Children's Home run by Care Focus Limited in Essex

Outstanding

The children's home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed 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.

p.2

The children's home provision is outstanding because:

 The children make significant progress from their starting points. They flourish and their self-confidence increases.  The children benefit from the consistency and routine of the daily structure that the staff provide.  Those children with a history of displaying risky behaviours that include going missing from other settings reduce these behaviours significantly.  The senior leaders work closely with the registered manager and the staff team to review plans and to ensure that the service delivers individualised care that is making a difference.  The care plans are clear. They document individual achievements and progression.  Assessments of risk are concise. They are reviewed and identify the action required to reduce the likelihood of future harm or incident.  Physical intervention is used only when children’s behaviour is causing or is likely to cause significant harm.  Competent staff provide creative one-to-one care. As a result, the staff know

p.3

The children's home provision is outstanding because:

the children well.  The children benefit from the routine of regular mealtimes and a nutritious diet.  Regular physical activity is actively encouraged. All the children receive help to find what they are good at and enjoy doing.  Those children who have a history of avoiding education, attend school and take part in lessons.  The ambience in the home is warm, welcoming and nurturing.  The registered manager is proactive, creative, approachable and visible.

p.3

Information about this children's home

This privately run home is registered to provide care for up to four female children who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

p.4

Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 16/08/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 02/02/2016 Full Outstanding 11/08/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness 06/11/2014 Full Good

p.4

Outstanding

The children in this home flourish. They make noticeable and positive progress from their respective starting points. The majority of the children take comfort from the consistency of the routine and structure. The children settle into the rhythm of the home and begin to change. Their appearance and self-presentation significantly improve. One child said, ‘I have learned some things about myself while I have been here.’

p.5

Outstanding

Structured and detailed individualised planning starts at the point of referral. The senior staff work closely with the registered manager to ensure that the children who are being considered for the home are as good a match with the existing children as possible. Where practicable, the children and their existing network of support are encouraged to visit the home and to look round prior to admission. The information in the children’s guide and the arrival pack in bedrooms helps new children to feel welcome. It helps the children begin to understand that the adults will be helping them to develop their unique skills and self-confidence.

p.5

Outstanding

The staff and the children have good relationships. The staff work creatively to get alongside each child and to involve the children in identifying their individualised and personal goals. There are waking night staff and day, evening and weekend care and the support to the children is one-to-one. This means that the staff spend a lot of time with the children. This includes encouraging them to have fun and be active. For example, together the children and the staff play games, go for walks and improve skills such as cycling.

p.5

Outstanding

Planned key work sessions provide each child with space and time to think. This gives the children time to develop a greater understanding of the issues relevant to their circumstances including internet safety, safe relationships, exploitation and the impact of using drugs and alcohol. This work, which the children are encouraged to take ownership of, helps them to learn at their own pace about matters that have previously had a direct impact on their well-being.

p.5

Outstanding

The children and the staff meet regularly to talk about the home. The children are encouraged to take an active part in the running and organisation of the house. They share tasks alongside the staff, for example, food shopping, meal preparation, laundry and daily household chores. This helps the children to take responsibility for their personal affairs, and it encourages them to practice daily life skills. This structured and inclusive approach is likely to help them when they move forward to independence. The staff and children share meals together. During the week there is a breakfast club. Across each mealtime, the children are invited to eat from a range of food groups. This helps to provide them with the right nutrients and promotes a healthy diet. In addition, this gives the children the energy to take an active part in what is happening in the house.

p.5

Outstanding

Family and home contact is actively supported to reflect care planning. The manager and the staff are prepared to go above and beyond to help children to see their families and those who are important to them. They are sensitive to the specific needs of the children placed far from home and are willing to do all that they can to contribute to helping children have good experiences with their family. One social worker said, ‘The home is flexible and very supportive with contact arrangements.’

