The Sycamores STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

Reviewed By: Linzi Sim & Rob Krzysica

Ofsted Unique Reference Number:

Date Completed: 30th November 2017

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EAT

SLEEP

LEARN

ACHIEVE

NURTURE

DREAM

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CARING FOR CHILDREN1. A statement of the range of needs of the children for whom it is intended that the children’s home is to provide care. 2. Details of the children’s home are ethos, and the outcomes that the children’s home seeks to achieve and its approach to achieving them

3. The arrangements for enabling children to enjoy and achieve, including how the children’s home promotes their participation in cultural, recreational and sporting activities 4. The arrangements for supporting the cultural, linguistic and religious needs of children accommodated in the children’s home.

5. The arrangements for promoting contact between children and their family and friends. 6. A description of the children’s home’s approach to consulting children about the quality of their care. 7. A description of the children’s home’s policy and approach in relation to—(a) Anti-discriminatory practice in respect of children and their families; and(b) Children’s rights. 8. A description of the accommodation offered by the children’s home, including—(a) How accommodation has been adapted to the needs of children cared for by the children’s home;(b) The age range, number and sex of children for whom it is intended that accommodation is to be provided;(c) The type of accommodation, including sleeping accommodation 9. A description of the location of the children’s home.

10. Details of the children’s home’s policies for safeguarding children, preventing bullying and the missing child policy.

11. Any criteria used for the admission of children to the children’s home, including any policies and procedures for emergency admission.

12. The arrangements for dealing with complaints

CHILDRENS BEHAVIOUR13. A description of the children’s home’s approach to the surveillance and monitoring of children accommodated there.

14. Details of the children’s home’s approach to behavioural support, including information about—(a) The children’s home’s approach to the use of restraint with respect to children accommodated there;(b) How persons working in the children’s home are trained in the use of restraint and how their competence is assessed.

CONTACT DETAILS

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15. The name and work address of—(a) The registered provider (including details of the company owning the children’s home);(b) If nominated, the responsible individual;(c) If applicable, the registered manager.

EDUCATION

16. Details of provision to support children with special educational needs.

17. Where the children’s home is dually registered as a school, details of the curriculum provided by the children’s home and the management and structure of the arrangements for education. N/A

18. Where the children’s home is not dually registered as a school, the arrangements for children to attend local schools and the provision made by the children’s home to promote the educational attainment of children.

HEALTH

19. Details of any health care or therapy provided, including—(a) Details of the qualifications and clinical supervision of the staff involved;(b) Information about—(I) How the children’s home measures the effectiveness of its approach; and(ii) The evidence referred to by the children’s home to demonstrate the effectiveness of its approach, and how this information can be accessed.

STAFFING MATTERS

20. Details of the experience and qualifications of staff working at the children’s home, including any staff commissioned to provide education and health care.

21. Details of the management and staffing structure of the children’s home, including arrangements for the professional supervision of staff employed at the children’s home, including staff that provide education or health care. 22. If the staff working at the children’s home are all of one sex, or mainly of one sex, a description of how the children’s home promotes appropriate role models of both sexes.

Welcome to The Sycamores this statement of purpose is written in accordance within the regulatory requirements of the Quality Standards for Children’s Homes 2015 and the Children’s Home Regulations 2015 There are a number of references made to the home’s policies and procedures within this document and these can be read in conjunction with this statement of purpose. The policies and procedures are available in full at The Sycamores or upon request. 4

A copy of this statement is provided to Ofsted and is also available to: Each person who works at The Sycamores. Each young person provided with accommodation at The Sycamores. All Parents or person(s) with parental responsibility of any young person provided with

accommodation at The Sycamores. The Local Authority or placing Authority of the young person who is provided with

accommodation

Regulation 4.2A - where a children’s home has a website, the registered person shall ensure that a copy of the statement of purpose is published on that website unless the registered

person considers that such publication would prejudice the welfare of children cared for in the children’s home.

A copy of the Statement of Purpose can be found at www.eslandcare.co.uk/our-homes however this can be reviewed at the discretion of the Home’s Manager and where this may conflict with the placement of a young person within the home this document may be removed from the website. Any web version of the document may have restricted content and alternative contact details to ensure that confidentiality is maintained in respects to any young person placed in the home.

CARING FOR CHILDREN1. A statement of the range of needs of the children for whom it is intended that the children’s home is to provide care.

The Sycamores provides care and accommodation for a maximum of 2 young people with Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties, including but not exclusively mild to moderate learning disabilities, Child Sexual Exploitation risk factors, sexualised behaviours, non-compliance with education, self-harm, aggression and young people engaging in pro-criminal behaviours. The Sycamores will aim to look after young people aged between 10 and 17 years on arrival however young people under 10 years old will be considered subject to a robust impact assessment being completed on them. Any young person turning 18 and requiring a short term extension will also be considered in partnership with Ofsted.

At The Sycamores we focus on the young person’s experience in the home. We offer a happy, homely, safe, nurturing and stimulating environment for all the young people to help them aspire to and achieve their full potential. We aim to support young people to develop and maximise their Independence and social skills whilst having the opportunity to reflect on their past, learn to develop self-coping and regulation strategies and remain safe.We provide highly personalised care to help young people feel safe and positive. We have a staff team who are motivated, passionate and committed to working with young people and pursuing the best outcome for each child

We want young people to have a place which offers them a unique experience where issues and concerns which have affected them can be addressed positively and where they can progress to new heights. The young people placed at The Sycamores are assessed on their individual needs and the support given is tailored to their need as no two young people are alike. This may be in their educational learning, socialising, or emotional needs. Working together with each young person, those significant to them and other professionals we endeavour to enhance each young person’s level of self-esteem by creating and maximising safe opportunities, in which they learn, develop and achieve. We believe that to make life long changes we have to give young people the tools and support which enable them to move forward into adulthoodOur principle of working from a child centred perspective is focused around placement plans which will inform future planning. Where it is possible, we aim to achieve the best and desired outcome for any young person such as family reunification or working towards independence.

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The Sycamores will also accept referrals, which once matched to the home, may need a short break where the young people go out on an Esland Adventure. This is a maximum of a four week outward bound activity based camping program based in various locations of the High Peak, Derbyshire, Staffordshire and Nottinghamshire dependent on the opportunities and how these best can be matched to the skillset of the young person. When a referral is received for the Esland Adventure, the manager looks at the matching process and completes an impact risk assessment. If the referral is considered to be a match to The Sycamores, they will be admitted to the home and the bed that they are assigned to will become theirs. The young person will then be taken out on activity break with staff to give them the opportunity to break the cycle of behaviour or as part of integration in or out of the home. Whilst the young person is on the camp, the manager carries out weekly visits and provides an on call process for the staff.

Esland Adventure can be used as introduction and planned admission to the home, the young people are supported by 2:1 staffing and go out to give them the opportunity to prepare for their placement, break the cycle of behaviour that they are experiencing and environmental Therapy that can help to break down and stabilise negative cycles of behaviour including Challenging Behaviour and Aggression, Drug Abuse, Gang Culture and Child Sexual Exploitation. As a minimum we would provide an assessment as to what the young person needs to assist with placement searches. The young person would be staffed 2:1 and have a full timetable of different activities each day throughout the program.

An example of the activities which form the activity based program include Rock Climbing, Mountain Biking, Caving, mountaineering, bush-craft canoeing and Kayaking amongst many others. The young people will also be taught survival and self-care skills such as finding shelter, cooking and building a fire (where appropriate) helping them to achieve personal development and improve their self-esteem.

