Children's Home run by Derby City Council in Derby

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged good at the full inspection. At this interim inspection Ofsted judges that it has sustained effectiveness .

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home continues to offer a good standard of care and support to children and young people. This enables them to make progress and have positive experiences. However, because three of the four children and young people are relatively recent admissions, their progress is currently limited. Therefore, the judgement is that the home’s effectiveness has been sustained rather than improved. This in no way detracts from some of the very good work that has, and continues, to take place.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager and staff experienced a number of challenges in the months following the previous inspection. It is to their credit that they continued to operate at a good level and met the children’s and young people’s needs well. The three young people who moved on from the home did so in a planned and positive way: to a foster placement, back to their family, and to a more appropriate residential resource. The latter situation was particularly difficult to manage, as the more appropriate resource took some time to be identified. The manager and staff continued to offer the young person a significant amount of support to try to keep him safe. The social worker commented: ‘They were great with the transition and incredibly supportive, over and above. I could not have done what I did without them.’ Senior managers recognised the impact this had on the staff team and arranged a debriefing meeting, which staff found very helpful. Some young people

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

who have moved on continue to be in touch with the staff at the home, which is testament to the very positive relationships they had built with them.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The three children and young people who have recently been admitted to the home are positive about their experiences so far. They all comment that they were made very welcome on arrival, be that in the early hours of the morning or at a more reasonable time of day. They were given the written information, shown around, told about their rights and responsibilities, and put at ease. One young person was very positive about the move to this home and said: ‘The staff understand me and sort situations out. They have calmed me down. I am more settled and my behaviour has changed a lot.’ Another said: ‘I like it here. It is good. I would love to stay long term.’ They are gradually settling in, building relationships and responding to staff support. Staff demonstrate a good understanding of their needs, and are accessing resources to meet these.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

One child has moved from a placement in another area and is currently without a school place. The manager has been pursuing this but, in the interim, the child has been able to access some provision from the enhanced care project so that he is occupied and having some level of basic education. Another young person’s school attendance is not good, although staff do their best to encourage attendance. The other two young people generally have good school attendance and are predicted to do well in their forthcoming examinations.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children’s and young people’s interests are encouraged, and they are supported to have new experiences. For example, one young person went on a train to London for the first time to go to the theatre. Another young person is a season ticket- holder for a local championship football club. Interests such as boxing, football, swimming and cycling are promoted, and staff support them to do this. This is beneficial to their health, confidence, and self-esteem.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff manage situations of risk well to keep children and young people safe. Clear procedures are implemented when children or young people absent themselves from the home. The current group of children and young people is assessed as being at a low risk of sexual exploitation, and incidents when they are not where they should be are mainly about being with friends or family. There have been no complaints, although children and young people are clear about how to complain. They say staff do take their views seriously. Children and young people also say there is no bullying, although the manager and staff have some concerns about recent behavioural incidents and are addressing this robustly. There have been no sanctions, as positive behaviour is rewarded through incentives. Restraints are minimal, appropriately used, recorded and subject to close managerial oversight. None of the current children or young people have been restrained.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

There is good monitoring, both internally and externally. The internal monthly reporting is comprehensive. It identifies areas where improvements are needed to develop and move the service forward. Files are regularly audited, as are placement plans. The reports from the external visitor are well received, and any issues raised are acted upon. The manager has developed a system for obtaining feedback from stakeholders in order to improve the service further.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Partnership working is good. Social workers are positive about the communication and the detailed information which staff provide. This ensures they are up to date with what is happening in the child’s or young person’s life and can respond accordingly. The manager and staff attend professionals’ meetings, personal education plan meetings and reviews so that they can make an effective contribution to the care planning. There is good communication with other stakeholders, such as the police, and the child and adolescent mental health service. This enables staff to have specific guidance on how to respond appropriately to emotional issues such as self-harm, and work consistently with other professionals. Feedback from a police representative that was received by the home made reference to ‘the professional relationship working well’.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

One requirement and one recommendation were made at the last inspection. These have been addressed, thereby improving safe care practice. The manager has a clear understanding of when notifications need to be made and has submitted relevant information to the regulator. Staff consistently noted that they request an independent return interview, following incidents where children or young people take unauthorised absence or go missing from the home.

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Information about this children's home

This local authority children’s home is registered for five children or 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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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

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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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