Children's home run by Surrey County Council

Inspection report children’s home: SC040633 1 SC040633 Registered provider: Surrey County Council

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

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.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered with Ofsted in 2007.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

p.1

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.

p.1

outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

p.1

outstanding

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

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

09/01/2019 Full Outstanding 24/10/2017 Full Outstanding 23/02/2017 Full Outstanding 21/07/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC040633 3

p.2

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.

p.3

Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

p.3

Requirement Due date

The registered person may only— employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home, if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

p.3

Requirement Due date

The requirements are that— the individual is of integrity and good character; the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform; the individual is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of the work that the individual is to perform; and full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1)(2)(a)(b)(3)(a)(b)(c)(d)) 06/12/2019

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Highly skilled and insightful staff understand the complex needs of the children. Children benefit from nurturing, sensitive and responsive care in a stable home and make significant progress.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The staff work closely and successfully with schools to ensure that the children receive the support they need to make progress. The staff also appreciate the value of learning outside school and find creative opportunities for children to explore their potential. For one child, the benefits of being involved in the garden project have been multifaceted in terms of learning and developing relationships, self-confidence and self-esteem. Inspection report children’s home: SC040633 4 An external professional commented that ‘it’s like a family home. There is a positive energy and warmth from the moment you enter.’ Another praised ‘the enthusiasm and positive attitude of the staff’, who actively inspire the children to participate in a wide range of activities outside the home.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The staff encourage the children to express themselves and put forward their ideas and opinions. Children feel valued and respected, knowing that the staff listen and respond. The staff genuinely want to hear the child’s voice, their hopes and dreams. Through the relationships the staff develop with the children and consistent, nurturing care, the children begin to express their feelings and manage their emotions more appropriately.

p.4

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

The staff have successfully established a stable, calm and safe environment. They respond sensitively to the children’s complex individual needs and are skilled in identifying the potential risks associated with children’s mental health difficulties and self-harming behaviour. Care plans and risk assessments are current, frequently reviewed and guide staff in reducing the risks for children.

p.4

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

Children have genuine, warm and meaningful relationships with the staff. The staff and managers know the children extremely well. Implementing the social pedagogic approach of helping children to be risk-competent, the staff, and key workers in particular, help the children to recognise risk, develop their own strategies and understand how to keep themselves safe.

p.4

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

Safeguarding the children is the highest priority for the staff. Leaders and managers maintain a sharp focus on safeguarding training for staff, and ensure that they have training appropriate to their roles. Concerns are identified quickly and are responded to appropriately.

p.4

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

Restorative practice underpins the strategies for managing behaviour. The staff help the children to develop their ability to reflect on the impact their behaviour has on others. Significant incidents are discussed in team meetings and followed up in supervision sessions with the staff. The registered manager closely monitors and evaluates incidents, taking a ‘lessons learned’ approach to improve the quality of care for the children.

p.4

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

The registered manager understands the importance of safe recruitment but not all the required information was available at the inspection to evidence that recruitment procedures are thorough.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

With a passion for helping children achieve their best outcomes, the registered manager uses her extensive knowledge and experience effectively to inspire the staff team to help children achieve their full potential. All the staff share her commitment to providing high- quality care within a safe, nurturing environment where children can make progress and achieve. Inspection report children’s home: SC040633 5 The registered manager leads by example as a reflective practitioner. This approach is embedded in the culture of the home. All the staff are thoughtful about what they do and constantly review the impact of their support, to ensure that children have a positive experience living in the home. Highly effective evaluative and analytical monitoring underpins a continuous drive for improvement.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Training for the staff is wide-ranging and based on research-led practice. Social pedagogy is an important part of the staff’s approach to the care of children and some senior staff have qualifications in this field. Senior staff have a breadth and depth of experience, which they use constructively in their support for the staff team. Through formal supervision, the staff are encouraged to think about and evaluate their practice. In addition, informal discussions, debriefs and team meetings consolidate an ongoing focus on understanding children’s behaviour and meeting their individual needs.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The best interests of the child are clearly at the centre of all practice. The staff are confident and undaunted in challenging the practice of external professionals when their expectations of high standards are not met.

p.5

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.

p.5

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

p.5

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Surrey County Council

p.6

Children’s home details

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

p.6

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.

p.6

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: http://www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7