Children's home run by SES Avocet Limited

Inspection report children’s home: SC063259 1 SC063259 Registered provider: SES Avocet Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned home is registered for up to eight boys aged eight to 14 on admission. It is registered as a children’s home because it provides 52-week placements. Education and administration facilities are on site and separate from the living areas.

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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 good

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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: 27 February 2019

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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: SC063259 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

27/02/2019 Full Outstanding 10/05/2017 Full Outstanding 13/02/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 11/04/2016 Full Outstanding Inspection report children’s home: SC063259 3

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outstanding

There are many examples of outstanding and innovative practice at this home. The staff are implementing a biophilia ethos using plants and nature throughout the home to try and reduce the children’s stress. A graffiti artist has created a professional mural on a wall in one child’s bedroom. Artwork painted on the walls of the learning centre is in keeping with the ethos of bringing the outside into the home to provide a calming environment.

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outstanding

The children are cared for by staff who provide high levels of emotional warmth. The staff enjoy their work, which results in a positive environment that benefits the children.

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outstanding

Children who were not in education before coming to live at the home are supported to make progress with their learning. The staff are ambitious for the children and take a ‘no limits’ approach to education. The staff work together to provide flexible opportunities. They use links with local professionals to provide the children with a varied timetable. One child has a passion for cookery. The staff have enabled him to have cookery lessons. He developed his skills and went on to achieve a GCSE in cookery and is now on a level 2 professional cookery course at college.

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outstanding

The children benefit considerably from activities outside of school hours as part of the home’s commitment to 24-hour learning. The staff took the children to Finland to experience the local culture and take part in winter sports. One child went to France on a history trip. The children have climbed Ben Nevis, Snowdon and Scafell Pike and been to Ireland on holiday. One child went on a trip to Dunkirk with a member of staff. Some of the children participate in animal-assisted learning, developing their skills in dog training. One child now helps to deliver training to others, with a dog training coach, at an external venue on a weekly basis. The wide range of creative enrichment activities gives the children high-quality education experiences, nurtures their interests and helps to develop their social, emotional and physical well-being.

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outstanding

The children have been trained in first aid. The staff arrange charity events, including charity football matches and bike rides, to raise money for local causes. These activities develop the children’s connection with others and encourage a sense of giving back to the local community.

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outstanding

A psychologist works with some of the children’s families to help parents to sustain meaningful relationships with their children. This support is provided by an experienced and longstanding member of staff, who is successful in working with the staff, children and families to strengthen existing relationships between children and family members. Inspection report children’s home: SC063259 4

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

The children benefit from a wide range of interventions to help them to understand, reflect on and change their behaviour. A consultant systemic psychotherapist and a consultant psychiatrist provide support, advice, guidance and challenge to the managers and staff and undertake direct work with the children. The staff work from a well-informed base and have regular opportunities to discuss challenges and progress, which helps to determine the next steps in the children’s plans.

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

The staff encourage the children to reflect on incidents in which they have hurt other children. The staff undertake restorative work between the children, and when the children hurt the staff. Despite some of the staff sustaining injuries from the children, they display high levels of motivation to care for the children and to help them to address their underlying trauma and presenting behaviours.

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

Managers have sought the support of external professionals with issues that have arisen. Representatives from the local youth offending team have come to the home to talk about knife crime and county lines. This helps to develop children’s understanding of the risks to them and the potential consequences.

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

Some of the children leave the home without permission. The staff follow the missing-from-home protocols and encourage the children’s safe return. When a child’s incidents of going missing have caused more serious concerns for their safety, the home has worked together with the local police to provide a multi-agency response to keep them safe. The manager keeps the children’s placing authorities up to date with information on these incidents. However, return home interviews have not consistently taken place and the manager has not pursued these interviews with each child’s placing authority in line with the home’s policy on missing children.

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

One child raised concerns, during the inspection and with the staff on separate occasions, about feeling bullied. Although there is evidence of the action taken to address this, the manager did not provide evidence of how the child’s concerns have been discussed with him to help him to feel safe.

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

One child’s room smelled strongly of urine. Although the staff have taken steps to address this, the smell remains. This does not make for an inviting or homely bedroom for this child. The child has raised with staff that he is frightened to use the bathroom during the night. Although steps have been taken to support him, he does not have a bedroom on the same floor as the bathroom, and staff are two floors away should he need their help in the night. In addition, a staff member failed to manage an incident with this child in line with the child’s plan. Although the manager said that she had spoken with the staff member, there was no recorded evidence of how this was addressed or the outcome of that discussion. Inspection report children’s home: SC063259 5

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager, who has been registered since May 2018, has recently achieved a level 5 diploma in trauma and mental health. The children benefit from positive and engaged staff, who spoke enthusiastically about their role. Some staff have worked at the home for many years.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Managers observe staff’s practice and provide feedback on ways in which they can improve. The home has some newer staff who do not have previous experience in caring for children. These staff are supported well and provided with relevant, good- quality training.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

External professionals and family members spoke positively about the home. A social worker said, ‘The transition plan [for my child] was very good. My child had one of the best social stories. He was given books about the home and the experiences of the other boys. The staff made him feel welcome and special. It was the best transition I’ve seen for years.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Managers have a strong development plan in place. They have continued to develop their practice since the last inspection. Underpinned by learning theory research, they have introduced a personal, social and emotional development framework. The team consulted with a senior education psychologist. The staff were consulted about what qualities they would like the children to develop. The managers model positive psychology techniques at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Since the last inspection, the home has achieved a gold status in Investors in People. The range of developments demonstrates the provider’s commitment to continuous improvement that benefits children who have complex needs. Inspection report children’s home: SC063259 6

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Recommendations

 Staff should provide a nurturing environment that is welcoming and supportive. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.7) In particular, address the issues relating to the odour in one child’s bedroom and review strategies to help the child to feel safe to use the bathroom during the night.  Staff should have the skills and confidence to communicate easily and understand the importance of responding to the children they care for. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.10) In particular, make a record of the outcome of actions taken in response to any concerns about staff’s interactions with children.  Registered persons must ensure that procedures for dealing with allegations of bullying are in place. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 39, paragraph 8.16)

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Recommendations

In particular, record the outcomes of action taken to counter bullying, including the child’s view of whether they feel safe.  When a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority must provide an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. Homes should take account of information provided by such interviews when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect each child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30) In particular, request that the placing authority undertakes a return home interview each time a child goes missing, and record the request and whether the interview took place.

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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: SC063259 7

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Children’s home details

Provision sub-type: Residential special school

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Inspectors

Angela Weston, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC063259 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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