Children's home run by Derbyshire County Council in Derbyshire Dales

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 make good progress due to personalised care provided by a nurturing and supportive staff team. This supports young people’s overall development.  The healthcare needs of young people, including psychological and emotional support, are of paramount importance to the manager and staff team. Young people’s needs in this regard are met.  The manager and staff team value and respect young people’s rights and entitlements. Young people know how to complain, access advocacy services and make their voices heard. They are consulted, and their ideas and views are respected and, where possible, acted upon.  Young people are safe and their well-being is of paramount importance to the manager and staff.  The home environment is homely, comfortable and safe, and young people can feel proud of the home that they live in.  Young people receive help and support to manage their behaviour. As a result, incidents involving poor behaviour have decreased in frequency.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 The service is without a registered manager, but is led effectively by the deputy manager, acting in the position of manager.  Young people benefit from a committed, nurturing and dedicated staff team that is supervised and accountable in its work.  A significant strength in this service is working in partnership with other agencies. Good communication and coordination of services supports the young people to make good and sustained progress from some difficult starting points.

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Information about this children's home

This is a local authority children’s home, providing care and accommodation for up to six children and young people with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home’s statement of purpose indicates that the age range will be between 11 and 18 years of age.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 25/01/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 13/05/2015 Full Requires improvement 27/01/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness 31/07/2014 Full Good

p.4

Good

Young people receive personalised care that enhances their development in all areas, reflecting their individual needs, vulnerabilities and strengths. Members of staff are diligent and thoughtful in their approaches to caring for young people, and continually seek to optimise young people’s abilities and talents. This means that young people reach developmental milestones in a nurturing and supportive environment that provides optimism, encouragement and unconditional warmth.

p.5

Good

The young people benefit from structured one-to-one sessions with their key workers. These sessions encompass many relevant and important areas for the young people, including their education, health and reviews of overall progress. Young people receive support with behaviour and are able to express their views and opinions. Relationships between the young people and staff are both positive and appropriate. The young people and staff members enjoy spending time in conversation and undertaking activities together, and relationships are marked by fun and laughter.

p.5

Good

Most young people have suitable education and training placements, including college courses, and one young person is about to go to university. The managers and staff work in partnership with colleges, training providers, learning mentors and the virtual school. This ensures enrolment of young people on the course or programme that best meets their needs. The manager and staff ensure that young people have robust education plans in place which receive regular review, such as personal education plans. They champion young people’s educational progress through the creative use of services, such as learning mentors working with young people in the home. The manager and staff understand the importance of education to young people’s futures. They will support young people in any way. For example, one young person who had struggled with education was supported to attend exams. His social worker wrote: ‘’Just wanted to say how much I

p.5

Good

appreciated your efforts in helping him go into his exams.’ Consequently, young people make progress educationally and, for some young people, this has meant overcoming some significant barriers to education. Other young people have thrived in education, and one young person is about to start a university computer operating course. Education through creativity is promoted in the home, and the young people and staff have recently won a creative garden competition, to their credit. Young people worked hard and completely renovated the gardens using creative planting and decoration, and they created a beautiful garden space.

p.5

Good

Partnership working between the staff and external health professionals is good. Young people benefit from access to primary healthcare professionals and services such as dentists and opticians. Staff make sure that annual health assessments for young people take place within the appropriate timescales and that any identified actions are completed. Some young people smoke. This is addressed by staff, with young people receiving advice and guidance from staff and health professionals in an effort to help young people to decrease, or stop smoking. Additionally, some young people have experimented with using drugs and alcohol. This has not become habitual, and the staff and managers have quickly taken action to ensure that these young people receive the services and support to stop this behaviour. The service benefits from a psychologist working with both the staff team and the young people with the aim of helping young people with their psychological and

p.5

Good

emotional well-being. The psychologist offers staff the opportunity to reflect upon their practice with young people and any specific behaviours or worries.

p.6

Good

Young people participate in regular house meetings and are encouraged to voice their opinions and views regarding the home and the quality of care that they receive. Young people are consulted with on all aspects of the home. Staff members and managers genuinely value the views of young people and take forward, where possible, their ideas. For example, this is evident in the decoration of the home and implementing young people’s views on the garden project. Young people know how to complain, and the manager and staff ensure that young people can access an independent advocacy service, should they wish. The young person’s guide is informative and ensures that young people have details of organisations that they could contact, if they require. This helps to enhance young people’s everyday experience and positively affects their confidence.

