Children's Home run by Trafford Borough Council in Trafford

Outstanding

The children's home provides highly effective services that consistently exceeds 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:

 Staff have extremely high aspirations for young people, providing them with the best possible help and support so that they make positive and sustainable progress from their starting points. There are reductions in their risks and they achieve across all aspects of their lives.  Young people feel genuinely cared for and the quality of relationships with staff is exceptionally good. Staff provide them with consistency and stability to support their development.  Care planning is highly individualised and personalised to meet the specific needs of young people. The home can clearly demonstrate positive progress and improvement, particularly in attendance and achievement in education.  Young people are supported in their development of independence skills from an early point and in understanding future accommodation options that may be available. They are able to make informed decisions for when they are ready to transition to independence.

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The children's home provision is outstanding because:

 The manager is ambitious for young people and has high expectations of himself and staff. He champions a successful model of working to support young people to achieve in all areas of their lives.  The staff team is extremely stable, experienced and qualified. They are committed to working within a model that provides young people with the best possible help and support. They go above and beyond expected levels to ensure young people feel valued.  Good communication across the team ensures that practice is very consistent. Young people respond positively to the approach used and work hard to make exceptional progress.  Leaders and managers effectively prioritise the needs of young people. They maintain strong and effective working partnerships with families and professionals to improve young people’s outcomes and provide high-quality care.  Staff make every effort to maintain the home to a high standard, with

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The children's home provision is outstanding because:

modern décor and furnishings to make it comfortable, welcoming and homely for young people who live there.

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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 with the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children's home at least once each month. This relates specifically to the independent person providing a copy of the independent person's report to HMCI. (Regulation 44 (1) (7)) 31/01/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children ("a quality of care review") at least once every 6 months. The registered person must supply to HMCI a copy of the quality review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed. This with particular reference to ensuring that reports are sent in a timely manner. (Regulation 45 (1) (4)(a) 28/02/2017

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Information about this children's home

The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to five children who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties or learning disabilities. It is owned and managed by a local authority.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 11/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 13/01/2016 Full Outstanding 06/03/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness 06/01/2015 Full Outstanding

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Outstanding

Staff in the home work to the nurtured heart approach. They go over and above to make placements a positive experience and support young people to make sustainable and positive progress.

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Outstanding

There are exceptionally good relationships between young people and staff within the home. Staff take time to listen to young people’s views and respond with genuine and consistent warmth and positive regard. They are sensitive to and respond to young people’s needs effectively to develop trust, security and promote their welfare. Young people say that they enjoy living in the home and feel safe; one reported ‘staff are amazing here, they help you with everything you need’, and another said she ‘would speak to anyone. Well, they will sort things out for you’.

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Outstanding

Consultation is deeply embedded for young people to share their wishes and feelings. They are regularly asked for feedback about their placement experiences and take part in young people’s meetings where they can make suggestions about improvements and are encouraged to be involved in planning. Staff share important information with them at meetings so that young people feel involved in the running of the home. A children’s participation worker attends the home monthly to support young people to share their views.

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Outstanding

If young people have complaints, these are treated seriously and are responded to rapidly. There is a clear bullying policy in place and on the rare occasion when bullying is identified there is a robust response of challenge, direct work and involvement of external professionals, including the police community safety officer.

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Outstanding

Young people’s privacy and dignity is respected. Staff were clear in their joint response to one young person’s needs to ensure that regular night time observations are undertaken by familiar staff to reduce any anxiety.

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Outstanding

Robust impact assessments are used to carefully match new admissions to the home and plans are put in place to manage emergency placements. Where placements break down unexpectedly, there is a highly proactive response to work with other agencies to ensure the safety of all involved.

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Outstanding

Transition work is well-developed and young people start preparing for independent living within good timescales to ensure that this will promote a successful move on. Young people are encouraged to explore different options so that they can make informed decisions about their futures. Regular attendance in education is promoted and expected. Staff are proactive in ensuring young people are enrolled in school, providing home tutoring in any interim period. Young people who struggled previously with attendance have made significant improvements. When asked if he was encouraged by staff, one young person reported ‘definitely, I now attend 100% from about 5% - I probably went in one lesson a week’.

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Outstanding

Young people also make and sustain progress in their health, recreational activities and enjoy safe contact with their families, which often increases over time as a result of the care and support they receive. One young person reports how staff have’ helped me see my family more which I am happy about’ and ‘have really supported me through difficult times’. Opportunities, such as the Duke of Edinburgh awards are encouraged to enable young people to enjoy new experiences and develop their confidence. Staff show commitment to young people’s continuous progression and relentlessly praise positive achievements to support increasing self-esteem. Young people’s life chances are significantly enhanced by the experience of living in the home and the progress they make from their individual starting points.

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Outstanding

Clear and concise risk assessments are in place for each young person that are specific to their needs and followed well in practice. These are linked to highly effective behaviour management strategies and proactive work by staff which promotes the safety of young people and reduces the risk of harm. Young people report feeling safe at the home and they benefit from effective help and protection.

