Children's home run by What's Out There Limited

Inspection report children’s home: SC465120 1 SC465120 Registered provider: What’s Out There Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

 The home can provide care for up to three children aged over 11 who may have previously experienced family separation, repeated placement breakdown, abuse, neglect and exclusion.  The home is part of a private organisation that solely operates this home.  The registered manager has been registered with Ofsted since 2016.

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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 requires improvement to be 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

Date of last inspection: 15 February 2018

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: improved effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC465120 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

15/02/2018 Interim Improved effectiveness 08/08/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 02/11/2016 Full Requires improvement 18/07/2016 Full Inadequate Inspection report children’s home: SC465120 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 protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that leaders and managers take action to prevent children from coming to harm when a new child moves into the home in the future. 27/09/2018

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 14 (1) (a) (b) (2) (a)) 27/09/2018 Inspection report children’s home: SC465120 4 In particular, ensure that leaders and managers improve the processes that they follow when considering new children to the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff develop secure and positive relationships with children. Staff understand how best to care for children and sensitively meet their needs. Children are confident at sharing their views with staff. Leaders and managers use children’s views to inform the day-to- day running of the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children feel comfortable in the home and their feedback about the quality of care is positive. One child told the inspector about the positive impact that the staff have on the child’s experiences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide good support to children in relation to their health and education. As a result, children develop confidence to attend health appointments and progress with their learning. Leaders and managers are proactive to ensure that children receive a positive education.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Good opportunities and activities are available to children, and staff help them to explore new interests and hobbies. One child continues to attend singing lessons regularly and children enjoy holidays with staff and activities in the local area.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The refurbishment plan for the home continues. Progress has been made since the previous inspection to improve some areas of the home. The environment is now transforming into a homely space for children to enjoy.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children mainly have positive experiences in the home. However, one child’s experiences were negatively impacted when new children moved into the home. Leaders, managers and staff learned from this and have taken effective action to try and prevent it from happening again.

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improvement to be good

Despite leaders and managers thoroughly considering the impact of new children moving into the home, the risk for one child increased when other children moved in. Leaders and managers identified that they made weak decisions about two children moving into the home, and have taken action to improve the process that they now follow when new children move in.

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improvement to be good

On one occasion, staff telephoned the emergency services to seek support following a Inspection report children’s home: SC465120 5 deterioration in a child’s mental health. Despite requesting the ambulance service, the police arrived to offer their support. This impacted negatively on the child. Leaders and managers have reviewed this incident and recognise where they may respond to a similar incident differently in the future.

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improvement to be good

Staff take effective action to protect children when they are at risk of harm. Good joint working takes place to report child protection concerns to the appropriate external agency. When risks increase for children, the staff work well with external agencies to devise clear plans to protect children. Comprehensive risk assessments provide strategies on how to reduce risk.

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improvement to be good

Although the frequency and severity of going missing from home incidents have increased since the previous inspection, leaders, managers and staff take swift action and make attempts to reduce these incidents. Staff search for children when they are missing and follow going missing protocols effectively. When children come home, staff welcome them. Children receive an independent return home interview. However, leaders and managers do not always receive copies of the records from these interviews.

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improvement to be good

Staff provide compassionate support to children and meet their emotional needs well. Children have access to specialist services such as the child and adolescent mental health service and staff receive clinical supervision that informs the support that they provide to children. Training with regards to understanding self-harm and mental health forms part of the workforce plan.

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improvement to be good

Because of the positive relationships that staff have with children, children feel secure to disclose to staff about their previous experiences and current risk of harm. Staff take appropriate action in response to disclosures.

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improvement to be good

Effective strategies help children to behave positively. Children have incentives that they work towards. Staff praise children’s achievements and the use of negative consequences is minimal.

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improvement to be good

Restraint has occurred on two occasions to protect children from harm. These restraints are low level and for a short period of time. Leaders and managers monitor behaviour records effectively.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders’ and managers’ monitoring and oversight of the quality of care is insightful. As a result, they accurately understand the strengths and weaknesses of the home. The registered manager quickly recognises where practice can be improved and takes effective action in response.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers successfully embed a culture and ethos that is central to the needs of children. Staff have high aspirations for children. This approach supports children to increase their self-confidence and resilience. Inspection report children’s home: SC465120 6 Staff receive high-quality regular supervision and team meetings. Supervision and team meetings challenge staff and help them to reflect on their practice and to improve the care that children receive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers carefully induct new staff into the home and training opportunities are good. Staff have sufficient skills to meet the needs of the children currently living in the home.

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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: SC465120 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: What’s Out There Limited

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Inspector

Nicola Lownds: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC465120 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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