Children's Home run by Full Circle Care Limited in Tameside

Inspection report children's home: SC396104 1 SC396104 Registered provider: Full Circle Care

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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 children’s home is run by a private company and provides care and accommodation for six young people who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home offers this care to male residents only.

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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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Enforcement action since last inspection

None Inspection report children's home: SC396104 2

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people develop in confidence and self-esteem while living in the home.  Educational attendance and attainment are consistently improved. Young people have a vision for their future and feel that they can achieve.  Young people engage well with staff and have formed trusting relationships.  Contact with important people such as family and friends is well maintained and supported.  Young people make relationships in the community. This enables young people to feel part of the community they live in.  The children’s home is exceptionally well maintained and provides comfortable and modern living accommodation for young people. Bedrooms are completely redecorated and styled in keeping with young people’s wishes.  Young people with a history of disruptive behaviour settle in the home. Disruption is significantly reduced.  Behaviour management systems identify triggers for unacceptable behaviour.

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Key findings from this inspection

Young people do not present with the concerns noted in previous residential settings.  Positive relationships with a range of external agencies are formed. This means that young people’s risks are assessed collectively and managed in a way that reduces risk.  Internal and external monitoring of the home is consistent and provides a good analysis of the service provision in the home. Any areas for further development are responded to quickly.  Staff benefit from training opportunities. This training provides staff with the necessary skills and knowledge to undertake work with difficult and complex young people.  Young people benefit from a small and consistent staff team. Strong relationships are formed between young people and staff.

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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

 Some pathway plans do not consistently identify the stages for transition for young people. Where pathway plans are not suitably updated in accordance with the transition needs for young people, the registered manager must follow this up with the relevant personal advisor.  Where young people’s behaviour changes and they begin absenting themselves from the home for extended periods of time, the registered manager should notify Ofsted in accordance with regulation 40. Inspection report children's home: SC396104 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

15/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 20/10/2016 Full Outstanding 16/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 09/12/2015 Full Outstanding Inspection report children's home: SC396104 4

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) 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(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure the child’s placing authority is contacted, and a review of the child’s relevant plans is requested, if they consider that the child is at risk of harm or have concerns that the care provided for the child is inadequate to meet the child’s needs. (Regulation 14 (2)(e)(i)) 11/08/2017

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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. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.10)  As well as longer-term support for children to move on from the home effectively (regulation 6 (2)(b)(vi)), the home has an important role in supporting each child leaving the home in the period immediately before their departure. The registered person should work with the placing authority to ensure that each child’s transition is planned and help each child to prepare for leaving both practically and emotionally. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 57, paragraph 11.9)

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Recommendations

Inspection report children's home: SC396104 5

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last interim inspection in March 2017, three young people have left the service. One young person was assessed to have additional complex needs and is now accommodated in a single occupancy service. Another young person has returned to his home community to be accommodated closer to his family, and the eldest young person has moved to independent living. There are two new residents in the home. Despite a recent period of instability, young people are happy and settled in the home. One young person said, ‘I really like it here.’ Relationships between young people and staff are based on mutual regard and respect. Staff listen to young people and are consistent in engaging at a level young people understand and respond to. A social worker said, ‘My young person has settled really well and is making good progress. They have built up brilliant relationships with the staff and teachers.’ Young people benefit from personalised care. On the whole, clear and realistic

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

placement goals are routinely agreed between young people and their key worker. Plans are consistently reviewed for progress and areas for further development. Young people engage well with staff. They attend regular key-work sessions, as well as training groups held by the staff and external agencies on a regular basis. This enables young people to make informed decisions and choices about their current life circumstances. As a result, young people feel more in control of their lives and futures. Young people have a history of educational disruption and non-attendance. From their initial starting points at this home, their educational needs are well met. Each young person attends the on-site education facility on a full-time basis. Attendance and achievement is consistently good. Young people are observed as happy in their educational environment and are proud to show off their achievements. Both the

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

residential and teaching staff enable young people to understand that education is important in order to achieve good future life chances. Consequently, young people develop personal goals and aspirations for their futures. Healthcare planning is good. Young people attend routine appointments and check-ups with support from the staff team. Where additional support is required, staff link with a range of external agencies in order that young people receive the specialist advice they need. Likewise, regular visits from the looked after children’s nurse enable young people and staff to discuss any health concerns or queries. For example, issues including illegal highs, cannabis and relationships are addressed using learning tools, such as individualised certificated training packs. One staff member said, ‘We want the best for all our young people and make sure they are given the right information to hopefully

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

make the right life choices.’ Contact with family and friends is suitably supported in the home. Young people are helped to maintain contact with important people in their lives through visits, telephone contact and attendance on occasional family activities. A social worker said, ‘The staff understand how important it is for contact to be positive and they work really hard with Inspection report children's home: SC396104 6 families to achieve this.’ Planned and unplanned activities take place on a regular basis. Individual interests are well supported. Young people join community football and rugby teams and also go to the cinema, trampolining, go-carting and go on day trips with staff. One young person said, ‘We do lots of stuff, sometimes we do games in the house, or we will go out.’ Furthermore, some young people have developed friendships in the local area. Where appropriate, friends are allowed to visit the home and stay for tea or watch a movie. The

