Children's Home run by ROC Northwest Limited in Lancashire

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 .

p.2

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people continue to make good progress in all areas of their lives. Young people benefit from making particularly good progress with their social development, education and health outcomes.

p.2

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Professionals confirm that young people maintain exceptionally high attendance rates, and parents report that their children enjoy making continued progress against their individual goals and targets. Positive and effective working relationships with education colleagues ensure that young people benefit fully from their individual education placement. Successful transition planning from primary to high schools, and effective working relationships with young people and education providers ensure that young people are well prepared and supported with significant changes in their lives. This assists and enables young people sufficiently for their continued learning.

p.2

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people are encouraged and supported to become more independent and resourceful. Staff help young people well to develop and enhance their independence skills in a safe and managed way. Young people’s needs and vulnerabilities are clearly recorded and understood by the staff. The staff use their comprehensive knowledge of the young people and work well with them to develop and broaden their skills. Young people have increased their skills in cooking, cleaning, and meeting their own self-care needs. In addition, one young person is further developing their skills safely in line with their age and understanding as they are being helped to safely access public transport. These skills and opportunities enhance young people’s experiences and support them to increase their self-esteem and confidence.

p.2

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people benefit from improved health outcomes because their specific health needs are fully understood and managed well by the manager and staff. Positive links with health colleagues ensures that all young people’s health needs are known, understood and managed well. Staff are appropriately trained and aware of their roles in ensuring that young people’s health needs are supported. They seek additional medical support when required and ensure that suitable records of such interventions are kept. The manager and staff are committed to enhancing young people’s positive experiences and they ensure that a range of interesting and exciting opportunities are on offer. Staff acknowledge young people’s anxieties around trying new things and they sensitively support young people with this. Consequently, young people’s experiences and opportunities have been improved as they been involved in trying out new things, such as going go-karting and trampolining, alongside trips out to

p.2

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Blackpool, visiting local zoos and watching pantomimes.

p.3

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff are thoughtful and help young people appropriately to manage their emotional responses safely. Young people are offered space to consider their actions and find more appropriate and safe ways to manage their thoughts and feelings before, during and after incidents occur. When young people are unable to manage their reactions safely, staff will physically intervene to keep them and others safe. The manager has been creative and has implemented a number of new systems, such as the use of social stories, so that young people’s wishes and views are sought following these incidents. This ensures that young people feel listened to and supported and enables them to remain central to their care planning.

p.3

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people’s safety is given the highest priority. The manager has suitably addressed both of the recommendations raised at the last inspection. Consequently, young people’s safety and welfare is consistently maintained, as independent scrutiny and oversight into these incidents is now provided by somebody other than the registered manager when she has been involved. Furthermore, processes are now in place to check the suitability of overseas employees. However, this process has not been tested as this has not yet been required.

p.3

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager addresses significant incidents and complaints extremely well. The manager listens to young people and others when they raise any areas of concern or developments and acts on this information quickly and appropriately. When young people complain, the manager spends time with them to ascertain their wishes and views. She identifies quickly any shortfalls in current processes and addresses them sufficiently. Consequently, young people now feel more empowered and listened to because they now have a more efficient and effective way to raise their suggestions about their home and care practice as soon as issues arise.

p.3

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The leadership and management arrangements remain effective. The manager is acutely aware that young people need to be cared for by a consistent staff team, and she works hard to address the challenges that she continues to face in regards to staff retention. The manager ensures that the core staff team is complemented by members of the bank staff team, who bring with them a range of skills and experiences. A suitable plan is in place to rectify the staffing arrangements over the longer term. The manager ensures that the core staff team receives regular supervision, support and appropriate training opportunities to make sure that they do their job well. The manager has high expectations for all young people and expects staff to consistently deliver a good standard of care. She and her staff team are clear about young people’s aims and objectives and have realistic plans in place to achieve these.

p.3

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Parents, carers and professionals report that young people are safe and supported in the home. Professionals and parents are very complimentary about staff relationships, the level of communication and support provided by the manager and staff team and they attribute this to the progress that young people continue to make. Staff are dedicated and committed to providing a high standard of care to all young people. They speak fondly of all the young people and understand their needs and vulnerabilities well, and they work within the constraints of young people’s care plans and risk assessments well.

p.4

Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is owned and managed by a private company. It provides care and accommodation for no more than two children and young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties, physical disabilities and learning disabilities.

p.5

Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 10/05/2016 Full Good 16/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 14/07/2015 Full Good 24/02/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness

p.5

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’.

p.6

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.

p.6

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 .

p.6

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,

p.7

Information about this inspection

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

Information about this inspection

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

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

p.7