Children's Home run by G B A Care Limited in Calderdale

Inspection report children’s home: SC462591 1 SC462591 Registered provider: G B A Care Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three children or young people. The home provides long-term care to children and young people who may have emotional, social and/or behavioural difficulties. The home provides a model of care whereby children, young people and their families are provided with high-quality support from one consistent care provider.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager became the registered manager in December 2016. He is appropriately qualified and experienced to manage this home.

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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 Inspection report children’s home: SC462591 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

17/07/2018 Full Outstanding 29/08/2017 Full Outstanding 01/02/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 14/06/2016 Full Outstanding Inspection report children’s home: SC462591 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The children living in the home are a settled group who receive an excellent standard of care from the adults in their lives and, as a result, their outcomes have significantly improved and continue to improve.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The transformation, from historical referral information that outlines severe behavioural difficulties to today’s thoughtful and well-mannered children, is testament to the home’s highly successful model of care. Key to the successful delivery of this model is the registered provider’s business partnership with Coastal Child and Adult Therapeutic Services (CCATS). CCATS therapists comprise a dedicated team of clinical psychologists who develop highly effective programmes to help children improve and adapt their behaviour through positive reinforcement.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Highly positive measurable progress in the children’s outcomes proves the model is transformative. For example, all children are achieving well academically from their starting points and some are flourishing in mainstream school. During the inspection, one young person proudly announced they had received an award from school that is to be presented at a formal awards evening which they are now looking forward to. Another had earlier received a gold award from school for their 100% attendance and improved behaviour. These are remarkable achievements for them and are testament to the stable and secure care they receive from the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The children enjoy good general health and are particularly aware of the benefits of healthy eating. All are placed long term and display an easy rapport with the staff, who are highly skilled and trained in providing children in their care with the right environment and ethos to thrive. The children regularly take part in fundraising events for disadvantaged people. They are polite, insightful and well socialised, and a credit to their upbringing at this home. One young person said: ‘I am respectful to others because I want them to treat me with respect.’ The children were confident that they were listened to and that any ideas they have for the home will be treated seriously and considerately.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Another young person shared with the inspector a letter they had written to staff which included: ‘You are the first people who haven’t given up on me… I am so proud to call this my home, you are my second family.’

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

Children living at this home are safe and secure. Sanctions, known as ‘consequences’ in line with the model of care, are used only occasionally, because the children’s strong relationships with staff mean that they are rarely necessary. When the need arises, they are generally in response to normal teenage misbehaviour.

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

There have been no restraints since the last inspection and none of the children are Inspection report children’s home: SC462591 4 involved in criminal activity. The small number of missing-from-home episodes relate to the children’s emotional well-being, for which there are thorough risk assessments in place. Consequently, these are reducing over time. None are recent, and they are not related to exploitation.

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

Given their histories, the very high levels of stability and good behaviour among children who live at the home evidence the high standard of care that they receive. As a result of the quality of care, children’s risk reduces and this is sustained because the staff understand the risks well and strategies are very effective.

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Effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Highly effective leadership and management mean that the standard of care the home offers to the children has evidently improved since the last inspection. This is noteworthy, as the home was already operating from a very high base.

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Effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The home delivers comprehensive placement plans which managers ensure are well understood and consistently implemented across the whole staff group. These plans are informed by the therapeutic input of CCATS and have clearly been transformative. Vulnerable children’s lives have changed for the better because of living at this home.

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Effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Managers are not complacent and continue to demonstrate learning from external sources such as visits under regulation 44 and inspections. Committed home managers continuously improve services available from the home to the children. For instance, current renovation to the exterior of the building is underway that will refresh the garden area and provide an extension as an additional facility to support CCATS input.

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Effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Children’s social workers spoken with by the inspector remarked positively on working in partnership with the home, one describing it as a ‘great service’. They also spoke about the home’s excellent communication skills, which have been further enhanced by the delivery by CCATS of high-quality psychological assessments to the children’s statutory reviews. Managers use the action points from these assessments to inform day-to-day planning for the children and, as a result, children live in a caring environment that is suitably tailored to their individual needs.

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Effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Two members of staff have joined the home since the last inspection, as part of wider organisational development and expansion. They have undergone a thorough induction programme and have now completed an extensive training profile to support care of the children in line with their comprehensive placement plans. Training is strongly prioritised and organised by managers across the staff group, because all staff members need to receive high-quality input that supports the professional demands of delivering care to such a high level. CCATS is pivotal to meeting the staff group’s complex training needs.

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Effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Organisational development of the service has been carefully thought through in a manner empathetic to the needs of children whose progress can be fragile. This is well understood by the registered providers and responsible individual, who manage change sensitively and well. Inspection report children’s home: SC462591 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: SC462591 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 2nd Floor Brian Royd Mills, Saddleworth Road Greetland, Halifax, West Yorkshire HX4 8NF

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Inspector

Ian Young: HMI Inspection report children’s home: SC462591 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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