Children's Home run by Derbyshire County Council in Derbyshire

Good

The children's home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 The management and staff team implement a very strong social pedagogic approach in their daily practice with young people. This means young people are empowered to gain control over their lives.  The nurturing and caring approach of staff ensures that young people feel a strong sense of value and belonging. They know staff care about them. This promotes positive relationships and attachments.  All young people are supported to engage in educational programmes and post-16 training that meet their individual needs and preferences. Staff are creative in working with young people to help them persevere with their education.  The holistic health of young people significantly improves due to staff ensuring that they have all their healthcare needs rigorously met.  Extremely robust safeguarding practice ensures young people, including the most vulnerable, are protected from actual and potential harm.  Behaviour management strategies are effective and enable young people to

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The children's home provision is good because:

understand and regulate their own behaviours.  Missing from care incidents are exceptionally well managed and managers are champions in promoting understanding of child sexual exploitation.  Leadership of the home is solid and unwavering. It ensures all young people get the best possible care all of the time, and their outcomes are improved.  Partnership within the wider multidisciplinary team is highly effective, with social care practitioners commending the work of the management and staff team.  The home environment, décor and gardens are maintained to exceptionally high standards  A shortfall with fire drills requires further improvement to strengthen fire safety practice.

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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 (England) Regulations 2015 and the Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards. The registered person(s) must comply with the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure, by means of fire drills and practices at suitable intervals, that persons working at the home are aware of the procedure to be followed in case of fire: with specific regard to relief and agency staff. (Regulation (25) (d)) 06/11/2015

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Information about this children's home

This local authority children's home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to five children and young people with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

10/03/2015 Interim Improved Effectiveness

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good

The ethos of the home means managers and staff work towards making as ‘near normal’ home life as opposed to ‘institutional life’. The home is very much family style in appearance and conveys a warm and welcoming atmosphere. Daily routines ensure young people benefit from well-rounded lifestyles with opportunities to experience a range of activities, enjoy holidays of their choice and feel proud of the home they live in. Young people say that the home is: ‘Really great’; ‘A nice place’; and ‘fab!’ Staff use social pedagogy in their work with young people. The basis of this approach is to ensure that staff and young people build and sustain positive relationships with each other. This is achieved through providing consistent boundaries, nurturing, and rewarding achievement. Over time, and with the provision of therapy, education and social activities, young people learn to settle, feel secure and develop attachments to trusted adults. This means they develop

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good

the resilience and self-worth necessary to cope with the daily demands and challenges of life. All young people have highly positive views about their care, the staff and the home. They said that they benefit from their placement and the support given, even though they would prefer to live with their families or outside of the care system. Relationships between young people are excellent and their relationships with staff are positive, caring and respectful. Young people are engaged in a range of educational programmes. They have now left school and are in training and vocational college placements. Attendance is well supported, with some achieving near 100% attendance. Where young people do not engage in educational programmes, staff are creative and persistent in providing alternatives to encourage them to engage. A key strength of the staff team is ensuring young people have all of their routine and specific physical health needs met. This includes supporting them in having

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good

long-term orthodontic treatment, resulting in improved self-esteem and pride in their appearance. Where young people have been afraid of having injections, staff have sensitively arranged for the nurse to visit and speak with them in the home, prior to having their immunisations. Other aspects of health are well considered. Young people learn how drugs, alcohol and cigarettes might have a negative impact on their health. Sex education and sexual healthcare also feature in their care as they mature and develop. Attention to the changing healthcare needs means they are healthy and learn how to keep themselves healthy. The staff team is proactive in partnership work with mental health services. Consequently, the individual psychological and emotional well-being of young people is promoted. In addition to supporting young people in direct therapeutic work, staff actively engage in consultation sessions with mental health

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good

professionals to learn specific methods of working with young people. Social care professionals commend the staff team for their enthusiasm and commitment to develop new skills. All young people are supported, where it is appropriate to do so, to develop and maintain links with their families, and thus their family identity. A social worker commented: ‘They are very supportive and have encouraged the young person to have positive contact, both face to face and by telephone. They have also been supportive of the family.’ Young people develop skills that will benefit them as they move into adulthood. They learn skills such as cooking, shopping, laundry, budgeting and maintaining their own living space. Young people have bank accounts, passports and some are applying for their provisional driving licence. These skills and resources enable them to build upon their ability to care for themselves with their eventual move to

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outstanding

Safeguarding incidents are very low; however, where they do occur, staff are exceptionally effective in providing a timely response to initiate safeguarding actions. As a result, young people are protected. All young people report that they feel safe and have become increasingly safe because of the care provided. One young person said: ‘They really look out for me; I do feel safe and secure and now know how to make sure I keep myself safe.’ Managers and staff have excellent levels of safeguarding knowledge and training. The registered and deputy managers are both child sexual exploitation champions. They have used this expertise in practice with young people and have provided advice to colleagues when required. Currently there are no young people assessed as at risk of sexual exploitation.

