Children's Home run by Doncaster Children‟s Services Trust Limited in Doncaster

Unique reference number SC481447 Inspector Stella Henderson Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Registered person Doncaster Children's Trust Limited Registered person address The Blue Building 38-40 High Street DONCASTER South Yorkshire DN1 1DE Responsible individual Paul Moffat Registered manager Karen Hodgson-Clark Date of last inspection N/A 2 of 9 Inspection date 20/01/2015

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Previous inspection N/A Enforcement action since last inspection none

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Overall effectiveness adequate

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

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Overall effectiveness

This is the first inspection of the home since it transferred to Trust status in 2014.

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Overall effectiveness

Children in placement are new to the home. After an unsettled start, they are beginning to respond to the warm, nurturing care of staff and starting to make slow but sure progress, particularly in relation to their behaviour.

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Overall effectiveness

The home provides good quality care for children. Safeguarding responsibilities are understood by staff and their actions keep children safe. Parents feel that their children are well looked after and are safe at the home.

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Overall effectiveness

The manager has a good understanding of children's needs and monitoring arrangements are effective in improving the quality of care of children. The home meets the objectives of its Statement of Purpose but some shortfalls are identified.

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Overall effectiveness

These relate to the independent visitor's report, recording matters, advocacy for children, repairs to the home and the provision of personal education plans. One requirement and five recommendations are made to assist the provider to address these matters and drive forward improvement for the benefit of young people. The provider took immediate steps to address the shortfalls identified at this inspection. This demonstrates a capacity to quickly respond to concerns. 3 of 9

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Information about this children’s home

The children's home is operated by an independent Trust for up to five young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties. The home provides planned, medium-term care for young people with the aim of returning them to live with family members or moving to foster care placements.

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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 independent visitor forms an opinion as to whether children accommodated at the children's home are effectively safeguarded and the conduct of the children's home promotes the wellbeing of the children accommodated there (Regulation 33)(8)(a) 23/02/2015

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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 that children know and understand their rights to advocacy (NMS 1.5)  ensure children are supported to achieve their educational potential. This is with specific reference to the prompt completion of Personal Education Plans (NMS 8)  ensure the home's location promotes children's health, safety and well- being and avoids factors that present significant risks to children. This is 4 of 9 with specific reference to the area location risk assessment (NMS 10.2)  ensure the home is well maintained and that avoidable hazards are removed as is consistent with a domestic dwelling (NMS 10.3)  monitor the quality and adequacy of record keeping and take action when needed. (NMS 22.1) 5 of 9

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Outcomes for children and young people adequate

Children are in the relatively early stages of their placement at the home. As such they are adapting to significant changes to their living arrangements, boundaries and expectations. After a difficult start to the placement, they are now settling into clear routines and beginning to establish some trust in the adults looking after them.

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Outcomes for children and young people adequate

Children's health has improved in the short time they have been at the home. They have put on weight and their general appearance has changed for the better. They have good appetites and personal care is better managed. Children really enjoy 'hands-on' activities, such as helping to clean out sheds and cupboards. They have also undertaken a sponsored run, been fishing, tried self-defence classes, and have been out and about to the park and on local walks.

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Outcomes for children and young people adequate

At this point in the placement, the focus has been on meeting children's complex emotional needs. This is helping to establish warm and trusting relationships and satisfy children's attachment needs for stability and security. An assessment is underway to determine the right kind of specialist therapeutic intervention for the children. Until this is completed staff receive effective help and guidance from the Child and Adolescent Mental Health team on managing children's behaviours and emotions.

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Outcomes for children and young people adequate

Children are in the early stages of resuming their education and are beginning to engage in some structured learning. On expert advice, this is moving forward at a pace that meets children's complex needs. Their progress is therefore in line with what might be expected, given their history, time in placement and emotional and behavioural needs. Children have not been provided with personal education plans. This creates a barrier to children fulfilling their educational potential.

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Outcomes for children and young people adequate

Children at the home are too young to be considering independence. They are helped to contribute to household tasks such as cooking, helping around the home and tidying up after themselves. This helps children to get into the routine of normal family life.

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Quality of care good

Children experience good quality of care delivered in an atmosphere of emotional warmth by staff who are responsive to their diverse and complex needs. Care planning is of good quality and staff work towards achieving the objectives of the placement plan in a thoughtful, consistent and child-centred manner. 6 of 9 Parents feel that their children are well looked after and they appreciate the personal support they get from staff. Close liaison with parents and extended family is a strength of the home and helps to reinforce identity and kinship ties. As a result contact with family is a very positive experience for children.