2. Details of the children’s home’s ethos, and the outcomes that the children’s home seeks to achieve and its approach to achieving them.

Our ethos rests on an overall purpose of the Esland Group, which is to ensure that all Looked after Children have a continuing and enduring sense of permanence through which their social, emotional, health, and educational needs are being met. In other words that they benefit and achieve in the underpinning values of ESLAND. These are to

Eat, Sleep and feel healthy; Learn and benefit from support in their education and to achieve educationally. We

support all young people to attend the best possible educational provision for them. Achieve success in their lives; that they make a positive contribution within their group

or the community; and they achieve the financial resources to sustain this throughout their adult lives.

Nurtured and supported to develop an understanding of their risks, their behaviours, where they are in their care pathway and how they will progress through the road to Resilience which is Eland’s Care Pathway for all young people placed with us.

Dream and aspire, to achieve their dreams, goals and wishes. To give them a sense of identity and self-worth in all that they do.

Our ethos at The Sycamores is an ethos which promotes the development of meaningful relationships between staff and young people based on the core values of mutual respect and good parenting. We pride ourselves on respecting the values of privacy, dignity, independence, choice, rights and fulfilment for all young people.

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All staff at The Sycamores seek to improve the life opportunities of young people. We are committed to providing young people with a positive and nurturing environment where they are able to achieve outcomes in all aspects of their lives.

Staff seek to provide a positive and unique group living experience, allowing young people to develop relationships, build and develop social skills and enable young people to feel empowered and feel included within the wider community. However the size of the home does mean that there is ample opportunity for young people to have time alone should they wish. By limiting the number of young people at any one time to 2 this allows staff to create a family atmosphere and to devote individual time to young people.

At The Sycamores young people are actively encouraged and supported to influence their care and the way the home is run. Regular consultation with young people takes place and every view point is considered. Staff endeavour to meet the requests and suggestions of young people in a positive manner and where this is not possible we ensure that the young people are clear about the reasons why and how compromise can be reached.

All staff will be encouraged to have an active awareness of each young person’s identity, having great consideration for their racial, cultural, religious and dietary needs. Young people placed at The Sycamores have the same rights as all in society and we will endeavour to create an environment where the young people feel they are valued, respected and have a place in society. Staff will actively act as advocates for young people where they feel they may have been discriminated against or treated unfairly outside the home. Young people are also encouraged to seek the support of an advocate external to the home and this would usually be sourced from the local authority placing the young person.

We endeavour to show sensitivity in practice, especially when dealing with personal issues of young people. We aim to provide young people with a platform where they are able to talk through their problems and where we are able to support them in gaining viable options to deal with their concerns.

We are strong believers in care planning and will ensure that young people have up to date placement plans and reviews which will track the young person’s progress throughout their time with us. We will ensure that the provision young people receive is the most appropriate and it meets health, education and social needs of each young person.

All Young People at The Sycamores will be actively encouraged to share and influence the day-to-day routines and practices within the home through a variety of means, including their own Young person’s meetings and individual keyworker sessions. The home strives to look at both the individual and collective needs of young people. Young People will also be given the opportunity to actively engage in, and influence the planning and delivery of a wide variety of leisure activities which may include holidays both abroad and in the UK.

Staff at The Sycamores will use a range of techniques for managing young people’s behaviour based on the avoidance of punitive measures in reaction to negative behaviour(s), so that young people have opportunities to understand and learn from their actions. Positive feedback, reward and praise are considered the cornerstone of all the work we do with young people and staff ensure that any positive achievement is noted and celebrated with the young person and any other key people in their life.

Overall aims of the home and objectives to be attained are: To offer care of the highest quality to young people based on their individual care

needs. To provide security and stability for young people in the care system. To provide good role models based on robust surrogate parenting.

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To provide age-appropriate routines and activities to encourage young people to develop their social skills, and to maintain existing practical skills, whilst learning new ones.

To devise a comprehensive and individualised placement plan to meet the young person’s physical, personal, social, psychological/emotional, behavioural, cultural, spiritual, communication and health care needs.

To promote the active and positive presence of young people within their local community.

To empower young people to exercise choice.

In order to achieve these aims, the home will provide: A safe and ‘homely’ environment. A child-centred approach with their wishes, views and feelings taken into account

regarding all aspects of their care. The development of a multi-skilled and highly trained staff team, following rigorous and

stringent recruitment procedures. The effective management and supervision of the staff team. The provision of an effective key worker system. The use of effective placement planning and risk assessment. Consistent approach to rules and boundaries, through appropriate and reflective

rewards and consequences. The encouragement of positive relationships and investment in the placement, from all

people involved in the welfare of the young person. 3. The arrangements for enabling children to enjoy and achieve, including how the children’s home promotes their participation in cultural, recreational and sporting activities.

Participation in recreational and sporting activities is promoted here at The Sycamores. Participation in activities is seen as a way to channel negative energies, learn new skills, develop a level of fitness, develop social skills, teamwork and confidence and achieve positively.

We would like young people to be able to participate in activities which are beneficial to their development but also enhance life opportunities and develop their abilities and talents. In the early stages of the young person’s stay activities will be based around what they like to do and in what they have been successful.

Any special interests will be catered for, especially if these have been a feature in their lives prior to admission. We want young people to continue to flourish in their strengths and build on their areas of improvement. Young people will always be encouraged to try new, different and challenging experiences, as we believe this will not only support them in the present but also the future.

We will support young people to not only take part in local based activities but also support the young people to partake in their own cultural activities whilst supporting those they live with to also share in the experience. We believe that our young people can help other young people to develop understanding about diversity and the home will actively promote a variety of special occasions.

We also want young people to have experience in different cultures and will plan trips and holidays which will enrich the young people’s understanding of the world we live in. On a weekly basis the young people will be encouraged to participate in both individual and group activities. Young people are encouraged to pursue their own interests such as horse riding, singing or whatever their interests may be. We want young people to build on their talents but learn that they may have hidden skills. We will encourage young people to partake in groups such as youth clubs and will actively work alongside a number of organisations who promote young people’s rights. 8

As the young person begins to move towards leaving The Sycamores, activities start to become tailored to their future placement or future income. It is seen as important that the young person might begin to enjoy activities that are realistic for them to develop and continue into their future. The home will also work its own in-house programmes with young people to offer them better options to move forward in life. The young people are encouraged to learn and develop independent skills which involve house chores, food preparation and cooking, learning budgeting skills along with in-house activities of art and crafts board games and quizzes. Religious and cultural activities will be identified normally through the care planning process. All religious and cultural activities important to the young person and their family and will be vigorously researched and thoroughly supported by the staff team and all young people will have their own Equality and Diversity plan.

4. The arrangements for supporting the cultural, linguistic and religious needs of children accommodated in the children’s home.

We believe in promoting identity and we will always take into account the racial, religious and cultural and linguistic needs of young people when determining how we will meet their needs throughout their time with us. We don’t only do this because it is a requirement of law we do it because it is our own personal belief that all young people are cared for in a child focused manner. We are committed in establishing a group living community within the home which is free of prejudice and which has an understanding and tolerance for difference. We believe in sharing experiences because we have all learnt from others at some point in life. A young person’s cultural background is fundamental to their identity and as such needs to be maintained and encouraged. Staff at The Sycamores will support all young people with learning about diversity and the importance of understanding others who have different backgrounds and different language. Some of the ways staff will support young people to appreciate difference is by:

To promoting young people’s cultural and linguistic identity and giving them a platform to share their experiences with others.

