Children's home run by Reading Borough Council in Reading

Inspection report children‟s home: SC037381 1 SC037381 Registered provider: Reading Borough 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 local authority children‟s home is registered for five young people who have disabilities. The home cares for young people who have a wide range of learning disabilities and communication difficulties, and who present as having high levels of risk and challenging behaviours. Some children are looked after on a shared-care basis with their families.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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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.

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outstanding

Date of last inspection: 18 January 2017

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: declined in effectiveness

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children‟s home: SC037381 2

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Key findings from this inspection

This children‟s home is outstanding because:

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Key findings from this inspection

 Care and attention are taken to make sure that only those children whose needs can be met to a high standard come to stay in the home. The arrangements for admissions are exceptionally well thought through and planned.  Children, even those who have exceptionally complex needs arising from their disabilities, form strong and trusting relationships with staff. Children are excited to stay in the home and thoroughly enjoy their time there.  Children blossom because of the care provided to them. They progress exceptionally well in their physical and emotional health.  Strong arrangements for working with education providers and for supporting children in their learning ensure that children achieve exceptionally well.  Children make significant progress in learning skills to manage their behaviour more appropriately.  Children have the same opportunities as their peers to try new and interesting activities and pastimes and, through these, they develop skills in many areas of their

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Key findings from this inspection

lives.  The attention given to ensuring that children‟s views are sought about all aspects of their care is second to none. Direct consultation with children, painstakingly undertaken, ensures that all children have a voice. Additionally, a trusted independent advocate works highly effectively with children to ensure that their wishes and feelings are met in their wider care planning.  The manager and staff are very child-focused and passionate about supporting the children and families they work with. Staff are tireless, and highly successful, in ensuring that children make significant progress in all areas of their lives.

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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 manager has not updated Ofsted about the outcomes of some significant events.  The organisation has not made sure that Ofsted has been formally updated about a change in the responsible individual.  The arrangements for the manager‟s monitoring and reporting do not reflect that the views and opinions of stakeholders have been evaluated and taken into account.  Wi-fi is not available to children unless they use the staff office. Inspection report children‟s home: SC037381 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

18/01/2017 Interim Declined in effectiveness 06/09/2016 Full Outstanding 03/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 15/09/2015 Full Outstanding Inspection report children‟s home: SC037381 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, the 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

The registered person must give notice in writing to HMCI, as soon as it is reasonably practicable to do so, if any of the following events take place or are expected by the registered person to take place—

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Requirement Due date

(e) if the registered provider is an organisation— (i) the organisation‟s name or address changes; (ii) there is any change of director, manager, secretary or other similar officer of the organisation; (iii) there is any change in the identity of the responsible individual. (Regulation 49 (e)(i)(ii)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, provide Ofsted with the full details about the new responsible individual. 1/03/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

(a) a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation; (b) an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious; (c) there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there; (d) a child protection enquiry involving a child— (i) is instigated; or (ii) concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or (e) there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious.

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Requirement Due date

(5) A notification made under this regulation—

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Requirement Due date

(a) must include details of— (i) the matter; 1/03/2018 Inspection report children‟s home: SC037381 5 (ii) the other persons, bodies or organisations (if any) who or which have been notified; and (iii) any actions taken by the registered person as a result of the matter; (b) must be made or confirmed in writing. (Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e) (5)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must without delay provide updates to notifications made to HMCI of significant events in the home, in writing. The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children („a quality of care review‟) at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

(2) In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

(a) the quality of care provided for children; (b) the feedback and opinions of children about the children‟s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and (c) any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children.

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Requirement Due date

(5) The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (1)(2)(a)(b)(c)(5))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff are ascertained. 1/03/2018

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Recommendations

 Children should have access to a computer and the internet to support their education and learning, unless there are specific safeguarding reasons why this would be inappropriate. In such cases, the home should consider whether and how it can support the child to access a computer and the internet safely. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 29, paragraph 5.19) Inspection report children‟s home: SC037381 6

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children thrive in all areas of their lives as a direct result of the care provided to them. A social worker said: „My child has made significant progress. She is a different young person since she has been staying in the home and she is thriving in every area of her life; it‟s remarkable to see.‟

