Children's Home run by Nottinghamshire YMCA in Nottingham

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:

 Young people enjoy good placement stability. This enables them to build strong, trusting relationships with staff and with each other. It also enables young people to prepare carefully for their transition to independence.  Young people are extremely confident that they are valued and respected. They experience no negative peer pressure or bullying. They have developed close bonds with each other. As a result, they develop considerably improved emotional resilience.  Young people are well behaved and take pride in their mature attitudes.  Young people enjoy a wide range of interesting, stimulating and constructive activities. The nurturing home environment enables young people to play, develop their own hobbies and interests, and develop their creative talents. The energy and enthusiasm of staff contribute to the sense of fun in the home.  The established routines of the home help young people to feel secure. Meal

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The children's home provision is good because:

times are pleasant social occasions. Settled morning routines ensure that education attendance is very high or improving.  Young people are safe and become safer following admission to the home. Damaging and risk taking behaviours such as running away, self-harm, and violence reduce significantly.  Shortfalls are identified in the internal monitoring of the home and in staff training and development systems. A requirement and a recommendation are set to address these issues.

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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

45 (1) The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

(3) After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review.

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Requirement Due date

(4) The registered person must – (a) supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed. (Regulation 45 (1),(3),(4)(a)) 18/12/2015

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation:

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Recommendations

 The registered person should have a workforce plan which should detail processes and agreed timescales for staff to achieve training. It should be updated to include any new training and qualifications completed by staff while working at the home, and used to record the ongoing training and continuing professional development needs of staff – including the home's manager. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 53, paragraph 10.8)

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Information about this children's home

This home is operated by a national charity and provides care and accommodation for up to three young people at the main residential site and a further two young people at a satellite home close by. The home provides care and accommodation for 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

24/02/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness

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good

Young people enjoy good placement stability. This enables them to build strong, trusting relationships with staff. They have also developed close bonds with each other. As a result, they gain considerably improved emotional resilience. They become better able to cope with setbacks and difficulties because they feel valued and liked. Social workers confirm that the home has a ‘very positive’ impact on the well-being of young people. Young people say that staff are, ‘all good’. The home is suitably decorated and maintained. This further contributes towards the comfortable and pleasant home environment.

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good

Care planning is of a good quality. Detailed plans and strategies are quickly put into place following admission. These are reviewed and updated regularly to keep them current. Young people are well supported as they move towards independence. Staff advocate effectively on behalf of older residents. This ensures that support arrangements are tailored to their needs, wishes, and individual circumstances. All young people are well supported to learn age appropriate skills that will help them in adult life. Young people routinely help with cooking and regularly complete household chores. Because they are equipped with essential household management skills, they are able to take pride in their environment. A key strength of the home is the way that, where appropriate, staff work sensitively and creatively to help young people develop improved relationships with their family. This ensures that support networks are strengthened as young people

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good

The established routines of the home help young people to feel secure. Meal times are pleasant social occasions. Settled morning routines ensure that education attendance is very high or improving. Because young people make good progress at school, including passing GCSE exams, they look forward positively to further education and employment. Young people have all been recognised through awards and prizes for their educational progress. They access a full range of educational opportunities such as residential holidays, work experience, and specialist tuition. Young people have improved health outcomes as a result of their time at the home. They learn about healthy lifestyles and are encouraged to make healthy choices in relation to diet, exercise and lifestyle. Primary health care needs are addressed well. This ensures that minor ailments are treated appropriately and young people have improved dental health. Strong links with specialist health

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good

professionals mean that young people achieve considerably improved emotional and mental health.

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good

The high quality programme of leisure activities further supports young people to be healthy. Staff help young people to participate in a range of purposeful and constructive activities. Because staff are enthusiastic, young people seek out their company to enjoy games and creative activities. Young people also participate in community groups such as theatre workshops and youth clubs. This helps them to improve their confidence and develop positive friendships. Young people are well supported to make an active contribution to their home and community. One is a member of the local Children in Care Council, and all participate in the recruitment and selection of new staff. Staff actively seek the views and opinions of young people through a range of formal and informal mechanisms. This ensures that young people influence all decisions affecting the day-to-day operation of the home.

