Children's Home run by Fair Ways in Hampshire

Inspection report children's home: SC066481 1 SC066481 Registered provider: Fairways Care (UK) Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is registered to accommodate up to four young people who have emotional or behavioural difficulties. Fairways Care (UK) Ltd is the wholly owned subsidiary of the charity, Fairways Foundation. The organisation has its own educational facility nearby.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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good

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

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good

Date of last inspection: 18 October 2016

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Good

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Key findings from this inspection

 An exceptional manager has nurtured a culture of optimism, creativity and improvement. Staff are confident in his leadership and are following the path of continual improvement. Inspection report children's home: SC066481 2  Staff work closely with other professionals to agree and implement bespoke risk management protocols for young people who are determined to place themselves at extremely high risk.  Young people feel cared for. They know that staff are committed to keeping them safe and meeting their needs. There is a sense of family.  Young people have a clear vision for the future and how they are going to get there.  The registered manager challenges other professionals and is himself open to challenge. An independent visitor identifies the pertinent issues and evaluates the effectiveness of safeguarding. Practice improves.  Staff morale is high. They speak in the most positive terms of the professional

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Key findings from this inspection

and personal support their line managers provide.  Staff use innovative and creative practice to give young people a sense of belonging and identity. Challenging behaviour diminishes.  Young people are in good health. Staff ensure that they have all the relevant health appointments, including immunisations.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

18/10/2016 Full Good 14/07/2016 Full Inadequate 08/03/2016 Interim Declined in effectiveness 18/08/2015 Full Good Inspection report children's home: SC066481 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people have a clear, strong voice in the home. Staff invest time in them, and know them intimately. Staff can identify what young people are saying through behaviour as well as words. The registered manager demonstrates his commitment to hearing the voice of young people, for example by placing staff on a comprehensive effective listening course. As a result of listening to young people, he modified the building so that professionals can meet without invading young people’s space. Professionals no longer even use the same front door as the young people use. Young people use the complaints system when they want a formal response to an issue that concerns them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people feel a sense of identity and belonging. They are free to be tactile with staff and initiate a hug. They are able to enjoy a feeling of being cared for. There is a family feel in this home. Pointing to the registered manager, a young person said, ‘He’s a dad.’ A young person said, ‘This is the only place I have felt settled since leaving my family.’ Specialist staff train the team so that they understand the underlying psychological reasons for behaviour. Staff adapt the training to meet the needs of individual young people. Staff understand the therapeutic approach of the home. A clinical psychologist not only provides a professional assessment but also translates this into working practice. He then provides group supervision to members of the staff team as they apply the principles in their daily approach. Staff work to modify the inner working model of each young person away from one of shame and worthlessness to one of acceptance

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are able to talk to or see their family and other individuals who are important to them. Staff provide any necessary support, such as supervision or writing a contract of expectations. They are on hand to help young people process any conversations that are inappropriate, or that young people are struggling to understand. In some cases, staff arrange monthly network meetings with parents. The adults agree the consistent messages that they give to the young people.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff place young people at the centre of practice. For example, the registered manager arranged for a particular member of staff to come and be with a young person, supporting her on an activity she really enjoys, after a particularly distressing incident. Staff do not reject young people because of their behaviour. Young people feel valued and cared for. Line managers place great emphasis on the staff members’ success in developing good relationships with the young people; for example, this informs staff probation reviews.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff place a high importance on education. They advocate for the young people to get the educational placement that meets each young person’s needs, such as a school with strong pastoral support. A young person who was previously home tutored due to his level of violence and poor social skills is now integrated into a school. Other young people, already in school, are motivated, as demonstrated by revising for their GCSEs. Inspection report children's home: SC066481 4 Young people are well engaged and have clear plans for the future. For example, a young person has been successful in gaining an interview for an apprenticeship in the occupation he wants to pursue. Staff communicate well with education professionals so that young people are emotionally in a place ready to learn. Young people talk to staff about anything that is troubling them at school, such as their relationships with their peers. Young people are learning how to relate to others, including understanding the

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

impact of their words on other people’s feelings.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff give priority to young people’s health. The registered manager commissions specialist professionals, such as a clinical psychologist, to assess young people’s emotional health needs. He translates these assessments into succinct care plans with measurable goals. Staff help young people to make good choices, such as supporting them to get immunisations they have missed earlier in life. Young people engage in a range of healthy activities such as swimming, squash, skiing and football. They are determined to be as healthy as possible, such as getting to their ideal weight. Staff support young people in this, through actions such as purchasing smaller dinner plates and managing portion sizes.

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

This is a staff team that is not risk averse. The registered manager effectively engages with other professionals to agree strategies to safeguard, as much as possible, young people who are unwavering in their attempts to hurt themselves. He insists on joint agency working to be able to maintain placements for young people who have experienced numerous placement breakdowns over a short period, due to extreme risk- taking behaviour. A young person said, ‘They are committed to me or they would have kicked me out by now.’ Young people receive a consistent message that staff love and care for them.

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

Staff are innovative and creative in their approach to support young people to express their difficult feelings and manage their own behaviour in alternative ways. For example, young people are able to write their feelings on their bedroom walls, which have been especially modified for this purpose. Staff have customised a bedroom door that a young person was damaging repeatedly. They painted it in a specific way to reflect his interest. He no longer targets it. Other young people have damaged furniture in their bedrooms or used self-injurious behaviour as a coping mechanism. Young people recognise that staff are helping them to find alternative methods of expression, such as indicating emotions on a time-line and being involved in creating their personal ‘zoning plan’. Young people are beginning to use less damaging strategies than hurting themselves, which has previously resulted in hospital visits. Staff are not risk averse; for example,

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

they agreed with a young person how the young person would access and use a razor blade safely for their personal care routine.

