Clare Lodge

Inspection report secure children‘s home: SC033362 1 SC033362 Registered provider: Peterborough City 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 secure children‘s home is managed by a local authority. It is approved by the Department for Education to restrict young people‘s liberty. The children‘s home can accommodate up to 16 young people who are aged between 10 and 17 years. It provides for young people accommodated under section 25 of the Children Act 1989 and who are placed by local authorities. Admission of any young person under 13 years of age requires the approval of the Secretary of State. Education is provided on site.

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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 good

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good

Outcomes in education and related learning activities good

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good

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

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good

Date of last inspection: 24 January 2017

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Sustained effectiveness

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Enforcement action since last inspection

None Inspection report secure children‘s home: SC033362 2

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people are safe and feel safe. This is because staff understand young people‘s complex needs and provide emotional and practical support.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people enjoy positive relationships with staff. These focus on honesty, mutual respect and trust.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Internal care planning processes take account of young people‘s specific risks, and include actions and interventions to manage and reduce these risks.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Staff seek young people‘s views and wishes relating to their care. They incorporate these into internal care plans.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Staff benefit from good quality training programmes and regular practice- related supervision. This ensures that staff have the skills and knowledge that they need to support young people.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Managers carefully monitor and focus on continuously improving the outcomes and quality of teaching and learning that young people experience at the home.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Teachers plan their work sensitively and carefully to take good account of the range of complex emotional and mental health needs that young people experience.

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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 registered manager must ensure that commissioned health services consistently meet young people‘s physical and emotional needs.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Staff do not ensure that sanctions for unacceptable or challenging behaviours are restorative in nature.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Staff do not ensure that all young people‘s case file records are kept up to date, or that their case files include all necessary information and documentation.

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Key findings from this inspection

 The registered manager and senior leaders must promote and support effective teamwork across the home. Inspection report secure children‘s home: SC033362 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/01/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 26/04/2016 Full Good 15/12/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness 09/06/2015 Full Good Inspection report secure children‘s home: SC033362 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

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must— seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child‘s needs; and seek to develop and maintain effective professional relationships with such persons, bodies or organisations as the registered person considers appropriate having regard to the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the children‘s home is to provide care and accommodation. (Regulation 5(b)(d)) 02/10/2017

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that the health and well- being needs of children are met.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff— help each child to achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child‘s relevant plans (Regulation 10(1)(a)(2)(a)(i)) 02/10/2017

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children‘s home that promotes their welfare.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate. (Regulation 13(1)(b)(2)(b)) 02/10/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (―case records‖) for each child which– include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child; and are kept up to date. (Regulation 36(1)(a)(b)) 02/10/2017 Inspection report secure children‘s home: SC033362 5

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Recommendations

 The registered provider must ensure that for a children‘s home to be a nurturing and supportive environment that meets the needs of children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. In particular, ensure that all rooms within the home are personalised to achieve a domestic appearance throughout wherever possible. (‗Guide to the children‘s homes regulations including the quality standards‘, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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Recommendations

 Ensure that young people must be able to take up issues or make a complaint. The registered provider must in particular, ensure a timely investigation and outcome to young people‘s complaints. (‗Guide to the children‘s homes regulations including the quality standards‘, page 23, paragraph 4.13)

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Recommendations

 Ensure that the ethos of the home supports each child to learn. Specifically, improve the provision, quality and range of ICT in school so that young people can more adeptly access information and learn new skills. (‗Guide to the children‘s homes regulations including the quality standards‘, page 29, paragraph 5.18)

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Recommendations

 Ensure that the ethos of the home supports each child to learn. Specifically, develop a whole unit policy to address the fluctuating and erratic attendance of young people at school. (‗Guide to the children‘s homes regulations including the quality standards‘, page 29, paragraph 5.18)

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Recommendations

 Ensure that the ethos of the home supports each child to learn. Specifically, improve governance arrangements for education so that curriculum development and performance management information are scrutinised to ensure effective planning for the future. (‗Guide to the children‘s homes regulations including the quality standards‘, page 29, paragraph 5.18)

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Recommendations

 Ensure that children are offered a wide range of activities both inside and outside of the home (where appropriate) and are encouraged to participate in those activities. In particular, ensure that care staff consistently provide a wide range of activities during the evenings and weekends. (‗Guide to the children‘s homes regulations including the quality standards‘, page 31, paragraph 6.5)

