Children's home run by Prestige Adolescent Care and Education Limited in Stoke-on-Trent

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 enjoy a comfortable and spacious house.  Young people make noticeable progress from their starting points.  The service benefits from consistent and enthusiastic leadership.  Staff establish meaningful relationships with each young person, which helps the majority stay for substantial lengths of time.  Young people enjoy a wide range of social and recreational opportunities.  The company has its own therapist who is available for consultations and advice.  Staff promote education and young people see the benefits.  Young people are safe. Staff understand each young person well and liaise effectively with other agencies. Negative incidents fall substantially over time.  Staff receive good support through regular supervision and training. This contributes to team members’ clear commitment to the service.  To improve the quality of care, several areas require attention. The senior team promote young people’s progress with insufficient clarity in some

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The children's home provision is good because:

areas. Similarly, improvement to the service as a whole lacks the required coordination. The monitoring of physical interventions has insufficient detail in some areas.

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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

In order to meet the care planning standard, the registered provider must ensure that children: (1)(a) receive effectively planned care in the children’s home. This is with regard to devising and implementing clear plans to promote children’s emotional health and independence skills. 28/02/2017

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Requirement Due date

Include in the statement of purpose a description of the home’s policy and approach in relation to children’s rights. This is with regard to describing what rights children have. (Regulation 16, schedule 1, section 9(b)) 28/02/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that restraint in relation to a child is proportionate. (Regulation 20(2)(2)) 28/02/2017

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Requirement Due date

Produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review. This is with regard to producing a report that includes an evaluation of the feedback and opinions of children, and an action plan. (Regulation 45(3)) 28/02/2017

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendation:  Ensure that staff have the knowledge and skills to understand each child's education and training targets and their next steps for learning. ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 28, paragraph 5.11)

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Information about this children's home

This home is registered to provide care and accommodation for four children who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. It is operated by a private company that has several other homes.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 16/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 09/06/2015 Full Outstanding 07/01/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness 06/11/2014 Full Outstanding

p.5

Good

Young people enjoy a comfortable home. The property is a large detached house in its own grounds and has high-quality fittings and furnishings. Each young person has a large bedroom and there is a generous amount of space in communal rooms and outside. The house has attractive Christmas decorations and photographs of current and previous residents, which add to the homely atmosphere. A visiting professional said, ‘It’s a lovely home; very welcoming.’ Another said, ‘It feels like a home and not like an institution.’

p.6

Good

Overall, staff provide a high standard of care and establish good relationships with young people. As a result, most young people stay for several years. This is an important contribution to their good emotional development and self-confidence. Staff provide each young person with a variety of formal and informal ways of expressing themselves. This helps to identify grievances at an early stage. A social worker recently wrote, ‘The staff in the home are very dedicated and fond of the young people in the home.’ In their monthly questionnaires, young people show they are happy at the home. Staff resolve their concerns as much as possible, such as their wishes to see their families more often.

p.6

Good

The older young people have a high degree of autonomy over how often to speak to or see their families and friends. One built up enough confidence to mend these relationships, which shows a high degree of maturity. Families feel positive about the service their children receive, even if they live a long way away. One recently said, ‘The staff are very welcoming. They’ve done a brilliant job with [my child]: she’s become a lovely young person!’

p.6

Good

Young people enjoy a wide range of social and recreational opportunities. They join local clubs and pursue hobbies of their choice, which the high staffing levels facilitate. One enjoys going to a cattery and another is a member of a rugby club. All the young people enjoyed a summer holiday by the sea. This gives them interesting experiences and increases their social skills.

p.6

Good

The manager has ensured that the young people are sufficiently compatible with each other. Two young people have lived in the home for over two years and two moved here this year. The older individuals have been here longest and are learning the skills necessary for greater independence. Both are making some progress in this area, according to their circumstances. For example, one young person travels independently. Staff liaise well with other agencies so that young people get opportunities to try new things. However, both young people resist efforts to improve their skills. Care plans do not tell staff what to do on a daily basis to facilitate and promote young people’s progress in this area. Consequently, young people do not make as much progress as possible. Young people who have recently left have made positive moves to foster care and to their own families.

