Children's Home run by Derbyshire County Council in Derbyshire

Unique reference number SC035976 Inspection date 22/10/2013 Inspector Amanda Ellis Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 20/09/2012 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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Brief description of the service

This children's home is registered to a local authority. The home can accommodate up to four young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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The inspection judgements and what they mean

Outstanding : a service of exceptional quality that significantly exceeds minimum requirements Good : a service of high quality that exceeds minimum requirements Adequate : a service that only meets minimum requirements Inadequate : a service that does not meet minimum requirements

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Overall effectiveness

The overall effectiveness is judged to be good .

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Overall effectiveness

Young people living at this home experience consistently robust standards of care delivered by a knowledgeable and skilled management and staff team. The home provides clear, individualised, well-planned care, taking into account young people specific needs. This means positive outcomes are promoted for all young people.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people are valued and develop within this home; over time they make good progress from their starting points. Young people have positive views about their care, staff and the home. They are able to reflect on how they have benefited from their placement and support at this home. Relationships between young people and staff are excellent.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people are safe and report that they feel safe. Safeguarding practices promote the safety of young people and the home are proactive in multi-agency working to safeguard young people and minimise risks.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people are generally encouraged to be involved in planning and reviewing their care. They participate in the running of the home and contributing to their care plans and reviews.

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Overall effectiveness

Education is highly valued in the home and young people receive support and encouragement to attend and achieve in their educational plans. They are encouraged to participate in a range of activities. Young people’s health is promoted and they are taught how to keep themselves healthy.

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Overall effectiveness

Shortfalls identified within this inspection are in relation to internal monitoring undertaken by the manager and ensuring delivery of specific training that meets the emerging and changing behaviours of young people. Additional recommendations are in relation to support for young people’s social and emotional development, young people communicating views more fully and ensuring a range of activities are available for all young people. However, these shortfalls do not affect the welfare or outcomes for children.

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Statutory Requirements

This section sets out the actions which must be taken so that the registered person/s meets the Care Standards Act 2000, Children's Homes Regulations 2001 and the National Minimum Standards. The registered person(s) must comply with the given timescales.

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that the children's home is conducted so as to promote and make proper provision for the welfare of young people accommodated there, with specific regard to the provision of training which enables care appropriate to the needs of young people who self-harm (Regulation 11 (1) (a)) 29/11/2013

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that the registered person shall establish and maintain a system for monitoring the matters set out in Schedule 6 at appropriate intervals; specifying improving the quality of care provided in the children's home. (Regulation 34 (1) (a)) 29/11/2013

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):

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Recommendations

 ensure all young people communicate their views on all aspects of their care and support, with particular reference to young persons meetings (NMS 1.3)  ensure staff support children’s social and emotional development and enable young people to develop emotional resilience and self-esteem, specifically in relation to sexual identity (NMS 2.2)  ensure young people pursue individual interests and hobbies. This includes taking part in a range of activities, including leisure activities and trips. (NMS 7.2)

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people thrive and develop within this home. The home environment is inclusive and promotes diversity. This enables young people to express their individuality in a supportive and nurturing environment. Over time, young people feel sufficiently secure to explore their own identity. This promotes improved self-esteem. However, specific identity issues mean some young people require more focused support. This would enable them to develop improved social and emotional resilience to increase levels of confidence and social skills.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people have excellent attendance and make very good progress in education, with some young people progressing to university. Staff are proactive in supporting individual educational needs. Consequently, young people are able to achieve their potential in subjects that interest them.

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Outcomes for children and young people

An effective staff team successfully promotes improved health outcomes for young people. Young people are generally in good physical health. However, for some young people, their emotional health is compromised, due to behaviours such as self-harm. Subsequent work with services to promote positive emotional and psychological health, have resulted in such behaviours ceasing, leading to improved health outcomes. Additionally, advice, guidance and support by staff and alternative external agencies means young people have an understanding of key health risks

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Outcomes for children and young people

Engagement within the community is a very strong attribute in this home. Young people participate in a range of activities, which include winning a gardening award and young people undertaking voluntary work in the community. This means young people become active citizens and contribute to their community and wider society.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people benefit from appropriate contact with family, friends and other people who are important to them. The staff team work with young people to promote positive contacts, while sensitively enabling young people to understand why some contact arrangements are less beneficial, as stated in care plans. Specifically tailored contact arrangements are organised wherever possible. These include contacts with foster carers, teachers and providing overnight stays for school friends. These are arranged according to the needs of those involved, for the benefit of the young people.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people are encouraged to develop their independence and readiness for adulthood. Support and guidance from staff, combined with rigorous assessment, prepares young people to live independently. Over time, they develop the confidence, practical experience and knowledge necessary for successful independent living.