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Outstanding

The effective use of the home’s practice model results in minimal use of sanctions and there has been no use of physical intervention within the home. Clear expectations and boundaries are in place, and praise and incentives encourage young people to respond positively. This proactive and creative approach continues to support young people’s sense of safety and well-being.

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Outstanding

From their starting points, young people’s risk taking behaviours such as going missing reduce. One young person’s missing episodes had increased but are again reducing in line with a safety plan. Where the home identifies that a young person may be vulnerable to criminal exploitation by gangs, action is taken to work with partner agencies to identify an alternative placement to ensure their safety.

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Outstanding

One particularly vulnerable young person has a comprehensive safety plan in place which is under regular review in collaboration with the social worker and mental health professionals. Staff have an excellent understanding of potential triggers to some of her behaviour which is closely monitored. The commitment in respecting this young person’s needs is demonstrated by the team’s decision that waking nights should be managed within the home’s resources rather than using agency workers. This means she is cared for by consistent and familiar staff. The young person wanted to return to the home following a brief period in hospital because she feels safe there. Staff had regularly visited her in hospital to maintain their strong relationships. The clinical psychologist involved stated that she is very confident in the way that the home works collaboratively to keep this young person safe.

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Outstanding

There are robust responses to any incidents or reports of behaviours that present a risk to young people. If young people go missing, there is an urgent and well- coordinated response in line with individual plans. A consistent independent worker visits to complete return interviews to ensure a good understanding of the young person’s actions which supports effective multi-agency safeguarding. Immediate action is taken where the severity of the behaviour of a young person results in the home no longer being able to meet their needs, resulting from the good understanding of staff to appropriately consider the safety of all young people.

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Outstanding

Any allegations are responded to rapidly and reported to the LADO. Any additional safeguarding measures are immediately implemented to ensure that young people feel safe and their views respected.

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Outstanding

There are highly effective links with a broad range of providers to support young people to keep themselves safe. Staff know and understand risks for individuals and professional input is immediately sought to address issues which may be harmful, in order to reduce future risks. A range of services are available to offer specialist support, and services will also visit the home to run workshops with young people on particular areas in supporting their wellbeing. Any safeguarding concerns are immediately notified to the appropriate authorities. Effective partnerships with the police, social care and other safeguarding agencies promotes the safety and well-being of young people.

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Outstanding

The home provides a physically safe and appropriately secure environment for young people to live it. It is homely, welcoming and maintained to a high standard, and young people contribute their wishes and feelings to any home improvements. This helps them to develop a shared responsibility for their environment and making it place where they feel safe and secure. Judgement grade

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Outstanding

The registered manager has been in post since 2004. He is very well-qualified and experienced and has high aspirations for the home and outcomes for young people. Two experienced senior assistants support him to provide strong and effective leadership within the home. There is a culture throughout the home of high aspiration, ambition and positivity to improve the outcomes of young people. This provides a happy and stable environment that benefits young people and helps them feel cared for. The manager inspires the staff team to adopt a passion for the practice approach used within the home.

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Outstanding

Leaders and managers use highly effective and robust monitoring systems to improve outcomes for young people and demonstrate excellent understanding of the progress they make in relation to their plans. There is a clear development plan in place for the home which highlights areas that the manager wishes to develop further as well as a locality risk assessment and plan to safeguard young people who live in the home. Internal monitoring is supplemented by independent scrutiny on a monthly basis which supports the manager to understand and act upon the home’s strengths and areas to improve. Therefore there are robust and effective systems in place to review, improve and sustain the highest quality of care that young people receive. However, monitoring reports are not consistently sent to Ofsted in a timely manner, and therefore requirements are made in this respect. This is an administrative oversight that does not directly impact on the care and

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Outstanding

There is an exceptionally stable staff team who are suitably qualified, skilled and highly experienced in delivering the practice model employed within the home. They work together with enthusiasm and commitment to enhance the lives of young people. Staff know each of the young people well and have a thorough understanding of their individual needs. They communicate effectively and work cohesively to provide consistency and stability for young people and are extremely child-focussed. Staff benefit from regular professional and purposeful supervision and support from leaders and managers. There are clear plans in place for professional development which are appraised annually. They access ongoing training to enhance current knowledge and practice. This ensures that all staff contribute to the effective delivery of the ethos outlined in the home’s statement of purpose.

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Outstanding

There are exceptionally strong links with professionals and other agencies to deliver services to improve outcomes for young people. The appropriate authorities are immediately notified of any significant events and where necessary robust action is taken to ensure that all young people are protected from harm. Staff work with the virtual head to ensure that schools are challenged to accept young people on their roll. The home maintains highly effective communication and working relationships with social workers and families. Independent reviewing officers describe ‘professional staff putting young people first’ who ‘go the extra mile’. This contributes to the considerable positive improvements in the lives of the young people living in the home from their individual starting points.

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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 looked after children 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, 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

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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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