Hertfordshire - Stevenage Borough Group

Unit 2/3 Bedwell Park, Bedwell, Stevenage, SG1 1ND

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Inspection date 30 October–1st November 2013

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This inspection: Requires improvement 3

Previous inspection: Not previously inspected Access to services by young children and families Requires improvement 3 The quality of practice and services Requires improvement 3 The effectiveness of leadership, governance and management Requires improvement 3

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This is a centre that requires improvement. It is not good because:

 The group does not reach enough families from its priority groups. Although the number of families reached has increased significantly since April 2013 numbers are not yet high enough.  There are too few opportunities for parents to improve their standard of education and their chances of gaining employment.  There is no up-to-date agreement between the group and social care. As a result managers and centre outreach workers are not clear about their responsibilities when working with families subject to child protection plans. The Common Assessment Framework (CAF) is not used consistently across the group so outreach workers are not helping families at the earliest stage possible.  The quality of the information that the local authority provides to the group is not always timely or specific enough to the group reach area. This means the group cannot target support to specific areas of the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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This is a centre that requires improvement. It is not good because:

 There are no joint strategic plans with health partners to improve breastfeeding rates and continue to lower child obesity levels. The Health Trust does not give the group up-to-date information so they can help families in the reach area.

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This children’s centre group has the following strengths:

 The group staff give excellent care and support to families which helps them to cope with their situation, for example by budgeting carefully or supporting their children’s learning.  Parents value services and staff very highly. Parents say they always feel welcome and safe at the centres and have a say in what courses and activities are put on for them.  The network manager and the advisory board have high aspirations for the group and have good plans in place to make sure the group improves. The network manager has a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of each centre and manages the group well. It is credit to the staff at the individual centres that day-to-day services kept running smoothly before the network managers appointment and during a long period of staff changes and shortages.  Staff embrace the good training opportunities offered to them. Childminders are very pleased with

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This children’s centre group has the following strengths:

the support they receive from the group and say this helps them to improve their work with children in their care.

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Information about this inspection

The inspection of this children’s centre was carried out under Part 3A of the Childcare Act 2006 as amended by the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009. The centres that form part of this children’s centre group are Bedwell children’s centre, St Nicholas and Martins Wood Children’s Centre, Shephall and Poplars Children’s centre and Chells and Manor Children’s centre.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out by two of Her Majesty’s Inspectors and two additional inspectors.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors held meetings with members of the advisory board, the senior leadership team, centre staff, family outreach workers and officers from the local authority and county council. They also met health and social care professionals, early years partners, representatives from Homestart, Job Centre Plus and the Citizens Advice Bureau. Inspectors looked at the self-evaluation report, centre development plans, a sample of case files, safeguarding procedures and a range of other relevant documentation.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors visited the four main children’s centre sites and some visits to activities were undertaken jointly with relevant members of the staff. The Children's Centre Network Manager attended all the inspection team meetings.

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Inspection team

Susan Smith Her Majesty’s Inspector Julie Winyard Her Majesty’s Inspector Georgina Beasley Additional inspector Qaisra Shahraz Additional inspector

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Information about the group

Hertfordshire - Stevenage Borough Group includes one phase one children’s centre, and three phase two children’s centres. All centres are situated in Stevenage. which was the first New Town in England. developed next to the Old Town of Stevenage. Its main housing base was developed in the 1960’s and 1970’s. The current mix of households is 72% private and private renting and 28% social landlord.

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Information about the group

The group, which has been established since April 2013, is run by Stevenage Borough Council on behalf of Hertfordshire County Council, and has a joint Advisory Board. The group of centres lies in the central, north and east areas of Stevenage which comprises the urban communities in the wards of St Nicholas and Martin’s Wood, Bedwell, Shephall, Chells and Manor. The group network manager oversees the management of the group and each of the four centres has its own centre manager.

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Information about the group

Bedwell children’s centre is in the centre of Stevenage in a converted unit shared with Homestart. St Nicholas and Martin’s Wood Children’s Centre operates across two sites in a community shopping centre and attached social housing. Busy Bee’s pre-school is located on the same site and is subject to a separate inspection. Shephall and Poplars Children’s centre is located within the Hyde shopping parade. Chells and Manor Children’s centre is sited to the front of the Timebridge Community Centre in close vicinity to a secondary, primary and nursery schools. The Rainbow End nursery in the community centre is subject to a separate inspection.

