Children's home run by Leeds City Council in Leeds

Inspection report children’s home: SC488679 1 SC488679 Registered provider: Leeds City 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

A local authority operates and runs this home. The home provides care for up to four children or young people. It caters for children or young people irrespective of gender between the ages of 10 and 17 years. The children and young people come here to complete a 12-week Dialectical Behavioural Therapy treatment programme. The staff are called coaches. The coaches work with the children, young people and their families or carers to enable the children and young people to return to family-based environments. The coaches use the Multi-Systemic Therapy, Family Integrated Transitions model. Within the home, Dialectical Behavioural Therapy is used to work with the children and young people.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post since March 2016. There is currently an acting manager in place since December 2018 to cover her temporary absence.

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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

Date of last inspection: 7 November 2017

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding Inspection report children’s home: SC488679 2 Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/11/2017 Full Outstanding 21/02/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 12/10/2016 Full Outstanding 10/12/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC488679 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The children and young people make exceptional progress in a short space of time, following an individualised and structured therapy plan. The children and young people fully invest in the plan because the coaches fully invest in the children and young people.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The children and young people’s confidence and self-esteem improve. The children and young people enjoy excellent relationships with the coaches based on trust and respect. For some of the children and young people, it is the first time they can see themselves being successful in the future. One young person said: ‘Now I plan to have fun and to be skilful, intelligent, caring and lovely so that nothing gets in the way of my future.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The children and young people start to understand how being physically healthy improves their emotional health. The children and young people learn how to improve their physical health and diet.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The children and young people’s emotional health significantly improves from the positive therapy approaches consistently used by the coaches. The children and young people’s quality of life significantly improves. The children and young people successfully learn coping skills which help them to manage their emotions positively. The children and young people learn to transfer their skills and use them successfully in their home when they move on.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Individual care plans are exceptionally child-centred, reflecting each child or young person’s voice and journey. The continual review of care plans ensures that their care remains focused and helps each of the children and young people to recognise their qualities and achievements.

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

The highly effective token reward system inspires the children and young people to achieve their goals. The children and young people learn strategies to manage their emotions. Consequently, incidents of challenging behaviour reduce. When incidents of challenging behaviour occur, they are positively managed by the coaches. To ensure that the children, young people and the coaches remain safe, low-level physical intervention is occasionally used.

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

Risks to the children and young people reduce because the coaches help the children and young people to understand how to stay safe. The coaches have an excellent understanding of any risks related to the children and young people. Learning has been taken from research and risk assessments are now created by all professionals involved in a child or young person’s life when they commence their stay here. This ensures that, right from the start, the coaches are aware of the levels of risk to each child or young person. Inspection report children’s home: SC488679 4 The children and young people rarely go missing from this home. If the children and young people do go missing from home, the coaches are quick to follow missing-from- home protocols.

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

The coaches follow safeguarding procedures effectively to keep the children and young people safe. The coaches have the knowledge of how to identify the signs of additional risk to the children and young people, such as radicalisation and child sexual and criminal exploitation.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager and the acting manager are extremely ambitious for the children and young people to achieve. The registered manager and the deputy manager demonstrate great commitment to helping children, young people and their families to succeed through the therapy programme. The registered manager and the deputy manager expect the same high standards and commitment from staff. One professional said: ‘The registered manager goes a million miles over to make sure children achieve.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The coaches are well supported by the registered manager and the acting manager. The coaches continuously analyse their practice to ensure that the children and young people are receiving the best care possible. The coaches reflect on their practice in supervision, team meetings and morning reflections.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The children, young people and their families receive the services they need. The registered manager and the acting manager are strong advocates and work closely with professionals, such as educational providers and social workers.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager and the acting manager are clear on the strengths of the service. The registered manager and the acting manager have a focused development plan informed by the research they undertake to measure the quality and effectiveness of the programme. As a result, the registered manager and the acting manager successfully continue to develop the service.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Robust monitoring systems enable the registered manager and the acting manager to track children and young people’s progress effectively. Consequently, any dips in progress are quickly identified and addressed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager and the acting manager continually strive to keep up with best care practice. They use innovative ideas which are born from the research work they undertake. The registered manager and the acting manager work seamlessly with the multi-systemic therapy team and specialist therapy consultants in America to make sure that they achieve the best outcomes for the children and young people. Inspection report children’s home: SC488679 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: SC488679 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider : Leeds City Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Merion House, 7th Floor West, Merrion Centre, Leeds LS2 8TU

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Inspector

Jamie Richardson: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC488679 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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