Children's Home run by The Partnership of Care Today in Staffordshire

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:

 Staff establish excellent relationships with each young person. The staff are role models that young people accept and find inspirational.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 The manager and deputy manager provide clear leadership to the team.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 The team members are knowledgeable, confident and proactive.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Staff show respect to young people, which they reciprocate. Very few serious incidents occur.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Young people enjoy their time here and feel safe. They try new and interesting things.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Young people become healthier and learn how to achieve this independently.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 The model of care means that the outcomes for young people are substantial.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Young people learn to engage in legitimate pathways to enjoyment and success, including formal education.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 People who know the service feel that it is very good.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Young people become more confident and approach difficulties appropriately. They improve their relationships.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 The service has improved considerably under the leadership of this manager. He is keen to develop the service further. However, the most significant shortfalls are outside his control and relate to the independent visitor.

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation:  Ensure that any individual appointed to carry out visits to the home as an independent person makes a rigorous assessment of the home's arrangements for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the children in the home's care. This is with regard to a) including the trips in each aspect of their report, and b) reporting on facts not conjecture. ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 65, paragraph 15.5)

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Information about this children's home

This home is for up to two young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties and is owned by a large, private company. The programme that young people undertake is the Positive Steps Intervention programme. It is a short-term service that uses the house and other locations to stabilise young people.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 10/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 28/07/2015 Full Good 23/03/2015 Interim Declined in effectiveness 29/10/2014 Full Adequate

p.5

Good

Young people achieve a marked change in the vast majority of cases. The model of service in itself improves their behaviour. Each young person receives care from two adults in locations away from their home areas where there are no negative influences. When one adds the excellent relationships that occur between staff and young people, the transformational effect of the service is substantial. A social worker said of her young person, ‘He’s like a different person! There is a fabulous staff team. He can relate to them.’ Another social worker said, ‘I would highly recommend this provision.’ An independent reviewing officer described the ‘major improvements in [a young person’s] maturity and decision-making.’ The sister of another young person told the inspector, ‘I couldn’t fault the home or the staff.’

p.6

Good

Young people reflect these sentiments in all their feedback to staff. One said, ‘It was very different [here] but I enjoyed it!’ They have frequent opportunities to raise concerns and discuss issues with external advocates, but choose not to do so. The manager has improved the frequency of formal consultation with young people and they are happy to contribute. They influence important issues such as visits to their families, as well as activities, and menu plans.

p.6

Good

Staff immediately expose new young people to unusual experiences. This is challenging and therapeutic. Most young people are not familiar with camper vans, camping, or cottages in rural settings. During their conversations with staff, they quickly reassess themselves and face their responsibilities. One young person was here for a respite break. His foster carer wrote, ‘The whole experience went very well. It was well organised and the staff were brilliant! [The young person] experienced so many new things.’ A social worker wrote, ‘My young person had a fantastic time! Staff have catered for his personal interests and pushed his abilities.’ Young people have full timetables. One recently found that he has a talent for rock-climbing. Young people have photographs of themselves enjoying a wide range of activities. Such experiences inspire them and give them access to legitimate opportunities that they can pursue later at modest cost.

p.6

Good

Young people find that pursuing a healthy lifestyle is enjoyable. One said, ‘I think I’ve made good progress by staying off the drugs.’ Another has started to enjoy meals that include foods other than his favourite, pizza, while pursuing a vegetarian diet. Staff engage young people by explaining and demonstrating in highly personalised ways why these things are important. This has substantial physical and emotional impact. In the statement of purpose, the service is not solely for young men but in practice, it is. Staff provide a suitably stimulating environment that is also nurturing. Young people feel that the staff are concerned about them and respect them. For many of the young men, this is a new and positive experience.

p.6

Good

The service does not benefit from direct input from the in-house therapists. However, staff use a reflective approach. This includes daily reviews of the effectiveness of their care, which keep their practice focused on young people’s needs. After resisting the idea, one young person recently benefited from using community mental health services. All the young people make emotional progress. This helps them integrate and take advantage of normal opportunities.

p.7

Good

Senior managers know that if a young person receives formal education at the home then a registered school must have the young person on roll. The manager has recently improved arrangements to comply with this requirement. This includes, for example, online teacher-led lessons about science, mathematics, and English. However, most of the young people feel disenchanted with formal education when they arrive. This, plus the nature of the service, means that flexible arrangements are necessary. Staff therefore choose from a range of provisions to suit each young person’s circumstances. Staff are extremely successful in re-engaging young people in some degree of regular, formal education, often after years of non-attendance. Some young people progress to mainstream services. One young person is looking for a course at a local college. Planning is underway for young people to undertake some of the online

p.7

Good

qualifications usually reserved for staff, such as food safety.

p.7

Good

Young people come to the home from all over England and Wales. In spite of the substantial journey times, staff ensure that young people see their friends and families at the frequency required by their social workers. Sometimes this commitment extends to overnight stays. The involvement of staff frequently improves young people’s relationships and helps them recover lost ground. One young man re-established regular meetings with his baby. This is a vital investment in young people’s emotional needs. Another young person recently wrote, ‘I’ve made [such] good progress I’m going to move back to my [home area].’

p.7

Good

Since the manager has been in post, he has improved the presentation of the house markedly inside and out. Ofsted has registered it for two young people but there is only ever one here at a time. This reflects the small size of the property and the personalised programmes that each young person pursues. The house is in a suburban location that gives young people easy access to transport links and shops.

