Children's Home run by Nottinghamshire County Council in Nottinghamshire

Outstanding

The children's home provides highly effective services that consistently exceeds the standards of good. The actions of the home contribute to significantly improved outcomes for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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The children's home provision is outstanding because:

 Children and young people receive exceptional person-centred care from a highly motivated, skilled and professional staff team who want the best for them.  Empowerment of children and young people is at the heart of practice. The majority of children and young people have either no or limited verbal communication skills. Staff are dedicated to enabling them to make choices and are innovative in trying to provide a range of communication strategies. Staff are extremely skilled at interpreting non-verbal communication and behaviours.  Staff are truly committed to partnership working. This is a key strength and helps to ensure children and young people’s holistic needs are met in a safe and nurturing environment.  Staff are strong advocates for children and young people and challenge any barriers to ensure they have access to life opportunities including activities and learning.  The quality of leadership and management is exceptional. The registered

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The children's home provision is outstanding because:

manager, ably supported by the management team, is passionate and innovative, leading by example. ‘Standing still’ is not an option in this home and the drive for improvement is inherent in practice.  Feedback from parents, carers and professionals is overwhelmingly positive. Parents and families really appreciate the support and care their children receive and the support they as families receive from staff. A parent commented, ‘The staff are amazing and so thoughtful. It has been a lifeline for us as parents and our son is very happy there. For that we are truly grateful.’

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Information about this children's home

This is a local authority children’s home. It provides residential care and short-break services for up to 16 children and young people with physical disabilities, learning disabilities and complex health needs. The home’s statement of purpose indicates the age range will be between 10 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

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outstanding

Children and young people receive excellent care and support from a staff team whose commitment and expertise in providing individualised care is exceptional. They are happy at the home and make very good progress given their starting points. They thrive in an environment where staff go above and beyond what is expected of them because staff want the best for children and young people. They are clearly relaxed and settled with staff which helps them to feel safe, secure and confident. Feedback from social workers and parents is extremely positive and comments include: ‘Staff have always been very committed to children and young people. They work collaboratively, sharing information and are very good advocates for children and young people’; ‘The home is brilliant and staff are very child focussed.’; ‘It is like a home from home and all the staff are excellent and know each child individually.’

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outstanding

The high quality care does not differ for those living at the home or for those using the home for short-break services. Comments received from children and young people who receive short-break services include: ‘I enjoy all my visits and all the staff are great, they spoil me!’ A parent said: ‘The home is a very friendly place all the staff know the children well and my son loves going. He just makes himself at home as soon as he arrives.’

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outstanding

Partnership working is exemplary and is paramount to ensuring that staff are able to meet the complex needs of children and young people. Each individual has highly detailed care plans, risk assessments and additional support plans. Staff produce these documents in consultation with, and with guidance from, parents, carers and a range of professionals. These records are reviewed and updated regularly which helps to ensure children and young people’s current and changing needs are understood and met. Feedback from all stakeholders is unreservedly positive about the commitment of staff to partnership working. Comments from a social worker include: ‘The staff were excellent in all aspects and enabled me to gain information and support to ensure I gained the young person’s view, wishes and feelings. The key worker helped to teach me additional communication skills to engage with the young person.’

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outstanding

Many children and young people have complex health needs. Staff work seamlessly with a range of health professionals, parents and carers to constantly monitor and assess their health needs. Staff also receive training based on individualised needs and their competency levels for certain procedures are assessed by relevant health professionals. Staff, in conjunction with the lead nurse and occupational therapist produce detailed protocols and photographic guides regarding invasive interventions and moving and handling procedures. This ensures staff are able to implement practices confidently, sensitively and with high regard to children’s and young people’s comfort and safety. As a result of the collaborative working, each individual has the best possible care and support to ensure their complex health needs are met.

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outstanding

The promotion of education is top priority. Staff work very closely with schools to ensure all children and young people have every opportunity to reach their potential both academically and socially. Their attendance is excellent. They continue to learn and acquire skills as much as possible in the home while at the same time having fun. Their communication skills and social interaction skills also improve. This is because each child is supported to achieve and progress in their individualised targets.

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outstanding

Empowerment of children and young people is embedded in the culture of the home. Staff are tenacious in their efforts to ensure all children and young people are able to make choices no matter how big or small about their day-to-day and future lives. Staff are very skilled at communicating with children and young people and use a range of communication methods and equipment. For example, menus are produced in pictorial form and there is a talking menu. Questionnaires to obtain children’s and young people’s views are individualised which provides them with real opportunities to make their views known wherever possible. Comments received from the placing authority regarding empowering children and young people include: ‘Excellent support is given to enable the children to communicate. This home takes communication and participation of disabled children very seriously. Reviews always have participation evident from the child, set out in a

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outstanding

Children and young people benefit tremendously from being able to access a range of opportunities including fun activities and experiences, which increase their individual skills. This is because staff fully understand each individual and the barriers they face in accessing everyday opportunities. Staff are strong advocates, challenging barriers and ‘thinking outside the box’ to improve children and young people’s lifestyles. They are able to access a wide range of activities both within the home and in the community. The home benefits from a sensory room and the media room which has a range of games and sensory activities which children and young people thoroughly enjoy. Planning of activities is meticulous which helps to ensure any risks are taken into account and that children and young people have the best chance to enjoy themselves.

