Children's Home run by Cumbria County Council in Westmorland and Furness

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:

 The overall aim of this service is to strengthen and sustain positive and effective family relationships. Young people, parents, carers and professionals clearly value the service. Young people say, ‘Coming here is awesome’. Another young person wrote, ‘The staff have helped massively in the past eight months and I am very thankful for that. There isn’t any arguing anymore and the whole family has been getting along better.’  Young people make excellent progress as a result of their short breaks and wrap around services that they receive from the manager and staff. Young people confirm that they look forward to their visits and thoroughly enjoy the activities that are on offer.  Without a doubt the services and support that are offered from this service have been instrumental in strengthening young people’s family relationships and dynamics. Subsequently, young people’s behaviours have improved and

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The Children’s home provision is outstanding because:

family relationships have been repaired. This ensures that family breakdowns are minimised and young people remain living within their own family environments.  Young people receive exceptional care, support and guidance from the stable, committed and motivated staff team. Staff are driven to improve young people’s experiences and progress and are motivated to develop and enhance young people’s positive family relationships.  The manager ensures that excellent relationships between staff, young people, their families, and social workers are maintained. Parents and professionals are full of praise for the service. One social worker wrote, ‘Families have significantly benefited from the home’s support.’ They went on to add, ‘The work has been invaluable to the families and these services need to continue’.  The manager has excellent oversight of the home and is passionate about continuing to enhance and develop the services and support. This enables

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The Children’s home provision is outstanding because:

her to effectively support young people to continue to make positive progress against their own individual targets and goals.  Two shortfalls have been identified, which have minimal impact on young people’s wellbeing. These relate to notifications and, strengthening young people’s risk management plans.

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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

The registered provider must notify HMCI without delay if there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there, and if a child protection enquiry involving a child is instigate or concluded. (Regulation 40(4)(c)(d)(i)(ii)) 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 recommendation(s):  Staff should continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. Where there are safeguarding concerns for a child, their missing from care risk management plans, agreed between the home and their placing authority, must include details of the steps the home will take to manage any assessed risks on a day-to-day basis. (Guide to the Children’s homes regulations including the quality standards', page 42, paragraph 9.5).

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Information about this Children’s home

The home is local authority owned and is registered to provide accommodation for four children with emotional and behavioural difficulties. The home operates as a short break service, which offers outreach wraparound support and is open at weekends and school holidays.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 11/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 20/11/2015 Full Outstanding 20/03/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness 18/10/2014 Full Outstanding

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Outstanding

The quality of the relationships and the support that are provided to young people and their families is exceptional and makes a significant difference to their lives. Young people and their families who experience difficulties within their relationships benefit greatly from this short break provision. The home offers respite care during the weekends and school holidays. This, and a wraparound outreach service enables young people and their families to work together so that they can enjoy improved and harmonious relationships. Young people and their families who want to access the services, work with the manager and staff effectively to ensure that positive changes are made. One parents wrote, ‘We now have a better outlook for the future and we have learned to talk more and to take time out to calm the situation. We will be sad not to see everyone, but we are really pleased with the outcome.’ Another parent wrote, ‘[Name] is much happier

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Outstanding

and relaxed in the home and her behaviour is slowly improving. The help and support we have received has been excellent. In difficult circumstances the service provided has been outstanding.’

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Outstanding

Placement planning is highly effective and inclusive. Young people’s placement plans are clear and reflect the young people’s needs, strengths and areas of vulnerability. Effective, well thought out strategies which, have been agreed between young people, their families, and social workers at the point of their admissions, identify the key issues that they need to resolve. Staff work closely with young people during their key working sessions, and with their families during their outreach sessions to ensure that these issues and concerns are consistently and effectively addressed. Evidence gathered during the inspection highlights that young people and their families receive a targeted response, this is personalised to their needs, and supports and guides them to address their difficulties, which in turn improves their personal circumstance. The support that young people and their families receive has certainly improved their lives and family dynamics.

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Outstanding

Consequently this has prevented the majority of young people becoming cared for by the local authority.