p.6

Outstanding

All of the children are offered the opportunity to become involved with the local community. This supports their inclusion in wider society. Each child receives support to identify what they are good at or hobbies that they would like to pursue. For example, of the current children, one has horse riding lessons, another attends gymnastics and another attends a local youth club. The home frequently supports charitable organisations and encourages the children to become involved in raising money through, for example, baking. This helps the children to develop an understanding and awareness of some of the issues affecting wider society.

p.6

Outstanding

Education is provided in the home. An internal room is the classroom in term time and is an additional communal area during the school holidays. Each child follows a 25 hour a week curriculum and has the opportunity to take GCSEs. The teaching staff come into the home every day and work hand in glove with the residential staff who provide each child with direct learning support during school hours. A homework club runs after school, which the residential staff also support. This provides a continuity approach to each child’s learning. The children referred to this home have often been out of education for some time or have had difficulties engaging with education. The arrangements in place mean that each child has a good and supportive opportunity to re-engage with learning. When children have periods of reluctance and for example choose to remain in their bedrooms or stay in bed, the staff persevere and help the child to turn things around. The result for

p.6

Outstanding

all children is that they engage in education. One placing social worker said, ‘Our child is making good progress in education in ways that we did not expect.’

p.6

Outstanding

The staff are quick to ensure that the children have their physical and emotional health needs met. Registered with local general health services, the children are also actively encouraged to take part in art or talking therapy. The staff are sensitive to each individual child’s views about receiving therapeutic help, so go at their pace to provide as much opportunity for the child to want to take part. The result is that reluctant children begin in a safe environment to talk about what is difficult and to process complex emotions. The home has a pleasant and welcoming ambience and offers ample space for communal living. Photographs of previous and current residents help to create a bright and friendly environment. More than one member of staff said, ‘I love my job.’

p.6

Outstanding

The children receive much encouragement to decorate and adorn their bedrooms to reflect their personal taste and individual personality. If the children need new or replacement items, the registered manager ensures that they have what they need or that there is a plan to work towards achieving what they would like to have. This helps the children to feel valued and helps them to raise their expectations of themselves.

p.7

Outstanding

The children in this home feel safe. The staff shifts are effectively structured and organised to make sure that each member of staff is clear about which child they should be supporting and, where necessary, supervising. As a result, the staff know where the children are and what they are doing across the day and evening.

p.7

Outstanding

The staff take practical and pragmatic steps to ensure that when tensions arise between the children they intervene quickly to de-escalate the signs of conflict. This reduces the likelihood of children feeling bullied and helps to maintain a positive atmosphere in the home.

p.7

Outstanding

The children referred to this home are frequently considered by their placing authorities to be at significant risk of coming to harm and/or being subject to exploitation from the wider community. The written risk assessments clearly reflect the individualised levels of risk for each child. The staff working with the children are very clear about the action to take in the event of a child placing themselves or another individual at risk. One placing social worker said, ‘Our child is a significant flight risk. Since she has been living in this home she has not absconded once even when she has had opportunity.’ The result is that there are rare, short-lived occasions when children go missing from this home. In the unlikely event of a child leaving the home or the staff when they are out together in the community, there are robust and effective procedures to follow. This means that even the most junior

p.7

Outstanding

of staff feel confident about the action to take. One member of staff said, ‘As a team leader it is my responsibility to make sure that on every shift in the unlikely event of one of the children leaving, the staff know exactly what to do and who to contact.’ This approach ensures that the children are safeguarded from external influences.

p.7

Outstanding

The competent staff take a creative and proactive approach to managing challenging behaviours. The end of each shift is arranged to provide time for the staff to review each child’s progress and to award points, for example, for behaviour and attitude. The staff use praise and a range of rewards to show the children that they can see their efforts to make good decisions. This helps the staff to maintain a dynamic overview of each child’s progress and enables them to actively recognise when children are achieving. The staff complete informative monthly reports, which provide a well-defined overview of progress and the areas for an individual child to continue to work on. This approach allows each child to understand their own areas for development.

