Children's home run by Milton Keynes Council

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:

 Children are valued members of the household. The dedicated staff team genuinely cares about each of them.  Children form trusting, secure relationships with staff, whom they know work in their best interests.  Children make progress from their starting point, supported by a staff team that helps them to achieve and reach their potential.  A targeted approach ensures that children gain specific skills and learn to be more independent.  Staff work closely with parents and the wider professional team to ensure that they meet the wide range of children’s individual needs.  A skilled team of staff use a variety of communication methods to engage and interact with children.  Children are safe, protected and cared for by suitably vetted staff.  This inspection also identified some shortfalls in practice. Monitoring of the service is not comprehensive, due to insufficient feedback from important stakeholders.

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions which must be taken so that the registered person(s) meets the Care Standards Act 2000, Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’. The registered person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review, the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating the quality of care provided to children; and any actions the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided to children. (Regulation 45(2)(a)(c)(5))

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Requirement Due date

The system referred to must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. 22/03/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees receive practice-related supervision. (Regulation 33(4)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that this occurs regularly. 03/01/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that a record is kept of the administration of medicine to each child. (Regulation 23(2)(c)) 03/01/2017

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Requirement Due date

11: The positive relationships standard:

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the positive relationship standard, the registered person must ensure: (2)(a)(ix) that staff understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour.

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Requirement Due date

This is with particular regard to seeking professional guidance and advice from external agencies, with a view to identifying appropriate behavioural management strategies. 03/01/2017

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):  The children’s guide should help children to understand how to make a complaint and how to contact the Office of the Children’s Commissioner. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 24, paragraph 4.22)  Records of restraint must be kept and should enable the registered person and staff to review the use of control, discipline and restraint to identify effective practice and respond promptly where any issues of trends or concerns emerge. The review should provide the opportunity to amend practice to ensure that it meets the needs of each child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 49, paragraph 9.59)  The registered person should ensure that staff can access appropriate facilities and resources to support their training needs and expand their

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Recommendations

childcare knowledge in areas such as the impact of trauma, child abuse and neglect. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.11)  The home’s records on each child represent a significant contribution to their life history. Staff should understand their important role in encouraging the child to reflect on and understand their history, according to their age and understanding. Staff should keep and encourage children to keep appropriate memorabilia of their time spent living at the home and help them to record significant events. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.5)  The registered person should have a system in place so that all serious events are notified, within 24 hours, to the appropriate people. The system should cover the action that should be followed if the event arises at the

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Recommendations

weekend or on a public holiday. Notifications must include details of the action taken by the home’s staff in response to the event. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.13)

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Information about this children’s home

The home is a local authority-owned residential special school that is registered as a children’s home. The home provides both a residential home for up to six children and a short-breaks service, also a targeted intervention programme for up to seven children at any one time.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 15/12/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness 14/07/2015 Full Requires improvement 07/01/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness 06/06/2014 Full Good

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Good

This unique home cares for children who have a range of complex needs. The manager has overseen some significant changes to this purpose-built building to provide a homely environment for the children. Newly fitted kitchens and the installation of a dining area give a cosy and comfortable environment at mealtimes. A transition to the new dining area is in progress, as staff recognise that change can cause particular anxiety for some children. They work at the children’s pace as they introduce this style of family dining. The home also offers large areas for community living, and the personalised bedrooms provide children with privacy and personal space.

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Good

Children’s relationships with staff are a strength of the service. Observations during the inspection noted that staff are reassuring, nurturing and motivated. While staff changes are inevitable, a stable core group offers children familiar and predictable care. This establishes trusting relationships between children and the staff in which they can rely on staff to work in their best interests. Children feel cared for and safe, and they spoke positively about the staff. Comprehensive care plans cover every part of a child’s life. They identify how staff will meet their holistic needs. Parents play a crucial part in formulating the plans, and one parent added: ‘I know her care plan as I helped put it together.’ Parents feel listened to and valued. Daily progress records are completed and shared with children. During this inspection, observations were made of a child reading his daily progress report in which staff

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Good

had recorded telephone calls, progress and behaviour. The child enjoyed this activity, because he was able to gain immediate gratification from his achievements and it raised his self-esteem.

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Good

Through sound relationships, consistent routines and boundaries, all children have progressed from their starting points. For children accessing the short-break services, education is primarily the responsibility of the local authority and their parents. Staff support the learning and development of life skills through targeted interventions. One parent commented, ‘the biggest change has been with his [her son] independence skills. It gives him confidence and makes him believe in himself.’ For permanent residents, school attendance is high. Staff work alongside teaching staff to support children within the classroom and continue to support the development of life skills within the home. Progress in areas such as social skills, independence and communication is evident and well recorded. One social worker added, ‘The child has made significant progress.’

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Good

Children have their health needs met. Staff work closely with the wider multidisciplinary healthcare profession to promote good health and development. An occupational therapist reported that one child: ‘has made lots of progress in his language. He was previously non-verbal, and now will say short phrases.’ Children are encouraged to eat a healthy diet and the home offers ample choice. Staff support life skills in this area, too, with one child ringing the cook from school on a daily basis to advise her what he would like for lunch from the menu available.

