Children's home run by Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council in Dudley

Inspection report children’s home: SC039900 1 SC039900 Registered provider: Dudley Metropolitan Borough 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 seven young people who have learning disabilities. The manager has extensive experience and has been registered with Ofsted since April 2009.

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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: 18 December 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: SC039900 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

18/12/2017 Full Good 28/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 11/10/2016 Full Outstanding 21/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC039900 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have extensive experience and have worked at the home for several years. As a result, staff know young people’s areas of strength and need. They treat young people with respect, dignity and give them individualised care, which meets all their daily needs. Staff are nurturing, patient and have developed positive relationships with young people. Young people can express their wishes and feelings through key-worker sessions and young people’s meetings. Young people feel listened to and valued. Staff promote positive contact between young people and their close family and friends. Young people are forming valuable and lifelong social networks which will form part of their support when they leave the home. Young people are making significant progress in all aspects of their lives. All young people are accessing education. For example, one young person told the inspector, ‘I am attending a construction course at college. I will be able to earn a good salary in the

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

future which will help me to look after myself and my family.’ Young people are learning individualised independent life skills which will help them as they transition into adult life. Young people live healthy lifestyles. They are encouraged to eat healthily, take regular exercise and to develop their self-care skills. Staff supported one young person to lose a significant amount of weight which improved their health, self-esteem and confidence. Staff make new young people coming into the home feel welcome and comfortable. The manager ensures that the matching of new young people into the home is done effectively. Only young people whose needs staff can meet are admitted and, at the same time, there is continuity of good care for young people already living at the home. Young people who have left the home have had carefully planned transitions. This ensures that their needs will be met in their new placement.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people have access to a variety of activities within their community, which improves their social skills and social inclusion.

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

Young people feel safe living at this home. Staff know them well and can keep them safe from harm. Staff identify risks to children and young people and follow safeguarding procedures effectively. Incidents of concern are clearly recorded, and managers take effective action. Behaviour management plans and risk assessments give staff clear guidance which enables staff to manage and reduce risks to young people. Staff use restorative practice and set consistent routines and boundaries for young people. Young people can self- regulate their emotions and manage their behaviour. One young person told the inspector, ‘I used to have anger problems, but staff helped me to manage my emotions better. I now feel a lot calmer.’ Restraint is used as a last resort to keep young people and others around them safe. There have not been any missing from care episodes or complaints since the last Inspection report children’s home: SC039900 4

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

inspection. Excellent safer recruitment practice means that young people are only looked after by appropriate adults.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has worked for the organisation for many years and has excellent leadership skills. He has extensive knowledge about the service, and recognises areas of strength and development to achieve better outcomes for children. He is passionate about the well-being and progress of young people. He works effectively with partner agencies to provide holistic care for young people. The manager’s monitoring and reviewing systems are effective and ensure that young people’s progress is reflected within their plans. The manager challenges partner agencies when required. This ensures that partner agencies fulfil their obligations towards young people’s care and progress. The manager has supported staff through some extremely difficult times. A valued member of staff that had worked at the home for several years passed away. Despite this difficult period, staff and the manager remained child focused and ensured that the

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

level of care provided to all young people remained of a high standard. The manager has a stable staff team. Staff feel supported by the manager and are receiving good-quality supervision.

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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: SC039900 5

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Council House, Priory Road, Dudley DY1 1HF

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Inspector

Rumbi Mangoma, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC039900 6 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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