Children's Home run by Derbyshire County Council in Derbyshire

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 stable placements. They present as settled, happy and content and make progress in their lives.  The young people enjoy good relationships with staff who provide consistent and nurturing care. Young people have staff with whom they can spend time, and who they can talk to and confide in.  The health needs of young people remain a high priority for staff. Young people receive support to attend health appointments and live healthy lifestyles with regular exercise and balanced diets.  Young people receive help and support with their psychological and emotional health through the provision of therapy, if required.  Young people’s rights and entitlements are respected and upheld by the registered manager and staff.  The staff team has a good understanding of how to manage young people’s behaviour. Physical intervention does not take place, and sanctions are rare. Instead, good relationships marked by patience, negotiation and

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The children's home provision is good because:

compromise help to improve behaviour.  Young people are enthusiastic and positive about their futures. They have secured college placements and apprenticeships and are on track to make good progress.  There are some areas identified as requiring improvement from this inspection. Care plans lack detail and sometimes do not contain sufficient information. They do not support staff in their care of young people. The staff and deputy manager did not respond in a timely manner to a safeguarding incident, which delayed partner agencies responding to the incident. Not all staff members have received regular professional supervision, and there have been several months between supervision sessions for some staff.

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that 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 within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

12: The protection of children standard In order to meet the protection of children standard, the registered person must ensure (a) that staff (i) assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child's relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of harm to the child; (iii) have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; and (vi) take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child's welfare.(b) that the home's day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. 31/10/2016

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Requirement Due date

13: The leadership and management standard The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children's home that helps children aspire to fulfil their potential, and promotes their welfare. (2)(b) The standard requires the registered person to ensure that the staff work as a team where appropriate. 31/10/2016

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Requirement Due date

14: The care planning standard In order to meet the care planning standard, the registered person must ensure that children (a) receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home. 31/10/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees receive 31/10/2016 practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33(4)(b))

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Information about this children's home

This local authority children's home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to four children and young people who have emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

17/03/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

10/03/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness

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Good

Young people receive good-quality care provided by a committed staff team. The young people enjoy living in the home and, for some who have previously experienced considerable disruption, this has been their longest and most stable placement. One young person stated, ‘It is good. Staff are supportive and will talk to me and take me out.’ This helps the young people to develop and maintain positive attachments to those caring for them: a crucial foundation from which to make progress. Relationships between staff and young people are respectful and caring. Staff try hard to develop good relationships with young people; they persevere through some challenging times, but always remain focused on what is in young people’s best interests. Staff have also worked hard to develop relationships between the young people and have recently undertaken a positive relationship project. This increased the time that young people spent together on activities and encouraged

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Good

them to work together, solve problems, and have fun. Staff have shown themselves to be excellent role models for the young people, and one social worker commented, ‘Staff have modelled open relationships and developed good social role learning for young people.’ This helps young people to manage socially because they understand expectations of them as they move forward in their lives. The registered manager and staff respect young people’s individuality and support the development of their identities. Staff members complete some good practice with young people to enhance and celebrate their race, ethnicity and sexuality. Key-work sessions focus on positively affirming young people’s identities and supporting them to be proud of themselves. This improves young people’s self- esteem and confidence. Young people receive support to have regular contact with their families, friends and those important to them. The registered manager and staff facilitate contact

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Good

arrangements, including transporting young people to and from contact and, if required, remain with young people during contact. All arrangements for contact take place within an agreed plan, which ensures that contact is safe, enjoyable and in young people’s best interests. Some young people do not have regular contact with family members. The staff team members recognise the impact that this has on young people, and they provide emotional support and reassurance. Young people’s care plans lack sufficiently detailed information. These plans provide information about young people derived from other documentation. They do not provide information regarding actions required to help young people to make progress. Neither do they state who is responsible for undertaking tasks or the timescales of these tasks. The plans do not refer to planning for the young person as agreed at the young person’s looked after review meeting, and so do not

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Good

guide staff in helping and supporting young people to make progress. A key priority for the registered manager and staff is the physical and psychological health and well-being of young people. Toward this end, young people have access to primary healthcare professionals. The young people attend health appointments, and staff continuously relay to the young people the importance of maintaining good healthcare. Unfortunately, some of the young people smoke. Consequently, staff have provided advice and support in key-work sessions and enlisted the support of health professionals to deter young people from continuing with this hazard to their health. Young people have access to the services of a psychologist working with the home. The psychologist provides individual counselling and therapy for young people if required. Additionally, the psychologist meets with the staff team, which provides staff with the opportunity to reflect on the care needs of

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Good

young people and better informs their care practice. The young people have ambitions and positive aspirations for their futures. Staff support the young people to attend college and apprenticeships. For example, one young person worked hard to achieve good GCSE exams and has now started an apprenticeship, which she is thoroughly enjoying. She is self-motivating, positive and happy, and set to do well. Another young person has just embarked on a college course and is supported well by the staff team. Young people make good progress with education and training because attendance and commitment to learning and development are highly valued by the staff. The registered manager and staff ensure that young people know their rights and entitlements. A guide to living at the home, including the complaints procedure, is provided to young people and explained by staff. The young people have access to advocates and independent visitors. Social workers and independent reviewing

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Good

officers see them regularly to capture their views on the care they receive.

