Children's Home run by TLC Youth Care Ltd in North Northamptonshire

Inspection report children’s home: 1183173 1 Registered provider: TLC Youth Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home provides care for up to four children and young people.

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Information about this children’s home

The statement of purpose for the home sets out that the home provides care for children who display challenging behaviours, often associated with traumatic past life experiences.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since September 2019.

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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: 23 October 2018

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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: 1183173 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

23/10/2018 Full Outstanding 02/05/2017 Full Good 04/01/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 25/04/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: 1183173 3

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outstanding

The happy, nurturing atmosphere in this home stands out as being very special. Young people enjoy living here and embrace this setting as their home. Comments from young people include, ‘It is like a second family’, and ‘This is the best place I have ever lived, by far.’ A parent said, ‘When I go there, it is like I am visiting extended family, not what I would expect of a care home.’

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outstanding

Young people benefit from extremely stable placements. Two young people have been resident for approximately three years. This stability has provided a secure base for young people to develop and become more independent. Stability has underpinned the positive, enduring relationships evident between staff and young people.

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outstanding

Young people have made notable and sustained progress. The aspirational way that the team advocates for young people’s rights to education and other services stands out as exceptional. The reflective culture supports young people to recognise their own progress. One young person spoke about the progress he had made, saying that he used to ‘kick off’ all the time, but now he ‘never becomes angry’. The high standard of support and guidance means that young people are now making well- informed choices and making future plans.

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outstanding

Involved professionals consistently speak highly of the service. Professionals comment on how young people mature, and become more resilient and increasingly confident. One professional spoke about being surprised by the dramatic improvements for one young person, very soon after this young person moved to the home. Entrenched patterns of self-isolation were quickly changed. The young person was observed to be engaging with other young people and staff in a way not seen previously. The professional said, ‘It was a miraculous turnaround.’

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outstanding

Young people are supported to keep healthy. They understand a healthy diet and share food preparation tasks alongside staff. This enhances their future self-care skills. They are encouraged to be physically active and to attend necessary appointments with health professionals. Emotional health is always prioritised, with every opportunity taken to ensure that young people are fully supported. While some young people continue to smoke, the staff provide education, and work diligently, to reduce smoking patterns.

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outstanding

Young people are protected by highly effective safeguarding arrangements. Detailed risk management strategies and appropriate training ensure that staff recognise and understand known and potential risks. As a result, they respond to safeguarding Inspection report children’s home: 1183173 4 issues confidently. They understand their responsibilities and strive to keep young people safe. The team also recognises when, despite their best endeavours, they are unable to fully protect young people. The staff then work with placing teams to agree new care arrangements.

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outstanding

The team has well-established working relationships with external safeguarding agencies. Comments from professionals confirm that the service provides excellent safeguarding responses.

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outstanding

Young people feel safe and secure. They are confident about the care they receive and they know that the staff consider their best interests when setting rules and boundaries. The secure relationships between staff and young people contribute to the fact that young people do not go missing from this home. The last incident of a young person going missing from the home was in April 2019. Further examples of young people becoming safer while residing at this home include a notable reduction in aggression, and young people’s improved emotional well-being. Young people begin to learn about protective behaviours and how to keep themselves safe. This learning is on the agenda consistently when staff are talking to young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The leadership team maintains highly effective oversight of service delivery and the progress of each young person. The responsible individual works closely with the registered manager and takes a firm lead on service development. He is very driven and aspirational, and expects the highest quality of care to be provided. His ambition for young people, and for the home, is inspiring and motivational. The staff know what is expected of them. They speak highly of the management team, saying that they feel very supported in their work.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The experienced, competent staff team is happy in their work. Core staff have worked in the home for several years, providing consistency for young people. Staff training is seen as key in the delivery of a high quality of care. Recent training has included mental health first aid training for all staff. This means that staff are able to recognise the early signs that young people may be struggling emotionally. An agency with expertise in relation to children exposed to gangs and sexual exploitation has facilitated a recent training session. The provision of training and development opportunities ensures that staff are knowledgeable and know how best to care for young people. Staff are able to make links between training, research and the young people they look after. For example, staff understand how early attachment issues impact on young people’s current relationships and behaviours.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

A particularly impressive feature of this home was the tenacity of the responsible individual in challenging external agencies. He has been relentless in seeking appropriate resolution and outcomes to issues that arise. This has improved the safety and well-being of a number of children and young people, including those living in the community. Inspection report children’s home: 1183173 5

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, 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: 1183173 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 19 Harrier Park, Northampton, Northamptonshire NN4 0QG

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Duncan MacKenzie

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Inspector

Mary Timms, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1183173 7 to 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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