Children's home run by Future In Mind Limited in Bolton

Inspection report children’s home: SC394875 1 SC394875 Registered provider: Future In Mind Limited

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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 privately owned children’s home is registered to care for up to two children and young people aged from six to 17 years who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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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

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

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Good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Sustained effectiveness

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Key findings from this inspection

 Excellent links between staff and the psychotherapist ensure that staff meet young people’s emotional needs. Inspection report children’s home: SC394875 2  Young people develop trusting relationships with staff.  Staff support young people to stay safe online and in the community.  Staff have a good understanding of young people’s vulnerabilities.  Young people attend school and they make good academic progress from their starting points.  Young people engage in lots of activities, sports and clubs in the community.  The registered manager is experienced and child focused.  The stable staff team shows commitment and dedication to achieving positive outcomes for the young people that it cares for.

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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

 Staff have mixed success in managing young people’s aggressive outbursts.  The registered manager is not always effective in her challenge of placing authorities to ensure that young people’s care plans progress.  The registered manager has not ensured that all relevant documentation for the young people is on file.  The physical environment lacks pictures and photographs to create a homely atmosphere, and the stairs carpet needs to be repaired or replaced.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

03/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 26/07/2016 Full Good 18/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 19/01/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC394875 3

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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 ensure that — if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5(c)) 10/12/2017

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationship standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from an understanding about acceptable behaviour and positive responses to other children and adults. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to — encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviours, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding; help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone. (Regulation (11)(1)(b)(c)(2)(a)(iii)(iv)) 10/12/2017

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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; are kept up to date; and are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36(1)(a)(b)(c)) In particular, the registered person should ensure that copies of education and healthcare plans and local authority care plans are on file. 10/12/2017 Inspection report children’s home: SC394875 4

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Recommendations

 For children’s homes to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of the children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9) In particular, the registered person should consider replacement or repair of the stairs carpet, and consider how photographs and pictures can be used to make the environment feel more homely.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff develop good relationships with the young people. These form the foundations of the nurture and support that young people receive. Staff know the young people well and care about them. Staff show that they care by giving young people hugs and putting young people at the centre of all that they do. This gives young people a sense of belonging. Staff work closely with the home’s psychotherapist. This helps the staff to develop a good understanding of how past trauma affects the young people’s current behaviours. Staff are successful at providing personalised care to meet the emotional needs of the young people. The psychotherapist told the inspector, ‘The staff are very knowledgeable and use the sensory tools well. [Both young people have] made good progress.’ A social worker told the inspector, ‘Staff always find ways of getting the boys to open up. For example, using a feelings jar or [the] views and wishes book.’ Consequently,

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

young people are able to talk to staff about the things that worry them and they are beginning to develop skills to manage their emotions. Young people’s improved emotional health is helping them to make good progress in different aspects of their lives. For example, young people’s self-esteem and confidence is increasing. This is empowering them to engage in a variety of local clubs and they are making friends. For one of the young people, this is a significant step forward in his social development. Young people make marked progress with their education. A head of school told the inspector, ‘[Name of young person] has shown quite significant progress while he has been with us. He is self-managing some of his anxieties a lot better.’ Staff work closely with teachers to help young people to overcome any difficulties. This includes the staff going into school when a young person is having a difficult day, to offer them support.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

As a result, both young people engage well with their learning. The home has recently benefited from decoration to the main living areas. Despite this, a carpet is threadbare in places. There is an absence of photographs and pictures on the walls. Young people have differing opinions about whether they want to have photographs and pictures on the wall. This has led to there being few such items on Inspection report children’s home: SC394875 5 display. However, this does not suit all young people. For example, one young person told the inspector that he would like the environment to be more homely. A recommendation is raised so that this aspect of young people’s care can be reviewed and steps are taken to accommodate the wishes of each young person.

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

Staff understand risk well. When staff identify vulnerabilities, they put in place the necessary safeguards. Staff use one-to-one sessions to help young people to understand how to stay safe online and in the community. Staff revisit these topics often, to ensure that young people have understood. This helps young people to enjoy free time in the community and the benefits of using the internet and social media safely. Good planning ensures that the staff’s response to young people who go missing is effective. Staff take the necessary steps to ensure that young people return safely to the home. Staff reflect on any missing from home episodes to identify any learning that can be gained. This helps to reduce the potential risks to young people and increases young people’s safety. Staff implement rules and boundaries consistently. Staff use a variety of rewards and sanctions to promote positive behaviour. A head of school told the inspector, ‘[The staff]

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

are empathetic, they are gentle and sympathetic in their approach.’ In some instances, the home’s behaviour management approach is effective, and both young people have made progress. A social worker told the inspector, ‘[The young person’s] behaviour has improved significantly.’ Despite the progress young people have made, one young person continues to display some aggressive behaviour towards staff and cause some damage to the home. Although the frequency and intensity of such behaviour is reducing, physical intervention is often required to keep the young person and others safe. The registered manager reviews such incidents to ensure safe practice. Additional work is required to de-escalate situations and enable the young person to manage conflict without hurting others. Young people know how to complain and, when they do, staff take their concerns seriously. This helps young people to feel listened to. When safeguarding concerns arise,

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

the registered manager and staff take appropriate action. The staff follow procedures, thus keeping young people safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is suitably qualified and experienced. Staff and young people benefit from her consistent and enthusiastic leadership. The registered manager leads a passionate and committed staff team. Staff share a collective vision and encourage young people to achieve their best. The registered manager utilises a range of monitoring systems to understand the quality of care afforded to young people. An analytical approach ensures that staff have a good understanding of the effectiveness of the care offered to young people. Staff are successful in identifying patterns and trends in behaviours and use this information to Inspection report children’s home: SC394875 6 plan the support that they offer to young people. Staff receive good support through regular supervision and training. Staff have the skills and knowledge to provide personalised care. As a result, young people make progress in respect of their educational, emotional and social development. A social worker told the

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

inspector, ‘This is probably the best home I have ever worked with. They are very consistent. Every staff member I have come into contact with knows [the young people’s needs] really well.’ Staff develop positive working relationships with social workers, police and schools. Regular communication is at the heart of this collaborative approach. In spite of this, the registered manager is not always swift in challenging partner agencies when needed. For example, the registered manager has not acted on her concerns about delays in placing authorities confirming the long-term care plans for young people. This has contributed to some uncertainty and feelings of anxiety for the young people. Furthermore, the registered manager has not always ensured that key documents, such as local authority care plans and education and healthcare plans, are on file. This does not help young people’s plans to progress.

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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 differences 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 whom 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 children’s home: SC394875 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Future In Mind Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Future In Mind Limited, 65 Market Street, Hednesford, Cannock, Staffordshire WS12 1AD

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Inspector

Paul Robinson, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC394875 8 achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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