Children's Home run by Netheredge Care Limited in Kirklees

Inspection report children’s home: SC489226 1 SC489226 Registered provider: Netheredge Care Limited

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This is a privately run children’s home. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to four children who have emotional and behavioural difficulties.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

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

p.1

good

Date of last inspection: 11 January 2017

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Sustained effectiveness

p.1

Enforcement action since last inspection

None Inspection report Children’s home: SC489226 2

p.1

Key findings from this inspection

 The care provided for the young people is very good and very well personalised. The manager and staff clearly know the young people well.

p.2

Key findings from this inspection

 Young people have made measurable progress since their admission to the home, due to efforts made by staff to understand their behaviours.

p.2

Key findings from this inspection

 Young people are regularly consulted and their wishes and feelings are given meaningful consideration. This brings about positive changes in their future plans and opportunities.

p.2

Key findings from this inspection

 Care planning documents have recently been revised to reflect and evidence a more child-focused approach, where the goals and targets for each young person are clearly individualised.

p.2

Key findings from this inspection

 Staff are proactive in making themselves available to young people, actively supporting and escorting them to attend education and important appointments.

p.2

Key findings from this inspection

 Risk assessments evidence the strategies that are in place to manage behaviours associated with young people who go missing from care, or who are at risk of child sexual exploitation.

p.2

Key findings from this inspection

 After a period of instability, experienced staff have been recruited and staff morale has improved.

p.2

Key findings from this inspection

 The revised programme of induction for new staff has improved the home’s ability to retain staff, providing young people with consistency and continuity of care.

p.2

Key findings from this inspection

The children’s home’s areas for development:

p.2

Key findings from this inspection

 The acting manager needs to be proactive in sourcing up-to-date information when considering new referrals, and needs to carry out robust impact assessments.

p.2

Key findings from this inspection

 Staff need to make timely responses to safeguarding incidents, underpinned by the recording of such incidents in sufficient detail.

p.2

Key findings from this inspection

 The acting manager needs to ensure that all serious events or incidents are notified to Ofsted. Inspection report Children’s home: SC489226 3

p.2

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/01/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 10/05/2016 Full Good Inspection report Children’s home: SC489226 4

p.3

Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person must take to meet 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 must comply within the given timescales.

p.4

Requirement Due date

5. Engaging in the wider system to ensure children’s needs are met standard.

p.4

Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff-

p.4

Requirement Due date

If the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5(c)) 19/05/2017

p.4

Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enable to keep themselves safe. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure-

p.4

Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm. (Regulation 12(2)(a)(iii)

p.4

Requirement Due date

With specific reference to immediately updating risk assessments following any serious incidents. 19/05/2017

p.4

Recommendations

 Regulation 40(4) requires the registered person to notify Ofsted and other relevant persons if one of the situations specified in regulation 40(4)(a)–(d) occurs, or if there is an incident relating to the protection, safeguarding or welfare of a child living in the home which the registered person considers to be serious (40(4)(e)). (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the Inspection report Children’s home: SC489226 5 quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.10)

p.4

Recommendations

 The registered person should only accept placements for children where they are satisfied that the home can respond effectively to the child’s assessed needs as recorded in the child’s relevant plans and where they have fully considered the impact that the placement will have on the existing group of children. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.4)

p.5

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are making steady progress within the home relative to their time in placement. This is due to the dedicated staff team, who create an atmosphere where the young people feel safe, listened to and encouraged to make positive choices. One young person said: ‘I know where I stand. If I do my school work, I can play my computer games and staff don’t change their mind.’

p.5

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection one young person has successfully moved into semi- independent accommodation. The young person was supported to develop life skills in preparation for independence, which included budgeting, healthy eating and managing his complex health needs. This has proven to be a life-changing experience, and as a result he gained enough confidence to enrol on a college course.

p.5

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are engaging in educational programmes and making progress relative to their starting points. Staff have been proactive in liaising with education and the virtual head to ensure that resources are put in place, as an alternative to attending mainstream schooling. For example, one young person receives daily tuition from a learning mentor who attends the home; this is a significant improvement, as the young person had not attended school for over twelve months.

p.5

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Maintaining and re-establishing family relationships is an important area of work. For one young person, contact is taking place with his parents after a sustained period of having no contact. There is now a plan in place to return home in the near future. This is being achieved by the close communication between staff and parents to ensure consistency in boundaries and routines. One member of staff stated: ‘X has refused to unpack because he is so motivated to return home.’

