Friendly House Ofsted rated Good in all areas

Friendly House, a Restorative home for young people who may experience social and emotional difficulties, has recently received Ofsted rating Good in all areas.

Positive change at Friendly House

In the overall experiences and progress of the young people, how well they are helped and protected, and the effectiveness of leaders and managers, all were rated as Good within the provision. The staff team were said to have “resilience and commitment” and that this was a significant factor in the “positive change” in the home.

Proactively supporting education

Education and the support the staff and manager of Friendly House give to the young people to attend and engage with their learning was particularly noted.

“The manager and staff are proactive in looking for creative ways to meet the educational needs of the children. When needed, staff request additional resources […] and support the children to attend education.”

Family-focused

Working closely with the young people’s families and being child-centred in their approach to transitions and spending time with people close to them were also highlighted as positive features of the care provided at Friendly House.

“Children are encouraged to spend time with people that are important to them […] The manager and staff have good relationships with family members and update them regularly. Staff support the children with their emotional well-being around this, as these relationships can at times be difficult to navigate.” 

Robust, child-centred transitions

Staff were commented upon for their mindfulness around transitions, particularly where an extended transition maybe appropriate for, or benefit a young person, and how this creates a solid “foundation for good relationships to be built with staff” and allows the young person to settle in and “reduce anxieties”.

Working hard to support independence

The structured independence programme all young people working on at Friendly House was seen by inspectors as equipping them “with the practical skills needed for when they are ready to move on” and that “all the children have made progress with their independence skills”.

Other professionals commented positively, as well as staff, on how the home advocates for the young people in their journey to becoming young adults and “are keen to show the children they care about them and want them to succeed”.

A “strong vision”

Inspectors said the manager of Friendly House has a “strong vision for what he wants the home to be able to achieve” when it comes to successful independence for the children and that the staff “work hard” so children can achieve their goals.

A huge well done to the team at Friendly House on a strong Ofsted inspection. We are particularly impressed also by Ofsted’s comment on how you are all working so positively in team meetings on your own “learning and reflection” as well as attending specialist training to develop even further in your roles in providing the considered, child-centred care that’s so important to our success in helping young people at Restorative .

Well done to the team at Friendly!