Children's home run by ROC Northwest Limited in Westmorland and Furness

Inspection report children’s home: SC483692 1 SC483692 Registered provider: Roc Northwest Ltd

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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 registered to provide care and accommodation for up to four young people who may have social, emotional or behavioural needs.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 28 to 29 November 2018

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

04/10/2017 Full Outstanding Inspection report children’s home: SC483692 2 09/01/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 13/10/2016 Full Outstanding 17/03/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC483692 3

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Recommendations

 The registered person must ensure that action taken in response to reviewing incidents, or following feedback, is clearly recorded to demonstrate they are proactive in implementing lessons learned and sustaining good practice. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 10.24)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people receive highly effective and individualised care, and as a result are making outstanding progress. Young people themselves recognise the many positive outcomes they have experienced and the significant achievements they have made. Young people’s feedback throughout the inspection confirmed this.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

A social worker commented, ‘Staff are very focused on the needs of the individual young person and take time to establish relationships based on trust and the young person’s need.’ Young people describe warm and trusting relationships with staff and express high levels of confidence in them. Several young people who have left the home in recent years, maintain regular contact with staff. One previous resident is soon to attend a young person’s meeting at the home, to talk about his experience of the transition to independence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

All the young people are engaging well in education and are exceeding expectations. Two young people engage in additional home tuition to assist them in making up for previous lost education time, prior to their moves to the home. One young person recently received an award from their school for ‘most improved behaviour’. Another young person receives regular charter points for achievements, such as outstanding uniform, good effort and kind gestures.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people are fully supported to access healthcare services to enhance their well- being. In addition, staff work to educate young people about maintaining their own good health. The registered manager recently implemented an innovative programme, which involved the young people setting their own healthy lifestyle targets and choosing rewards as an incentive to reach them. Young people’s targets included eating more fresh fruit and vegetables, and walking 10,000 steps each day. The young people have engaged well in the initiative and have decided to follow it on an ongoing basis.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people are strongly encouraged to take part in fun and fulfilling activities. They enjoy regular group activities, as well as individual hobbies and memberships of local football and rugby teams. Staff encourage young people to engage with their local Inspection report children’s home: SC483692 4 community. Young people recently held a charity coffee morning at the home, which was attended by some neighbours. The young people were complimented by the local community on their fundraising efforts. They are now planning to take part in ‘Charitable December’, during which they will raise money for a number of local good causes.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

It is evident that young people are fully involved in the running of the home. For example, young people take part in staff interviews by asking questions they have chosen themselves. Young people also have their own development plan for the home, within which they make suggestions and raise ideas for improvements. The registered manager responds positively to young people’s feedback, and ensures that their suggestions are implemented, where possible. This gives young people a sense of ownership and pride in their home.

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

Young people expressed confidence in the staff and said that they feel safe and secure. One young person commented, ‘They treat me like family and everyone supports me as much as they can.’

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

There has been a demonstrable and significant reduction in risks to the safety and well- being of all the young people during the time they have been living in the home. For example, one young person was admitted to the home amid high levels of concern about criminal and sexual exploitation and substance misuse. Staff have worked closely with external agencies to maintain the young person’s safety and it has been agreed among all agencies involved that risks to the young person are now low. This demonstrates the young person’s increased safety and outstanding progress.

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

Young people do not go missing from this home. This is despite some young people having a history of regularly going missing from previous placements. One young person commented, ‘I used to run a lot, but I don’t bother now. I like being here and at least I won’t get in trouble!’

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

Staff demonstrate a good level of insight into young people’s emotional responses and behaviours. There are clear, individualised strategies in place to assist staff in supporting young people to develop safe and appropriate behaviours. Staff are encouraged, both individually and as a group, to reflect on their responses when young people display heightened behaviours. This reflection takes place with a view to enhancing practice and identifying successful strategies. As a result, incidents of heightened behaviour rarely reach a crisis point where staff are required to physically intervene.

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

Staff regularly carry out positive personal safety education with young people, both on an individual basis and in young people’s meetings. For example, young people have completed sessions on safe relationships, internet safety and alcohol use. Following the sessions, young people take part in quizzes, which are designed to make the learning fun and enable staff to test the young people’s understanding. Inspection report children’s home: SC483692 5

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager demonstrates genuine commitment and extremely high aspirations for the young people in her care. Feedback from external professionals on the leadership of the home is without exception highly positive. A social worker commented on the registered manager’s transparency, dedication and willingness to go ‘above and beyond’.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager advocates strongly for young people and demonstrates that she is able to challenge external services when young people are not receiving the necessary support. This has resulted in a number of good outcomes for young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff are highly motivated and proud of the service. The registered manager consistently supports staff to develop their skills and knowledge. For example, staff are encouraged to embark on self-directed learning about particular areas of interest, and share their learning with the team during meetings.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager constantly updates the training programme in line with the needs of young people. Courses planned for the staff team in coming weeks include mental health first aid and training in PACE, which is a research-based model of care that is designed to enhance communication with young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager demonstrates a clear commitment to achieving continuous improvement and development. A research and development log details how the service introduces good practice on a continuous basis. Good use is made of internal monitoring systems and these have been developed over time, to provide a more in-depth understanding of young people’s outcomes and experiences.

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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: SC483692 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Caretech Community Service Ltd, Metropolitan House, 3 Darkes Lane, Potters Bar, Hertfordshire EN6 1AG

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Inspector

Marie Cordingley: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC483692 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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