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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 young people living in this home continue to make progress and achieve positive outcomes in all areas of their lives. This is due to the excellent standard of nurturing care and support that they receive from the staff who work at the home. The young people also benefit from the child-focused approach and aspirational leadership of their well-run home.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The staff demonstrate in many ways how well they understand the complex care needs of the young people. They provide innovative and thoughtful solutions to meet the young people’s needs. For example, the staff have created a ‘happy jar’. This jar contains post-it notes with positive statements written on them, such as ‘you are beautiful’, ‘relax and you will be fine’. The young people are invited to take out one of these notes if they are feeling anxious or have a low mood and the notes contribute to helping them to have a more positive mood.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The staff promote the education and aspirations of the young people. One young person has achieved 99% attendance at school and outstanding results in her mock GCSE exams, achieving A grades. This is a young person who, before she came to live in the home, refused to go to school and was educationally behind her peers. This young person said ‘I didn’t realise I was so bright!’ Staff succeed in giving the young people self-belief and raised self-esteem. The young people are invited to write and draw their aspirations for their future on a large white board. These aspirations currently include learning to drive, getting a good job and owning a house.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The staff encourage the young people to gain independent living skills in line with their pathway plans. One young person has succeeded in gaining an apprenticeship and is now travelling independently to work.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the previous full inspection, one young person has left the home, as a result of them being assessed as needing a specialist care provision. The staff remain in contact with this young person, as they do other young people who have left the home. This demonstrates that they really care about the young people that they look after and care enough to maintain emotional and nurturing support even when the young person has left the home.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Any admissions of young people to the home are carefully planned and the existing young people are fully involved in the admission process. Care is taken to ensure that any new young people admitted to the home are a good match with existing young people, and that the staff are skilled and able to meet identified care needs. A new young person is invited to dinner at the home and is introduced to the staff and young people prior to moving in.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home offers a homely and well-maintained appearance. The young people are encouraged to display photographs of themselves and their families to promote a sense of ‘ownership’ of the home. The office is being refurbished to promote a reduction in files and to make it less ‘institutional’ in appearance. The staff ensure that the office door is open as much as possible, so that it does not become a barrier between them and the young people.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The staff are well trained in how to manage any safeguarding incidents safely and robustly. They are vigilant and have trusting relationships with the young people. This means that the young people feel able to share any concerns or worries with staff. This promotes their safety, as the staff are able to act promptly on any safeguarding concerns that arise.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The young people are encouraged to offer their views, and it is evident that they are listened to by staff, who act on their wishes and concerns. Regular house meetings are held, at which the young people share their ideas, requests, any concerns and their views. It is not documented whether these ideas are acted upon. The issues are not carried forward to the next meeting so that staff can discuss, and the young people understand, whether the requests have been acted upon and, if not, why not.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The experienced and well-respected registered manager is due to complete the level 5 management qualification by May 2017. The consistent and competent staff team benefits from regular supervision and training. This ensures that they maintain their skills and development and are encouraged to reflect on their practice in order to improve. Recording systems are in the process of being simplified, so that information is concise and can be easily found by the staff.

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Information about this children’s home

This home is operated by a large national provider. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 08/12/2016 Full Good 21/09/2015 Full Requires improvement 25/02/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness 16/05/2014 Full Good

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Recommendation

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendation:  ensure that children are consulted regularly on their views about the home’s care and that they see the results of their views being listened to and acted upon; in particular, that the agreed actions arising from house meetings are acted upon and the results are communicated to the young people at the following meeting. If it is not possible to meet the requests of the young people, this should also be communicated to them and recorded in the minutes of the meeting. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations including the quality standards’, page 22 paragraph 4.11)

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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. Whenever 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 0300 123 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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