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 judges that it has improved effectiveness .

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people say that they feel well looked after and cared for; one young person said ‘The staff are really good.’ Young people particularly value the support that they receive during challenging periods. One young person said, ‘[The staff] are good when things are difficult for us.’ The home provides a settled and stable environment. This is demonstrated by the fact that no young people have left the home or moved into the home since the last inspection. The home presents as a pleasant and welcoming environment that is well decorated and well furnished.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people achieve better educational attendance and attainment as a result of living at this home. From their starting points, they each make good progress. Young people speak confidently about their aspirations and ambitions for the future. They become better able to express their views appropriately. For example, some young have felt that the rural location of the home, in combination with the on-site school that they all attend, has made it difficult for them to make friends in the community. Managers have acted on these concerns and have ensured that young people can attend local youth clubs. Some young people also have the opportunity to access a local leisure centre.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff are very effective in helping young people to be reflective and to develop a better understanding of how to keep themselves safe. Staff and managers have a very strong understanding of the specific reasons why young people choose to self- harm. This enables them to respond well when existing plans are not effective in reducing self-harm incidents. Excellent collaboration with other agencies, particularly mental health professionals, ensures that there is a good and effective response to young people whose self-harming or suicidal behaviour cannot be safely contained in a children’s home environment. More suitable placements that can provide a brief period of intensive monitoring and supervision are quickly identified. When the young person’s emotional and mental health has stabilised, they are welcomed back to the home. This ensures that young people’s mental health needs do not prevent the home from providing stable and consistent care.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff use therapeutic assessment to develop an understanding of why young people run away from the home. When young people present risks to themselves or others through a pattern of running away, creative strategies are developed and implemented. These strategies are effective and generate marked reductions in the frequency and duration of missing-from-home incidents. The manager demonstrates a very strong understanding of the therapeutic model, how to implement it and how to work well with therapists and clinical psychologists. This enables the home to provide a swift and highly effective response to indicators of potential risk.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

High-quality reflective practice is a key strength of the home. This includes the practice of therapeutic staff, who take time to consider alternative approaches when young people are not making as much progress in their emotional and mental health as they would like. Care staff are also quick to develop new ways of working with young people whose progress has slowed or whose presentation has deteriorated. Team meetings are used very effectively to review the progress and experience of young people. The home’s development plan sets clear targets for improvement. Since the last inspection, the home has: improved its staff training; developed new therapy packages; created a satellite service to improve admission and assessment practice; and improved the way that it responds to recommendations made by its independent visitor. This means that the home has fully addressed the requirement and the recommendation that were set at the last

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

A social worker stated, ‘[The home] is great and definitely has outstanding features.’ She said that the manager is a very strong communicator who shares information very well so that care plans can be adapted and all needs can be addressed. A police officer who specialises in working with young people who go missing from home praised the home for ‘transforming the life’ of one young person and for helping her to ‘get to the point where she is so much safer’. Feedback from parents is equally positive. Parents also appreciate the fact that their children become safer because they have moved to the home.

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is privately owned. It provides care and accommodation for up to eight young people with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 26/10/2016 Full Good 03/02/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 22/09/2015 Full Good 24/02/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness

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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 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 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 children looked after 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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