Children's Home run by Partners in Care Limited 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 improved effectiveness . The home continues to promote young people’s progress through providing high- level nurturing care. One young person has experienced a very unsettled period and displayed some extremely challenging behaviours. Staff have shown resilience and consistency in managing his behaviour, constantly letting him know that they are there for him and that they care about him. This has had a positive impact and he has reverted to his former positive behaviours and engagement with the placement. One young person is being prepared to move to a foster care placement. He has made significant progress over the duration of his placement and is now ready to return to a family environment, having had support to improve his behaviour and emotional responses. Staff are keen to ensure that he has a positive transition,

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

which is well planned, in line with his needs and implemented at his pace. One young person has been admitted to the home since the last inspection. She has made significant progress in respect of risks and behaviours identified at the point of placement. Admission planning is robust and effective, highlighting potential risk issues between new and existing young people in placement. The matching process clearly identifies ways in which the home and staff can mitigate any risks, for example by high levels of supervision and the use of door alarms. The home has implemented a new process to ensure that it has the correct placing documents and consents for young people being admitted to the home. This follows identification during the inspection of deficits in placing authority documentation. The documents were obtained immediately, and there is therefore no requirement made. Staff at the home show creativity in undertaking direct work with young people.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

For example, when a new risk is identified for a young person and they are unwilling to discuss this in key worker sessions, staff have done group work within the forum of the young people’s meeting so that young people do not feel singled out in respect of specific risks. Young people’s meetings remain a particular strength of the home, covering a range of relevant topics that young people actively engage with, thus promoting their learning and knowledge in relation to risk. All young people have identified education provision. Some young people are educated by tutors in the home. This works particularly well for one young person who has been excluded from school, and he is making far greater progress than he was at school. Another young person has settled into a special provision after his exclusion from a mainstream school, and this environment is better suited to his needs. A third young person is making good progress and is on track to take GCSE

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

examinations in the summer. The home communicates effectively with tutors and school about young people’s education. Although there have been some changes to staffing, new members of staff have integrated well and are considered to be an asset to the staff team. They bring enthusiasm, skill, patience and a willingness to learn, develop and progress. One new member of staff spoke with passion about her work, commitment to helping young people progress and immense positivity about working at the home. Staff report feeling well supported through a difficult time, when one young person was very challenging and staffing numbers were affected by staff leaving. They feel that the staff team is supportive and cohesive, and that managers help them by making them feel valued. Morale among the staff team members is high. Staff at the home have dealt with a number of significant incidents since the last full inspection, and the regulator has received a higher number of notifications than

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

previously. These are explained by a new young person being admitted and testing boundaries and a young person having a period of highly challenging and unsettled behaviour. Incidents are dealt with robustly and effectively, and young people’s safety is prioritised. The home appropriately involves the police and placing authorities when there is a need to do so, and requests multi-agency meetings when young people’s risks have increased or their progress is faltering. Managers at the home have detailed systems in place for internal monitoring. The format and frequency of internal monitoring have been changed, resulting in a less onerous process and a highly robust system. The manager amended the monitoring tool in response to the issue identified above, relating to ensuring that young people are placed with the correct local authority documentation. External monitoring is considered useful and effective by managers and helps them to

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

continuously improve the service. No requirements or recommendations were made at the last inspection, and none is made at this interim inspection. The home continues to provide exceptional care to young people, and their progress and experiences reflect this.

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Information about this children’s home

A private organisation operates this children’s home. This service is registered for up to three young people who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 11/10/2016 Full Outstanding 25/02/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 11/08/2015 Full Outstanding 30/03/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness

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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 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 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

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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