own behaviour, which demonstrates that he has absorbed these lessons. Staff promote the young person’s rights, by allowing him to take risks in a well-managed way. He finds this encouraging and liberating. Consequently, this approach to learning to manage risks has contributed immensely to his progress in a wide variety of areas, including emotionally, socially, and educationally. The young person told staff, ‘If I’d carried on like I was, I’d be in prison now.’ Now, his independent reviewing officer feels that ‘his safety profile is extremely good and the problems evident [before] are all resolved.’ The range of risk-taking behaviours, including drug misuse and going

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Outstanding

missing from home, have completely changed to those common to a typical teenager. In many ways, the level of risk is lower than for many teenagers because of the understanding he now has. The manager has a number of different ways of summarising the young person’s patterns of behaviour by for example, the use of graphs and visual representations These are uncomplicated but have an immensely powerful effect on staff, other professionals and the young person. Staff and the young person review his personal risk assessments frequently because of the rapid pace of his improvement. This ensures that the strategies remain suitable and are familiar to the young person. The process involves staff liaising with the other professionals who are helping the young person. An exceptionally thorough process, involving a certain amount of ‘thinking outside the box’, has concluded in the young person having his dream motorcycle. Rigorous

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Outstanding

discussions, held repeatedly, mean that the young person understands and invests in the processes that staff recommend. For example, he takes his motorcycling responsibilities very seriously, such as keeping to the speed limits and being cautious when with other young riders. His success in this area was only possible because he systematically reduced the risks that he posed previously. From absconding persistently and in a high-profile way and putting himself in situations of extreme risk, the young person now adheres to clear boundaries. This results in a substantial improvement in his safety and means that he enjoys much more free time. He has a strong sense of safety and avoids acquaintances who are likely to tempt him into trouble. The staff team is familiar with the latest missing person’s protocol because they keep in touch regularly with the police, even though there is no childcare reason to do so. Sexual exploitation is not a risk to this young

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Outstanding

person, but staff are familiar with the latest information about indicators and geographical patterns of offending. The young person has progressed to the stage where the system of consequences and rewards is barely relevant. He receives regular praise and encouragement but largely regulates himself independently. In particular, he is sensitive to the feelings of others and is emotionally mature enough to repair damaged relationships.

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Outstanding

Ofsted registered the manager for this service last year. He was previously registered for another home within the company. He makes sure that the standard of personalised care received by the young person is exemplary. He has implemented a clear strategy, based on a recent research project for his level 5 management award, to maximise the standards in the home. He is highly visible and accessible to the small staff team and the young person. This contributes to the family feel of the service and the close relationships. Staff members apply the principles of therapeutic parenting to each other as well as to the young person, so that everyone feels valued. The written statement of purpose reflects the vision that they share. This means that every individual works hard to achieve the same goals, for example, by advocating strongly on behalf of the young person. Since the last inspection, the company has merged with another. Senior personnel have

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Outstanding

managed this major event in a sensitive way and prevented it from unsettling staff or the young person. The manager records very clearly the progress made by the young person. He uses a variety of imaginative computer graphics to show patterns and trends. These powerful images succinctly communicate the situation to adults and the young person and prioritise their efforts. All staff implement this work and have recently improved the key worker process. The young person is fully involved in each step. He recently wrote with some irony, ‘Signing all the paperwork can be a bit much!’ The last inspection identified no shortfalls. However, the manager is unfailingly ambitious to improve the service. He uses training events, monitoring processes, and quality assurance measures to improve staff’s skills and the experience of the young person. People who know the service are consistently positive about it. The independent visitor recently wrote, ‘It would be easy in this home [for the

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Outstanding

staff] to become complacent. However, this has not been the case, and the team remain focused on helping the young man to achieve.’ The staff are all suitably qualified. Staff hone their professional skills by working in other homes occasionally, by undertaking an unusually high rate of good-quality training, and refining their own practices. Recently, for example, they improved the level of safety that they apply to the administration of prescribed medication. The manager uses team meetings to explain important issues to staff. He has discussed the recent national review of residential childcare and the funding of children’s homes in a team meeting. This has resulted in staff working differently with the young person. This discipline prevents staff from becoming complacent and keeps their care of the young person fresh. Their expertise reflects the daily discussions between them and the young person. Some of these discussions, for example,

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Outstanding

prepared the young person to deal with difficult customers at his place of work. The inclusion of the young person in the operation of the home is excellent. This was strongly demonstrated by the fact that he attended and contributed to the formal feedback meeting at the end of the 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

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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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