Children's home run by The National Autistic Society

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

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

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children flourish within an individually tailored service, which has improved in effectiveness. Staff excel in their ability to track the progress and enhance the outcomes for each child. Children have improved their concentration, communication, independence and social skills. Children have better emotional well- being, they are calmer and more comfortable in their surroundings. They are more focused, confident and have increased self-esteem. Children benefit from committed staff, who have an increased morale. The service is positively evolving and there is an earnest desire to provide outstanding care.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children continue to make progress in all areas of their lives. The sound application of the quality standards promotes their welfare, which results in child-focused, aspirational and personalised care. A staff member states: ‘We all have a passion to make a difference.’ Children learn valuable life skills. They undertake personal and household tasks, access their community, budget and shop. They also have the opportunity to work on their personal goals, an example being event planning.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children all have meaningful, personalised targets which focus on their needs and interests. There is strong promotion of their independence skills, choices and engagement their local community. Outcomes are clearly detailed and a colour coded system provides a visual measurement of their progress. A vocational accredited qualification system enables recognition of children’s achievements.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children are leading active social lives both within and outside of the home. They enjoy celebrating seasonal events and birthdays. They express their creativity by engaging in arts and crafts. They continue to enjoy going out for meals, shopping, bowling, swimming and to the park.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff receive on-going training which equips them for their role. A staff member describes feeling ‘empowered’ through the range of training opportunities. Staff benefit from specific training, which focuses on the organisation’s framework for understanding and responding to the needs of children on the autism spectrum. The implementation of these practices positively emphasises ways to change the environment and approaches to meet the specific needs of each child. The service is also introducing a new approach to improve communication, emotional expression, coping with stress and building relationships. The ultimate aim is to enhance the overall experiences of children.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Leaders and managers have addressed the majority of the requirements from the last inspection. Children receive better support regarding their behaviour. They are learning to develop social awareness. The recruitment of additional staff ensures that children have greater access to activities. Staff vocational training is in progress. The updated disciplinary procedure reminds staff of their duty to report incidents or suspected incidents of abuse, whether past or present. The statement of purpose now includes the staff structure. The fire safety record is now available and the registered manager has completed a quality of care review. An outstanding issue relates to the restraint record. This does not consistently detail whether debriefings have been undertaken with children. This requirement is repeated.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The service has successfully implemented the good practice recommendations from the previous inspection. Staff help children to understand the consequences of their actions. They reinforce, praise and encourage children’s positive behaviour and challenge negative behaviour. Staff continually and actively assess risk, appropriately updating risk assessments. Leaders and managers support staff more effectively. The workforce development plan clearly outlines the aims and objectives regarding staff training and supervision. Staff receive adequate restraint training and a record is kept of their individual supervision meetings.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Support to staff includes a structured induction for new staff. On-going guidance is provided through team meetings and individual supervision. Staff benefit from general and reflective supervision. The latter enables them to discuss their feelings and personal impact in greater depth. The workforce development plan highlights that staff should have supervision every month, although this does not currently happen for all staff. Staff have access to a wide range of on-line training, although time to undertake this training is limited.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Although there is an admission and discharge procedure, there was no evidence of its use. Records did not highlight the sensitive manner in which children are welcomed and introduced to life at the home. Records also did not detail their planned transition from the service. Leaders and managers confirm that children have planned moves into and out of the home. They acknowledge their failure to evidence this work, and that this does not accurately reflect children’s experiences.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children benefit from strong safeguarding practices in the service. Staff have built good working relationships with the local police and the host authority safeguarding personnel. They are able to access relevant training and guidance provided by the local safeguarding children board. Recruitment practices are sound, which helps to ensure that unsuitable persons do not work with children. New staff have a range of skills, which are life enhancing for children. For example, one member of staff is a mini-bus driver. Staff successfully work in partnership with parents. There is an overall aim to support the family and child. Parents receive support and guidance through activities such as coffee mornings and training events. They visit their children within the home, which helps them to maintain a positive relationship with their child. Staff encourage parents to assist with care tasks, where appropriate. A good

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

example of this is a parent reading her child a bedtime story and assisting in their night time routine. Staff actively assist with supervised contact, which additionally promotes a positive family relationship.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children learn socially acceptable behaviour. Children are generally settled and they have improved moods. Challenging incidents are monitored by the psychology team, which includes a behavioural expert. This provides responsive, effective action, which ensures that children receive the identified assistance. Staff additionally liaise with relevant professionals and mental health services.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The security of the premises has been improved. Issues regarding a gate at the back of the home have been resolved. This will ensure that children are unable to leave the home without authorisation. Staff are making efforts to make the premises more homely. Children’s artwork and photographs of them assist in providing a welcoming atmosphere. This also gives children a sense of belonging. There is an acknowledgement of the need to make the home less institutional, while maintaining a calm and ordered environment. This is in progress. Soft furnishings have been purchased and there are refurbishment plans for the summer.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children ultimately benefit from the extensive oversight, monitoring and support by senior leaders. Good quality assurance arrangements provide a comprehensive evaluation of the quality of care. Senior leaders provide clear organisational direction. Leaders and managers take complaints from children and parents very seriously. This results in effective action to resolve issues. Staff also learn from complaints, which improves the service provision.

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Information about this children's home

This is a large children’s home run by a national charity. It provides care and accommodation for children and young people who have a primary diagnosis of autism. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for no more than 17 young people. Of these young people, up to nine can be cared for under short-break arrangements.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 10/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 13/10/2015 Full (first inspection) Requires improvement

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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 with the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

35: Behaviour management policies and records

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that within 48 hours of the use of a restraint the registered person or a person authorised by them has spoken to the staff member about the measure and within five days that they have spoken to the child. (Regulation 35 (3) (b) (i) and (c)) 31/03/17

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendations:  Ensure that staff can access appropriate facilities and resources to support their training needs. This relates particularly to the time for the completion of on-line training. (‘Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.11)

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Recommendations

 Ensure that the timescales for monthly supervision are observed. (‘Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards, page 53, paragraph 10.8)

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Recommendations

 Ensure that there are procedures in place for welcoming and introducing each child, this particularly relates to recording visits. (Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards, page 57, paragraph 11.7)

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Recommendations

 Ensure that the registered person works with the placing authority to ensure that each child's transition is planned and prepares each child for leaving both practically and emotionally. This particularly relates to recording the action taken. (Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards, page 57, paragraph 11.9)

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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

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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