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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 sustained effectiveness .

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager and staff team continue to provide outstanding individualised care and support which meet the needs of the young people. As a result, the young people continue to thrive and achieve good outcomes. A young person said, ‘staff are nice and warm’, ‘it’s the best home I’ve been in’. A professional said that a young person ‘benefited from having the experience of your care’.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

A comprehensive knowledge of the young people enables the staff team to de- escalate challenging behaviours without the need for physical restraint. At the last inspection, it was recommended that the staff should continually assess and update the risks for each young person. This has been achieved. Discussions at staff meetings, key worker sessions and the young people’s monthly summaries are incorporated into updated risk assessments with strategies and action plans to reduce any risk of harm to the young people.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The young people’s monthly summaries evidence their progress against individual targets. One young person has been supported by staff to engage consistently in education. The young person has achieved his education targets and has secured a college place next year to progress his education. Another young person experiencing low self-esteem has been helped to rebuild her confidence. With encouraging staff support, the young person has successfully secured local employment, which has enhanced her self-confidence and preparation for independence.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people benefit from excellent planning and staff support to help them to move on successfully to independent living. The registered manager and staff team are highly active in assisting the young people’s preparation for independence. Since the last inspection, one young person has moved on positively. The home’s independent living programme prepares the young people to move on safely. A phased return to the community, such as daytime and overnight visits, provides the young people time to adjust to their new environment before moving permanently.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

One young person has moved on to a specialist provision. To ensure a smooth transition to the new provider, the registered manager supported and encouraged the young person during an initial visit prior to moving.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The young people have a real impact on the development of the home. Staff listen to the young people. For instance, the young people wanted to change the format of their monthly feedback questionnaire. As a result, a new format was agreed. This highlights the way in which young people have an active voice in the home.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager and staff team provide an exceptional outreach service to the young people who have left the home. This can include keeping in touch with them on a daily basis by text, providing support to attend appointments and completion of paperwork. The registered manager and staff team enthusiastically welcome back the young people to the home for special events, birthdays and celebration meals. This provides a source of continuity for the young people and shows them that staff continue to keep them in mind.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home encourages the young people who have left to attend the home’s established ‘leavers’ meeting’. Future ideas for the home, such as the annual summer party or the format of ‘get ready for adult life’ questionnaires, are discussed, with ideas taken forward to the young people living in the home for further discussion and agreement. One recent leaver contributed to the updated children’s guide with a personal quote: the home ‘will help you get back up when ones self [sic] is down. They stick with you through struggles... whatever the weather they are always there’.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The young people enjoy a broad range of activities: bicycle riding, swimming, train trips, golf and rugby, to name a few. The innovative staff team supported a young person to apply for a sponsored place in the tall ships regatta. The staff team is particularly proud that the young person was selected and secured a place to take part in this once-in-a-lifetime experience.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The young people are encouraged with individualised rewards and incentives to achieve their progress targets. Targets include returning home on time, attending school every day or making progress with self-care skills. This approach is successful in helping young people engage with their learning and improving their independence skills.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager takes a keen interest in furthering the staff team’s knowledge base. The staff team continues to develop and learn. This enriches the care and experiences for the young people. All staff complete mandatory training while they also share learning with each other at team meetings. A staff member said, ‘we always continue to strive’ and complimented the registered manager in respect of her commitment to consult and share ideas with other providers and professionals.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager and staff team build effective working relationships with other agencies and professionals. A young person’s social worker said that ‘they encouraged her to attend education’ and ‘liaised with education and child and adolescent mental health services to support her’.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The monthly independent person’s reports are thorough and provide an excellent overview of the home and the experiences of the young people. The independent person provides helpful suggestions and improvement ideas for the home and the registered manager acts on this advice.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home’s success at nurturing the young people and the enduring relationships that result between the young people and the staff team were recently reported and celebrated in a local social care magazine.

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Information about this children’s home

This local authority run home provides care and accommodation for up to five young people with emotional and/or behavioural problems. The home undertakes outreach work with young people, either to prevent the need for accommodation, or to provide ongoing support to them and their carers.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 08/11/2016 Full Outstanding 29/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 29/09/2015 Full Outstanding 12/02/2015 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 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 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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