Children's home run by Care Haven (UK) Limited in Stockport

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home required improvement 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, children and young people are benefiting from stability of placement. They receive individual care and support and make good progress in all areas of their lives. They have excellent relationships with staff based on mutual respect, trust and understanding. This contributes to young people‟s overall sense of belonging, safety and security.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The staff ensure that the young people are involved in all aspects of their care plans. This includes completing information in a child-friendly section of the plan called „All about me‟. This gives them the opportunity to provide information regarding themselves which is important to them and forms part of their individualised care. Staff fully encourage and support this. They demonstrate a good understanding of their role in supporting young people to achieve their goals and aspirations. All young people attend education and are making strong progress. This includes young people who previously had difficulty in engaging or sustaining educational placements. This engagement is re-enforced by positive reward and celebration of their achievements. One young person said: „I am doing really well at school now and it is helping me to see I can do things and get certificates if I work hard.‟ Another young person said: „I know what I want to do

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

when I leave school and staff are helping me to work towards this.‟

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

At the previous inspection, there had been a number of children admitted to the home where the placement had not met their needs fully, resulting in instability and placements ending. This impacted on all the young people, including those who had lived at the home for a period of time. The new manager has addressed this by making sure that robust pre-admission assessments are undertaken. This includes assessing the impact this new placement would have, not only on the young person, but also on young people currently living at the home. Wherever possible, young people are invited to come and visit the home to meet the staff and other young people as well as seeing their potential new home. Where this is not possible, the manager ensures a „Children‟s guide‟ is provided and telephones them to introduce himself and provide information about who will be at the home when they arrive. This helps to minimise potential anxieties associated with change

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

and moving into a new home. It also supports staff to make sure that the care provided is effective from the point of admission.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Healthcare needs of young people are promoted. This includes their physical and emotional health. They are registered with community healthcare professionals, including doctors, dentists and opticians. Where there are additional healthcare needs, staff are proactive in requesting the involvement of specialist services and follow this up with relevant practitioners. Staff understand the difficulties and barriers some young people have in expressing their emotions. Regular key- working sessions help them to explore these. One young person said: „I can talk with staff and they help me to make sense of things that have happened. They help me to understand how I can change things and make a difference.‟ This gives young people autonomy and contributes to their ongoing progression.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Behaviour management strategies are detailed and provide young people with clear support and boundaries. Staff are good at using de-escalation techniques. The manager and staff feel that praise provides greater encouragement and support to young people than negative sanctions. This has had a positive impact and the number of negative consequences and uses of physical restraint have significantly reduced.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people‟s overall safety and welfare are now enhanced by the further development of individual risk assessments. Staff demonstrate a good understanding of these and have reviewed their practice by discussing these within their team meetings. Not all staff are sufficiently trained in self-harming behaviours and some are not fully aware of the complexities of individual contact arrangements and the need for supervision. However, all staff demonstrate full commitment to the young people within their care. The interaction between them and the young people is a strength of the home. One member of staff said:

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

“I want the young people here to know and feel we all truly care about them and want them to have every opportunity to have good experiences and memories to take with them into their adult lives.”

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager and staff have worked hard to address the shortfalls identified at the last inspection. Records for young people are more comprehensive and provide detailed information about their needs and progress. They are encouraged to view their records to support them to have an understanding of their individual history and progress. As such, staff are improving their recording to reflect this well. However, some records are difficult to read and may hinder this process. The manager is undertaking further reporting and recording training with staff to make sure that all records are comprehensive and reflect clearly events and their outcomes.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staffing levels are appropriate to meet the current young people‟s needs. Recruitment is ongoing to make sure that, when any additional placements are made, there continues to be an emphasis on consistent staffing to provide care and minimise the risk of using unknown agency staff to cover any shortfall. Recruitment processes are generally robust. However, a shortfall identified at this inspection relates to gaining references, wherever possible, from previous employment with children and young people. This shortfall was being addressed at the time of the inspection.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

A new manager has been appointed and is in the process of submitting an application to register with Ofsted. He is aware of the importance of doing this in a timely manner to meet legislative requirements. He has clear plans and aspirations for the home, and implementation of some of these is making an impact on the young people. The home has benefited from redecoration and some new furniture. Young people have been involved in choosing this, giving them further involvement in creating a home to feel comfortable living in.

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Information about this children’s home

This is a privately owned children‟s home that provides care and accommodation for up to five children and young people who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 07/09/2016 Full Requires improvement 21/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 30/11/2015 Full Good 30/03/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness

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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

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children‟s safety, and that full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in schedule 2. This is specifically where a person has previously worked in a position involving work with children or vulnerable adults; verification so far as reasonably practicable of the reason why the employment or position ended should be obtained. (Regulation 32 (3)(d)) 30/04/2017

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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

 Staff should be familiar with the home‟s policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 62, paragraph 14.4)  Staff need the knowledge and skills to recognise and be alert for any signs that might indicate that a child is at risk of harm. The registered person should ensure that skills in safeguarding are gained, refreshed and recorded in the home‟s workforce plan. This is in relation to managing self-harm and supervising contact. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 43, paragraph 9.12)

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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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