Children's Home run by Cumbria County Council in Westmorland and Furness

Inspection report children‟s home: SC034158 1 SC034158 Registered provider: Cumbria County Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This local authority home is registered to provide accommodation for four children with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home operates as a short-break service which offers outreach wrap-around support. It is open at weekends and school holidays.

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 good

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: declined in effectiveness

p.1

Enforcement action since last inspection:

None. Inspection report children‟s home: SC034158 2

p.1

Key findings from this inspection

This children‟s home is outstanding because:

p.2

Key findings from this inspection

 Young people enjoy coming for short breaks and feel that the service has a positive impact on their lives. They have the opportunity to be away from their home environment and have respite from their family lives, which are often difficult.  There is a wealth of evidence that this service reduces the need for young people to enter the care system. It also supports young people whose family relationships have broken down to return home (where this is appropriate).  The service is highly flexible around young people‟s needs. It accommodates their wishes about activities and key workers, and delivers outreach support in addition to short breaks. This provides a holistic and intensive support service to young people and their families who are at crisis point.  Young people report that the service makes a difference to their lives because they feel that staff genuinely care about them, and that their role is not just a

p.2

Key findings from this inspection

job to them. This enables young people to form strong and trusting relationships with staff, share their worries and engage in direct work.  The service promotes a whole-family approach by undertaking work with parents in addition to the work that they do with young people. Some parents report that the support that they have been offered has changed the way in which they parent their children.  Progression against plans is regularly monitored and reviewed so it is clear to families how far they have progressed and what they have achieved.  Young people feel safe and are safe at the home. Staff recognise and record risks and undertake meaningful direct work to reduce risks. Some young people have made exceptional progress in reducing risks, for example in child sexual exploitation.  Young people do not put themselves at risk during their short breaks, because they want to spend time at the home and enjoy the activities and attention of

p.2

Key findings from this inspection

staff.  Records are maintained to a high standard. Some direct work with young people is recorded in meticulous detail. Records clearly evidence the impact of the service and show progression.  The home‟s newly registered manager is positive, dedicated and enthusiastic. She is liked and respected by both staff and young people.

p.2

Key findings from this inspection

The children‟s home‟s areas for development:

p.2

Key findings from this inspection

 The home‟s records of incidents where children go missing are not sufficiently detailed. They do not contain information about the antecedents to „missing‟ episodes, nor sufficient detail of the efforts that staff make to locate and return Inspection report children‟s home: SC034158 3 young people. They do not record any information about a young person‟s whereabouts while missing, and neither do they record whether an independent return interview was requested or took place.  The home‟s review of premises does not include consultation with any external agencies that may have useful information to share in respect of the home‟s location.  The home is looking a bit tired and in need of redecoration. The environment could be more homely and the young people‟s bathrooms would benefit from refurbishment.

p.2

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/03/2017 Interim Declined in effectiveness 16/12/2016 Full Outstanding 11/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 20/11/2015 Full Outstanding Inspection report children‟s home: SC034158 4

p.3

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.

p.4

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.

p.4

Requirement Due date

Specifically, the date and circumstances of all incidents where a child goes missing from the home, including any information relating to the child‟s whereabouts during the period of absence. (Regulation 36(1)(a)) 16/02/2018

p.4

Requirement Due date

The registered person must review the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the premises used for the purposes of the children‟s home at least once in each calendar year, taking into account the requirement in regulation 12(2)(c) (the protection of children standard).

p.4

Requirement Due date

When conducting the review, the registered person must consult, and take into account the views of, each relevant person. (Regulation 46(2)) 16/02/2018

p.4

Recommendations

 When a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority must provide an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. Homes should take account of information provided by such interviews when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect each child. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 45, paragraph 9.30) Inspection report children‟s home: SC034158 5

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people engage with this service because their families are in crisis and they are at risk of entering the care system. The home works exceptionally well with young people and their families to prevent family breakdown and keep young people at their family home. The service has a very high success rate, with young people and parents stating that they are highly satisfied with the support that they are offered. One young person said that the service had transformed her life and given her belief in herself. A parent stated, „I have found the service to be absolutely fantastic. I would be lost without them, they have helped us so much. The support is amazing.‟ A social worker stated, „I cannot rate them highly enough, they work really well with difficult parents. (Child) has benefited very much from going to the home. They „go above and beyond‟ and offer support all the time.‟

p.5

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people are offered a range of activities when they come to stay. They are consulted about their choice of activities through young persons‟ meetings, and are supported to communicate and compromise with the other young people. There is also a wide range of activities at the home, such as a pool table, table tennis and an arts and crafts room. Young people are carefully matched so that they attend the home with others with whom they share interests or are friends. The home therefore provides them with supportive social opportunities, as well as respite.

