Children's homes inspection - Full

Transcription

1 Children's homes inspection - Full Inspection date 30/09/2015 Unique reference number Type of inspection Provision subtype Registered manager Inspector SC Full Children's home Margarette Booth Lucy Chapman 1

2 Inspection date 30/09/2015 Previous inspection judgement Enforcement action since last inspection This inspection Improved effectiveness None The overall experiences and progress of children and Outstanding young people living in the home are The children's home provides highly effective services that consistently exceeds the standards of good. The actions of the home contribute to significantly improved outcomes for children and young people who need help, protection and care. how well children and young people are helped Outstanding and protected the impact and effectiveness of leaders and Good managers 2

3 SC Summary of findings The children's home provision is outstanding because: The home achieves outstanding outcomes for children. A Social Worker says her progress is phenomenal, she is less angry and aggressive, her language has improved and she is able to reflect and make appropriate choices. Children s self-esteem develops on a day-to-day basis; there is a culture of sharing and celebrating children s achievements. Children proudly display their what s special about me posters on their bedroom walls and talk about their achievements with pride. Excellent links within the local community give children a sense of belonging; this year they are helping to design the Rotary Club community Christmas float. Exceptional relationships between staff and children mean that all children have a trusted adult they talk with. The inspector observed dedicated and caring relationships between staff and children. Staff value children for who they are and children learn to value themselves. An extraordinarily welcoming and homely atmosphere means that visits of friends and family are commonplace. One Social Worker says they are absolutely amazing; when you are there it doesn t feel like a children s home. The home offers a homely interior along with extensive enclosed grounds. Children learn and develop through play; inside and outside games are an important part of the daily routine. Children develop holistically in this exceptional home. 3

4 What does the children's home need to do to improve? Recommendations To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s): Ensure the independent visitor makes a rigorous and impartial assessment of the children's home and is employed solely for the purpose of quality assurance within the home. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, Page 65, paragraph 15.5) Ensure children are offered guidance to prepare them for their future, particularly internet use outside of the home. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, Page 35, Paragraph 7.18) 4

5 Full report Information about this children's home This is a privately run children s home which provides accommodation for up to 10 children who have emotional and behavioural difficulties. The home aims to support children to move on to live with long-term foster families or adoptive parents. Recent inspection history Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 03/03/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness 22/10/2014 Full Outstanding 27/02/2014 Interim Good progress 03/12/2013 Full Outstanding 5

6 Inspection Judgements Judgement grade The overall experiences and progress of children and young people living in the home are Outstanding Children build exceptional relationships with staff; they develop self-worth and belonging. A child says all the staff care about me and I care about them too. A Social Worker says I ve visited lots of places; none of them made me feel they could care for a damaged child as well as this home. Children are valued and listened to; they contribute their ideas and take part in daily decision-making. Children choose their favourite meals and the décor for their bedrooms. Regular children s meetings enable them to contribute their ideas and to see these put into action. Children s self-esteem develops on a day-to-day basis. Family meal-times attended by all staff and children provide a forum for children to talk about their day. There is a culture of sharing and celebrating children s day-to-day achievements. Craft projects including life size pictures of the children with positive comments made by staff and their peers adorn the walls. Children proudly display their what s special about me posters on their bedroom walls and talk about their achievements with pride. All children are in education suited to their needs. On site education facilities, staffed by a qualified teacher, provide tailored education to children awaiting a school placement. Children can identify and take pride in their educational progress and understand their goals for future development. One child says I am more sensible and grown up at school, I got an A in child development. I got an E in English; I need to work on my spellings. Children are in good health and their health improves through the healthy diet and lifestyle at the home. Excellent links with the looked after children nurse means that children receive the ongoing advice and health support that they need. Staff advocate for children to see specialist medical services as required, and escalate referrals to prevent delay. Exceptional links within the local community give children a sense of belonging; this year they are helping to design the Rotary Club community Christmas float. They take part in wide-ranging activities, including cheerleading, film club, swimming lessons, Drama academy, scouts, Brownies and DIY club. Staff visit clubs prior to children attending and remain on site to support them until they are independently confident. Staff broaden children s horizons and break down the barriers of difference; recently visiting a local mosque. They develop dreams for 6

