Children's Home run by Family Care Associates Limited in Shropshire

Inspection report children’s home: SC020595 1 SC020595 Registered provider: Family Care Associates Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is owned by a private company. It is registered for four young people. The home provides care for young people aged six to 18 who have experienced adverse childhood experiences that have led to associated trauma and presenting complex behaviours. The registered manager was registered with Ofsted in October 2018 and is appropriately qualified and experienced for the role.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 13 to 14 November 2018

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

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

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC020595 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/03/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness 22/06/2017 Full Good 19/12/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 27/07/2016 Full Requires improvement Inspection report children’s home: SC020595 3

p.2

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.

p.3

Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that the health and well- being needs of children are met. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that each child has access to such dental, medical, nursing, psychiatric and psychological advice, treatment and other services as the child may require. (Regulation 10 (2)(c)) In particular, that follow up actions from health appointments are completed in a timely way. 14/12/2018

p.3

Recommendations

 The registered person must have systems in place so that all staff, including the manager, receive supervision of their practice from an appropriately qualified and experienced professional, which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. Professionally qualified staff employed by the home, e.g. teachers or social workers, should be provided with relevant professional or clinical supervision by an appropriately qualified and experienced professional. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2) In particular, that sessional staff receive supervision.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff have high aspirations for young people and provide an environment where young people can thrive and flourish. Staff are patient, nurturing and have formed positive relationships with young people. They know young people well and can meet their individual needs. Young people are making good progress considering their starting points, and they are proud of these achievements. One young person told the inspector, ‘I was not in education for over a year, but now l am and attend daily and enjoy it.’ Staff worked effectively with another young person and education staff, which enabled the young person to transition back into mainstream school. Inspection report children’s home: SC020595 4 Staff know the importance of building strong and supportive social and family networks for young people. As a result, they promote positive contact between young people and their close family and friends. Young people build their own support networks, which

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

reduces social isolation as they transition into adulthood.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people access various activities within the community such as going to the cinema, going shopping, going out on walks and attending local groups. This promotes young people’s self-esteem and confidence.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff promote young people’s good health and well-being. Mostly, they do this well. They advocate for young people to have their ‘five a day’ fruits and vegetables and monitor this. Young people attend all routine health appointments. However, on one occasion, staff did not provide enough support to enable a young person to follow up specialist advice. This has delayed the young person getting access to this advice, which does not fully support their well-being.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people feel listened to because staff value what they have to say. Good-quality key-worker sessions, records of discussions, young people’s meetings and the inspector’s discussions with young people all show that staff spend time with young people and respond to young people’s wishes and feelings. Young people told the inspector that they were involved in making their bedrooms, and communal areas within the home, cosy and homely. Young people have a sense of belonging and ownership of their home.

p.4

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

Staff safeguarding practice is comprehensive. Risk assessment and risk management processes are of a good quality and give staff clear guidance to keep young people safe. Staff have well-developed, tailor-made and specialist knowledge around the risks and issues of child sexual exploitation, self-harm, ligatures, attachment and trauma, mental health and anti-bullying. This enables them to pre-empt, plan, review and ultimately reduce these risks for young people.

p.4

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

Allegations or suspicion of potential harm are responded to and managed appropriately. Staff demonstrate a sound understanding of safeguarding procedures and protocols and follow these. Responses are thoughtful and measured.

p.4

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

Staff see the use of physical intervention as a last resort measure. Instead, they focus on de-escalation. As a result, the use of physical restraint has significantly reduced. Staff use restorative practice to promote young people’s safety and to build positive relationships. Young people’s risk-taking behaviours are decreasing. All young people told the inspector that they feel happy and safe at the home.

p.4

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

The environment is safe, as regular checks and audits are undertaken. This is further supported in the safe recruitment of both permanent and agency staff. Inspection report children’s home: SC020595 5

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is highly motivational, innovative, passionate and inspirational and is respected by staff, young people and partner agencies. He knows the children and staff team well. His enthusiasm influences the staff team members, who share his passion and drive for achieving the best possible outcomes for young people.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has worked at the home since March 2018. He has made some significant improvements at the home during the short period he has worked there. Some aspects of his leadership and management practice are outstanding. He has introduced excellent monitoring and reviewing processes, which ensure that young people’s progress is evaluated and better understood by staff.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has created an effective monthly audit tool and is extremely clear about the home’s strengths and weaknesses. The manager has an aspirational action plan to address any shortfalls identified such as improving the quality of recording young people’s meetings and essential profile information for young people. This work will be done to improve outcomes for young people and for further development of the home.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has recruited a full staff team, which is now stable. This follows an unstable period when some staff left. Staff feel supported by the manager and speak positively of him. Most staff receive high-quality supervision, which is focused on their well-being, development and practice. A recommendation is raised to ensure that sessional workers also receive supervision.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is proactive in ensuring that staff receive therapeutic support when required, which aids their understanding of young people’s needs and increases their capacity to care for them well.

p.5

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.

p.5

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: SC020595 6

p.5

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Family Care Associates Limited

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 60 School Lane, Bamber Bridge, Preston, Lancashire PR5 6QE

p.6

Inspector

Rumbi Mangoma: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC020595 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

p.6

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: http://www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7