Children's home run by Hertfordshire County Council in Dacorum

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged good at the last full inspection. At this interim inspection Ofsted judge that it has improved in effectiveness .

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager has met the two requirements made at the last inspection. The staff recruitment process requires new employees to explain any gaps in their employment history. This information is now accessible when staff move to other settings within the local authority.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

All of the staff have had updated safeguarding training. The manager uses staff meetings to discuss safeguarding scenarios, including children making allegations about staff, to ensure that the staff are able to respond effectively should any safeguarding matters arise.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The staff now promptly update the children’s risk assessments whenever they identify new risks or behaviours. The incorporation of these updates into the children’s placement plans helps to safeguard children because the staff have access to current information and risk reduction strategies.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager has addressed two of the three recommendations made at the last inspection. Through in-house training the staff appreciate the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. The staff ensure that routines in the home reflect the expectation that the children attend school. The final recommendation related to the window grills that form part of the home’s ventilation system. This has not been addressed. However, there is no impact on children. Replacing the windows is cost prohibitive and therefore this recommendation will not be restated.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the last inspection four children have moved into the home and three have moved out. The manager carefully considers any new admissions to ensure that the children’s placements are not negatively affected. The staff engage well with the children and begin to make positive changes in the children’s lives, such as increased family contact.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Of the three children who have moved out, one returned home, another moved due to bail conditions and the third child moved in a positive way to a semi- independent setting. The staff were able to offer some outreach support that enabled him to settle well in his new home. Two of the children are attending mainstream education and one is attending an alternative provision and volunteering one day a week. The children are achieving extremely high attendance levels of 100%. One child was reviewing her recent school report and said happily, ‘This is my first good school report.’

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

A professional said, ‘School attendance has gone up for the children.’ She went on to say, ‘A child who had not been attending school prior to moving into the home was recently really upset about not being able to attend school due to being unwell.’ Another professional praised how staff supported a child to complain about the minimal education program that his school had offered him. With the support of the staff and the virtual school contact, his school has now increased his education package.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

One child has a school placement in an alternative provision but is refusing to attend. A professional said, ‘She did go through a period of attending. Staff were taking her and stayed with her for as long as she needed.’ Tutors now visit the home and set her work that the staff can support her to complete. Staff are now trying to encourage her to resume her attendance and are identifying courses in subjects that she has an interest in, such as childcare. Overall, the continual promotion of the importance of education is having a positive impact on the children, their school attendance and their ability to set future goals.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The children have access to a wide range of activities. A staff member creates the weekly activity planners that include the children’s varied interests, such as Fire Cadets and free running. The manager raised concerns about the poor levels of supervision at a local youth club when it became clear that children could sign themselves in and out during the sessions. The child now attends a different youth club that has the appropriate staffing and supervision. The activities help the children to develop friendships outside of their home. Children access opportunities that they have not previously had, such as one child experiencing her first week- long overseas holiday. Children speak fondly about the fun that they had dressing- up and attending the local authority’s recent Christmas ball. This led to excited discussions about future events.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Although it is now reducing, there has been an increase in the number of times that children have gone missing from home since the last inspection. Whenever children go missing the staff are proactive in their attempts to make contact with the child and they follow a robust process of repeatedly telephoning and searching for the child. A social worker said, ‘They have managed really well. They search for her and they have put everything in place, including arranging one-to-one staffing, to prevent her from having to move.’ The manager monitors these incidents to establish whether there are any particular patterns or triggers and to address these where possible.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The use of physical intervention is infrequent. The five incidents that have occurred relate to one child. These continue to reduce in frequency as the child settles in the home and responds positively to the staff’s use of de-escalation techniques.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The children and staff benefit from having access to a psychotherapist who offers individual, group and family work. The family work helps the children and their families to develop positive relationships. A member of staff described how one child engaged with the therapist initially and is now engaged with the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

A strength of the home is the working relationship that the staff have developed with the children and other professionals that are involved in the children’s lives. A staff member said, ‘Working here is more than a job.’

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

 ‘Communication is great and all of the children are doing amazingly. The staff ensure that the children get the right support that they need.’  ‘The home is one of the best that I have worked with. They truly key work. I get regular updates, daily if needed, and I can’t speak highly enough of them.’  ‘There’s nothing that they could be doing better. They have done what they can and will always check with us [the social work team] before agreeing anything.’

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Information about this children's home

This local authority children’s home is registered to accommodate up to five young people who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 25/05/2016 Full Good 19/01/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 18/08/2015 Full Requires improvement 10/02/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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What the inspection judgements mean

At the interim inspection we make a judgement on whether the home has improved in effectiveness, sustained effectiveness, or declined in effectiveness since the previous full inspection. This is in line with the Inspection of children's homes: framework for inspection.

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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 focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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Information about this inspection

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 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

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

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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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