Children's Home, Residential special school run by Sheffield City Council in Sheffield

Inspection report children’s home: SC458115 1 SC458115 Registered provider: The Governing Body of Bents Green School

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is part of a residential special school. It is registered to provide care, accommodation and education for children who have an autistic spectrum disorder and/or complex learning difficulties. Accommodation is split between two areas: one offering residential provision for 52 weeks of the year, the other operating as a short- break provision.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

p.1

outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

p.1

outstanding

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

p.1

outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: Sustained effectiveness

p.1

Enforcement action since last inspection:

None Inspection report children’s home: SC458115 2

p.1

Key findings from this inspection

This children’s home is outstanding because:

p.2

Key findings from this inspection

 The children and young people make exceptional progress from their starting points in all areas of their lives.  Through living at, and attending breaks at, the home, the children and young people’s life chances and outcomes are significantly improved.  The care that the children and young people receive is informed through a strong research-based approach and incorporates the guidance and training from specialist services.  The management team is confident and ambitious for the children and young people. It has high expectations of the staff to bring about positive change in the lives of the children and young people.  The children and young people receive individualised care, which is planned in partnership with parents, carers and professionals. The staff quickly implement learning and take immediate action to ensure that the children and young people’s presenting needs are met.

p.2

Key findings from this inspection

The children’s home’s areas for development:

p.2

Key findings from this inspection

 All of the staff must have regular supervision that provides a record of reflective discussion about the needs of the children and young people.  When searches are undertaken in the children or young people’s rooms, there should be a clear record to support this practice.

p.2

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 05/01/2017 Full Outstanding 23/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 15/12/2015 Full Outstanding Inspection report children’s home: SC458115 3

p.2

Recommendations

 A child’s bedroom should not generally be entered without permission. Usually, rooms should only be searched if the child has been informed or asked for their permission. Immediate searching may be necessary where there are reasonable grounds for believing that there is a risk to the child’s or another person’s safety or well-being (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 17, paragraph 3.20) This is with particular reference to ensuring that there is a clear record supporting the practice of room searches.

p.3

Recommendations

 The information set out in the statement of purpose is an essential part of the process of agreement between the registered person and placing authority that a placement in that home is the right one for that child, and that the home will be able to respond effectively to the child’s assessed needs. Emergency admissions should not be taken unless the home’s statement of purpose and its capacity and support systems mean that it has the capacity to care for children admitted at very short notice while continuing to offer high-quality care to children already living in the home. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15 paragraph 3.6)

p.3

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. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2) This is with particular reference to the need for records of supervision sessions to be developed so that they contain the discussion and reflection of practice in relation to the children and young people. In addition, supervision should take place in line with the home’s policy.

p.3

Recommendations

 Children’s homes have a duty to provide access to a telephone that children can use privately (regulation 22(3)(a)). This can include the provision of a mobile phone where appropriate and safe for the child, as long as an alternative is in place for the child to make telephone calls in private if their personal mobile phone is lost, out of credit or broken. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 58, paragraph 11.17)

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The children and young people notably respond well to the attentive care and support provided to them by the staff. This is enabling the children and young people to build on Inspection report children’s home: SC458115 4 their skills and abilities, irrespective of their complex and additional needs. One child is now able to drink from a cup, rather than a baby bottle. Other young people are progressing their ability to travel independently, and one young person now has a Saturday job. A professional said: ‘The children and young people are being helped to make progress. Given their early childhood experience, this progress is incredible and ahead of where we thought they would ever be.’

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The children and young people get to participate in activities that they truly enjoy. The staff are passionate about the inclusion of the children and young people within the community and community groups and activities. As a result, some of the children and young people are frequently attending youth clubs, football clubs and swimming sessions. One young person talked about her plans to go to a local shopping centre, while another child excitedly talked about the computer games that they get to play during their stay.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The children and young people’s educational development and attendance are treated with the utmost importance. The staff actively advocate to ensure that the correct and most suitable provision is sourced for the children and young people. One young person is now having home tuition, and there are clear steps to sourcing a full-time mainstream provision. This is a significant development for this child, after a year and half out of schooling. The young person said: ‘I am looking forward to starting my new school.’

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

When the children and young people are admitted to the home, they receive a warm welcome and they are helped to settle and gain familiarity within their surroundings. The impact of the children and young people’s admissions is meticulously explored. This ensures that their needs can be met and that the progress of the other children and young people is maintained. The manager accepted an emergency placement because this admission was in the best interests of the young person. However, this admission was clearly against the home’s statement of purpose.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Transition plans for young people have been strengthened. The staff team advocates for the young people and consistently raises with the wider authority any delays in the young people’s plans. The plans are based on the young person’s individual needs and future aspirations. One young person is now settled in their new home which has a swing in the grounds, which he loves.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Irrespective of their communication limitations or individual methods of communication, the children and young people’s views and wishes are actively gained, and the staff ensure that the young people’s voices are heard and responded to appropriately. For one young person, this resulted in desired changes to their contact arrangements with family members. This young person said: ‘It is really good that the staff have helped me to see my mum and brother, it is going really good.’ However, to support contact further, the manager needs to provide the children and young people with a phone that can be used in private. Inspection report children’s home: SC458115 5

