Children's Home run by Fairways Care (UK) Limited in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole

Inspection report children’s home: SC391708 1 SC391708 Registered provider: Fairways Care (UK) Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is owned by a private company that operates other children’s homes. It is registered for up to two young people. The home provides care for young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: Sustained effectiveness

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people are cared for by a well-trained, committed staff team that has the Inspection report children’s home: SC391708 2 young people’s well-being at the heart of all it does.  The registered manager uses the views of young people, their families and professionals to make the home better.  The leadership and management of the home are outstanding. The registered manager monitors and improves practice well.  Young people are welcomed into the home in a way that is personal to them. This makes the move into the home as stress-free as possible.  Behaviour is well managed. Staff help young people to understand how their behaviours have an impact on themselves and others.  Staff members understand safeguarding procedures and use them to good effect.  Young people make very good progress in their education from their starting points. For some young people, this means going back into education. For

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Key findings from this inspection

others, it involves going on to higher education.

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Key findings from this inspection

The children’s home’s areas for development:

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Key findings from this inspection

 Ensure the discussion held with a young person after they have been restrained is carried out by a member of staff not involved in the restraint.  Ensure that records of supervision sessions with staff consistently contain information on the content of the discussion.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 26/07/2016 Full Outstanding 23/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 14/12/2015 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC391708 3

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Recommendations

 Any child who has been restrained should be given the opportunity to express their feelings about their experience of the restraint as soon as is practicable, ideally within 24 hours of the restraint incident, taking the age of the child and the circumstances of the restraint into account. In some cases, children may need longer to work through their feelings, so a record that the child has talked about their feelings should be made no longer than 5 days after the incident of restraint (Regulation 35 (3)(c)). In addition, this should be conducted by a member of staff not involved in the restraint. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 49, paragraph 9.60)

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Recommendations

 It is good practice for a note of the content and/or outcomes of supervision sessions to be kept and to ensure that both the person giving the supervision and staff member have a copy of the record. In particular, the quality of some records of supervisions do not adequately reflect the content of the discussion. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.4)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are able to build very good, trusting and strong relationships with the staff who care for them. This is due to the nurturing and care that the staff provide, the time they spend with the young people and the value that staff place on listening to young people’s views. The staff have an in-depth understanding of young people’s needs and how they will be met by the staff team. Excellent procedures are in place for welcoming young people into the home. The registered manager ensures that comprehensive information is gathered before a new young person is offered a place at the home. This information is used to make sure that the new young person will fit in well at the home. Staff go and meet the young person and then visits to the home take place prior to them moving in. This is all done at the young person’s pace to make the move as stress-free as possible. Young people make very good progress in their education. Young people have

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

successfully taken GCSEs and for some young people, this has led to a place at college. Some of the young people who live at the home have been out of education for some time. Staff work effectively with education providers to get young people back into education. Young people make good progress from their starting points, emotionally and socially. High numbers of staff ensure that young people enjoy a wide range of activities in the community. Young people are able to have new experiences and develop new skills, as Inspection report children’s home: SC391708 4 well as pursue existing hobbies. In addition to building young people’s confidence, staff ensure that young people have fun and make positive memories. Young people are fully involved in activity choices and planning for school holidays. Young people are provided with any additional help that they may need. The home makes good use of therapists and a range of other specialists. Staff say that they see it

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

as their responsibility to source and provide whatever the young people need to progress. The well-being and progress of the young people is their main driving force. One member of staff said that some of the young people have not had anyone who will ‘go that extra mile for them, we will do that’. Staff help young people to learn skills that will benefit them in the future, including independence skills at a level appropriate to their age. Most importantly, young people are helped to understand what brought them into care, how to manage their emotions and how to manage conflict. Young people in this home are healthy. Staff help young people to understand the importance of a healthy diet. Young people are involved in compiling the menus for the week. They take part in the preparation of meals, which helps to develop their independence skills.

