Children's Home, Residential special school run by Staffordshire County Council in Staffordshire

Inspection report children's home: SC415138 1 SC415138 Registered provider: Staffordshire 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 local authority-managed resource centre provides short-break care for up to six young people who have learning and/or physical disabilities and/or sensory impairments.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager is currently off work. A suitably experienced and qualified interim manager is providing cover until her return.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 31 January to 1 February 2019

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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: 27 October 2016

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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: SC415138 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

27/10/2016 Full Outstanding 23/03/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 04/11/2015 Full Outstanding 13/03/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children's home: SC415138 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people really enjoy their overnight short breaks. The environment is bright, colourful, warm and welcoming. Young people choose a themed bedroom on arrival. They enjoy access to spacious lounges, a sensory room, large gardens and a soft play area. Young people told the inspector that staff are ‘really kind’ and that they ‘really enjoy’ visiting the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

A committed, highly skilled and experienced staff team provides young people with exceptionally good care. They invest in young people and know them well. Staff use a range of communication aids to help young people express their thoughts and feelings during their stay. For example, ‘worry boxes’ and ‘feelings boards’ are on show throughout the home. This helps young people to settle and form strong, trusted relationships with staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff support young people to participate in the day-to-day running of the home. They skilfully use a range of verbal- and non-verbal communication aids to gain young people’s views on a variety of issues. Staff consult young people about activities that they want to do when they come for their short break. A young people’s council meets on a regular basis to make a variety of decisions. These include purchasing equipment and planning special events.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people enjoy a range of home-based and community activities. These include trips to local country parks, swimming, bowling and arts and crafts. This allows young people to try new experiences and socialise with their peers. In addition, staff support young people to build independence skills, such as preparing drinks and improving their personal hygiene. Young people and their families take pride in this progress. In turn, parents feel empowered to try new activities with their children. A parent told the inspector, ‘[Young person] really enjoys going to the centre. He can mix with peers and try new experiences. This encourages me to visit new places with him’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff work closely with schools to identify, and plan for, young people’s complex needs. For example, they visit young people in their school to gather key information and observe their behaviour. Staff work alongside teachers to agree joint targets for young people. They use innovative approaches to capture young people’s imagination, for example a young person’s ‘university’. This encourages young people to meet targets such as spending more time with peers and improving their communication. Staff organise ‘graduation’ ceremonies to celebrate young people’s successes. As a result, young people feel confident and develop a real sense of achievement.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff work closely with key agencies and families to ensure that young people’s needs are known prior to their arrival. They use information from home visits and multi-agency meetings to create well-informed and individualised care plans. This careful and considered planning helps young people to settle quickly. Staff build on these solid foundations by offering consistent, patient and nurturing care. As a result, young people Inspection report children's home: SC415138 4 make exceptional progress with their communication, independence, self-care and social interaction. A parent told the inspector, ‘[Young person’s] communication is much better. The staff always try and stretch his ability. He is more independent; his personal care has improved. He can turn a shower on and point to put his clothes on. For him, this is massive progress’.

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

Highly trained and vigilant staff help to keep young people safe. Detailed risk assessments provide staff with clear guidance about how to manage young people’s challenging behaviour. Staff understand the triggers that result in young people feeling anxious or distressed. They use this knowledge to carefully match young people with their peers. In addition, staff communication is highly effective. Staff handovers and communication books share valuable information on young people’s progress. This attention to detail helps to keep young people safe.

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

The home is well designed and maintained. Bedrooms contain specialist equipment to meet young people’s complex health needs. The environment provides young people with opportunities for stimulation and relaxation. Staff skilfully use the space to offer young people quiet lounges when they are agitated or anxious. Young people also enjoy using the sensory room and relaxing in their bedrooms.

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

Staff use a range of communication aids to help young people express their thoughts when they are anxious or distressed. They are extremely competent in identifying the triggers to young people’s challenging behaviours. When behaviour escalates, they use well informed and targeted interventions to redirect and distract young people. As a result, incidents of restraint are rare. Staff also use creative workshops to engage young people in anti-bullying and community safety discussions.

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

Specialist training equips staff with the knowledge and skills required to safely manage young people’s complex care needs. For example, training focuses on diabetes, administering medication and specialist feeding procedures. In addition, the interim manager makes careful plans for the arrival of new young people. She understands each young person’s complex health issues and ensures that staff receive relevant training to meet these needs safely.

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

The interim manager carefully considers each young person’s vulnerabilities when planning community activities. She appropriately matches young people with their peers and plans adequate staffing ratios to keep young people safe. This allows young people to enjoy new experiences with their peers in a safe and managed environment. In addition, some young people’s exceptional progress means that they no longer require the same level of staff support.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

A highly skilled and experienced staff team offer young people exceptional care. Some staff have worked for the service for over 20 years. They are passionate about young Inspection report children's home: SC415138 5 people and enjoy their role. Staff take great pride in their sense of teamwork and the environment they offer young people. A member of staff told the inspector, ‘We are tight-knit and resilient. We are passionate about young people and want them to progress’.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The interim manager holds high aspirations for the young people. She is passionate about young people and keen to address any shortfalls in their care. The interim manager takes prompt action to address areas of concern. For example, she works closely with social work teams to improve communication and ensure that young people’s plans are reviewed in a timely fashion. This astute and determined approach helps to continually improve young people’s experiences.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff benefit from a healthy learning environment. Discussions in supervisions and staff meetings strike a healthy balance between effective challenge and support. Staff feel supported by their interim manager and each other. They use excellent communication and team work to meet the challenges of a fluid and fast-paced service. A comprehensive training programme equips staff with the necessary knowledge and skills to care for young people well. Some staff specialise in areas of practice, including behaviour management and Makaton.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The interim manager uses a range of internal audits to monitor young people’s progress. She closely scrutinises all aspects of care to identify strengths and areas of development. In addition, the interim manager regularly consults with parents and professionals. Parents and carers feel involved in the service and receive regular updates on their child’s progress. The interim manager uses feedback from them to continually evolve the service. For example, some parents lacked knowledge on services which can support young people into adulthood. In response, staff developed links with relevant services and organised an event to share information.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The interim manager continues to build strong and effective relationships with a range of agencies. This coordinated approach helps young people to make exceptional progress. Feedback from professionals and parents is positive and they speak very highly of staff and the interim manager. One parent told the inspector, ‘I would be lost without the service. The staff go above and beyond’. Another parent commented, ‘It’s a great resource. We are very lucky to have it’. A social worker told the inspector, ‘Parents really value the support the centre offers’.

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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 Inspection report children's home: SC415138 6 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: SC415138 7

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: Staffordshire County Council, Wedgwood Buildings, Tipping Street, Stafford, Staffordshire ST16 2DH

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Inspector

Gareth Leckey, social care inspector Inspection report children's home: SC415138 8 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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