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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:

 Leaders, managers and staff succeed in offering young people a nurturing environment where they feel valued and are encouraged to make progress. Achievements are celebrated and built on. Staff discuss any incidents with young people and support them to learn from any difficulties and challenges.  The staff have high aspirations for young people. They act as ‘pushy parents’ and encourage young people to be the best that they can be in all areas of their lives. Young people who previously refused to engage in education are making progress from their starting points. Other young people are succeeding in maintaining employment through an apprenticeship.  Managers and staff robustly implement the home’s safeguarding policies and procedures to help young people to be safe. The use of physical intervention is rare in the home. Young people are rarely missing. For some young people, this is notable progress, as prior to being admitted to the home they

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The children’s home provision is good because:

were regularly missing from home. The behaviour of young people in the home is well managed, even though they have complex care needs. The young people report that any rules and boundaries put in place by the staff in the home are fair and consistent.  The young people have very positive, warm and nurturing relationships with the staff. The young people trust the staff to keep them safe and to help them to succeed.  The manager and staff listen to the young people and act on any concerns or complaints. The young people are fully involved in the day-to-day running of the home. For example, the young people are encouraged to ask questions during the interview process for prospective new staff.  Placing social workers speak positively about the high quality of care provided at the home and about how their young person has made progress since coming to the home. One social worker said, ‘I think this home is

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The children’s home provision is good because:

absolutely brilliant. The staff are on the ball and they fight my young person’s corner all the time. She has made so much progress. The staff are so proactive.’  The manager and staff ensure that the house is well decorated and maintained. The office space is prominent in the home and detracts from the otherwise homely appearance. Records are sometimes difficult to locate, due to the unnecessarily large number of files kept in the office.

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Information about this children’s home

This home is operated by a large national provider. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 23/02/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 21/09/2015 Full Requires improvement 25/02/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness 16/05/2014 Full Good 16/10/2013 Interim Satisfactory progress

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Good

The staff and manager have high aspirations for the young people whom they care for. The young people benefit from the nurturing, trusting and respectful relationships that they build with the staff. The young people have good access to the services that they need to support their physical, emotional and psychological healthcare needs. The young people make progress from their starting points in all areas of their lives. A particular strength of the home is the educational progress made by the young people. All have achieved excellent attendance at school, college or work. Young people who previously refused to attend education are now engaged and making progress. The staff celebrate achievement, no matter how small. If a young person has a setback and loses their educational placement, staff immediately look to the future and secure an alternative placement. The culture of the home is that young people are expected to attend school and to be busy during the day, and

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Good

the young people respond positively to this. A placing social worker said, ‘My young person is in a good routine. She is stable and is going to school where she didn’t go before. She was often missing and at risk of child sexual exploitation. The staff have done a really good job.’ The young people are learning independent living skills and gaining an understanding of the need to take responsibility for their own learning, welfare and actions. For example, young people who were reluctant to engage in any activities and were frequently missing from home are now employed and succeeding in their chosen employment. The stability of the staff team is a strength of this home. The high standard of individualised care is effectively implemented by the well-led, resilient and committed staff team. Transitions into and out of the home are sensitively managed and well planned. Staff maintain relationships with young people who

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Good

have left the home. If, despite every effort being made, it is decided that the home is unable to meet a young person’s care needs and that such needs could be better met elsewhere, the transition for the young person out of the home is carefully planned and managed, fully involving the young person concerned. The young people are fully involved in all decisions affecting them, and their views and opinions are valued and acted on. The staff succeed in supporting the young people to maintain or repair relationships with their families, who are encouraged, along with friends, to visit the young people at the home. One young person said, ‘I am now seeing my mum. The staff helped me with this.’ Staff ensure that the home offers young people a modern, bright, clean and well- maintained environment. Young people are encouraged to decorate their rooms and to personalise them with their belongings. Photographs of the young people

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Good

and staff are displayed throughout the home, giving them a sense of ownership. The young people help to care for a pet cat, that is very much part of the ‘family’. One young person said, ‘I love it here. The staff care about me.’

