Children's Home run by The Together Trust in Stockport

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:

 Young people are making excellent progress in all areas of their lives. Professionals are extremely complimentary of the support young people receive and the impact this has on improving their individual experiences and outcomes.  Care practice is underpinned by a child-centred model that is supported by research, and is well understood and applied by the staff group.  Young people have exceptional relationships with staff and this creates a ‘family’ feel to the home.  Staff are dedicated, patient and creative in their care. They use rich, varied and imaginative practice that helps young people to thrive physically, emotionally, socially and educationally.  Young people enjoy living here. Staff actively engage with them in play and meaningful activities so that they have positive childhood experiences and have fun.  Staff use their strong links with therapeutic services to help to improve young

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The children's home provision is outstanding because:

people’s emotional health and resilience. Life story work with young people is completed in a professional, careful and considered way.  Routines and boundaries are clearly understood by all staff and are applied consistently throughout young people’s daily lives. Young people have learned to take responsibility for their actions. They accept more appropriate ways of dealing with the disappointments and frustrations they experience.  Young people’s safety is given the highest priority. Effective strategies and actions are in place to keep them safe from harm.  An inspirational and skilled registered manager ensures that the staff maintain an open culture that facilitates professional reflection and dialogue. This enables staff to evaluate, challenge and remove any barriers to successful planning and effect real change in young people’s lives.  The staff team is equipped for its role through a sound induction and training

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The children's home provision is outstanding because:

programme alongside a good level of support and supervision. Internal and external monitoring systems are very strong and contribute to the delivery of an excellent quality of care.

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Information about this children's home

 The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to four children and young people.  The home is owned and operated by a private organisation.  The young people may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties or learning disabilities.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 09/03/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 28/01/2016 Full Outstanding 23/03/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness 12/01/2015 Full Good

p.4

Outstanding

Young people make excellent progress following their admission to the home. Social workers are positive about all aspects of the services the home provides to young people. And, they say.

p.5

Outstanding

 ‘The manager and staff are genuine and very caring, there was excellent planning and visits for my young person prior to moving in the home. All services were discussed with her. This reassured my young person that the home could meet all of her needs.’

p.5

Outstanding

 ‘I am very pleased with this home, staff and the other young people placed. There has been remarkable progress made by my young person. Care planning arrangements are very effective.’

p.5

Outstanding

Staff devise placement care plans that demonstrate young people’s progress, capture their achievements and review their personal goals and targets. The management team, staff and allocated social workers review these plans in partnership with professional therapists. These specialists provide young people with regular emotional support and interventions. The model of care supports care planning and ensures young people receive tailored support that promotes their welfare and personal development extremely well.

p.5

Outstanding

It is evident that young people have excellent, trusting relationships with staff who know them well and spend time with them. Staff show interest and compassion towards young people and present challenge to them when this is required. Young people are very positive about the home and say.

p.5

Outstanding

 ‘I love it here, there is nothing to change, and everything here is really awesome. Staff are so caring. The home is outstanding.’

p.5

Outstanding

 ‘The staff are genuine, caring, friendly and funny.’

p.5

Outstanding

Living in the home from their starting point has made a huge difference to young people’s lives because staff are so dedicated and skilled. Staff, provide young people with unconditional, consistently high quality nurture and understanding and, they do not give up on them.

p.5

Outstanding

Staff and young people fully understand the model of attachment parenting provided in the home and this is embedded in practice. Young people’s experiences are modelled on playfulness, acceptance, curiosity and empathy, (P.A.C.E). This consistent approach provides young people with a ‘safe haven’ from distress of all kinds. The relationships formed between young people and staff also serves as a ‘secure base’ from which the young person will feel free to explore the world. This builds young people’s confidence, resilience and provides them with a sense of belonging in a family style home.

p.5

Outstanding

Young people are routinely consulted and involved in everything that the home does. There are clear action plans following key work sessions and young people’s ‘house meetings.’ Questions raised by young people are quickly responded to by staff, ensuring no delays in decisions made. Written feedback from young people, their parents or carers and the professionals in their lives, agree that staff at this home are providing an exceptional service. This means that young people living in the home lead stable lives, achieve well in education, and have their physical and emotional health needs met from their starting points in the home.

p.6

Outstanding

Young people’s education is given a high priority by the staff. Effective planning and action mean that staff can swiftly overcome barriers to learning, even when these have previously been problematic. Because of staff encouragement and support, young people have excellent school or college attendance and make meaningful progress as a result. Effective communication between schools, college and the home ensures that young people are fully supported so that they make measurable progress. Staff acknowledge and celebrate every academic success, however small and this includes giving young people certificates and rewards. As a result, young people develop a positive attitude towards their education and have increased chances to reach their full potential.

