Children's Home run by Partners in Care Limited in Lancashire

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:

 Young people live in a warm, safe and stable home environment. Young people have positive relationships with the registered manager and staff and these relationships are used effectively to support young people to manage their emotions and behaviour.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Young people are increasing in confidence because of the consistency and care that they receive in the home.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Staff spend time with young people undertaking direct work on individual areas of risk. This means that for some young people there has been a reduction in risk-taking behaviour such as going missing or a reduction in behaviour incidents.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Young people say that they feel safe living in the home and could identify someone to talk to within the staff team, if they were worried or have any concerns.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Robust safeguarding procedures and practices support the safety of young people.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 The home is managed by an experienced and suitably qualified manager who is very child-focused and ensures that the home is staffed by a similarly child-focused and experienced staff team.

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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

5: Engaging with the wider system to ensure children’s needs are met

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the engaging with the wider system to ensure each child’s needs are met standard, the registered person must ensure that:

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Requirement Due date

(c) if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans.

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Requirement Due date

This is with specific reference to the registered manager challenging the responsible local authority if independent return interviews are not carried out when young people return home after being missing or away from the home without permission. 06/01/2017

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendations:  Staff should ensure that the risks to each child and the arrangements to protect them are recorded in each child’s risk assessment (‘Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5).  When a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority must provide an opportunity for the child to have an independent return interview. Homes should take account of information provided by such interviews when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect each child (‘Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30).  Evaluation of incidents of going missing should be undertaken to identify any gaps in training, skills or knowledge for staff or to record or retain evidence of

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Recommendations

what worked well (‘Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.31).  The registered person should only accept placements for children where they are satisfied that the home can respond effectively to the child’s assessed needs as recorded in the relevant plans and where they have fully considered the impact of the placement of the current group (‘Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.4).

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Information about this children's home

This is a privately run children’s home that provides care and accommodation for up to four young people with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The children’s home forms part of a large social care company.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 21/03/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 20/05/2015 Full Good 16/01/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness 01/08/2014 Full Adequate

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Good

Young people live in a warm, spacious and well-decorated home where they are involved in choosing decor and individualising their own rooms. Young people commented that the home was a ‘nice’ and ‘calm’ place to live. One young person commented it was ‘calmer’ than other homes he had lived in. Positive relationships between young people and staff were observed during the inspection. Young people sought staff out when they returned home and were keen to speak with staff about their day. These positive relationships and a stable home environment provide a secure base for young people to develop their self- confidence and self-esteem and make progress from their individual starting points. One young person commented that staff have, ‘Built my confidence up and made me who I am today. They helped me get into school and college. I do not think I would be [the] person I am today without them.’ Most young people attend school and when young people do not attend school,

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Good

staff engage them in meaningful alternatives such as supported job hunting or schoolwork on-site. Young people attain academically for example one young person achieved a BTEC level 2 award in home cooking skills and a BTEC level 2 award in personal and social development. Consequently, young people are supported to meet their educational potential and gain skills to assist them in their future. Staff spend time with young people getting to know them and finding out what their strengths and talents are. This means that young people are encouraged to participate in activities such as cycling and kick-boxing, which as well as being good physical exercise provides opportunities for young people to develop social relationships outside of the home. The registered manager and staff celebrate young people’s achievements for example the registered manager and staff attended one young person’s school awards ceremony. They made this a special occasion for her by surprising her with

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Good

a new dress for the occasion and making a beautiful book for her with photos from the event. This approach encourages young people to want to achieve well and helps them to build the confidence to do this. Young people are actively involved in decisions regarding their care and the home through attending young people’s meetings and through key worker sessions. Consequently, young people’s views are central to the running of the home. Young people commented that, ‘Staff listen to you.’ Young people are supported to develop the skills and confidence that they need to successfully manage in their adult lives for example learning about budgeting, applying for jobs and learning to cook. One young person commented that staff have taught him how to do his bedding and use the washing machine. Staff promote family contact in line with young people’s plans, which helps young people to develop a positive sense of identity. Staff have undertaken some good

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Good

direct work with young people in key worker sessions about family and any feelings, which may arise from family contact. This means that young people feel supported and can talk about their feelings before and after spending time with family members, leading to more positive family contact for some young people.

