Children's Home run by Radical Services Limited in Westmorland and Furness

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 current young person lives in a safe, caring and nurturing environment that supports him to address early childhood trauma. He is encouraged, helped and protected by a consistent and well-informed staff team.  The staff team provides a high standard of care, which has brought about stability for the young person. The young person is happy and settled in the home and said, ‘This is a pretty decent home, one of the best homes I’ve lived in and I lived in four others before here.’  A real strength of this home is the quality of care that is consistently provided by the experienced, stable and dedicated staff team. The young person has developed strong and meaningful attachments with the manager and staff who are committed to providing him with positive experiences. These have been conducive to helping him make progress and achieve many personal goals.  Good-quality plans and risk assessment provide good guidance to staff in

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The children’s home provision is good because:

respect to meeting need and minimising harm. The young person has started to learn how to self-regulate and articulate his feelings. He is using alternative coping mechanisms and his behaviour has improved significantly within the home environment.  Strong and effective partnerships with key professionals ensures that the young person’s needs are consistently met.  The home is well managed by an experienced and dedicated registered manager. He is child-focused and provides visible leadership for his staff team. Staff are well supported in their delivery of good-quality care and are given good opportunities to develop their knowledge and skills through supervision and training.  Monitoring of the young person’s progress and development is thorough and the manager has a sound understanding of the strengths of the home and areas for development. However, the following shortfalls require attention: - Take appropriate action to help the young person reintegrate and

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The children’s home provision is good because:

return to full-time education. - Ensure that the young person’s contact arrangements are robust and in line with relevant plans. - Ensure that staff receive additional substance misuse training.

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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 within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

(1) The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— (a) that staff— (i) help each child to achieve the child's education and training targets, as recorded in the child's relevant plans; (iii) understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers; and (viii) help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible. 31/01/2017

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendations:  Both the arrangements for contact and any contact details must be included in the placement plan agreed between the registered person and the child's placing authority and updated regularly. ('Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards', page 58, paragraph 11.15)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff can access appropriate facilities and resources to support their training needs. With specific reference to accessing substance misuse training. ('Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards', page 53, paragraph 10.11)

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Information about this children's home

The home is privately run and is registered for up to one young person with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 18/03/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 22/12/2015 Full Good 11/03/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness 28/01/2015 Full Good

p.5

Good

Good-quality individualised care is provided by the small and nurturing staff team. The current young person has developed strong and meaningful attachments with the manager and the staff team who are committed to providing him with positive experiences. These have been conducive to helping the young person make progress and achieve many of his personal goals. The young person said, ‘I really get on with all the staff and I wouldn’t change any of them. I have no complaints whatsoever. In fact, I’d like to stay here until I am 50 years old! This has been my fifth move, and this is by far the best.’

p.6

Good

Staff place the well-being of the young person at the centre of their practice, irrespective of the significant and sustained challenges that the young person presents. They are extremely attentive to the young person’s individual needs and show great respect and dignity at all times. The young person confirmed that staff actively listen and respond positively to his wishes and concerns and if something is not possible or not in his best interest staff sensitively explain the reasoning behind the decision. Consequently, the young person feels valued, respected and supported by the adults around him.

p.6

Good

The young person has experienced some recent disruption in education. He has struggled to fully engage in lessons and his behaviour has escalated in the classroom environment. This undoubtedly inhibits his progress at a very crucial stage in his education, year 11. More positively, the home has strong partnerships with education and staff promote high expectations and do their utmost to help the young person get back on track. Staff use opportunities in the home to reinforce the young person’s learning. For example, encouraging him to practice vocational skills, educational trips and engaging in a variety of outdoor activities. However, despite the best efforts of staff, the young person has yet to fully commit to reintegration to full-time education, which limits his later employment prospects.

p.6

Good

Relationships and contact between the young person and his family are valued by staff. The registered manager and staff have provided practical support through transporting the young person to contact when required. They also provide emotional support to ensure that relationships are positive and rewarding. However, the recent changes to contact have not been explored as part of the young person’s placement plan. Further clarity is required to ensure that arrangements are clear and contact continues to be a positive experience. The manager has acknowledged this shortfall and is in the process of liaising with the placing authority to review and update future contact arrangements. The registered manager and staff understand the crucial importance of comprehensive healthcare. The young person benefits from easy access to healthcare such as the local GP, dentists and opticians. He receives regular health

p.6

Good

assessments and reviews to ensure that his health needs are met. Staff ensure that the young person benefits from a balanced diet, and can enjoy exercise regularly. This includes energetic activities such as football and rugby to doing lots of outdoor activities. The staff team also has access to psychological services when required. This enables them to address any difficulties that the young person may have experienced. As a result, the young person has grown in confidence and is more able to move forward and make progress.

p.7

Good

There are good opportunities for the young person to gain appropriate life skills needed for his future independence. This includes positively contributing and influencing his daily life and learning effective negotiation skills. The young person confirmed that he knows how to raise a complaint, and records show that any complaints or grumbles are taken seriously and fully investigated by the manager. This reinforces the message that the young person’s views genuinely matter, which increases self-esteem and confidence.

p.7

Good

This home feels like an ordinary family home. The young person reports that he feels happy, settled and given the opportunity to explore who he is. The house is comfortable and offers a homely environment that blends into the community. This is a comfortable home where the young person can feel relaxed and safe.