To give young people positive images of their identity To prepare young people for the society in which they are growing up in To learn about and share ideas of not only the young people’s cultures but staff

and other wider cultures.

When any young person is placed in the home, the staff team will identify ways in which it can actively maintain and develop a young person’s cultural preferences. We will do this by:

Finding out about foods that the young person may like to eat (special dietary requirements)

Finding out about essential cultural customs, like hair and skin care Finding out about the rules of specific religious observance Staff will research and Involve themselves and the young people in areas which reflect

the young person’s heritage Encourage young people to keep contact with members of their original community and

to introduce you to them – where this is appropriate. Learn about the historical foundations of the young person’s culture and share these

with the young people Run numerous special occasions and events involving the young people in the

planning. Staff will support the young person in their linguistic needs. Staff will assist the young person to obtain language support where and when required

Staff are trained in equality and diversity. Staff will act in a professional and courteous manner being aware of their own mannerisms whilst also examining their attitudes to ensure 9

that they role model positive behaviours to young people on acceptance of diversity and promoting equality within the home.

5. The arrangements for promoting contact between children and their family and friends.

All children will have individualised contact agreements as per their care plan, legal status and risk assessments, and these will be facilitated by the home. All young people are provided with practical support and encouragement to have contact with family members, friends or other important significant people in their lives, provided that these arrangements have been discussed with the placing authority, detailed in the care plan and are safe for the young person to have contact with. The home promotes and facilitates all contacts whether this be via telephone, visits, letters or electronically. Staff will ensure that contact is arranged and facilitated in the manner most appropriate and responsive to the needs of the young person. Regular communication with placing authorities regarding restrictions (old or new) will be evidenced and recorded. Staff at The Sycamores will work and encourage building good relationships with the parents and carers of young people in the home. We believe that this allows for a greater level of support for young people where relationships with their family can be or have been problematic. Staff will always support contact where this has been the view of a young person and shall support the contact by ensuring it is well planned and works for all concerned parties. In order to build on positive relationships the home encourages young people to invite family and friends for meals and on special occasions providing this does not intrude on other young people residing in the home.

6. A description of the children’s home’s approach to consulting children about the quality of their care.

At the home, children and young people are encouraged to take an active part in running the home and are asked for their views and opinions regularly. Young people have access to keyworkers, advocates and independent visitors. The Sycamores provide a homely, family environment and offer our young people the chance for their voice to be heard. Consultation will be taken on the following issues

Decisions affecting a child’s or young person’s future Any decision affecting a child’s or young person’s rights. Choices about daily living that the child or young person can participate in such as

their choice of diet, fashion, entertainment etc. Their choice of key worker Changes in the way the home is run and managed. The decoration and furnishing of their personal space Leisure activities they would wish to participate in. Young people participate in the recruitment process of staff and this can be in the

means of them developing questions for the interview, meeting potential candidates and setting them practical tasks. The home values the opinions of young people when selecting staff.

Consultation with young people can be formal and informal some of the ways consultation will be carried out are:

Children’s and young person’s meetings, which will be held regularly and the minutes given to the Home Manager/Deputy for their attention.

The children and young people will be made aware that they can discuss any issues with any staff member throughout the week, if the need arises.

They will have access to complaints forms at all times and a complaints box will feature in the home, so that they can share their views in private.

LAC reviews -young people will be consulted for thoughts and ideas and asked to attend

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Placement plans - young people will be consulted in creating placement plans.

Placing authorities, children and young people along with their families will be consulted by the home when any changes to the operation of the home are made. Regular contact will be maintained with placing authorities.

Young people’s questionnaires as to gain their views on the day to day living at the home

Esland will employ an advocate or translator should the need arise The home encourages young people to make use of the advocacy service

provided to them through their placing authority All young people will be made aware of the contact details for and the role of the

Children’s Rights officer

At Esland, we recognise the importance in effective consultation in sourcing the views and wishes of children and young people in relation to their care and the offer of such to them.

Opportunities within the monthly manager’s audit The Regulation 44 report that is completed monthly by an independent person The Regulation 45 completed twice a year. There are some direct questions in these

around the quality of care offered in order to enable the author of the report to gain a realistic perception of the care offered at the home.

House meetings Young People’s consultations Feedback forms They will have access to complaints forms at all times LAC reviews -young people will be consulted for thoughts and ideas and asked to

attend Placement plans - young people will be consulted in creating placement planning

booklets Appraisals and Probation Reviews of staff Observation Shift reports for new staff

7. A description of the children’s home’s policy and approach in relation to—(a) Anti-discriminatory practice in respect of children and their families; and(b) Children’s rights.

Staff at the home recognise and acknowledge that all young people have both general needs as a teenager and specific needs as an individual with a unique personal history and culture. The home is opposed to discrimination in any form. To this end, the staff team is instructed to work vigorously to prevent discrimination on the grounds of race, colour, nationality, ethnic or social origin, language, culture, gender, sexual orientation, age, religion, disability, political or other opinion, birth or status. There is a varied and diverse team employed at the home which is reflective of the local area and which is representative of the local demographics. There are also a balance of both males and females employed at the home.

Staff are committed to maximising the young person’s potential. Any discrimination by young people or adults, no matter how subtle, will be challenged. Should staff witness any

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discrimination towards any young person by another member of staff, they will be expected and encouraged to challenge this and raise this with the Manager. Should this involve the Manager, the employee should raise this with Liz Brownlees the Director Of Care, Laura Mumford the West Deputy Regional Manager, Linzi Sim, the Responsible Individual or Louise Petcher, Quality Assurance Officer West, the staff can also contact Kate Morris Head of Human Resources for advice or support. Staff are made aware of the whistle-blowing policy during induction and are advised that they can contact Ofsted as a route for complaints if they have had concerns raised within the organisation and they have not been taken seriously. Staff are encouraged to promote the rights of young people who may wish to make complaints by assisting them in whichever way the young person wishes, including assisting the young person to frame the complaint and pass on that complaint to the appropriate body. Young people do not have to write a complaint on a complaints form for it to be taken seriously, there needs to be a culture of recognising grumbles/complaints/concerns and staff advocating on young people’s behalf’s to have these addressed. All young people placed at The Sycamores have the right to:

To be heard and to exercise choice. To be treated with dignity and respect. To have appropriate education and leisure time. To be protected from harm. To access appropriate health support To receive individual and appropriate care that is suitably risk-assessed.

Staff at The Sycamores will actively promote and advocate for care plans to be drawn up and carried through to meet each young person’s educational, religious, cultural, linguistic and dietary needs. In all cases decisions will be made that promote the best interests of each individual young person over and above any interests of the company.

The Sycamores operates a strict policy on anti-discrimination and endorses a range of external organisations, which are against forms of bullying, harassment and inequality. All staff are required to adhere to this policy whilst promote the values of the home and of the organisation in ensuring young people are free from prejudice and are able to exercise their ability to be themselves. Our staff team will not judge or treat young people and those significant unfairly or discriminate against them.

All young people accommodated at The Sycamores will be made aware of their rights and how to access independent advocacy services, their Independent Reviewing Officer, Children’s Rights services and Ofsted.

