Children's Home run by Arnfield Care Limited in Derbyshire

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:

 From their starting points, young people make excellent progress in all aspects of their development. Young people grow in confidence and self- esteem.  Young people come to the home with a high level of risk-taking and harmful behaviour. Within a short period of time, such risk is significantly reduced. Young people show increased insight into the risks posed to them and are able to make safer choices.  Care is provided by highly skilled and motivated staff who provide young people with high levels of praise and encouragement, alongside structure, routine, and clear and consistent boundaries.  Staff manage challenging behaviour effectively and follow comprehensive risk and behaviour management plans.  Young people develop trusting relationships with staff. Young people are listened to and their views are valued and respected. Young people are encouraged to take an active role in their own care planning, and to

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The children's home provision is outstanding because:

contribute to the running of the home.  Young people make exceptional progress educationally from their starting points. Staff understand the barriers to learning and sensitively, but purposefully, support young people back into education.  Staff work in collaboration with the on-site school, the outdoor education manager and the home’s psychologist to put into place bespoke packages of support for young people. New admissions to the home are managed effectively to ensure that their individual needs are met.  Staff have high aspirations for young people. They recognise and celebrate small achievements. Young people feel valued and experience a sense of accomplishment.  The management team works together very effectively and the registered manager has exceptionally good oversight of the care provided. Staff work proactively with partner agencies to provide high-quality care to young people.

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Information about this children's home

This section should outline:  The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to eight young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. It provides short- to medium-term crisis placements. The home is owned by a private company. Education is provided on site, with a strong emphasis on outdoor learning and activity.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 26/01/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 18/08/2015 Full Outstanding 02/03/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness 29/10/2014 Full Outstanding

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Outstanding

Young people make excellent progress from their starting points in all aspects of their development. Young people coming to live in the home experience a very well planned and personalised admission process. Young people are encouraged to participate in their care planning and in assessments of their own care needs. Young people feel listened to, valued and respected. This promotes positive, trusting relationships between young people and staff and enables young people to settle in quickly.

p.5

Outstanding

All young people are engaged in education. Education is provided on site and is tailored to meet individual needs through a combination of classroom-based learning and outdoor education. Staff appreciate that most young people have had difficult experiences in education, whether through missing a lot of education previously or being unable to manage in a classroom situation. Staff work sensitively, but purposefully, to get young people into education as quickly as possible, and to support young people to remain in education. Young people gain confidence and a sense of achievement that gives them the opportunity to engage in lifelong learning – improving their educational, economic, social and emotional outcomes. The emphasis on outdoor education improves young people’s motivation and engagement, and provides many other social, emotional and health benefits. One young person recently achieved a recognised qualification in canoeing and

p.5

Outstanding

kayaking. When asked about this, the young person beamed with pride and talked about what she could do with that qualification in the future. Many young people progress to mainstream education at school or college. With the support of staff, young people overcome barriers to learning and experience success.

p.5

Outstanding

One parent spoke about her son’s progress and said, ‘He is really engaging in school. Being at the home is instilling confidence and giving him lots of opportunities.’

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Outstanding

Young people have the opportunity to take part in a number of activities, sports and clubs outside the home. Young people are supported to develop and maintain good relationships with peers, inside and outside the home.

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Outstanding

All young people have a healthcare plan which is reviewed regularly. Young people’s health needs are met, with referrals to specialist services as appropriate. The care of young people is supported through access to the home’s in-house psychologist. This typically consists of clinical consultation and support for staff, and oversight of healthcare and behaviour management plans. Through this support, staff have a better understanding of the difficult feelings young people experience and how these can present in challenging or harmful behaviour.

p.5

Outstanding

Young people benefit from being cared for by a stable and well-trained staff team. Staff provide dependable care and routines, which promotes a sense of security for young people.

p.6

Outstanding

Contact between young people and their families is promoted when it is safe to do so, and consistent with their care plans. Staff support young people and families to rebuild their relationships, and work directly with families to support reunification plans. One parent made the following comment about partnership working between staff and parents: ‘As parents we are treated with the utmost respect and courtesy. The staff do phenomenal stuff with young people, and they really go the extra mile.’

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Outstanding

Staff prepare young people for leaving care, whether this involves reunification with family, making the transition to another home or preparing to live independently. The home has an independence unit for young people where they can develop hands-on independence skills such as preparing meals in a realistic environment. Staff have a structured independence programme for young people which covers all aspects of preparation for adulthood.

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Outstanding

Managing endings is often very difficult for young people, particularly if there is a lack of clarity about what the next step looks like, or when it will happen. The manager recognises that this is a source of anxiety for young people and, as part of the home’s continuing development, will try to establish better transition planning with placing authorities to minimise the impact on young people.

