Children's Home run by North Lincolnshire Council in North Lincolnshire

Outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the home contribute to significantly improved outcomes for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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The children’s home provision is outstanding because:

 High staffing levels and excellent supervision keep children and young people safe.  The quality of care that children and young people receive from the committed staff team is of a very high standard. Parents and carers are reassured of their children’s safety and well-being.  Children and young people influence the running of the home. Their wishes and feelings are well known and their views and opinions valued.  The manager and staff maintain excellent case records, providing a clear account of children and young people’s progress and achievements.  Well-planned care ensures that children and young people experience rewarding and fulfilling short breaks.  The strong leadership team is dedicated to maintaining a high standard of care and supports the staff team extremely well.  Staff have a clear understanding of safeguarding procedures and know the risks to all children and young people. They benefit from reflective

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Information about this children’s home

The local authority maintained children’s home provides short breaks for children and young people who have physical and learning disabilities.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

p.4

Outstanding

Staff are extremely good at supporting children and young people to have a voice and influence the running of the home. This comes through strongly in their review reports and general files from their ‘My voice’ booklets. The effective use of alternative communication methods means that staff capture the views and feelings of those that are non-verbal. The use of photographs to capture smiles and frowns shows others how children and young people feel, and this helps to ensure that the voice of all children and young people is known to all those involved in their lives.

p.5

Outstanding

Staff work closely with medical professionals and psychologists to ensure that they respond appropriately to children and young people’s individual and often very complex needs. As a result of their excellent communication with specialists, staff confidently use research and adopt approaches to care practice which help children and young people in all aspects of their development. Children and young people learn new skills, improve their behaviour and their ability to self-regulate.

p.5

Outstanding

Staff do not give up on individuals, regardless of how demanding they are. They identify individual goals and targets, which may include buttering toast or sleeping better at night. They try different approaches and persist until they find something that works for every individual.

p.5

Outstanding

Children and young people respond well to the clear boundaries and rules that staff implement on a consistent and fair basis. This has improved sleep patterns and communication for many of those using the service. One young person said, ‘I really love coming here.’ For others that are non-verbal, the staff respond to their individual moods and feelings using appropriate touch, such as hand massage. This provides some soothing and helps reduce any feelings of distress. The sensitive staff recognise when children and young people are upset. They balance the number of stays for the individual with the family’s need for respite and make the short break as comfortable and rewarding as possible. One parent said, ‘We couldn’t manage without the support we get. It’s changed our lives.’

p.5

Outstanding

The well-equipped home provides children and young people with a homely environment. Bedrooms are personalised in accordance with individual preference for children and young people during their short breaks. The garden area provides added security and is well maintained, keeping children and young people safe regardless of their ability. The 21 children who currently receive a service are making progress in all aspects of their development. The home is hoping to increase their numbers to extend this excellent support to others in need.

p.5

Outstanding

Staff know the children and young people individually. They know their likes and dislikes and plan each stay in accordance with individual need. Friendships groups are promoted as part of the planning, and parents and family members are very positive about the service they and their children receive. For those moving on to independence, staff develop bespoke programmes to promote the transition.

p.6

Outstanding

Children and young people feel safe, secure and benefit extensively from trusting relationships with the staff team. The excellent knowledge the staff have of individual children and young people helps protect them from harm. Individual risk and vulnerability are recorded in the risk assessments and identify the behaviours that children and young people display. Staff know how to respond to these behaviours to minimise any potential risk. Consequently, children and young people develop excellent relationships with the committed staff. One member of staff is attempting to undertake bereavement work with a resistant young person who has lost a grandparent. The dedicated staff work at the individual’s pace and persevere with their efforts.

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Outstanding

The safe home environment and high staffing levels mean that children and young people are supervised at all times and rarely go missing. However, missing from care action plans contain the relevant information should the situation arise. These plans, alongside the comprehensive and individualised risk assessments, highlight children and young people’s additional vulnerability as a result of their disability. As well as their creative and innovative handling of children, staff pre-empt negative behaviour through adopting very clear routines and boundaries. Staff reinforce this by promoting good behaviour when children and young people return from school, which starts the short break positively.

