West End House & The Bungalow

Inspector Jennifer Reed

Inspection date 16/01/2017 Previous inspection judgement Outstanding Enforcement action since last inspection None

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged outstanding at the last full inspection. At this interim inspection Ofsted judges that it has sustained effectiveness .

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The staff team values and respects the young people that they look after. The young people continue to receive a high standard of nurturing and individual care which supports them in making significant progress in their personal development, health and education.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The young people are kept safe. Staff are attentive in meeting young people’s individual emotional, mental and physical needs. Staff rigorously raise any concerns they may have about the safety and welfare of individual young people. Staff robustly challenge other professionals and involve senior managers to ensure that the young people receive the support and help that they may need from specialist services to keep them safe and well.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff understand the importance of protecting young people from harm and teaching individuals how to keep themselves safe and well. Staff know how to share safeguarding concerns appropriately with other professionals. This facilitates robust corporate decision-making within the local authority, increasing the protection of the young people. The registered manager and the responsible individual take necessary action to provide the staff team with the support that it may need to effectively care for the young people.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home’s staff team works closely and effectively with other services to provide excellent help and support for the young people. For example, the staff team works collaboratively with the child and mental health service, the virtual school, schools and colleges, the children looked after nursing team and the police. Their cooperation and the multi-agency working arrangements help them to increase their skills and knowledge base and support the young people more effectively.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff are becoming more accomplished in dealing with young people’s challenging and risk-taking behaviours. These behaviours are diminishing. Since the previous inspection, there has been one incident requiring the restraint of two young people who were assaulting each other. There has been one episode of a young person being missing from the home. Staff understand the vulnerabilities of each individual and rigorously implement their care plans to make sure young people thrive. Staff want the best for each young person. They support the young people to maintain and sustain their family relationships and friendships, and better manage relationship difficulties.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Relationships between the young people and staff are generally good. Sometimes the young people do not appreciate the clear expectations of behaviour and firm boundaries that exist within the home. However, they do feel listened to by the staff. The good support and secure base provided by the home helps the young people to feel safe enough to say what they think. They develop trust in adults and tell staff about their worries. The young people are able to say when they think their care is not good enough or what they want. Staff take account of their views and give reasoned explanations to young people about why particular decisions are made. Where appropriate, young people’s views and requests lead to changes in their care. Individuals are learning how to negotiate and make compromises as they grow into young adults.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff encourage and support individuals to have goals in their lives, aim high and take some control of their future decisions. The young people receive excellent support to help them to consider their educational options and future careers. Staff encourage young people to make use of advocates to help them make their views and opinions heard, and encourage their participation in decision-making meetings about their futures.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The recent development of the virtual school workers spending time in the home each week, assisting the young people with their homework or particular areas of study, is promising. It is likely to help the young people to make progress in their studies. It guides the staff team in supporting the young people’s educational needs.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Two young people moved out of the home last year into more independent living situations. Staff have kept in touch with them and provided any support they have needed to settle them into living elsewhere. Staff meet up with them for coffee, to celebrate their birthdays with a meal in town, and make regular telephone calls to check how they are doing. The good preparation the two young people received while living in this home has helped them to successfully grow into young adults who are managing their independence.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Currently the home has four staff vacancies and new staff are being recruited. The young people are involved in the interviews, asking candidates questions of their own choosing and sharing their views about the suitability of each prospective employee who may look after them. The young people are particularly interested in the candidates’ cooking abilities and the type of cars that they drive. Their involvement in this process helps the young people to have ownership of the home and increases their sense of belonging.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff receive regular and good quality supervision, to support them in looking after the young people well. The deputy manager is completing the national level 5 Diploma award and this will enhance the level of management qualification, experience and knowledge within the home.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Leaders and managers continue to show commitment to developing the home’s management practices and the standard of care provided to the young people. They have taken satisfactory measures to meet the two requirements and two recommendations made at the previous inspection. Action has been taken to guide the independent visitor to include more challenge within their monthly report, to lead to improvements in care practices. These reports are now being regularly sent to Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector for review. This provides external scrutiny and offers protection to the young people.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager has improved the quality of his six-monthly monitoring report of the home’s operation. The registered manager is taking steps to meet the requirement to improve the quality of the premises and standard of furnishings within the home. However, the completion of requisite procedures within the local authority has hampered the rate of progress and this is still work in progress.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Paperwork seen within the home recording the missing-from-home incident was found to be incomplete. No information was recorded to show if the young person had received a return-to-home interview by an independent person. It is not evidenced that this occurred. Furthermore, there is no information on the young person’s file to show if any information about their whereabouts while missing was gleaned from such an interview to inform any further missing occurrence. This shortfall reduces the protection of the young people.

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Information about this children's home

This is a local authority’s children’s home, which provides medium- to long-term placements for up to four children and young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The bungalow, which is adjacent to the main house, provides flexible accommodation for up to two young people, to support the development of their independent living skills as they grow into young adults.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 13/09/2016 Full Outstanding 16/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 22/09/2015 Full Outstanding 30/03/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness 12/01/2015 Full Good

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions which must be taken so that the registered person 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 must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (case records) for each child, which include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child. In particular, in relation to Schedule 3, point 14 – record the date of return-to-home interviews following incidents where a child goes missing, including any information relating to the child's whereabouts during the period of absence. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)) 28/02/2017

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What the inspection judgements mean

At the interim inspection we make a judgement on whether the home has improved in effectiveness, sustained effectiveness or declined in effectiveness since the previous full inspection. This is in line with the ‘Inspection of children's homes: framework for inspection’.

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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 whom it is trying to help, protect and look after. This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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Information about this inspection

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 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, workbased 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

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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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