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Quality of care good

Children are of an age where they can voice their opinion about most things, and do so. Staff take their views seriously and, as good parents, act on these where it is safe and reasonable to do so. The nature of placements at the home means that there is daily conversation with children, who are of an age where they need and increasingly want to stick close by to adults. This means that discussions about children's views and wishes take place within warm, nurturing relationships where issues can be safely explored and resolved.

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Quality of care good

The Registered Manager and her team are strong advocates on behalf of children. Children are made aware of how they can make a complaint. Children have the opportunity to contribute to their reviews and care-planning processes and parents say they feel included in the process of decision-making for their children. It is not clear however that children understand that they have a right to have the services of an independent advocate. This limits their right to representation.

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Quality of care good

The home provides children with a lot of space, both inside and out, to explore, play and accommodate a huge number of toys. It is reasonably furnished and comfortable but lets children down by not being in a good state of repair throughout. For example, door and drawer fronts are missing from kitchen cabinets and there is an open drain at the front of the house. This does not convey to children that they are valued.

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Quality of care good

The manager's location assessment lacks input from the police and other agencies. This means that important areas of local risk may be overlooked.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Consistent staff practice, sound analysis of risk and strong partnership working effectively underpins a range of safeguarding measures. This means children are safe at the home, and parents and professionals agree with this view.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

The safety and wellbeing of children is given a high priority within the home. Staff are alert to children's increased level of vulnerability caused by their own behaviours, and any potential risks arising from the activities and hazards within the home. Children are safe as a result.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Good staffing ratios mean that children are fully supervised while still enjoying an element of independence and privacy when they need it. Children are beginning to respond to the positive parenting of staff and risk-taking behaviour has diminished. Children do not go missing from the home and there are no concerns about 7 of 9 exploitation.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Partnership working with all agencies is good, but there is particularly effective liaison with a designated police officer who regularly makes informal visits to the home. This helps children to see a new dimension to the role of the police, as well as gain advice and guidance from them.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Staff are skilled and creative in managing behaviour. They have a good understanding of how underlying emotional and psychological needs can shape behaviour. They act with care, sensitivity and kindness to address these matters.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

This is beginning to have positive impact on children's behaviour, their ability to follow instructions and engage in learning. The number of aggressive incidents, and therefore the need for restraint, has reduced considerably. The periods of time when children are calmer and more receptive to staff intervention is slowly but surely increasing. Medication has been carefully calibrated and is now proving more effective in helping to manage children's complex behavioural needs.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Staff are aware of their safeguarding responsibilities and take the right action if there is an allegation or suspicion of abuse or harm, in conjunction with protective agencies. The staff team are well-established but new staff would be subject to stringent vetting procedures before starting work at the home.

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Leadership and management adequate

The Registered Manager has a social work degree, a level 5 management qualification and considerable childcare and management experience. Through training and self-directed learning she ensures that she has the skills and experience necessary for managing the home and ensuring that children's needs are met.

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Leadership and management adequate

A new independent visitor has been appointed. Reports are confusing as they conflate the information from the previous independent visitor. This makes it hard to judge whether previous information is being taken into account by the current visitor. No assessment is made by the visitor of whether children at the home are safeguarded or their welfare promoted. This may give the provider a misleading picture of young people's safety, progress and well-being.

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Leadership and management adequate

Monitoring by the manager is effective in ensuring that children experience good quality care. Children's records are information-rich and give a clear reflection of children's experiences and events at the home. Records do not always capture the impact that the home is having on children's progress. This makes it hard for families and professionals to see the difference that the home is making to children's lives.

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Leadership and management adequate

Children benefit from effective team working. Staff report that the manager is approachable, knowledgeable and supportive. There is a sense of shared ownership 8 of 9 about how care is delivered and this aids consistency in practice. Staff are suitably qualified and are helped to fulfil their roles competently with regular supervision.

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Leadership and management adequate

The manager keeps Ofsted informed of all significant events relating to children. She ensures appropriate action is taken to support children and young people through these crises and maintains good partnership working with other agencies to promote children's welfare. Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Leadership and management adequate

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Judgement Description

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

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Judgement Description

Good A service of high quality that exceeds minimum requirements.

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Judgement Description

Adequate A service that only meets minimum requirements.

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Judgement Description

Inadequate A service that does not meet minimum requirements.

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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.

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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.

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