Children's Home run by Surrey County Council in Surrey

Good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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The children’s home provision is good because:

 Staff form strong and nurturing relationships with young people. Young people make excellent progress while living in the home; they feel confident and safe in their home and around staff. Young people genuinely see it as their home and not just somewhere that they live.  Young people are supported to understand healthy lifestyles and what this means for them. In addition to being encouraged to exercise and eat fresh produce, they are supported to learn to cook for themselves and to attend medical appointments, so that they can be prepared for this part of adulthood.  Young people approach staff with any worries or concerns that they have. Staff have an acute awareness of each young person’s vulnerabilities, and what may make them anxious or scared. Staff do all they can to ensure that young people feel safe, while teaching them how to be safe themselves.  Young people access education, employment and training and all have made

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The children’s home provision is good because:

significant progress in this area since living in the home. Staff effectively support young people in completing their studies and accessing work. Additionally, staff liaise closely with education professionals to ensure that young people have the best opportunities possible.  Leaders and managers in the home use regular monitoring by the independent visitor, managers’ checks, and evaluation and discussion with young people to continually improve the service.  Staff regularly liaise with other professionals involved in the young people’s lives to ensure that there is consistency in approach and to ensure that all staff are aware of any current issues there may be concerning a young person. In addition, staff remain in contact with family and carers in order to share ideas and approaches to meeting their child’s needs, and also to keep them informed of the progress that their child is making.  Staff benefit from a variety of training which helps them to meet the young

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The children’s home provision is good because:

people’s needs. However, some mandatory training has been overlooked and several staff do not have up-to-date training for safeguarding, first aid and behaviour management, including restraint.

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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 (2)(c) the registered person must ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. This specifically relates to keeping training up to date in respect of safeguarding, first aid and behaviour management, including restraint. 15/05/2017

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and run by the local authority. It provides care and accommodation for up to six young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

13/06/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

24/09/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

12/03/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Good

Young people make excellent progress while living in the home. Staff form strong and nurturing relationships with young people, enabling them to feel confident in their interactions with staff and safe in their surroundings. Staff are demonstrably interested in young people’s lives and ensure that they greet them on their return home each day. Staff take time to listen to how their day has been, offering advice, guidance and encouragement. Those young people who struggle to open up are offered extra time later in the day during activities, such as colouring or at meal times. Additionally, young people have one-to-one sessions with staff formally through key work sessions, or on an ad hoc basis, in order to share their views and ideas on topics such as what meals they would prefer, to more complex decisions, including what they would like shared at statutory reviews, and views on their next steps when moving on from the home.

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Good

Young people are aware of the complaints procedure, but favour managing any issues directly with staff. Most young people are engaged in education, training or employment. One young person has been offered the opportunity to take up permanent employment at the church they attended. Staff actively encourage and support young people to complete their studies and spend time with them on the internet when completing homework or in distance learning. One young person was extremely pleased with the amount of money he had earned at his part-time job, which has also provided relevant experience for his college course. Staff liaise closely with education provisions in order to best support the young people they care for. They will also actively challenge if they feel a course or education establishment is not meeting the individual’s needs. In addition to formal education, young people are engaged in a range of socially

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Good

and emotionally stimulating activities, both in the home and the community. These include football, arts and crafts, and cooking. They also have the opportunity to spend time with their friends in the home and community. Those who would like to formally observe a religious service are able to do this, no matter the distance to the closest place of worship. An example includes a young person who is now able to travel to East London independently to attend church and meet with others in this community. Young people are supported to understand healthy lifestyles, and what this means for them. They are encouraged to eat healthily with plenty of fresh produce available in the home and freshly made meals. Young people are also encouraged to help cook meals so that they have these skills for independence. Young people access health appointments as required. There is close liaison with emotional well- being specialists, who also advocate for young people, sharing their views on how

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Good

they would be best placed and supported as adults. A specialist from the child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) regularly attends team meetings, to guide staff on how best to meet young people’s needs. Staff work consistently as a team to ensure that young people know what is expected of them. A restorative approach is employed to manage any unwanted or socially inappropriate behaviour, which is extremely effective. There are very few sanctions, and young people have time to reflect on how they can repair situations or relationships and consider how they could respond differently in the future. The group at times is self-policing and staff encourage open discussion between young people to understand how they can get on as a group, while recognising that all are different.