p.5

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people‟s plans clearly identify areas to be targeted in direct work. Some direct work is exceptionally detailed. Staff are enthusiastic about identifying resources, and much of their work is underpinned by research. The home uses „Signs of Safety‟ as a starting point for their work, identifying what parents (or professionals) are worried about, what is going well and what needs to change. Young people are reviewed on a six-weekly basis when their plans and assessments are updated, to reflect the progress that they have made and to establish any further areas to consider in direct work. There is a high level of consultation with parents, who clearly identify the progression of their child as being a result of the service.

p.5

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The home promotes engagement in education. Some young people have poor attendance when they first access the service, and are supported to improve their attendance. Where young people have difficulties in particular lessons, staff can offer support in the school environment. Where young people are not in school, staff work alongside the youth offending service to deliver accredited learning programmes.

p.5

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The home provides young people with an outreach service in addition to their weekend stays. Key workers support young people to access activities in the community or to undertake identified direct work. Additionally, they offer valuable support to parents, who ring them for advice and guidance. Key workers often go to great lengths to provide a high level of support, including daily telephone calls to some families. Young people develop highly positive relationships with their key workers, and these enable them to fully engage in work, for example in areas such as communication, understanding Inspection report children‟s home: SC034158 6 emotions, managing anger and reducing aggression.

p.5

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

For some young people, staff continue to provide support and communication after the service has formally finished. For example, staff participated in a sponsored walk to help to raise funds for a young person to have a new bespoke wheelchair after she had ceased accessing the respite service. Another young person will maintain her relationships with staff at the home by becoming a peer mentor, which provides not only her with an ongoing connection to staff but other young people with a role model and an additional layer of support.

p.6

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Observation of young people and staff evidences that they have close, trusting and positive relationships. Staff are attuned to their needs and are highly attentive, offering praise, reassurance, support and encouragement. Young people are helped to participate in decisions about their stay. If they have a preference for a particular bedroom, this is recorded and implemented. During their weekend stays, staff encourage young people to play and have fun to have respite from their worries, fears and difficulties at their homes.

p.6

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The home has strong links with other local groups and works in partnership to provide young people with a full range of services. Some young people attended an outdoor activities residential course, while others engage in the Boom Dang music group and the Brewery Arts Centre to give them a broad range of experiences. The home has been involved in the I-Cre8 programme, which provides creative opportunities for young people to engage in to increase their confidence and motivation and recognise their strengths.

p.6

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Independence skills are encouraged. The home has sourced modular independence training, which will be delivered by youth workers and be bespoke to each young person. The home endeavours to link young people with ongoing support before the service ends, to ensure that they have continuing support systems in place. One young person has become involved with the youth council and another returns to the home as part of her college work experience placement.

p.6

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Parents retain responsibility for meeting the health needs of their children. However, the home promotes healthy meals and physical activity to support young people to maintain their health. Staff are trained in administering medication, and were observed preparing and recording the administration of medication safely and appropriately. Staff are trained in first aid, although a few are outside of the timescale for refresher training. The manager has booked training for January 2018 to rectify this. There is no impact on young people, as the majority of staff have had first aid training within the identified timescale. During this inspection, one young person, who was not resident at the time, refused to attend a general practitioner appointment unless her key worker accompanied her. The key worker reorganised her schedule to accommodate this, and the young person was able to attend her appointment supported by her key worker. This gives an

p.6

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

example of the flexibility of the service around meeting young people‟s needs.

p.6

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

Inspection report children‟s home: SC034158 7 Although young people may be at high risk when they begin accessing the service, they do not usually display these risks on their short-breaks at the home. This is because they have chosen to come to stay at the home, and want to engage with staff and participate in activities. Consequently, high-risk incidents rarely occur. The home has not used sanctions or physical management of behaviour, because there has been no need to. Additionally, young people develop strong, respectful relationships with staff and therefore respect the rules and boundaries in place and respond well to low-level behaviour management techniques.

p.7

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

The home bases much of its recording, documentation and planning on the „Signs of Safety‟ model, a tool intended to help practitioners with risk assessment and safety planning in child protection cases. It is an innovative, strengths-based, safety-organised approach to child protection casework. This is a simple tool that is easy for young people and parents to understand. It breaks down each area into a target that can be reviewed against progress. Progression against these targets for most young people is exceptionally good, and their risks are clearly reducing through their engagement with the service.

p.7

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

Young people‟s risks are clearly identified in their safety plans and their individual crisis management plans. These plans are reviewed regularly and the date of review is clearly recorded. The safety plans rate risks from zero to three, and then detail each risk and explain what the staff at the home will do to keep the young person safe in each identified area. The home can clearly evidence that the risks are being reduced for the young people who access the service.

p.7

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

Some young people have high child sexual exploitation risks at the start of their placement. When this is identified as a risk, it becomes a target in their placement plan. Staff do direct work on risk reduction, including using Signs of Safety, honesty and scenarios in which young people identify risks and explain what they would do in that situation. Additionally, the home is linked to the NSPCC for some young people. Some young people did a child sexual exploitation project while on a residential trip. Young people who are at risk of child sexual exploitation have child sexual exploitation risk assessment toolkits in their records.