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Good

Young people’s transitions from the home are well planned and supported. When it is time for young people to leave the home, the staff work in partnership with the young person and agencies to identify suitable accommodation. Staff support young people in furnishing their accommodation and purchasing essential items. Moves are staggered and there is constant monitoring and support from staff to reduce the likelihood of moves being disrupted. The staff and young people keep in contact following their transitions from the home.

p.6

Good

The manager and staff value and promote the individuality of young people. They develop tailored equality and diversity plans for each young person that set out how the service will meet the needs of young people in this regard. These plans support individual key-worker sessions and how the staff can encourage and support the young people. Staff value young people for who they are and celebrate young people’s race, ethnicity and sexuality. This supports young people to develop their individual identity, and leads to improved self-esteem and confidence. Judgement grade

p.6

Good

The safety and well-being of young people is of paramount importance to the staff and manager. Working to ensure that young people are safe, the staff complete individual risk assessments that identify young people’s vulnerabilities. These assessments are detailed and comprehensive, setting out the actions of staff and other professionals to reduce young people’s risks. This emphasises the importance of partnership and multi-agency working arrangements. Working in partnership with other agencies helps young people to become increasingly safe. For example, the manager advocated strongly that a child protection meeting should be held for one young person in response to specific risk factors. The meeting took place and a multi-agency plan to reduce risk to the young person was developed. The plan will be subject to continuous monitoring and review.

p.7

Good

Young people benefit from a homely, comfortable and safe living environment. The physical environment of the home is good, and the rooms are well decorated, clean and maintained to a high standard. Young people have choice in decorating their rooms, and the home generally, to their tastes and liking. The staff and manager complete regular health and safety and fire checks in the home. Young people are included in fire drills and tests and are aware of how to exit the building in the event of a fire. The manager has completed a thorough location risk assessment. In this assessment, the manager obtained the views of the police and considered these views in the assessment. This further supports the efforts of the manager and staff in ensuring that young people’s safety and welfare are the main priorities.

p.7

Good

The staff manage young people’s behaviour well. The young people are encouraged to take responsibility for their actions, resulting in a reduction in incidents of unacceptable and anti-social behaviour. The staff employ clear and unwavering boundaries and set high expectations for the young people. The staff use de-escalation techniques to good effect to diffuse situations. Discussion, negotiation and compromise replace the need for more punitive approaches to managing behaviour, such as sanctions. The need for the use of physical restraint has not arisen in over two years, as the staff advocate strongly that the best way to avoid such intervention is through good and trusting relationships between staff and young people. Young people, as a result, show improved behaviour, supported by a committed staff team.

p.7

Good

Robust, detailed and safe recruitment of new staff working with young people takes place. The manager ensures that, when new staff are appointed, they undergo a range of checks, including criminal records checks, reference checks being taken and verified, identity checks and a rigorous interview process. This means that the likelihood of young people coming to harm from those caring for them is minimised. Staff members receive regular safeguarding training, which includes preventing young people going missing from care, child exploitation and safeguarding. A catalogue of core training to support staff members to provide good, safe and effective care to young people further enhances staff practice.

p.7

Good

There have been some significant incidents concerning young people since the last inspection. The manager has notified Ofsted accordingly. All the incidents were addressed appropriately and proportionately, and in line with procedures. The manager quickly and robustly investigates concerns expressed by young people regarding staff members and, again, this takes place in accordance with the policy and procedures of the organisation. This means that young people can be assured that their complaints or worries are dealt with transparently and in a timely manner by the manager.

