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 home is judged as good in all areas, although there are some outstanding practices. Judgements of good have been given as some shortfalls which have the potential to impact on the care of children and young people have been identified.  Transition planning both for children and young people being admitted to the home and those leaving the home is excellent. Transitions are based on individual needs and happen at the individual’s own pace. Staff work closely with the child, young person, their families and any other relevant people involved in their care. As a result, children’s and young people’s transitions are smooth and as comfortable as possible at what can be a worrying time for the child, young person and their families.  Children and young people receive very good individualised care and support from a truly committed staff team. They make very good progress given their starting points and have access to a range of activities and

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The children's home provision is good because:

experiences they may not have had before. This is because staff challenge barriers and are meticulous in planning all events.  Empowerment and enablement of children and young people are at the forefront of practice. Staff are very skilled at communicating with them and a range of communication aids are used.  Education and learning are priorities and extend beyond school. Children and young people are given every opportunity to increase their social and independence skills during their time at the home.  A key strength is partnership working which helps to ensure children’s and young people’s complex holistic needs are met.  Areas for improvement relate to obtaining health details, updating care plans and informing social workers of incidents in a timely manner.

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):  Ensure that staff have the relevant skills and knowledge to be able to respond to the health needs of children. This is with specific reference to obtaining contact details of key medical professionals. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 34, paragraph 7.12.)  Ensure that children’s case records are kept up to date and signed and dated by the author of each entry. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 62, paragraph 14.3.)  Ensure that the appropriate people are notified of all serious events within 24 hours. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 63, paragraph 14.13.)

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Information about this children's home

This is a local authority children’s home which provides care and accommodation for up to six children and young people with learning disabilities. The home provides long-term care and short breaks. The design of the home ensures that the dual purpose of providing long-term care and short-break services does not have an impact on children and young people living at the home. The home’s statement of purpose indicates that the age range will be between 8 and 18 years of age.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

24/03/2015 Interim Sustained Effectiveness

p.5

Good

Staff work very closely with a range of health professionals to ensure children’s and young people’s health needs are met. Feedback from health professionals confirms good communication and collaborative working. Protocols are provided for children and young people with complex health needs. However, in one instance, staff did not have details of the named person to contact in an emergency. Although they were working with the community nursing service regarding this matter, the management team had not taken action in a timely manner to obtain this information. There is no evidence that this lack of information has affected the delivery of care, but a lack of appropriate information has the potential to affect the ability of staff, including medical staff, to respond appropriately if needed.

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Good

The management of medication is good, and children and young people are given their medication as prescribed. Staff and managers undertake regular audits to ensure practices are appropriate and safe.

p.6

Good

Young people receive a very good standard of individualised care from staff they know and trust. They make excellent progress given their starting points. This is because they have very detailed care plans and risk assessments which are reviewed regularly to reflect changes in needs. However, some care plans do not include details of medication prescribed, and those that do are not always updated promptly when there has been a change in medication. There is no evidence that these shortfalls have had a negative impact on the provision of care.

p.6

Good

Feedback from parents is extremely positive about the care their children receive and the commitment of staff. They are very grateful for the care and support staff provide, not only to their children but also to them as families. A parent of a young person using the short-break service commented: ‘It has been hugely beneficial giving him a choice of activity and the choice of how much or little he does’, and, ‘as always there is great communication from everyone at the home.’

p.6

Good

Admission to, and transition practices from, the home are based on individualised needs and are very good. This inspection identified excellent practice regarding the admission of a young person with complex health needs and physical disabilities. Thorough planning and joint working with parents and a range of professionals were key to making the move as comfortable as possible for the young person and reassured her parents. Staff received appropriate training to be able to meet the young person’s health needs, and all the required equipment was in place prior to admission. Comments from the young person’s review meeting include: ‘This appears to have been well planned and executed and you are reported to have settled well into life at the home. There has been a good start to the plan and I think that there are excellent prospects for the future.’

p.6

Good

Staff view education as a priority to enable children and young people to reach their full potential in all areas of their lives. Staff work closely with schools, and this is confirmed by social workers and school staff. Children’s and young people’s attendance is excellent. They continue to learn and acquire skills in the home while at the same time having fun. Their communication skills, personal care skills and social interaction skills also improve. This is because staff set clear targets in consultation with parents and other relevant professionals.

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Good

Empowerment of children and young people is a key strength. Staff go to great lengths and are creative in enabling children and young people to have a real say in their lives. A range of different communication aids and systems are used. These include: pictures and symbols; the use of pictorial social stories; picture exchange communication systems; and compact discs for presenting at review meetings. The children’s guide and safety booklets are produced for each individual.

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Good

Children’s and young people’s diets are based on their individualised needs. Menus reflect a range of cultural meals, and the cook liaises with the school to avoid repetition of meals. Staff have obtained learning tools from the dietician to enable children and young people to learn about healthy eating and to aid them in making good choices. Staff support children and young people to develop independence skills. Once a week they choose a meal, go shopping for the ingredients and then prepare the meal.

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Good

Children and young people are given every opportunity to try new experiences and have fun. Staff go to great lengths to provide new and individualised activities for them. They do not let barriers prevent children and young people from trying activities; their planning is meticulous for all events and activities. For example, a young person with complex physical disabilities and health needs recently went abseiling. One child who is interested in pirates went on a treasure hunt, which involved staff planting the items themselves; the child really enjoyed this.

