Children's Home run by SWAAY Child & Adolescent Services Ltd in Bracknell Forest

Inspection report children’s home: SC431803 1 SC431803 Registered provider: SWAAY Child and Adolescent Services Limited

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The service is a four-bedroomed children’s home registered to accommodate young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home is owned and operated by a private organisation that specialises in the assessment and treatment of male adolescents who have experienced some form of abuse and have subsequently been involved in perpetrating abusive behaviour towards others.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

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

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness

p.1

Key findings from this inspection

 The young people are making good progress. They make effective use of the therapy available to them.  Although staffing changes have occurred, staff who are well known to the young people have provided consistency of care. Inspection report children’s home: SC431803 2  The managers consider risk carefully and engage fully in clear, multi-disciplinary decision making; this results in plans that enable progress while maintaining boundaries.  The staff are attuned to the young people. This ensures that the care delivered is tailored to young people’s individual, complex needs.  Young people are helped to positively focus on education, and they have made significant progress in school.  The young people are working towards independence within the safeguards of their individual plans.  The management team has recently changed. The new manager is having a positive impact on the service.

p.1

Key findings from this inspection

The children’s home’s areas for development:

p.2

Key findings from this inspection

 Managerial monitoring has been adversely affected by the change in managers. This has resulted in some shortfalls in the quality and consistency of monitoring.  The home is looking tired, and some areas require a deep clean.  Some interactions with young people could be improved by staff being clearer about their expectations.

p.2

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

29/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 19/10/2016 Full Outstanding 03/03/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 21/10/2015 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC431803 3

p.2

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.3

Requirement Due date

6: The quality and purpose of care standard The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who— ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to— meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 6(2)(c)(i)) 19/03/2018

p.3

Requirement Due date

11: The positive relationships standard The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on— (c) positive responses to other children and adults. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding. (Regulation 11(1)(c)(2)(a)(v)) 19/03/2018

p.3

Requirement Due date

13: The leadership and management standard The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that— use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13(2)(h)) 19/06/2018

p.3

Recommendations

 Appropriate forms of contact should be promoted and facilitated for each child, Inspection report children’s home: SC431803 4 including where appropriate visits to the child in the home; visits by the child to relatives and/or friends. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 58, 11.18)

p.3

Recommendations

 Staff should be familiar with the home’s policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, 14.4)

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young people at this home benefit from trusted relationships with staff who are well known to them. Although there have been some staff changes, including the manager, a core of consistent staff has supported the young people through the changes.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the interim inspection in March 2017, one young person has been admitted to the home. Consideration was given to whether his needs could be met alongside the impact his admission may have on those already living at the home.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Progress has been made by all of the young people living at this home. Some have moved through the therapeutic programme, and doing this has reduced the risks posed to and by them. Subsequently, they are achieving greater levels of independence. Two of the young people have achieved positions on the school council. Some of the young people have been able to spend more time with their families. These are good examples of the progress that the young people are making.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are actively engaged in their own plans. They engage in regular meetings about the day-to-day running of the home and their individual needs. An example of this is a young person requesting changes to his independent time, during a house meeting. A discussion followed involving all the staff and young people present, before a mutual agreement was reached. This demonstrates how the young people are able to influence change through group discussion.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Complaints are responded to by the manager in a timely manner. The young people are engaged in the process. Their views are sought, and where complaints have been raised regarding interactions between staff and the young people, mediation meetings have occurred. This clear process ensures that the young people feel their views and complaints are listened to and acted upon.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Education is promoted by staff, who have high aspirations for the young people. Effective communication between the education and care staff ensures that a Inspection report children’s home: SC431803 5 holistic approach is taken through a shared understanding of learning goals. Some young people are studying for their GCSE exams. Plans for further education are in place, with the young people having clear ideas about their future learning goals. As a result of this, the young people have clear goals and focus on their education. Staff are attuned to the needs of the young people. They are skilled at working with the risks associated in this specialist provision, and make good use of the range of support available through the organisation. The young people are supported through the therapeutic programmes as part of their experience of living in this home. The professionals around the young people have frequent,

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

effective communication, which contributes to the management of risk as a shared understanding and decision-making process. Feedback from professionals expressed confidence in the staff to deliver effective care in line with the home’s statement of purpose.

