Children's home run by Willows (Devon) Ltd in Dorset

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 improved effectiveness .

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Leaders and managers create a warm and welcoming home for young people to live in. Young people like the quality of the home and speak positively about the care that they receive, saying ‘this is the best home’.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The team takes time to get to know young people and establishes with young people how best to meet their needs. Leaders and managers create in-depth care plans based on the information that they gain before young people move in. Leaders and managers take into consideration the impact on the group dynamic before making any decisions about new girls moving in. Information in care plans is exceptional. These are live records which develop and progress to reflect each young person’s journey.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Over time, young people make good progress, which supports them to move on successfully. Young people have high aspirations for their future. The team supports them to establish a plan about how they will achieve their goals. Young people all attend the school which is linked to the company. This enables bespoke education packages tailored to meet the individual needs of young people. In addition, good attendance is achieved.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The team is clear about the ethos of the home. One member of the team said, ‘This is the girls’ home and we are here to provide them with a loving and comfortable home that keeps them safe and helps them achieve.’ The team members tend to stay and commit to their roles, they nurture the young people and provide them with good, consistent parenting.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people are protected from harm. Leaders and managers ensure that staff keep up to date with safeguarding training including key topics such as training around abuse by exploitation and radicalisation. Should young people go missing, the team responds swiftly and follows the going missing protocol with rigour. The team has good knowledge of the local area and searches extensively until young people are back home and safe. Leaders and managers work effectively with other agencies such as the police and local authorities to keep the girls safe. The team supports young people to make positive choices about risk and behaviour. Young people help the team to understand the risks that they feel relate to them by writing their own behaviour support plan. The team instils incentive and reward schemes to promote positive behaviour. Restraint has not been used as a behaviour management strategy. When the girls damage the home, they repay

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

monies towards the damage. For one young person, this has come to a significant amount and it is not clear that the consequence has an effective impact.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The young people have good access to health services. They are all registered with local health services. The team coordinates health appointments around education and the girls’ social lives. If the young people need access to specialist health services to meet a particular need, the team sources this immediately. Young people have access to a clinical psychologist commissioned by leaders and managers.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Leaders and managers have effective monitoring systems that give them good oversight of the quality of care provided. The registered manager is committed to providing a high-quality home and keeps in touch with young people who move on. The team is passionate about developing the home and has clear ideas about how to improve the home further.

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Information about this children's home

The home is owned by a small private organisation and is registered to provide care for up to four girls with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The company also runs its own school, located nearby, which young people attend until they start college. The home operates a smallholding with vegetable and fruit gardens. A number of animals are kept, including horses, chickens, ducks, pigs, sheep and various small companion animals, including house cats.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 19/12/2016 Full Good 02/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 14/12/2015 Full Good 26/03/2015 Interim Sustained 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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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendation:  Ensure that all incidents of discipline and control are subject to systems of regular scrutiny to ensure that their use is fair, paying particular attention to financial reparations. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.36)

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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 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

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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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