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

Young people living at the home are protected from harm. Staff demonstrate a good understanding and working knowledge of safeguarding procedures, including their duty of care. This is enhanced by the staff’s in-depth understanding of the young people’s individual needs and their vulnerabilities. Young people learn the skills and strategies that they need to keep themselves safe. The staff team supports this by creating and using excellent plans and risk assessments. They have the skill needed to help young people to change their lives for the better. In addition, this helps young people to understand their behaviours and learn ways of coping with negative feelings and emotions. The staff have developed effective working relationships with the local authority designated safeguarding officers in the authority where the home is based and those of the young people who they care for. These professionals felt that the staff team is

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

effective at keeping the young people in its care safe. The staff team is also very prompt at passing on safeguarding concerns and supplying appropriate information. Restraint is only used as a last resort. When it is used, it is proportionate, with only holds identified for that young person being used. Records of restraints are appropriate except that debrief sessions with young people after a restraint are not always carried out by a member of staff not involved in the restraint. This could potentially prevent young people from raising any concerns that they may have about how the restraint was carried out. Sanctions being used by the home have been reviewed to make these more restorative in nature. This is linked with developing young people’s understanding of the effect that their behaviours have on others and themselves. There are good processes and procedures for dealing with young people who may leave

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

Inspection report children’s home: SC391708 5 the home without permission. These are tailored to the individual, recognising specific vulnerabilities such as age. The recruitment of staff is done safely and follows clear procedures that are effective. This protects young people from those who may wish to harm them. The environment is maintained to a high standard. This provides young people with a safe, warm and comfortable home in which to live and thrive. Young people are included in choices of decor. When young people move into the home, they are supported by staff to make their bedroom a personal, special place.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager has ensured that the recommendation from the previous inspection has been met. The bathroom has been refurbished to a high standard. The home is managed by an experienced and qualified registered manager. She ensures that her own and the staff team’s skills are current, reflecting developments in social care practice. The registered manager is an inspiration to both the staff and the young people whose care, well-being and development are at the heart of all work undertaken by the team. This view is supported by feedback from other professionals. The registered manager has a clear understanding of both the strengths and areas for development in the home. She has developed detailed plans to further improve the services that the team provides. Her main drive is to provide young people living at the home with high-quality care, positive experiences and memories. This aim is shared by

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

the staff team. Monitoring systems are excellent and are seen by the registered manager as being key to ensuring that practice is of the highest standard. This linked with the analytical and reflective work carried out by the team ensures its ongoing development. Young people are cared for by a well-qualified and committed staff team. The team provides young people with excellent role models. The staff all have high aspirations for the young people and hold themselves to high standards. Professionals praised the team for its work and commitment to the young people whom it cares for. The registered manager ensures that the number of staff working at the home is 10% above the minimum number needed to care for the young people living at the home. This approach means that staff absences are covered by people that the young people know well. There have been recent suspensions of staff at the home due to allegations. These have

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

been investigated and found to be unsubstantiated. This has been exceptionally well managed. Staff have been provided with good-quality support throughout this event, which has included individual, group and team supervision. Consultation with the young people, their families and professionals who work with the staff is seen as essential by the team. Information from consultation is used to develop practice and enhance the provision for young people. Staff receive excellent training. Training plans are linked to individual and team Inspection report children’s home: SC391708 6 development as well as the needs of each young person. Staff are currently receiving training on therapies which will further enhance the work that they do with the young people. Staff receive regular supervision, annual performance reviews and team meetings. The quality of the records maintained of supervision sessions does vary. Some lack detail of

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

the discussion undertaken. Staff say that supervision and team meetings are very helpful and positive experiences. One staff member said that the only way to develop is to reflect on the work that you do and look at how this can be improved. The quality of young people’s case records ranges between good and outstanding. Staff record in clear language events in the young people’s lives. This ensures that when young people access these records it will help them to develop their understanding of their history, experiences and how far they have progressed since moving into the home. The home’s statement of purpose is detailed and reflects current practices. This is supported by the young people’s guide, which is in a format that they can understand easily.

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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: SC391708 7

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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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Children’s home details

Registered manager: Maria Pazdzior-Arnold

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Inspector(s)

Wendy Anderson: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC391708 8 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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