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Outstanding

Young people live in a safe and homely environment. Staff are proactive in safeguarding young people, and implement robust risk and behaviour management plans. Any risks or vulnerabilities are considered at the pre-admission stage and plans are devised to reduce risk. Education managers, the in-house psychologist and the home managers meet regularly to discuss the young people living in the home, and to collectively ensure that their needs are being met. They also consider new referrals, and from the referral information anticipate any issues that might arise.

p.6

Outstanding

Incidents of missing from care are responded to appropriately. Typically there is a substantial reduction in missing from care incidents for young people moving to this home. A social worker for one young person said, ‘This is the first time she has been stable. She has not gone missing since being placed there. She was missing for two to three weeks at a time before.’ Staff work closely with the police and social workers when young people go missing from the home to ensure each young person’s safe return. Staff undertake high-quality direct work with young people to help them understand the risks associated with missing from care. They work in partnership with other agencies to agree strategies to reduce the risk of further incidents. Independent return interviews are offered to young people to provide them with the opportunity to talk about any worries. Staff supervise young people well, spending time with them and recognising trigger points.

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Outstanding

Young people are encouraged to contribute to their own care plans, including assessment of their individual vulnerabilities and risks. This enables young people to reflect and think about risk. Young people can also see how much progress they have made when plans are reviewed, and can contribute to discussions if strategies have been unsuccessful. There is good management oversight of behaviour management strategies. Staff use positive behaviour management strategies underpinned by Nurtured Heart training. Staff are attentive. They use praise and reward to promote positive behaviour. Staff have a theoretical understanding of the emotional difficulties young people experience, and become skilled at anticipating and responding to challenging behaviour. Staff use handover meetings to effectively share information and ensure that young people are cared for consistently despite changes in staff. Managers and/or senior staff always attend

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Outstanding

handover meetings. Staff are therefore very attuned to young people’s needs.

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Outstanding

Physical restraint is rarely used to manage behaviour. Staff are skilled in using de- escalation techniques and employ a number of strategies to manage challenging behaviour. On the occasions that physical restraint is used it is well documented, and the staff and young people involved have the opportunity to debrief afterwards.

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Outstanding

Relationships between young people are managed well, with staff acutely aware of the dynamics and potential for difficult relationships. Bullying is not tolerated, and staff pick up issues between young people very quickly. Young people develop strategies to manage their own feelings, and this improves their social interaction within the home. These are valuable skills for future transitions. The use of camps away from the home enables staff to manage dynamics effectively and to give young people space, and sometimes a diversion.

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Outstanding

Staff receive appropriate safeguarding training and are confident about how to report concerns. This includes awareness of the safe care of children and whistleblowing procedures.

p.8

Outstanding

Recruitment practices are robust and prevent unsuitable people from working with young people in the home. The manager monitors staff practice closely, ensuring that new staff have regular supervision and that probationary reviews take place.

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Outstanding

The registered manager is suitably qualified and extremely experienced, both as a manager and in working with children and families. The manager is confident, capable and ambitious for young people. She leads a strong management team who share her vision of providing high-quality care for young people. The deputy manager also has extensive experience of working with children and families. There are high levels of consultation with young people, families and partner agencies.

p.8

Outstanding

Staff work proactively with other agencies to ensure that young people receive the best possible care. One social worker commented about a young person accessing support, ‘He’s in the very best place for the work. The home is everything you want about working in partnership.’

p.8

Outstanding

Education managers, the home’s psychologist and the home managers meet on a weekly basis to monitor and review the care provided. They collectively ensure that young people’s needs are being met. Young people benefit from tailored packages of support across care, education and health within the home, enabling unmet needs to be identified and swiftly addressed.

p.8

Outstanding

Where young people are not making progress, or where there are problems or barriers, the manager undertakes a review of the young person’s care to look at where additional resources or a different approach may be needed. This may include advocating on the young person’s behalf, or challenging other professionals in the young person’s best interests. The manager has excellent oversight of the quality of care provided. The manager is continually evaluating young people’s progress and outcomes, and uses internal and external monitoring processes to make improvements. The manager seeks out innovative practice and research to cascade to staff to enhance their skills.

p.8

Outstanding

Staff feel well supported and appropriately trained to meet the complex needs of young people in their care. Staff have access to a wide range of training opportunities to enhance their practice and support their professional development.

p.9

Outstanding

Staff receive regular and high-quality supervision. Staff are encouraged to reflect on their practice and explore how they can meet the needs of the young people they work with. Supervision provides staff with support and challenge.

p.9

Outstanding

Staff attend regular team meetings. These meetings provide further opportunities to discuss practice issues and keep up to date with legislation, policies and procedures. Minutes of these meetings are transcribed and made accessible for young people. Issues arising in young people’s meetings are discussed in staff meetings, ensuring that young people are heard and responded to.

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Outstanding

The home’s statement of purpose is comprehensive and accurately reflects the care provided by the home. Young people receive their own guide when they move to the home. This guide is very informative, with relevant information set out in age- appropriate language.

p.9

Outstanding

Reports produced by the home are of a high standard. Case files are well maintained with all the key information in place. Key-work sessions and direct work with children are very well documented, and staff use high-quality resources to support this work. Young people’s engagement in this work is another strength that reflects the skill of the staff in supporting young people and their progress.

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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 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, 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 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 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

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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