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

manager says, ‘We want the young people to have as many normal experiences as possible. We want them to feel like this is home.’ Young people’s meetings take place on a regular basis. This ensures that young people can have a voice in the day-to-day planning for their care, such as choosing menus, activities, decor and trips. Young people engage well in these meetings and are active in reviewing their previous requests. Consequently, young people learn to understand that their views and opinions are valued by staff, and are appropriately responded to. Young people with a plan of independence are supported to gain the skills and abilities to live independently with the use of a dedicated independence training facility. Young people learn to budget, cook and are supported to live independently from the younger group members. However, although the registered manager and staff fully support the young person to gain the knowledge and skills required to live independently, some

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

areas of transition planning are deficient. For example, where pathway planning is incomplete or lacking in specific detail with regard to transition accommodation, the registered manager does not escalate these concerns effectively. Consequently, one young person moved from the home to independent accommodation without prior visits and introductions. This was a result of the local authority ceasing funding once the young person reached 18 years of age. The registered manager must ensure complete clarity in respect of all future transitional arrangements. A requirement and recommendation are made to address this issue.

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

Young people come to the home with a history of risk-taking behaviours. Staff work with them to develop clear and consistently updated risk assessments, which are closely followed in practice. This ensures that staff take appropriate action to reduce any potential risks, including direct key-work sessions and support from external services. Where risks are identified, immediate action is taken to safeguard the young person. Staff focus on de-escalation and re-direction techniques in order to defuse situations between young people. This has proven successful. Since the last full inspection, staff have used four minimal ‘guided walk away’ techniques. Young people and staff are fully debriefed after any intervention and follow-up key-work sessions are consistently recorded. A staff member said, ‘We will try everything to calm a young person down. We don’t want to create an environment where physical intervention is a regular

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

occurrence.’ Privacy and dignity is respected in the home. Young people are encouraged to respect each other and the staff team. Where concerns arise warranting a search of a young person’s bedroom, young people are informed of the reason for the search and can be Inspection report children's home: SC396104 7 present during the process. Records are extremely detailed and reviewed by young people, their social worker and the independent visitor. Young people are protected from on-line predators. Staff and young people receive up- to-date training on matters of on-line safety, including the risks of child sexual exploitation. Electronic equipment is regularly updated to ensure that safety measures are not tampered with and remain suitable for young people. On the whole, young people’s safety is suitably protected. If a young person is unexpectedly late home, or there is a concern about their location, appropriate action is

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

taken. Staff waste no time in searching for young people and making direct contact with known associates. Where risks have been established, the home works closely with external safeguarding agencies in order to suitably safeguard young people. The missing from home co-ordinator said, ‘All the staff work consistently and share important information. I am always provided with up-to-date information.’ Behaviour management plans are routinely updated and reviewed with young people and their social workers. Plans are clear. Young people understand the rules of the home, including individual routines and targets and what is expected of them. Staff consistently apply behaviour management methods, which include praise and reward for progress and meeting individual targets. Boundaries, routine and praise are integral to this home’s practice, and young people thrive as a consequence. Young people are supported to live together and respect each other as individuals with

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

different life experiences, needs and opinions. Likewise, young people are enabled to learn about behaviours such as bullying, both from a victim and perpetrator perspective. The use of training packs, and regular key-work sessions and young people’s meetings, empower young people to recognise the impact of bullying and to take the appropriate action to make it stop.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is managed by a suitably qualified and experienced registered manager who has been in post since May 2009. She is qualified at NVQ level 7 and has a number of years’ experience working with children and young people. The registered manager is supported by a dedicated staff team qualified at NVQ level 3, with senior staff qualified at NVQ level 5. Young people live in a home that is managed in their best interests. The home meets the aims and objectives in the statement of purpose, and young people, social workers and families are clear about the service and support the home provides. Internal and external monitoring systems provide the home with a good approach to the overall monitoring of care. Detailed information highlights areas for development and the manager’s action plan details the methods used to enhance the service. Staff state that they receive good support from the manager. Records of supervision demonstrate that

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

staff meet with the manager regularly, and that training and personal development targets are addressed. An annual training package ensures that staff receive up-to-date training specific to meeting the needs of the young people accommodated in the home. The manager and staff demonstrate good overall child-centred practice tailored to the Inspection report children's home: SC396104 8 individual and personal needs of young people. The effectiveness of this approach is measurable in the progress young people make, particularly in education, a reduction in risk-taking behaviours and social integration. Overall placement plans are clear and realistic and work together with key-work sessions and training packs for specific areas for development. The plans are reviewed regularly by staff and young people and updated accordingly. The manager is aware of the procedures for notifying Ofsted of all incidents under

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

regulation 40. However, since the last inspection, some matters have not been notified. An example of this is where a young person began to go missing frequently from the home. Providing this information ensures that information is shared with the regulatory agency in order that actions and outcomes for young people can be suitably assessed. A recommendation is made to address this matter.

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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’.

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Children’s home details

Provision sub-type: Children’s home Inspection report children's home: SC396104 9 Registered provider: Full Circle Care

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: The office address is the same as the children’s home and so is not included

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Inspector

Maria McGranaghan, social care regulatory inspector Inspection report children's home: SC396104 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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