Children's Home run by Hertfordshire County Council in Hertfordshire

Inspection report children’s home: SC379199 1 SC379199 Registered provider: Hertfordshire County Council

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This is a local authority children’s home which is registered to accommodate up to six children who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

p.1

good

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

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

p.1

Key findings from this inspection

 The staff build trusting relationships with the children, to whom they provide nurturing care.  Children know how to complain and can identify a trusted adult to talk to. They have access to an independent advocate who visits the home on a regular basis. Inspection report children’s home: SC379199 2  Children all have education plans, and the staff work hard to ensure that the children have the opportunity to learn.  The staff support the children to engage in a number of activities, both together and individually.  The staff provide ongoing support to enable the children to manage their own long-term health needs.  The children access specialist help. The staff are proactive at meeting the children’s emotional and mental health needs.  The staff support the children to have positive relationships with each other.  Children maintain good links with their families and friends.  Children are safe at the home. Staff act quickly if there are any issues of conflict

p.1

Key findings from this inspection

and potential bullying.  The registered manager and deputy manager are confident, ambitious and passionate about improving the outcomes for the children in their care.  The registered manager uses effective tools to monitor trends and themes in the children’s behaviours.  Commitment and drive is evident in the staff team, and this improves the level of care provided to the children.

p.2

Key findings from this inspection

The children’s home’s areas for development:

p.2

Key findings from this inspection

 The location risk assessment does not fully detail the potential risks in the community, specifically, the impact of children’s homes that are in close proximity.

p.2

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

03/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 31/10/2016 Full Good 11/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 06/10/2015 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC379199 3

p.2

Recommendations

 The staff should continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5) This is with particular reference to assessing potential risks in the local community and other children’s homes that are within close proximity.  Ensure that the registered person has a system in place which allows them to monitor the matters set out in the regulation at least once every six months. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.2) This is with particular reference to ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, all of the children have remained in placement. There have been no new admissions and no children have left. The children are stable and settled, and they have lived at the home for a significant time. The children continue to form good attachments with each other and they are making good progress. The home provides a welcoming and family environment, which the staff reinforce with consistent boundaries and regular direct work with the children.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff build trusting relationships with the children, to whom they provide nurturing care. The staff spend time getting to know the children and learning about their individual personalities. This means that children have a sense of belonging and they know that the staff listen to them. One child said, ‘It’s good here. I get on well with all of the staff and can talk to all of them.’

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children know how to complain, and they can identify a trusted adult to talk to. The children have access to an independent advocate who visits the home regularly. The staff support the children to make decisions about their own lives, which helps them to build their independence skills. One child is currently living in a semi-independent flat for a short period. This is enabling her to test out her skills of living alone, alongside the input of the staff who are visiting her regularly. Clear plans mean that safeguards are in place. This child is gaining in confidence and getting used to living in the community.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children all have education plans, and the staff work hard to ensure that the children have the opportunity to learn. The children are making progress towards their individual education targets, and are improving their outcomes for the future. Two of the children are working in local tea rooms during the summer; others are accessing mainstream Inspection report children’s home: SC379199 4 education or attending education bridging provisions. The staff support the children to reach their full potential, and open up new opportunities for them. The staff have good links with the virtual school team. An education professional said, ‘We’re all working together. If there is an issue, we will always meet and try and sort it out. The most important thing is to listen to what the child is saying.’

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff support the children to engage in a number of activities, together and individually. This promotes the children’s confidence and self-esteem, and they participate in experiences that they would not normally have the opportunity to do. The children have access to a caravan, which they use regularly. The children are planning to go mountain climbing again this year. This is an activity which the children excelled at previously, and they pushed themselves to complete the climb. The staff are making sure that this is a team effort. This helps the staff and children to build relationships with each other, and it helps the children to engage in experiences outside of their comfort zone.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff provide ongoing support for the children to manage their own long-term health needs. The staff ensure that the children attend all of their health appointments, and they encourage the children to keep fit and healthy. The manager and the staff have a positive attitude towards wholesome foods, which are included in the menu choices. The children also have the opportunity to take regular exercise. This educates the children, and helps them to develop a healthy attitude to food and exercise.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children access specialist help, and the staff are proactive at meeting the children’s emotional and mental health needs. The staff monitor the children’s behaviour and emotional health closely, and form links with professionals who are trained in therapeutic approaches. This monitoring and multi-agency working helps the children to come to terms with their own life experiences. They are able to talk to their key workers, and the key-work sessions help the children to develop a good sense of identity and confidence.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff support the children to have positive relationships with each other. The children get on well with each other most of the time. If there are issues, the staff have discussions with the children so that situations are quickly resolved. The home has clear care plans for all of the children, and the admission dynamics at the home are carefully considered. One child said, ‘I get on with everyone here, we all get on OK.’