p.6

Good

A similar situation arises with regard to the planning for young people’s health. Their care plans do not address some aspects of their emotional well-being. Staff know how to respond to acute problems, but receive insufficient guidance about how to be proactive and promote each young person’s emotional health. This means that young people do not progress as much as possible in this area. All the young people are in good general health and understand how to pursue healthy lifestyles. They receive helpful advice from outside agencies about relationships and misuse of drugs. Some young people meet the company’s therapist, if agreed by their placing authority.

p.7

Good

Naturally, the young people make different amounts of progress in education. They all attend regularly, and for most, this is a remarkable improvement. One has passed a large number of examinations at good grades. Others find it harder. Staff are insufficiently clear about the educational progress of some young people, which compromises their ability to measure it. On the other hand, they liaise well with relevant professionals when young people are not participating in education. Staff help young people understand the value of education and find educational placements that suit their needs.

p.7

Good

Young people are pleased with the home and do not raise concerns about the care they receive. Social workers confirm that young people are safe. Hazardous behaviour reduces over time. Staff understand the risks that individual young people face and know how to respond, for example, to instances of self-harm. Young people who are at risk from sexual exploitation receive specialist advice and support, which helps to keep the risk at an acceptable level.

p.7

Good

One of the most significant risks since the last inspection has been some young people going missing. Young people had been tempted to leave the care of staff because of external influences rather than problems in the home. Staff liaised well with other agencies, such as schools and the police, to reduce the problem and devise effective strategies. This risk is now very low and young people are safe. This shows good progress.

p.7

Good

Staff encourage young people to behave positively and thoughtfully. Young people receive a substantial amount of praise and regular rewards. Sometimes, staff have to restrain young people. The company has reviewed the use of holds on the floor and consequently ceased the use of prone holds, where staff hold young people face down. Supine, or face up, holds occur, when necessary. The manager ensures that debriefs of staff and young people occur within the required timescales. However, it is not always clear why holds of up to 30 minutes are necessary. This is undignified for young people and potentially jeopardises their relationships with staff. Until the recent review, senior staff signed off the records of physical interventions in which they were involved. This procedure allowed insufficient independent scrutiny and now includes greater involvement of other managers.

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Good

Ofsted registered the manager for this home in 2011. In addition to his relevant experience, the manager has an appropriate qualification in the management of children’s homes. The manager also provides training for staff throughout the company in behaviour management. The company has well-established procedures for preparing staff for senior positions. It gives suitable staff development opportunities in senior positions and relevant training. The last inspection of this home raised no requirements or recommendations.

p.8

Good

The manager keeps the statement of purpose for the home up to date. This is an accurate and helpful point of reference for social workers and other professionals who do not know the service. It describes how the staff address equal opportunity legislation. However, it is insufficiently clear about what rights young people have.

p.8

Good

Since the last inspection, three staff have left. One left because he was unwilling to complete the relevant qualification in the required timescale. Other staff are either qualified or on track to qualify within the statutory timescale. The manager covered these vacancies by using agency staff and now has a full complement of permanent staff. This has kept the impact of the resignations to a minimum.

p.8

Good

Staff at all levels receive good support. They receive regular supervision and are competent in their roles. New staff have additional meetings with the manager while they are gaining the necessary experience in their probationary periods. A small number of staff are related to other people in the company. This potential conflict of interest is acknowledged and addressed in the procedures. This means that staff know that the company deals with them in a fair way.

p.8

Good

The home benefits from a range of monitoring processes. These confirm that the service is operating well in most areas. The manager and staff address any obstacles to young people’s progress promptly, particularly if young people require the support of other agencies. Every month, staff ask young people to complete a satisfaction survey. This is an important part of their involvement in the running of the home. However, the older young people find this something of a formality and the format is not age-appropriate. The manager is therefore considering alternatives. The manager checks vital indicators on a monthly basis and sends a report to Ofsted every six months, as required. However, this does not improve the service as much as possible because there is no action plan and the impact of young people’s views is not stated.

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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 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 that 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 0300 123 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

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

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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