Children's home run by White Orchid Marston Moretaine Limited in Dacorum

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged good 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 group of children living at the home remains largely unchanged. One child has moved to a specialist therapeutic home. The child’s move occurred in a planned way that included him making introductory visits to his new home. The manager shared her knowledge of the child with the staff in his new home. The child benefited from the continuity of approach when he moved on.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The children are well cared for and nurtured and they continue to make great progress. The children, some of whom have had numerous placement breakdowns, are developing trusting relationships. The staff build similarly positive relationships with the children’s parents and families. A parent said, ‘The staff are working with my son but they actually support me too. I can call them and they check I am ok. I have a bond with them.’ This enables the parents and the staff to work in partnership.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The staff facilitate contact between the children and their families both on and off site. This has led to the children, subject to care planning, having an increased level of family contact. This supports children to build and/or maintain their relationships with significant people in their lives.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

One child, who has recently transferred to a new school from a tuition provision, is experiencing a few difficulties. The staff have negotiated reverting to the slightly reduced timetable that he began with, to assist him to settle in. The other children are all attending school and maintain high levels of attendance. The staff work with the children’s schools to enable the children to receive the consistent support that they need at home and in school.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The children participate in a wide range of extra-curricular activities, such as rugby, Parkour, trampolining, swimming and football. The children have the opportunity to try a number of activities that they may not have previously experienced. It also encourages them to maintain a healthy level of physical activity.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The children are encouraged to personalise their bedrooms. One child happily showed off his superhero-themed bedroom and spoke about how the staff help him to settle at night. He said, ‘They [the staff] read me a story.’ He also demonstrated the waterproof colour changing bath light that the staff had purchased for him. He said, ‘See the different colours.’ This light has assisted the child to improve his level of personal care, as he wants to use his light in the bath. The manager is keen for staff to replicate this innovative approach in all aspects of their work with the children.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

During the inspection, friends of one of the children knocked for him and he asked for permission to invite them in to play. The children are proud of their home and they are happy to have their friends over for visits. This experience is often not available to children who live in residential homes.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

No children have been missing from home. The use of physical intervention in the home is minimal. The staff use de-escalation techniques, such as diversion and humour, to defuse situations. The staff complete a monthly progress report for each child. These reports detail positive and negative behaviour interventions and physical interventions in a bar chart. The reports also highlight the child’s achievements. The reports give a positive overview of the month and identify the progress the children have made towards their targets. The manager uses the information to track incidents and to identify trends and triggers.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The staff are committed and dedicated to the children and often go in to the home on their days off to accompany children to appointments and to attend planning/review meetings. A staff member said, ‘The staff are brilliant and when you do long shifts the staff are like family and friends.’

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager has addressed the recommendation made at the last inspection by working with the team of shift leaders to emphasise the importance of regular supervision. The staff now benefit from having supervision sessions that encourage them to reflect on their practice and discuss the objectives set in their personal development plans. The manager has a good grasp of the strengths and weaknesses of the service and she is introducing a number of developments to improve it further.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Parents say that their children are safe and cared for, which eases the fact that they [parent and child] cannot live together. The parents are complimentary about staff and the progress that their children have made. A parent said, ‘In the three years there has been a large amount of change. I have never seen [my child] as happy and as relaxed with anyone. It melts my heart.’

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Professionals were equally positive. They said:  ‘The staff are not just keeping [the child] safe. He is being emotionally held.’  ‘The staff are working well with [the child]. He is a young person who lived in a different country where children are cared for by family members, not in a setting like this, so it is significant that he is trusting adults there [in the home].’  ‘You would not believe he is the same little boy. He has moved on so much and can now have a conversation. He is interacting with children and adults and is engaging with his parent and family.’

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Information about this children’s home

The home is registered to provide care for up to six children who have additional needs. The children cared for are vulnerable and may have experienced trauma due to neglect, physical, emotional and/or sexual abuse. They may also be at risk of exploitation and may be experiencing mental health issues. The home provides a multi-professional approach to therapeutic care.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 05/10/2016 Full Good 24/03/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 16/06/2015 Full Good

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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 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

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

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Information about this inspection

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

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