Children's Home run by Unity Residential Care Services Limited in Staffordshire

Inspection report children’s home: 1249326 1 Registered provider: Unity Residential Care Services Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

A private provider operates this home. It provides care and accommodation for up to four children who have experienced childhood instability, resulting in trauma and associated complex behaviours. The registered manager resigned from the home on 6 November 2019. A new manager has been appointed. His application to register with Ofsted is being processed.

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 good

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

Date of last inspection: 5 December 2018

p.1

outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: improved effectiveness

p.1

outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 1249326 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

05/12/2018 Interim Improved effectiveness 25/07/2018 Full Outstanding 14/03/2018 Interim Improved effectiveness 05/07/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report children’s home: 1249326 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

If the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5(c)) 27/03/2020

p.3

outstanding

Young people make exceptional progress because their day-to-day experiences are consistently positive. They receive personalised care and support from a committed, knowledgeable, skilled and motivated staff team. Listening to young people is an overarching principle that underpins staff practice and the day-to-day running of the home. This ethos ensures that young people are fully involved in planning their care. Young people receive exceptionally high-quality care that makes a significant difference to their lives. The manager and staff’s nurturing and insightful practice provides young people with a therapeutic environment which enables them to thrive. When young people experience a setback, staff respond sensitively and are empathic. Staff clearly see the young person and not just their behaviours, and are able to support them to manage the impact of complex trauma. An exceptional difference is made to the lives of young people in this home as a

p.3

outstanding

result of research-informed practice. A trainee manager in the home has undertaken an extensive piece of research around the reasons why young people enter the care system. This considers early childhood experiences and the impact on child development, as well as looking at attachment styles. Staff help young people to achieve their ambitions and have better life chances. Young people are increasingly confident in their abilities. Staff make sure that young people have the skills, opportunities and emotional resilience that they need to move successfully into the next stage of their lives. One young person has recently enjoyed a trip to Paris with her college. Staff supported her to earn additional money to fund the trip through washing cars and other jobs around the home. Inspection report children’s home: 1249326 4 Staff are positive role models for young people and offer them a range of expertise.

p.3

outstanding

For example, one member of staff has extensive experience of working with young people who have a diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). His knowledge has enabled staff to better understand ADHD and how this affects a young person’s behaviours. Another member of staff is a qualified teacher. She has been able to support one young person with her college coursework. As a result of her improved confidence, the young person has received distinctions for her work. Young people receive highly individualised care that helps them to make significant progress. Staff understand the importance of young people’s relationships with their family. Staff work hard to develop strong working relationships with parents and carers. For example, one young person was recently supported to contact his father whom he had not seen for a number of years. A parent told the inspector, ‘Staff at the home

p.4

outstanding

are lovely and easy to talk to. They look after my son extremely well with the right balance between rules, boundaries and nurture. They never make me feel judged and I am always welcome.’ This excellent practice reduces young people’s sense of isolation and helps them to make significant progress. Staff support young people to achieve in their education. One young person who had not been in education for a long time is now attending. A headteacher said, ‘We have an excellent working relationship with the staff. Having a joined-up approach to information sharing means that we share a consistent message.’ Young people live in a beautiful and well-maintained home. The environment is homely and nurturing. Young people’s bedrooms are personalised and decorated to reflect their interests. As a result, young people feel proud of their home and invest in it.

p.4

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

Aspects of safeguarding practice are outstanding. Staff have a comprehensive understanding of young people’s needs. This supports young people to reduce their anxieties and enables them to feel safe and to thrive. Detailed behaviour support plans are highly effective and help staff to address poor behaviour consistently. Staff pay close attention to maintaining young people’s routines. This approach provides young people with stability. Staff can quickly identify changes in a young person’s behaviour. They use de- escalation and diversion techniques to prevent situations escalating. Staff focus on rewarding young people’s positive behaviour. Consequently, staff have not needed to use restraint for almost two years. Individualised and up-to-date risk assessments contain clear guidance for staff about how to manage risk. Staff use their excellent knowledge of young people to manage challenges and risks as they arise. They work collaboratively with safeguarding

p.4

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

agencies to share important information. Staff use this information to inform risk assessments, which capture current and potential risks. The diligent and sensitive Inspection report children’s home: 1249326 5 staff act quickly on information that is of concern. This coordinated approach promotes young people’s safety and welfare. Key-work sessions are undertaken with young people to address their individual needs. For example, one young person has learned to express her feelings. Consequently, she has not harmed herself for over six months. Another young person has learned how to regulate his emotions better. Previously, when he experienced a setback it would take him days to recover, but he is now able to resolve difficulties as they arise. The young person told the inspector, ‘I can’t begin to tell you how much the staff have helped me, they are simply the best. They treat me with kindness and respect and I do not know where I would be without them.’

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is an outstanding, child-focused practitioner. He is inspirational, leads by example and has high expectations of himself and the staff team. The manager is aspirational about the care given to young people and committed to ensuring that young people achieve their full potential. The manager provides staff with excellent support. Supervision sessions are regular and of high quality. They help staff to generate ideas and reflect on their practice. New staff are robustly vetted and are supported through a clear, effective induction process. The staff team is diverse and has a good mix of experience and skills. Management oversight and monitoring processes are effective and internal monitoring systems focus on outcomes for young people. As a result, the manager has a good insight into the home’s strengths and areas of development. He is proactive in addressing shortfalls. The statement of purpose accurately reflects the

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

services offered by the home and is clear about the support offered to young people. Some staff complete individual development programmes and are undertaking management qualifications. Other staff benefit from internal promotion or take lead responsibility for aspects of young people’s care. This aspirational ethos inspires staff to develop their practice and deliver high-quality care. Staff develop excellent working relationships with a number of other professionals. The manager is tenacious and will not accept shortfalls in young people’s care. He continually escalates his concerns when shortfalls arise. However, on one occasion, prior to the current manager being appointed, an opportunity to raise a complaint about the lack of accurate information in a placement referral was missed. The provider has acknowledged this shortfall and learned from it. Inspection report children’s home: 1249326 6

p.5

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Unity Residential Care Services Limited

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Belvoir Farmhouse, Woolsthorpe Road, Redmile, Nottingham NG13 0GN

p.6

Inspector

Annemarie Parker, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1249326 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.

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