Children's home run by Surrey County Council

Inspection report children’s home: SC040633 1 SC040633 Registered provider: Surrey 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 operated by a local authority. Its statement of purpose states that each child moves in with varying degrees of trauma and that they will benefit from the accepting care, nurture and emotional containment the home offers. The home provides care and accommodation for up to five children. The manager was registered with Ofsted in 2007.

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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: 24 October 2017

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC040633 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/10/2017 Full Outstanding 23/02/2017 Full Outstanding 21/07/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 29/03/2016 Full Outstanding Inspection report children’s home: SC040633 3

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Recommendations

 Restraint also includes restricting a child’s liberty of movement. All restrictions of liberty should be recorded as restraint. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 47, paragraph 9.42)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children experience warmth and attentiveness from highly skilled staff, who understand the complex needs of children. Children enjoy excellent relationships with staff, who are committed and determined to help them develop, manage their emotions and keep themselves safe. In this nurturing, welcoming and stable home, children feel safe and respond to high-quality care from staff. The value of learning and education is embedded in the ethos of the home. Using a social pedagogy approach, children’s formal education is supplemented by staff encouraging them to learn through the ‘everyday’ to develop their self-esteem, communication and day-to-day living skills to prepare them for their futures. Staff work effectively with school staff and the virtual school to ensure that children have positive educational opportunities appropriate to their needs. Managers and staff are ambitious for children. Children are encouraged to express their

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

hopes and dreams and be part of the decision-making and planning processes. Their confidence and resilience increase through knowing that they are listened to, valued and respected. The staff team is dedicated to helping children realise that, whatever difficulties they experience, they will support them to make progress. Gradually, the children believe that they can achieve. Through the trust that they build with the staff, who enthusiastically respond to their individual needs, children flourish and make significant progress.

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

Managers and the staff team know the children very well and are skilled in identifying potential risks and behavioural triggers. Sensitive, insightful and individualised approaches support each child. Staff recognise the changing needs of children and they meticulously review the support that they provide to advance each child’s development and reduce the risks that children face. For instance, following the admission of one particular child, incidents requiring physical Inspection report children’s home: SC040633 4 intervention and children being reported as missing from the home increased. Managers worked with determination, communicating closely with social work teams, to protect the children. The recording of significant events is thorough and detailed. This enables managers to maintain rigorous scrutiny and oversight of practice. Reflective discussions between managers and staff following significant incidents are an important part of the ethos of

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

continuously analysing and evaluating support for children. On one occasion, it is not evident that managers recognised, and addressed with staff, that a child’s liberty was being restricted, even though it was necessary to prevent serious harm.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager continues to inspire the staff team to provide high-quality care. This support for children provides them with opportunities to achieve their best outcomes and improve their future life chances. With a focus on continuous improvement, and with the dedication of the deputy manager and senior staff, the registered manager has instilled a reflective and evaluative approach. Highly effective, analytical monitoring is embedded in a culture that encourages all staff to think about and improve their practice. Innovative and research-led practice is at the forefront of developments in the home. A number of staff have completed, or are in the process of completing, a level 3 course in social pedagogy, with one member of staff progressing to level 5. Staff are becoming more self-reflective as social pedagogy becomes embedded in their approach to the care of children. Children are genuinely involved in decisions about their care, their plans and

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

their day-to-day lives at the home. Decisions are made together in family-style living where staff listen and respond to children’s views. Managers are aware of the importance of providing effective support for staff. The established culture encourages continuous ‘thinking’ about alternative approaches to support children. Formal, reflective supervision, ongoing informal discussions, debriefs and team meetings all focus on understanding children’s behaviour and meeting their individual needs. This is supplemented by consultations with a qualified practitioner in social pedagogy and a specialist senior manager from the assessment and treatment team. This helps the staff team to have a deeper understanding of the needs of the children and the dynamics of relationships within the team. Working always in the best interests of the child, managers provide effective challenge to external professionals and adapt effectively to the changing needs of the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Inspection report children’s home: SC040633 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: SC040633 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Quadrant Court, 35 Guildford Road, Woking, Surrey GU22 7QQ

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Inspector

Jan Hunnam, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC040633 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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