Children's home in Charnwood

Outstanding

The children's home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the home contribute to significantly improved outcomes for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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The children's home provision is outstanding because:

 Staff enable young people to make exceptional progress and achieve sustained improvements in their social, academic and independence skills. They create an ethos of celebrating achievements.   Comprehensive, individualised placement plans underpin the excellent care that staff provide. Staff respond promptly to any new issues or change of circumstances, thus always meeting the young people’s needs effectively.   Young people form excellent relationships with staff, who strive to create a calm, nurturing environment.   Highly effective communication with external professionals and other stakeholders ensures collaborative working to promote young people’s well- being and progress.   Led by a strong, inspirational registered manager, staff work closely together to ensure that they are a strong team that provides consistently excellent care. 

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Recommendation

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendation:

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Recommendation

 Ensure that all incidents of control, discipline and restraint are subject to systems of regular scrutiny to ensure that their use is fair. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.36)

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Information about this children's home

This is a privately owned children’s home that provides care for six young people who have emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 29/08/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 29/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 20/10/2015 Full Outstanding 09/02/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness

p.4

Outstanding

Young people make excellent progress. Staff enable them to identify their own targets, which inspires them to reach their goals and make sustained, positive changes. Young people are motivated by a system where their achievements and good behaviour are recognised and richly rewarded.

p.5

Outstanding

Young people contribute to all aspects of their care planning. They make full use of advocacy services, independent visitors and the staff. For example, one young person was clear that she wants to remain in the home until she is eighteen. With support, she has had this plan agreed. Another young person successfully accessed legal advice. Staff build productive relationships with external support services for the young people’s benefit.

p.5

Outstanding

Innovative young people’s meetings use a range of different media to present important messages. For example, YouTube is used to teach young people how to use emergency services correctly, followed by role play to reinforce this message. Staff follow this model and initiate interactive games to help the young people to learn about safety in the home.

p.5

Outstanding

Proactive staff support young people’s academic and vocational achievements. Staff maintain strong links with teaching staff, so they are well placed to support and encourage the young people at the home. The majority of the young people attend school or college, and they are making good progress. They take pride in their achievements, such as receiving a certificate in recognition of their progress and being predicted improving grades in GCSE results. A teacher said, ‘The staff have gone above and beyond for the young person.’

p.5

Outstanding

Staff create a nurturing, family home environment, which allows young people to seek emotional support from those who care for them. Staff ensure that they are available to young people to give them individual time to reflect on their day. Staff seek therapeutic services for young people and encourage them to engage with these services. They consult with therapists to ensure a multi-disciplinary approach to meeting young people’s mental health and well-being needs.

p.5

Outstanding

Young people enjoy clubs and activities in the community. Staff sensitively and meticulously plan these activities to ensure that they are successful. Where necessary, staff supervision is discreet. This thoughtful practice promotes young people’s self-esteem. Staff encourage young people to invite their friends back for tea, to play times and for sleepovers. An embracing family atmosphere is achieved.

p.5

Outstanding

Areas of conflict are addressed and resolved. Staff spend time reflecting with the young people when there have been disagreements in the group. Restorative justice conferences enable the young people to share their perspectives about any incident, and to apologise for their actions. This is effective in resolving matters. A social worker said, ‘Staff instil really good values and beliefs.’

p.6

Outstanding

Innovative celebrations of different cultures include theme nights when the young people experiment with menus, and research information about different customs. Young people respect each other’s beliefs and celebrate each other’s differences.

p.6

Outstanding

Staff teach young people how to be self-sufficient in their personal care and to take pride in their appearance. Shopping trips are further enhanced by learning how to budget and eat healthily. Staff make excellent use of social experiences to teach the young people new skills. Their confidence and independence soars.

p.6

Outstanding

Two young people are preparing to leave the home with continuing outreach work as part of the plan. Keeping in touch with young people who have previously lived in the home is a strength. Young people visit years after moving out, and retain strong relationships with the staff.

