Children's home SC044058

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged requires improvement 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

Children and young people now receive a safer and better quality service. The leaders, managers and staff have taken appropriate actions to improve health and safety arrangements. This includes fire safety, the staff recruitment records, the records of physical interventions and monitoring of the service. Five of the six requirements given at the full inspection have been addressed, while leaders and managers are working towards securing compliance with the sixth. Leaders and managers have demonstrated clearly that they took the findings of the inspection seriously. Alongside their own quality assurance systems they have made continuous improvements in the quality of care provided.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The child protection standard is now met. The premises are safe. The physical environment is maintained free from avoidable hazards. This includes the play area in the garden. The chains that were initially left free to swing hazardously from height for a number of months have been either secured or removed. Children now play happily and safely in the garden, while being supported by staff members.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The regulation related to fire precautions is met. Many changes to the environment have been put in place to enhance fire safety in the home. The improved fire safety ensures the safety of all. All fire exit pathways are clear of obstructions. The previously key locked fire exit from the main kitchen has been changed into a push bar exit. Similar type doors are on order for the main lounge. Meanwhile, a clear risk management plan has been implemented to make sure that the current doors can be easily opened. Significant changes have also been made along the exit paths through the garden towards the assembly point. The home now has good arrangements in place to ensure swift evacuation from the premises. In addition, arrangements for containing fire and poisonous fumes have improved and are now good. Magnetic retainers have been fitted to the fire doors. The retainers are connected to the main fire alarm system. These now automatically release and

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

shut the doors when the fire alarm is activated.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The regulation related to fitness of workers is now met. Full and satisfactory information is available on the individual staff recruitment files. This evidences that the local authority has checked that the staff are suitable to work with children and young people. The staff team is stable. There have been no new staff since the last visit. Children and young people have benefited from the consistency of relationships and staff care practices.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The leadership and management standard is now met. Monitoring and quality assurance processes have improved. The local authority contracted an external agency to carry out independent visits. The new independent visitor has quickly established excellent working relationship with the home’s leaders and managers. The independent visitor’s monthly monitoring reports are evaluative and thorough. They demonstrate that the service is subject to robust independent scrutiny. They identify strengths and give clear directions for further development. The leaders, managers and staff have welcomed the independent visitor’s recommendations on how they can improve further. They used these recommendations effectively to improve the home’s evidence of good practice, such as having more detailed records relating to medication and fire drills.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The one remaining requirement relates to the records of the staff debriefings following use of a physical intervention. Improvements in this area have been achieved. However, good practice has not been embedded. Leaders and managers have plans in place to support consistency of good practice. They intend to introduce a separate book for recording of staff debriefings. This is due to happen at the team development day at the end of this month.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Leaders and managers have continued to improve the service across other areas, in line with their own development plans. For example, all bedrooms have been fitted with new furniture. The furniture is of a good standard and appropriate for the needs of children and young people. In addition, a new, well-equipped soft- play room for children and young people enables them to enjoy and use a safe space when they need it. The main management office is now located closer to the main area of the home. The aim of this move was to facilitate children, young people and staff having easier and more natural access to the management, such as just simply popping in to say ‘hello’. The move has secured a more inclusive and visible management presence and better monitoring.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The leaders, managers and staff have a strong commitment to enabling children and young people to have a voice. Comprehensive training opportunities for staff, supervision and on-job coaching have focused on enhancing staff’s knowledge and skills. In particular, communicating with children and young people who have communication difficulties. Staff maintain and use various display boards to help children and young people to learn the meaning of symbols in different visual languages, such as sign language. This is a new practice that links effectively with children’s and young people’s learning outcomes.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

In December 2016, the home dealt with one significant incident: a vulnerable young person absconded from the home. It is most likely that he climbed over the garden fence. This incident was well managed within the multi-agency safeguarding response framework. The young person was found safe and well by the police. Due to the changes in the young person’s needs that showed during and after this incident, and escalating challenging behaviours, he has since moved on from the service. The leaders, managers and staff reflected on the incident and identified learning points. Such as tighter admission procedures, not being distracted by talking with parents when they bring their children to the home and not leaving garden furniture out (to prevent it being used to build a climbing device).

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Two more young people have left the service. This was due to them reaching adulthood. They have left with many happy memories and were ready and prepared for the new phase of their lives. The service helped the young people to develop their independent living skills and work towards achieving their potential.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The leaders, managers and staff are excellent advocates for children and young people. Within the multi-professional network, they advocate particularly well for children and young people to have good educational and transitional opportunities.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the full inspection, neither the home nor Ofsted received any complaints or information raising concerns about the service. Parents are highly satisfied with the quality of the care provided. They say that they value the home’s approach to collaborative ways of working to enhance children’s positive outcomes. Professionals from other fields provided positive feedback about the quality of the service. A professional from the school has written to the staff, saying ‘you are doing a great job’.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children and young people enjoy positive experiences when accessing the service. They are protected and cared for by staff and appear happy. The service has improved with leaders, managers and staff continuing to build on their progress, with children and young people making good progress and experiencing positive outcomes.

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Information about this children's home

This local authority home provides a short-break service for up to six disabled children and young people. It provides overnight, weekday and weekend care, including breaks offered on an emergency basis.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 25/10/2016 Full Requires improvement 10/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 11/12/2015 Full Good 24/02/2015 Interim Improved 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

The registered person must ensure that within 48 hours of the use of the behaviour control measure such as physical restraint, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (‘the authorised person’), has spoken to the user about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(b)(i)) 01/07/2017

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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

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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