p.4

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

The children and young people feel safe and are kept safe. Their safety is maintained by the staff, who are intuitive to the children and young people’s needs. In addition, the staff take immediate action to protect them. Staff responded quickly to a significant self- harm incident which could otherwise have been life-threatening for the young person. The children and young people rarely go missing from the home. On the occasion when this has occurred, the young person was quickly found, and there are clear plans implemented by the staff team to respond to any further occurrence. A professional said: ‘The staff responded appropriately and [name of young person] has been kept safe with the measures they have put in place.’

p.5

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

The children and young people’s initial presenting behaviours are diminishing, and they are demonstrating an ability to regulate their emotions and modify their behaviour. This is due to the help and guidance implemented by the staff team. The child and adolescent mental health team works directly with the staff to create positive behaviour support for the children and young people. As a result of these measures, the use of physical restraint is reducing. The prevention of escalation is a key element of the staff members’ practice. A parent said: ‘The staff are outstanding. My daughter is complex, with high levels of anxiety, and they have helped her come through a really difficult period. Now she will talk and show her emotions.’ In addition, a professional said ‘[Name of young person] has acknowledgement of his autistic spectrum disorder for the first time since his diagnosis, and he is now responding to condition-specific-based

p.5

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

For the children and young people, social media is a predominant part of teenage culture. To maintain their safety, the staff provide the children and young people with education around online media. There is open communication between the children, young people and the staff. They share and discuss their internet usage and address any concerns immediately. A parent said: ‘I have no concerns about my son’s safety.’

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

A manager has been appointed, and his application for registration is being progressed. The manager has a wealth of relevant experience and is suitably qualified. He strives to develop the staff practices and utilises the advice and guidance from specialist services to reflect on care practices within the team. As a result, all of the children and young people are making immediate and sustained progress.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The staff are very well supported, both formally and informally, in their care of the children and young people. One member of staff commented: ‘The management team are very approachable and they are very helpful in regards to the advice and guidance they provide to help us with the children.’ The manager is focused on continuing the development of staff practice, and this incorporates regular consultations with the multi- disciplinary child and adolescent mental health team which provides advice, support and direction to their work. This work is research-led, highly structured and incorporates Inspection report children’s home: SC458115 6 lessons learned from practice.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

There is a strong ethos within the team to provide all the children and young people with high-quality care that ensures that progress and positive outcomes are achieved. This is evidenced by the staff members’ care practices and is encompassed by the desire for the children and young people to gain life experiences and positive outcomes. A staff member reported: ‘I get a sense of pride and enjoyment from being part of the children and young people’s journey. I want the best for them.’ A parent shared her experiences of how the staff had supported her child to achieve their outcomes, saying: ‘I don’t know where we would be as a family right now if it was not for the staff at the home.’

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

There are well-developed and sophisticated managerial systems that monitor the progress and care that the children and young people receive. This enables actions to be raised and practice needs to be addressed. This means that the needs of each child or young person are of the highest priority and held in high regard. However, it is identified that the home’s room search procedures do need further development to ensure that there is a clear record of this search of the child’s or young person’s private space. In addition, not all staff have had regular supervisions, though there has been regular discussion of day-to-day practice issues.

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is supported by a staff team which has a wealth of practice knowledge and experience. The manager is actively looking at the skill set of the staff and how this can be utilised to provide the children and young people with a depth of experiences. This has resulted in the children and young people being involved in walking groups. In addition, the skills of a staff member were utilised to help a child who has complex needs to understand the process of menstruation, inclusive of self-care. This was a successful piece of practice utilising creative resources and involved minimal intrusions.

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Partnership working is effective, and there is regular consultation with parents, carers and professionals. A parent said: ‘This is the perfect place for [name of young person]. I have good rapport with the staff and we work together. I can share my ideas and points of view about my daughter’s care and, as a result, she is doing really well.’ The staff members communicate frequently with all relevant parties to support the children and young people’s continuity of care, good health, education and safety. A professional talked about their involvement with the home and the positive impact on one young person, saying: ‘To support the meeting, the staff did a really detailed report and put things in place for a specialist body dysmorphia service. As a result, this young person is doing so well again.’

p.6

Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the 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 Inspection report children’s home: SC458115 7 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.

p.6

Information about this inspection

Using the ‘Social care common inspection framework’, this inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies with The Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’. Inspection report children’s home: SC458115 8

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Town Hall, Pinstone Street, Sheffield S1 2HH

p.8

Inspector

Jennifer Fenlon, social care inspector Angela Norrie, social care inspector (shadowing) Inspection report children’s home: SC458115 9 achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

p.8

Inspector

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

p.9

Inspector

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

p.9

Inspector

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

p.9