Children's Home run by Castle Homes Care Limited in Barnsley

Inspection report children‟s home: SC363630 1 SC363630 Registered provider: Castle Homes Care Ltd

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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 a privately run children‟s home that accommodates up to three children with 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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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: 2 February 2017

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: Improved effectiveness

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Enforcement action since last inspection

None Inspection report children‟s home: SC363630 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

 Children are continuing to flourish and are consistently making considerable progress relative to their starting points.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Children have exceeded expectations in all aspects of their lives due to a dedicated and motivated staff team which is innovative in the care it provides.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Children are encouraged to participate in a range of activities that promotes their health and well-being and develops social integration.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Keeping children safe is unquestionably a high priority and underpins day-to-day practice within the home. Children feel safe, and they thrive on the routines and boundaries in place.

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Key findings from this inspection

 The provider implements safe recruitment practices. Retention of staff offers the children continuity of care, allowing children to „grow-up‟ in the care of a stable and experienced staff team.

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Key findings from this inspection

 The registered manager is highly valued for her strong leadership skills, and her emphasis on improving the quality of care and outcomes for children.

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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

 The home would benefit from a more streamlined process of recording and filing care planning documents, and other relevant information pertaining to children and young people.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

02/02/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 28/09/2016 Full Outstanding 09/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 01/12/2015 Full Outstanding Inspection report children‟s home: SC363630 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children have continued to make exceptional and sustained progress relative to their starting points. Their placements are stable and permanent. For one child this has been their longest placement, having previously experienced eleven placement disruptions: „I am really happy and feel safe‟, says one child, „and wouldn‟t change anything. I get on well with the staff, they really help me when I‟m feeling down.‟

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Trusting and nurturing relationships have been developed within a cohesive and dedicated staff team. Young people are appropriately demonstrative in their affections towards staff. Positive attachments and bonds have developed, which is a significant step forward for one child, who previously displayed behaviours associated with attachment disorder. As one child commented: „I don‟t mind not watching television after 10.00pm because [care-worker] reads to me.‟

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children are engaging in education that has been tailored to their specific needs. Staff are instrumental in their support and communicate with education professionals through daily handover discussions. On admission to the home, one young person had not been in any form of education for over 12 months. With gentle encouragement and extensive support, the young person has progressed from attending once a week on a one-to-one basis to three times a week in a group setting. The independent reviewing officer states: „Since being placed, X has come on in “leaps and bounds” with a significant improvement in schooling, overall a completely different young man.‟

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children are exposed to a range of extra-curricular opportunities that combine recreational and educational activities. For example, staff have been innovative in combining a healthy eating project alongside a weight loss programme, which has significantly improved one child‟s self-esteem and confidence. The child, when discussing the project commented: „I didn‟t realise how much sugar is in all these foods!‟ Another child, who is keen on circuit training, when flexing his arm muscles, said: „I want these brussels sprouts turned into turnips.‟ This easy-going and relaxed banter has seen both children now socialising more with their peers, due to the proactive efforts made by the staff team.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Maintaining and promoting family relationships is a key strength, with staff going out of their way to ensure that contact takes place and is meaningful to the child. Staff communicate regularly with parents and other key individuals. This helps to develop and nurture family relationships, acknowledging that bridging this gap will improve future outcomes for the children in their care. As one parent said: „The home and staff are brilliant, I can‟t fault them at all. I have visited the home and I‟m really impressed. I get on well with all the staff who always keep me updated. I am looking forward to X having overnight contact.‟

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Through key-work sessions, children have benefited from completing life-story work and monthly journals. Specific training has been delivered to equip staff in understanding Inspection report children‟s home: SC363630 4 how important it is for a child to understand their journey through care. For one child, her photographs and memorabilia are all she has to remind her of her early childhood: „I am very proud of this, it tells me all about my family. I will keep adding things to it, because now it‟s all about me.‟

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The manager and staff create opportunities for children to contribute to the day-to-day running of the home through a range of forums. Weekly resident meetings cover a range of topics and encourage participation in menu planning, group activities and redecoration. A suggestion sheet is accessible for the children to make comments about anything that is on their mind. The recent redecoration of the lounge has involved considerable input from the children in the choice of colour and design.

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

Young people receive high quality care and supervision. Systems are in place to ensure that children are safeguarded with a staff ratio that offers the children 1.1 supervision. Risk taking behaviours are understood and predictors to such behaviours are monitored and acted upon to prevent escalation. Children feel safe and protected, resulting in one child disclosing historical abuse. The timely response to these disclosures, alongside therapeutic intervention, has enabled the young person to move forward and have closure.

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

Action was taken to give notice on one young person due to behaviour associated with child sexual exploitation, and the negative influence this was having on the other children resident within the home. The manager and staff were unquestionably committed in exploring all avenues to sustain the placement, but ultimately the risk could not be managed. For example, they ensured that the young person always had a personal alarm when leaving the home and worked tirelessly with the police in providing intelligence. A police safety officer commented: „We all worked really hard in trying to keep X safe. Staff would go out looking for X and try to encourage her to return.‟

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

Staff worked above and beyond in preparing the young person to move on by completing work around life skills and personal safety in preparation for the adult world. In conversation with the young person, she stated: „It was my behaviour that led to me having to leave. I was a bad influence on the other kids. Staff worked really hard at trying to keep me safe but I wouldn‟t listen.‟ Staff continue to offer daily telephone contact.

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

Practice within the home remains at an exceptionally high standard and, despite the disruption, staff have managed incidents appropriately, which has minimized risk. Understanding and responding to behaviours associated with harm to self and others has seen such a significant change in one of the children. The use of restraint has reduced from almost daily to none in the last four months due to staff finding alternative ways to de-escalate situations.

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

Risk assessments are regularly updated to mirror current behaviours and manage risks, both within the home environment and in the community. Young people respond well to Inspection report children‟s home: SC363630 5 the boundaries imposed because they understand the rationale behind them. Staff have the opportunity to undergo specialised training, to better respond to issues that underlie certain behaviours, in such areas as attachment and emotional resilience.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager is suitably qualified and has managed the home for a number of years. She has retained a stable and committed staff team through effective leadership skills, and is well respected by staff and other professionals.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager and staff make every effort to ensure that children are supported to become familiar with the home through a well-planned, highly individualised introduction process. The welcome pack is visual, colourful and child-friendly, with lots of input from the children. Referrals are given high scrutiny to ensure that the home can appropriately meet the child‟s needs and the impact on other residents is kept to a minimum.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is clearly mindful of certain behaviours exhibited by children that make staff vulnerable. Lone-working risk assessments are completed on all staff, alongside robust safeguarding procedures that underpin all aspects of staff practice. For one member of staff, who has been the target of inappropriate comments and behaviour from a child, waking night shifts have been put on hold.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has a thorough understanding of what the home does well and demonstrates a strong commitment to improving the quality of care and outcomes for children. The manager made the following observation: „Following the recent difficulties, it is really nice to see the children laughing and having fun and enjoying themselves. Staff are really hands-on with the children and very motivated.‟ The home has a family- orientated approach, led by a committed and inspirational manager.

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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: SC363630 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Castle Homes Care Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 80 Hammersmith Road, London W14 8UD

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Inspector

Cath Sikakana, social care inspector Inspection report children‟s home: SC363630 7 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

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Inspector

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Inspector

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