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Recommendations

 Ensure that any sanctions used to address poor behaviour are restorative in nature, to help children recognise the impact of their behaviour on themselves, other children, and the staff caring for them and the wider community. In some cases it will be important for children to make reparation in some form to anyone hurt by their behaviour and the staff in the home should be skilled to support the child to understand this and carry it out. (‗Guide to the children‘s homes regulations including the quality standards‘, page 46, paragraph 9.38)

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Recommendations

 Ensure that staff are familiar with the home‘s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that Inspection report secure children‘s home: SC033362 6 distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. This is with specific reference to the detailed completion of single separation records, risk assessments, search records, one-to-one sessions, ‗managing away‘ records, sanction records and restraint records. (‗Guide to the children‘s homes regulations including the quality standards‘, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people enjoy positive and trusting relationships with key members of staff. One young person said, ‗I get on so well with my key workers and with other staff too.‘ Another young person said, ‗I get on well with [name of staff member] and I have sessions with her every week.‘ Staff utilise these good relationships to encourage young people to embrace the care, support, therapy and guidance available. These initial tentative steps towards building appropriate relationships with adults, help young people to move forward with their lives and to grow in self-esteem and confidence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff instil clear and consistent boundaries to daily routines in the home. This approach enhances young people‘s experience and means that they feel safe in their environment. These feelings of physical security enable young people to make social and emotional progress through structured one-to-one key-work sessions. Staff make sure that these sessions reflect young people‘s individual needs, including their experience of sexual exploitation, their vulnerabilities and their risks. Furthermore, staff use these sessions to support internal care planning processes and to measure young people‘s progress. They devise internal support and placement plans that mirror the overall aims and objectives of the placing authority. These plans also incorporate the specific requirements for placing a young person in secure accommodation. Nevertheless, staff do not always make sure that young people‘s case records, including key-work sessions and internal

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

support plans, are recorded in sufficiently detail or kept up to date. This administrative shortfall means that some young people‘s case files do not provide a precise overview of their ongoing development.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people use health services, both on-site and in the community, that support their physical, emotional and psychological well-being. However, fluid and seamless access to specialist in-house health services is sometimes compromised by restrictive health service contract arrangements. For example, limitations on the medical tasks that health professionals are permitted or able to undertake often mean that young people need to go outside of the home to receive treatment. These obstacles potentially prevent young people from accessing the health services they need without delay. Furthermore, on one occasion, a lack of clearly defined roles and responsibilities for care staff and health staff meant that a young person was left without necessary prescription medication. These shortfalls are unacceptable.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff complete routine lifestyle sessions with young people around topics such as Inspection report secure children‘s home: SC033362 7 substance and alcohol abuse, and smoking. This work helps young people to recognise the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle and equips them with the information they need to make informed choices. More recently, and in consultation with young people, catering staff made changes to menus. These improvements promote and encourage a more balanced and healthier diet. Young people continue to make positive suggestions to further improve the menu choices provided.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people have regular opportunities to express their views about the service and to make suggestions about their care. Through one-to-one key-work sessions and young people‘s meetings, staff encourage young people to voice their opinions. This means that, when practicable, young people are involved in decisions about their care, and the plans for their future. In addition, managers seek young people‘s feedback on the home and their suggestions for improvements.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people know how to make a complaint and are confident in using this procedure. They benefit from easy and free access to independent advocacy services should they prefer to raise their issues through this agency. However, because the registered manager takes sole responsibility for investigating and addressing all complaints, some young people experience a delay in seeing a resolution to the issues that they raise. Although young people say that they are pleased that the registered manager deals with their complaints, they are ‗frustrated‘ by these delays.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Social and leisure activities are part of everyday life at the home. Young people are involved in decisions about how they wish to spend their time in the evenings and weekends. In recent months, activities at these times have been limited. Access to outside space is temporarily restricted due to ongoing building work. Enthusiasm to plan and provide young people with stimulating activities fluctuates dependent on the staff on duty. One young person said, ‗I like to go to the gym and go most days. We have to share one outside space and this has been hard. We watch a lot of TV; it does get boring.‘ Nevertheless, staff with the responsibility for planning summer holiday activities have devised a varied and exciting range of learning and leisure pursuits.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people enjoy routine contact with those who are important to them. One young person said, ‗We can phone our families every evening. I phone and speak to my mum from my bedroom.‘ Feedback from parents include the statement, ‗I speak regularly with my daughter by phone and visit when I can.‘ This promotes and maintains important and positive family networks and relationships, and means that young people do not feel isolated.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help young people to gain independent living skills. They encourage young people to complete everyday domestic tasks, such as helping with washing-up, keeping their bedrooms tidy, learning to cook and money management. These support programmes often form part of a young person‘s planned move to non-secure accommodation, and include community outings and activities. Together, these plans help young people to move towards independence. To further support their journey towards adulthood, young people complete individual and peer-group sessions to discuss tolerance, diversity and equality. This celebration of differences helps young people to reflect on their own Inspection report secure children‘s home: SC033362 8 identities, backgrounds and cultures.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is suitably equipped and designed to meet young people‘s needs. Lounge areas and young people‘s bedrooms are personalised. However, some rooms lack personalisation, making particular areas appear stark and institutional. These include the ‗chill-out room‘, the medical room and some corridor areas.