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outstanding

Safeguarding practices are rigorous and implemented by a knowledgeable management and staff team. Where young people engage in risk-taking behaviours, the staff team is proactive to collaborate with safeguarding agencies. This ensures risks are effectively managed and minimised. Staff are tenacious and resilient in ensuring young people are protected. They persevere with them, irrespective of the challenges they present. The registered manager has built effective and cooperative links with the local police service. Consequently, concerns about the safety or welfare of young people are shared in a timely manner. Missing from care incidents are very well managed, with protocols followed, strategy meetings convened and return interviews undertaken. Police confirm that staff effectively communicate concerns and collaborate with them to locate young people and formulate plans to minimise risk. Behaviour management approaches are highly effective and result in young people

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outstanding

learning to regulate their own behaviours. The deputy manager described a restorative approach in managing behaviours: ‘Restorative work means being less punitive and encouraging young people to take responsibility to mend the situation.’ Incidents of restorative work are low and methods of reparation are appropriate to the circumstances. There have been no incidents of physical intervention since the last inspection.

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outstanding

The management of the health and safety of young people, staff and visitors within the home is a priority. Detailed and regularly reviewed generic and specific risk assessments cover all aspects of daily living. The home has a continual programme of maintenance, which ensures timely repair and remedial work. Health and safety checks, including fire equipment, are current, and environmental risks assessments are in place.

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outstanding

Regular fire drills are held to ensure that young people and most staff are supported to understand the dangers of fire and evacuate safely. The fire evacuation procedures for some relief and part-time staff are less frequent. The impact of this shortfall is, however, lessened as managers assess all staff in their competence to understand many aspects of health and safety, including fire safety. To strengthen the procedure further, a requirement has been set to ensure managers can fully evaluate how effectively all staff can evacuate the home.

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outstanding

The manager was registered in this post in 2007. She is highly experienced and has a National Vocational Qualification Registered Managers’ award and a social work qualification. The deputy manager is highly skilled and is currently undertaking the Level 5 Diploma. This management team complement each other with their combined understanding of residential childcare. This ensures that the experiences and long-term outcomes for young people in residential care are maximised. The management team is committed to provide the best possible care for all young people and is aspirational for their futures. They lead a dedicated and enthusiastic staff team who work exceptionally hard to ensure each young person receives effective education, healthcare and therapeutic support. Each member of the staff team contributes his or her own unique qualities and skills to the home. For example, the staff team includes: an outdoor activity instructor; a musician; and

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outstanding

staff trained in a play therapy, social pedagogy, sexual health and drug awareness. All staff are fully committed to enriching the daily experiences of the young people in their care. Managers have an excellent insight into the strengths of the home and areas for development. They routinely consult with social care professionals, parents and young people to gauge levels of satisfaction. They quality assure the home through rigorous internal auditing and monitoring reports. Additionally, the managers develop plans to assist them in coordinating and implementing positive change. The registered manager is creative in providing solutions for complex situations that occur in residential childcare. The short-term placement of one young person, with highly complex and challenging behaviours required significant levels of strategic planning. The registered manager coordinated and managed her staff team to provide bespoke care to this young person. Meticulous monitoring ensured

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outstanding

the young person received continuous high quality and safe care. The social worker for this young person said: ‘The response by residential colleagues has been exceptional and the successful delivery of the young person to his flat after 28 days of 24/7 support was a considerable achievement.’ This demonstrates that although the registered manager is highly accomplished in providing long-term care and improved outcomes for young people, she is also skilled in providing specialist short-term care. Regular reflective supervision and bi-annual appraisals ensure staff performance is rigorously monitored and evaluated. Additionally, a comprehensive training programme ensures the continuous professional development of staff. These combined processes ensure young people benefit from safe and high standards of care. The statement of purpose is in accordance with recent changes to regulation. It is a comprehensive, accessible and informative document. Consequently, social care

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outstanding

professionals and parents are aware of the scope and remit of the home. Social workers are happy that the home meets the needs of the young people and achieves the aims of the home as they are set out in the statement of purpose. Independent reviewing officers and social workers are unanimous in their praise of the management and staff.

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What the inspection judgements mean

The experiences and progress of children and young people are at the centre of the inspection. Inspectors will use their professional judgement to determine the weight and significance of their findings in this respect. The judgements included in the report are made against Inspection of children's homes: framework for inspection.

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What the inspection judgements mean

An outstanding children's home provides highly effective services that contribute to significantly improved outcomes for children and young people who need help and protection and care. Their progress exceeds expectations and is sustained over time. A good children's home provides effective services that help, protect and care for children and young people and have their welfare safeguarded and promoted. In a children's home that requires improvement , there are no widespread or serious failures that create or leave children being harmed or at risk of harm. The welfare of looked after children is safeguarded and promoted. Minimum requirements are in place, however, the children's home is not yet delivering good protection, help and care for children and young people. A children's home that is inadequate is providing services where there are widespread or serious failures that create or leave children and young people being

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What the inspection judgements mean

harmed or at risk of harm or result in children looked after not having their welfare safeguarded and promoted.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people living in the children's home. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference adults make to the lives of children and young people. They read case files, watched how professional staff work with children, young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care given to children and young people. Wherever possible, they talked to children, young people and their families. In addition the inspectors have tried to understand what the children's home knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people who it is trying to help, protect and look after. This 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 Children's

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Information about this inspection

Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards. the guidance raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted, which is available from Ofsted's website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, workbased learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It inspects services for looked after children and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Information about this inspection

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

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Information about this inspection

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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