Children's Home run by Cumbria County Council in Westmorland and Furness

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged outstanding at the full inspection. At this interim inspection Ofsted judges that it has declined in effectiveness .

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager is suitably qualified and experienced, and was registered with Ofsted in July 2015. They currently receive support from five assistant managers, but will return to their substantive post of an assistant manager in April 2017. A new manager has recently been appointed. The setting operates in line with the aims and ethos of the statement of purpose. Young people and the staff benefit from a management team that has a wealth of knowledge and experience. Staff are suitably qualified, and a number of them have worked for the service for a number of years.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The service provides support over a large geographical area, but staff do not have regular contact with other staff who work in this area. However, staff report that they work well together to ensure that young people receive consistent care. Nonetheless, staff do not routinely meet to discuss the care that they provide to the young people.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

While staff meetings are in place, only a small number of staff attend. Although the minutes of the meeting are sent electronically to the rest of the team, the contents of the discussions and actions agreed are not clear. Staff report that team meetings are not effective. Furthermore, staff do not receive regular supervision. Therefore, staff do not have time dedicated to reflect on their practice or fully develop their knowledge and skills.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

There is a child-centred development plan in place. Objectives are clear and there are links made with national research and the inspection framework. Likewise, there are links to local practice developments, for example how the setting can work effectively with the recently developed emotional health practitioners to improve outcomes for young people. There is clear desire to use a range of internal and external resources to support and help young people. For example, an independent advocate visits the home once a month. This is beneficial for the young people and offers them another avenue for support. Overall, staff receive good training opportunities. Recently, they have undertaken the Signs of Safety training. The organisation is adopting this model to improve practice. Evidently, this is in its infancy, but there are early indicators that this is being embedded into day-to-day practice. For example, missing from care practice

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

is now in line with the principles of Signs of Safety. Conversely, there are gaps in training. Key health and safety training has not be provided to a large number of staff. This has implications for the safety and well-being of the young people and staff.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people are making good progress and they say that they like coming to the home. The care that they receive is in line with their individual plans. Welfare needs and risks are, in the main, clear to the reader, and this enables staff to keep young people safe. Furthermore, they assist them to support and help young people. Young people’s records are accessible. However, the recording is not consistently good. In some instances, it is in the wrong place. Management oversight and quality assurance systems are not robust enough. Consequently, these inconsistencies are not identified or addressed.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people report that they have positive relationships with staff. They also get on well with each other. The matching process is effective. On the rare occasions when it does not prove to be effective, staff reflect, review the group dynamics of the young people concerned and respond accordingly. The atmosphere is welcoming, homely and friendly for young people. The young people are comfortable in their surroundings. They interact with activities and discussions with staff and each other. Young people say that there is ‘lots to do’. The independent advocate says that the package of care is consistently good. Furthermore, young people know what help and support they are receiving and why it is in place.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people say that they find the respite care that they receive helpful. They are enthusiastic about the care and support that they receive. They say it is ‘awesome’, that it helps them ‘to calm down’ and ‘gives them time on my own away from my family which helps me’. Good relationships and support enable young people to make good progress.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff work well with families, social workers and other agencies to ensure that the care that young people receive is of a good standard. Communication is effective and supports the positive progress that young people make. However, regular reviews are not routinely in place. Furthermore, effective progress tracking systems are no longer maintained Consequently, it is difficult to identify what positive impact the setting is having on young people’s outcomes. Moreover, opportunities are missed to proactively identify trends and how these could inform practice.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people benefit from effective behaviour management practices. Good relationships between young people and staff support this. Sanctions are rarely used. There have been no restraints or missing from care episodes since the last inspection. Individual missing from home profiles are in place and will support staff to identify the risk levels, should a young person go missing. However, there is information missing from some of the profiles. For example, not all profiles have a picture of the young person for easy identification. A recommendation was made at the last inspection to improve this area of practice. Improvements have been made, but further work is required to further enhance the welfare and risk management of young people who may going missing from care.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff encourage young people to access a range of activities. The young people participate in the planning of these activities and say that they enjoy them. Some of these activities are in-house. For example, there is a pool table, and the setting has a well-equipped art room which the young people enjoy using. Staff are active in commissioning projects that the young people can access. For example, young people recently took part in an art, music and filmmaking project. Parents and families are encouraged to attend ‘show and tell’ events at which young people display their work.

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Information about this children’s home

This local authority home is registered to provide accommodation for four children with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home operates as a short-break service which offers outreach wrap-around support. It is open at weekends and school holidays.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 16/12/2016 Full Outstanding 11/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 20/11/2015 Full Outstanding 20/03/2015 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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Requirement Due date

13: The leadership and management standard

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Requirement Due date

(2)(h) In order to meet the leadership and management standard, the registered person should ensure the use of monitoring and review systems. This is particularly for the management and monitoring of risk assessments, missing from home records and plans. 28/04/2017

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Requirement Due date

13: The leadership and management standard

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Requirement Due date

(2)(b) In order to meet the leadership and management standard, with particular reference to staff attendance at staff team meetings, the registered person must ensure that staff have the opportunity to come together as a team for regular meetings. 28/04/2017

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Requirement Due date

(2)(a)(c) The registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating the quality of care provided for children and any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children. Specifically, young people’s plans and progress must be reviewed and recorded at regular intervals. 28/04/2017

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):  The registered person must ensure that staff have the relevant skills and knowledge to be able to: respond to the health needs of children, and administer basic first aid and minor illness treatment. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 34, paragraph 7.12)

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Recommendations

 The registered person must have systems in place so that all staff, including the manager, receive supervision of their practice from an appropriately qualified and experienced professional, which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2)

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Recommendations

 The registered person must ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4). Specifically, that daily records and key-working records contain sufficient and accurate detail.

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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 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 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 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

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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