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Good

The manager also engages health professionals to deliver training to staff. This has offered staff the opportunity to enhance their skill base in areas such as communication and behaviour management, and developed their knowledge of individualised computer programmes which can support children’s learning. All staff are trained in first aid and the administration of medication. However, on occasion, staff have not completed some individual children’s records in line with the home’s medication policy. For example, some records demonstrate that two staff have not signed the medication record to demonstrate the administration of a child’s medication. This has had minimal impact on children, but is not in line with the home’s medication policy.

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Good

Staff have a good understanding of children’s interests, likes and dislikes. They access a number of activities, both internally and outside of the home. Children enjoy playing on the computer, arts and crafts, trips out to theme parks, and local activities such as bowling and karate. Staff took some children on a seaside holiday which they enjoyed. These activities offer children fun and help to develop their social competence and self-esteem. Staff capture these moments through taking photographs. However, staff should ensure that these prints are kept as part of the child’s life story.

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Good

Staff recognise the importance of maintaining family ties for children who are permanently resident at the home. They encourage and support contact within the home. The home offers comfortable surroundings for contact to take place. It is a place where children feel relaxed and staff support all to enjoy a positive experience. Parents and relatives spoke positively about the care provided and the progress that their children had made. Through this, family ties are preserved and children maintain a sense of identity.

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Good

The home provides care for children with a range of complex needs and vulnerabilities. Robust care planning and individually assessed needs ensure that children receive appropriate levels of staff supervision and care. One parent commented, ‘It’s a safe place and she is well cared for’.

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Good

Behaviour management forms part of each young person’s care plan and identifies the possible behaviours, triggers and the techniques used to manage behaviour. Staff work particularly closely with the school staff to ensure that children receive the same responses in each setting. Their in-depth knowledge of each child and skilled communication methods help to support children to control their frustrations and anxieties. Staff provide children with consistency and a familiar approach which they respond to well.

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Good

Children receive instant praise for positive behaviour and achieving steps in their targeted intervention programme. Staff use a range of communication methods, such as signing, language and facial expressions, to recognise the child’s achievements. Staff capture their successes through photographs and award certificates. Permanent residents of the home also enjoy individual rewards. Children experience a sense of achievement. This builds confidence and self-belief, and raises their self-esteem.

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Good

Young people have not gone missing from this home. Risk assessments and appropriate levels of staffing ensure that a high level of monitoring is in place, whether inside the home or outside on a community activity. The home has a ‘missing from care’ policy and procedures to follow, should an episode occur, to protect and safeguard children.

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Good

For most children, the need for staff to intervene physically to help to manage a situation is rare. When sanctions are used, these are proportionate. However, one child who has made marked progress in the reduction of physical assaults on others has a specific behavioural management strategy to help to ensure their safety and the safety of others and, following an episode, staff are required to complete a report of the incident and share it with the professional team. Some incident reports lacked detail and did not record the entire episode, such as possible triggers or the de-escalation strategies used. This omission of information makes it more difficult for managers to analyse the appropriateness of the intervention. In addition, external agencies have not reviewed the management plan to help to identify possible strategies and triggers that may further assist in helping the child to self-regulate behaviour.

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Good

Managers and staff are knowledgeable about safeguarding practices and procedures, and work within their safeguarding policy and processes.

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Requires improvement

The manager brings a wealth of experience to the post, having worked in childcare and adult services for over 20 years. She is suitably qualified to hold the post, and became the home’s registered manager in October 2015. Staff speak positively about her management skills, and one staff member commented, ‘she is very supportive and has enhanced relationships between the staff team’, while another added, ‘She supports staff members’ individual development’. The team works well together. Staff have good problem-solving skills and support each other when faced with challenges.

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Requires improvement

New recruits undergo a robust recruitment and selection process to ensure that only those who are suitable will work in the service. A set induction programme offers new staff the opportunity to understand the home’s operations and processes, and affords the time to build rapport with children. Core training gives staff the fundamental knowledge base needed for their roles. The home offers staff a range of additional training opportunities to enhance their knowledge and skills. However, these training courses focus largely on disability issues. Staff have limited access to the wider childcare agenda. Some children within the service have experienced early-life trauma. Specific training could better equip staff to understand and meet those individual needs of the children.

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Requires improvement

The manager utilises the regular team meetings as an arena in which to discuss the needs of children. Professional supervision further supplements this opportunity and considers the professional development of staff. However, supervision (including for new recruits) has not been sufficiently frequent.

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Requires improvement

The manager monitors the quality of care in a timely manner. However, the opinions of children, parents and stakeholders are not gathered as a part of this process. This omission results in a lack of robustness in the review of the quality of care delivered and no full consideration of the areas for continuous improvement.

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Requires improvement

The home’s children’s guide offers the same information to both permanent residents living at the home and those accessing the range of short-break services. This generic style does not differentiate between the two very different services and lacks specific information for children accessing each particular scheme. Neither does the guide offer information to children in respect of how to make a complaint and the specific detail of those whom they can raise a concern with.

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Requires improvement

While the provider has notified agencies of safeguarding concerns, these have not been within a satisfactory timescale. The completed documents also lack adequate detail fully to inform the recipient of the event and the action taken. While there is minimal impact on young people, this does not ensure that all appropriate people are informed of the action taken to safeguard children.

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Requires improvement

At the last inspection, one requirement and one recommendation were set. The home has met the requirement, having updated its behavioural management policy. The recommendation for clear and objective recording following an incident of physical intervention remains a recommendation 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’. 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

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What the inspection judgements mean

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 harmed or at risk of harm or 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 0300 123 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, work- based 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

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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