p.7

Good

This home places great emphasis on providing a particularly warm and nurturing environment. This means that the young person is able to build trusting relationships with the staff. This has proved instrumental is enabling the young person to express his feelings openly about previous traumatic events and discuss more appropriate ways of managing his anger and frustrations.

p.7

Good

The young person made significant progress in managing his behaviour, and the frequency and duration of incidents has reduced. This was confirmed by the social worker who said, ‘[Name] was really struggling in his last placement, he did not have good relationships and was extremely destructive. Here, he values staff and speaks highly of them. Staff have worked hard to get him back on track and he is responding.’ The young person also recognises the progress that he has made and said, ‘This is the place where I have made most progress, by far. I have not been arrested half as much as I did before and I am happy here.’ This demonstrates that moving to this home has had a significant impact. Through effective support and good-quality relationships the young person is considerably safer than he was at his previous placement.

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Good

Unfortunately, the success of the young person’s progress within the home is not mirrored out in the community. While records demonstrate an overall reduction in criminality and anti-social behaviour, there has been at least one concerning incident which has involved police intervention. The staff team responded quickly and effectively to address these concerns. The staff team shared relevant information and it is clear that the police value the staff team’s efforts to keep the young person safe. A police officer said, ‘Collaboration is effective. We have had extensive meetings with the staff team around keeping the young person safe. I have found that the staff team is open to strategies and has been able to implement a clear plan to reduce risks.’

p.8

Good

One-to-one staffing ensures that the young person receives the right supervision and support that he needs to feel protected and safe. Staff make every effort to maintain these levels of supervision at all times. This includes following the young person when he chooses to leave the home without permission. Incidents of going missing from care have significantly reduced. Records demonstrate that when the young person has gone missing, staff respond promptly and are resourceful in seeking him out. They make a concerted effort to keep in contact and locate him as quickly as possible. Upon the young person arriving back, staff welcome him home and discuss the events to try and understand the reasons for going missing in an attempt to prevent future recurrence. These discussions have been instrumental in helping staff and the young person to understand the push and pull factors behind the episodes of going missing.

p.8

Good

Physical intervention is not used because staff employ effective de-escalation techniques. Staff undertake lots of direct work, which helps the young person to understand the impact of negative behaviours upon themselves and others. Over time, this will aid the young person to develop more socially acceptable behaviours, which will further improve his future prospects.

p.8

Good

Robust staff recruitment policies and procedures are in place to help protect the young person from unsuitable adults. The home environment is generally safe and there are procedures implemented by the manager to ensure that relevant checks take place.

p.8

Good

The manager takes appropriate action to ensure that all significant events are notified in line with regulations. This ensures effective scrutiny of the incident and the action taken to support the young person by the different agencies. Judgement grade

p.8

Good

This home is run by a competent and skilled registered manager who has been in post since October 2009. He is suitably experienced and qualified for the role. The manager is tenacious in his determination to achieve the best possible outcomes for the young person in his care. He has successfully created a culture in which staff place the needs of the young person at the heart of their practice. The manager demonstrates real care and ambition, and is passionate about the young person doing well. He has invested in the team, and his enthusiasm and commitment have helped to inspire staff and shape the overall culture and values of the service.

p.9

Good

The home is effective in meeting the overall aims and objectives outlined in its statement of purpose. A clear vision of child-focused practice is embedded within the home’s ethos and has significantly contributed to the stability that the young person has found. The registered manager and staff team have a detailed understanding of the young person’s needs. They have high aspirations and set realistic, age-appropriate goals to aid progression. Staff know the young person well and have a good understanding of how to meet his individual needs. They talk enthusiastically about caring for the young person and are proud of the contribution that they have made to his successes and achievements.

p.9

Good

The team is made up of a good mix of skills, experience and knowledge. The majority of the staff team members have a relevant childcare qualification, while others are working towards gaining these. New staff are well inducted and have their competency assessed throughout their induction and probationary period. Staff confirm that they are well supported and receive regular supervision from the manager. All staff have their performance appraised annually and have a six- monthly review of their personal development plan. The manager has recently reviewed these plans to ensure that they are less generic and more purposeful and challenging for the individual staff members.

p.9

Good

All staff are provided with mandatory training, including safeguarding, behaviour management and restraint. The manager maintains good oversight of training and it is regularly refreshed. However, the staff team has not had any specific substance misuse training, which is an identified area of risk for the young person. This has not impacted on practice. However, further knowledge in this area would greatly assist the staff team.

p.9

Good

The manager is diligent in his monitoring of all aspects of the home, in particular practices associated with keeping the young person safe. He utilises a range of quality assurance processes and is proactive in addressing any identified shortfalls. The manager continues to strive to improve all aspects of the home, consulting with the staff team in the development of processes to ensure that there is safe and consistent child-focused practice. Shortfalls are quickly identified and prompt action is taken to effect improvements. This results in a home where there is ambition to provide good care for children and young people.

p.9

Good

Young people’s case records are detailed and clearly identify their individual needs, strengths and vulnerabilities, as well as highlighting their achievements and future plans. The manager is proactive in his efforts in ensuring that relevant documentation is provided by the placing authority. For example, if social workers do not provide updated information when required, he has appropriately challenged and escalated this. This ensures that the young person’s records are fully up to date and relevant to his care needs.

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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 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 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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