Children's home run by Warrington Borough Council

Outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed 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’s provision is outstanding because:

 From their starting points, young people make exceptional progress in all areas of their lives. They enjoy positive contact with family and friends, and they have an excellent range of social activities provided.

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The children’s home’s provision is outstanding because:

 Staff provide young people with unwavering support and encouragement. Young people have a high sense of achievement in all areas of their lives, and their self-esteem and confidence have increased significantly.

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The children’s home’s provision is outstanding because:

 There are excellent, trusting relationships between the young people and members of staff. Consequently, young people make excellent progress during their time placed at this home.

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The children’s home’s provision is outstanding because:

 Excellent multi-disciplinary working and a culture of welcoming the views and opinions of stakeholders, in particular those of the young people, ensure that there is a strong sense of working together.

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The children’s home’s provision is outstanding because:

 The home is managed by an extremely aspirational and supportive registered manager. She leads a team of highly competent and skilled staff who place the needs of young people at the centre of all their work.

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The children’s home’s provision is outstanding because:

 Staff feel highly valued and have their professional development needs considered and met to an excellent level.

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The children’s home’s provision is outstanding because:

 Thorough induction programmes, well-planned training and good ongoing support and teamwork ensure that members of staff have the skills and competencies to provide high-quality care.

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Recommendation

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendation:  Ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording, particularly with reference to recording the dates and designation of the recorder. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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Information about this children’s home

This local authority provision provides care and accommodation for two young people with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 17/03/2016 Interim Declined in effectiveness 12/01/2016 Full Outstanding 20/03/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness 10/09/2014 Full Good

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Outstanding

All young people make significant progress across all areas of their development. This is evident in their improved behaviour and the progress that they are making in their education and healthcare.

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Outstanding

Young people with historic attachment difficulties have formed strong and resilient relationships with staff and one another. Young people talk about their relationships with staff as being meaningful and important to them. As a result, young people look to staff to guide and reinforce their good behaviour. Relationships are warm and friendly. Observations during the inspection demonstrated the closeness and comfort that young people gain from these. One young person commented, ‘I still lose it a bit with kicking off but I am doing better now.’

p.6

Outstanding

Staff promote education strongly. They regularly liaise with professionals to ensure that young people have support, when they are not in full-time education, to find appropriate education placements. However, young people’s educational progress has been mixed. Young people have been supported to access education in the home but their engagement in this has been sporadic. Since the start of term, one young person has refused to attend. As a result, they are not making full use of the opportunities made available to them. Staff continually review their strategies and are working closely with other professionals to find alternative education arrangements. They have researched the impact of broken attachments and how this can have an impact on education. The registered manager has liaised consistently with all professionals, including education colleagues, social workers and the virtual headteacher, in an effort to have a plan to integrate the young

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Outstanding

person back into education sensitively, while addressing her attachment issues. A virtual headteacher commented. ‘They have done everything in their power to get her back into school. The manager is planning to come into school with her to support her in the classroom. This level of commitment is commendable.’

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Outstanding

Staff are ambitious about young people’s learning and drive their education with enthusiasm and tenacity. Young people are well prepared for school in the mornings and are greeted warmly and praised upon their return. Staff make it their business to know about young people’s personal education plans and education reports. These are used to inform their placement plans. For example, staff ensure that revision textbooks are available for young people and have created an education toolkit, which includes inventive methods of learning. For example, colouring books and puzzles are used to help young people’s concentration spans. There are also a wide range of age-appropriate novels available to enhance the young people’s learning further.

p.6

Outstanding

Young people enjoy very positive and regular contact with family members and others. Staff demonstrate commendable understanding and insight regarding young people’s complex relationship issues, and they ensure that agreed contact plans are adhered to. Staff and managers are very skilled and committed to working with parents and carers.

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Outstanding

Another key strength of the care and support provided to young people relates to the extensive range of social activities and experiences provided. Young people engage in membership of girl guides, charity fundraising events and one young person is chair of the Children in Care Council. Such imaginative activities provide young people with opportunities that they may never have experienced before. Their confidence increases and they develop a real and positive sense of belonging to the local and wider community.