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Outstanding

Young people enjoy good health. Regular routine health appointments, together with healthy eating and physical activity, promote excellent health outcomes for each of the young people. The home is located in a village, with an extensive range of woodland, outdoor play and adventure opportunities. For example, young people participate in charitable events and raise money for good causes. They have an abundance of personal interest and hobbies. By being involved, young people enhance their emotional skills and enjoy social times with their friends of an equal age.

p.6

Outstanding

Young people engage in therapy and have completed careful and considered life story work. Communication between the management team, staff and professionals provides young people with a consistent approach and allows the home, school or college to maximise young people’s potential and reduce any harmful behaviours they may have. Young people respond promptly to carefully agreed and followed strategies to defuse their behaviour, they respond positively to disappointments or frustrations they experience. As a result, young people are settled in the home. For those young people who have moved on from the home, they have done so in a planned way ensuring they have the necessary skills to adapt and manage their next placement.

p.6

Outstanding

A strength of the home is the work staff undertake on rebuilding young people’s relationships with their families. Staff work hard to establish relationships with parents and carers, to facilitate visits at the home and to encourage young people to spend regular time with their families, with staff on call if necessary. This helps young people to feel a sense of belonging with their families and to repair broken relationships for the future. Young people’s friends are welcomed into the home and agreed overnight ‘sleep overs’ have benefitted young people and provided them with the same opportunities as their friends.

p.7

Outstanding

The registered manager begins risk assessment planning at the point of referral to the home. The priority is to ensure that a new admission fits into the group of young people already living in the home. The registered manager seeks information from the placing authority, and requests to speak with previous foster carers, parents or social workers if the commissioning team does not have all the information. This process helps the manager and staff team consider any likely impact that a new admission may have on existing young people in the home.

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Outstanding

This careful scrutiny provides young people with a safe and caring environment. Collectively young people say they feel safe and protected from all types of harm at the home. The management team and staff demonstrate an excellent knowledge and insight into the challenges that the young people face. They understand how experiences of neglect and trauma affect their emotional well-being, and manifest in them taking unnecessary risks. In response, staff utilise clear strategies to help young people to manage the stresses of daily life. A young person says.

p.7

Outstanding

 ‘We are all safe in this home and staff do everything they can to keep us safe. I used to run away from my other care homes but not so much from here, because I am comfortable and know how much staff care for me.’

p.7

Outstanding

Young people are further protected by staff who are trained and knowledgeable about the full range of risks to which young people are exposed. Staff take appropriate action when issues arise. Staff training and competence includes areas such as online safety, child sexual exploitation, harmful sexual behaviour, self-harm and radicalisation. The young people are further protected by clear, individualised profiles of vulnerability which indicate how specific risks are best managed and how risk levels can be reduced. On admission to the home, some young people did display concerning behaviour, such as going missing, which put them at risk of serious harm. Such risks are carefully assessed and appropriate measures are put in place, such as knowledge of triggers and additional staff vigilance. These strategies have been very successful in significantly reducing the number of times young people have gone missing from the home since the last full inspection. For other young who were

p.7

Outstanding

known to make allegations, robust procedures have been followed alongside close liaison with placing social workers and the designated officer, to fully investigate any allegation made by a young person. Ofsted has been kept fully informed and is satisfied with the investigations and actions taken in response to young people’s allegations.

p.8

Outstanding

Equally young people’s aggressive and destructive behaviour has been modified. This has been achieved through reflective practices and consistent approaches to young people’s behaviour. Some young people struggled with raised tones, and staff have become better at recognising when not to raise their voice or continue an argument. Team responses to individual young people through the use of playfulness, acceptance, curiosity and empathy, have had a positive impact on young people in the home. This approach has benefited young people in education and social activities they are involved in.

