Children's home run by Care 4 Children Residential Services Ltd in Stockport

Good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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The children`s home`s provision is good because:

 Young people are much safer since living here. They are no longer engaging in risky behaviours, such as going missing from home. They have a strong sense of safety.  Young people have made very good progress from their starting points. Their attendance at school has improved to 100%, they are participating in activities and developing self-care skills, something they previous had difficulty with.  There are very good relationships between staff and young people. They identify staff with whom they feel very comfortable and would share their thoughts with.  Young people are learning to manage their own behaviour and emotions. As a result, there are minimal physical interventions.  Partner agencies and parents are highly complimentary of the care and support provided to young people.  Care planning is excellent and ensures that young people are very well prepared to move into the home. This contributes to the success of young

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The children`s home`s provision is good because:

people living here in stable placements.  The staff have worked effectively and sensitively with young people and their parents to develop relationships. This has led to them having more contact with each other. This benefits the family as a whole.

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Information about this children’s home

The children’s home is one of a number of homes operated by a private company. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for one young person with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. This is the first inspection following registration.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement N/A first inspection following registration

p.4

Good

Young people living here have a positive experience and make very good progress from their starting points. They are attending school regularly for the first time in many months. They receive achievement awards for their efforts from the school, something young people are very proud of. Furthermore, they are engaging in a range of activities and building friendships with their peers. Positive social interaction with their peers and adults is a massive step forward for young people.

p.5

Good

The staff take young people’s views, wishes and feelings into account in all aspects of life at the home. Various methods of consultation are used to ensure that they have a voice. From choices of activities, food and decor to gaining their opinions about staff and their ideas for improvement. They are very much a part of the running of the home.

p.5

Good

Young people’s health needs are well met. They are all registered with appropriate healthcare services and receive regular support from an in-house trained therapist. They are attending the gym regularly and marked improvements are seen in their appearance and self-care skills. This demonstrates young people’s growing confidence.

p.5

Good

Care plans are detailed and highlight the specific needs and talents of young people. Moreover, staff have forged excellent relationships with young people’s parents and partner agencies. This creates a rounded understanding of each young person and enables staff to respond effectively to their needs and to enhance their enjoyment of life.

p.5

Good

Young people are welcomed into the home and excellent planning with partner agencies and young people’s parents supports this. Young people visit the home, and have overnight stays to help them settle and invest in the home. Written guides explaining the routines of the home and a thorough transition period are all part of staff care practice.

p.5

Good

Staff fully support young people to stay in touch with their family and have a good understanding of their background history and relationships. They work proactively with parents and partner agencies to ensure that contact is safe, enjoyable and promotes continuity of care. Notably, staff have worked successfully with parents to increase contact in the best interests of young people.

p.5

Good

The manager and staff work effectively to the principles and ethos of the statement of purpose. They provide a nurturing, calm, supportive and homely environment. In line with the aims of the home, all staff strive to ensure that young people’s needs are central to the operation of the home.

p.5

Outstanding

The safety and protection of young people living here is at the heart of care practice. Young people, their parents and partner agencies have a strong sense of safety for young people living here. Highly effective planning minimises risks. For example, there are significantly reduced incidents of young people going missing from home, no drug or alcohol misuse or serious incidents. This makes young people safer. A social worker commented: ‘I am thrilled with the level of care and support provided. This is reflected in the fact that the assessed risks for him have reduced significantly across all areas.’

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Outstanding

Furthermore, all staff have regular, quality training in safeguarding and fully understand how to protect young people. Organisational policies and procedures are in place to guide staff practice and complement the culture of safety and protection in the home.

p.6

Outstanding

The staff fully understand young people’s needs and have developed strategies to manage their individual behaviours successfully. As a result, there are minimal physical interventions with young people, only six since October 2015. These have significantly reduced since the young person came to live here. This is a further example of young people receiving excellent help and protection from staff.

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Outstanding

There are no complaints or serious incidents since placements began in October 2015.Young people and their families are encouraged to raise their ideas or complaints in various ways, such as feedback questionnaires or face-to-face. Complaints are welcomed by the staff as lessons for improvement. Young people have a trusted adult, a key worker, to confide in and raise any worries or concerns.

p.6

Outstanding

Young people live in a physically safe environment where they are protected by well-managed health and safety procedures. Trained experts assess and review fire safety and health and safety matters. Moreover, recruitment of staff is robust to ensure that only the safest adults work with young people. Judgement grade

p.6

Good

This home is managed by an experienced and qualified registered manager. He motivates the staff, maintaining a committed team. There is a deputy manager and team leader who deputises in his absence. Together they ensure the smooth running of the home.

p.7

Good

The staff have guidance, policies and procedures to support their care practice. They also have regular training, supervisions, appraisals and team meetings to further ensure their competence in delivering a high standard of care. Enhanced training in autistic spectrum disorder is also arranged to develop staff knowledge further. The staff are suitably qualified or working towards this. There are sufficient numbers of staff with the right skills to meet the needs of young people.

p.7

Good

Quality audit systems are in place and provide an overview of care practice. For example, independent monitoring is detailed and actions set are welcomed by the management team to learn and improve. A development plan is in place and sets the direction for the home. For example, plans to refurbish the bathroom are under way.

p.7

Good

Partnership working with all agencies and young people’s parents is effective. Regular updates are provided to social workers and parents to keep them involved and aware of the care and the progress of young people. Also, their feedback is gained and is very positive about the care and experience received by young people. This demonstrates the good working relationships forged between them. A social worker commented: ‘They have responded so well to his needs, so much so that he has changed dramatically.’

p.7

Good

The home’s written records are very good and provide a picture of young people’s daily living. Furthermore, their ‘progression reports’ capture each young person’s journey and progress. These contain photographs of them enjoying life and are meaningful memories for them to look back on. Their information is securely stored and shared confidentially to protect their safety and privacy.

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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 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, work- based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It inspects services for children looked after 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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