Children's home run by Howard House Care Limited in Northumberland

Good

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

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The children's home provision is good because:

 The home’s Statement of Purpose is clearly written and it accurately reflects the service offered by the home. Staff provide personalised care to children and young people. Firm consistent handling, a structured routine and clear boundaries help children and young people to feel safe and secure.  The home helps children and young people make progress in all areas of their lives. Staff are clear about what it is they want each child or young person to achieve. They are committed to helping them improve their life-chances.  Staff are appropriately trained in safeguarding. Their knowledge and work practice helps to keep young people safe. Bullying is not tolerated. Staff adopt a proactive approach in ensuring that any incidents of bullying are dealt with swiftly, and as a result, children and young people are protected.  The home’s behaviour management programmes are individual to each child or young person. They are clear and effective in

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The children's home provision is good because:

helping them to develop socially acceptable behaviour and in managing their emotions in a positive manner. Sanctions and restraint are rarely used at the home. The home uses restorative practices appropriately to help children and young people manage their behaviour.  The home’s manager has reviewed staff supervision and the home has a development plan in place. The development plan provides a clear structure and a detailed strategy to ensure the home continues to make progress. Staff are supported in their work by an experienced and qualified management team. This helps to ensure the staff team remains stable and is able to continue developing their skills and competencies. Young people are looked after by a trained, skilled and enthusiastic team.  The home’s manager has reviewed staff supervision and appraisal systems. New documentation is in the process of being introduced but as part of this process some staff have missed

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The children's home provision is good because:

their formal supervision sessions. Additionally, some young people who are old enough are nearing the time when they have to leave the home. Not all of those young people have clear, detailed plans in place that set out where they will live and what support they can expect to receive to help them live independently. Staff have not been vocal enough in advocating for the young people concerned.

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Statutory Requirements

This section sets out the actions which must be taken so that the registered person/s meets 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 with the given timescales.

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):

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Recommendations

The registered person must have systems in place so that all staff, including the manager, receive supervision of their practice from an appropriately qualified and experienced professional, which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. A record of the supervision should be kept for staff, including the manager. The record should provide evidence that supervision is being delivered in line with the regulation. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 61 paragraphs 13.2 and 13.3)

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Recommendations

Children’s homes staff will have a valuable contribution to make to the pathway planning process. They should actively seek to make the fullest contribution, working with other relevant persons. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 17 paragraph 3.28)

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Information about this children's home

The home is owned and run by an independent provider. The home provides care and accommodation for up to 8 children and young people aged 10 - 17 with emotional/behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

18/03/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness

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good

The home’s Statement of Purpose clearly describes the type of service offered by this home. It is regularly reviewed and updated to ensure it remains both accurate and relevant. Staff develop positive relationships with all children and young people that live here. They provide a warm, friendly and caring environment in which they can be happy and feel safe. They are able to discuss their hopes and fears with staff who listen to them. They know that staff will help them to work through their anxieties and problems without being judgemental. One young person’s social worker said; ‘Staff are fantastic. They have excellent relationships with all the young people.’ A member of staff said; ‘We always attempt to make positive changes and we try and build trust.’

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good

Children and young people have clear, detailed care plans in place that set out what their individual needs are and how they will be met. Staff are fully aware of the needs of each child and young person. They share information regularly about the progress young people are making as well as the difficulties they might be experiencing. Children and young people are fully involved in this process and their wishes and feelings are listened to. One young person said; ‘This is a great home. Staff are always there for you and they listen to what we have to say.’ A member of staff said; ‘All Young people are fully involved in their care plans. We regularly consult with them and regular 1:1’s help to ensure their voice is heard.’ This helps to ensure children and young people are involved in making decisions about their lives and to understand how living at the home is meant to help them make the most of their opportunities.