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The thorough approach to considering referrals means that children are well placed in this home. Meticulous admission planning, taken at the child‟s pace, along with the warm welcome and nurturing environment staff provide to children and their families mean that children settle quickly into life in the home. Staff are exceptionally skilled at helping children who have highly complex needs develop confidence and trust in them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff are highly skilled at communicating with children who are non-verbal. Staff are extremely patient and skilled at helping children to make their wishes and feelings known. Staff act on these views so children know that their views are considered important.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Excellent-quality inter-agency working ensures that planning for each child‟s care is individualised and meets their complex and diverse needs. Staff are highly successful at helping children to meet the goals identified in their individual care plans and are skilled at making this work fun for the child. During the inspection, children were smiling and laughing while happily working on their targets. A professional commented on how staff have tried new things with the child she works with to good effect, and that she is learning all the time now.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children make excellent progress in their learning. Staff work exceptionally well with education settings to make sure that the care provided to children is consistent across their day. One child was exceptionally well supported by her key worker when the learning support assistant left the college and was not replaced. To enable the child to complete her course, her key worker attended college with her daily. The key worker also managed to get the child an iPad allocated to help her to communicate more effectively and supported her to do work experience in the college shop.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff make sure that children have the same access to activities as their peers. The range of activities children can choose from is impressive. Children enjoy themselves and have fun with the staff and their peers. They learn and develop new skills.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children‟s health needs, some of which are very complex, are very well catered for by competent staff. Some children make remarkable progress in their physical and/or emotional health. For example, some children have achieved success in their toileting habits. One child who was under-nourished on her arrival got the support she needed to eat and made exceptionally good progress. A social worker spoke about how the physical presentation of the child she works with has improved significantly. She went on to say: Inspection report children‟s home: SC037381 7 „She looks “alive” and is interested in life now.‟

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children‟s progress in developing their independence skills is impressive. The patient and persistent approach staff take to support children to meet their targets has enabled children to develop skills that will help them in their future lives. For example, children have developed their ability to do simple household tasks; learned to cooperate with others; learned to cope with frustration more appropriately; developed their communication skills; and developed empathy for others.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

There are careful and well-considered arrangements to support children moving on from the home to help them settle into their new placement well. Each child is provided with information about their time in the home when they leave. This information is useful to them as it shows them what they have achieved during their time in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff are skilled at working with parents who may have a different viewpoint about their child‟s situation. Staff value parents‟ views and are sensitive to their needs; staff do all they can to support parents and parents appreciate this.

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

Children are safe while staying in this home. Staff know the children and their vulnerabilities well. High levels of staff supervision of children help to ensure that children are kept safe.

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

Risk management is strong. The individualised approach taken to risk assessment allows children to try new things in a measured and safe way. Risks relating to issues such as bullying and going missing are understood and planned for. However, due to the high level of supervision of the children, opportunities for children to be bullied or to go missing are rare.

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

Behaviour management is highly effective as children are provided with firm and consistent boundaries and routines. Staff recognise children‟s non-verbal cues and are quick to react when a child is becoming distressed. The effective use of de-escalation and diversion tactics means that many adverse situations are avoided. The success of this work has led to the need to use physical interventions being minimal. Sanctions are used only with those children who have the capacity to understand the concept of a sanction. Sanctions used are appropriate to the event and the effectiveness is assessed to ensure that the sanction has been meaningful to the child.

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

Since the last inspection, staff awareness about how to prevent all forms of exploitation, both in the community and online, has been enhanced through a range of training activities. This has strengthened the knowledge and ability of staff to protect children and to support them to keep themselves safe. Staff have worked with the more able children to help them understand the risks posed to them through internet use. While children have access to the internet by using the staff computers, there is no wi-fi access provided to children in the living area of the home. Inspection report children‟s home: SC037381 8 There have been no safeguarding matters since the last inspection. Where there have been shortfalls in staff practice, these have been notified to all relevant professionals, fully investigated and lessons have been learned. However, the manager did not update Ofsted on the outcome of one of these issues.

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

The vetting procedures carried out during the staff recruitment processes ensure that risks to children from unsuitable people working with them are minimised.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

This is a service that is well managed by an experienced and competent manager. The manager and her staff are child-focused and passionate about their roles. The manager knows each child and their needs well. The manager understands how the services have enhanced children‟s experience and progress and is keen to ensure that children continue to succeed and build on their successes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The effective monitoring systems in place ensure that areas of shortfall are identified. The manager gives priority to addressing shortfalls, including those found during inspections. Currently, the manager does not systematically evaluate and use the views of stakeholders in her monitoring activities so as to inform future developments.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There has been a change of the responsible individual since the last inspection. While Ofsted has been informed informally about this change, a formal notification with full details of the individual has not been made.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Inter-agency working is strong and other professionals commented very positively on the quality of care that staff provide to the children. There are excellent arrangements for children to access effective and meaningful advocacy.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are highly competent in their care of the children. They share the manager‟s passion and vision to help children reach their full potential. Staff are well supported in their role through effective and meaningful supervision, regular team meetings and training relevant to the children‟s wide-ranging needs. Staff value training and view it as a useful aid to help them develop their practice. For example, staff have used the training in supporting children to form relationships highly successfully.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Care plans are of a high quality and case records are well maintained. Child-friendly documents enable children to access the information recorded about them.

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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 Inspection report children‟s home: SC037381 9 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‟.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Reading Borough Council, Civic Centre, Castle Street, Reading RG1 7AE

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Children’s home details

Registered manager: Helena Macieira Baptista

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Inspector

Rosie Dancer, social care inspector Inspection report children‟s home: SC037381 10 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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