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

Staff work hard to keep young people emotionally and physically safe. They are conscientious in their practice and determination to protect and nurture young people. Young people say that they feel safe in the home and do not report bullying to be an issue. There have been some noted incidents of bullying and poor group dynamics, although records show that these events are swiftly addressed.

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

Young people benefit from individualised support packages of care, devised by staff, which enable them to explore the reasons why they are in secure accommodation. For many young people, these programmes include work sessions relating to child sexual exploitation. Staff use these sessions to encourage young people to reflect on their backgrounds, personal circumstances and experiences. This is with a view to assisting young people to identify their own risks and develop strategies to reduce these risks as their self-esteem and confidence grows. These bespoke work plans enable young people to develop emotional resilience. Consequently, young people leave the home with a better awareness and understanding of their own vulnerabilities.

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

The service operates a proportionate approach to managing young people‘s risks. For example, staff encourage young people to put their newly developed skills and coping strategies into practice outside of the home. Staff support young people to leave the home to participate in activities or to attend appointments. These mobility outings allow young people to test their own internal controls, and to learn to manage their anxieties. There are no incidents of young people going missing since the last inspection. Staff remain vigilant to signs that young people may try to run away, and are mindful of young people‘s individual vulnerabilities. There are clear internal and local police protocols in place for staff to follow should these events occur. Nevertheless, staff do not consistently ensure that mobility plans, or the associated risk assessments and case records, include sufficient detail. This recording shortfall means that these plans do not

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

fully demonstrate how young people are prepared for leaving the home, or the success of these outings.

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

Staff promote and reward positive behaviour. The ‗level‘ system encourages young people to manage their own behaviour and earn extra privileges, such as later bedtimes. Staff personalise reward programmes for individual young people when this is considered to be appropriate to help them to focus on particular aspects of their behaviour. When necessary, staff impose sanctions for poor or unacceptable behaviours. Nevertheless, these sanctions are often punitive and generally result in the loss of ‗points‘. There are very few recorded examples of restorative practice or occasions when young people address their behaviour by making amends. This approach means that Inspection report secure children‘s home: SC033362 9 young people do not sufficiently reflect on their actions.

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

Physical restraint is only used as a last resort. The frequency of these incidents and the duration of restraints have reduced since the last inspection. This is testament to the success of young people‘s individual behaviour management plans.

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

Staff receive regular refresher training in the use of this measure of control and associated de-escalation techniques. An allocated manager reviews and evaluates all incidents of physical restraint to ensure that the need for this intervention is necessary and proportionate. At regular intervals, a designated officer from the local safeguarding team also reviews incidents, samples reports and views incidents on CCTV. This extra level of scrutiny further promotes young people‘s safety. However, records of physical restraint are inconsistent. Although staff complete all necessary sections in these reports, the detail provided varies considerably. Consequently, this administrative shortfall means that records of these events do not necessarily provide a clear overview of the incident.

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

Staff search young people, and the environment, when intelligence suggests that contraband items, such as potential ligatures or sharp objects, are present and may compromise young people‘s safety. Some searches involve young people removing their clothing to allow staff to thoroughly search for these items, although intimate searches are not permitted. However, staff do not always complete these records in sufficient detail. There are occasions when staff have failed to indicate the level of search required or record the details of the manager authorising this action. This means that the rationale for searching a young person is not consistently recorded.

