Children's Home run by Country Care Children’s Homes Ltd in Derbyshire

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

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

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the last inspection the registered manager has addressed two requirements and one recommendation made, resulting in improvements in the home’s functioning.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The management team continue to be extremely effective. They lead a very established, experienced and skilled staff team who are committed to improving the lives of young people. Monitoring and quality assurance systems are effective because they ensure that the service continues to improve. Better staff supervision systems mean that all staff now receive regular supervision. As a result, they have the opportunity to reflect on their practice and the needs of the young people they are caring for. Young people’s case files now include up to date local authority plans. This helps to ensure that care plans take account of the full range of identified needs.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Improved management feedback provided to young people following their weekly house meetings improves consultation and ensures that they feel listened to. A young person said: ‘We pleaded for a dog for some time. The manager listened. We demonstrated that we could care for smaller animals first and now we have a dog.’ Young people are delighted with the new addition to the home and feel valued and respected.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people speak very positively about their experiences and the progress they have made in many aspects of their lives. One said: ‘Looking back, coming here was a really good thing. It has really helped me get my life back on track. I have done brilliantly and life is good.’ Professionals also speak favourably about the home. An independent reviewing officer said: ‘For this young person, living in this home has been a really positive experience and from where she started, she has made significant progress across the board. She has grown in confidence and she is doing well in college. It has opened avenues for her and she is now working towards semi-independence.’ From their starting points, young people are making excellent progress educationally, socially and emotionally. Consequently, their life chances significantly improve. Comprehensive packages of multi-agency support provide young people with good

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

levels of help and protection. Coordinated approaches between care staff, the home’s therapists, in-house education staff, social workers, specialist health professionals, and family members ensure that young people receive the correct support and services to meet their individual needs and reduce levels of risk. A young person said: ‘The staff and therapists are helping me to understand risk and they are helping me to achieve my goal of eventually going home. We are working well together.’

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Placement planning is robust. Before a placement is offered, the management team carefully consider all the referral information to assess whether young people will be compatible with those already resident and whether staff have sufficient skills and experience to meet individual needs. Transitions are then very carefully planned. This can involve young people spending time at an induction camp away from the home. This gives them some time to get to know staff before being introduced to their peers. It also gives them some time to adjust, to develop an understanding of the ethos of the home, and to start to formulate goals. For a recent admission, this approach was particularly effective. She said: ‘I arrived and went on an induction camp. I got to know the staff who told me all about living here. I was made to feel really welcome and then, when I moved into the main house I was ready for it.’ Careful planning and preparation for new placements

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

ensure that young people have the best opportunity to settle into their new home.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Well trained and skilled staff ensure that young people who have significant histories of going missing, and those assessed as being at high risk of child sexual exploitation, are very well supported. Despite such histories, incidents of young people going missing are rare. High levels of supervision, positive relationships, and direct work undertaken to improve risk awareness are significant protective and preventative factors. A young person said: ‘Here, I would not go missing as the staff are so nice and caring. I am now building up trust and I am learning how to keep safe.’ For those young people who are assessed as high risk in this area, regular multi-agency strategy meetings take place to confirm joint safeguarding strategies. As a result, on the rare occasions when a young person has gone missing, they have been promptly located and welcomed back into the home.

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Information about this children's home

The home is privately owned. It provides care and accommodation for up to eight young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children's home

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Information about this children's home

24/02/2015 Interim improved effectiveness

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Information about this children's home

26/03/2014 Interim Satisfactory Progress

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What the inspection judgements mean

At the interim inspection 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

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 focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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Information about this inspection

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 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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