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

Some young people still struggle to express their painful emotions and resort to violence. Behaviour management plans guide staff on how to intervene, for example when a Inspection report children's home: SC066481 5 young person takes items to use as a weapon. Staff are trained in advanced physical intervention techniques, which they use on occasion to keep everyone safe. Such restraints are proportionate in the circumstances. Staff check the ongoing welfare of the young person after an incident, and keep clear records of how they have done this. The registered manager reviews each incident and looks at ways to prevent recurrence. This fully involves the young person’s reflection on the incident.

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

Missing from care is not a current major issue in this home. Staff follow the clear protocols when such an event occurs, including searching known high-risk locations in the local vicinity and involving other agencies when necessary. They are effective in providing stimulating and meaningful activities, as well as warm and loving relationships, so young people do not feel the need to run away.

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

Staff identify other risks, such as young people who may be at risk of child sexual exploitation. They understand the control measures to follow and are alert to the signs that a young person may be abused. Such measures are effective, and no young person is considered to be subject to child sexual exploitation at present.

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

The registered manager has taken the previous recommendation about e-safety very seriously. Staff have been retrained, young people educated and the policy rewritten. Staff are acutely aware of the risks and adopt the strategies in the policy to keep young people as safe as possible without being risk averse. Staff assess the risk to each young person. The approach is successful. Staff identify inappropriate searches on the internet. Any limitations to accessing the internet or personal electronic devices are bespoke for each young person to keep them safe.

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

The registered manager has embedded safer recruitment practice in the culture of the home. He only employs adults who are deemed to be suitable to work with young people.

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

Bullying is not an issue in the home. Staff are on hand to diffuse any language or approaches that others may find offensive or be tempted to respond to. They talk to young people to help them see how their choice of words can have a negative impact on those around them.

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

Young people live in a safe environment. All necessary health and safety checks are in place. Young people know how to evacuate in an emergency.

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

Staff demonstrate a good knowledge of child protection procedures. They are aware of what to do in the event of a concern. They have not had to access the procedure since the last inspection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

An exceptional manager leads this home. He is well qualified and experienced. He has a track record in leading homes in the right direction, often after a period of turbulence. Inspection report children's home: SC066481 6 He has registered with Ofsted since the last inspection. Staff speak in the most positive terms about him. They say they feel supported in their professional and personal lives so they are in a place to offer the young people the best possible care. A member of staff said, ‘He has brought about a lot of positive change.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Likewise, the wider leadership of the organisation is excellent. They have worked relentlessly, making bold decisions, to bring about the obvious improvements to the home. They fully support the registered manager through the supervision process, which includes external clinical professionals.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Of particular note is the quality and depth of the monitoring. The most recent statutory report sent into Ofsted clearly reflects the change in culture and improvements to the management structure, with clear objectives and direction for the next six months. An independent visitor provides professional challenge every month. She identifies the pertinent issues and recommends actions to improve practice. The registered manager sees these as a tool to drive further improvement, such as in the management of medication.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff appreciate their training. They have a comprehensive induction programme that their line manager closely monitors. Once they are through their probation period there is an ongoing personal development plan that fully encompasses the therapeutic approach of the home. A member of staff said, ‘We don’t just get the standard training. We get training relevant to each young person’s individual needs.’ This is a team that is well versed in understanding the parenting attachment model used in the home. They comprehend the underlying psychological reasons for young people’s behaviour. Consequently, young people begin to feel secure in the adults around them. Their inner working model is reformed and their self-value improves. Their need to withdraw, be defensive or engage in conflict is significantly diminished. A young person said, ‘Staff work really, really hard to do the best for me.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff value their supervision experience. They see it as a safe space where they can talk about the emotional impact of their work on them. Staff feel free to talk about their personal issues and how these might affect their work. They speak highly of the management support given to enable them to do their absolute best for the young people in their care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager carefully considers the needs of young people whom placing social workers refer to the home. He has designed an impact assessment tool that triggers discussion on the impact of admitting a new young person on other young people in the home, for example how everyone would respond to mixed genders. Careful planning, such as the use of specific bedrooms, means that placements have every chance of success.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager translates referral information and care plans into placement plans. These provide the staff with the necessary information to care for each young person. Since the last inspection, the registered manager has reformatted placement plans into an outcome-focused approach. Staff are able to see the monthly, measurable Inspection report children's home: SC066481 7 goals to support each young person on a daily basis.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager challenges the work of other professionals, such as assessments that contradict each other or how well others are engaging in the risk management process. Equally, he is open to professional critique. He listens to others and changes his view when there is clear, reasonable and professional argument as to a specific course of action. He works well with other agencies, including Ofsted, notifying them of significant events.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

This is a home that is in the hands of an excellent, competent manager who is leading it in the right direction. No requirements or recommendations are made as a result of this inspection.

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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 differences 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 whom it is trying to help, protect and look after.

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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: SC066481 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Fairways Care (UK) Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Fairways House, Mount Pleasant Road, Northam, Southampton SO14 0QB

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Inspector(s)

Keith Riley, social care inspector Inspection report children's home: SC066481 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.

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Inspector(s)

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Inspector(s)

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Inspector(s)

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