p.7

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

There is no bullying at the home. Young people are carefully matched so that their risks do not conflict. Where young people have bullying as a risk, this is identified in their plans and direct work can be undertaken around this issue.

p.7

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

Young people have a missing from home plan that has a photograph and basic information about them. This can be shared with the police in the event of a „missing‟ incident. It also contains specific useful details, such as what a young person‟s behaviour can look like when they are scared or whether they understand the consequences of their actions. Missing from home incidents are rare and, when they do occur, they are short lived. Most of the „missing‟ incidents recorded are for a young person placed as a 72-hour emergency placement. His „missing‟ incidents corresponded to him wishing to spend time with friends in the community. Records of „missing‟ events could be Inspection report children‟s home: SC034158 8 improved, although they are often linked to other documents and key-worker sessions, where additional details are recorded. The home is required to record the circumstances of all incidents where a child goes missing from the home, including any information

p.7

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

relating to the child‟s whereabouts during the period of absence, yet it does not. A requirement is made to reflect this deficit, although there is no evident impact on young people and the issue relates to improving recording rather than any care practice improvements. A further recommendation is made in respect of independent return home interviews. The home does not routinely record whether these occur, because the young people have usually been discharged from their care, following their short break, by the time the return interview takes place.

p.8

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

The manager has reviewed the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the home, yet has not consulted any external agencies that may have helpful information for the manager to consider when assessing risk. There is no evidence of any impact on young people in relation to the requirement made under this regulation.

p.8

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

Staff spoken to as part of this inspection are confident about their ability to protect young people. They have attended safeguarding training and understand the whistleblowing procedure. Staff are confident about implementing rules and boundaries, and feel that good communication between the team members ensures that these are consistently implemented. A handover meeting was observed where staff passed on key safeguarding information clearly, such as whether the young people had phones on them, whether they had their own money and whether their medication had been administered.

p.8

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager, who was registered in August 2017, is passionate and committed. She is creative and adaptable in how the service is delivered, which ensures that it best meets the needs of each young person and their family. The manager is knowledgeable about young people‟s plans and can evidence the difference that the service is making in respect of supporting young people to remain at home with their family.

p.8

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff meetings take place regularly and are well attended. A broad range of topics are discussed at the meeting, and staff are encouraged to familiarise themselves with new resources. For example, one staff meeting signposted staff to the Barnados „Wud U‟ app, which is designed to educate young people about the dangers of child sexual exploitation.

p.8

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff report that they have very good communication with each other and have regular discussions about individual young people. Staff are encouraged to discuss any issues with their key child, as a group, to come up with joint solutions and share ideas.

p.8

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The quality of record keeping is generally very high (with the exception of some missing from home records, as detailed earlier). Direct work with young people is evident in the records, and some very detailed key-worker sessions take place. Staff complete „how was your stay‟ forms each time a young person accesses a short break, and these give a Inspection report children‟s home: SC034158 9 good summary of their stay. Plans and assessments are reviewed and updated regularly.

p.8

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff work in close partnership with parents and have feedback on a weekly basis on how young people are progressing. Feedback is also sought from the young people themselves, who have regular opportunities to express their views on the service. Professional feedback is consistently positive. Partnership working is evident throughout young people‟s records and in discussion with staff. Staff fully understand their role in the wider multi-agency system and endeavour to ensure that support continues for young people through external agencies before they withdraw their service.

p.9

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has monitoring systems in place for reviewing the service and identifying any areas of weakness that require development. The manager values the feedback from the independent visitor and uses their recommendations to improve the service.

p.9

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff report a positive working environment and ethos. They like working at the home and with the young people, and feel that they are making a difference. They report that the manager is open and approachable, welcoming suggestions and ideas for service development. Staff receive regular supervision and report that they feel able to access support and ask questions about practice at any time. Staff have access to a range of training and can undertake training specific to the young people‟s needs. For example, all staff have recently had training for young people on the autistic spectrum.

p.9

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home environment would benefit from some improvements. Although it is clean and safe, it does not feel homely. Additionally, the young people‟s en suite shower rooms would benefit from refurbishment, because they look tired and institutional.

p.9

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has responded positively to the requirements and recommendations made at the previous inspection and has made improvements in a number of areas. The requirements and recommendations made at this inspection do not impact on the exceptional difference that this service makes for children and families.

p.9

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 difference 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.

p.9

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: SC034158 10 Inspection report children‟s home: SC034158 11

p.9

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Cumbria House, 107-117 Botchergate, Carlisle, Cumbria CA1 1RZ

p.11

Inspector(s)

Charlie Bamber social care inspector Inspection report children‟s home: SC034158 12 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

p.11

Inspector(s)

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 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.12

Inspector(s)

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

p.12

Inspector(s)

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

p.12