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Outstanding

There is extensive evidence to validate that young people’s wishes and feelings are central to how the home is run. Effective and on-going consultation and communication with young people ensures that their wishes and views are consistently obtained and acted upon. Staff and young people were observed discussing pertinent issues and planning meals and interesting activities together throughout the inspection. Young people benefit from the time that staff set aside to discuss specific areas within their individual key work sessions, alongside less formal discussions which take place freely throughout young people’s stays. These opportunities ensure young people have every chance to express their views and do so on a frequent basis. As a result, young people are thoroughly involved in all aspects of their care planning as they make choices on what they do and what happens in the home.

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Outstanding

Staff work meticulously hard to ensure that young people have excellent opportunities to engage in activities that they enjoy which supports their overall social development. The staff have established positive working relationships with a number of community based activities, alongside supporting young people to be actively involved in developing and sustaining positive relationships within the local community. Staff encourage young people to develop their talents and skills, and support them to attend community drumming and music groups, trampolining activities and roller skating. These, alongside supporting young people to undertake successful neighbour events, enables young people to develop their social awareness and understanding of their wider community. Young people confirmed during the inspection that they were offered a great range of interesting and exciting opportunities and spoke highly of the activities that are on offer to

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Outstanding

them. Others wrote, ‘We have been able to do a lot of fun activities’ and, ‘I will always carry the memories that I’ve made and I’ll keep the friends that I have met.’ Consequently, young people benefit from enhanced and positive childhood experiences.

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Outstanding

The overall responsibility for ensuring that young people’s health and education needs are met, remains with their parent or carer. That said, staff work effectively with parents and carers to ensure that young people’s health and education needs are continually met. The manager ensures that staff are trained to support young people effectively if they become unwell or suffer an accident while accessing the service. Parents or carers are contacted and appropriate action is taken to address these incidents appropriately. Staff ensure that they maintain up-to-date health and education information and challenge agencies appropriately and sufficiently when this information is not forthcoming. This ensures that the manager and staff are clear and understand young people’s needs and can manage and respond to these appropriately.

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Outstanding

The manager and staff work tirelessly to ensure the home provides a safe, nurturing and comfortable environment. The environment is welcoming and pleasantly decorated. Young people are supported to choose their room of their choice and bring personal items to make their stay as enjoyable as possible. Photographs of young people’s shared and enjoyable experiences are proudly displayed within the well-equipped games and pool room. This provides a comfortable home where young people confirm that they feel relaxed, safe and at ease. Judgement grade

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Good

Staff are aware of the stresses that can be associated with group living and support young people to develop safe, supportive and respectful relationships with each other. Staff identify when relationships between young people are becoming fractious. Staff intervene, support young people sensitively and address these behaviours suitably. Staff spend time with young people and encourage them to consider other people’s thoughts and feelings during this time. This enables young people to improve their tolerance and acceptance of others and identify their own strategies for managing their emotions and subsequent behaviours more appropriately. When the risk is too great for young people to receive their respite care at the same time, the management team take care in their planning and booking in process to ensure that young people do not access the service together. This promotes the safety and well-being for young people during their stays.

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Good

Good behaviour is promoted through positive role modelling, support, praise and incentives. Young people are aware of their individual goals and targets and agree that the sanctions used are fair. Staff celebrate young people’s achievements and commend young people when they refrain from taking part in behaviours that are damaging to themselves or others. Subsequently, young people’s behaviour has continued to improve as they are able to use better strategies to manage their emotions more effectively.

p.8

Good

Young people's safety is promoted within the home. The manager ensures that safer recruitment practice is followed and the new staff are carefully selected and vetted. Staff receive adequate training and a good induction to the home so that they are able to meet the young people’s needs well. Furthermore, the manager ensures that young people live in a physically safe environment. This is because the manager ensures that the annual gas, electrical and fire safety checks are undertaken, and that regular health and safety checks and audits are completed. This helps to promote the safety and well-being of the young people and staff.

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Good

Staff are clear that the use of physical intervention is very much a last resort and this level of intervention has only been necessary on one occasion. Staff report that they are more comfortable using their positive relationships that they have built up with young people to defuse difficult situations to avoid this practice being necessary. Any incidents of a restraint are sensitively and appropriately followed up through discussion and reflection with the young person and staff. The manager ensures that these records are reviewed and evaluated promptly and addresses any shortfalls within this practice quickly.

