Children's Home, Residential special school run by Sheffield City Council in Sheffield

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.

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The children’s home provision is outstanding because:

 Young people make exceptional and sustained progress. They gain skills in self-care, independence, communication through sign language and significantly improved social skills and behaviour that allow them to access new social activities .  Young people have very strong attachments and trusting relationships with the staff who care for them.  Young people are kept safe. The continuous evaluation of their safety is embedded in staff practice and safeguarding systems.  Young people are cared for by a very experienced and well-trained staff team that puts children’s care at the forefront of all that they do.  Staff provide consistent, specifically tailored and carefully planned care that ensures that young people achieve their individual goals and make continued progress.  Young people experience an array of new and varied social opportunities, activities and events that bring enjoyment and increased awareness of their

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The children’s home provision is outstanding because:

community and the world around them.  Excellent collaborative working with parents and health, education and other professionals provides young people with the very best care and support that allow them to succeed.  Robust monitoring and oversight by the management team ensures that high standards of care are maintained and that the quality of care provided continues to improve.

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendations:

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Recommendations

 Where the placing authority or another relevant person does not provide the input and services needed to meet a child’s needs during their time in the home or in the preparation for leaving the home, the home must challenge them to meet the child’s needs. (Regulation 5(c), ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 12, paragraph 2.8) In particular, the home should escalate concerns further to make sure that all young people have a detailed transition plan that is developed in a timely manner and that will fully meet their needs.  For children’s homes to be a nurturing and supportive environment that meet the needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards, page 15, paragraph 3.9) In particular, the registered person should ensure that the areas of the home

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Recommendations

that are showing signs of wear and tear are refurbished, including the shower room, and that internet and wi-fi facilities are routinely available.

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Information about this children’s home

This home is part of a residential special school. It is registered to provide care, accommodation and education for children who have autism and/or complex learning difficulties. Accommodation is split between two areas: one offering residential provision for 52 weeks of the year, the other operating as a short break provision.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 23/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 09/03/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness 09/07/2014 Full Outstanding 05/02/2014 Interim Good progress

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Outstanding

Each young person receives bespoke care and support, which are tailored to meet their specific complex needs and allow them to thrive and achieve significant personal growth. One parent said: ‘I can’t believe the change in my son. His behaviour has improved; he is more independent and loves to visit the home, enjoying all the activities and meeting up with his friends.’ Young people flourish because staff provide them with consistent, nurturing and high-quality support. This leads to young people acquiring new practical skills that, for some, may be basic, but which nevertheless represent significant progress and development. These include being able to prepare snacks, to make their own bed and to use public transport independently. Young people build really strong and trusting relationships with staff. A young person said: ‘I get on with all staff. This is a good place to live. There is always someone to talk to.’ As a result of these positive relationships, young people listen

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Outstanding

to and respect staff and accept their guidance and support. All young people make good educational progress, supported by good communication and partnership working between staff. Young people also gain huge benefit from the presence of the specialist on-site health team that provides support for their learning disabilities, emotional and mental health needs and general well-being. In addition, the child and adolescent mental health team works directly with young people and/or through the staff team to ensure that young people’s psychological health needs are met. As a result, young people’s anxiety levels have significantly reduced, helping them to cope better with daily life. Staff frequently seek the views and opinions of young people, for example, about the activities that they wish to participate in, menus and family contact. Young people know how to make a complaint if they need to. Parents said that staff keep

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Outstanding

them fully up to date about their children’s care, and that their children are supported to keep in touch with them through phone calls, visits and overnight stays. Young people live in a warm, welcoming environment. The home is well furnished and decorated, with comfortable lounges, personalised bedrooms and a domestic- style kitchen and dining rooms. In addition, young people enjoy an array of facilities and access to leisure activities in the school and garden. However, the decoration in some areas is showing signs of wear and tear. This includes the shower room. Young people said that they have not been able to access the internet and wi-fi services. This limits their ability to enjoy the use of social media via computers, laptops and mobile phones.

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Outstanding

Young people are appropriately supervised and protected. As a result, there are no missing-from-home or child protection incidents. A young person said: ‘I feel safe living here; staff look after us all.’ Any safeguarding concerns that emerge are quickly responded to by a staff team that is fully conversant with safeguarding procedures. Young people greatly benefit from being cared for by staff who have an extensive knowledge of the known risks and vulnerabilities for each young person. Frequent reviews of each young person’s risk assessments ensure that staff have up-to-date and clear guidance and strategies for keeping young people safe. Young people profit from the expertise and support of the on-site child and adolescent mental health team and the experienced staff team. With clear boundaries, routines and specific strategies, young people are able to manage their anxieties extremely well. This in turn has a positive impact on their behaviour, enabling them to participate

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Outstanding

more actively in all aspects of daily life and extending their experiences of the world around them. In addition, improvements in behaviour are reducing the need for physical intervention.

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leaders and managers

The new manager holds a Bachelor of Science degree in disability studies and a level 5 diploma in leadership and management. He has a wealth of experience working in disability services, including working with children and young people. He is about to apply to register with Ofsted. The manager has a keen understanding of the home’s strengths and weaknesses. He has high aspirations for young people and a clear focus on improving the quality of care provided by the home, and outcomes for young people. The management team sets extremely high standards and leads by example. The team’s philosophy is that only the very best is good enough for the young people in their care. Staff fully embrace this ethos, supported in their work by a wealth of training opportunities and support. The staff team has an abundance of experience and a wide repertoire of skills. Already well qualified, some staff members have additional skills in play therapy. Staff maintain their skills and knowledge through a

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leaders and managers

range of excellent training opportunities in subjects such as autism, sexual health, mental health, advanced sign language and advanced safeguarding. Staffing levels are high. This ensures the close supervision, support and care of young people. Staff speak highly of the supportive team in which they work. This is enhanced further through frequent staff meetings, shift handovers, debriefs and regular formal supervision. A staff member said: ‘I’m proud of what we achieve and do. We are an experienced team. We keep young people safe, make sure they enjoy life, promote their independence and help them gain new skills.’ Professionals and parents reported that they have excellent working relationships with staff. A parent said: ‘Staff keep me well informed about my daughter’s care. Staff are brilliant. I could not have wished for her to be cared for any better.’ Staff are proactive in seeking advice to support young people if needed. They

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leaders and managers

communicate frequently with all relevant parties to support young people’s continuity of care, good health, education and safety. An educational professional said: ‘We have a really great working relationship with staff at the home; we are in constant touch, to ensure the transition from the home to school is smooth and consistent for young people, to support their learning.’ The management team has an array of auditing and monitoring systems to maintain high standards and further improve the quality of care for young people. These systems are effective and recently enabled the manager to identify a shortfall in a young person’s transition plan. The management team has challenged the placing authority to address this matter. However, the local authority has still not responded to this request. In order for the young person’s transition to adult services to be effective, this issue should be further escalated.

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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 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 the ‘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 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 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 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 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, work based 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

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Information about this inspection

T: 0300 123 1231 Text phone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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