Children's Home run by Hampshire County Council in Hampshire

Inspection report children’s home: 1255823 1 Registered provider: Hampshire 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

The home is owned and managed by a local authority. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to four children aged between 10 and 17; 16 is the maximum age on admission. According to the home’s statement of purpose, it offers residential care with therapeutic emphasis and multi-agency involvement, to help children recover from experiences which have rendered them vulnerable and disrupted from their primary relationships.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since June 2017.

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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

Date of last inspection: 25 September 2018

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 1255823 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25/09/2018 Full Outstanding Inspection report children’s home: 1255823 3

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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 leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the child’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 13 (2)(c)) 29/02/2020

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children.

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Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (2)(a)(5)) 29/02/2020

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Recommendations

 Regulation 19(2) details sanctions that are prohibited in behaviour management. Any sanctions used to address poor behaviour should be restorative in nature, to help children recognise the impact of their behaviour on themselves, other children, the staff caring for them and the wider community. In some cases, it will be important for children to make reparation in some form to anyone hurt by their behaviour and the staff in the home should be skilled to support the child to understand this and carry it out. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 47, paragraph 9.38) Inspection report children’s home: 1255823 4 In particular, improve records of any monetary reparations, so that they clearly include the amount of money to be paid and the timescales.  As set out in regulations 31-33, the registered person is responsible for maintaining good employment practice. They must ensure that recruitment,

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Recommendations

supervision and performance management of staff safeguards children and minimises potential risks to them. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1) In particular, ensure that there is sufficient emphasis in the staff supervision records that relate to safeguarding, performance management and follow-up actions when shortfalls in practice are identified.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff build trusted and warm relationships with the children. One child spoke about feeling comfortable and not feeling judged. As a result, the children experience a sense of belonging and acceptance. This provides the foundations for the children to flourish.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Considerable endeavours are made by the staff to help the children progress. For most children, they are successful. However, for one child who joined the home for a short period, the staff felt unable to meet their needs. This contributed towards a significant period of instability for the children and the staff team. The registered manager took proactive steps in making alternative plans with the child’s family and senior social work managers.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child described how the staff ‘help you to stretch yourself more’. The management team and the staff promote creativity, and help foster an appreciation of the arts. For one child, this involved being taken to a music concert, to see a favourite singer. For another, the staff helped a child to save for a sewing machine to encourage their passion for designing costumes. The staff recognise that such enrichment activities help the children to develop life skills and broaden the children’s horizons. This also enhances their life experiences and opportunities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have a newly found confidence that enables them to make friends, some from a starting point of having no friends. Friends regularly visit, stay for tea and sleep over. Children enjoy spending their free time with friends, listening to music, hanging out, going fishing and going on cycle rides. Through these experiences, the children develop friendships that provide essential sources of security and support.

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

Staff have a good understanding of safeguarding and know what to do if they are worried about a child. They are vigilant to circumstances that may heighten risks and threaten the children’s safety. Staff plan ahead and take timely steps to reduce risks. Inspection report children’s home: 1255823 5 Proactive and effective multi-agency working helps the staff to support and promote the safety and well-being of the children.

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

Strong leadership and a stable team act as an additional protective factor. This is because the staff are consistent, reliable and know the children well. Positive relationships between the children and the staff are evident in the home. The deputy manager coming in on his day off, with his music equipment, to jam with the children, is a good example of this.

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

Staff encourage the children to have high aspirations. The children enjoyed their summer holiday break at Disneyland Paris. Staff maintain a healthy balance between nurturing and supporting the children within the home, and encouraging their participation in wider activities outside the home. Staff ensure that the children have similar experiences to their non-looked-after peers. This helps prepare the children well for their future.

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

Staff are adventurous and support the children to take risks and problem solve. Children experience care that is responsive to their developing identity. Consequently, the children learn and develop self-protection strategies. This increases the children’s self-awareness and confidence. It also helps them make safer choices.

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

Staff help the children to behave well. Emphasis is placed on praise and encouragement. Monetary sanctions are sometimes used to help the children learn about the impact that their behaviours may have on themselves and others. However, the recording of this does not clearly include the amount of money and timescales for repaying it. This information is necessary so that staff and children know exactly what is expected of them to make reparations.

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

When the children become distressed or worried, the staff draw on agreed strategies to keep them safe and to reassure them. However, for one child who no longer lives at the home, some interventions were ineffective. This led to him harming himself and staff being hurt. A development plan identifies learning for the staff team, which includes coaching and support for less experienced members of the team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is run by a longstanding registered manager and deputy, who are dedicated to and passionate about improving the children’s lives. A respectful and accepting culture permeates throughout the home. The staff are well informed in supporting the children to explore their emerging identity. Staff seek advice and use this to enhance their practice to support children when any new themes or circumstances emerge.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff work well with other professionals to promote children’s health and well-being. However, there are some gaps in the staff training relating to the specific needs of the children in relation to self-harming behaviours. There are timely plans in place to rectify this.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

With the support of the deputy manager, the registered manager closely monitors the Inspection report children’s home: 1255823 6 day-to-day quality of care in the home. Leaders and the managers display a clear understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the home, including those relating to the needs of the children, and how the staff are meeting these.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has developed a good system for capturing the children’s feelings, wishes and grumbles. Yet, the views of the children and parents are not used as part of the manager’s review of the quality of care provided to children. As a result, a less holistic view informs the development of the quality of care provided in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision which is nurturing and reflective. However, the records could be strengthened by a greater emphasis on safeguarding, performance management, and by recording follow-up actions when shortfalls in practice are identified.

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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: 1255823 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Hampshire Council, 3rd Floor, Elizabeth II Court North, The Castle, Winchester, Hampshire SO23 8UG

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Inspector

Anne-Marie Davies, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1255823 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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