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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 improved effectiveness .

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people continue to make really good individual progress because they are supported by a staff team that helps them to overcome their difficulties and challenges. The risk of child sexual exploitation has reduced significantly for one young person, and there has been no repeat of criminal behaviour for another. The challenge of balancing young people’s needs for increasing independence with appropriate levels of supervision is managed well. The manager ensures that the staffing levels are reviewed so that staff can respond to the needs of the young people. If young people are missing, staff actively look for them and use their knowledge of the local area to find them. The manager has developed the documentation used to record missing from home incidents. This now captures all of the information required in one report. Young people are admitted to the home in a careful and considered way. For one young

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

person, this included the manager visiting their previous placement and meeting with family members and professionals. This helped to create a clear overview of the young person’s needs, and assess the potential impact upon others within the home. This practice is in accordance with the home’s statement of purpose but needs to be completed in all cases, even when no risks are immediately identified. To support the admission process further, the children’s guide has been updated to provide an accurate overview of the home. This has been developed with young people and includes their comments about the home. One young person said: ‘Staff are really caring and funny and I enjoy living at X. I like my bedroom and it has all my personal belongings in it.’ The home continues to be a welcoming and homely environment. It is maintained to a high standard. The manager has improved the home further by replacing the faulty

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

kitchen cupboard doors and is in the process of addressing the poor repair to the lounge door. Staff implement effective measures to help and protect the young people from harm. At times, staff have used physical restraint to ensure the safety of the young people and other people. The recording of these interventions is now in line with regulation. However, the record still does not explicitly record the reasons why the restraint was used and what form of restraint was used. Young people can and do engage well in education and work placements, but their commitment to formal education and learning can fluctuate. Staff make every effort to re-engage them and secure alternative provision to meet their specific educational needs. For one young person, the education plan is to explore work experience. Staff have supported him to complete the required tests for this goal to be reached. This resulted in him successfully progressing to a second interview.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people are benefiting from having positive family contact. Staff have been a crucial element in facilitating, maintaining and developing these relationships for young people. Currently staff are working effectively with one young person’s family to enable a possible planned return home. Partnership working is a real strength of the home. Staff use the advice, guidance and support from professionals to improve the care of young people. This includes consultation with a clinical psychologist to further improve young people’s emotional well-being. The manager has built upon the strengths from the last inspection and has addressed all the requirements and recommendation set. She has improved systems to address the recording deficits that were highlighted within the last full inspection. The manager has not fully met, but is working towards meeting a requirement to improve the six-monthly review. This requirement is therefore carried forward.

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Information about this children’s home

This is a local authority home. It provides care and accommodation for up to five children and young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 06/12/2016 Full Good 17/02/2016 Full Good 19/10/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness 11/03/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness

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Statutory requirement

This section sets out the actions which must be taken so that the registered person 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 must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

45: Review of quality of care After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review (‘the quality of care review report’).

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Requirement Due date

3: The registered person must ensure that: (a) within 24 hours of the use of the measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes: (ii) details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure; (iv) a description of the measure and its duration; (v) details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 35 (3)(a)(ii)(iv)(v)) 15/04/2017

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendations:  For children’s homes to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children, they will, in most cases be homely, domestic environments. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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Recommendations

This is with particular reference to repairing the damage to the lounge door.  The registered person should only accept placements for children where they are satisfied that the home can respond effectively to the child’s assessed needs as recorded in the child’s relevant plans and where they have fully considered the impact that the placement will have on the existing group of children. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.4)

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Recommendations

This is with particular reference to ensuring that impact risk assessments are completed for each new admission to the home, even in those cases where risk is immediately apparent.

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

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