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Information about the group

Although the wards differ in population characteristics, private and local authority housing and ethnicity mix, There are 3,696 children under five years of age living in the group’s reach area. The group of centres serves an area which has some high levels of deprivation and approximately 11% of children are living in households dependant on workless benefits. Most families (83.5%) are of white British heritage with a small proportion of families from minority ethnic groups. Children enter early year’s provision at levels typically expected for their age.

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Information about the group

The group has identified its main priority groups as vulnerable families, young and teenage mothers, disabled children and children of disabled parents, lone parents, fathers, children with child protection plans and workless families with young children. The area is served by 17 early year’s providers, 16 primary schools, and five secondary school.

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Information about the group

The group works with a range of partners to deliver services that meet its core purpose. The centres share a staff team comprising full and part-time family outreach workers and children centre workers and administrators.

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Information about the group

Registered early years providers are subject to separate inspection arrangements. Reports can be found at http://www.ofsted.gov.uk

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What does the centre/group need to do to improve further?

 The local authority to:  provide detailed and up-to-date information about the achievement of children in all areas of the Early Years Foundation Stage  make sure the group has up-to-date information about breastfeeding and child obesity so they can support families better.  The local authority to establish a clear agreement with social services so that:  family outreach workers are focussed on helping families as early as possible to reduce the risk of further intervention  the Common Assessment Framework is used effectively across the group  family outreach workers are given clear directions about their responsibilities when working with families who have a child in need or child protection plan.  The group to demonstrate that outcomes are improving for the majority of families by increasing the opportunities for adults to develop their employability skills and track the outcomes carefully.

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What does the centre/group need to do to improve further?

 The group to ensure that services are reaching the large majority of the group’s priority families.

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Inspection judgements

Access to services by young children and families Requires improvement

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Inspection judgements

 Not all families who need it have access to support from the group. The group has significantly increased the number of children and families they are working with since April 2013 but robust systems are not in place across the group to monitor attendance by those families most in need.

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Inspection judgements

 Increasing the volume of work with families in most need is a priority for staff and managers but too much of the family outreach workers time is currently spent working with children subject to child in need or child protection plans. This is because there is no up-to-date service level agreement between the group and social care. As a result Common Assessment Framework (CAF) processes are not used consistently to identify families at the earliest stages of need and thus reduce risk and prevent further escalation of need.

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Inspection judgements

 Families who come to the centres say that they feel welcomed, valued and not judged. As a result these families are making great improvements in their lives. Staff make and keep contact with families until their needs are effectively met. Many of these families have a long-standing relationship with the centre and some, but not enough, become volunteers and progress into employment.

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Inspection judgements

 Courses are well-attended, well-planned and resourced. For example at a course for new parents, mothers and fathers found out how to make a treasure box for their babies from inexpensive yet engaging objects. One baby was particularly enthralled by a multi-coloured, plastic egg wisk. Good attention is given to health and safety considerations in all courses.

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Inspection judgements

 Most three-and four-year-old children take up their entitlement to free early years education. The group’s recent initiative to increase the take up of free childcare for vulnerable two year olds has been very successful. It has resulted in a high take up of places for most vulnerable two year olds.

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Inspection judgements

 Health visitors who work at the centres say the take-up and sustaining of breastfeeding beyond 12 days is low in the reach area. Mothers are initiating breastfeeding while in hospital but when they come home health professionals do not have enough time to give the support needed. The group is in the process of training all staff to be able to support breastfeeding. The network manager recognises that reducing child obesity is a priority in the group development plan.

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Inspection judgements

The quality of practice and services Requires improvement

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Inspection judgements

 There are not enough opportunities for parents to develop their academic skills including those related to English, mathematics and information and communication technology. The progress made by adults is not recorded or checked and so the centre does not know how successful courses have been. However, families who have been on courses have said that their lives have been improved and that they are keen to continue their learning.

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Inspection judgements

 The quality of partnership working is variable. Health agencies provide a range of services, including antenatal classes, but there is no joint plan to improve breastfeeding rates and continue to reduce obesity levels. The centre is working to improve links with early years providers and schools so that they can work together to improve children’s readiness for school. The recent joint initiative with the Citizen Advice Bureau has resulted in assisting families to access over £50,000 in unclaimed benefits.