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Good

Young people say they feel safe in the home and identify staff they would go to if they are worried or upset. Staff make sure that they are available for young people, for example by engaging in activities around the kitchen table, where conversation flows. Staff are acutely aware of all young people’s vulnerabilities and do all they can to keep them safe. They actively educate young people on how to be safer in the community and how to say ‘no’ if they are not comfortable in situations. Staff benefit from training in various issues, such as self-injury, radicalisation and exploitation in all its forms. They talk confidently about how they would respond should they be concerned for a young person’s well-being, despite not all staff having safeguarding training within acceptable timescales. All safeguarding and child protection concerns are responded to swiftly and reported to appropriate safeguarding agencies. Investigations are well managed and young people are

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Good

supervised in the home as needed in order to keep them safe. Young people rarely go missing from the home, and staff are well versed in the procedure to follow should they not know a young person’s whereabouts. Should a young person leave the home, staff aim to follow them, and ensure that the young person returns to the home to discuss what is troubling them. If a young person on free time is going to be late home, they remain in telephone contact until they are safely back home. All young people have sexual exploitation risk assessments, and the management and staff are also fully aware of the risks posed by other forms of exploitation, such as gang involvement. Young people’s risk assessments reflect what they are able to do, rather than focusing on what they cannot do, demonstrating that the home is not risk averse. Young people have access to the internet through the home and via their mobile phones. The potential risks are

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Good

recognised by staff, but are outweighed by the need for young people to experiment and make mistakes online while in a safe and supportive environment. Positive behaviour is actively promoted in the home, and restraints are rarely used. Many staff need to update their behaviour management training, including restraint. This has not negatively impacted on young people as training has lapsed in recent weeks, although it could become a risk. Police work effectively with the home and are a positive presence in the home. Young people are not unduly criminalised, and police will actively work directly with young people to avoid them entering the youth justice system. Safer recruitment is followed to ensure that young people are protected from potential harm from those working in the home.

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Good

The registered manager is an inspirational leader, guiding the staff team consistently, while being accessible and open to discussion on decisions he makes. Staff say they are well supported through supervisions and that the management team is accessible to discuss any concerns or ideas. The quality of care provided is regularly reviewed and scrutinised, in particular since a new independent visitor has been completing reports in line with regulation 44. The home manager utilises these reports in addition to his own evaluation and monitoring in line with regulation 45. The home’s development plan is updated in response to any shortfalls identified as a result of these. Young people’s views are key to identifying areas for improvement in the fabric of the building and quality of care provided, and their voice is evident throughout reports and plans. Joint working with partner agencies is evidenced throughout young people’s care

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Good

and, in particular, in their plans. Individualised plans reflect the input of specialist services, such as CAMHS and education psychologists. Plans are updated as required, and an evaluation of each young person’s placement allows reflection to consider if it remains right for them. If the management team feels a service is not meeting a young person’s needs, then it will actively challenge this. Young people’s progress is regularly monitored and demonstrates that all young people have made significant developments in relation to their starting points. Staff are engaged in this evaluative process to ensure that they can reflect on how far a young person has come, despite any concerning behaviours they may be currently displaying. The staff work effectively as a team and regular team meetings ensure that plans are consistently followed. There is space of open debate and discussion to ensure that all views are considered, but also those staff who may be struggling with a

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Good

young person’s behaviour or needs are also supported. Staff benefit from a wide range of specialist training to meet young people’s needs, or to consider new guidance and practice. However, in this process, some mandatory training has been bypassed, meaning several staff do not have current first aid, safeguarding or behaviour management training. Staff maintain excellent links with young people’s families and carers. Staff ensure that they are aware of any developments their child is making and how they can work effectively together to continue any progress being made. If parents are not willing to engage, staff continue to make contact to ensure that the parents have the opportunity to be engaged.

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What the inspection judgements mean

The experiences and progress of children and young people are at the centre of the inspection. Inspectors will use their professional judgement to determine the weight and significance of their findings in this respect. The judgements included in the report are made against ‘Inspection of children’s homes: framework for inspection’.

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What the inspection judgements mean

An outstanding children’s home provides highly effective services that contribute to significantly improved outcomes for children and young people who need help and protection and care. Their progress exceeds expectations and is sustained over time. A good children’s home provides effective services that help, protect and care for children and young people and have their welfare safeguarded and promoted. In a children’s home that requires improvement , there are no widespread or serious failures that create or leave children being harmed or at risk of harm. The welfare of looked after children is safeguarded and promoted. Minimum requirements are in place; however, the children’s home is not yet delivering good protection, help and care for children and young people. A children’s home that is inadequate is providing services where there are widespread or serious failures that create or leave children and young people being

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What the inspection judgements mean

harmed or at risk of harm, or result in children looked after not having their welfare safeguarded and promoted.

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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 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

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Information about this inspection

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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