7 their future; one child would like to be a nurse another wishes to pursue a career on the stage. An extraordinarily welcoming and homely atmosphere means that visits of friends and family are commonplace. One Social Worker says they are absolutely amazing; when you are there it doesn t feel like a children s home. Another says everybody there knows the child, it s like a family setting. They have made us feel part of the family. Creative transition planning ensures that children are empowered in decisionmaking and welcomed into the home at their own pace. A commitment to optimum transition means that emergency placements are not accepted; the home promotes stability for the child in transition and those already placed. There is emphasis upon good endings for children and careful transition planning for children moving on. A leaving ceremony celebrates their time at the home and their progress and achievement; the child becomes a role model for others to follow. Children s identity is valued and innovative work equips children to make sense of their lifestory. Each child has a big think book, enabling them to raise the questions that they have about their life; exploring issues raised with experienced trained staff. Children are able to understand their past and to begin to look to their future. A Social Worker says the therapeutic work has been fantastic. The home offers a homely interior along with extensive enclosed grounds. Children learn and develop through play; inside and outside games are an important part of the daily routine. One child says I like it here, it s fun and kind. I couldn t read and write when I came here, now I can and I m still learning. I get to grow vegetables and they teach me how to live safely. Judgement grade How well children and young people are helped and protected Outstanding Staff have children s safety and wellbeing as their priority; as a result, children feel safe and are safe. Exceptional relationships between staff and children mean that all children have a trusted adult they can talk with. A Social Worker says he was a very shy boy and didn t have a lot of trust; he has come out of his shell and says he likes talking to the adults. The inspector observed dedicated and caring relationships between staff and children. Staff value children for who they are and children learn to value 7

8 themselves. Staff have an excellent understanding of children s safety; they effectively identify, understand and manage risks. Individualised risk assessments include behaviour strategies that staff follow. Regular review and updating of these documents, shared in weekly team meetings, ensures that staff have relevant up to date information to provide care. Outstanding behaviour management enables children to feel safe and to make positive behaviour change. A Social Worker says they are helping him to recognise his behaviour and why he got consequences. They are tackling his behaviour but making him feel secure. He is able to reflect on his behaviour now and make changes as he knows he won t be rejected. All social workers consulted comment on the exceptional behaviour management in this home and the unquestionable positive progress that children make. Any use of physical intervention is only after proactive de-escalation. It is always within regulation and includes clear recording, monitoring of effectiveness, and vigilant management oversight. All staff have current accredited de-escalation and physical intervention training. Robust and effective staff recruitment keeps children safe from potentially harmful adults. Staff are fully trained staff to meet the needs of the children that they work with. All have completed or are currently completing their Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare. Safeguarding training is up to date and includes child sexual exploitation. Staff demonstrate awareness of safeguarding procedures and share any concerns with appropriate agencies without delay. Excellent links with local Police Community Support Officers (PCSO) mean that PCSOs visit the home regularly and equip children with age appropriate knowledge about keeping safe, including stranger danger. Thorough supervision of internet use ensures that children are safe whilst online. Staff speak to children about online safety and children are aware of the need to keep safe. One child says all the grown-ups help to keep me safe online. If something bad popped up I would tell an adult. The home has effective links with the Local Safeguarding Children Board and area safeguarding designated officer. They utilise these resources to develop excellent safeguarding practice. The home uses local authority missing from care protocol alongside its own missing policy to guide staff in providing urgent action to protect missing children. No children go missing; meticulous supervision of children ensures that they remain safe. An anti-bullying policy guides staff in identifying and proactively addressing bullying. Children do not experience bullying or discrimination; they feel safe and well cared for. A child who has experienced many previous placements says I feel 8