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good

Children and young people enjoy positive relationships with staff that provide them with good role models. Their relationships are based on mutual trust and respect. This in turn promotes an open and honest dialogue. Children and young people are fully aware of how to complain if they are dissatisfied about any aspect of their care or life at the home. One young person said; ‘Yes, I feel listened to. The staff are mint and they are always there when you need to talk to someone.’ Staff actively support and encourage children and young people to achieve their maximum potential by attending school regularly. From their starting points, the attendance of some of them at school has improved significantly since coming to live at the home. Some have recently taken exams that will lead to GCSE qualifications. Staff, have also developed positive working relationships with teaching staff and head teachers. They meet regularly with teachers to discuss the

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good

progress each young person is making. Where children and young people are experiencing difficulties in school, staff liaise on a frequent basis with them to help maintain their attendance in school, to overcome any difficulties they might be experiencing and to have a positive attitude while in school. This helps to ensure they remain in school and their life chances are improved. Staff actively encourage children and young people to develop friendships and positive relationships outside of the home. They participate in a range of activities that are educational, challenging and stimulating. Activities they enjoy include; visits to a local farm, playing board games and hill walking. Additionally, some young people are actively seeking part-time employment for evenings, weekends and holiday times. Success and achievement, no matter how small is celebrated. This helps them to develop their self-esteem and self-confidence.

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good

The home has a system in place for assessing the daily living skills of young people. Once their level of ability has been assessed a programme is followed that allows them to develop new skills and to consolidate on those they already have. In addition, they are supported to take greater responsibility for arranging their own appointments with health care professionals, the benefits agency, housing providers and the careers service. This helps them to learn the essential skills necessary to make a successful transition into adult life. However, not all young people that are nearing adulthood have a clear and comprehensive transition plan in place written by their placing authority. This means that some young people may not know what help they can expect to receive once they have left the home. This can in turn, lead to undue anxiety and stress. Children and young people receive good support from the staff team to attend all

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good

primary health care appointments. In addition, they are referred quickly, and supported to attend, specialist health care professionals such as the adolescent mental health team or psychologist when they need them. Arrangements for the management and administration of medication are good. Storage and control measures are suitable and staff have received training to help them manage the administration of medication appropriately. This helps to keep children and young people healthy.

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good

The specific needs of each child and young person are considered prior to them coming to live at the home. Staff, and the home’s management, assess what impact coming to live at the home will have on the individual child or young person’s life and if the home can meet their specific needs. This allows staff to write good, detailed care plans for their care and to set realistic targets for them to achieve. Each care plan is underpinned by clear and detailed risk assessments. Regular reviews of care plans and risk assessments are carried out by key-workers. One member of staff said; ‘All children and young people placed here continually progress.’ Regularly reviewing care plans and risk assessments helps to ensure that children and young people make progress and, that new targets are set for them to achieve. This promotes their on-going development and sense of achievement.

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good

The home’s manager has a clear locality risk assessment in place. The locality risk assessment has been discussed with support agencies, such as the local neighbourhood police. This allows staff to consider any information they receive about the local area and to take action to maintain the safety of all children and young people living at the home.

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good

Young people say they feel safe in the home and can talk to any of the staff who look after them. They know how to make a complaint and have access to a range of independent agencies, such as teachers and social workers if they are concerned in any way about the care they receive. One young person said; ‘I get along with all the staff.’ A young person’s social worker said; ‘Staff are fantastic and have excellent relationships with all the children and young people.’ Where appropriate, children and young people also spend time with their family. Contact with family members also means that they are able to advocate on behalf of their child. Any complaints or concerns received by the home are reviewed by the home’s manager and appropriate action is taken.

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good

Risks to the welfare of a new child or young person are considered in pre- placement meetings and documentation. Initial presenting risks are understood by the staff team and have reduced since admission to the home. Staff are fully aware of the potential for bullying and take a proactive approach to ensure the risk of bullying is minimised and where possible eliminated.