p.8

Outstanding

Incentives and rewards feature far more than sanctions and young people fully demonstrated their understanding of acceptable and unacceptable behaviour. Young people know how to complain. All young people spoken to were aware of the complaints process and they confirmed that they have received a copy of the children’s guide. This provides them with all of the relevant information relating to the services the home provides them.

p.8

Outstanding

The registered manager ensures that young people live in a home that provides physical safety and security. Health and safety checks are delegated to key staff and regularly undertaken. Records show that young people and staff regularly practise emergency evacuations of the home. The home has established systems and structures in place to maintain safe practices and fulfil health and safety obligations.

p.8

Outstanding

The manager follows the organisations fair recruitment and selection procedures. These procedures promote the safety of the young people by preventing unsuitable adults from working with them. A new staff member confirmed the robust recruitment process she went through before being allowed to work in the home. All visitors to the home are required to produce their identity and sign in, young people are not left unsupervised with visitors.

p.8

Outstanding

Young people and staff are proud of their home. It is a warm family environment, reflecting young people’s involvement in activities and individual achievements. Young people regularly invite friends and family to participate in activities and meals in the home. Culture and diversity is celebrated and the home is welcoming. Young people have personalised their bedrooms to their own taste.

p.8

Outstanding

The home has an experienced and qualified registered manager in place, who, in partnership with her senior workers, provides strong leadership for the home. The manager has been in post since November 2009 and has completed her Level 4 qualification for managers in residential child care.

p.9

Outstanding

The registered managers detailed workforce development plan is implemented in practice. Most staff are qualified to level 3 or higher, with one staff member currently working towards his qualification within the required timescale. Staff and the registered manager are receiving supervision in line with the organisations procedure. This enables them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the young people. All staff annual appraisals are complete and have taken in the views of the young people in the home.

p.9

Outstanding

Staff retention is high and this provides a consistency of care for young people. There are sufficient staff on duty at all times to meet the needs of young people. When staff leave their employment, it is generally to develop their career. New staff receive a thorough induction and increased supervision. Access to training is good and includes safeguarding, first aid, fire safety, reducing the risks of self- harm and understanding attachment.

p.9

Outstanding

The registered manager is inspirational, skilled and well thought of by her team. She ensures her staff maintain an open culture that facilitates professional reflection and dialogue. This enables staff to evaluate, challenge and remove any barriers to successful planning and effect real change in young people’s lives.

p.9

Outstanding

The manager and her staff know the young people exceptionally well and are able to demonstrate the impact that living in the home has had on each young person. If a young person is not progressing in a specific area, staff work alongside other professionals, to consider and implement alternative strategies to meet the area of need. The manager and staff have exceptionally good working relationships with other agencies, professionals, parents and carers and are held in high regard by them.

p.9

Outstanding

The registered manager collaborates well with a wide range of external agencies in order to provide outstanding care to the young people. She is persistent in her manner to ensure that the young people have everything in place that they may need. The registered manager challenges other professionals, if she or her staff feel services can be improved for young people. Internal and external monitoring of the running of the home is rigorous. The home’s independent person visits every month, and provides detailed and insightful reports that help drive improvement. The registered managers internal monitoring of the home is successful in identifying and promptly rectifying shortfalls. She produces regular monitoring reports which enable the team to assess young people’s progress and experience and amend support strategies as necessary. These reports contribute to the half-yearly reports, which are sent to Ofsted.

p.9

Outstanding

The statement of purpose document sets out the aims and objectives of the home. This document is readily available for placing authorities and parents and fully complies with regulations. The children’s guide to the home provides clear written and pictorial information enabling young people to know their entitlements and what it is like to live at the home.

p.10

Outstanding

Case files reflect young people’s life and time in the home and are backed up electronically. They are useful for any young person wanting to read their records. Well-presented story books, full of information, progress and good times are invaluable to young people now and will be in the future, as it provides them with clear information about their time spent in the home.

p.10

Outstanding

No requirements or recommendations are made at the inspection.

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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. 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

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What the inspection judgements mean

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 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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