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Good

Children and young people live and stay in a purpose-built home which takes into account their abilities and disabilities. The design of the home ensures that the dual purpose of providing long-term care and short-break services does not have a negative impact on children and young people living at the home. It enables appropriate matching of children’s and young people’s needs, which helps to ensure they are happy, safe and able to develop to their full potential. A range of aids and adaptations help to ensure they receive safe care, which also ensures that their privacy and dignity are maximised. The standard of décor and furnishings is good. Children, young people and their families are actively involved in choosing the décor and personalising the environment, which reflects their individual identities. A parent made the comment that the home is a ‘top notch’ environment.

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Good

Safeguarding is at the forefront of practice. There are clear policies and procedures to protect children and young people, which staff effectively implement. Staff receive a range of safeguarding training which informs their practice. They work collaboratively with a range of agencies to ensure children and young people can develop skills and have fun while at the same time being safe. Risk management is based on individual needs and abilities but does not thwart their development.

p.8

Good

Staff are particularly skilful in managing children’s and young people’s complex and in some cases, ever changing behaviours. This is because they know and understand children and young people very well. Behaviour management plans and risk assessments are very detailed. Staff are good at identifying triggers and analysing behaviours, which helps to inform changes to these key documents. Physical intervention is only ever used as a last resort and appropriate records are kept.

p.8

Good

Improvements in children’s and young people’s behaviours have enabled them to access more community activities and increase contact with their families. A young person has recently been to a local theatre and was able to stay for the whole show. This same young person is now having overnight stays at her family home. This is significant progress and is testament to the skills and tenacity of the staff team.

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Good

Children and young people rarely go missing due to the high levels of staff supervision and the security of the premises. However, their risk management plans include details of what to do in the event of going missing where this is a potential risk. This helps to safeguard them.

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Good

The local police have visited the home to get to know and try and understand some of the difficulties faced by children and young people with complex disabilities. The management team has attended training on child sexual exploitation and all staff are due to receive this training which will be ‘bespoke’ training for children with disabilities. This will help to raise their awareness of issues that could affect children and young people in the event of them going missing and the dangers of the internet.

p.8

Good

The management of health and safety is good and helps to keep children, young people and staff safe. Fire safety procedures are produced in different communication forms and each child and young person has their own personal emergency evacuation plan.

p.9

Good

Safe and robust recruitment practices demonstrate that finding the right person is more important than filling a vacancy. Appropriate checks are obtained. Interviews explore applicants’ values, attitudes and skills to ensure they can work in line with the ethos of the team. These practices help to protect children and young people from the risk of harm.

p.9

Good

Improving the lives of children and young people is embedded in the culture and day-to-day practice. Staff have high aspirations for children and young people and work enthusiastically to develop and improve services. The management team provides clear leadership and direction. A social worker commented that staff want the best for young people and they have a ‘can do attitude’ and ‘there is always a contingency plan’ if things do not work.

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Good

Staff shortages since the last inspection have hindered the management team’s ability to develop and implement new systems and practices. Most staff vacancies have been filled recently, which places all staff in a better position to continue to improve the care they provide.

p.9

Good

There is a clear system for notifying the appropriate authorities of significant events. However, on occasions there has been a delay in informing the social worker of incidents. Although there is no evidence that this has had an impact on children’s and young people’s well-being, delays in notifying relevant people has the potential to affect prompt action if needed.

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Good

The registered manager has worked at the home since it was registered in 2012 and has many years’ experience of working with young people with learning disabilities. She has a Level 4 National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) in working with children and young people and a Level 4 NVQ in residential childcare management. She uses her experience to inform and develop her own practice as well as staff practice.

p.9

Good

Children and young people receive a very good standard of individualised care from an experienced, committed and well-trained staff team. A young person’s social worker commented that she finds staff, ‘very efficient, very caring and respectful (to the young person)’.

p.10

Good

The majority of staff have the level 3 qualification in working with children and young people. Staff training is a priority and is responsive to children’s and young people’s needs. Staff receive regular supervision and feel supported by the management team. Staff meetings are held regularly and are used effectively to discuss children’s and young people’s progress and new developments.

p.10

Good

A team development day was held recently. The focus of the development day was the new quality standards and regulations. Staff told the inspector how much they enjoyed this and how much they learnt. They also recognised how much they already know and do; this has increased their confidence and has boosted staff morale.

p.10

Good

There is a range of internal monitoring systems within the home which help to ensure children and young people receive the care and support they need in a safe and secure environment. Monthly visits are carried out by an independent visitor as required and these complement the home’s internal systems. Copies of these reports are sent to Ofsted as required, which helps the regulator to monitor the quality of care in the home. These systems also inform future developments. The registered manager is in the process of updating the development plan to reflect the new quality standards and regulations.

p.10

Good

The home’s statement of purpose was last reviewed in July 2015 and contains all the required information. It has a very clear ethos and reflects the needs of the children and young people who use the service. It gives clear and detailed information to parents, carers and placing authorities about services provided. Practice is in line with the statement of purpose. For example, staff provide a wide range of educational and social experiences appropriate to each individual’s needs. Children’s guides are tailored and produced, based on individualised needs.

p.10

Good

Staff have excellent working relationships with other professionals and agencies. This means that children and young people get the best all-round care and support to promote their well-being and improve their life opportunities.

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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

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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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