Children's Home run by Nottingham City Council in Nottingham

Unique reference number SC034969 Inspector Caroline Brailsford Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

p.1

Registered person Nottingham City Council Registered person address Nottingham City Council, Loxley House Station Street NOTTINGHAM NG2 3NG Responsible individual Kay Sylvia Sutt Registered manager Berardino Labbate Date of last inspection 06/03/2014 2 of 10 Inspection date 28/10/2014

p.1

Previous inspection good progress Enforcement action since last inspection There has been no enforcement activity since the last inspection.

p.2

Overall effectiveness outstanding

Outcomes for children and young people outstanding Quality of care outstanding Keeping children and young people safe good Leadership and management outstanding

p.2

Overall effectiveness

Young people make outstanding progress in many areas during their time at this home. This is partly because of the leadership team and their approach to always ensuring that young people can continue to improve. This approach ensures that staff at every level are highly motivated to provide an excellent service to young people. Leadership and management is very strong and inspires staff to have an extremely child focused approach. The team overall successfully drives forward further improvements to maximise young people's progress. Further improvement is always a top priority. Robust quality assurance systems are used to continually develop the service around children's needs and young people are at the centre of this process so that their views are consistently well considered.

p.2

Overall effectiveness

Particularly extensive progress is made with regard to young people's emotional wellbeing and safety. This placement allows young people to feel settled and very safe to explore their feelings in a very short space of time and the benefits are so significant that they become safer quickly. In turn, this creates further opportunities for development. For example, improved emotional wellbeing and being able to progress their problems, allows young people to understand and explore why they are in care. Young people's progress is attributed to all staff who, whatever their position in the home work extremely well together to ensure the best possible care 3 of 10 is delivered.

p.2

Overall effectiveness

Young people particularly benefit from a very well established, well trained, extremely competent and caring staff group, who are at all times very respectful and positive towards them. This assists young people to develop substantially in their self-confidence and overall well-being.

p.3

Overall effectiveness

Three recommendations have been made. One is in relation to obtaining telephone verification on references for staff, as one reference was found to be not verified. This has not impacted on young people and is an isolated incident. A second recommendation is made about the building which is looking tired in places. However, young people are very clear that they think the building is good so there is no impact on them at this time. The third recommendation is about staff training which does not extend to drug awareness, again this has not impacted on young people to date but has the potential to do so in the future if not put right. 4 of 10

p.3

Information about this children’s home

The home, which is provided by a local authority, is registered to care for three young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties. It is a short-term assessment provision whereby needs are assessed and a suitable long-term placement is identified within a 12-week assessment period.

p.4

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/03/2014 Interim good progress 07/11/2013 Full adequate 05/02/2013 Interim good progress 15/08/2012 Full good

p.4

Recommendations

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

p.4

Recommendations

 ensure that telephone enquiries are made as well as obtaining written references (NMS 16.1)  ensure that the home provides a comfortable and homely environment and is well maintained and decorated (NMS10.4)  ensure that staff receive high quality training to enhance their skills and to keep them up-to-date with professional and legal developments this is in particular relation to drug awareness training. (NMS 18) 5 of 10

p.4

Outcomes for children and young people outstanding

Despite many young people being in crisis when they arrive, all make excellent progress in many areas before they leave. For some young people, a small amount of progress can be a very significant achievement in relation to their starting point. For example, all young people have accessed some form of education at the home, despite some not doing so for a long period of time before coming to the home. This has enabled them to move on to college courses and to think about their chosen career. This progress has the potential to greatly benefit them in their future. In addition, young people are regularly praised by staff for all their progress, however small and their self-confidence grows significantly.

p.5

Outcomes for children and young people outstanding

Talents are nurtured and for some young people they find out what they are interested in. The large range of activities ensures that there are lots of opportunities to enjoy their time at the home. Activities include informal music lessons so that young people can enjoy learning to play an instrument and outdoor activities such as caving, pond dipping and mountain biking. Young people enjoy their time in the home and know that staff are consistently concerned with their welfare, want them to do well and to aim high.

