Children's home run by Worcestershire County Council in Worcester

Inspection report children’s home: SC485322 1 SC485322 Registered provider: Worcestershire County Council

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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 owned by a local authority. It is registered for up to three young people aged 10 to 18, who have had adverse childhood experiences that have led to associated trauma and presenting complex behaviours.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager was registered with Ofsted in November 2014. The registered manager is appropriately experienced and qualified.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 11 to 12 September 2018

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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: 25 September 2017

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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: SC485322 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25/09/2017 Full Good 27/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 20/06/2016 Full Good 09/02/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC485322 3

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff can access appropriate facilities and resources to support their training needs, and should understand the key role they play in the training and development of staff in the home. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.11)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people live in a home that is warm and welcoming. The home is well cared for and recently benefited from a new, modern-style kitchen. The extensive garden is well maintained and enjoyed. Young people have each contributed to the decoration of the home and this adds to their sense of belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people flourish because of the nurturing and affectionate relationships that they have with staff. Staff are highly skilled and provide consistent levels of care underpinned by a specialist knowledge of attachment theory. This could be further expanded on through further training/development, and by embedding and demonstrating research- informed practice within the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff promote young people’s individual needs and encourage them to explore new opportunities. Well-written internal placement plans clearly identify the local authority aims and objectives. Daily recordings are very well documented and reveal the progress that young people make as a result of well-considered and regular key-working sessions.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When young people move into the home, managers and staff ensure that there is considerable planning. Pre-placement risk assessments and meetings inform decisions about the impact on other young people living at the home. Young people visit the home before they move in and this helps them to feel welcome.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff make sure that young people maintain links with their family and friends. Parents and carers speak exceptionally positively about the communication and quality of care provided at the home. As a result, young people maintain relationships with those important to them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people have access to a range of activities including singing lessons, horse riding and football, and they enjoy their friends staying over. One young person also has a part-time job. As a result, young people improve their confidence and independence skills. Inspection report children’s home: SC485322 4

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

The managers and staff team are skilled and highly informed about safeguarding issues. This helps to keep young people safe. Well-written risk assessments enable staff to safeguard young people and reduce their risk-taking behaviours.

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

There have been no complaints since the last inspection. The manager makes prompt and appropriate notification to Ofsted about significant incidents, with clear actions to manage and improve young people’s risk-taking behaviours.

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

Incidents of missing from home are well managed and recorded by staff. Staff search for young people, contact friends and family and make extensive attempts to communicate with young people. This means that young people make a swift return and the frequency of missing incidents reduces.

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

Physical restraint is used as a last resort, with only one incident taking place since the last inspection. This is because staff are exceptionally skilled at managing challenging behaviour and follow detailed behaviour management plans.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager is remarkably dedicated and highly passionate about providing exceptional care to young people. The registered manager is continuously motivated to enable young people to progress and achieve. He drives continuous improvement in the home with the support of a meticulous deputy manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager promotes a positive and nurturing approach. He prioritises the individual needs of each young person through close monitoring and review. He gives vigorous challenge to professionals to ensure that young people have access to the best opportunities.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager and staff team work in close partnership with therapeutic services, social workers and the police to keep young people safe. This means that children and young people make significant progress with their harmful behaviours and are safer because of living at this home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff are highly experienced and work closely as a team to provide a consistent level of care to young people. They can confidently demonstrate the encouraging impact that living in the home is having on young people’s development and self-esteem.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff speak highly of the manager and feel well supported by him and the deputy manager. New staff receive a very thorough and well-planned induction. All staff are up to date with their training and complete a wide range of specialist training including attachment and advanced safeguarding training. Staff receive regular, high-quality supervision. Inspection report children’s home: SC485322 5

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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: SC485322 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Worcestershire County Council, County Hall, Spetchley Road, Worcester, Worcestershire WR5 2NP

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Inspector

Anna Gravelle, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC485322 7 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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