Children's Home run by Future Focused Ltd in Wigan

Good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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The children’s home’s provision is good because:

 Young people make good progress in relation to their starting points across most aspects of their lives. This reflects the nurturing practice of the staff, who form positive relationships with young people.  Care plans are individualised to meet the needs of young people. Young people say that they are happy living at the home and know that the staff work hard to keep them safe. Young people’s views of their relationships with staff are positive and they value the support they receive.  Young people enjoy good health and benefit from the help of external agencies to promote their health and emotional well-being. The home is proactive in seeking educational provision. Staff work closely with other professionals to ensure that young people benefit from high quality and holistic support.  Staff are proactive in promoting young people’s welfare and safety. As a result of guidance provided, young people learn to reduce their risk-taking

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The children’s home’s provision is good because:

behaviours and make more positive choices. Young people are confident that staff will protect them from harm.  Robust action is taken to safeguard young people. Referrals are made to specialist teams when there are any concerns about potential exploitation of young people.  The registered manager leads the home and the staff team effectively. The team is resilient in the face of challenging circumstances. Staff are well supported and developed in their professional skills and experience. They reflect on positive outcomes, as well as shortfalls, and aspire to improve outcomes for young people.  The home communicates well with other professionals to ensure that young people’s needs are met, and challenge when they are not. Young people’s welfare and safety are firmly at the forefront of practice in the home.

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions which must be taken so that the registered person(s) 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(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

13: The leadership and management standard Leaders and managers must ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 13 (2)(e)) In particular, that they know how to support the impact of trauma and attachment difficulties. 15/03/2017

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Requirement Due date

16: Statement of purpose The registered person must compile in relation to the children’s home a statement (‘the statement of purpose’) which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1. (Regulation 16 (1)) This relates to details of the qualifications and professional supervision of the staff involved in providing any healthcare or therapy. (Schedule 1 (14)(a)) 15/03/2017

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Requirement Due date

11: The positive relationships standard Ensure that staff understand and communicate to children that bullying is unacceptable. (Regulation 11 (2)(a)(xii)) In particular, that they consistently record when incidents of bullying are addressed. 15/03/2017

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Requirement Due date

40: Notification of a serious event The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(b)) 15/03/2017

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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 are skilled to recognise the signs and provide support to children in danger of or involved in exploitative or damaging relationships with others. This relates specifically to training in awareness of criminal exploitation and in restorative justice. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 39, paragraph 8.10)  Provide a nurturing environment that is welcoming and supportive. Homes must also meet children’s basic day-to-day needs and physical necessities. Staff should seek to meet the child’s basic needs in a way that a good parent would, recognising that many children in residential care have experienced environments where these needs have not been consistently met – doing so is an important aspect of demonstrating that the staff care for the child and value

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Recommendations

them as an individual. Specifically that minor repairs, including the ceiling of the shower room, are promptly addressed. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.7)

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Information about this children’s home

The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to two children with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. It is privately owned and managed.

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Recent inspection history

This is the first inspection following registration.

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Good

Young people enjoy the opportunities and experiences provided by caring and committed staff. One young person stated: ‘It’s not like other homes, staff keep me busy’, and he enjoys the range of activities provided and positive relationships he has built with the team. During the inspection he took pleasure in describing the various family roles he allocated to individual members of staff. His social worker commented on the positive bonds he has formed with staff members and how the home uses these relationships effectively to ‘bring him out’. She is impressed at the home’s proactive and very child-oriented approach.

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Good

Young people benefit from well-planned personalised care that contributes to positive progress, taking into account their starting points, across most aspects of their lives. The home values the importance of education and has proactively sought provision for young people who have not previously engaged in any form of education for considerable periods of time. Staff liaise with educational providers regarding any impact on attendance. While attendance could improve further, the home ensures that young people engage in productive activities, such as trips to museums, on days when they do not attend school. Professionals from external agencies consistently praised the home for their persistence in promoting attendance and engagement in education. Staff encourage young people to aspire and develop goals for future employment opportunities.

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Good

Young people’s health and well-being are promoted within the home. This includes successfully supporting young people to attend appointments with dentists and sexual health services that they had previously declined. The home has engaged other health professionals to arrange the review of one young person’s medication, and has taken advice during the interim period to promote his well-being. Young people also access support from a suitably qualified and experienced clinical psychologist to help them understand and better manage their own emotions and behaviours. A requirement is made to ensure that the home clearly states, in its statement of purpose, that any specialist staff receive professional supervision.

