Children's home run by Worcestershire County Council in Worcester

Inspection report children’s home: SC479244 1 SC479244 Registered provider: Worcestershire County Council

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a local authority operated home. It provides care and accommodation for three young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. All of the young people are from the local authority’s area.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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Outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected Outstanding

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Outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers Outstanding

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Outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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Outstanding

Date of last inspection: 26 January 2017

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Outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: Sustained effectiveness

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Enforcement action since last inspection

None Inspection report children’s home: SC479244 2

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Key findings from this inspection

This children’s home is outstanding because:

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Key findings from this inspection

 Staff have exceptional relationships with young people based on emotional warmth and trust. Consequently, young people feel safe emotionally and make significant progress.  Staff consistently provide clear routines and boundaries that enable young people to improve their behaviour and overall outcomes.  Feedback from young people and professionals is exceptionally positive about the quality of care provided.  Research underpins and promotes the overarching practice in the home.  The registered manager is ingenious in her approach, and constantly strives to improve the quality of care and experiences that young people have in their home.  Staff understand fully the needs of young people. Care planning is focused on young people’s strengths and achievements.  Staff have strong, effective relationships with partner agencies including education and health professionals.  Specialist services work effectively with the staff team to provide additional

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Key findings from this inspection

support and advice to young people. This minimises episodes of emotional distress.  Young people’s views are gathered routinely in an informal child-centred way. Improvements to the home are swiftly made because of young people’s feedback.  Young people’s high-risk behaviour, for example child sexual exploitation and missing from home, significantly reduce because of the care they receive.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

26/01/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 30/06/2016 Full Good 03/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 08/12/2015 Full Outstanding Inspection report children’s home: SC479244 3

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Recommendation

 Ensure that there is a workforce plan which details the processes and agreed timescales for staff to achieve induction, probation and any core training (such as safeguarding and health and safety and mandatory qualifications). This is with specific reference to ensuring timely updates for basic training in relation to food hygiene. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.8)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people benefit from extremely warm and trusting relationships with each of the staff. The staff team is small and stable to maintain consistent care for young people. Staff have an excellent understanding of young people’s needs. This is demonstrated in the young people’s detailed and thoughtful individual care plans. A young person told the inspector, ‘I feel safe at the home and I have no worries, there is nothing that makes me sad. I love the staff and the registered manager and want to stay.’ Young people make remarkable progress from their starting points because of the warmth and care they receive from staff. Young people are involved in all aspects of the home and have designed and named their own ‘kids’ office’ that they use for homework. Young people insist that staff are referred to as ‘adults’ rather than ‘staff’. Young people explain that this is because they feel like they are part of a big family. The registered manager supports this view and

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

embeds this into the culture of the home. She also makes sure that, when professionals visit, it is a meaningful, positive experience for young people. For example, social workers often stay for dinner. Because of all these measures, young people feel that they belong. One young person told the inspector, ‘It feels like my own home.’ Young people are proud of their home. This increases their sense of stability. Staff take great care to make sure that young people receive a warm welcome to the home, with a smooth transition that provides reassurance. A young person said, ‘I was told all about the home. I met staff first and visited it before I came so I was aware of my plan and I liked visiting for tea.’ Consequently, young people feel part of the home, are relaxed and experience less apprehension about moving in. The young person’s guide is adapted according to young people’s individual needs. Information is

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

personalised with bright animation to welcome them into the home. This alleviates any worries about what to expect. Young people are able to decorate their bedrooms as they wish and pick the colours of their bedroom walls and bedding, which helps them to settle in. Young people’s individual care plans are very comprehensive, detailing all aspects of their care, highlighting their needs, aspirations and achievements and setting realistic Inspection report children’s home: SC479244 4 targets. Young people read their care plans and know what is recorded about them. Staff enable young people to attend their reviews and meetings with other professionals. This helps young people to understand and influence what is happening in their lives. For example, they make decisions about how often they will see their families and those people important to them. They also make informed choices about whether they can

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

safely use mobile phones, and how the risks of ‘free time’ are managed. This collaborative, transparent approach helps to make sure that young people feel that their voices are heard and valued. Young people have advocates to help them share their views, but consider their key workers as the first point of contact if they are worried about something. One young person told the inspector, ‘I do nice things with my key worker. I feel like I can talk to them.’ This means that young people are well supported and are able to raise with staff the issues that matter to them. The registered manager has well-established and meaningful relationships with education and health professionals. Young people make considerable progress from their starting points. For example, some young people previously did not attend education but now have excellent attendance rates. This helps them to achieve more academically. The