p.7

Outstanding

One member of staff said, ‘I try and role model what an ideal parent would be doing. So, I am supporting, teaching and coaching. I am also talking to the children about self-reflection and teaching how best to handle stressful situations.’ The staff use strategies such as distraction and humour to defuse potentially difficult or volatile situations. The records show that there have been occasions when the children are hitting out at staff and shouting. However, these incidents are reducing. When a child’s behaviour is placing themselves or other people at risk of harm, the staff are trained to physically intervene. Each incident is appropriately documented to demonstrate the strategies that the staff use to attempt to de- escalate before intervening. This transparent approach to practice helps to ensure that the staff reflect on their own behaviours following an incident and that physical intervention is only used as a last resort.

p.8

Good

The registered manager has been leading this home effectively since it opened. She has completed the required level 5 qualification. The manager is proactive and quick to intervene and address issues with the children and the staff as they arise. The manager said, ‘This is a small home and that means I know what is going on and can take action immediately when needed.’ She encourages the children to have their say about the running of the home and to approach her with anything that is on their mind, which more than one child competently demonstrated during this inspection.

p.8

Good

There have been no complaints or staffing issues that have required the attention of the locality designated officer.

p.8

Good

When differences in opinion arise with placing authorities in relation to care planning the senior leaders are keen to discuss issues and to find resolutions. If a child begins to show that they are struggling with living in the home and for example, has begun to regress in behaviour, the leaders and the managers take the initiative to discuss how effectively the placement is continuing to meet the child’s needs. The managers and leaders work in partnership with agencies and the children’s families to consider the most appropriate next steps. This may include making the offer of alternative services from within the organisation. This pragmatic and practical approach to managing complex situations reduces exclusion and helps the children to experience some continuity in care planning.

p.8

Good

The single recommendation from the last inspection is fully met. The records in relation to physical intervention are comprehensive and demonstrate the actions taken by staff if using physical intervention to keep the children safe.

p.9

Good

The senior leaders look for new and creative ways to improve practice. The registered manager works closely with the staff and senior leaders to embed robust placement planning processes. The leaders and managers expect and encourage the children to have an active involvement with their care plan. This approach helps to ensure that all of the staff share an efficient understanding of each child’s background and the reasons for the placement. The manager and leaders equip the staff with the necessary skills to work collaboratively with other agencies and placing authorities to ensure that the children’s progress remains central to decision making and results in tangible progress. One social worker said, ‘Communication is always excellent.’

p.9

Good

A number of new staff members have joined the team and are completing or have completed a thorough induction. The staff receive regular supervision and appraisals take place annually and in line with regulation. These combined processes help to provide the staff with some of the skills that they need to care for and keep the children safe from further harm. The eligible staff have achieved the level 3 diploma for residential childcare. Those who are newer to social care have been enrolled to complete the qualification. This ensures that all of the staff will have the necessary qualifications to care for vulnerable children.

p.9

Good

Senior leaders use information from current research to develop the training programme. This helps the staff who are new to social care to develop some understanding around the impact of trauma on brain development. Led by senior managers, newly introduced staff group supervision complements the training programme. This means that staff can reflect on their practice and interactions with the children.

p.9

Good

Routine external monitoring helps the registered manager to identify and take action when any shortfalls in practice occur. The registered manager is driven to provide children with new positive experiences. She uses learning from stakeholder feedback to make changes to the home and to drive the service forward.

p.9

Good

The home’s statement of purpose accurately reflects the experiences that the children in this home have. One member of staff said, ‘It takes a village to raise a child.’ And another said, ‘If I can go home after a shift and have done something right for one of the children, then that makes me happy.’

p.9

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’.

p.10

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

p.10

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.

p.10

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

p.11

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 .

p.11

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,

p.12

Information about this inspection

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.12

Information about this inspection

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.12

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

p.12