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Inspection report children’s home: SC454484 1 SC454484

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Registered provider: Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is owned and operated by a local authority. The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to five children or young people who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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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: 31 October 2018

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC454484 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

31/10/2018 Full Good 12/09/2017 Full Good 08/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 06/12/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC454484 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children and young people make progress from their point of admissions into the home. They experience help from staff who are experienced, consistent and resilient.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide the children and young people with a warm, nurturing environment. This enables children and young people to build positive relationships with the staff. One young person completed a short film with staff to reflect how the home has improved her life in a short period of time.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home environment is of a high standard, and the children and young people take pride in their home. When there is any damage to the home, the staff ensure that this is repaired promptly to maintain a homely and welcoming environment for the children and young people.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children and young people take part in positive activities in the home and in the wider community. During school holidays, the staff support the young people in accessing planned trips and outings, which helps increase their self-esteem and confidence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff work in partnership with professionals, including teachers and other agencies. This helps to reduce barriers by advocating and challenging all parties to support the children and young people in accessing education. This is having a positive effect on their attendance and attainment.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide the children and young people with clear structures, routines and boundaries. This enables the children and young people to develop a sense of stability and security and begin to manage their behaviours in a more positive way.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff work in close partnership with the looked after children’s nurse, child and adolescence mental health services and drug and alcohol services. As a result, children and young people’s health needs are being suitably addressed.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage children and young people to have an active and healthy lifestyle. Children and young people are provided with a wide range of information and guidance. This has proven to be effective in helping the children and young people to make more informed choices.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children and young people are helped to develop social and independent living skills, which enables them to have positive transitions from the home when they are of an age to move on in a planned way.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home has regular children and young people’s meetings and uses consultation to ascertain the wishes and feelings of the children and young people. However, Inspection report children’s home: SC454484 4 records of these meetings do not effectively capture the voice of the child. This is a missed opportunity to demonstrate the good work undertaken by staff.

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

The home has reduced levels of missing-from-care and physical intervention. However, when children and young people have gone missing, the staff are able to follow the appropriate protocols to ensure that the children and young people are safe. Staff work in partnership with the missing-from-home team and ensure that children and young people have access to an independent return home interview.

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

Staff are trained in team teach, which enables them to use de-escalation strategies with the children and young people. Rewards and incentives are effective, and this further supports positive behaviours. Staff talk openly with children and young people about how to manage their frustrations and are actively encouraged to be solution focused. As a result, children and young people are developing coping mechanisms and are more able to talk about how they are feeling.

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

When there are incidents of physical intervention, these are well managed and are used as a last resort to help safeguard children and young people. Physical interventions are well recorded, and there are clear management oversight and debriefs for the children and young people and staff.

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

The staff have a good understanding of the children and young people’s triggers, risks and vulnerabilities and work in partnership with other agencies to review and update risk assessments and behaviour management plans. Effective partnership and good management oversight are helping to safeguard the children and young people.

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

Staff work effectively with the children and young people by using restorative practice. This enables children and young people to make better decisions about their behaviours, take responsibility and develop their ability to reflect and learn.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has a wealth of experience and is aspirational for the children and young people. She provides effective support to the staff. The manager has high expectations of the staff and role models positive practice. She is accessible to the children, young people and the staff team, and is proud of the home and the impact it can have on the children and young people’s lives.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has a good understanding of all the children and young people in the home and can challenge and advocate on their behalf. This ensures that no drift and delays occur when an important decision is being made about children and young people’s lives.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has worked effectively with senior managers and the local authority to ensure that robust matching takes place. This ensures that any new admissions to Inspection report children’s home: SC454484 5 the home have not had an adverse impact on the stability and the progress made by children and young people. The children and young people currently living at the home have had a positive period of stability and have made sustained progress in all areas of their lives.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager provides supervision and annual appraisals for the staff team. The team has access to informal supervisions, team meetings and daily handovers, which ensures that the children and young people receive a consistency of care from all the staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff have access to mandatory and specialist training to support the evolving needs of the children and young people. Such training has included safeguarding, child sexual exploitation, female genital mutilation, autism spectrum disorder, trans awareness and suicide prevention.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has good safer recruitment in place. There are high levels of retention, and the staff have development pathways to enable them to progress and develop in their roles. New staff have a structured and supported induction, and staff said that they are happy and well supported by the manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has developed the staff team to ensure that they are able to meet the complex needs of the children and young people. The staff are motivated and committed and happy in their work, which has led to low levels of sickness. It is clear that children and young people feel stable, safe and secure with the care that they receive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has good management oversight of the home and carries out monthly audits and checks to ensure that risk assessments and plans are progressing and files are updated.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Fire evacuation drills are routinely carried out. However, records are unclear. Therefore, the manager cannot be assured that all new staff, children and young people have been present when a fire drill has taken place. This means that staff, children and young people may not fully understand how to leave the home should there be a real emergency.

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Recommendations

 Children should be encouraged by staff to see the home’s records as ‘living documents’ supporting them to view and contribute to the record in a way that reflects their voice on a regular basis. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 58, paragraph 11.19) In particular, ensure the voice of the child is fully captured in records such as young people’s meetings. Inspection report children’s home: SC454484 6  Children’s homes must comply with relevant health and safety legislations (alarms, food hygiene etc.). (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9) In particular, ensure that clear records are maintained following fire evacuation drills.

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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: SC454484 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council, Gateway Plaza, Sackville Street, Barnsley, South Yorkshire S70 2RD

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Jonathan Banwell

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Inspector

Noel Cooper: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC454484 8 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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