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

On occasions, young people are separated from their peers, and from staff, or ‗managed away‘ from the main group. Senior managers authorise the use of this practice as and when it is required to prevent immediate and significant harm to young people or others. In these circumstances, staff complete frequent observation checks to ensure that young people are safe. Senior managers regularly review young people‘s behaviours to make sure that their ongoing actions continue to meet the specific criteria to warrant the use of this restrictive practice. Although staff appropriately record their observation checks, some documents relating to the rationale for use of single separation lack sufficient detail. For example, staff do not consistently record actions taken to de-escalate young people‘s challenging behaviours, and documents do not always include young people‘s comments.

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

Staff receive regular safeguarding and child protection training. This includes sessions relating to child sexual exploitation, radicalisation and managing allegations and disclosures of abuse or harm. Staff confirm that they know what to do and who to inform if they have concerns about a young person‘s safety, or if a young person discloses abuse. The designated safeguarding officer for the home maintains detailed records of each incident, including notifications to other agencies and the actions required by the home and by the local authority. The practical and emotional support that young people receive from staff during this difficult, sensitive and painful process is excellent. Staff recognise and understand the detrimental impact such circumstance may have on young people‘s behaviours, including a possible increase in self-harm, violence Inspection report secure children‘s home: SC033362 10 and aggression. During these times, staff provide dedicated and considerate support,

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

and show exceptional levels of skill and patience.

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

The registered manager promptly shares any safeguarding concerns relating to the conduct of staff with the designated officer, and takes necessary steps to protect young people. The representative from the local authority safeguarding team reports ‗very good‘ levels of communication with managers and says that this has improved since the last inspection. She describes managers as open, honest and transparent in their practice. This positive relationship provides external scrutiny that enhances the safety of the young people.

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

Staff complete routine environment checks across the home to make sure it is safe and that security is maintained. These include fire drills and checks on fire equipment. Currently, the home is subject to major building works in the grounds. Allocated facilities staff take appropriate action to ensure that security is maintained. For example, all external contractors are trained in what they can and cannot bring onto the site, and what interaction they can have with the young people who may call to them over the fence. This ensures that they have a clear understanding of their personal responsibility to ensure that their actions or behaviours do not compromise young people‘s safety, welfare or well-being.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager holds suitable qualifications for her role, including the level 5 diploma in leadership and management for residential childcare and other relevant social work qualifications. She is a skilled practitioner and has extensive experience of working in and managing specialist services for young people. The registered manager has taken sufficient action to address the four requirements made at the last inspection. These necessary improvements include the introduction of a phone system that enables young people to make private calls from their bedrooms, and the revision of medication administration and audit systems to reduce the potential for medication errors.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Since the last inspection, the registered manager has taken positive steps to ensure that all staff receive regular and practice-related supervision. Supervising managers use these sessions to review staff performance, assess their learning and development needs and to monitor their practice. These meetings underpin formal staff appraisals and encourage staff to reflect on their actions and responsibilities. The registered manager works with training providers, case managers, service specialists and staff to review and revise staff training programmes. This approach means that courses available to staff meet mandatory training requirements and, more importantly, reflect young people‘s individual needs. For example, staff complete training around self-harm, conflict resolution and attachment disorders. Consequently, staff have the knowledge and skills that they need to support young people. The majority of care staff hold the required

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

social care qualification and the remainder are working towards achieving this.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The service continues to recruit to a number of vacant care staff positions. The registered manager authorises the use of regular agency staff to provide young people Inspection report secure children‘s home: SC033362 11 with consistent care. All agency staff undertake induction training, and managers complete suitability checks. This means that the temporary employment of these staff does not put young people at risk. Planned changes to staff rota patterns will increase the number of permanent staff on shift over weekend periods. There is a reluctance by some staff to embrace these changes, although other staff state that they believe that these changes are necessary and in young people‘s best interest. One member of staff said, ‗Changing the rota means that young people get to spend more time with their key worker. It‘s what they want the most.‘ The registered manager continues to appropriately manage this period of change, taking account of staff concerns but