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Good

The registered manager and staff understand the individual risks of each young person. However, individual risk assessments do not always identify specific risks to the individual young person as they are recorded in a generic format. This means that it is not always clearly recorded what a young person’s individual risks are and what specific action to take, which means that there is no point of reference for staff in managing any risk-taking behaviour.

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Good

Staff have a good understanding of how young people’s experiences and emotions can be communicated through behaviour. Staff use de-escalation techniques effectively and consequently they use physical intervention infrequently. The registered manager and staff have effective behaviour management strategies in place, which include rewarding positive behaviour and achievements. Staff are skilled at identifying triggers to behaviour and young people’s moods and offering opportunities for young people to talk about their feelings before situations escalate. As a result, young people learn to manage their feelings and emotions in a more constructive way. The registered manager and staff are proactive when young people go missing by reporting young people missing and actively trying to find them. There is evidence of staff undertaking good-quality direct work with young people on risk-taking behaviour such as going missing, which supports young people to make the right

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Good

choices about keeping themselves safe. For some young people, this has led to a reduction in going missing behaviour.

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Good

The registered manager does not consistently ensure that independent return interviews take place or challenge the placing authority when the return interviews are not undertaken. There is little evaluation by the registered manager of episodes of going missing when they have occurred, meaning that opportunities to understand and evaluate going missing behaviour are missed. The registered manager and staff work well with other agencies and make referrals to other agencies such as Addaction when necessary for young people. The registered manager is proactive in seeking feedback from professionals and there are many recent positive comments from professionals in a feedback file. One social worker commented, ‘Staff always went the extra mile to ensure X was safe.’ The registered manager and staff have a good understanding of safeguarding procedures and respond appropriately to allegations made by promptly referring to

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Good

the local authority designated officer and notifying Ofsted. This means that young people are safeguarded effectively. Young people are safeguarded effectively by the safe recruitment and vetting process for new staff.

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Good

The home is managed by a suitably qualified and experienced permanent manager who has been in post since 2012. The registered manager is child-focused and develops strong relationships with young people. This ensures that she has a good understanding of young people’s individual needs and the progress that they make living in the home. One young person commented that she had a ‘strong bond’ with staff, particularly the registered manager. The registered manager ensures that the home is appropriately staffed to meet the needs of the young people. Staff enjoy working in the home and say that they feel well supported in their role by the registered manager. The registered manager ensures that staff receive regular supervision and appraisals. Staff receive regular training, which ensures their professional development and ensures that they have the relevant skills and knowledge to meet young people’s needs. Young people are involved in interviewing new staff for their home and their

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Good

views are actively listened to within the process, which means that they have an active role in choosing who cares for them. The registered manager has a good understanding of the strengths and areas for development of the home and regularly monitors the quality of care provided. During the inspection, the registered manager was receptive to feedback and has been proactive in seeking feedback from young people, professionals and parents to continually improve the care that young people receive. The registered manager ensures that there are good transitions for young people moving in and out of the home and staff have maintained telephone contact with some young people who have moved on from the home, offering consistency for young people. Young people living in the home are well prepared when new young people come into the home through individual discussion and discussion at young people’s meetings. When young people arrive in the home, they are made to feel

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Good

welcome by going out for a group activity such as the cinema with staff and the young people in the home, which makes young people feel welcome and included. The registered manager does not always robustly evaluate in impact assessments the impact of new admissions joining the home on the existing group of young people. This has affected the stability of the group following the admission of one young person who is no longer living in the home. In this situation, the registered manager was able to identify that the home was not meeting the young person’s needs and proactively work with the local authority to identify another placement quickly to ensure that any impact on the existing group was kept to a minimum. The registered manager ensures that Ofsted is informed immediately of significant events in relation to welfare and protection of the young people in the home, this ensures that Ofsted has the necessary oversight in knowing that young people are

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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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