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good

Incidents of children and young people going missing are infrequent and there are currently no concerns relating to them going missing or placing themselves at risk, including sexual exploitation. In the past, when they have been missing, staff have responded appropriately on their return and appropriate welfare interviews have taken place. For some this is a clear improvement from their previous placements where issues of absence and running away were a serious concern. One member of staff said; ‘We always work hard to keep young people safe and not go missing, we make them aware of the dangers and to be there for them. We build trust and that helps a great deal.’

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good

It has not been necessary to use sanctions or restraint to help young people modify their behaviour for some time. Staff prefer to use positive consequences such as, incentive and reward schemes for positive behaviour. Where they have displayed negative behaviour staff prefer to use restorative Practice. This helps them to understand the consequences of their actions and to have empathy for others. On the whole, the behaviour of children and young people is good and they follow the house rules.

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good

The physical environment is clean, well maintained, safe and secure. Regular checks are carried out to avoid exposure to unnecessary risks. Children and young people confirm they know what to do in the event of an emergency and have participated in practice fire drills. The home’s senior staff follows safe recruitment practices to avoid unsuitable people working with vulnerable children and young people. One staff member said; ‘We have strong links with the local community and the police.’ Working in partnership with the local police helps to keep children safe. It also helps to avoid criminalising their behaviour when they are experiencing periods of crisis in their lives.

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good

The home has clear policies and procedures in place for staff that support anti- discriminatory practice. The management team keep up to date with current issues affecting vulnerable children and young people. This includes policies and procedures relating to issues of radicalisation.

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good

The Registered Manager has been in post since November 2005 and has the appropriate qualifications to manage the home. He also has experience of working with vulnerable children and young people who can display challenging behaviour and put themselves at risk. He is supported on a daily basis by a deputy who is also qualified and experienced to undertake her role. The manager and deputy receive good quality supervision which includes formal input from staff, children and young people and senior managers. The management team and staff are fully committed and focussed on improving the quality of care provided in the home and in improving their life chances The management team have a development plan in place and fully understand the strengths and weaknesses of the home. One staff member said; ‘The home has an ethos of continuous improvement and therefore we strive to do better. As and when things are identified it is acted upon efficiently

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good

Children and young people benefit from being looked after by a stable and suitably qualified staff team. All existing care staff has a minimum level of a level 3 qualification with some having more advanced qualifications. Recently appointed staff are quickly enrolled onto a suitable course of study following a robust period of induction. The home plans well for staff absence by ensuring there are an additional number of part-time staff can work increased hours often at short notice. This helps to provide consistency of care to children and young people.

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good

Training provided to staff is both good and child centred. Examples of training provided to staff includes; e-safety, safeguarding, child sexual exploitation, attachment and resilience and positive mental health. One member of staff said; ‘My training is continuously updated.’ The home’s management team is reviewing the staff supervision and appraisal systems. As a direct consequence of this, not all staff have received practice based supervision or formal appraisal regularly. Staff meetings do take place regularly and one member of staff said; ‘Everyone’s views are considered in team meetings and staff has the chance to add to the meeting’s agenda. If we do not feel comfortable discussing ideas openly in the meeting managers are happy to discuss ideas whenever they have the chance.’

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good

The home has regular internal and external monitoring processes, which ensure that managers are aware of, and committed to, continuous improvement. They have focussed on issues and shortfalls highlighted at previous inspections and taken swift action to remedy any breaches of regulation and recommendations for improvement.

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good

Managers carefully monitor the progress children and young people make and there are clear systems in place to identify areas of development for each of them. This valuable information is incorporated into care plans and risk assessments. These are reviewed frequently and confirm the progress each child or young person is making, as well as identifying any further areas that require support.

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good

The management team have excellent links with other agencies and positively engage with them in providing appropriate services, which benefit children and young people. Where required, specialist help is identified and options explored to ensure they are able to access the services tailored to meet their specific needs. This includes Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services and psychology services.

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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 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 looked after children 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 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 who 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 0300123 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, workbased learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It inspects services for looked after children 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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