p.5

Outcomes for children and young people outstanding

Risk taking behaviours are very well controlled and extremely well monitored by staff. Young people receive a very good level of support which is highly individualised and as a result, risks such as self-harm and the use of alcohol have started to reduce. This is very significant for some young people and they are engaging with relevant support to reduce their risks for the first time. Young people themselves feel that their risks are already reducing even after a few days of being at the placement. One young person had only been in the home for a few days and said 'I have calmed down already'. Emotional wellbeing is extremely well monitored in the home and young people feel very able to talk about their feelings and problems. This helps them to devise strategies for dealing with their emotions, such as talking about or writing down their feelings. Where they do express feelings they receive the right support

p.5

Outcomes for children and young people outstanding

from the right people. For example, staff give high quality support and young people benefit from this whatever the time of day or night. However, staff know that for some young people, they need specific extra help and put them in touch with a wide range of agencies such as adult mental health services and local community self-help groups.

p.5

Outcomes for children and young people outstanding

Young people receive excellent support with regard to their relationships with people important to them and around their contact visits. Staff make it their business to be aware of the issues so that they can instigate discussion. This leads to young people being able to discuss personal aspects about their relationships and to be able to explore a range of issues to make sense of what is happening and why they are in 6 of 10 care. This helps them considerably with their self-esteem and confidence.

p.5

Quality of care outstanding

Staff understand the needs and backgrounds of young people exceptionally well. They try to understand the reasons for behaviours and why young people present with behaviour that is at times, challenging and complex. The extremely close monitoring of such behaviours assists staff well to find the right solution and they can often get to the route of the problem. Staff are very creative about the support that they offer and the very positive relationships between young people and staff enable young people to engage well with this support. There are always formal support sessions where young people present new issues or risks. More informal support is also constantly given and staff know and understand the young people's learning style well. They know that some young people often respond better in an informal support session, for example while out on an activity. Staff are always willing to talk at length with young people, whatever the time of day or night, after their shift end

p.6

Quality of care outstanding

time, or during their day off. This shows that they always have the needs of the young people at heart.

p.6

Quality of care outstanding

Multi-agency working is a top priority and police, social workers and mental health service professionals receive key information from staff at the earliest opportunity to maximise progress. Staff are assisted by the management team to enable young people to aim high and where there are barriers that are presented, these are addressed quickly; for example where there have been issues about education funding for one young person, staff worked quickly with the school to resolve the issue before this impacted on the young person's education. This ensured that the young person continued to make as much progress as possible.

p.6

Quality of care outstanding

There is a newly resourced education room and the ample budget has ensured that this room contains a range very suitable resources for young people, whatever their educational ability. There is a laptop, study books reading books and craft materials. The wide range of resources means that there is something for everyone and that formal education can be very effectively supplemented in the home. Staff also look for other resources so that the young people receive all possible services and funding. This assists them to develop to their full capacity. Staff have used a local organisation which has been allocated some lottery funding to enable young people to develop their self-confidence through outdoor pursuit activities, such caving and climbing. Many young people have benefitted from these activities and developed their self-esteem as well as finding out what they enjoy. Staff ensure that any activities have education links so that young people can continue to learn very

p.6

Quality of care outstanding

effectively through other more informal methods. 7 of 10 Staff value young people whatever their needs, background, culture or ability. They enable the young people to feel better about themselves through constant praise and encouragement. They always let the young people know that they are cared about and speak very fondly about them. Recently staff have nominated some young people for special awards at an award ceremony. Through this, they have recognised very positively, young people's achievements and how they have overcome their difficulties. This has led to vastly improving young people's self-confidence which will assist them in their next placement.

p.6

Quality of care outstanding

The building provides a comfortable and homely environment. All young people spoken with say they feel comfortable and like the building and one said 'the building is nice'. However, it is showing signs of becoming tired in places, particularly on the outside, where some brickwork is marked and looks unsightly. In addition the paintwork and door handles present as a little institutionalised, particularly upstairs.

p.7

Keeping children and young people safe good

Young people's safety significantly improves as a result of this placement, despite it being a short-term home. They learn to trust staff quickly, are more open to discussion and learning about aspects of their safety. The positive relationships with staff ensure that they are more likely to act on advice about how to keep themselves safe. The large majority of young people that have accessed the home have had a reduction in their episodes of missing, and for some young people where this was a significant problem for them before, this had stopped altogether prior to them moving on. A small number of young people continue to become missing during their placement but are significantly safer because staff know more about where they are. Also these young people engage well in the support and make very positive progress according to their starting point. Staff work extremely well with other agencies, such

p.7

Keeping children and young people safe good

as the police so that young people can be as protected as well as possible. Because young people's episodes of missing are less, their engagement in their day-to-day life increases. This allows for quality time to be spent with staff and for engagement with other agencies about aspects of safety such as domestic violence and sexual exploitation.

