Children's Home run by Derbyshire County Council 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 sustained effectiveness .

p.2

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Relationships between young people are closely monitored, with the manager and staff having tackled concerns of bullying robustly. The staff team identified concerns in the relationship between two young people and acted quickly. They did this by ensuring that there were increased staff on duty, that there was individual work with both young people and that a multi-agency strategy meeting was held. The registered manager took decisive action and took a zero-tolerance approach to bullying. Consequently, the staff discuss relationships and potential issues of bullying at all young people’s meetings and during key-work sessions. Relationships have improved and bullying is no longer a concern. This has also been achieved through more group activities and the encouragement of young people to spend more time together.

p.2

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Educational outcomes are varied in the home. One young person continues to focus on his college course, undertaking foundation level studies, while another young person is setting herself realistic personal targets through a trainee scheme. Her ambition is to obtain an apprenticeship. Many young people have experienced disruption in their education and have often struggled in a mainstream educational environment. One young person continues to struggle and, although plans are in place to start a training course shortly, he has experienced insufficient educational support in the home. A great deal of support will be required to help maintain this young person in some form of education so that he can develop and make progress.

p.2

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The emotional and psychological well-being of young people is a key priority for the manager and staff. The staff team values the support provided by a clinical psychologist, who meets with them on a regular basis to discuss how to care for and respond to individual young people, especially at times of crisis. The manager and staff work in collaboration with the local child and adolescent mental health services in respect of some young people, which has helped staff respond well to young people displaying self-injurious behaviours. This has led to young people now confiding in staff when they feel like harming themselves, or have already done so. A social worker said of one young person: ‘The young person now feels able to say when they have self-harmed and can now confide in the staff team.’ The staff team has received training, development and support in the use of physical intervention and proactive behaviour management. This has been

p.2

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

successful, with no physical interventions taking place in the home for some considerable time. Young people have good behaviour support plans that help staff understand possible triggers to negative behaviour and what actions to take. Conversely, staff promote positive behaviour through celebrating successes and encouraging good and positive behaviour.

p.3

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

A weakness identified at the last inspection was that plans designed to help staff keep young people safe contained insufficient information. The manager and staff now complete comprehensive and detailed plans that help keep young people safe. These plans ensure that staff now consider risk to young people with the benefit of detailed historical information that helps them to understand the reason why young people are in the care home and their individual vulnerabilities. The plans now benefit from advice and guidance provided by the psychologist and other agencies with safeguarding responsibilities, making them stronger and more robust documents.

p.3

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff are not always certain about what actions to take in the event of young people raising concerns over the behaviour of the adults caring for them. When spoken with about the actions they should take, some staff failed to indicate that they would take the appropriate course of action. This is a shortfall.

p.3

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The knowledgeable and experienced registered manager has met the four requirements and one recommendation from the last inspection. These were:

p.3

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

 Effective action has been taken, in the form of staff training, development and vigilance, to ensure that the relationships between young people are positive and that bullying is not taking place.

p.3

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

 Young people are now safer. The manager is ensuring that young people’s safe care plans are detailed. They now provide a good level of information to support staff in keeping young people safe.

p.3

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

 The young people now receive good care from a sufficiently staffed and stable team.

p.3

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

 The manager has maintained the record of visitors to the home with the correct level of detail. The whereabouts of visitors to the home is known at all times.

p.3

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

 The manager and staff have taken steps to provide young people with advice, support and guidance to help the young people decrease or stop smoking and live healthier lives.

p.3

Information about this children’s home

This registered children’s home is operated by a local authority to provide care and accommodation for up to five young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

p.4

Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 07/04/2016 Full Good 26/01/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 14/07/2015 Full Good 18/02/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness

p.4

Statutory Requirements

This section sets out the actions which 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.

p.5

Requirement Due date

In order to meet the protection of children standard, the registered person to ensure–

p.5

Requirement Due date

(vi) take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. 21/04/2017

p.5

Recommendation

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendation:  The registered person must ensure that the necessary support is given to children to enable them to access their education or training. Support may include, for example, putting in place practical arrangements such as transporting the child to school, support by staff to learn how to use public transport confidently and safely, or the use of technology to connect with online learning. (The ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.13)

p.5

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’.

p.6

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

p.6

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 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.6

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 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,

p.7

Information about this inspection

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

Information about this inspection

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

Information about this inspection

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

p.7