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good

Young people are safe in their home. Risk assessment processes are comprehensive and robust. Potential hazards are quickly identified and removed by staff who have a good understanding of their health and safety responsibilities.

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good

Over time, damaging and risk-taking behaviours, such as running away, self-harm, and violence, reduce significantly in both scale and frequency. There is strong multi-agency working with specialist safeguarding professionals, including the police, to ensure that all concerns are reported and acted upon. Because staff make determined efforts to minimise the impact of risk-taking behaviours, young people begin to recognise that they are valued and cared for. They become much less vulnerable to exploitation and abuse as they grow in self-esteem and self- confidence. Staff receive training in safeguarding so that they know what to do if they are worried that a child is being abused or has been abused. Working relationships with the Local Authority Designated Officer for safeguarding and other safeguarding agencies are well-established and transparent. All relevant safeguarding information is shared promptly. This enables a prompt and effective

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good

response to any allegations or disclosures received. Based on their starting points, young people make good progress in developing improved social skills. Staff are good role models. This helps young people to interact with courtesy, respect and good humour. The very good behaviour of young people is a reflection of the positive ethos of the home. Staff are assertive when necessary, for example in their insistence that homework is completed to a high standard. However, this is balanced with a very empathetic and sensitive manner. Sanctions are used infrequently, reflecting the good relationships between staff and young people. Where sanctions are required, they are appropriate, proportionate, and carefully monitored by managers. Young people are rightly proud of their mature attitude and demeanour.

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good

The registered manager is highly experienced and appropriately qualified. He is well respected by staff who recognise his expertise and knowledge. The manager undertakes additional tasks within the organisation, including the management of another registered service. As a result, he is supported by a deputy manager. The deputy manager demonstrate a high level of competence and commitment. Delegated responsibilities are clearly understood and lines of accountability are well defined. This ensures that the home is well managed in the absence of the registered manager.

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good

Good use is made of staff meetings to share best practice and develop strategies to improve care standards. Specialist professionals are invited to staff meetings to provide support and information to staff in addressing the complex needs of young people. For instance, a child and adolescent mental health service worker recently attended a staff meeting to provide guidance on self-harm. Staff are provided with regular formal supervision. They report that supervision is used well to recognise good practice and drive improvement.

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good

Managers demonstrate a clear commitment to continual improvement. The home’s development plan identifies a number of opportunities for improvement. Each of these has been achieved or is in progress. For example, recording procedures for restraint are improved, pre-admission risk assessment and placement matching processes are under review, and there is a greater focus on achieving positive outcomes within care planning. As well as the home’s development plan, managers have implemented a ‘young person’s plan’. This is written by and for young people and reflects their own objectives and aspirations for the home. Each young person has contributed to this plan. Managers are actively working to find ways to respond to the wishes of young people as stated in their plan.

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good

External monitoring of the home by independent visitors also drives improvement because it is has become more robust in its evaluation of care standards. Clear targets are now set which ensure that independent visits are a useful tool in improving the service.

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good

The registered manager also undertakes a monthly audit of key systems and procedures. This ensures that shortfalls can be identified and rectified promptly. However, he has not undertaken a formal quality of care review within agreed timescales, or submitted this review to Ofsted as required. This has the potential to reduce the effectiveness of regulatory monitoring of the home.

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good

A range of training is provided to staff so that they can understand and meet the needs of all young people. Some specialist training is accessed to address particular needs. However, the home does not have a clear ‘workforce plan’. This means that the training needs of staff and managers are not fully understood or planned for. For example, core training needs are not clearly identified, and the suitability and sufficiency of current training arrangements are not evaluated. In addition, specific training requested by staff members through supervision and appraisal are not linked to the homes training plans.

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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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