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children maintain good links with their families and friends. The staff support contact arrangements and keep parents and carers up to date with what is going on. One parent said, ‘They [the staff] phone me and keep in touch as much as possible. The staff are great, and I know he is happy here.’

p.4

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

Children are safe at the home. Staff act quickly if there are any issues of conflict and potential bullying. The staff work hard with the children to address any concerns, and they act as good role models for the children. As a result, there are very few incidents. Inspection report children’s home: SC379199 5 When children go missing, staff follow the children’s individual risk assessments and actively look for them, contacting them by phone and liaising with the police as required. The placing authorities and other professionals are kept up to date about any incidents or concerns. A social worker said, ‘Communication is very good. There are regular meetings, and if there are any concerns I know straight away.’

p.4

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

There are identified risks in the local community and with children’s homes in the locality. The staff work effectively with other homes to plan an effective course of action to monitor the children’s behaviour and ensure that the children are safe. Communication between the homes is consistent, which helps to reduce the risks. The staff plan structured joint activities to enable the children to see each other in a safe environment. However, the location risk assessment does not fully reflect the potential risks in the community and, specifically, the impact of the children’s homes that are in close proximity. This does not provide a clear view of how these risks may affect the children or any new admissions.

p.5

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

Children are encouraged to have free time. There is careful monitoring, review and assessment of this by the staff. The children are very clear about the boundaries at the home. A ‘Making it Right’ process ensures that fair consequences are used and that the children have an opportunity to make good choices. There is consistent oversight from the manager to make sure that these consequences are proportionate.

p.5

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

There have been no physical interventions since the last inspection. A relatively new intervention, Non Violent Restraint (NVR) is now beginning to be implemented by most of the staff members. This is an effective and innovative way of addressing behaviours, and enabling the children to take responsibility for their own behaviours and find solutions. The management team views this as very effective. Currently, the outcomes and the impact of this approach are yet to be fully measured and analysed. This is identified by the managers as a development point.

p.5

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

The staff complete room searches if there is an identified concern or risk. The staff are proactive, and they act on information accordingly. The children are aware of the room search process, and the record-keeping is transparent.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

There is a clearly defined structure in the staff team. The staff roles are specific, providing an efficient workforce. A competent deputy manager supports the registered manager to run the home, and they work well together as a team. A staff member said, ‘We’re really lucky with the management team. I feel fully supported. We are like a family.’

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager holds a relevant level 4 diploma and a registered manager’s award, and she is currently undertaking a level 5 diploma. The manager is experienced, with over 14 years of managing children’s homes. She has been in post since May 2017. The manager continues to progress her knowledge and learning, and she is innovative and confident in her approach to leading the home. The registered manager and deputy manager are Inspection report children’s home: SC379199 6 confident, ambitious and passionate about improving outcomes for the children in their care. This means that the staff team has access to excellent guidance and support and its members are encouraged to develop and progress in their roles.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The management team embraces new ideas. They champion fresh approaches and make sure that these ideas and approaches clearly cascade to the staff team through regular team meetings and supervision. The staff talk positively about their managers and their influence on them and the service. The staff have a clear view of the ethos and aims of the home and work hard to achieve this.

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Most staff members hold a relevant level 3 diploma, and others are progressing towards completing this qualification. The staff benefit from a good training package, with the provision of additional training specific to the needs of the children. This enhances the level of care provided to the children from day to day. The manager and deputy manager are both excellent role models for the staff, and they have high expectations of the staff and the children.

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager uses effective tools to monitor trends and themes in the children’s behaviours. This monitoring identifies the changes needed to help the children to manage their behaviour more positively. This child-focused approach supports ongoing progress for the children, as staff have a clear oversight of what is happening for the children in their daily lives. The external reporting is comprehensive and positively contributes to the progress of the home. Any issues are clearly identified and the manager takes effective action to address them.

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Managers challenge other agencies, and they advocate for the children. The staff are creative at thinking outside of the box as to how to help the children to improve their life chances. This commitment and drive is also evident in the staff team, and the children benefit from high-quality care as a result. Consequently, placements are maintained.

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Observations during the inspection show that the children value their relationships with the staff and the managers. These relationships provide the children with a sense of belonging and improved well-being.

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Apart from a recommendation in relation to the manager’s monitoring, which is reinstated, all previous recommendations are met. This recommendation is only reinstated because the timescale for completion has not yet been reached.

p.6

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 Inspection report children’s home: SC379199 7 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.

p.6

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: SC379199 8

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Hertfordshire County Council, Apsley One, Brindley Way, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire HP3 9BF

p.8

Inspector

Debbie Young, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC379199 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

p.8

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.9

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.9

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: http://www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.9