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Quality of care

Young people live in a nurturing home environment. All young people describe relationships with staff as the most important and valuable aspect of living in the home. One young person said, ‘It is the best place for me right now. While I have lived here I have built some really good relationships with staff.’ Staff are responsive to individual needs and demonstrate consistent concern for the welfare of young people. This means that young people feel cared for and valued.

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Quality of care

Effective staff partnerships within a multi-disciplinary team mean that young people benefit from high levels of support. One social worker stated, ‘They communicate well and I am informed of everything. They are centrally involved in all aspects of his care and working with all professionals.’

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Quality of care

Staff recognise and understand young people’s individual and evolving needs. They are committed to work with young people through times of crisis and challenging behaviours. Through their dedication in working with young people during difficult times, behaviour becomes significantly more positive and productive. This results in young people developing more positive coping strategies and resilience to deal with internal and external difficulties.

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Quality of care

The participation of young people in the running of their home means they can exercise choice and express their views. For example, young people attend weekly house meetings, which include a routine agenda and topical issues of discussion. However, young people can be reluctant to participate in such formal meetings; therefore, more creative solutions are necessary to enable young people to further contribute to the running of the home and delivery of their care.

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Quality of care

Young people receive a comprehensive guide to the home. This ensures that all know what to expect of their care. Young people express that they know how to make a complaint to staff and external agencies and they have access to their own telephone. This ensures they are able to express any concerns they may have independently of the staff team.

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Quality of care

Care planning, risk assessments and behaviour management plans are individualised and comprehensive. Young people are actively involved in their care planning, which means that they are able to make choices and contribute to their care plans. They receive consistent care because their care planning is individualised, comprehensive and up-to-date. Consequently, staff are able to deliver effective support to young people.

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Quality of care

The home provides a healthy environment which enables young people to have their health needs fully met. They receive prompt medical attention when they are ill and routine appointments ensure their medical, optical and dentistry needs are met. Young people’s individual emotional and psychological health is supported through proactive work with external agencies. Effective medication procedures ensure safe administration and monitoring of prescribed and non-prescribed medicines. Consequently, young people’s health needs are promoted in the home.

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Quality of care

All young people attend some form of educational provision, whether school, college or vocational training. They are all encouraged to make good progress. Effective relationships between education and care staff ensure that progress is communicated and concerns are promptly identified and resolved. As a result, young people’s education is supported and rewarded. Young people are encouraged to engage with activities both within and outside of the home. However, for some young people the limitation of choices and frequency of activities lead to free time being unoccupied. This means young people may not be able to fully explore their potential and expand their horizons.

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Quality of care

The maintenance and the décor of the home are of a very good standard. The interior of the home has a contemporary design, which reflects the tastes and preferences of the young people. It is comfortable and provides a homely and non- institutionalised environment. It offers opportunity for both privacy and social engagement. Young people’s bedrooms are individualised and young people have choice in their decoration preferences. This is consistent with family living, which means that young people feel relaxed and value their surroundings.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The service is good at keeping children and young people safe and feeling safe.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people feel safe living in this home. One young person said, ‘I feel safe all of the time; they teach me to keep myself safe, with things like safety in the community, not getting in trouble with the police, and safe and unsafe friendships.’ Records reflect a commitment to safeguarding, with detailed and regularly reviewed risk assessments. This means adjustments to risk assessments reflect young people’s changing needs.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The staff team are confident in their awareness and knowledge of safeguarding policies, procedures and practices and apply this to their work with young people. They are conversant on a range of safeguarding topics, which reflects a highly competent staff team who can ensure young people are protected from potential harm.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Incidents of young people going missing from care have significantly reduced over time and are now minimal. Missing from care protocols are in place and staff understand the needs of each young person and ensure risk assessments are up-to- date and regularly reviewed. Young people are encouraged to discuss issues in relation to being absent and receive a positive response on their return. As a result, they benefit from high levels of protection.