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Good

The manager and staff promote the safety and well-being of the young people through effective individualised care and behaviour management strategies that guide staff in how best to keep each young person safe. The young people spoken to during the inspection could identify a member of staff they would speak to if they felt unsafe or were worried about anything. The manager has well-established and strong links with the child and adolescent mental health service (CAMHS), the police, the child sexual exploitation team and other specialist services. This helps to safeguard the young people who, in the past, have engaged in extremely high-risk behaviour. This behaviour has greatly reduced since they were admitted to the home. The manager is extremely vigilant and proactive in following up any safeguarding concerns and ensuring that they are brought to a conclusion that ensures the safety and well-being of the young

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Good

people. The young people are being effectively supported by staff to understand what constitutes a safe and healthy relationship. As a result, incidents of the young people being missing are reduced. The young people’s safety is promoted through a robust e-safety and mobile phone policy. The staff are very vigilant when young people are using social media and carefully monitor mobile phone use, without restricting the young people’s ability to learn to use mobile phones safely and appropriately. Positive behaviour is promoted by the staff through the use of consistent and fair boundaries, which help the young people to feel safe and secure. The young people commented that they think that the staff really care about them. The staff demonstrate a good understanding of the vulnerabilities and complex needs of each young person. When a young person’s behaviour is assessed as being unsafe, robust safeguarding action is taken by the staff. Any restrictive strategies, such as

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Good

the use of door sensors, or removing sharp objects, are for the minimum time only and are necessary to ensure the safety of the young person and the staff. The staff effectively use a number of behaviour management strategies. One example of the creative thinking used by staff to help young people to learn positive behaviour is the use of appropriate humour and encouraging the young people to use Shakespearian words instead of offensive swear words. The staff help the young people to recognise the difference between good and poor choices. The staff talk through any incidents and help the young people to learn from these. Consequences are used effectively. Staff reward the young people through treats and praise when they have achieved a target or improved their behaviour. Negative consequences are used far less and only when it is deemed that they will be effective to help a young person learn from their negative

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Good

behaviour. The use of physical restraint in the home is very rare. If it is used, a thorough debrief takes place so that the staff and the young person involved in the incident are able to learn and the young person is enabled to make positive changes in their life. The manager and the staff demonstrate a good understanding of group dynamics and how best to manage situations in which the young people are not getting on well and some young people’s behaviour is negatively impacting on the other young people. The young people reported that the staff listen to their complaints and act if there are difficulties between them. The young people said that there are no incidents of bullying in the home and, if there were, they feel confident that the staff would deal with them effectively.

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Good

The manager demonstrates an excellent understanding of both the strengths and areas for improvement in the home. The home’s development plan is focused on how the home can further improve outcomes for children. The staff demonstrate and report that they are well trained, supervised and supported. The manager is well respected by the staff. They report that she provides strong, fair and robust leadership, is very supportive and has an open- door policy. Regular training is offered to staff by the company on a range of topics, including physical restraint, first aid and safeguarding. If additional training is required due to a specific need identified as a result of a young person’s care needs, this is promptly obtained to ensure that staff have the necessary knowledge and skills. An annual appraisal system ensures that the manager is sure that the staff team members are appropriately trained and working effectively to ensure

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Good

positive outcomes for the young people in their care. Staffing numbers are sufficient to meet the care needs of the young people. The home is staffed by team members, most of whom have worked together for some time. This means that the staff team is consistent and well known to the young people, who have developed trusting relationships with them. Morale among the staff team is good and it is evident that staff are motivated and determined to help the young people to achieve positive outcomes. The manager and staff robustly challenge partner agencies when responses are not positive or in the best interests of their young people. The young people’s progress is carefully monitored and documented, so it is easy for the young people to understand the progress that they have made since coming to the home. The staff and manager carefully document all required information in a variety of recording systems. Information stored in files in the office is excessive, which

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Good

makes easy location of key documents sometimes difficult. The manager intends to simplify recording systems in order to reduce the number of files and amount of information kept in the office.

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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 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, 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 ensure that their welfare is 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 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 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 whom 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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