Children's home run by CareTech Community Services Limited in Hertsmere

Inspection report children’s home: SC426719 1 SC426719 Registered provider: CareTech Community Services 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

This home is owned by a private company. It is registered for six young people. The home provides care for young people aged four to 18 who have physical and/or learning disabilities.

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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: 19 February 2019

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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: SC426719 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/02/2019 Full Outstanding 07/03/2018 Full Outstanding 14/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 29/12/2016 Full Outstanding Inspection report children’s home: SC426719 3

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outstanding

Young people who have highly complex needs benefit hugely from a home that is colourful, welcoming and provides a calm and relaxing environment. This enables young people to focus on their own needs and manage their anxieties. Staff form exceptionally warm and trusting relationships with young people. This helps young people to feel secure, happy and settled. Staff want the very best for each young person and assist them to make significant progress beyond expectations. Young people have fun with staff and each other and enjoy a wide range of stimulating and challenging activities. Some young people go horse riding and skiing, which develops their social skills and emotional well-being. Some attend youth clubs, ensuring that they are part of the local community. These clubs also build young people’s confidence. Staff support young people to develop a sense of their own identity. This is central to the individualised care that they receive. Staff pay close attention to young people’s

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outstanding

cultural or ethnic needs. For example, staff offer young people choices about how they want to dress and wear their hair. Staff help young people to understand their backgrounds and keep in touch with the people that are important to them, working closely with family members and supporting young people to see them regularly. Staff have excellent communication skills. This is fundamental to the work that they undertake with young people. Young people use a range of verbal and non-verbal communication tools to express their views, wishes and feelings. Highly skilled, perceptive staff understand each young person’s individual communication methods and maximise their effectiveness. Young people engage in regular young people’s meetings where they express themselves confidently. When young people request something or raise an issue, staff listen and respond quickly. For example, when one young person complained that

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outstanding

another young person had tried to go into her bedroom, staff arranged for her to have a key pad on her door to ensure her privacy. This creative, age-appropriate response supports the young person’s developing independence. Young people make significant and sustained progress in developing their communication skills, attending and engaging in school, managing their anxiety, and improving their independence skills. One young person has made huge improvements in his personal hygiene. He is now able to brush his own teeth, cut up his food and go shopping to choose his own clothes. The family member of another young person who has recently moved in said, ‘They [the staff] have transformed her.’ Supporting young people who move into and out of the home is a strength of this service. Staff use social stories, arrange visits and develop strong individual plans. This support enables young people to settle quickly when they move into the home

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outstanding

and adjust well when they move to other places. Families and social workers are overwhelmingly positive about the quality of care that young people receive and say Inspection report children’s home: SC426719 4 that they cannot praise staff highly enough.

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

Highly trained, vigilant staff keep vulnerable young people safe. Young people, social workers and family members confirm this. Staff’s skilled use of behaviour management strategies enables them to meet the safeguarding needs of all young people. Staff are constantly aware of changes in young people’s mood and behaviour and understand what might upset young people. Consequently, they ensure that young people experience consistent care and clear boundaries. This helps young people to feel secure and keeps them safe. Staff have an in-depth knowledge of autistic spectrum disorders, and follow clear behaviour support plans and risk assessments. The registered manager regularly reviews these plans. Staffing levels are appropriate for each young person and staff expertly help young people to manage their anxieties and behaviours. The registered manager and staff are creative and make practical adaptations in the

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

home to keep young people safe. For example, one young person now has his own entrance, separate from the main reception, which significantly reduces his anxiety during transitions in and out of the home. As a result, he is calm and other young people are also less anxious. Young people do not go missing and have not been subject to exploitation or radicalisation. Young people do not harm themselves and there is no bullying in the home. Staff have only had to use physical intervention once since the last inspection. This was necessary and effective. The registered manager spoke to the young person after the incident. He understood why he had been restrained and was able to express his feelings about this. Staff undertake ongoing and effective work with young people to help them to understand risk and keep themselves safe. They talk to young people about stranger danger and safety while out in the community. This work is effective. For example,

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

staff helped one young person to understand not to approach strangers, thus making her safer.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Both the registered manager and the deputy manager work hard to drive up standards of care and improve young people’s experiences. They know each young person well. They understand the progress that each young person is making and how that is being achieved. Innovations introduced by managers since the last inspection include giving staff additional responsibilities. This includes leading on health and safety issues and staff rotas, to develop their skills. A new reception area has been created which better separates the office from the rest of the home. This has made the home calmer when visitors arrive and has reduced young people’s anxiety. Inspection report children’s home: SC426719 5 The registered manager is tenacious and passionate about meeting young people’s needs, advocating strongly on their behalf when this is required. She researched the additional needs of one young person and presented that research to the clinical

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

psychologist and the appropriate mental health service to ensure that the young person received appropriate support. Young people benefit hugely from a stable, experienced staff team that provides consistent care. Staff love working at the home and speak affectionately about the young people. Staff feel strongly supported by their colleagues and the managers. The registered manager provides staff with regular reflective supervision and team meetings, where they can express ideas and concerns and share best practice. The registered manager is aware of the strengths and areas for development of her team and takes action to improve the quality of care even further. For example, she has written a training course to deepen staff’s understanding of how young people who have autistic spectrum disorder experience the world. This means that staff have more insight into the role that they play in helping young people to engage in daily

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

life. This has helped staff to support and empower young people to meet their potential. Staff collaborate excellently with school staff, social workers, mental health professionals and family members. As a result, young people are provided with the best opportunities and support. The registered manager and the deputy manager have also developed strong links with staff at a short-breaks service for one young person, enabling her to maintain links in her home area. This innovative long-term view of her care needs will benefit her both now and in the future. Social workers are extremely positive about the management of the service, the care that young people receive and the quality of communication between themselves and the staff.

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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: SC426719 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: CareTech Community Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 5th Floor Metropolitan House, 3 Darkes Lane, Potters Bar, Hertfordshire EN6 1AG

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Inspector

Louise Whittle, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC426719 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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