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Good

Young people are encouraged to develop life skills to prepare them for independence as they get older. They are developing practical skills in shopping and cooking. Staff are positive role models that young people look to for support and guidance. Staff listen to and respond to their requests, for example about healthy foods and personalisation of bedroom decor. Through young people’s weekly meetings, they are able to contribute to improvements within the home. They know how to make a complaint and are able to access an advocate. Contact with family and friends is well supported. One family member, who has visited the home, described it as nice and said, ‘staff are lovely’. Although she is advised of significant incidents, updates of positive progress would be welcomed on a more regular basis. The home has links with local sports and youth organisations which offer mentoring and positive activity programmes. Referrals have been made

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Good

to support one young person to understand and develop more positive social relationships, which will reinforce the advice and guidance provided by staff. Staff are clear and consistent in advising young people of the consequences of negative peer relationships.

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Good

Despite there being careful assessment of young people’s needs, one young person has moved on from the home. The home had not been provided with essential information prior to his admission, leading to unforeseen challenges that had an impact on the staff’s ability to keep both him and the other young person safe. The home appropriately sought a review of the young person’s plan with the local authority, due to being unable to meet his complex needs. Staff took action to put in additional safeguarding measures to protect both young people while an alternative placement was identified. The well-being of both young people remained central to practice during this difficult period, and the manager and staff have reflected on this disrupted placement to inform future practice.

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Good

Young people live in a home where staff help them to feel safe and happy. Staff develop relationships with young people that promote their safety and encourages them to speak up about any concerns. As a consequence of their knowledge of young people, staff also recognise changes in presentation, which alerts them to young people’s emotional state. This prompts a proactive response to reassure young people of their safety.

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Good

Staff develop, and dynamically review, comprehensive risk assessments in response to changes in circumstances and in developing their understanding of young people and their behaviours. This allows the home to track the progress that young people make and to implement plans to reduce risks of harm. Although young people have gone missing from the home, the frequency and duration of these incidents have reduced. Young people note their own progress in comparison to previous placements. Staff follow statutory guidance, taking action to locate young people and reporting them as missing in accordance with plans developed with social workers. Some independent return home interviews were delayed as a result of contractual changes. However, the home ensured that these were completed. Staff are alert to the indicators of potential sexual and criminal exploitation, and make appropriate referrals to specialist teams for support. Further training in

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Good

understanding of criminal exploitation will enhance practice within the home. While young people have accessed and misused cannabis and alcohol on occasion, they have reduced misuse of other substances that pose a risk of further harm. Staff educate young people about the risks to their health and provide opportunities for young people to engage with agencies to help them.

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Good

While issues of bullying were addressed immediately, staff did not consistently record how this was challenged. However, records are clear that the victim was supported, and he reported during the inspection that he felt that staff kept him safe. Appropriate measures were put in place to keep young people apart to reduce further incidents. Staff have a clear understanding of young people’s triggers and behaviour. Through behaviour management plans, strategies are developed to minimise negative behaviours and to promote young people to take responsibility for their actions. The manager has taken advice from the independent visitor and clinical psychologist with regard to the use of consequences, and recognises that staff need further support in their understanding to ensure that these are consistent, appropriate and proportionate to the incident. Further training is to be implemented in restorative approaches to

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Good

aid conflict management. The use of restraint is low, but is used effectively to protect young people from harming themselves or others. Management oversight ensures that debrief interviews take place with young people and staff and that use of restraint is proportionate and necessary to prevent actual harm. Staff seek support appropriately from a clinical psychologist to manage the low number of self-harm incidents and seek additional training to enhance their understanding to keep young people safe.

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Good

Staff have a clear understanding of the potential risks of internet use. They monitor its use by young people and took clear and immediate action when this was identified as contributing to unsafe behaviours, such as advertising personal items for sale to obtain cannabis. The need for room searches is explained to young people, and any items considered to present a risk are disposed of appropriately. The manager is now clear that proportionate action needs to be taken, so that police do not need to attend to support room searches unnecessarily. There is good contact with police and support officers, and the manager has been proactive in arranging to meet with the local inspector to discuss any issues and develop the relationship to promote young people’s safety.