8. A description of the accommodation offered by the children’s home, including—(a) How accommodation has been adapted to the needs of children cared for by the children’s home;(b) The age range, number and sex of children for whom it is intended that accommodation is to be provided;(c) The type of accommodation, including sleeping accommodation.

9. A description of the location of the children’s home.

10. Details of the children’s home’s policies for safeguarding children, preventing bullying and the missing child policy.

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The home is registered to accommodate two young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties aged between 10 years old to 18 years old on admission. The home can accommodate both males and females and will consider mixed sex occupancy with appropriate risk assessment.

The Sycamores will consider placements for young people experiencing issues with self-harm, aggressive behaviour, CSE, attachment difficulties, school refusal and non-attendance, offending behaviour, gang related behaviours and those with a history of missing from care. This is not an exhaustive list and the home will consider referrals for any young person with an emotional and behavioural difficulty. Careful matching takes place for all referrals and the needs of any young person already in placement will be considered as the priority when considering a new placement for the home. The manager will complete an impact risk assessment in order to ensure the placement is right for the home.The Sycamores has been consciously developed as a small two bedroom children’s home in order to offer the young people who come to live here the maximum opportunity to live within a family environment as close to family life as is feasible. There are a further two bedrooms that accommodate staff sleeping on the premises, with one acting as a staff office also.

The Sycamores is set in a small rural village of Dunston. The home is detached and is located on a private plot with adequate break out space and car parking facilities. There are also spacious gardens to accommodate sports, ball games and the like.Dunston is a small village in England lying on the west side of the A449 trunk road about 3 miles (4.8 km) south of Stafford, close to Junction 13 of the M6 motorway. The population of the village at the 2011 census was 281. It lies at roughly 300 feet (98 m) above sea level

There are a wide range of leisure activities and clubs close to the village. A local youth club runs twice weekly in the neighbouring towns catering for different age groups. There are also gyms within and local sports clubs include Football, Rugby, martial arts and Tennis clubs in Stafford. There is a primary school within Stafford which the homes falls within the catchment of and the home falls within the catchment area for Walton Secondary school, Blessed William Howard Catholic High School and Yarlet School. These schools were rated well by Ofsted in their last inspections and there are further education facilities in both neighbouring towns. The home benefits from the beautiful rural location and is within easy access to Parks and Nature reserves. Despite its rural location Dunston has good links with local public transport with a regular bus route and a train station with direct links to Birmingham, Stafford, Rugby and Manchester. The home provides a safe environment in terms of criminal activity and crime rate in the area to which is minimal and is evidenced by the location risk assessment.The Road to ResilienceAt Esland, we believe that there are two pathways that looked after children may find themselves on: the Road to Ruin, (where they struggle to manage themselves or their risks) and the Road to Resilience, (where young people are supported by staff to improve their life chances and choices). We recognize that the way young people deal with difficult situations is often underpinned by their life experiences, which ultimately affect their level of resilience. Providing StabilityMany young people come to reside at Esland during very challenging points in their lives and due to these experiences; they are often unable to cope. This can mean that they react to

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situations like placement moves or changes to their care package with strong, unpredictable emotions and a sense of uncertainty. Often these emotions can cause them to lash out and present with complex and challenging behaviors. We believe that by providing an unconditional care package that promises to ‘never give up’ on a young person, that individual will learn to trust in their primary carers, in the wider organization and society as a whole. Through offering this unconditional support, we believe that this will naturally enable the young person to feel more stable and safe in their placements. This is the first stage in our Road to Resilience - Providing Stability. When young people feel safe, they are generally more able to adapt to life-changing situations and stressful conditions in a safe way. Developing ResilienceThis phase is an on-going process of time and effort to engage young people in taking a number of steps to improve their outcomes, life chances and achievements. We believe that a combination of factors contributes to Developing Resilience. The first step is encouraging the young people to have caring and supportive relationships within and outside their allocated placement. All Esland homes are designed and furnished to be warm, family homes; from country farmhouses with log burners (risk assessed!) to modern homes - our young people take pride in their environment and enjoy having their families and friends over to visit. Alongside this, we recognize that the carer/ young person relationship should be built on love, trust, encouragement and reassurance; enabling the young person to improve their resilience and capacity to make plans for the future. We believe that this, in turn, encourages the young people to have a positive view of them, have confidence in their strengths and abilities whilst also increasing their capacity to manage their behaviors and needs. Facilitating TransitionAt Esland, we aim to provide a one-stop solution for the sector’s most complex and challenging children and young people. We recognize that we may facilitate transition for one young person multiple times whilst they are on the road to resilience, ultimately moving towards being a resilient member of society. This may entail transitioning them from Esland Adventures into a Solo, then a Dual before a final transition into a Group Home or it may be facilitating transition from a Dual Home into Independence. Regardless of where on our Road to Resilience young people begin their journey, we adopt a three-staged process that underpins every placement that we accommodate within the Esland Group. This is to provide stability, develop resilience and facilitate transition. With our range of services, we are able to provide local authorities with a long term plan which may include step ups or step downs in relation to our services and which always have the individualized placement needs at the center of every placement. Regardless of the destination, we believe that any transition must be worthwhile and always in the best interests of the young person. Throughout our Road to Resilience we offer a high warmth, high control behavior management model which is underpinned by an Authoritative Parenting model to ensure the young people have the best support and best outcomes possible to them. We do not work alone; we have excellent links with our community partners, our clinical partners Future Minds, the Local Police and Safeguarding Boards and other agencies to always promote a team around the child ethos.

Staff at The Sycamores are proactive in assisting young people to find other solutions to difficulties they are experiencing, and young people are offered planned keyworker sessions in which they can discuss difficulties and alternative strategies in an attempt to channel their anxieties into behaviours that are potentially less dangerous than going absent without 14

authority or missing from care. The young people are also given support to complete keyworker packs, which can assist young people with individual behaviours such as self-harm, healthy sleeping patterns, managing aggression and sexual health.

Notwithstanding this approach, for some young people going missing from care is one way that they are able to manage their problems. For these young people, staff will attempt to minimise the risks associated with this behaviour by ensuring the young person knows the risks and the potential consequences associated with going missing from home. Staff are also very aware of the need to closely supervise vulnerable young people. Young people will only be permitted to go out unsupervised following agreement with the social worker and following a risk assessment. The Sycamores work very closely with the local PCSO officer and he visits the home regularly to build and maintain positive relationships with the young people.

In terms of staff managing Runaway and Missing from Home and Care (RMFHC) the following procedure is in place:

A recent photograph of the young person will be on file. A placement plan will have identified the risk and management strategy for

known behaviour such as going absent without permission. Within this plan the time scale within which the young person must be reported missing will be identified. Known addresses where the young person runs to will also be identified along with contact numbers for all parties with a legitimate interest in the welfare of the young person.

The attitude and mood of the young person along with their dress for the day will have been recorded on the young person’s daily record sheet.

When it is known the young person is absent without permission, an immediate search of the premises and surrounding area will be undertaken. Other young people in the home will be questioned as to the missing young person’s whereabouts and possible ‘contacts’ will be telephoned.

Staff will consult the prepared documents and follow the RMFHC protocol as to who to contact and when. This will include the police and those with parental responsibility (social services and parent(s)) and the Manager on call.

On the young person’s return, they will not be sanctioned for going absent without permission. Staff will ensure the young person is safe and comfortable and they will be offered hot food and drinks, a bath and will be encouraged to discuss any concerns that may be responsible for them going absent.

A debrief with staff will be offered and a planned keyworker session will be set up.