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Outstanding

Allegations of harm are managed with great sensitivity and managers ensure that staff maintain clear and detailed records. The records demonstrate excellent multi- agency relationships, clear understanding of safeguarding, victim empathy and communication skills. Staff prioritise safeguarding in every aspect of the care they deliver. They have a very strong understanding and knowledge about safeguarding practice and procedures. This ensures that swift action will protect children and young people should serious incidents arise. Parents are confident that their children are safe and know they are in ‘good hands’.

p.6

Outstanding

The ability of staff to plan carefully and sensitively and match effectively any potential new young person in the home supports children and young people’s positive outcomes and reduces anxiety from change in routines. The motivated staff ensure that children and young people experience fun and consistent and structured care without compromising their safety and well-being.

p.6

Outstanding

The registered manager has a significant history of management at this home. Since registration in 2007, she has further developed her existing knowledge, experience and skills in working with children with disabilities. She is readily available, approachable, child-centred and is supported by a very dedicated senior management and staff team that collectively demonstrates an excellent understanding of their strengths as a team and how this affects the running of the home.

p.7

Outstanding

Children and young people are at the heart of the home. The staff team is also very complimentary about the manager and its members feel highly supported. Regular reflective supervision is encouraged and further enhanced following the introduction of a research-based supervision format. A long-standing member of staff said, ‘supervision and support are superb’. Reflection is a key theme threaded in the management of the home, enhancing opportunities for learning and development. Regular training for staff ensures that they are up to date in all aspects of caring for children with complex and diverse needs. Recent communication workshops enhance the staff’s existing knowledge about children’s preferred communication styles, raising their profile further and ensuring that their views are known. One worker stated, ‘The demands of more complex young people are challenging but I really enjoy learning new things.’

p.7

Outstanding

Robust recruitment practice involves an open day, enabling those with an interest in working at the home to gain a better understanding of what this involves. Children and young people are included in helping out on the day as well as in the interviews. This means that potential employees understand how staff value children and young people’s opinions.

p.7

Outstanding

The dedicated and stable staff team has a range of experience and its members work extremely well together. They positively promote children and young people’s experiences, making their short breaks a fulfilled and happy time. A staff member said, ‘I absolutely love the job. It’s always different and I know I make a difference to children’s lives.’ Another one said, ‘Best job ever.’ Collaborative work with parents and family members means that families also benefit from the work of this home. Staff gave excellent examples of the work and outcomes they achieve. Recording on both staff and children’s files is exemplary. Children and young people’s files tell their story, allowing the reader to understand their individuality. Strategies and actions are clear and exceptionally well recorded. The well- maintained staff files provide all the relevant documentation and evidence, ensuring that only staff that are deemed safe work with children and young people

p.7

Outstanding

The home is subject to effective internal and external monitoring and scrutiny. There is consultation with stakeholders, which further ensures positive experiences for children and young people. Identified shortfalls are addressed promptly, supporting the ongoing delivery of an excellent service.

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What the inspection judgements mean

The experiences and progress of children and young people are at the centre of the inspection. Inspectors will use their professional judgement to determine the weight and significance of their findings in this respect. The judgements included in the report are made against the ‘Inspection of children’s homes: framework for inspection’.

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What the inspection judgements mean

An outstanding children’s home provides highly effective services that contribute to significantly improved outcomes for children and young people who need help and protection and care. Their progress exceeds expectations and is sustained over time. A good children’s home provides effective services that help, protect and care for children and young people and have their welfare safeguarded and promoted. In a children’s home that requires improvement , there are no widespread or serious failures that create or leave children being harmed or at risk of harm. The welfare of children looked after is safeguarded and promoted. Minimum requirements are in place. However, the children’s home is not yet delivering good protection, help and care for children and young people. A children’s home that is inadequate is providing services where there are widespread or serious failures that create or leave children and young people being

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What the inspection judgements mean

harmed or at risk of harm or result in children looked after not having their welfare safeguarded and promoted.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people living in the children’s home. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference that adults make to the lives of children and young people. They read case files, watched how professional staff work with children, young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care given to children and young people. Wherever possible, they talked to children, young people and their families. In addition, the inspectors have tried to understand what the children’s home knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people whom it is trying to help, protect and look after. This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service and to consider how well it complies with the Children’s

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Information about this inspection

Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’. the guidance ‘Raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

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, work- based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It inspects services for children looked after and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, 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 www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Information about this inspection

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

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

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Information about this inspection

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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