Children's home run by Young Generation

Inspection report children’s home: SC028460 1 SC028460 Registered provider: Young Generation

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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 home is a family-owned business which provides care and accommodation for up to four young people who have emotional and/or behaviour difficulties.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

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

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none. Inspection report children’s home: SC028460 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

15/05/2017 Full Good 17/01/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 26/04/2016 Full Good 11/01/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC028460 3

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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, 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 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).

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Requirement Due date

When conducting the review, the registered person must consult, and take into account the views of, each relevant person. (Regulation 46 (1)(2))

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Requirement Due date

This is with reference to the specific risk posed by gangs in the local area. 20/07/2018

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Recommendations

 Ensure that a workforce plan is in place which can fulfil the workforce related requirements of regulation 16, schedule 1 (paragraphs 19 and 20). The plan should: detail the necessary management and staffing structure, (including any staff commissioned to provide health and education), the experience and qualifications of staff currently working within the staffing structure and any further training required for those staff, to enable the delivery of the home’s Statement of Purpose; detail the processes and agreed timescales for staff to achieve induction, probation and any core training (such as safeguarding, health and safety and mandatory qualifications); detail the process for managing and improving poor performance. The plan should be updated to include any new training and qualifications completed by staff while working at the home, and used to record the ongoing training and continuing professional development needs of staff – including the

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Recommendations

home’s manager. This is also with reference to ensuring staff training in radicalisation and refresher training in safeguarding. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.8) Inspection report children’s home: SC028460 4

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people enjoy a rich variety of experiences and are happy in their home. Young people benefit from a talented staff team. One young person refers to her key worker as ‘my little mum’. During the recent school holiday, young people enjoyed sessions with a henna artist and went horse riding.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Placing social workers and parents commented positively on the home’s commitment to young people. One social worker said, ‘I cannot praise them (the staff) enough. They do a very good job in difficult circumstances.’ A parent commented that, ‘They (the staff) are lovely people.’ Staff understand the harm caused by repeated placement moves, and work hard to ensure that the home provides young people with stability.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people enjoy good outcomes, and they make progress. Since the last inspection, two young people have returned home to live with their families, while one young person has moved onto semi-independent living. Another young person is currently preparing to move in to her own accommodation after making significant progress over the last three years.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff work positively with young people to develop their independent living skills and encourage them to engage in their local community. Staff encourage young people to do more tasks for themselves, such as managing finances, attending health appointments or travelling long distances.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All young people attend some form of education and employment. The behavioural reward system in the home incentivises young people to engage in their learning. Staff encourage young people to manage their time by offering weekly planners and daily reminders of appointments and lessons.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people feel listened to. Staff recently got a kitten for the home on their request. Young people enjoy good access to advocacy and mentoring services. When complaints are made, managers provide a full and comprehensive response, with independent oversight.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people value their experiences. Former residents return to the home to keep in touch with staff. Young people trust staff and begin to explore and understand their difficult life histories via effective key-work sessions.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people engage with specialist services both inside and outside of the home. The home employs a counsellor, who successfully engages young people in the home setting. When young people struggle to engage with specialist provisions outside of the home, professionals are encouraged to visit the home to meet with them in an environment that the young people may find easier. Inspection report children’s home: SC028460 5

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

Staff work with professionals such as police officers to keep young people safe. Safeguarding orders and protection plans are in place to manage high levels of risk. Staff act quickly to convene professionals’ meetings when concerns arise.

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

Behavioural management is successful and there is no use of restraint at the home. Young people respond well to the staff team enforcing boundaries with consistency. Police attendance at the home is limited, and staff work with local youth offending services to avoid criminalising young people.

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

Risk assessments are comprehensive and regularly reviewed with key professionals. This helps managers to adjust staffing levels when young people are struggling and needing extra support. Risk assessments incorporate the strategies of therapists, including the consistent positive reinforcement of good behaviour.

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

Behaviour plans incorporate the wishes and feelings of young people, for example ‘please text me after 15 mins and don’t speak with me when I am upset’. Staff encourage openness and honesty from young people regarding their social circles and daily routines, thus helping to better inform risk assessments and care plans.

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

The home follows an established missing procedure, and staff attempt to trace the whereabouts of young people via close liaison with family and friends. Local police comment on good levels of information sharing and gathering, such as the recording of car number plates. Staff are willing to travel long distances, for example to Kent, to bring young people back.

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

Staff seek solutions to address missing behaviours. Staff appropriately challenge placing authorities to agree overnight stays with friends and provide increased support of young people when they are away from the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The management and staff team remain settled. The home is a family business, with five members of the same family working together and creating a unique bond. No staff members have left since the last inspection, which means that there is consistency and stronger relationships between staff and young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has been in post since 2003 and has the required management qualification. She is a ‘hands-on’ manager’, with a close relationship to the young people. Progress is good and managers have addressed all recommendations from the last inspection. Inspection report children’s home: SC028460 6 The home’s admissions procedure is good. Staff consider the needs of those already resident in the house before each admission to ensure that young people settle quickly and make progress. However, the risk assessment of the local area requires more information on the risks posed by gangs in the local area.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff morale is good and the ‘closeness’ of the staff team is clear. Staff report good levels of supervision and support from managers. Young people are consulted by managers to offer feedback on individual staff, and this subsequently informs the staff appraisal process.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff said that they receive good levels of training and displayed a good awareness of key areas of risk, such as child sexual exploitation. Group supervision is effective. It allows staff to review care plans and share scenarios and encourages consistency across the staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Case files show good levels of management oversight. Files evidence a good use of chronologies to chart and assess the progress achieved by young people. Managers challenge delays in care planning and ensure that young people receive the service that they need.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

At present, the home doesn’t have a workforce development plan. Despite this, managers are ambitious and eager to learn from past mistakes and continue to make progress. Inspection report children’s home: SC028460 7

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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: SC028460 8

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Inspector

Barnaby Dowell, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC028460 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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Inspector

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