Children's Home run by Nottinghamshire County Council in Derbyshire

Unique reference number SC051513 Inspector Judith Longden Type of inspection Interim Provision subtype Children's home

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Registered person Nottinghamshire County Council Registered person address Nottinghamshire County Council, County Hall Loughborough Road, West Bridgford NOTTINGHAM NG2 7QP Responsible individual Helen Daft Registered manager Diane Elizabeth Beckitt Date of last inspection 23/07/2014 2 of 6 Inspection date 12/03/2015

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

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This inspection

This home was judged good at the last full inspection. At this interim inspection Ofsted judge that it has improved effectiveness .

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This inspection

This home continues to demonstrate improvement in the care, welfare and safety of young people, and as a result, they make good progress in achieving positive outcomes. One professional identified that, ‘what makes a difference is he is settled and cared for well at this home.’

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This inspection

Young people, new to the home, are made to feel welcome. Placements are carefully planned and, if possible, a number of visits are offered prior to moving into the home. Some young people have moved on to foster care. This has been supported by the provision of a number of visits to help build relationships. This has led to a successful move from the home.

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This inspection

A key strength of this home is a very strong, motivated and resilient staff team who are acutely aware of the changing needs of young people and the risks some of their behaviours present. Staff work effectively in partnership with placing authorities, other professionals and family members to review all placements, identify strategies to manage and reduce risks, and to ensure young people continue to receive the appropriate care to meet their needs. This provides a stable and secure placement for young people. A social worker with case responsibility for one of the young people said, ‘due to this young person’s needs and change in circumstances staff are assessing and reviewing risk management strategies on a weekly basis. We work together as a team.’

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This inspection

Communication within the home is open and inclusive, providing an environment where young people feel able to contribute to the review of their risks, needs and progress.

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This inspection

Young people have made very good progress in their education attendance and 3 of 6 attainment and for some this progress has been excellent. One tutor described a young person’s progress as ‘phenomenal’, and went on to state that, ‘his practical skills are excellent and he responds to each new task with enthusiasm.’

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This inspection

Young people pursue a range of hobbies and interests. One young person enjoys attending a music project and has recently performed at a county music showcase event. This demonstrated the skills and progress he had made as well as improving his confidence and self-esteem. A member of staff said, ‘we are dead proud of him’.

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This inspection

Some young people are beginning to take responsibility for their own health; one young person has stopped smoking, drinking alcohol and using cannabis. The frequency and severity of self-harm behaviours has significantly decreased. This has not only improved their health but their confidence and self-esteem as well.

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This inspection

Staff promote family contact where this is appropriate and this enables young people to maintain strong links with family members. Friends are welcome to visit and have meals at the home and this encourages young people to form positive relationships. A social worker said ’staff have encouraged this young person’s relationship with family, previously there was limited contact. Contact has now improved and increased.’

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This inspection

Young people have access to a range of support and advocacy services. This ensures they have support from adults outside of the staff team. Some receive support from an organisation that mentors young people of dual heritage. This provides positive role models and helps them to understand and celebrate their cultural identity.

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This inspection

All staff promote the safety and wellbeing of the young people by adhering to the relevant safeguarding procedures and by being informed by research and evidence based practice. They ensure there is timely reporting of any concerns and are robust in advocating on behalf of young people to ensure their safety and wellbeing.

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This inspection

Some young people have continued to offend but they have engaged well with the Youth Offending Service (YOS) to ensure their court orders are completed. The YOS also support staff in working with anger management and drug related concerns. This ensures behaviours are addressed and young people receive support to help them stop offending in the future.

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This inspection

Physical intervention is rarely used despite some young people displaying aggressive and abusive behaviours. This is because staff deploy consistent approaches to de- escalate incidents and manage negative behaviour. Sanctions are negotiated with young people and their effectiveness is reviewed and evaluated by the manager. This enables young people to learn the consequences of their behaviour.

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This inspection

Protocols for reporting and recording absence and missing episodes are clear and detailed providing a consistent approach and response from the home and police to 4 of 6 any incidents. When young people do go missing they are responded to positively on their return. Staff and young people work with other agencies to discuss the reasons for absence and to identify any additional support services they may require. This ensures young people are kept as safe as possible.

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This inspection

Staff report a good sense of togetherness within the team which includes all the support staff. One member of staff stated, ‘it is a strong team, good team and all inclusive.’ Supervision is regular and of good quality. Team meetings provide a good forum for sharing ideas, identifying trends and developing creative interventions to support young people. As a result, staff are supported to deliver an increasingly effective service for young people.

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This inspection

The Registered Manager and deputy manager are very experienced and provide excellent leadership to drive improvement forward. A detailed development plan for the home reviews past achievements and identifies robust targets for ensuring the home continues to progress. The recommendation made at the last inspection has been met.

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This inspection

There is regular monitoring of the functioning of the home by the manager and reports are submitted as required to Ofsted, providing an overview of the quality of care provided. The monthly visits by an independent visitor do not always include consultation with others. This means the views of young people, parents and stakeholders are not always sufficiently reflected in the reports from these visits. 5 of 6

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Information about this children’s home

The home is run by a local authority and provides care for four young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties or learning disabilities.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

23/07/2014 Full good 03/02/2014 Interim satisfactory progress 29/08/2013 Full good 15/01/2013 Interim good progress

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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 the independent person, when carrying out a visit, shall interview, with their consent and in private, such persons as appears necessary in order to form 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)(i)(ii)) 30/04/2015 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Reg. Requirement Due date

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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What inspection judgements mean

At the interim inspections we make a judgement on whether the home has improved in effectiveness, sustained effectiveness, or declined in effectiveness since the previous full inspection. This is in line with the Inspection of children’s homes: framework for inspection.

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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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