p.5

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are encouraged to make suggestions on how the home is run. Residents’ meetings are combined with a Friday night takeaway, resulting in young people being more receptive to engage in discussing topics of choice. A ‘grumble sheet’ has been implemented, allowing young people to record their complaints. The manager prioritises her time to discuss any concerns with young people, with a view to finding mutually agreeable solutions.

p.5

How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Inspection report Children’s home: SC489226 6 Young people are able to build trusted and secure relationships with the adults who are looking after them. Staff, in a relatively short period of time, have got to know the young people well. They understand their complex needs and offer a high level of care that protects and promotes their welfare. For example, one young person has begun to accept that the home is where he belongs, and he is now investing in the placement.

p.6

How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Behaviours associated with young people who go missing from care, and are at risk of child sexual exploitation, are better managed and understood by the staff team. Staff are vigilant and proactive in their responses to safeguarding incidents; for example, staff will routinely search for young people when they have gone missing. Return home interviews have provided staff with some insight as to why young people go missing.

p.6

How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Missing-from-care incidents have significantly reduced for young people. According to a member of staff: ‘X is moving towards being rehabilitated home to his father’s care, and is now having increased unsupervised contact. He no longer goes missing.’ For another young person, listening to and acting upon her wishes and feelings has resulted in a change in her care plan. The young person is now being supported on a shared-care basis, as a move towards independence. Staff continue to offer twice-weekly support as part of a coordinated welfare and safety plan. This has greatly reduced her level of risk.

p.6

How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Care planning documents have been revised to reflect, record and evidence a more child-focused approach, where the goals and targets for each young person are clearly individualised. This contributes to the good outcomes they achieve. Matching and referral processes are generally good, and arrangements for new admissions are well organised. Young people settle down, and staff very quickly assess potential risk. There has been one occasion when the matching has been less than ideal. The manager has learned from this and taken steps to prevent this from happening in the future.

p.6

How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Young people benefit from meaningful discussions with staff. Key-work sessions have been adapted to focus on the ‘here and now’. Examples of topics discussed include sexual health and age of consent, keeping safe and emotional well-being.

p.6

How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Following a significant breach in medication procedures, the manager has revised procedures to ensure that such incidents are unlikely to occur in the future. This has been further underpinned by staff training, ensuring that all staff understand the rationale and importance of keeping children safe.

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has appointed a new manager who is suitably qualified and experienced. She is awaiting registration with Ofsted. Since joining the home the manager has undertaken a comprehensive audit of all policies and procedures that underpin the safe running of the home. New methods of recording have been introduced, and standards have improved. Inspection report Children’s home: SC489226 7 Monthly reports on each young person have been implemented, reflecting the work being undertaken with young people, evidencing progress and identifying areas of continued improvement. For one young person this has resulted in a significant reduction in emotional outbursts as staff have been able to identify what the triggers are.

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The acting manager has worked hard to increase morale and implement changes that have seen an overall improvement in the day-to-day running of the home. A member of staff reported: ‘The manager has a great management style, very upbeat – a breath of fresh air. I look forward to coming to work.’ The motivation and enthusiasm within the staff team has created a homely and cheerful atmosphere that has seen a positive difference in the attitudes of the young people.

p.7

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular monthly supervision, balancing quality time to discuss and reflect on the needs of young people, and planning their own professional development. The senior residential social worker has implemented a revised induction programme for new staff and, alongside this, the manager plays a key role in vetting new staff, strengthened by ensuring that safe recruitment practices are being followed.

p.7

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has a clear understanding of what works well and demonstrates a strong commitment to improving the quality of care and outcomes for young people. With her hands-on approach she routinely invests time with the young people, getting to know their likes and dislikes to ensure that their needs are being met.

p.7

Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference made to the lives of children and young people. They watched how professional staff work with children and young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care provided. Wherever possible, they talked to children and 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.

p.7

Information about this inspection

Using the ‘Social care common inspection framework’, this inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, 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’. Inspection report Children’s home: SC489226 8

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Netheredge Care Limited

p.8

Inspector

Cath Sikakana, social care inspector Inspection report Children’s home: SC489226 9 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, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council Children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

p.8

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, 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 http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.9

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.9

Inspector

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

p.9