Children's Home run by Consensus Support Services Limited in Suffolk

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:

 The children make good progress. Their behaviours have stabilised and they are settled and happy.  The staff are proactive and creative. This enhances the care of the children and supports their individual needs.  The staff respect the children’s dignity. They encourage the children and listen to and act on their choices.  The children access activities in the local community.  The staff support the children to develop their independence skills.  There are clear arrangements in place for the children to have contact with their families. The staff encourage and promote family relationships.  The home environment continues to improve. It offers a sense of space and a sensory environment.  The children are engaging with education and they are making progress towards their individual targets.  The staff support and manage the children’s complex health needs well.  A high number of staff are not suitably qualified or experienced. At times

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The children's home provision is good because:

there are no qualified staff on shift. This could compromise the quality of care for the children.  Communication with some education establishments and parents is not fully effective.  The outcome of feedback from parents is not consistently recorded. Parental views are not consistently included in the external and internal monitoring.

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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

13. The Leadership and Management Standard.

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the leadership and management standard, with particular reference to ensuring that staff members who are on duty are suitably qualified, the registered provider must:

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Requirement Due date

(2)(c) ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. 09/03/2017

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):  Ensure that there are effective working relationships and good communication with relevant professionals. This relates in particular to education providers and parents. (‘Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 52, paragraph 10.3)  Ensure that all staff consistently follow the home’s policies and procedures for the benefit of the children in the home’s care. In particular, ensure that the staff share information in a timely way and that there are clear lines of accountability. (‘Guide to the children’s home regulations including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.20)  Make best use of information from independent and internal monitoring. In particular, evidence how the feedback from parents contributes to continual improvement in the care provided. Consistently include parent’s views in the

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Recommendations

internal and external monitoring of the home (including under regulations 44 and 45). (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 10.24)

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Information about this children's home

The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to six young people who may have emotional, behavioural, learning or physical difficulties. The home is owned and operated by a private company.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgment 16/03/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness 24/08/2015 Full Good

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Recent inspection history

21/01/2015 Full Adequate 27/11/2014 Full Inadequate 08/10/2014 Full Inadequate 25/02/2014 Interim Inadequate Progress

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people living in the home are

Children are making good progress. Many of the children have been in placement for a significant time, during which their behaviours have become settled and stable. The staff manage the children’s complex needs effectively by adopting a calm and consistent approach. The children respond well to the clear routines as this provides them with security and familiarity. This supports their emotional well- being. They are happy and comfortable in their environment.

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people living in the home are

The children have individualised plans. Support plans and risk assessments are clear and help the staff to understand the children’s diverse needs. These plans include current information regarding their personal care needs, medication and communication needs. A social worker said about her child, ‘He is calm and happy. He knows where things are and when he needs something, who to go to. They manage him really well.’

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people living in the home are

Children happily get ready for school every day and they enjoy education. Communication books are used effectively to promote good preparation for the children. The school reports that the children are making progress against their individual targets. A teacher said, ‘He is making huge progress, from not going to school at all previously to now having really positive relationships with staff.’

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people living in the home are

The children benefit from activities in the local community. They attend befriending clubs and a local resource centre and enjoy swimming. They are able to develop their skills and interests and build relationships outside of the home.

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people living in the home are

There is a reward system to record and recognise the children’s achievements and progress. This involves the use of star charts as visual aids. These rewards link to a variety of activities. Children respond well and learn to manage their behaviour.

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people living in the home are

The staff are creative at engaging the children in improving their health. A child who was eating a very limited diet is encouraged to shop for his own food and to help to prepare it. This has worked very well. His diet is now more varied and he is becoming more confident at trying new foods. In addition, he has developed his independence skills. The staff manage the children’s complex health needs well. Support is in place to enable the children to attend their health appointments. The health plans are clear with an ‘emergency grab sheet’ evident on every file. This provides current information for staff to guide them in their care of the children.

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people living in the home are

Family contact arrangements for the children are consistent and well supported. Staff fully understand that this is an important part of the children’s identity. Family contact is clearly detailed in the children’s care plans. The staff encourage family members to visit the home. Recently, family members organised a birthday party for their child and all of the members of the home attended. This was an exciting and inclusive experience for all of the children and reaffirmed their sense of belonging and their close links to each other.

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people living in the home are

Several of the children will be transitioning to adult placements in the near future. There are positive links with the social workers, parents and schools and appropriate planning and preparation is in place. Staff and social workers are working together to assess potential resources to ensure that they will match the needs of the children. An adult resource is in close proximity to the home. Some of the children have moved into this provision and have been able to maintain their relationships with the staff.

