Children's home run by Staffordshire County Council in Stafford

Inspection report children’s home: SC375911 1 SC375911 Registered provider: Staffordshire County Council

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A local authority manages the centre, which provides residential short breaks for children and young people who have learning disabilities, physical disabilities and sensory impairment. The centre also provides outreach services to support children, young people and 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 outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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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: 8 February 2017

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: improved effectiveness

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC375911 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

 Young people form warm and trusting relationships with dedicated staff who provide consistent and reassuring care.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people look forward to coming for short breaks. They benefit hugely from spending time with peers and staff in a welcoming and comfortable environment.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Creative staff provide a wide range of fun and stimulating activities, which are accessible to all young people regardless of ability.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Staff are highly skilled in a range of communication methods, which they use to support young people to express themselves and make choices.

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Key findings from this inspection

 The centre provides young people with a ‘home away from home’.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people contribute to decisions that are made and feel a sense of ownership of the centre.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people make progress beyond expectations in their independence, communication and self-care skills.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Staff keep young people exceptionally safe through close monitoring, in-depth knowledge of each young person’s needs and detailed, highly effective risk assessments.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Staff help young people to understand how to keep themselves safe.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Staff work in close collaboration with family members and a wide range of professionals to enhance their knowledge of young people.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Staff are highly trained. This training includes the specialist skills needed to meet the needs of each young person.

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Key findings from this inspection

 The registered manager communicates well with young people and their families, providing regular newsletters and information about changes at the centre.

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Key findings from this inspection

 The registered manager is constantly reviewing and developing the service. She tirelessly strives to drive up standards for young people even further. Inspection report children’s home: SC375911 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/02/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 10/11/2016 Full Outstanding 09/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 01/12/2015 Full Outstanding Inspection report children’s home: SC375911 4

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people love coming to this calm, welcoming and child-focused centre for short breaks. They enjoy warm and trusting relationships with nurturing staff who enhance young people’s ability to make choices and to achieve beyond expectations.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The centre is immaculately maintained and is constantly being refurbished, ensuring that young people consistently experience a space where they can feel comfortable and secure. The first thing they like to do when they arrive is to choose one of the fun and creatively themed bedrooms, including a butterfly room, a sugar and spice room and a space room.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people confidently get snacks and drinks from the young people’s kitchen and thoroughly enjoy mealtimes at the table together. The skilled cook ensures that food is freshly prepared and meets each young person’s specific dietary needs and preferences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff encourage young people to think about what they would like to do over the weekend. They send a letter to young people prior to their break asking what activities they would like, and use ‘chat books’ to confirm this once they have settled in. Young people choose lots of enjoyable activities, including going out for walks, bowling, going to the cinema and using the sensory room and well stocked toy and art rooms. Staff support them to socialise with peers and engage in activities within the centre, but also to spend time by themselves if they feel overstimulated. Staffing levels and staff skill and diligence enable young people to have experiences that family members may struggle to provide for them, because of the complexity of young people’s needs and behaviours.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff enable young people to communicate their views, wishes and feelings using a range of communication tools, including pictures, symbols, signing, body language and verbal communication. The close relationships that young people form with staff help them to develop their self-confidence and skills. Young people sit on the young people’s council and take part in the young people’s university, which is having a ‘gold graduation’ in February to celebrate their achievements.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

For many of the young people the transition from school or home to the centre is extremely stressful. Staff meet their individual needs at these times with great skill, patience and compassion. Personalised care for each young person is an absolute priority and some young people have a special core group of staff to ensure that they always have staff that they know well and like.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people make exceptional and sustained progress in their communication, independence, self-confidence, listening skills, social development and in expressing their emotions. One young person, whose target is to increase his independence, can now pay for things himself when he goes out, stand in a queue and shower himself after verbal prompts from staff. Inspection report children’s home: SC375911 5 Professionals and family members provide exceptionally positive feedback about the impact of short breaks on young people. The parent of one young person said, ‘I can’t praise them highly enough. The staff are warm and empathetic with her and use humour, which she responds to. She absolutely loves coming and has made progress in her independence and social skills.’ A social worker commented that she is ‘more than impressed’ and that she found the centre to be, ‘Very person centred… I love the communication tools and the choices for young people. One young person arrived in an

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

emergency and staff just took her off to the trip that they had planned without any fuss.’

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

Highly trained and vigilant staff use their skills and experience to keep young people exceptionally safe. Staffing ratios are high and meet the individual needs of each young person based on detailed and effective risk assessments. Many young people make such exceptional progress that the number of staff required to support them reduces. Young people are included in all activities safely. The registered manager has reviewed and updated the locality risk assessment, which provides staff with valuable information when they take young people into the community.