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

prioritising young people‘s needs to make sure that they continue to receive good-quality care and support.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the home. She uses a range of internal monitoring systems and feedback from the independent visitor to support the ongoing review of the quality of care provided by the service. Nevertheless, the registered manager‘s evaluation of the information collected through the use of these monitoring systems is lacking. For example, current systems only highlight if and when staff complete necessary case file records. Internal monitoring tools do not take account of the quality of staff recordings in these documents. Staff do not consistently include sufficient detail when they complete case records, such as single separation documents, records of physical restraint, mobility risk assessments and search records. Furthermore, they do not always ensure that young people‘s internal care plans or placement plans are up to date, or that their case files include all required

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

information. This administrative shortfall means that young people‘s case files and records do not necessarily provide them with an accurate overview of their time in the home. This potentially questions the effectiveness of current monitoring systems to support service improvements.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Young people make good progress because the registered manager prioritises their needs. She makes sure that responding to and meeting these needs is the central focus of routines in the home. Along with the senior leadership team, the registered manager continually reiterates this ethos to young people, staff and other professionals. She retains an excellent and detailed overview of young people‘s behaviours and risks, and considers these against their individual progress and achievements, and the aims and objectives of the service. This means that young people are appropriately placed in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Professional relationships between the home and placing authorities are positive. Social workers say that they recognise and appreciate the commitment and dedication of the registered manager, case managers and staff. They equate young people‘s progress to the caring and nurturing environment created by the registered manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Current partnership working arrangements between the home and the externally commissioned health services do not meet young people‘s needs. These contracted arrangements are inflexible and do not consistently give young people appropriate access to the physical, emotional, psychological or specialist health services they need, when they need them. Consequently, young people experience delays in receiving the Inspection report secure children‘s home: SC033362 12 health treatment and input that they require. The registered manager recognises that current arrangements fall short of acceptable standards of care for young people. She is taking steps to address this issue with senior managers from the local authority and with health service commissioners and managers. Nevertheless, this situation potentially limits the capacity for the home to continue to develop or to ensure that the service can meet all of young people‘s health needs now and in the future. Furthermore, the

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

complexities of these contractual arrangements cause tension between staff groups within the home. For example, health professionals no longer contribute to the joint review reports that case managers and education staff provide to the placing authorities regarding young people‘s progress. Although the registered manager and senior leadership team are working with all staff to address these dynamics, team-working across the service is potentially compromised.

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Outcomes in education and related learning activities: good

Young people make good progress in education and in developing their learning-related personal and social skills, although their stay is relatively short. The initial assessment process is often staggered to take account of young person‘s emotional well-being. Young people‘s induction to education is timely and well planned. Staff complete education assessments with young people that are thorough and include diagnostic testing as well as baseline tests for reading and numeracy.

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Outcomes in education and related learning activities: good

The curriculum is appropriately broad and sufficiently flexible to ensure that young people can re-engage quickly and develop their self-confidence and skills. Young people enjoy practical subjects, such as physical education, PSHE, hair and beauty, art and food technology. Staff prioritise mathematics and English so that young people can achieve accreditation, which will help their progression to further study or employment.

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Outcomes in education and related learning activities: good

Most young people achieve good qualifications in English and mathematics. Nearly all achieve at least two levels above their initial baseline assessments, which are often low for their chronological age. Staff encourage young people to gain information, communication and technology (ICT) accreditation, although this is only available at entry level. BTEC level 1 and 2 and AQA awards are achieved across the range of subjects and nearly all young people make good progress. Staff closely track and monitor young people‘s individual progress. This information identifies the differences in individual needs, behaviours and how expectations are carefully aligned to meet them.

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Outcomes in education and related learning activities: good

The quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good. Relationships between young people and teaching staff are good; this ensures that in most lessons discussion and banter encourages a constructive, light-hearted and engaging learning environment. However, very small classes of one or two young people increases the intensity of the learning experience. This at times gives way to low-level disruption and limits the quality of discussion. Teaching staff provide more able young people with extension activities, and give one-to-one support to young people who need it. As far as possible, teachers use ICT creatively to enhance learning and promote broader understanding in, for example English and PSHE. However, unreliable equipment and poor access to the internet limit access to a wealth of information and knowledge that young people are Inspection report secure children‘s home: SC033362 13 curious to research and explore.