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people are helped and protected

Staff supervise the children well and the staffing ratios are clear. The staff understand that all of the children are individuals and that they all have differing levels of need. At times the children’s behaviours are physically challenging and this results in raised noise levels. The impact of this is minimised due to the staffing levels and the space within the home. The children benefit from a well-equipped sensory room where they are able to explore and interact with their environment. A social worker said, ‘Staff ensure that she remains safe. She is not allowed to be in there on her own, they are promoting her care.’

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people are helped and protected

The children engage in activities in the local community. There are robust risk assessments in place and the children have one-to-one support when they go to the local shops and go for walks in the forest or to the harbour. The staff help the children to develop their independence while ensuring that safeguards are in place. Regular reviews of the safe area risk assessment are completed.

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people are helped and protected

The manager plans for new admissions and considers and analyses all of the relevant information. A number of tea visits take place to prepare the child before their admission. The impact assessments identify the level of need, including personal care, behavioural support and the likes and dislikes of the child. The assessments also consider the compatibility of the children already in placement and the potential impact on them. This ensures that appropriate strategies are in place to minimise risks and to safeguard all of the children.

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people are helped and protected

When the children’s anxiety levels are high their behaviour can become physical. The staff use individualised distraction and de-escalation techniques. One child has a weighted jacket that helps him to calm and settle. Staff use physical intervention as a last resort to guide or safely hold a child to protect them. The interventions are proportionate and necessary and fully recorded.

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people are helped and protected

The regular monthly meetings enable the staff team to access specialist behaviour management advice. An autism and learning disability consultant provides support at the meetings. Discussions explore and track any changes for the children and look at ways to manage any future incidents safely. The staff are very receptive to this advice and are proactive in making sure that the recommendations are acted on.

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people are helped and protected

The staff have access to information on whistleblowing. There are no current safeguarding concerns for children. The manager responds to allegations and makes contact with the designated officer. The deputy manager is a safeguarding trainer and they attend the quarterly safeguarding forums. There is a focus on the needs of children who have learning difficulties. This is specific to this service.

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leaders and managers

There is 100% occupancy in the home following a recent admission. A high number of new staff have joined the home during the past few months. Newly recruited staff are not yet suitably qualified or experienced in this area of work. Only three staff out of a team of 17 hold a relevant level 3 qualification. This means that on some shifts there are no qualified staff on duty with six children. Although the recruitment of new staff is positive, the lack of qualified staff has the potential to impact on the children’s care.

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leaders and managers

Feedback from the school and parents reflects varying quality of communication from the home. One parent said that she was not aware of the changes to the staff team. The school said that they were not clear whether some information that had been passed on about a child had been actioned. This does not support the development of positive working relationships.

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leaders and managers

The outcome of consultation with parents is not reflected consistently in the external or internal monitoring. Although the manager has consulted with parents the collation of this information does not evidence how the suggestions and views contribute to improving the service.

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leaders and managers

On one occasion a member of staff did not raise a potential concern in a timely way, they raised the concern in supervision some weeks later. This does not reflect that staff understand the importance of addressing concerns of any nature as a priority.

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leaders and managers

The suitably qualified and experienced manager holds a level 4 qualification. She has been a registered manager for 15 years and registered for this home since August 2015. She is a committed manager who continues to promote positive changes in the home environment and to her staff team. She has met all of the previous requirements and recommendations. A staff member said, ‘She fights very much for what she wants and she will fight for her staff team and the children.’

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leaders and managers

New staff members undertake a clear online induction training programme. The initial period in post includes a number of shadow shifts as well as familiarisation with the policies and procedures. A new staff member said, ‘I feel well supported. They are a wonderful team. It has been really good and everyone has been so helpful to me.’

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leaders and managers

Staff receive regular supervision and the records are clear and consistent. The staff access a mandatory and service-specific training programme. The manager checks the progress of the staff at regular intervals to ensure that they are progressing with their training.

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leaders and managers

The internal and external monitoring is effective. The manager completes compliance reports and audits of the service. The independent visitor spends time at the home during every visit, observing and engaging with the children and speaking to the staff. The visitor considers how well the staff meet the needs of the children and ensures that they are safe. The manager acts on the outcomes identified in the monthly report. This drives improvement and ensures that the children are receiving a service that meets their needs and keeps them safe.

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leaders and managers

The staff provide monthly reports for all relevant people involved with the children, to keep them updated about the children’s progress. A parent said that they have good relationships with their child’s key worker. The parent said, ‘They will ring and give good feedback and let me know about any achievements, which is great.’

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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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