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

Staff training is up to date and relevant and the registered manager invites other professionals, such as the local police, to come to the centre to talk to staff about issues like radicalisation and substance misuse. Staff are trained to recognise and respond appropriately to child sexual exploitation and to follow procedures if a young person goes missing.

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

Staff receive specialist training about specific health issues, which is vital for the safety of young people who may have, for example, diabetes. Staff and the registered manager regularly review and update individual risk assessments and behaviour support plans, providing staff with invaluable, up-to-date information regarding each young person’s safeguarding needs. Staff work closely with a wide range of professionals, including social workers, health professionals and schools, in order to identify risks and keep young people safe. Staff work closely with family members to identify changes in young people’s behaviour and needs which could increase their vulnerability to risk.

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

Staff work creatively to help young people to understand how to keep themselves safe, teaching them about a range of topics, including the green cross code. Staff also engage young people in anti-bullying workshops. All young people are included in the workshops, which aim to raise their awareness of their own self-worth and of good and bad behaviours towards others.

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

The centre is well designed and maintained. Staff use the space to meet young people’s individual safeguarding needs, including the use of de-sensitising rooms to reduce stimulation and enable young people to better manage their emotions and behaviour. The sensory room is also popular with young people and helps them to feel calm. There is a rigorous medication recording and administering system.

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

Social workers confirm that risk assessments are of a high standard, that they are Inspection report children’s home: SC375911 6 detailed and that staff consult social workers about them. One social worker said, ‘Safeguarding is fantastic, communication is very good.’ A parent stated, ‘Staff keep her safe. Protocols are in place and they do everything properly.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager holds a level 5 qualification in management and has over 25 years of experience in childcare. She has managed this service for over five years, during which time the Ofsted judgements have improved from good to outstanding. She also manages another similar provision, which is also judged to be outstanding. Staff either hold the appropriate level 3 qualification or are working towards the award. Staff are first aid trained.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Information is available for young people and parents in easily accessible forms, such as regular young persons’ and parents’ newsletters, which are colourful, fun and informative. The registered manager and staff prioritise face-to-face communication with parents and professionals, which encourages a sense of inclusion and ownership of the centre. Parents were included in interviewing candidates for the deputy manager’s post. Everyone is made aware of staff changes, developments at the centre, the outcome of Ofsted inspections and independent visitor reports. The registered manager seeks the views of young people and parents. She constantly evaluates and responds to feedback and suggestions about how the centre can be improved to meet the needs of young people. Communication is a strength of the service, from excellent written records and reports to the many tools used for communicating with young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager ensures that staff receive excellent training and regular supervision. She provides strong leadership, which enables staff to feel confident in their roles and understand the ethos of the centre. The registered manager monitors the written evaluation prepared by staff after each shift and talks to staff if they have had a negative experience. This enables her to find out what the challenges were and what could have been done differently. She encourages staff to reflect on their practice. The registered manager undertakes competency tests with staff to inform her about any gaps in their knowledge or understanding.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff love working at the centre; they say that the team is supportive and works well together. They also work effectively with a wide range of agencies, including the police, social care, health, education, occupational therapy and an advocacy service to identify and meet the needs of young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff know young people well and talk confidently about their backgrounds, care needs, targets and progress. Staff complete excellent ‘improving outcomes’ sheets for each young person. These require staff to consider each quality standard and how best to apply it in practice for that young person.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager makes sure that research underpins staff practice and the development of the centre. The service is improving all the time. There is currently a strong focus on the transition of young people from children’s to adults’ services and Inspection report children’s home: SC375911 7 what that means for young people and their families. The registered manager has been highly proactive in bringing young people, families and professionals together to identify the issues and support needs at this challenging time.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Feedback from professionals and family members is positive and they speak very highly of staff and managers. One parent said, ‘Communication is clear, concise and efficient. They are always respectful. They do their job efficiently and well and I get on with all the staff.’ Other parents’ comments include, ‘I love the service, staff are vigilant and he is happy,’ and, ‘I can’t praise them [staff] highly enough, they work in partnership with us.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

A measure of the effectiveness and value of this service is summarised by one parent who said, ‘If I hadn’t got the centre my child would be in care. I feel relaxed knowing she’s with 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 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: SC375911 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Staffordshire County Council, Wedgwood Buildings, Tipping Street, Stafford ST16 2DH

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Inspector

Louise Whittle, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC375911 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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