p.6

Outstanding

The strong safeguarding practices of all staff ensure that the young people are confident to raise their concerns. An allegation made by a young person received an immediate, well-informed response from the registered manager. Such matters are thoroughly investigated in consultation with external safeguarding agencies, to ensure the continuing safety of the young people.

p.6

Outstanding

Staff demonstrate an excellent understanding of their safeguarding responsibilities. They are reliably informed through regular training which includes topics such as child sexual exploitation and radicalisation. This knowledge is reliably put into practice. For example, the staff educate the young people to use the internet safely. Young people are trusted to use social media appropriately while living in a supported environment. They are safely steered and advised. This pragmatic attitude towards appropriate risk-taking encourages young people to think for themselves, and to take responsibility for their actions and the potential consequences.

p.6

Outstanding

Young people’s incidents of going missing or absent have significantly decreased due to the positive relationships they have with the staff. If a young person leaves the home without permission, staff follow to keep them safe. Staff know places the young people are likely to go, and search extensively for them. By demonstrating such genuine and active concern, staff ensure that young people feel valued and cared for. In all cases, staff request return interviews from placing authorities and escalate their concerns if this does not happen. Good links with the police mean that they visit the home to check on young people’s welfare.

p.6

Outstanding

Young people are learning to self-regulate and manage their emotions and behaviour. Staff help them to develop strategies to calm themselves. Physical interventions have reduced. When they do occur the registered manager evaluates and monitors records to ensure that these interventions are appropriate and proportionate. Young people’s views are central to her monitoring, enabling her to address any issues, and the young people to reflect on the event.

p.7

Outstanding

Staff write and implement risk assessments that reliably inform their practice. This enables young people to take measured risks while maintaining their safety. Risk assessments are comprehensive, thoroughly monitored and regularly assessed to ensure that they remain relevant. The previous recommendation to review the night-time risk assessments has been met, and individualised risk assessments have been completed.

p.7

Outstanding

An informative location review includes consultation with external agencies such as the local children safeguarding board, the community safety team and the chief superintendent child sexual exploitation coordinator. Staff use this reliable knowledge of the risks posed to the young people by the local area in their care planning.

p.7

Good

The registered manager has extensive experience of managing children’s homes and working with young people. She has achieved the level 4 diploma in leadership and management for care services and health and social care. She demands high standards of care and performance from members of staff, and she is ambitious for the young people in her care.

p.7

Good

New staff benefit from a rigorous induction process which has the home’s positive child-focused ethos at its core. New staff report that their induction and training is very informative and helpful. They gain the knowledge and confidence they need to care effectively for the young people. Agency staff are rarely used. All staff are suitably qualified and have the level 3 diploma for residential childcare or are enrolled on the course. Staff describe the registered manager as ‘approachable, with good oversight’.

p.7

Good

Through detailed monitoring, the registered manager has a thorough understanding of the operation of the home, the young people’s progress, staff performance and safeguarding matters. Excellent record keeping by staff supports this oversight. One omission, relating to a physical restraint record, was an administrative oversight rather than a practice concern.

p.7

Good

Strong professional relationships with partner agencies results in effective multi- disciplinary working to ensure the best possible care for the young people. Social workers value the professionalism and dedication of staff. One social worker said, ‘Staff have lots of understanding, compassion and love for the young people.’ Another social worker said, ‘Communication is fantastic, I can’t praise them enough.’ Such close liaison results in excellent care planning, monitoring and review.

p.8

Good

Regular and reflective staff supervision gives staff the opportunity to consider their practice and the personal impact of the work they perform with the young people. This is thoughtful and supportive. Team meetings are effective; reflection and team work is encouraged. Staff discuss the young people in detail during ‘child-focused meetings’ and agree interventions to achieve specific aims and a consistent approach.

p.8

Good

An informative statement of purpose enables placing authorities to make well- informed decisions when looking to place young people. Young people who may move into the home are also supplied with clear and personalised information which is aimed at allaying their anxieties and answering their immediate questions.

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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’. 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

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What the inspection judgements mean

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 harmed or at risk of harm or that 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 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 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, workbased 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

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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