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Outstanding

Young people enjoy nutritious meals and a healthy diet is promoted. The home caters for individual dietary needs and preferences. Regular meetings take place with young people to plan forthcoming menus and consider different meal options. Staff work extremely hard to ensure that young people have a healthy balanced diet. However, they also understand that young people may make unhealthy decisions on food options and ensure that these requests are kept to a minimum. Important events, such as birthdays, are celebrated with staff and family members to ensure that they are memorable occasions.

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Outstanding

Care planning processes, in which young people’s diverse needs are evaluated and understood, fully recognise and incorporate their individual traits and personalities. For example, young people who find it difficult to manage their anger are supported through consistent and visible strategies to control their emotions. A young person said, ‘When I get angry I can go to the garage to use the punch-bag, this really helps me.’

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Outstanding

Through effective planning, staff consider how young people’s behaviours may have an impact on or affect the well-being and experiences of other young people. Key working is used successfully to discuss young people’s support for one another, and young people say that this helps them to live together as a ‘family’. There are some disagreements between young people at times, but staff are very alert to this and ‘nip it in the bud’, to ensure that bullying does not take place. A staff member commented, ‘Just like any family, squabbles happen but they quickly make up.’

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Outstanding

Staff appreciate that developing young people’s independence skills is an important aspect of preparing them for moving on, which is often to a foster placement. Consequently, staff support them to take more responsibility for themselves without close one-to-one support, while keeping in mind their developmental rather than their chronological age. For example, young people are now walking some of the way home from school independently and are managing time away from adults. A grandmother commented, ‘She has come on so much and is now travelling by herself on the bus. This is such an achievement.’

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Outstanding

Staff understand the importance of creating a warm and nurturing environment for young people and of enabling them to influence and shape their home. This is evident from the sensitive manner in which they care for and maintain the home. Young people are regularly consulted on the presentation of the home through key working, young people's meetings and manager’s consultations. At the time of the inspection the young people were decorating the house for Christmas and planning how to decorate their ‘grotto’ in the conservatory.

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Outstanding

Young people feel extremely safe and well cared for by staff. Social workers and independent reviewing officers confirmed that young people are safe, and that staff have supported young people exceptionally well to understand how they can continue to keep themselves safe. An independent reviewing officer commented: ‘They know the girls inside out and keep them very safe in all aspects of their lives.’

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Outstanding

Excellent, detailed risk assessments provide clear action for staff to follow to keep young people safe while allowing them the freedom to be teenagers. These assessments are regularly reviewed, alongside other professionals and with the full involvement of young people, to ensure that they are kept up to date and relevant. Incidents of being missing or absent from the home are rare, despite some young people having prior significant histories of running away.

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Outstanding

All members of staff have been trained in recognising the signs of child sexual exploitation and radicalisation. They know that young people in the home are especially vulnerable and are alert to potential threats, especially about internet usage and risks should the young people go missing. Staff also share this knowledge with young people in key-working sessions and in group discussions. This means that they are not complacent and that young people’s safety is at the forefront of staff practice.

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Outstanding

Very clear protocols ensure that staff understand what to do in the event of an incident. These protocols and processes are reviewed following any incident and discussed with other professionals, such as social workers, to ensure that they remain relevant and protect young people. Staff work extremely hard in supporting young people in helping them to make significant progress. One member of staff said, ‘They both have come on so far, they are a delight.’

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Outstanding

Staff adopt a positive approach to behaviour management, focusing on rewarding, praising and recognising good behaviour. Managers consider sanctions to ensure that they are appropriate and are an effective tool in supporting young people to modify their behaviour. Staff demonstrate great skill in how they respond to young people who may be experiencing difficulties in regulating their emotional state. Staff give many more rewards than sanctions. They celebrate young people’s achievements and positive behaviour by offering a wide variety of treats, trips out and rewards. Sanctions are restorative in nature, linked to the trigger or cause.

