Children's home run by Leeds City Council in Leeds

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged outstanding at the 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

Since the last inspection the home has continued to fulfil its ethos of providing a therapeutic model of intervention. This enables young people to return to their family-based environments on a permanent long-term basis.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

There have been four admissions to the home since the last inspection, and three young people at the point of being successfully rehabilitated with their family. The manager ensures that the referral and matching process is thorough, rigorous and realistic in its aims and objectives. There is a strong emphasis on assessing the motivation of the young person and their parents or carers to work alongside a multi-disciplinary team of professionals.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

It is through this dedication to succeed, underpinned by robust safeguarding practices, that there have been no situations in which restraint has been used. Children and young people do not go missing from the home, and there are no child sexual exploitation concerns.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

It is made very clear to young people that the home is not a ‘traditional’ children’s home but a residential intervention provision that is time limited, with the primary objective of young people returning home. One young person said: ‘I have been really happy here. Staff are very nice and I feel safe, but I am looking forward to going home.’

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the last inspection the home has made innovative steps to enable young people to record their own progress and achievements through a personalised planner. This planner stays with the young person once they have returned home. One young person commented about her planner: ‘It is something I can read in my spare time and remind myself of the skills that I have learnt.’

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

All young people are in full-time mainstream education and continue to achieve 100% attendance. For one young person this is an improvement, and the manager attributes this to the close communication and good working relationships that staff develop with schools. Young people are supported to achieve educationally by a motivated and committed staff group. The importance of educational attainment and enjoyment is given equal priority to the rehabilitation process. Staff ensure that learning continues within the home environment. This has included young people taking the lead in planning and delivering a skills-based session.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

It is a top priority of the home to enable young people to continue to attend the same school provision. If this involves additional resources, the manager will go above and beyond to ensure that this is in place. One young person is now able to travel to and from school independently with her peer group, demonstrating the home’s ability to balance the young person’s need for increasing trust and independence.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people enjoy significant levels of contact with their parents or identified long-term carers, such as grandparents or kinship carers. This contact is tailored to the highly individualised care planning process whereby the transition from care to home is achieved within a 12-week timeframe. Contact is gradually increased to overnight and weekend stays. One young person commented: ‘I am spending more time at home with my family but I can still be in touch with the home if I need to.’

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people continue to enjoy and participate in a range of activities, both in the home and in the community. They are consulted in all aspects of their daily lives. Since the last inspection young people have enjoyed a day out bowling, and baking is a favourite among all of the young people.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager has recently left the home, and an interim manager is covering the post. Action has been taken to appoint a new registered manager who has the skills and experience to continue to provide the same standards of care.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The interim manager continues to effectively manage the home. He has the advantage of knowing the home well and is committed to continued improvement in the quality of care, to ensure good outcomes for the young people.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is a local authority children’s home providing care for up to four children and young people of either gender between the ages of 11 to 17 years. The home provides care for children and young people who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. It has a specific remit of working with young people and their families or carers to enable young people to return to family-based environments.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 12/10/2016 Full Outstanding 22/09/2015 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 who 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 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

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

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