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Good

The home has also developed good relationships with other agencies, including placing authorities, to protect young people and to reduce any risks to their safety. There are robust recruitment processes in place to prevent unsuitable people from working with vulnerable individuals who live at the home. Staff have a clear understanding of procedures to follow in the event of any concerns about young people’s safety. They make sure that the home is safe and secure for young people, and educate the young people about the risks presented by their behaviour, for example if they smoke in the property. However, the home needs to ensure that minor repairs, including the bathroom decor, are addressed to maintain a homely atmosphere.

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Good

The home is led by a manager who was registered in August 2016. This is his first role as a registered manager, following considerable experience in children’s residential care. He is currently completing his level 5 management qualification and holds a degree in health and social care. He leads his newly formed team with enthusiasm, seeking continuous improvement in the quality of care provided to young people. He responds appropriately to recommendations provided by the scrutiny of the independent visitor’s monitoring visits and has competent systems in place to understand the development needs of the home. This enables him to have clear oversight of the progress made by young people and to address any shortfalls in practice.

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Good

The manager is learning from practice to deliver high quality care to young people. He has reflected on factors which contributed to a placement disruption and has responded with more robust procedures to ensure that he is fully informed of young people’s needs prior to admission. This will enable more effective analysis of the likely impact of any new admission on the young person already in placement. He also listens to the wishes and preferences of the young person living in the home with regard to the next admission.

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Good

The staff team has developed a mutually supportive, consistent and cohesive working culture within a relatively short period of time. They offer young people a very nurturing level of care to promote their welfare and development. Despite a challenging period, staff were able to reflect on the positive progress achieved by a young person who has now moved from the home. This confirms a child-centred approach and resilience in their practice. They worked together effectively to protect both of the young people in placement. Staff who do not yet hold an appropriate level 3 childcare qualification are working towards one, and there are clear plans in place to develop team members further professionally. Staff confirm that they received comprehensive training during their induction to carry out their duties effectively and safely, and have regular and meaningful supervision. They have a clear understanding of procedures to follow in the event of any

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Good

safeguarding concerns. There is confidence in the leadership provided by the manager, and senior managers are approachable in his absence. Staff are motivated to continue to develop their skills and knowledge through independent learning. However, they need additional support in understanding the impact of trauma and attachment difficulties on young people’s behaviour to ensure that they can respond more effectively to individual needs. The input of an independent psychologist helps to inform their understanding of strategies to support young people, in addition to direct work she undertakes with young people themselves.

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Good

The manager and staff use team meetings to reflect on any incidents and use constructive feedback to develop consistency in practice and to enhance the experiences of young people who live at the home. The individual skills that members of staff bring to the service are used effectively to develop young people’s interests and career aspirations. For example, one young person showed interest in a future career in the armed forces, so the experience of a staff member who is a reservist, was used to encourage him to make positive choices about his fitness and behaviour. Young people are encouraged to contribute to their reviews and are championed to write to their independent reviewing officer to state their future hopes and aspirations.

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Good

There are effective recording systems in place. Case records are written clearly, and without judgemental language. There are plans to integrate the input of the clinical psychologist’s assessments and ongoing interventions further into behaviour management systems. The manager has further development plans to enhance the effectiveness of computerised systems to aid understanding of young people’s needs and progress. These developments will enhance planning for young people’s futures and help staff further demonstrate the positive impact that living at the home has on outcomes for young people. The manager has notified appropriate professionals and family members of any significant events relating to the welfare of young people. Some notifications were made retrospectively to Ofsted on the advice of the independent visitor, and the registered manager now has a clearer understanding of the circumstances when these should be made.

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Good

Social workers, health and education professionals confirm that the home communicates with them effectively. They praise the home for its child-centred approach and are complimentary about the commitment from, and proactive approach of, the manager and staff. The home readily seeks advice from and supports other agencies, but will also challenge. For example, they escalated concerns regarding delays in finding a new placement for one young person, while remaining flexible regarding the notice period. They also provided additional information to assist the new placement in understanding the young person’s needs. This demonstrates that the welfare of young people remains central to the practice within the home.

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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 ‘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 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 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

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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 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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