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outstanding

The home is located in a village and the extensive grounds at the rear provide various play facilities for children and young people to enjoy. The internal environment takes into account their abilities and disabilities and there are a wide range of aids, adaptations and equipment. This helps to ensure children and young people receive safe care, which also ensures that their privacy and dignity are maximised. The standard of décor is good and reflects the needs and likes of all the children and young people. They are actively encouraged to personalise their bedrooms which helps to retain their individual identity and reflect their personalities.

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outstanding

Safeguarding children and young people is unquestionably at the heart of practice. Children, young people, their families, carers, and professionals confirm they are safe at the home. This is because staff are highly skilled and have an in depth knowledge of all individuals’ needs. Staff receive a host of training based on individual as well as group needs and training is responsive to the changing needs of children and young people. The registered manager is proactive in researching and sourcing training which helps to constantly increase staff knowledge and aid their development. This includes providing training which is not necessarily pertinent to the children and young people living at the home and using the short- break service, but helps develop staff understanding of wider issues, for example safeguarding children from sexual exploitation.

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outstanding

Staff implement safeguarding policies and procedures effectively and consistently which helps children and young people to feel safe and secure. They work collaboratively with parents, carers and a range of professionals to ensure children and young people are safe while at the same time enabling them to try a range of new life experiences.

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outstanding

There is a very clear complaints procedure. Complaints are rare but records show that they are dealt with promptly and thoroughly. Concerns are referred to the local authority designated officer where appropriate. These practices help to keep children and young people safe and give them, and all relevant stakeholders, confidence that their concerns will be listened to and taken seriously. A parent commented: ‘I have had no reason to complain as the home provide such a high quality of care that there has been no need to. Excellent staff.’

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outstanding

Staff are exceptionally skilled at interpreting behaviours which may place individuals at risk of harm. Individualised risk management is central to, and highly effective in, ensuring children and young people are safe. Constant evaluation of risk assessments, care plans and support plans ensure the risk of harm is minimised. Physical intervention and sanctions are not used.

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outstanding

The management of health and safety is robust and helps to ensure children and young people live in a safe and comfortable environment. This is because the whole team take ownership for the monitoring of day-to-day practices. Regular monitoring and servicing of equipment, staff training as well as regular fire safety checks all contribute to the safety of children, young people and staff.

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outstanding

Robust recruitment practices help to protect children and young people from the risk of harm and abuse.

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outstanding

The registered manager has worked at the home since 2012 and has over twenty years’ experience of working in residential childcare. She is a qualified social worker and has a Post -Graduate Diploma in Management in Public Services. These qualifications as well as her inherent commitment to continually improving the lives of children and young people means she is an exceptional manager. She is inspirational and dynamic and her enthusiasm permeates throughout the whole staff team.

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outstanding

This is a home where ‘standing still’ is not an option. The registered manager is ably supported by a professional and experienced management team and they provide clear leadership and direction with exemplary outcomes for children and young people. The ethos of promoting the life experiences of all children and young people regardless of their complex disabilities and health needs is embedded in day-to-day practice.

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outstanding

There is a very detailed statement of purpose and the practice of staff and managers is in line with it, for example, empowerment of children and young people is embedded in daily practice. Children’s guides are based on individual’s needs to ensure they all have access to information about what to expect in the home.

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outstanding

Children and young people receive exceptional individualised care from a dedicated and enthusiastic staff team who have high aspirations for them. Staff challenge barriers as part of their daily practice to ensure children and young people have maximum opportunities to enjoy, achieve and reach their full potential. The staff team are innovative and creative in their care practices to ensure children and young people get the very best out of life.

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outstanding

Training and development for the whole staff team is top priority and responsive to children and young people’s changing needs. Staff receive regular good quality supervision which gives them the opportunity for reflective practice as well as discussing children’s and young people’s care. The registered manager carries out an annual audit of supervision to assess the quality and effectiveness in meeting staff’s individual needs as well as the aims and objectives of the home. Staff support systems ensure that they can meet the diverse needs of each individual. This is also achieved by seamless multi-disciplinary agency working. Staff have excellent relationships with a range of professionals which ensures children and young people get the best all-round care and support.

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outstanding

Comprehensive monitoring and evaluation of practice and care is central to driving improvement. Shared ownership by the whole staff team for monitoring practices is instrumental in ensuring children and young people get the best possible service. The effective quality assurance systems inform future developments and practice. Monthly visits are undertaken by the independent visitor and copies of the report sent to Ofsted as required. The registered provider is taking action to improve the quality of these reports to ensure they complement internal monitoring systems.

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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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