p.7

Keeping children and young people safe good

Risk assessment is thorough and a robust and a pro-active approach ensures risk reduction at the earliest opportunity. For example, the monitoring of emotional wellbeing is extremely thorough. A new emotional wellbeing monitoring assessment tool allows the complex issues that young people present to be fully assessed. Staff are always one step ahead and think carefully about the reasons for behaviours and successfully predict risky situations by talking to young people and developing links with their family and friends to protect them further. Staff know young people extremely well and also are aware that they can present with new challenges and issues when they are in crisis. They know how to help young people in crisis situations and do all they can to prevent situations that could result in harm. For example, behaviours are diffused as far as is possible and physical intervention is 8 of 10 only used as a very last resort to protect a person.

p.7

Keeping children and young people safe good

The sharing of important safeguarding information with other professionals is excellent and ensures that the relevant authorities have the full picture of any safeguarding issues as soon as possible so that all can act quickly to protect young people. Staff at all levels know that safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and all are very clear about what should happen if there is a safeguarding issue in the home. The clear procedures are consistently and effectively used to ensure the protection of vulnerable young people.

p.8

Keeping children and young people safe good

There is a recruitment process that works to protect young people from unsuitable adults working at the home. The management team are always involved in recruitment for their home and ensure that the relevant checks take place. However one reference was found to not be verified in line with the National Minimum Standards. This has the potential to impact on young people in the future, as they may not be as protected as possible from unsuitable adults.

p.8

Leadership and management outstanding

There is a Registered Manager in this home and he is experienced and suitably qualified. He holds the Diploma level 5 in Leadership and Management and the National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) level 4 in Caring for Children and Young People. He is extremely well supported in his leadership by two assistant home managers. The leadership team strive to ensure that all young people make as much progress as possible. Staff benefit from the very strong and inspirational leadership team, whose focus is always that of the young people. They continually look for further improvements and at all times seek to ensure that young people can make progress. They lead the staff team in ensuring that any barriers to progress are broken down as soon as possible, so that young people can significantly benefit from the placement, despite its short-term nature.

p.8

Leadership and management outstanding

The organisation completes their own inspections of the home and the managers know clearly where there are any shortfalls. They are happy to learn and quickly put things right. The Registered Manager also monitors the home very closely and regularly meets with each of the young people to review their outcomes and to assess any gaps in progress or areas for improvement. Young people are actively involved with the management of the home because they are asked their opinions. For example, they fill in questionnaires on their safety and staff’s individual performance. The information is then used in staff supervision sessions to inform areas for development and in the annual staff appraisal.

p.8

Leadership and management outstanding

Formal staff supervision sessions ensure that all staff are well supported and staff genuinely feel that they can go to their manager any time to discuss an issue. Staff are very well versed in a wide range of skills and a robust and regular training programme ensures that they are up to date with mandatory training but also 9 of 10 training around the specific needs of young people such as domestic violence and attachment. The training does not fully extend to drug awareness issues. This has not impacted on young people, but may do so in the future as there has been one issue related to drug use in the home since the last inspection.

p.8

Leadership and management outstanding

The home's Statement of Purpose is clear, up-to-date and sets out how the home intends to care for the young people. This gives placing authorities, parents and young people a clear picture about what they can expect from the home. Where specific events happen in the home, the Registered Manager consistently ensures that he informs the relevant authorities including Ofsted. Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.9

Leadership and management outstanding

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.

p.10

Judgement Description

Outstanding A service of exceptional quality that significantly exceeds minimum requirements.

p.10

Judgement Description

Good A service of high quality that exceeds minimum requirements.

p.10

Judgement Description

Adequate A service that only meets minimum requirements.

p.10

Judgement Description

Inadequate A service that does not meet minimum requirements.

p.10

Information 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.

p.10

Information 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 framework of inspection for children's homes.

p.10