All parties identified will be contacted regarding the young person’s return. All information will be recorded on an incident form and faxed to the local

authority with responsibility for the young person. Within 24 hours a regulation 40 notifications will be completed where there is police involvement or a concern for the young person’s welfare.

All young people have a Missing from Care Risk Management Plan regardless of whether this is an issue for them or not. This is completed at the point the placement is agreed and then is reviewed following each incident or a minimum of once a month.

The home believes that the welfare and protection of young people from abuse is of paramount importance. The management and staff at The Sycamores and across Esland work very closely with the (LADO) in terms of prevention and resolution of safeguarding issues and 15

the investigation of allegations against persons employed in the home. All staff at The Sycamores is recruited in line with safer recruitment protocols and are subject to a rigorous vetting process as per the DBS requirements.

Staff are trained in Safeguarding Children including identification of possible or suspected abuse or the risk of harm and action to be taken in all cases of safeguarding

Staff operate in a contained environment and are able to monitor the actions of others at all times, whilst being aware of what constitutes as both good and bad practice.

All staff at The Sycamores are aware of the growing dangers involved with young people accessing the internet and the continual improvements in commutative technologies. Consideration is always given to the individual circumstances of particular young people in watching or accessing social networking sites and using the internet and age restriction software will placed on the home’s computers. Staff at The Sycamores shall also ensure that any visual content on TV or other media materials are of the suitable age to the young person viewing them.

There is an on call system for the home which provides staff with the opportunity to contact a Registered Manager, Regional Manager or the Director of Care and Operations at any point throughout the evening or night.

Only the highest possible standards are acceptable from members of staff in working in line with the organisations policies and procedures. Any allegation of sexual, physical or emotional abuse will lead to a full investigation and, if substantiated, would lead to instant dismissal. Such dismissal will be reported to social services, Ofsted and, if a criminal offence has been committed, to the police.The Registered Provider / Manager will refer all allegations to the Local Safeguarding Children Board or LADO and to the Local Authority placing the child. The LADO will take the lead of any Safeguarding Investigation.

Bullying

The home has a zero tolerance of bullying in all its aspects, whether physical or mental. All young people are made aware of this and will be regularly reminded of the need to treat others as they wish to be treated. It is the duty of all staff to protect children from bullying.

All staff are trained to identify bullying and in techniques to counter bullying and its effects.

We will not allow initiation ceremonies of any kind. We will actively encourage an environment in which bullying is seen to be

totally unacceptable. We will encourage young people to report any incident of bullying to a

member of staff and will make young people aware that prompt action will be taken where appropriate.

Staff supervision will always be at a level where young people can be monitored and any instances of bullying will be quickly detected.

Measures to be taken to support the victim of bullying:

Meeting to be arranged. Specific key work will be undertaken to support the young person and to

explore why they are bullied.16

Confidence building measures will be developed with the young person e.g. strategies to reduce contact with the perpetrator; practising eye contact and other assertiveness techniques etc.

Encourage the young person to keep a note of what is happening, when and by whom.

A named member of staff on shift will oversee and support the young person. Initiate support from trusted adults e.g. teacher, independent visitor, or from

specialist agencies e.g. Childline (0800 1111) Kidscape 08451205204 Keyworker sessions will be undertaken with young people using the Self

Esteem Keyworker Pack.

Measures to be taken to support the perpetrator:

Meeting to be arranged with the alleged perpetrator. Undertake educative key work to explore the nature of their aggression and the

feelings they generate in others, as well as exploring any underlying reasons for the bullying.

Shadow the perpetrator to offer support, prevent re-occurrence and encourage change.

Encourage an apology that is meant. Restorative justice work to be used and mediation where appropriate to ensure

that young people have the best possible support to change their behaviour and to encourage them not to bully in the future.

Where appropriate, a strategy meeting will be called with the social workers of both the perpetrator and the victim to ensure that an effective strategy is implemented.

Measures to be taken to reduce the risk of bullying occurring:

Bullying will feature on the agenda of every young person’s meeting, thereby allowing a chance for young people to address issues before they turn into bullying in a safe and controlled environment and to ensure all young people are aware that Bullying is a “hot topic”.

All staff to will attend anti bullying training. Bullying risk assessments are in place both generic and individual highlighting where

the risks are and what control measures will be put into place. All young people on admission will be expected to sign an anti-bullying contract which

is also signed by staff and other young people. The home will hold regular bullying awareness themed events. The home has an anti-bullying policy. Bullying from staff members, towards staff members, occurring outside the home at

school leisure or contact time will be treated with equal importance to bullying occurring within the home between young people.

11. Any criteria used for the admission of children to the children’s home, including any policies and procedures for emergency admission.

The Sycamores is able to offer placements to young people with Behavioural and Emotional Difficulties and associated complex needs. This may include such behaviours as self-Harm, aggressive behaviour, drug or alcohol misuse, criminal behaviour, CSE history or sexualised behaviours. This list is not exhaustive and consideration will be given to placement for any young person emotional and behavioural difficulties whom the home consider could be supported within the home whilst not placing other young people, staff or the general community at unacceptable level of risk. 17

The home can offer planned, emergency and medium to long term placements which will be considered dependent upon the needs of the young person being referred and the compatibility and needs of the resident group currently in placement.

All placements will, wherever possible be fully assessed and involve a visit by the home manager or senior member of staff to meet the child or young person before being placed. During this visit the home manager will assess the child’s or young person’s suitability for the placement and whether they would be a good match for the residents within the home already.

Through meeting the manager or senior member of staff this gives the child or young person an opportunity to get to know a face within the placement and ask any questions- aiming to reduce worries. The child will be given a young person’s guide to the home which will give them information they will require whilst living at the home and in a format to their level of understanding.The young person then will be invited to the home to meet the resident group; join in the homes meal and an activity. A further visit will be offered for an overnight stayWhere agreed between the home and placing authority on placing a young person in an emergency a review is initiated no more than 72 hours after any emergency admission to consider whether the child should remain at the home, or it is in that child’s interests to move to a different placement.

Emergency Placement:We understand that it is not always possible for a young person to move in a planned manner and whilst this is our preferred option for any new placement we feel that the need for an emergency move should not exclude any young person from placement at The Sycamores.

In the event that a same day or next day referral is received the Manager will assess the available information to determine if the placement is suitable for the home and could be placed safely with existing young people. Where the information provided has not been adequate enough for this assessment to be carried out the Home Manager or senior staff member will contact the placing social worker for further information and with any questions which may have arisen.

A placement will not be offered unless the manager has been able to access enough information about the young person to carry out a full assessment of suitability for the home.

Pre-admission risk assessment: From the information given and through consultation with the child/young person’s social worker (preferably at a planning meeting prior to their admission), an impact risk assessment shall be completed identifying any potential risks and the impact of these risk on the home and on the other young people. The risk assessment will also identify the actions needed to manage this risk.

12. The arrangements for dealing with complaints

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At The Sycamores we endeavour to ensure good practice in dealing with concerns and complaints to improve our service to young people, their families, and local authority’s that have commissioned our service.

Young people will know how and feel able to complain without fear, if they are unhappy with any aspect of the home. Any complaint is addressed seriously and without delay, a complaint will be fully responded to within a maximum of 28 days, and children and young people are kept informed of the progress. The homes manager will always endeavour to address the complaints within a week as best practice.

Young people are made fully aware of the complaints produced on entry to the home. Complaints procedures and forms are displayed on the young person’s notice board and each child will be given a young person’s guide explaining how they can complain.