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Inspection judgements

 Lack of specific Early Years Foundation Stage profile data from the local authority has meant the group have not been able to fully identify areas to focus on or plan relevant activities to promote children’s learning. When compared to the national picture, the level of development of children living in three of the centre reach areas is in line with expected levels at the end of the Early Years Foundation Stage. For the remaining centre Bedwell, it is below. In addition, boys at St Nicholas and Bedwell centres do less well than boys nationally. Children known to be eligible for free school meal do less well than nationally at all centres except St Nicholas. The gap is closing but not fast enough.

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Inspection judgements

 Families are highly satisfied with the quality of services at the centre. Parents from target groups say how much they appreciate the good support from all staff. Their support helps parents to engage in the centre and in the community, meet new friends and break down the barriers due to feeling isolated or depressed.

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Inspection judgements

 The range of activities and services provided at the centre are appropriate and increasingly becoming better matched to the needs of users as the group extends its understanding of its priority families.

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management

 A history of staffing shortages has, until recently, hindered service delivery particularly at Bedwell Children’s Centre. The recently appointed Children’s Centre Network Manager has had a highly positive impact on the quality and extent of services. In a very short time a number of successful new initiatives have been introduced, including a major review of management systems and operational practices. The Network Manager’s positive and sharply focussed approach has accelerated collaboration across the group. The dedication and positive attitude of the staff, together with determination to do what they do better, are strong indicators of their ability to quicken the rate of improvement.

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management

 A group self-evaluation has been completed. This is accurate and has a clear vision for the development of the service and the leadership team have communicated this well to all staff. They are working hard to re-focus provision on the needs of the families, targeting provision particularly using outreach and partnership work. For example, two centres work closely and effectively with the housing authority to register families with children under the age of one. This initiative is to be rolled out to the other two centres in the group.

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management

 Safeguarding policies and procedures are in place and implemented. All staff are aware of what to do if there is a concern about a child’s well-being or safety. All users say they feel safe and that their children are safe. Offering parents the protective behaviour course in their own homes is proving effective in keeping families safe.

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management

 Although some staff are using the CAF well this is not consistent with all staff across all centres. Where the CAF is used well parents are fully involved in the assessment of their needs and in the monitoring of their progress against targets they help to set for themselves. In addition family outreach workers do not have a clear understanding of their responsibilities when working with families subject to a child in need or child protection plans.

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management

 Resources are used well and staff are increasingly developing creative solutions to tackle the challenges they face in reaching families living in the area. Staff feel well supported and have access to good training opportunities to enable them to develop their skills and knowledge further which enhances their ability to meet the needs of the community in which they work.

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management

 Parents are frequently asked to evaluate services and returns show that parents have a high regard for the activities and comment on the positive impact the group staff and courses have on their lives. Parents have a satisfactory influence on governance through the partnership group at three of the centres and the overarching advisory board. An appropriate range of professionals who work in the local area also attend the advisory board.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding Practice consistently reflects the highest aspirations for children and their families and as a result inequalities are reducing rapidly and gaps are closing. Grade 2 Good Practice enables most children and their families to access good quality services that improve children’s wellbeing and achieve the stated outcomes for families. Grade 3 Requires improvement Performance is not as good as it might reasonably be expected to be in one or more key areas. Grade 4 Inadequate The needs of children and families in its area are not being met and/or the leaders and managers are not providing sufficient challenge to bring about improvement to the quality of services.

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Children’s Centre Group details

Unique reference number 80288 Local authority Hertfordshire Inspection number 424769 Managed by Stevenage Borough Council

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five in the reach area

Centre leader Valerie Murray Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected Telephone number 01438 242475 Email address valerie.murray@stevenage.gov.uk

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This group consists of the following children’s centres:

 22598 St Nicholas & Martins Wood Children’s Centre  22599 Bedwell Children’s Centre  22600 Chells & Manor Children’s Centre  22601 Shephall & Poplars Children’s Centre guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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This group consists of the following children’s centres:

(Ofsted) regulates and inspects to 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 Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, 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. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille,

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This group consists of the following children’s centres:

please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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This group consists of the following children’s centres:

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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