Children's home run by Hertfordshire County Council in Dacorum

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged requires improvement at the full inspection. At this interim inspection Ofsted judges that it has improved in effectiveness .

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The service is part of a multi-agency approach that looks after children for a period of six to eight weeks. The service provides the children and their families with family work through individual and family therapy sessions. The children then return to their family home with continued support from the outreach team. The aim of the programme is to improve the family interactions to prevent the children from entering the care system on a long-term basis.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the last inspection there has been a change of manager. The new manager, who has previously worked at the home, is overseeing the service’s transition and is assisting staff with recognising their importance in the programme. A staff member said, ‘Having this manager has made a huge difference. She has brought a different dynamic. We [the staff] feel listened to and understood.’ There is clear evidence of the progress that the new manager and the staff are making in establishing the new service.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager has fully addressed the five requirements and two recommendations made at the last inspection.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager has ensured that staff have received updated training in safeguarding, and training in managing child sexual exploitation, so that they are working with current knowledge. The children’s risk assessments are detailed and individualised. The manager reviews any updates to the risk assessments and discusses them in the team meetings. This ensures that staff are aware of the current risks and are more able to identify if a child is at risk of harm. The updated training and discussions cover the need to notify Ofsted of any allegations in a timely way. These discussions give the staff a greater understanding of the importance of their work and the need for clear, detailed case records, and records of the sessions held with the children. These actions increase the level of staff awareness and confidence and help to further safeguard children.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

There have been revisions to several aspects of the recording system. The children’s records tell the children’s ‘story’ in a cohesive way. This makes it easier to track the children’s progress throughout the duration of their stay. Children move into the home in a safe and considered way. The manager achieves this by completing compatibility assessments that consider the views of the staff and of children already living in the home. This ensures that new placements are suitable and it helps the staff and the children to feel included in the decision- making.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The children who have ceased using the service have done so in a planned way. The children engage positively in the new service and achieve the goal of the placement by returning home. On the rare occasion that it becomes apparent that this is not in the child’s best interest, the multi-agency approach facilitates revised planning.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The support plan format is comprehensive and gives a good level of detail about the child, their needs and any areas of risk. The staff are knowledgeable about the children’s needs and their placement goals. The staff oversight of family contact visits and the staff’s direct work with the children, combined with the weekly network meetings, enable the identification and implementation of joint strategies. This helps the children to meet their individual targets.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The interactions between the children and the staff are warm, caring and nurturing. The children said that if they are worried about anything, they feel able to approach any of the staff, not just their allocated workers. When asked if they felt safe, one child said, ‘Maybe too safe.’ They said that the staff should ‘trust us more’. However, they said that they recognise the benefit of the boundaries that the staff put in place. It is evident that some of their requests, such as going out to the shops together unaccompanied by staff, are not initially agreed due to the children’s risk assessments. These decisions change as the staff become more familiar with the children as individuals and as a group. This enables children to develop their understanding and recognition of risks and how to minimise them.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

One child is attending school. One child is having home tuition while having a gradual reintegration into school, and a school placement is being sought for another.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

An education professional said, ‘The staff are very good at communicating. They involve me in network and planning meetings and arrange for me to meet new children on a one-to-one basis on day one, so that we can have something in place by day two.’ The staff support the children to continue/re-engage with education and are successfully using the multi-agency network model to assist this.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The children participate in a wide range of activities. These range in cost and frequency as the manager is clear that, as the placements are short term, they do not wish to set expectation levels that the children’s families are unable to maintain.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The use of physical restraint is minimal because the staff successfully use alternative strategies, such as humour, to defuse situations. The children rarely go missing from home. The one occasion recorded related to a child going missing when staying at their family home. The staff actively searched for the child. This demonstrates their commitment to the well-being of the children.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Following incidents, the manager encourages both the staff and the children to be reflective, and she uses incidents and events as learning opportunities. The manager is aware of the strengths and weaknesses of the home and is continually reviewing processes and paperwork as the change of the service becomes embedded.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Professionals are positive about the work of the home. One said, ‘I am very impressed with the way they engage with children and families and build positive working relationships in a short period of time.’ Professionals said that the team is responsive and able to assist families and other professionals with strategies that work for the children in the home. A social worker said, ‘The staff are able to offer personalised ideas and thoughts.’

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Parents are positive about the staff and the programme of family work. One parent said, ‘They are brilliant. Because of them [the staff] I am a better person and so is my child. They made me see the light at the end of the tunnel. I cannot fault them.’

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Information about this children's home

This local authority home provides short-term placements for the assessment of children’s needs. It accommodates up to three children who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 11/05/2016 Full Requires improvement 01/02/2016 Interim Declined in effectiveness 07/07/2015 Full Good 10/03/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness

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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 who 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 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

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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