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Outstanding

When physical restraint is used, young people and staff reflect on its use after each intervention. Staff are trained in using physical intervention, which they only use as a last resort, and managers closely monitor such incidents to ensure that staff apply safe practice. Recording of such events is appropriate and demonstrates that managers have a discussion with staff and the young person to allow reflection, improve support strategies and ensure safe practice. There has only been one restraint since the last inspection and the registered manager ensured that the young person was de-briefed independently with her social worker. This ensured that all policies and procedures were followed and added an additional level of scrutiny to ensure that the measure was appropriate.

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Outstanding

Bullying is not an issue in the home. Staff and young people know how to manage incidents if they do occur and strong, positive relationships ensure that any concerns are ‘nipped in the bud’. The home is well maintained, clean, and kept safe and appropriately secure. Regular fire, maintenance, and health and safety checks ensure that it remains so. Regular fire drills ensure that young people and staff know what to do in the event of a fire.

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Outstanding

Young people are extremely happy living in their home. They commented, ‘It’s sound in here,’ ‘I don’t want to live anywhere else,’ and ‘I love the staff.’ This level of contentment ensures that young people have attained and are maintaining stable attachments. Young people report that they have not made any complaints. However, they said that they know that staff listen to them and would take action following any complaint they make. This reassures them that their safety is of the highest priority.

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Outstanding

Robust recruitment processes protect young people from unsuitable adults working with them. All checks on prospective employees are completed before they start working at the home. Judgement grade

p.9

Outstanding

The home benefits from a strong and inspirational registered manager who is suitably experienced and qualified in her role. She is a qualified social worker and has just completed her level 5 qualification in leadership and management.

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Outstanding

She provides excellent support to both staff and young people. She sets very high expectations for staff and young people and is well regarded. Her strong leadership and management have positively influenced the excellent outcomes and progress made by young people. All agencies contacted during this inspection commented on the very child-centred practice of staff and managers. Social workers commented, ‘The manager is inspirational,’ and ‘The staff are warm, confident and child-centred.’ Young people described staff as ‘sound’, ‘caring’ and ‘loving’.

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Outstanding

Young people benefit significantly from the manager’s calm and committed leadership and dedication to implementing and embedding a theory-based approach to their care. Staff mirror her approach, communicating in a responsive, measured manner, creating a stable and relaxed atmosphere. They are committed to providing a stable family environment where young people receive consistent care, fulfil their potential and advance their life chances. Staff receive relevant training to provide research-led nurturing care for young people. Responding to young people’s emotional needs and promoting their psychological well-being are priorities for staff. Ongoing staff development, directed by the manager, advances the staff team’s knowledge and understanding of attachment theory.

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Outstanding

Regular supervision and annual appraisals enable staff to reflect on their work and raise any concerns, as well as highlighting the progress they make as individuals. Team meetings provide a forum for open and honest discussion and encourage group learning. Staff are either qualified to the appropriate level, or are on the relevant course, ensuring that all are appropriately qualified within required timescales.

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Outstanding

Case records reflect well the holistic needs of young people and how those needs have been and will be met. Young people read their files and key documents and make comments on them. However, some records are not dated.

p.10

Outstanding

Rigorous monitoring systems ensure that young people continue to benefit from high standards of care. Shortfalls identified through scrutiny of day-to-day records and monthly reports from the independent visitor are promptly addressed by the registered manager. Quarterly reports compiled by the registered manager are comprehensive and evaluative, providing analysis of patterns and trends, which inform the development plan for the home. Research-informed practice continues to be firmly embedded in the home and is leading to exceptional experiences for young people. Attachment models continue to be used within the home by staff, with young people also clearly embracing such models and understanding how they enable staff to support them with their complex needs and emotions.

p.10

Outstanding

The home’s statement of purpose is up to date, clear and informative. Staff are meeting the expressed aim of providing high quality services within a safe and nurturing environment while providing an integrated and cohesive range of opportunities in line with young people’s individual needs.

p.11

Outstanding

The home has appropriate systems in place to notify Ofsted and other relevant bodies of significant events that occur within the home or with young people. This ensures that those with an interest in young people’s welfare are kept appropriately informed.

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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

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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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