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Requires improvement

The management of the service has not always ensured that information regarding the safety of young people is actioned in a timely manner. This has delayed the local authority in implementing safeguarding procedures. For example, a safeguarding situation arose during the inspection. Staff members and the deputy manager, when presented with information that was of concern, delayed communicating this information to the registered manager. This consequently caused delay in reporting to the appropriate agencies. The staff and deputy manager did not appreciate, in this instance, the risks to the young people concerned and the importance of assessing information and situations, and implementing immediate plans to ensure that young people are safe. The incident demonstrated a lack of clear and explicit communication in the staff team in response to a concerning situation. The staff know young people well and understand the triggers that lead to poor

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Requires improvement

behaviour. Staff are adept at managing these situations and use de-escalation techniques to good effect, such as diversion, negotiation and discussion. Staff do not have to use physical intervention to manage behaviour. Sanctions are rare and staff are quick to identify opportunities to praise positive behaviour. Consequently, this is a home characterised by good nurturing care without the need for, or recourse to, penalising behaviour management. Young people benefit from living in a safe, comfortable and homely environment. The physical environment is very comfortable, well furnished and decorated to a high standard and to the taste of young people living there. The young people and staff have recently started to redesign the garden area and made good progress at transforming this into a relaxing, lovely area. The registered manager has completed a comprehensive location risk assessment. This has incorporated the

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Requires improvement

views of partner agencies, such as the police. The registered manager has been able to identify potential risks to young people’s welfare and has developed this plan to manage the risks identified. For example, some nearby areas to the home are known for people congregating, with the potential for anti-social behaviour. Young people are dissuaded through key-work sessions from frequenting these areas. Staff members are suitably trained in physical intervention and safeguarding procedures. All staff have undertaken training and continue to take refresher training in the use of physical intervention. Additionally, staff have received training in safeguarding procedures and good practice in keeping young people safe. There has been evidence, as detailed in this report, that staff have not always implemented these procedures robustly. Young people are safer because the registered manager ensures the safe

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Requires improvement

recruitment of staff. The manager undertakes vigorous checks, which include identity checks, past employment history and criminal records checking, together with robust interviewing and selection processes. This helps to ensure that those working with young people do so for the right reasons and keeps the young people safe. The registered manager and staff work in partnership with other agencies, social workers and police. A social worker commented, ‘There has been a very constructive relationship with the home. Whenever there are worries, they act in a fair and balanced manner.’ There is good information sharing and coordination of services. Key meetings, such as looked-after reviews, team-around-the-child meetings and strategy meetings, regularly take place. This supports agencies to work together to keep young people safe. The staff and other agencies understand the particular risk factors facing young people. For those young people at risk of

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Requires improvement

exploitation and going missing from care, the staff and other professionals are vigilant and working to keep them safe. Robust arrangements are in place for monitoring the health and safety of all those who live in, work in and visit the home, by the registered manager. All the required checks to ensure that the home and equipment remain safe are completed in a timely manner. The registered manager implements fire safety procedures and all staff and young people take part in regular fire evacuation drills. The manager and staff maintain fire equipment to a good standard, and any problems are quickly remedied. This means that young people live in a safe environment where the health and safety of everyone takes precedence.

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Good

The service has recently experienced some changes to the management structure. A relatively new leader now manages the home. He has been in the post of registered manager since July 2016. Prior to this, he was the deputy manager of the home, having worked there for approximately five years. He has the recognised qualification for registered managers, the level 5 diploma, qualifying in October 2015. A temporary deputy manager currently supports the registered manager. The registered manager ensures that the service has sufficient staff and resources to meet the needs of young people. The service is currently advertising some vacancies. These vacant positions do not impede the progress of young people as other staff have completed additional shifts to make up any staffing shortfalls. Additionally, the home has a resource of designated relief staff with whom the young people enjoy good and positive relationships. Sufficiency of staffing means

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Good

that young people have staff available to talk to and spend time with. This supports the development of good and positive relationships. The registered manager uses a range of management systems to good effect to monitor the home. These include monthly visits from a challenging independent visitor and feedback from professionals and young people. This information enables the registered manager to complete his own report every six months, focusing on the strengths and areas for improvement. The manager has completed a development plan to drive up standards. The registered manager values the dedication and commitment of the staff team. Staff members receive annual developmental appraisals and areas for improvement are identified. The appraisals are supported by a comprehensive training programme available to staff. This ensures that young people receive good care from a well trained staff team. Staff handovers take place daily and play an important role is ensuring good

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Good

communication between shifts. Team meetings take place regularly, and are well attended. Staff contribute and feel that their views matter. They are listened to, they believe that there is mutual respect and they are eager to help and support each other. This means that young people receive good care by staff who communicate well and support each other. Staff members are not yet receiving regular professional supervision, and some staff experience several months between individual supervision meetings. This is contrary to the organisation’s policy and prevents staff from accessing the individual support that they may require to undertake their work with young people. The home fulfils its aims and objectives, as set out in the statement of purpose. The statement has recently been amended and updated, and provides unambiguous information regarding the work of the home. The statement sets out what the registered manager and staff aspire to achieve for young people and how

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Good

care is organised and delivered by the staff group. Partner agencies can be assured that this document is an accurate description of the home.

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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 children looked after 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 that 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 that 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 whom 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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