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Safeguarding children and young people

No physical interventions have taken place since the last inspection. This reflects the effective behaviour management skills of the staff team in enabling young people to deal with their feelings in positive and more socially acceptable ways. All staff are trained to be able to undertake physical interventions and the format for recording such incidents is in line with regulatory requirements.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people respond well to incentive systems in place and also understand the consequences of any negative behaviour and accept sanctions imposed. The use of sanctions is appropriate and reflects the staff commitment to promoting positive and socially acceptable behaviour at all times. Staff employed to work in the home experience a rigorous selection process prior to taking up their positions. There have been no newly recruited staff members since the last inspection; however, managerial support and relief staff have transferred from the provider’s other homes. The staff team are stable, which means young people receive care delivered by familiar staff, who the young people know and trust.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people report no bullying, despite a recent altercation that led to an assault on a young person. In this instance, policies and procedures for countering bullying were implemented, with a range of resources supporting discussions around the impact of bullying. As a result, young people are protected from bullying and can expect a ‘zero’ tolerance culture in regards to such behaviour.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Recording of any complaints are detailed and reflects the commitment of the staff team to ensuring that all issues relating to the care of young people are taken very seriously.

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Safeguarding children and young people

All required health and safety checks are carried out in a timely manner. As a result, the building is safe, appropriately secure and young people are protected from harm.

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Leadership and management

The leadership and management of the children's home are good .

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Leadership and management

The home has a highly experienced and knowledgeable Registered Manager who has significant direct experience in working with young people with emotional and behaviour needs.

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Leadership and management

Young people benefit from a home that has maintained and improved the good standards since the last inspection. Three recommendations were made at the last inspection. The implementation of a lone-working risk assessment ensures staff are clear about working practice and protocol in such an event. A risk assessment in relation to older teenagers being occasionally without adult supervision has been agreed. This has enabled older teenagers to have independence, within safe boundaries, commensurate to young people of a similar age. Finally, fire drills and emergency escape plans are practised. This enables staff and young people to feel confident to evacuate the building in the event of an emergency.

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Leadership and management

The manager has demonstrated a commitment for continual improvement. The development plan reflects practical proposals for continued improvement, with plans for staff development, training and emphasis on child-centred practice. The manager understands the strengths and weaknesses of the home and takes action to tackle weakness and make improvements.

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Leadership and management

Staff benefit from consistent and regular supervision. All staff have a recognised qualification and undertake a structured training programme. Training is available on a wide range of topics, but has not been provided on the specific issues of self-harm and suicide. This relates directly to the recent behaviours of some young people. There has been no negative impact on young people because of this shortfall. Consultation with mental health services has assisted staff to support and safeguard young people. However, formal training on self-harm would enable staff to support young people fully and effectively in the event that similar behaviours reoccur.

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Leadership and management

A fundamental strength of the home is the valuable contribution of a dedicated and resourceful staff team. They are a strong, cohesive team whose enthusiasm, knowledge and skills means that young people receive sound and safe care.

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Leadership and management

Regular visits from the provider ensure that the quality of care is routinely monitored and evaluated. The Registered Manager undertakes regular internal quality assurance checks. These reports are supplied to Ofsted as required and demonstrate rigorous monitoring practice. However, they fail to identify how the quality of care will be improved in the home.

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Leadership and management

Records are clear, up-to-date and stored securely. All notifications are progressed as required and appropriate action is taken to follow procedures and protect young people.

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Leadership and management

The home demonstrates a strong capacity for continuing improvement based on its record of accomplishment and performance since the last inspection.

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About this inspection

The purpose of this inspection is to assure children and young people, parents, the public, local authorities and government of the quality and standard of the service provided. The inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service and to consider how well it complies with the relevant regulations and meets the national minimum standards.

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About this inspection

The report details the main strengths, any areas for improvement, including any breaches of regulation, and any failure to meet national minimum standards. The judgements included in the report are made against the Inspections of children’s homes – framework for inspection and the evaluation schedule for the inspection of children's homes.

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