Children's home run by Dame Hannah Roger‟s School

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 sustained effectiveness .

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home received a full inspection on 19 May 2016. It has continued to operate well and provide good care for children and young people.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home offers long-term care and short breaks for children and young people who have learning and physical disabilities. This includes providing a high degree of complex medical care that requires staff to have specialist skills and training. Children and young people are well looked after and kept safe. They receive appropriate education at the attached school. The children and young people also enjoy a wide range of appropriate and enriching activities in the community, supported by the staff. For example, one young person is supported to attend a local specialist club and has been climbing. The home provides a full and imaginative activity programme to support each child and young person; this helps them to reach their full potential. One parent commented that the home encouraged her daughter to have the fullest possible life, that she was supported to socialise and attend a wide range of activities

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

and that this resulted in greater personal independence skills and growth in confidence for this young person.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Relationships between staff and the children and young people are warm, nurturing and reassuring. Staff are professional and skilful. All the staff who were spoken with or observed demonstrated a good understanding of the children’s and young people’s needs. One parent confirmed that the support of the staff has resulted in her daughter taking significant strides forward with regard to her behaviour. This support helped her during the time that her care was being taken over by adult services and it has enabled her to regularly stay with her family members at home.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager and staff work hard to provide a high standard of interior decoration and have created a very attractive environment for the children and young people. The entrance hall has been much improved with the aim of creating a more homely environment. This includes a display that features a large range of photographs and paintings that were either chosen by or made by the young people. Those children and young people who have lived at the home for significant periods have personalised their bedrooms. This includes them bringing in their own furniture and belongings from home. For example, some children and young people have their own particular patterned bedding, which matches what they use at home. Some children and young people have taken part in decorating their rooms with stars and other stickers; they have also chosen paint colours, wallpaper and curtains. The bathrooms, lounges, sensory areas and outdoor decking space are all clean and

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

maintained to a high standard. The staff take great care to ensure the personal safety of the children and young people, while enabling them to maintain their dignity and privacy.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

There have been no new admissions, but two young people have moved on since the last inspection. The staff supported both young people skilfully through this move. The inspector spoke to one parent who confirmed that this support meant that she and her family had been able to make a successful adjustment to this change. Her daughter had been using the home for over eight years and she had only praise for the consistently high quality of care that her daughter had received.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

There have been six physical interventions during this inspection period. They were effectively managed and occurred in order to prevent any risk of children and young people harming one another. However, further actions are now required from the registered manager in order to prevent young people and children from harming one another without the need for restraint.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

There have been no sanctions put in place. This is good practice in the context of the children’s and young people’s needs, as sanctions would not engage them in a meaningful way.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

There have been three complaints raised during this inspection period. Each of these complaints was thoroughly investigated and appropriately dealt with to the satisfaction of the complainant. However, further work is required to ensure that there are clear, concise records of investigations and that these are held in one place.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The staff group is well motivated and enthusiastic. Staff receive six-weekly supervision which is recorded to an acceptable standard and includes evidence of reflection on practice. A positive development has been the appointment of a nurse in December 2016. This has significantly reduced the previous high-level use of agency nurses. A small number of agency personnel are used in the care team, but, overall, this is a stable and consistent staff group.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager leads by example and is held in high regard by her staff team. She ensures that a positive emphasis is given to working alongside and supporting parents and taking into account the needs of all family members.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home is colourful and fun. Personalised but unobtrusive health and safety equipment has been put in place to support the children’s and young people’s individual complex needs.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager sets high standards. Policy documents support staff to understand and implement their roles and functions in this home. Many of the children and young people have rapidly changing health needs which require flexible and responsive actions. For example, managers ensure that medication is managed safely and dynamically, according to the requirements of the children and young people and in response to their changing medical needs. The senior nurse has recently implemented positive changes to ensure safer administration of medications.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager has ensured that all staff are able to protect children and young people and keep them safe. The whole staff team receives safeguarding training as part of an ongoing programme. In addition, child protection issues, including child sexual exploitation, are fully discussed. The home has assessed the risk of sexual exploitation for each child and young person in the home. There are plans in place to develop this further and to make the assessments more personalised. Staff confirm that they are well equipped to do their jobs. The staff who were interviewed showed that they are highly committed to their work and are thoughtful and caring towards the young people.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

At the last full inspection, one requirement was made. The requirement was for the registered person to ensure that the independent person who visits the home reports on whether the children are effectively safeguarded. Initially there was some improvement, but the quality of the reports remains variable. The registered manager is actively addressing the issue and has now escalated it appropriately with the manager of the independent person. One recommendation was made at the full inspection. The recommendation was for the home to address its institutional environment and create a more domestic, homely appearance. There is evidence that much has been done to address this, and therefore the recommendation has been met.

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home provides long-term care and accommodation, extended stays and short breaks for up to 16 children and young people who have learning and physical disabilities. The provision is operated by a charitable trust. Education is also available on site.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 19/05/2016 Full Good 24/02/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 21/10/2015 Full Good 24/02/2015 Interim Declined in effectiveness

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Statutory requirements

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

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Requirement Due date

12.—(1) The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— (a) that staff— (i) assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child; (ii) help each child to understand how to keep safe; (iii) have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; (iv) manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other; (v) understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person; (vi) take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and (vii) are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the

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Requirement Due date

home’s child protection policies. (b) that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. 31/03/2017

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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, 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

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

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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