p.7

Good

Young people commonly leave after about three months. The vast majority make positive and planned moves to new placements. Depending on their ages, circumstances and aptitude, some young people undertake programmes that prepare them for greater independence. The close living environment at the house and on trips means that all young people are actively involved in domestic tasks every day. Some keep in touch with staff when they leave and say how constructive their stays were.

p.7

Good

Young people say that they feel safe with staff. They make almost no complaints or allegations, which is testimony to the skill of staff in establishing meaningful relationships with them. Young people acknowledge how staff keep them out of trouble, as do their social workers. One said, ‘Given the significant safeguarding concerns, staff ensured [that the young person] did not put himself or members of the public at risk.’

p.8

Good

Young people cease offending and reduce their negative behaviour substantially. Police involvement is minimal. Staff use positive reinforcement and rewards rather than sanctions to help young people progress. Physical interventions seldom occur. Occasionally, staff hold young people on the floor but rarely for more than the few minutes that young people take to regain self-control. Staff act on the understanding that overpowering young people is counter-productive. This approach contributes to young people’s respect for them.

p.8

Good

Staff understand the risks that each young person has previously posed or faced. They identify the baseline for each young person on admission and subsequently log the changes. In nearly all cases, the level of risk quickly falls because of the very protective environment and high staffing ratio. Those young people who progress as far as living in the house itself show that they have learned to be safe in a community setting. Young people learn about keeping safe online, too.

p.8

Good

Staff address routine health and safety matters well. There are additional complexities in operating a mobile service in a variety of sites away from base. The manager and deputy assess this well and compile written risk assessments accordingly. These documents provide useful guidance to staff and help in the appropriate choice of locations for each young person.

p.8

Good

Very few young people go missing and none is at risk of child sexual exploitation. This is particularly impressive in light of their recent histories. Staff engage young people well and provide close supervision. The manager updates staff about professional developments in protecting young people. Recently, staff have learned about recent research on interviewing young people after they have been missing, and about psychoactive substances. Young people learn about the risks and disadvantages of leaving the care of staff. On the rare occasions that young people leave without permission, independent people ascertain the causes. The recent reasons that young people have given included the attraction of other places and people, rather than young people’s concerns about the care provided by staff.

p.8

Good

Ofsted registered the manager last year. Because of the small scale of the service, he has the capacity to be deputy manager at another home. He has daily contact with the service and visits the home several times a week. Both the manager and his deputy are suitably qualified and have extensive experience. They provide clear, child-focused direction to staff on a day-to-day basis both on and off site. This means that the service adheres to its statement of purpose and is steadily improving. The organisation would like to increase the size of the service but this is dependent on the forthcoming Ofsted guidance on mobile services.

p.9

Good

The manager and his deputy support the team well through formal supervision meetings and informal conversations. They are energetic and motivated. They create a positive and inclusive atmosphere, which staff and young people enjoy. About 70% of the team members are qualified and the remainder are on track to become qualified within the statutory timescale. The manager supplements the comprehensive in-house training programme with regular training in team meetings. Consequently, the team members are knowledgeable, confident and proactive.

p.9

Good

Staff initiate frequent conversations with young people about important personal issues. This is a critical part of young people’s education and prepares them to deal with negative issues independently when they leave the protection of the home. Staff liaise closely with young people’s social workers, who usually reflect these targets in young people’s care plans. The manager is considering ways to link such targets more effectively to the key-working process. The off-site nature of the service means that this is more complicated than for traditional children’s homes. Young people are familiar with what staff say and write about them. They regularly see their records and sign to say that they agree with the contents. This understanding contributes to their successful engagement with staff and their good progress.

p.9

Good

The manager has completed the three requirements and two recommendations from the last inspection. The staff team sustains positive relationships with other agencies. However, obtaining relevant documents, such as care plans, in a timely way from social workers is an ongoing difficulty. This is particularly important because young people only live here for short periods. The manager seeks support from higher authorities and compiles placement plans based on verbal information, when necessary. New young people now benefit from clear documents describing the service. This is important because of the unusual nature of the service, which young people often join in an emergency when they are unable to understand all the implications. Further improvements are in hand to make the service as clear as possible to every new young person.

p.9

Good

The quality of the independent visitors’ monitoring lacks rigour in some areas. The visitors have begun to visit the locations away from the home that young people use. However, health and safety issues are a particular concern. It is not clear if the visitors have considered and are satisfied with the health and safety arrangements away from the home or not. They consider the written risk assessments but it is unclear if this applies to the important issues away from the home, such as the sites that are used, and the wide-ranging outdoor activities. The manager and his deputy take such matters very seriously and address them appropriately but there is a lack of independent scrutiny. This increases the potential risk to young people and staff.

p.10

Good

The independent visitors continue to speculate in their reports about some aspects of the care of young people. This misleading style lacks objectivity and is sometimes contradictory. The report for November 2016 says that ‘young people will be learning about…’, that ‘young people can hand over any valuables…’, that risk assessments were not checked by the visitor but are ‘updated regularly’. In other reports since the last inspection, comments included ‘young people are encouraged to learn life skills’, and ‘restraint would only be used to prevent…’ without reference to facts. This poor style reduces the contribution that this process makes to establishing the safeguarding and well-being of young people and improving the service.

p.10

Good

The staff team provides a good level of consistency. Since the last inspection in February, three of the 11 staff have left to take up other opportunities. The team consists of solely male staff. This is not deliberate but reflects the outdoor nature of the work, the shift pattern that includes regular nights away from home, and the client group. The manager keeps this under review. The impact on young people is relatively low because of the short periods that they are with the service.

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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 that 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 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 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

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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