All complaints, whether made verbally of in writing are recorded on Complaints Forms and kept on the young person’s case file as a formal record, available to the young person, their social worker and Ofsted.

The home will support young people to have access to an independent advocate, to enable them to have someone autonomous to engage with and inform them off their rights.

Within the home, there are posters and leaflets with information of services available to support young people (e.g. Children’s rights, NSPCC etc.), should they need or want to seek advice away from the team within the home.

All homes including The Sycamores have complaints boards on display in communal areas in the home, these boards include the complaints forms in a range of formats based on the current residents, stamped addressed envelopes for the Responsible Individual, Ofsted, Social Workers and IRO’s, a complaints box is also available should young people want to make a complaint to the manager anonymously.

If a child or young person wishes to raise a concern with an outside professional the following contact details are made available to them-

Linzi Sim the Responsible Individual for the Esland Group can be contacted on 01773823989 or at linzisim@eslandcare.co.uk

OFSTED contact details- OFSTED, Piccadilly Gate, Store Street, Manchester M1 2WD 03001231231

Their social worker or IRO – details of which are kept on file and accessible to them

First Response – 08001313126

CHILDRENS BEHAVIOUR

13. A description of the children’s home’s approach to the surveillance and monitoring of children accommodated there.

Young people placed at The Sycamores are vulnerable and require a high level of support and supervision. The home will ensure that the young people are safe and secure at all times.

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All bedrooms have sensors fitted to the doors to detect opening and closing.This is an additional method of supervision and is not used as a replacement for staff supervision.

The sensors will only be activated where there is an identified need and will only be used at night. This may be due to a young person’s behaviour, where they are unsettled or if there are to be mixed sex placements that cause concern. The use of door sensors will require consent from the placing authority and will be documented and placed in the young person’s file. Explanation of the use of door alarms will be given to the young people.

The Sycamores will ensure an appropriate staff / young person ratio and adequate assessment of risk.

All young people coming to live at The Sycamores and all placing authorities are made aware of this additional facility both at the time of referral and at the Placement Meeting stage of admission

14. Details of the children’s home’s approach to behavioural support, including information about—(a) The children’s home’s approach to the use of restraint with respect to children accommodated there;(b) How persons working in the children’s home are trained in the use of restraint and how their competence is assessed.

Staff at The Sycamores believes that control is best exercised through the development and maintenance of strong inter-personal relationships with the young people living in the Home. These relationships are built upon sensitivity towards the young person based on knowledge of them, the developing of trust and sharing experiences together.

Rules are much easier for young people to manage when they have had the opportunity to contribute to them and are able to review them on a regular basis. I.e. if the young person has been able to invest in staff and the home. The home also believes that boundaries are much easier for them to maintain if they are applied in a fair, understandable and consistent manner across the team and there is opportunity to discuss the implementation of rules. These practices form the basis of mutual respect. The home encourages positive behaviours and there are reward systems in place.

Our High Warmth High Control behaviour management model works on the basis that young people are respected regarded and cared for unconditionally. We believe that when staff is warm in their approach to young people, when they care for them with a positive approach and when they are rational and consistent that young people feel safe and respond well to the carers. This model derives from an authoritative parenting model which is noted to support the development of healthy and meaningful attachments as the children feel secure and this teaches empathy and respect. We expect that our staff implement this model which promotes the use of firm but flexible role models which promotes the use of clear expectations, negotiation and verbal give and take where staff respond to this. This model also uses more suggestions, positive incentives and rewards as fewer commands, physical intervention and prohibitions. We note that this model has worked well across our homes and has developed situations where children and young people cope better and are judged to be individual. Our homes are achievement oriented and this contributes to the feelings of warmth that young people need to excel.It is widely recognised that when young people have attachments, they are more able to negotiate and regulate their own behaviour. We believe that behaviour is best managed when 20

staff use strong inter personal relationships with the young people living at The Sycamores. These relationships are built through time, knowledge of the young person, developing trust, sharing experiences, consistency and understanding of boundaries.

Our admission and key work programme are developed to enhance this process and in particular contribute to the development of meaningful and long term relationships.

The home believe that rules and boundaries are much easier for young people to manage when they have had the opportunity to contribute to them and are able to see them and refer to them at all times. We therefore use the young people’s meetings as a forum for consulting on consequences and their effectiveness and also provide young people with the opportunity to contribute to consequences. The home also believes that boundaries are much easier for young people to maintain if they are applied in a fair, understandable and consistent manner across the team and there is opportunity to discuss this in a weekly forum. These principles derive from ‘Mutual Respect’ and ‘Understanding’ and are something the staff at The Sycamores work hard to get with our young people.

If an incident was to occur within the home the staff are trained in behavior management techniques, these are TC2 techniques which is Esland Care’s accredited physical intervention holds and work on the premise of 95% de-escalation and 5% physical intervention. The staff team will use any or all of the following to de-escalate an incident, humor, distraction, limited choice, clear firm direction, swap of carer, support, reminder of consequences and reassurance. Positive and Negative consequences and rewards in place to manage behaviour in line with the authoritative parenting model of high warmth and high control. When they do need to be implemented, consequences will be thought through by the staff and be creative, realistic and fitting to the actions of the young person. These will be outlined in either the house rules; the behavior management plan for each young person or their risk assessment.

At The Sycamores we like to promote positive behavior and ensure the children recognize that we notice then acknowledge the smallest of changes, we do this through a positive comments book, which staff document in regularly.

Staff are aware of non-permissible sanctions outlined in The Children’s Homes Regulations 2015, Section 17(5) and have signed statements to pledge compliance with this instruction. Staff at the home are trained in TC2 restrain techniques which complies with children’s home regulations with regards to the reasons for restraint.

This strategy will only be used as a last resort, once all diversionary and diffusion techniques have failed. In the face of maintaining agitation, moving towards anger and aggression, it is important that the carer remains calm, allows the child/young person more personal space and alerts other staff members / carers that there is a potential risk arising and that assistance may be needed in order to return the young person to safety.

All staff are trained in TC2 holds and the staff are trained to use the following holds see Appendix 1;

We work with our staff to ensure that they know although to use de-escalation techniques, they should not:

Lose self-control or lash out Shout

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Attempt to enforce compliance over trivial or unnecessary matters like young people being in the staff office.

Take positions or issue warnings that cannot be maintained or will not be followed through

Attempt to continue to use reasoning in the face of mounting anger and aggression (when children and young people may have lost the ability to

rationalise and negotiate) Threaten or intimidate children/young people Make fun of, ridicule or humiliate children/young people Confront challenging behaviour in front of an audience Corner or closely confront a child/young person Inflict any form of corporal punishment; i.e. any intentional application of force as

punishment, including slapping, punching, rough handling and throwing missiles. Make any restrictions relating to the consumption or deprivation of food or drink; Make any restriction on a child’s contact with his or her Parents, relatives or friends;

visits to the child by his or her Parents, relatives or friends or limit their access to counselling or advocacy services like Children’s Rights or placing social workers.

Once a restraint has taken place, a review of the incident is always suitably timed for when the young person has had a chance to recover, whilst ensuring the incident is still fresh in their minds. This is designed to support the young person in exploring their behaviour and considering other ways of dealing feelings in the future.

CONTACT DETAILS

15. The name and work address of—(a) The registered provider (including details of the company owning the children’s home);(b) If nominated, the responsible individual;(c) If applicable, the registered manager.

