Children's home run by Hampshire County Council in Winchester

Inspection report children’s home: SC038750 1 SC038750 Registered provider: Hampshire County Council

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned and managed by a local authority. The home provides care and accommodation for a maximum of four children and young people whose primary relationships have been disrupted.

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Information about this children’s home

The home uses an established parenting model to work with and measure the progress of each young person.

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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 outstanding

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good

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

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good

Date of last inspection: 15 November 2017

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good Inspection report children’s home: SC038750 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

15/11/2017 Full Good 21/03/2017 Interim Declined in effectiveness 26/04/2016 Full Good 09/12/2015 Interim Declined in effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC038750 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

In order to meet the quality and purpose of care standard the registered person is required to: ensure that staff make decisions about the day-to-day arrangements for each child, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans, which give the child an appropriate degree of freedom and choice. (Regulation 6(20(b)(ix))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that any decision to temporarily limit a child’s access to any area of the home or to be able to leave the home should be informed by a rigorous assessment of that individual child’s needs, be properly recorded and be kept under regular review. 15/06/2018

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the protection of children standard the registered person must ensure: that staff understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person; take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12(2)(a)(v)(vi) and (vii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, to be aware of when policies are updated in order to be able to follow them. 29/06/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. If a home has a website, the registered person must ensure that a copy of the statement of purpose is published on that website unless the registered person considers that such publication would prejudice the welfare of children in the home. (Regulation 16 (3)(b) and (4)) 17/06/2018 Inspection report children’s home: SC038750 4

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is temporarily located in an old building that has some institutional features, such as push taps in bathrooms and unattractive metal window restraints. However, a new building is being constructed that is designed to meet modern needs and incorporate the wishes of children and young people who live in residential provision. Young people and staff have visited a similar home and their views are being taken into account in the selection of final fittings.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are unhappy that staff lock the kitchen at night, because if they want a drink during the night or to get up before staff to have breakfast they cannot do so. This distracts from the homely environment and unnecessarily restricts young people’s movements. It was the subject of recommendations at the last inspection but, despite the manager updating the policy, practice has not improved.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people said they appreciate the way in which they are ‘treated as grown up’. They feel able to make their own choices but often seek the guidance of staff. During the inspection, staff were observed to ask young people questions about their actions or intentions in a way that helped them to re-evaluate their decisions.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Most young people have made substantial progress since coming to the home, including managing difficult feelings, improving social skills and successfully engaging with education. One parent said that his son ‘is not getting as angry as he used to, he has cooled down a lot. He goes on outings with the home and is getting on better with people’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have developed an independence programme that they tailor to the needs of individual young people. Units are relevant and their completion is linked to rewards; this creative approach motivates young people to undertake the work. The programme also contributes to the thorough preparation staff undertake with young people who are moving on from the home. This includes keeping in contact with those who have left and who wish to remain in touch.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people’s moves into the home are also well thought-through, to ensure that both current residents and those who are newly admitted are well prepared. A social worker said that staff were ‘brilliant from first involvement’.

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

For a period, young people did not feel safe due to the activities of one of their peers. Senior managers developed appropriate safeguarding strategies that staff implemented, but despite this an assault took place. The inspection did not find any failing on the part of the manager or staff that is likely to have contributed to the incident taking place.

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

The incident has had a significant effect on the victim and young people. However, the Inspection report children’s home: SC038750 5 work of the staff meant that the emotional impact was less than might have been anticipated. This is due to the secure relationships staff had already established with young people and the considerable emotional and practical support they provided. One professional commented that the manager created ‘a safe place to talk’.

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

The manager and staff have a good understanding of young people’s needs. They work with a psychologist to produce behaviour support and care plans that focus on helping young people to reduce risks and challenging behaviour. Structured and personalised approaches contribute to very low or non-existent episodes of missing, physical restraint or use of sanctions. In addition, as one professional said, ‘The rapport with young people goes a long way, including the use of humour and ability to de-escalate.’

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

Staff are well versed in missing from home procedures and liaise well with other agencies to comply with statutory guidance. This reduces the risk of harm to young people.

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

Safer recruitment procedures are in place to minimise potential risks to young people from unknown adults who start work at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The approach employed by the home is very effective; the manager and staff use the chosen model to assess young people, to devise strategies to meet needs, to agree targets and measure progress. This means that the whole team has a shared understanding of young people’s needs and their strengths and weaknesses. Records clearly evidence the progress that young people make over time.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager and staff are passionate about their work, have high aspirations for young people and take evident pride in their achievements. They convey this to young people who, as a result, see themselves as valued and successful.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff work to the home’s statement of purpose very effectively, but Ofsted has not received an updated version and the authority has not published it on its website.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has taken appropriate steps to address the requirements and recommendations from the previous inspection report, for example changing the agenda and recording of staff supervision to ensure that these meetings routinely and comprehensively consider young people’s needs, progress and safety. This format is used county wide within all the residential homes and field staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has revised policies relating to online safety, combating bullying and restricting access to rooms in the home as a means of control. However, staff were either unaware of them or were confused as to whether they should implement those relating to the locking of some doors. Young people have experienced some inconsistency in relation to the application and explanation of rules.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders demonstrate considerable skill and sensitivity in the way they support the staff to provide consistently high-quality care for the young people. The team members report Inspection report children’s home: SC038750 6 that they are very ably led, ensuring that they have remained cohesive and resilient in the face of very testing circumstances. One member of staff commented that the manager ‘lives by her word and delivers’.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Relationships with other professionals are positive, and these allow staff to raise a challenge when decisions do not seem to be in a young person’s best interests or when resources are unavailable, even if this does not always lead to changed outcomes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Families express confidence in the care that is provided to their children by the manager and staff. The parent of one young person who has moved on from the home said: ‘They gave him loads of time. I’m very grateful for the love and care he got there.’

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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: SC038750 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Hampshire County Council,

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: The Castle, Winchester SO23 8UG

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Inspector

Chris Peel, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC038750 8 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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