p.8

Good

Incidents of young people being missing from care or away from the home without authority are reducing. When young people go missing from care, staff will make every effort to locate the young person. They contact all agencies, such as the police and local authority, contact friends and family, and search the local area. They will try repeatedly to contact the young people in order to locate them and bring them home. Once young people return, staff ensure that someone independent of the home visits and speaks to the young person. Individual key- work sessions take place and staff seek to ascertain the reasons for the young person going missing in attempt to learn from the incident and to prevent a recurrence. A social worker stated of the home, in respect of a young person: ‘I could not fault the work of the home, it has been great.’ Good practice by staff in this regard has helped to lower the number of incidents, which helps to keep young

p.8

Good

The registered manager recently resigned from the service, intending to take up a post at another service within the organisation. The deputy manager, who is currently acting as manager, is leading the service effectively and is in the process of submitting her application to Ofsted to become the registered manager. She brings to the post a wealth of experience, having worked at the home since 2005. This experience is supported by her professional qualification of national vocational qualification level 4 in residential care. She is waiting to commence the diploma level 5 in leadership and management. A knowledgeable and committed deputy manager supports her. They work well as a management team, and their work is overseen by the operations manager, who provides a great deal of support and assistance.

p.8

Good

The acting manager listens to young people and prioritises their needs. She advocates for young people and ensures that staff place the welfare of young people first. She has a detailed understanding of young people’s plans, their vulnerabilities and risks, and also their strengths and abilities. She ensures that their plans are subject to regular review and that they are realistic and achievable by young people, and draws upon their strengths and abilities to support them going forward.

p.8

Good

Staff members receive good-quality and regular supervision, which supports and enhances their care practice with young people. Supervision sessions benefit from an agreed agenda, and include discussion regarding the staff member’s performance and the day-to-day operation of the service. Staff members are subject to ongoing development reviews. These focus upon strengths and areas for improvement, and the training and developmental opportunities provided for staff. Training programmes for all staff mean that they have the skills and knowledge that they need to support and help young people. The manager has ensured that all staff now hold or are undertaking the recognised qualification required for employment in children’s residential services. As a result, young people make progress because they receive help from an experienced and well-trained staff team.

p.9

Good

Young people receive a good level of support from a well-coordinated staff team that ensures that effective communication takes place at all levels. The staff team meets regularly. This includes weekly team meetings and monthly reflective group meetings with a psychologist. Team meetings, which are well attended, provide the team with the opportunity to discuss all aspects of the home. They review completed actions from previous meetings and set actions for the following week. Meetings focus upon the needs of young people, and staff members are comfortable with providing their views and opinions. They are mutually respectful of each other and there are good, supportive relationships in the team. Young people receive a good level of care and support from an experienced and dedicated team.

p.9

Good

The manager, through a number of management systems, monitors the quality of care provided by the service. Monthly monitoring reports are completed by an independent visitor to support the manager to identify those things that are working well and also any areas for improvement, including particular trends and patterns which may affect young people’s progress. Additionally, the manager utilises to good effect consultation with young people and professionals who use the service to identify areas for improvement. The manager evaluates this information to drive forward the evolution of the service. This benefits young people.

p.9

Good

The manager and staff work in partnership with other agencies, including the local authority and health and education colleagues. This is a significant strength of the service. These relationships are strong and focus upon the needs of young people. There is good coordination of services involved with young people, helped by regular meetings such as looked after reviews, professionals meetings and strategy discussions. The manager is quick to hold other agencies to account and to escalate appropriately any shortfalls that she may perceive. This helps to ensure that the needs of young people remain a constant priority for all agencies involved in the care of young people.

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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’. 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

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What the inspection judgements mean

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 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 ‘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 0300 123 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, work- based 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

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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