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Good

Young people visit the home because they want to, therefore incidents of missing from the home are rare. There is clear evidence that when young people go missing from this home, these incidents are managed well. There have been five episodes since the last inspection. Young people have gone missing from the home together on two occasions which accounts for four of these instances. Records and the verbal accounts taken from the staff involved, demonstrate that staff take proactive measures, such as contacting young people’s mobile phones, going out searching for them, liaising with families, friends, and British Transport Police in their attempts to search, locate and return young people home quickly. When young people are located, the staff collect and return them back to the home swiftly. Young people report that they are warmly welcomed back to the home and that staff speak to them sensitively about their actions. One young person

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Good

confirmed that as a result of these discussions, she had been able to reflect on her behaviour and confirmed that she would not be engaging in this risk-taking behaviour again. While the manager has reviewed and evaluated these incidents, amended young people’s safety plans and, reviewed the times of young people’s stays to ensure that further opportunities are disrupted. The manager has not been specific in identifying the level of risks associated for young people who go missing from the home, nor is there a specific and individual risk management plan for each young person. Consequently, the manager cannot be assured that the staff will consistently support, report and respond to further incidents of missing from care behaviours.

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Good

Effective safeguarding procedures support the manager in addressing any allegations, suspicion of abuse or unsafe practice sufficiently. Professionals confirm that the organisation is transparent and that concerns are managed appropriately. Records demonstrate that the manager and leadership team apply rigour and challenge to the management of incidents and investigations into allegations or concerns about staff practice. These are handled fairly and quickly to ensure that a suitable outcome is identified. That said, on one occasion the registered manager did not ensure that Ofsted was notified of a significant event relating to an allegation about a member staff, which also initiated the commencement and conclusion of a child protection enquiry. As a result, the regulator was unable to carry out its monitoring function effectively.

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Outstanding

Effective management arrangements are in place to ensure that young people receive a high level of exceptional care during their short term break. The manager who was registered with Ofsted in July 2015, continues to provide a high level of support and guidance to her management team and staff. The manager is supported by five assistant managers, who all hold additional areas of responsibilities within the wraparound and respite service. The manager and her leadership team is committed and passionate about improving young people’s experiences and progress. They all works tirelessly with young people, their families, and partner agencies to ensure that everything in their power is done to achieve this.

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Outstanding

A real strength of this home is the quality of care that is consistently provided by the experienced, stable, and dedicated staff team. The manager ensures that the staff are trained and supported well to systematically deliver a high standard of care. The manager is currently completing the required level 5 child care qualification, and all but one member of staff have achieved the level 3. The manager is proactive in seeking out specific training opportunities, such as supporting young people who self-harm and have suicidal tendencies, child sexual exploitation, wellbeing in sexual health and, collaborative working with all family approach. These additional training opportunities ensures that staff have the required level of skills and knowledge to provide a high-level of good quality care to all young people. The staff confirm that they receive a high level of support and guidance from the manager and leadership team. However, the manager

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Outstanding

acknowledges that there has been a shortfall in providing consistent supervision arrangements to all staff. She has raised this accordingly with her senior management team and supervisors and identified a suitable method to redress this. A realistic plan is in place to ensure that this practice improves.

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Outstanding

The manager ensures that the home operates in accordance with the assurances identified in the home’s statement of purpose. A young person confirmed that they were re-assured of what they could expect from the manager and the staff on their arrival at the home. This is because the staff provide young people and their families with children’s guides and parents guides with suitable information before they join the home. These documents provide young people, their families and local authorities with a clear and realistic description of the services and support that young people and their families can expect to receive while at this home.

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Outstanding

The manager is committed to improving and developing the services which are provided to young people and their families by the staff. She has a sound understanding of young people’s continued progress, and the strengths and areas for continued development of the home as she uses the effective internal and external quality assurance systems very well. A realistic development plan which highlights clear action points is regularly reviewed and updated throughout the homes internal monitoring systems. This supports the manager in ensuring the services offered within the home continue to improve the experiences and progress for all young people.

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Outstanding

Young people and their families value the service and support the manager and staff offer. Family members confirm that the service has helped them and their children and they can identify the progress that their children have made. One parent validated this by reporting that her son was now a lot calmer and is more open to talking to her following the support that they have received from the home. Another family member reiterate this by saying, ‘It is brilliant.’ Young people corroborate their families’ views and say that, ‘It is awesome’ visiting this home. I

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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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