9 safe; this is the safest place I ve lived. The home environment is safe. Fire drills are undertaken regularly and all health and safety checks are up to date. Judgement grade The impact and effectiveness of leaders and managers Good A dedicated Registered Manager, with over 20 years of management experience, leads this home. She is a qualified social worker and accredited autism trainer. A full permanent staff team provides exceptional care to children. Staff value their work; one staff member says I love it here, I ve been here for over ten years, I ve never worked anywhere so unique, everyone works together for the children s best. The Registered Manager actively and regularly monitors the quality of care provided. She has a thorough understanding of activity within the home, the children, and staff performance. Monitoring reports are detailed, address any areas of weakness and set goals for the ongoing improvement of this service. Regular and effective external monitoring enhances robust internal monitoring. The independent visitor also provides therapeutic consultation to staff and is therefore not solely for the purpose of quality assurance within the home; a recommendation addresses this. Staff have thorough knowledge of Children s individual needs and care plans. Careful daily activity planning targets children s individual goals. Children receive support to engage in their care plan review meetings; where they do not attend staff support them to express their views through creatively expressed feedback. While constant staff supervision means that children are safe online, they need to be equipped and practiced in lone internet use; a recommendation addresses this issue. Positive links with other agencies enable children to receive the services that they need to thrive and make progress. Schools report effective daily contact and excellent staff support of children s homework. The home s education coordinator has training as a special educational needs coordinator (SENCO), this provides optimum educational support to children with additional learning needs. Staff comprehensively monitor children s progress; daily monitoring leads to 9

10 monthly and longer term monitoring. Staff consult with a consultant psychotherapist and use research and child development theory to underpin caregiving. Case records reflect children s lives, backgrounds and achievements. Staff support children to understand their history and meticulously create of a memory box and lifestory book for each child. Managers and staff receive regular child focussed supervision with written action points for follow up. Well-recorded annual appraisals set targets that guide future development. Staff value supervision, one member of staff says supervision is very helpful, my supervisor has a wealth of knowledge; it has helped me to develop and grow. The physical environment of the home is well equipped, well maintained and homely. Facilities include a sensory room, to encourage the development of children with sensory delay, and spacious gardens equipped with outdoor activities. The Registered Manager consistently strives to improve this setting to benefit the children placed. 10

11 What the inspection judgements mean The experiences and progress of children and young people are at the centre of the inspection. Inspectors will use their professional judgement to determine the weight and significance of their findings in this respect. The judgements included in the report are made against Inspection of children's homes: framework for inspection. An outstanding children's home provides highly effective services that contribute to significantly improved outcomes for children and young people who need help and protection and care. Their progress exceeds expectations and is sustained over time. A good children's home provides effective services that help, protect and care for children and young people and have their welfare safeguarded and promoted. In a children's home that requires improvement, there are no widespread or serious failures that create or leave children being harmed or at risk of harm. The welfare of looked after children is safeguarded and promoted. Minimum requirements are in place, however, the children's home is not yet delivering good protection, help and care for children and young people. A children's home that is inadequate is providing services where there are widespread or serious failures that create or leave children and young people being harmed or at risk of harm or result in children looked after not having their welfare safeguarded and promoted. 11

12 Information about this inspection Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people living in the children's home. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference adults make to the lives of children and young people. They read case files, watched how professional staff work with children, young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care given to children and young people. Wherever possible, they talked to children, young people and their families. In addition the inspectors have tried to understand what the children's home knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people who it is trying to help, protect and look after. This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service 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. 12

13 Any complaints about the inspection or the report should be made following the procedures set out in the guidance raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted, which is available from Ofsted's website: If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone , or enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) regulates and inspects 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, workbased learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It inspects services for looked after children and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone , or 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 write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk. This publication is available at Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: Piccadilly Gate Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T: Textphone: E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: Crown copyright