Esland was formed following a successful merger between Turnaround Care and The Boulters. The Esland Group has a range of services in Buxton, Derbyshire, Staffordshire, Yorkshire, Northamptonshire, Wiltshire, Kent and London.

The Sycamores is within the West region, which is managed by Liz Brownlees The Director of Care, Deputy Regional Manager Laura Mumford and allocated Quality Assurance Officer Lou Petcher. Lou completes the Regulation 44 independent visits for the West region.

The Registered Provider is: Esland North (part of the Esland Group)

The Founding Director is:

Mr John StampEsland GroupRiverside Business CentreSuite 1 & 5Foundry LaneMilfordBelperDE56 0RNT: 01773 823 989 Email: johnstamp@eslandcare.co.uk22

Contact: 07915 157 618The Responsible Individual and Director of Development is:Mrs Linzi SimEsland Head OfficeRiverside Business CentreSuite 1 & 5Foundry LaneMilfordBelperDE56 0RN

T: 01773 823 989 Email: linzisim@eslandcare.co.ukContact: 07713284591

Director of CareMrs liz BrownleesEsland Head OfficeRiverside Business CentreSuite 1 & 5Foundry LaneMilfordBelperDE56 0RN

T: 01773 823 989 Email: lizbrownlees@eslandcare.co.uk

Registered ManagerMr Rob KrzysicaThe SycamoresOrchard CottageDunstonST18 9ALEmail: ROBKRZYSICA@eslandcare.co.uk

EDUCATION

16. Details of provision to support children with special educational needs.

It is expected that some of the referrals to The Sycamores will be excluded pupils or pupils who have difficulty being integrated into mainstream schooling.Where possible however we do aim to re-integrate young people into mainstream schooling. The home falls within the Catchment area of a number of primary and secondary schools with excellent further education options. Local schools are currently rated good and have a good track record of working with young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties. The home has formed close links with the school and aim to support gradual re-integration through part time timetables, home tuition led by the school and staff from the home supporting as appropriate. It is our belief that the sooner we can get young people back into mainstream school the more opportunity they will have to access a full curriculum and achieve academically.

For those young people for whom mainstream school is not the best option there are a number of specialist provisions within the local area both in Stafford and Wolverhampton and

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the home will work with those schools and the LEA to find the best match for the young person.

The staff team work closely with young people to ensure that they are always accessing a full timetable whether this is within a school or whether this is supported at home with tuition and alternative timetables supported by staff. We place great emphasis on the importance of an education for a young person’s future and will help young people to identify their skills and talents and wishes for the future. This will then be used to help the young people find an education programme which suits their interests, ability and helps them to achieve their full potential.

Staff at The Sycamores will work closely with educational service departments to ensure that statements are maintained, updated and reviewed as required. Young people with special educational needs will be given the same schooling opportunities as any other young person and the staff will support them to find the best viable option where they can gain educational attainment. Non-engagement in education is not an option at The Sycamores and where there are issues with poor levels of engagement staff will be proactive with the young person and school provision to identify and address the reasons behind this.

18. Where the children’s home is not dually registered as a school, the arrangements for children to attend local schools and the provision made by the children’s home to promote the educational attainment of children.

Wherever possible the young person will be maintained within their current school. In order to provide informal support, staff at The Sycamores will support young people in the completion of projects and home work. We will ensure that young people have an appropriate space to complete homework and the required equipment. Staff approach this in the spirit of good parenting and will show interest in the young person’s schooling, ensuring attendance at parent’s evenings and regular communication with the school.The Sycamores will endeavour to source further education, colleges and work experience as appropriate.

HEALTH

19. Details of any health care or therapy provided, including—(a) Details of the qualifications and clinical supervision of the staff involved;(b) Information about—(I) How the children’s home measures the effectiveness of its approach; and(ii) The evidence referred to by the children’s home to demonstrate the effectiveness of its approach, and how this information can be accessed.

Staff at The Sycamores are committed in providing high quality primary health care in the areas of:

Emotional health the implementation of detailed risk assessments and placement plans. Ensuring all young people have access to relevant medical services. Supporting young people with any issues they might have by offering support and guidance. Esland have commissioned the services of Future Minds to provide therapy for our young people.

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Although Future Minds work with a broad range of clients, they specialise in child and adolescent mental health and many of the team have previously worked within CAMHS teams.It is envisaged that where appropriate, all new young people who move in to The Sycamores will be assessed to see if they would benefit from therapeutic intervention. If required, Future Minds will be able to offer a therapeutic package tailor made to suit the young person’s individual needs.Future minds takes a clinical lead for psychological assessment and intervention for young people placed at all Esland Group Children’s Homes. As part of the matching process, the registered manager and referral team assess whether the placement is a sound option for the referred child and liaise with the local authority to outline the resources required to manage and progress the young person. All Esland Group Homes have access to Wendy Jealous, a renowned consultant child psychologist specialising in developmental trauma. Wendy has worked within CAMHs services, young offender’s projects and a learning difficulties team. A copy of Wendy’s CV is available upon request.

Future minds offers a wraparound therapeutic intervention that is versatile in how it is delivered. This model is designed in a way that staff can deliver the bespoke interventions to young people through meaningful keyworker sessions. The staff meet with the allocated psychologist or therapist and they are supported through regular review of risk assessments to ensure that control measures are effective in managing behaviour. Future minds also work with the senior management team at Esland to develop meaningful keyworker packs and to provide staff training or clinical supervision where needed. At the point young people are ready to engage in psychological therapy, this is offered by counsellors / psychologists who will work to the Future minds model remaining in the present, slowly moving into the future and only looking at the past when the young person is emotionally ready.

If the young person is not ready for this type of work but still requires some practical support, e.g. learning skills for emotional regulation (essential before any counselling is started), evidence based psychological therapy such as trauma focused CBT will be arranged. It is expected that each child placed within Esland Group will have the same model of service wherever they are placed. However, every young person will have different needs and wherever possible psychological therapy will be tailored to meet these needs. All the work will be time limited and reviewed regularly. All placements and young people who have been identified as being appropriate or an Esland Children’s Home will have a full psychological assessment completed if they have not had one within the last 12 months. This will identify the issues and be used to develop a treatment plan.

Our relationship with Future minds has ensured that our staff teams are attuned to our young people’s subjective experiences. This means that staff try to make sense of those experiences, and then communicate them back to the young person. This is done with Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity, and Empathy (making up the PACE model which is consistent with our behaviour management model and with the interventions provided through Future minds). This model allows our staff to constantly fine-tune their practice, to best fit the needs of the young person.

Physical wellbeing. On arrival the young person will be registered with the local General Practitioner as well as at one of the local Dentistry practices and a local Optician. Current health needs will be identified and maintained, for example diets and medication. Health care plans will be in place to support, record and monitor all current and ongoing health issues with a young person. LAC medicals will be arranged and supported and the home has good communication with the local LAC nurse as well as working closely with the LAC nurse from the young person’s home area.

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Identifying/maintaining specialist health needs (e.g. mental health/physical needs) Ensuring prescribed medication is maintained, liaising with relevant professionals and attending specialist health and other significant outside agency services.Staff take an active role in promoting all aspects of healthy living. Staff are proactive in ensuring the young people are offered a healthy and a well-balanced diet, develop and maintain a good level of personal hygiene, develop appropriate sleep routines and takes regular exercise.