p.5

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Where matters are beyond the control of the staff, specialist services are sought. An example of this is the manager seeking support from a specialist service for one young person with matters related to his legal order. Another young person has been provided with additional specialist therapeutic support. As a result, the young people benefit from the tenacity of leaders and managers responding to their individual needs.

p.5

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Plans are adapted to the individual needs of the young people. One young person has moved on since the last inspection. Plans for his move were well thought out and supported him through the changes. A further example is that plans for young people who are due to move on this year have included the potential for them to move in the autumn term to avoid changing education and accommodation at the same time. This adaptive approach ensures that young people are given well-thought-out support as laid out in their moving-on plans.

p.5

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The therapeutic ethos of this home includes daily meetings where the young people and staff reflect on the day’s events. Decisions are made about activities, and opportunities are created to discuss any minor issues before an activity is embarked on. The shared responsibility for decision making and the home’s ethos of open discussion enables the young people to explore their thoughts and feelings with the support and guidance from staff. As a result of this, a climate of mutual respect underpins practice in the home.

p.5

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

The young people living at this home describe being able to talk about their thoughts and feelings with trusted adults from the care, education and therapeutic teams. One young person said, ‘They do help us, like, really listen to us, when we have a problem.’

p.5

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

A safeguarding culture is firmly established in this home and regularly reviewed through staff meetings and supervisions. When allegations are made, the staff Inspection report children’s home: SC431803 6 follow clear guidance. They know what to report, when and to whom. Detailed records are shared with social workers and the designated officer to enable allegations to be fully investigated. This thorough and well-organised approach to managing allegations demonstrates the effective leadership and management at the home. As a result, the young people and staff are protected and supported when allegations are made.

p.5

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

There are regular opportunities for the young people to see important people in their lives. However, on occasions, staff and young people from the home have had privileges during family time that are not always extended to the family members present. This has resulted in siblings feeling left out, which undermines the process of the young people living at the home rebuilding family relationships.

p.6

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

Detailed risk assessments provide staff with information and clear strategies to guide their practice. The organisation’s multi-disciplinary approach to assessing risk ensures that risks are considered from different perspectives and decisions are not made in isolation. However, some risk assessments had not been signed by staff. As a result, it was unclear if all the staff were up to date in the knowledge of the risk management strategies used with the young people.

p.6

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

One young person has significantly reduced his risk-taking behaviour. The staff worked closely with the local police to help him to achieve this outcome. The police community support officer said, ‘The new manager and her team have a common-sense approach to managing the young people who go missing from care.’ The staff will actively seek the young people if they leave the home, encouraging them to return. As a result of this, missing incidents have reduced significantly.

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A new manager has been in post since October 2017. She has the experience and skills required for her role and is in the process of registering with Ofsted. There have been some other staffing changes, with some staff returning to the home from other parts of the organisation and other staff moving on. There remains a core of consistent staff who are well known to the young people. As a result of this, there has been some consistency for the young people, who are receiving care from familiar staff.

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Induction for new staff is thorough. The induction programme combines shadow working with direct-learning sessions and a booklet for new staff to work through. New staff also receive frequent support and supervision, enabling reflection on their practice with their line manager. New staff describe the organisation as ‘really supportive and welcoming’.

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There have been some shortfalls in the managerial monitoring. The new manager has identified areas of weakness, for example staff not signing the Inspection report children’s home: SC431803 7 young people’s plans when they have been updated. Records sampled also showed the same phrases being repeated over a period of months when staff are recording observations of the young people’s time with their families. This detracts from the records’ objectivity for the young people.

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Effective communication across the young people’s networks ensures that information is shared in order to keep the young people safe. The young people access the local community as part of their independence programme. They make good use of local community resources. As a result of this, the young people are gaining independence experiences.

p.7

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The new manager has ensured that staff supervision has become a regular and reflective practice that supports staff development. She has begun to identify the home’s strengths and weaknesses, and has plans to develop the home. However, some areas that she has identified, such as the home requiring a deep clean, have yet to be actioned. Development plans include modernisation to the home’s décor and working with the young people to ensure that they are engaged in the development of their home.

p.7

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.

p.7

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: SC431803 8

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider: SWAAY Child and Adolescent Services Limited

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 591 London Road, Sutton, Surrey SM3 9AG

p.8

Inspector

Sarah Olliver, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC431803 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 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: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.9