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Outcomes in education and related learning activities: good

Teaching staff pay good attention to marking work and assessing progress. Comments made help young people to improve. Young people are proud of their files and teachers encourage them to organise and take care of their work. Teachers regularly praise young people for their contribution and participation in lessons. They also manage behaviour well and reproach poor language or inappropriate behaviour sensitively but with authority. Teaching staff discuss young people‘s achievements and attendance, along with any concerns, at weekly tutorial meetings. These discussions contribute to the reward system, which young people generally believe to be fair and a good incentive.

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Outcomes in education and related learning activities: good

Teaching support in lessons is good. Teaching assistants are skilled and very experienced in working with young people who can display erratic and unpredictable behaviour. Teachers prioritise the assessment of risk in all lessons, and adjust young people‘s planned activities accordingly to ensure good and safe engagement. In most instances, teaching staff are well prepared with a number of teaching strategies and tools to adapt work quickly.

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Outcomes in education and related learning activities: good

Young people‘s personal development and behaviour is generally good, although attendance is erratic. Too many dental and medical appointments are arranged during school time, and in some instances education refusals are not vigorously challenged. Furthermore, the number of authorised absences is increasing. This is unacceptable, and over time affects young people‘s progress as well as their learning experience.

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Outcomes in education and related learning activities: good

Teaching staff provide a range of enrichment activities after school on two days per week. These activities include hair and beauty workshops, physical education sessions, arts and crafts pursuits, and cookery classes. Teaching staff supplement holiday activities arranged by residential staff to offer drama, media and sports activities. Young people also enjoy mobility visits during the education day where they can participate in work experience in a range of settings, including a local hairdressers, stables, dog kennels and a local school. This improves their self-confidence and self-esteem.

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Outcomes in education and related learning activities: good

Employability skills have increased since the last inspection. Resources and facilities remain restrictive but the new vocational programme enables all young people to attend hair and beauty, hospitality and child development lessons. These provide a small but important window on potential career pathways. Teaching staff are developing a new independent living skills programme, ‗Towards Independence‘. The programme culminates in a mobility trip to a ‗semi-independent practice‘ bungalow where young people can learn basic home-making skills, including assembling flat-pack furniture.

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Outcomes in education and related learning activities: good

The education manager has developed a highly effective quality assurance and monitoring framework. Her tracking of academic achievement and progress, as well as the careful recording of soft skills such as attendance, attitude and behaviour, is of outstanding quality. This data provides unique and accurate information to follow and support each young person in their learning journey. The rigorous attendance data and analysis of absences also provide all senior managers with important monitoring Inspection report secure children‘s home: SC033362 14 information for the home as a whole to address recurrent issues and unhelpful practices.

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Outcomes in education and related learning activities: good

Performance management is well embedded and strong. The robust monitoring of teaching and learning by a variety of external practitioners and internal colleagues ensures a keen emphasis on continuous improvement. Teachers receive regular supervision and attend bespoke training on specific issues. This means that they have the skills to address the range of complex needs and behaviours young people display during the school day. Recent training includes workshops on sensory teaching, dyslexia, attachment issues and foetal alcohol syndrome. In school, teachers generally manage young people‘s behaviour well. This is attributed in part to their attention to each young person‘s specific needs. Teachers are encouraged to work with local mainstream and special schools to extend their knowledge and experience, and to cascade their learning to other teaching staff.

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Outcomes in education and related learning activities: good

The education manager continually reviews the curriculum to make sure that this meets young people‘s changing and complex needs. With the support of the teaching staff, she has worked hard to extend the vocational offer creatively and with very limited resources. Good use of work experience and mobility helps to broaden young people‘s knowledge and experience. A range of external partners are regularly invited to the school to enhance and enrich the curriculum. Safeguarding arrangements are effective. All staff are Disclosure and Barring Service checked and they receive regular and updated training to ensure that young people‘s safety is prioritised.

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Outcomes in education and related learning activities: good

Governance arrangements for education are not robust. The education manager provides regular reports about attendance, achievement, staffing and whole-school issues. However, these do not receive sufficient attention to support and challenge the ongoing development of education. This shortfall requires attention .

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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 secure children‘s home: SC033362 15

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Peterborough City Council, Chief Executive, Town Hall, Bridge Street, Peterborough PE1 1PJ

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Wendi Ogle-Welbourn

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Inspectors

Jo Stephenson, lead social care inspector Paul Taylor, social care inspector Debbie Foster, social care inspector Stella Butler, further education and skills inspector Inspection report secure children‘s home: SC033362 16 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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

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