Young people make exceptional progress at a secure children’s home in Leeds which has again been recognised as outstanding.
For the second year running Ofsted inspectors have rated Adel Beck as outstanding overall, and this year, have agreed that the home’s leadership is also outstanding.
The home provides secure accommodation for up to 24 young people aged between 10 and 17 years old who are either placed there because they have been remanded or sentenced to custody or for other concerns about their welfare.
Government inspectors who visited Adel Beck earlier this year found that young people placed at the home make ‘exceptional progress’, and the positive impact whilst living in the home can be ‘life changing’ for some, often in a relatively short time.
They commented: “This is an establishment that totally focuses on getting the best for young people, and, as a result, all young people make exceptional progress relative to their starting points and time spent in the home.”
The latest Ofsted report is full of praise for the staff and management at the home, it says: “The home is run by a strong, cohesive and highly effective leadership team. They are aspirational leaders and well organised in their efforts to drive an improvement agenda that gives young people’s needs, safety and well-being the highest priority.”
And “There is a keen focus on professional development, and staff are well supported by managers who have high expectations of them.” The report also stated that: “The staff team is very committed and morale is high. The team is skilled at establishing strong and trusting relationships with young people and is highly effective at managing relationships between young people, including using restorative practice.”
The inspectors’ findings were also bolstered by comments made by those who reside at Adel Beck or who have direct experience of the home. The report states: “Feedback from young people is consistently positive. Parents, relatives and professionals recognise this with the consensus being that the levels of care and support provided by staff are of an extremely high standard.”
The report also quotes a professional who visits the home regularly and gets to know the young people well, saying: “I cannot think of any young person who has been in the home recently who has not made progress that cannot be described as significant.”
The inspectors noted the young residents’ own views in the reports by saying: “Young people recognise the positive impact that staff and living at the home has on them. Young people stated to inspectors, “Staff have been great, especially my key-worker. He gets on with everyone. All the kids like and respect him”. “It’s given me hope for the future, something to look forward to” and “It’s better in here than I thought. Staff are great and help me a lot. I am coming to terms with myself.”
A parent of a young resident described the home as “…an amazing place. It’s the best place to be at this time” They went on to say: “I have got my son back”.
The progress of the young people who are placed at Adel Beck was also commended:
“They benefit from spending time in a home that provides them with a safe and secure environment. It enables those who have experienced disruption to establish predictable routines that support them to develop and thrive.”
Staff at the home are praised for giving the young people ‘a voice’ through regularly held young people’s meetings and a junior leadership team. A specially developed programme to enhance young people’s reintegration back into community life was also highlighted as particularly successful.
The programme includes activities such as shopping help to ease young people into the community, helping them to develop confidence and self-esteem. The home’s ethos of restorative practice is also praised by inspectors who were impressed by how it is used effectively to help young people understand the impact of their actions on others and resolve their issues in a way that strengthens relationships.
The facilities, resources and arrangements to meet the physical, emotional and mental health needs of young people were also described by inspectors as outstanding.
Councillor Lisa Mulherin, executive member for children and families said:
“To not only maintain an outstanding rating, but to build on it, is a fantastic achievement for everyone at Adel Beck. The staff and leadership team should be applauded for their dedication to these vulnerable young people, who have often faced many difficulties in their young lives.
“By working together and focusing on them as individuals, understanding their needs and building trust, the team at Adel Beck are really making a difference not just to the young people they work with, but for their families and the wider community. Through a combination of learning, restorative practice, improving social skills and behaviour and instilling ambition and aspiration, Adel Beck is giving these young people a meaningful future.”