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

registered manager has effectively challenged the head teacher and education co- ordinator to make sure that young people benefit from their education. An education co- ordinator told the inspector, ‘Partnership working is excellent and the registered manager is not afraid to challenge, whether it be the headteacher or the designated teacher. One young person was out of education for a while and then went back to a mainstream school, which was a great leap. She has dealt with the change positively and school and home staff have made it work between them.’ Young people are well supported to return to school. One young person told school staff, ‘I love living at the home.’ A teacher at a special school told the inspector, ‘Living at the home is the best thing that has happened to him as he is so settled. He is on a more settled plane, if he gets agitated we call home and they help us manage him and vice versa.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people have very good health because of the dedication and diligence of staff, who encourage young people to attend routine appointments. Staff advocate for young people to access specialist health input such as the local authority’s integrated service for looked after children (ISL). This service provides psychological and therapeutic-based interventions to young people who have experienced trauma. Because of this intervention, the staff team provide consistent and nurturing care. Consequently, young people are helped with issues such as low self-esteem, anxiety and attachment issues. This service improves young people’s emotional health and well-being and has a significant, positive impact on young people. For example, one young person now sleeps better at night because of the support they have received. Young people openly talk with staff about sensitive issues such as sexual health, and make mature choices about

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

contraception. They have knowledge about sexually transmitted infections and staff attend appointments with them because of the trusting relationships they have. This exceptional practice improves the life chances and overall outcomes of young people as they progress into adulthood. Staff help young people to develop their independence skills and make excellent use of everyday opportunities. Staff encourage young people to tidy their bedrooms, to help set the table and clear away after evening meals. Young people bake, cook meals and help with the laundry. In addition to this, young people are positively rewarded for saving Inspection report children’s home: SC479244 5 pocket money and are helped to budget when saving for a special item. This means that young people become more confident and develop the skills they require as they enter adulthood. Young people understand the cost of things; they value their personal items

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

and those of the other young people with whom they live. Consequently, the opportunity for conflict is significantly reduced and young people’s behaviour improves. Young people have access to a range of activities within the local community and there is limited use of mobile phones and iPads. This intentional strategy encourages other social learning and development opportunities. Trips to the local park with ‘fish and chip picnics’, hill walking and board games are some of the favourite activities young people enjoy. Cinema, baking and shopping are also valued. Staff are creative in their use of arts and crafts. Staff complete therapeutic-based activities, for example, focusing on bereavement and loss to facilitate talking. These improve young people’s emotional well- being and reduces their feelings of anxiety and distress.

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

From the moment referrals are received, the registered manager works assiduously to gather and assess all information. This ensures that the staff team is able to meet the young person’s needs. Detailed impact assessments analyse clearly the potential effects of any behaviours upon other young people in the home. Associated risks are considered. Clear action planning and effective behaviour management strategies are identified. Risk assessments and ‘behaviour and nurturing support plans’ focus on young people’s individual needs. They outline clear strategies and approaches for staff to follow. This means that staff are aware of potential behaviours and can plan ahead to safeguard young people. This approach, combined with the exceptional skills of the staff, result in significant and sustained improvements in young people’s behaviour. Young people become more reflective about their behaviour and the impact it has on

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

themselves and other people. Staff work tirelessly with the sexual exploitation team, police, education professionals, social workers and the local authority looked after children’s nurse to reduce the significant risks young people face. The registered manager ensures that six-weekly multi-agency meetings are held to discuss risk management plans and to maintain that prompt timescales are met in relation to safeguarding issues. This means that young people remain safe from abuse and emotional harm. One young person has reduced significantly the risks she was subjected to from sexual exploitation. Previously, she was repeatedly going missing and being groomed by adult males. Since residing at the home, she no longer goes missing, she has a boyfriend her own age and is more aware of the danger she was in. The young person told the inspector, ‘When I first came to the home, I was making mistakes and was at risk, and now I am doing so well because of them

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

[the staff]. They care about me, everyone here worries and wants to know if I am okay and what I am doing. I feel things have changed a lot, not like one of my friends, she is where I was, she is not safe and that is not a good place to be.’ There have been no safeguarding referrals or physical interventions since the last inspection. Young people do not go missing from the home and their behaviour improves. This is as a direct result of the staff team’s skills. Staff avoid the need for Inspection report children’s home: SC479244 6 restraint by using highly effective de-escalation strategies. The playfulness, acceptance, curiosity and empathy (PACE) approach is used by the staff team to make young people feel emotionally safe. One staff member told the inspector, ‘Young people are safe because all of the staff have their best interests at heart. The environment creates this, the location assists the holistic approach and relationships based on trust.’ Through

