Children's home run by Young Generation

Inspection report children’s home: SC028460 1 SC028460

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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 a family-owned business, which provides care and accommodation for up to four young people who have emotional and/or behaviour difficulties.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

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

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC028460 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

09/04/2018 Full Good 15/05/2017 Full Good 17/01/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 26/04/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC028460 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people benefit from a warm, supportive environment and make good progress from their starting points. Feedback from a placing social worker supports this: ‘Staff work really hard and are both gentle and child-centred.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people enjoy a variety of experiences, including a beauty therapy spa day and a recent trip to a holiday park. These activities help to support a strong sense of community within the home. Progress is carefully recorded via regular life-story work.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Engagement in education is positive. All the young people are engaged in some form of provision, despite previous difficulties. Staff incentivise education attendance and attainment effectively.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Behaviour management is good. Staff challenge behaviours effectively and consistently. When sanctions occur, the young people learn to apologise and to work with staff to consider the cause of the incident.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people learn to manage their own behaviour. This helps to improve their self- esteem. Staff support young people to withdraw from potential confrontations and to recognise key behavioural triggers.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people feel listened to and empowered. Staff support good access to advocacy and push placing authorities to plan effectively, such as by obtaining residency in the United Kingdom. However, young people remain unaware of their rights to access their case files and require clarity from staff on this issue.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home offers a nutritionist and a counsellor, whose services young people access of their own volition. This helps young people to learn the value of healthy living and to access therapy within their own home.

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

Young people trust staff and feel safe. They form close relationships with staff and develop resilience. One young person commented, ‘I think this is a great place to live, they are good to me.’

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

Risk assessments offer a clear overview of each young person and associated risks. Assessments are strengthened by the input of key professionals, such as the police, and the views of young people. Assessments chart young people’s progress in reducing risk- taking behaviour, such as self-harm.

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

Staff advocate strongly for young people. In one case a young person was able to remain at the home beyond her 18th birthday. This allowed her to move in a planned Inspection report children’s home: SC028460 4 way and within her own timescale.

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

Independence work is effective in this home. Staff challenge young people to learn new skills, such as managing their own medication or assembling furniture. Achievements, either big or small, are warmly celebrated.

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

Staff support the young people to develop relationships with their parents and to enjoy positive contact with them. This enables overnight stays and promotes placement stability. One parent commented, ‘They really try for my child, they are great.’

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

Missing from home episodes are limited. When they occur, the young people are safeguarded by individualised support plans. Staff respond proactively to locate the young people and to support them on their return to the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The management of the home is very stable. The registered manager has been in post since 2003 and has the required management qualification. She is well known to the young people and promotes a strong, child-centred ethos in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has addressed the one requirement and one recommendation from the last inspection. An improved workforce development plan and a comprehensive risk assessment of the local community now support the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff retention is good. Young people benefit from a consistent, permanent staff team. Staff reported that there is effective supervision and a strong group dynamic.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The quality of staff training is variable. Despite staff accessing a range of bespoke training opportunities, staff require training on the risks involved in the radicalisation of young people and in the ‘Prevent’ duty.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Admissions to the home are well managed. The registered manager uses her strong relationships with young people to risk-assess potential referrals effectively. This helps to ensure the stability of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers are creative and inventive. The home continually explores new options, such as a personal trainer, to support young people. However, the statement of purpose requires updating to fully reflect the services offered by the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home environment is safe and well maintained. Young people helped staff choose the paint colours for a recent redecoration. Repairs are conducted swiftly, with all necessary risk assessments undertaken. Inspection report children’s home: SC028460 5

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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.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees undertake appropriate continuing professional development.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staff complete suitable training on the ‘Prevent’ duty. (Regulation 33(4)(a)) 20/05/2019

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the quality standard in relation to the statement of purpose, the registered person must keep the statement under review and, where appropriate, revise it. (Regulation 16(3)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This is with reference to ensuring that the document fully reflects the services offered by the home. 20/05/2019

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Recommendations

 The home’s records on each child represent a significant contribution to their life history. Children and their parents should be supported to understand the nature of records kept by the home and how to access them. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.5)  Children should be actively encouraged to read their records and to add further information to them. They should be regularly reminded of their rights to see information kept about them and be given information about how they might be supported to access their records in later life. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.6) Inspection report children’s home: SC028460 6

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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: SC028460 7

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Inspector

Barnaby Dowell, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC028460 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 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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