Children's home run by Holistic Approach Limited

Inspection report children’s home: 1244460 1 Registered provider: Holistic Approach Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is privately owned and run. It 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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Information about this children’s home

There is currently no registered manager in post. The manager of another home within the same company is managing this home as well. This manager intends to register with Ofsted for the interim period until a new manager is appointed. The manager holds the relevant level 5 qualification.

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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 good

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 1244460 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

04/07/2018 Full Outstanding 12/09/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 24/04/2017 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: 1244460 3

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outstanding

Young people are fully invested in their placements. They consider each other and staff as extended family members. The atmosphere and environment in the home are warm, loving, caring and fun. As a result, young people settle in quickly and begin to make exceptional progress in all areas. Children have a positive influence on each other because they are carefully matched.

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outstanding

All young people are in full-time education and are progressing and achieving. Of the five young people placed, four are sustaining mainstream educational placements. Education is promoted and supported by staff who enable two of the young people to access additional tutoring.

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outstanding

Young people’s individual interests are promoted, and their achievements celebrated. This results in young people developing a clearer self-identity, and promotes their self-confidence and self-esteem. Young people take part in a diverse range of activities and some show exceptional talent, for example in roller skating and in writing and performing songs.

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outstanding

Staff deliver care that is informed by research. The way that research is embedded into practice is meaningful and has a positive impact on care practice. Staff focus on young people’s strengths and seek to understand their pain-based behaviours. This approach works well for the cohort of young people in the home. Their progression and absence of negative incidents evidence this.

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outstanding

Family contact is promoted. One young person has progressed so much in this area that there is now a plan in place for him to return to his mother’s care. One young person has not had contact with his mother for several years. In order to reintroduce and support this, the staff have prepared a booklet for her, to help her to communicate and develop a bond with her son. This is an example of outstanding practice.

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outstanding

Young people who arrive at the home showing deeply embedded trauma-based behaviours become happy, relaxed and feel safe. These changes result in a marked reduction in such behaviours.

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outstanding

The home itself is a very large listed building set in big grounds. Staff have made it homely and welcoming, and the young people reported they are happy with the building. However, some areas are in need of redecorating and modernisation.

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outstanding

Young people are living in a safe environment. They say that they feel safe and understand that staff will make every effort to keep them safe. From the start of Inspection report children’s home: 1244460 4 their placements, their risks reduce dramatically. Very few safeguarding incidents occur. This is because staff understand young people and know how to de-escalate and re-direct them. Staff develop bespoke behaviour support plans. These plans identify the best way to respond when young people’s behaviour escalates.

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outstanding

Young people help to set their own targets and choose how they want to be rewarded. This gives them a sense of ownership regarding their behaviour, and results in them regularly reaching their behaviour targets.

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outstanding

Levels of missing-from-home incidents and restrictive physical interventions are low. This shows that young people feel safe and are able to manage their risk-taking behaviours effectively. Incidents relating to self-harm are reducing in number. Staff are trained in non-suicidal self-injury, which helps them to support young people when they are in crisis. The staff work as part of a multi-agency team to implement a safety plan when necessary.

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outstanding

Young people are educated around risk-taking behaviours. Records of direct work and key work show that work is targeted and meaningful. This, alongside the trusting and caring relationships young people have with staff, contributes to consistent risk reduction.

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outstanding

Managers understand when young people’s risk-taking behaviour puts their own and others’ safety at risk. They take appropriate action to end placements when young people display behaviours, such as fire-setting, which are outside of the home’s statement of purpose to safely manage.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There have been a number of changes to the leadership and management of the home in the past few months. While this does not have any apparent impact on the young people’s progression, it is important for them to have a stable management team in place. The current manager aims to achieve this by dually managing this and another home until a suitable manager is appointed. The young people have been consulted and are happy with this arrangement.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The quality of supervision has improved. Staff are regularly supervised. They also have group case supervision. Supervision records show that reflective practice is a routine part of the care-worker role. There is a good, supportive environment in which staff are praised and helped to develop. As a result, staff morale is high.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is intensely focused on continuously developing and improving the service. She spends time on training the staff to better understand the needs of the young people and how best to support them. Along with others, she delivers a bespoke training package which is centred around the needs of the young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers and staff have a consistently positive ethos. They are proud of the young people, celebrate their progress and achievements, understand their difficulties and provide kind, caring and understanding support. Inspection report children’s home: 1244460 5 Good monitoring systems are in place to ensure that the home is well managed. A key strength of the new manager is her evaluation and analysis of the care provided and record-keeping. This oversight ensures that high standards are maintained.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The previous manager did not fully understand the missing-from-home procedure, which resulted in poor record-keeping, omission of some detail and independent return interviews not being undertaken. Additionally, a regulation 40 notification was not submitted for a serious incident in which the police were called out to the home. This has resulted in a requirement and a recommendation being made at this inspection. Inspection report children’s home: 1244460 6

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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, the 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 registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40(4)(b)) 17/03/2020

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Recommendations

 For children’s homes to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9). In particular, ensure that the condition of the downstairs bathroom is improved.  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). Inspection report children’s home: 1244460 7

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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: 1244460 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Holistic Approach Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 99 Parkway Avenue, Sheffield, Sheffield S9 4WG

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Inspector

Charlie Bamber, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1244460 9 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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