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

building up trusting and warm relationships, the staff have enabled young people to feel settled and to explore new experiences. Staff have a thorough understanding of the risks young people face. These include risks relating to radicalisation, sexual exploitation, self-harm, internet safety and bullying. Staff supervise young people well and closely monitor their behaviours to reduce potential risks and tackle concerning patterns of behaviour. Young people safely access the internet because of the appropriate restriction and oversight of mobile phone use by the staff. Young people feel safe because key working sessions enable them to express their thoughts and feelings. Staff talk with young people about safe choices, using humour and role-play to highlight risky behaviours. This use of role play by staff enables young people to explore realistic situations in a supported environment. As a result,

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

young people are helped to understand potential risks and make choices about how to keep themselves safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager is highly experienced, dedicated and passionate about young people. Staff are united in providing a warm, nurturing environment for young people who develop positive, secure attachments. As a result, young people make remarkable improvements in their behaviour and achieve a strong sense of belonging. The registered manager has been in post since July 2016. She has completed the level 5 diploma in leadership and management. The registered manager encourages staff development and the different ways of working within the team. Staff feel listened to. One member of staff told the inspector, ‘The registered manager and her leadership are very good. She listens and accepts challenge; she comes to decisions with you and puts the onus on key workers.’ Consequently, staff want to improve and make sure that the needs of young people are met to an excellent standard. Staff are consistently positive about the commitment of the registered manager and the

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

support they received from her. Staff receive regular, high-quality supervision that has taught them how to care for young people with nurture and warmth. The registered manager has high expectations of staff and high aspirations for young people. Regular team meetings discuss research and support staff reflection. For example, articles update staff on topical issues such as depression. Other literature and online resources develop their understanding about young people’s needs, rejection, resilience and challenging behaviour. This learning and continuous professional development enriches the care given to young people and provides them with a secure base so that they can thrive. One staff member told the inspector, ‘The registered manager’s approach and experience is infectious. She promotes the nurturing and attachment group training and the DDP theory overall.’ These approaches are solidly embedded into the practice of the

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

staff and the ethos of the home. Staff constantly reflect on their practice and how they Inspection report children’s home: SC479244 7 can support young people better. Young people feel safe and secure because of the relationships staff have developed. Staff receive good-quality and meaningful training that assists them in their work. Well- kept records highlight the training that staff have completed. However, a very small number of staff need to update their food hygiene training. The registered manager has highlighted this issue to the training department. She has taken action to remedy this and has escalated her concerns about the delay. This issue has had no negative effect on young people. Eight staff members are employed in the home, with an additional post agreed because of a previous inspection requirement. The registered manager oversees a robust recruitment process so that only the most experienced and suitably qualified staff are

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

employed to work in the home. Five of the staff team hold the level 3 diploma in residential childcare, with three staff members on target to complete this in July 2017; this is within the required regulatory timescales. New staff receive a thorough induction. They attend meetings and ‘drop-in days’ prior to commencing in post. Young people are part of the recruitment process and have a say about who is caring for them. This makes them feel at ease, strengthening their belief that this is their home. The registered manager has been part of an internal working group to develop a thorough induction for newly appointed residential managers within the local authority. This has been key in improving the induction process for newly appointed managers. This maintains the excellent quality of leadership. Highly effective monitoring systems help to develop the service further. The manager completes a six-monthly review to analyse the quality of care provided to young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

She is very aware of the home’s strengths and weaknesses and continually strives for improvement, quickly responding to any areas of development. A clear and well-written development plan highlights areas of improvement that are designed to improve outcomes for young people. The registered manager is innovative. For example, she has developed a new system for updating young people’s placement plans, making them a ‘living’ document. This has helped young people to be interested in their plans, engage with them and comment on them. The registered manager regularly updates the statement of purpose. It clearly identifies the home’s aims and sets out how staff care for young people. Admissions of young people are in line with the statement of purpose and the registered manager makes sure that the staff team is able to meet young people’s needs fully. The registered manager promotes tolerance and equality. She advocates strongly for

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

young people when this is required. Young people receive help to understand their self- identity. Staff ensure that practical care needs relating to food, hair or skincare are in place and openly discuss issues such as racism. This approach has made sure that young people’s cultural needs are sensitively met and adds to their feeling of belonging. Inspection report children’s home: SC479244 8

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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 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.

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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: SC479244 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Worcestershire County Council, County Hall, Worcester WR5 2NP

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Inspector

Anna Rudge, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC479244 10 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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