Staff routinely address the issues of smoking, substance/alcohol abuse, self-harm and other issues which may affect the health of a young person through key work sessions and posters or leaflets around the home. An outreach sexual health nurse regularly visits the home should a young person require advice or services in this area.

The young people have an in depth individualised health plan detailing all health needs and relevant information.

The home will actively support the promotion of a healthy lifestyle and this is one of our main focuses when caring for young people within the home. All staff share a common responsibility to promote the health and welfare of all accommodated young people at The Sycamores. The home will work alongside a range of services that may provide alternative therapies such as drug and alcohol services, CAHMS or other counselling services for young people.

The home will actively discourage young people from smoking and will ensure that smoking is not permitted on the premises. Positive support will be offered to young people who wish to stop smoking.

At the home all medications (including non-prescribed) are stored in a locked cabinet, in accordance with regulation, and are recorded on individual medical records held at the home. All staff are medication trained.

STAFFING MATTERS

20. Details of the experience and qualifications of staff working at the children’s home, including any staff commissioned to provide education and health care.

Eslanders, Our Most Prized Asset Without our incredible team of ‘Eslanders’, the young people we care for wouldn’t receive the support and guidance they so desperately need. All staff are recruited in line with Safer Recruitment guidelines and following successful completion of our 3-stage interview process, which includes two face-to-face interviews and a voluntary shift in one of our homes, our Eslander’s undergo a rigorous training programme prior to entering the home. Esland has a comprehensive training plan of both core and advanced training with all residential care staff being enrolled on their Level 3 Children and Young Peoples’ Workforce diploma during their induction unless they have a Social Work degree or equivalent. We have recently developed ‘TC2’, our own bespoke positive handling training which focuses on preventative, proactive methods of de-escalation. All staff are enrolled on the course upon starting their employment with Esland and the programme is accredited by BILD. Through our designated training suite in Derbyshire we utilize a range of training techniques 26

such as full and half day courses, TC2, e-learning, supervision and appraisals. We encourage our team to reflect on their own performance and identify their training needs; thus taking an active role in their own professional development. Eland’s aim is to meet and exceed the targets outlined within Ofsted legislation and consistently provide a high standard of care. It is our belief that improving the outcomes for looked after children is reliant on a more professional workforce. We welcome the government’s commitment to continuous staff development and increased professional recognition for all those who work within the sector of health and social care.

Rob Krzysica – Registered Homes Manager

Rob Originally opened Foxbrook house in 2014 and has been key is delivering good outcomes for almost 4 years there, he took on Blakelow Bank in 2017 and has successfully retained the Good rating there. Rob will be taking The Sycamores on alongside Blakelow Bank and it is expected that he will help the home develop & achieve fantastic outcomes Rob has over 14 years’ experience working within residential childcare, Rob has conducted his level 3 and 4 qualifications.

Team Leaders/seniors

All 3 seniors will hold the level 3 qualification.

Residential Care workers

PCWs

All staff will undertake all mandatory training within their first 12 months and will have yearly refresher courses to include

Safeguarding Children and Safer Caring Medication Administration, Data Protection and Health First Aid, Food safety, Health and Safety & Fire Awareness Behavior management & TC2 (Physical Intervention and De-escalation Attachment disorders Therapeutic Practices ADHD Autism Spectrum Disorders Self-Harm & Eating Disorders Missing from Care and Child Sexual Exploitation Equality and Diversity & Bullying behaviors

There are also opportunities for the staff to benefit from specific training which will enhance their personal development and will contribute to the overall effectiveness of the team.

21. Details of the management and staffing structure of the children’s home, including arrangements for the professional supervision of staff employed at the children’s home, including staff that provide education or health care.

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LINZI SIM

DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT & RESPONSIBLE INDIVIDUAL

LIZ BROWNLEES

DIRECTOR OF CARE

The Home is managed by the Registered Manager supported by 3 Team Leaders who are responsible for the daily running of the Home. The Registered Manager works 40 hours per week and the senior care workers work on shift so that they can manage the home at all times.In order to work with Esland, there is a vigorous recruitment process ensuring good quality teams within the homes. Following the interviewing process, candidates are invited to visit the home to complete an observation visit. Within this visit, the young people are able to interview them and they then provide feedback to the manager as to whether or not they feel the candidate is suitable. When the new team member begins working they undergo an extensive induction programme, which has been developed to ensure when the worker is ready to work. They are able to do so safely and with good knowledge of working practices.

New starters who have not attained their Level 3 Diploma in Health and Social Care-Children and Young People, will then commence the Care Certificate. To support with their induction standards and their development the new team members will be supervised every two weeks. In order to pass their probationary period new staff will be given an interview and a task to complete to demonstrate learning. After the probationary period of six months the member of staff will be supervised on a monthly basis or before if required. Further support for the team will be provided through team meetings taking place on a fortnightly to monthly basis where good practice can be shared and plans put into place for the young people.

All staff at The Sycamores have undertaken an induction prior to them working with young people. The induction is broken into two parts, one part is an induction to the home and the organization and the other is a number of training courses and workshops to prepare them with the skills and knowledge in order to uphold our high expectations.

All staff attends 7 actual courses during their first 6 months, these are Safeguarding Children, Missing from Care, Child Sexual Exploitation, TC2, First Aid, Self-Harm and How we Work. This will provide them with the training that they need in order to look after the young people that we have identified as being suitable for The Sycamores. Staff is also provided with a license for 12 online training courses provided through Educare, Educare is an online Social Care provider. Our staff undertakes courses in Health and Safety, Fire Safety, Food Safety, Medication, Confidentiality, Data Protection, Anti Bullying, Appropriate Adult and Equality and 28

Rob Krzysica

REGISTERED HOME MANAGER

Team Leaders

Residential Care Workers & PCWS

Laura Mumford – Deputy Regional Mgr

Diversity. This compliments the Care Certificate for staff who requires it and this is undertaken after the staff have completed the home induction. All staff will meet with the manager prior to any young people being admitted to the home and they work through the induction checklist, which includes an introduction to the paperwork, children’s files, supervision, team meetings, local area and policies and procedures.

When staff have undertaken this induction and the relevant courses they will then be put forward for additional courses. These are internal courses and staff attend them within 6 and 18 months after joining Esland. These courses include Drugs Awareness, Understanding Attachment, Autism Awareness, Preparation for Leaving Care, Safer Caring, Complaints Management and Sexualized behavior to name a few. If there was a young person admitted to the home with one of these behaviors the course can be delivered at short notice as there are staff at The Sycamores and other homes across Esland have completed a CIEH course in Training to enable them to train their staff and to do this well. This means that there will never be an occasion where staff are looking after young people without having attended the training course.

22. If the staff working at the children’s home are all of one sex, or mainly of one sex, a description of how the children’s home promotes appropriate role models of both sexes.The staff. Where possible the staff team at The Sycamores will be mixed in terms of sex. We do place priority on recruiting the right staff however and on occasion this may lead to the home having a larger balance of one sex over the other. On these occasions, the young people have appropriate role models of the opposite sex outside of the home. This is through their education in the form of teaching staff, social clubs where they have youth workers as well as professionals that visit the home. Where it is deemed necessary the home will provide staff members of specific sex through other homes within the organisation and will recruit staff members of a specific gender if required. The home has access to bank staff of both genders which allows some flexibility in terms of gender matching.

In the event that the home has a favourable slant towards one gender of staff consideration will always be given to the impact this may have on any new resident being considered.

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