Children's home run by Nottingham City Council in Nottingham

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged requires improvement 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

Since the last inspection, the functioning of the home has improved significantly. A new home manager started in December 2016 and is planning to apply to Ofsted for registration. The current registered manager maintains day-to-day oversight of the home. In a short space of time, the new manager has brought a more focused approach to young people’s care plans, improved care monitoring systems, and has a specific and ambitious development plan to promote continuous improvement and to further improve the quality of care that young people receive.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

At the last inspection, seven requirements and four recommendations were made. The registered manager and home manager have addressed all of these. Young people’s views are now more regularly sought and their input is evident on their case records. For example, young people are encouraged to sign notes of their one-to-one sessions with staff. In addition, young people are asked their opinion on their care plans and are consulted where any changes are made. This helps young people have a voice in their own care. Young people now have mementoes of their time living at the home. They have scrapbooks which are filled with photos and handwritten notes from members of staff. This helps ensure that young people understand their life history now and in the future.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home manager has implemented a new system of regularly reviewing files to confirm that they are of the required standard. Risk assessments and other important statutory documents are kept up to date. This helps ensure that members of staff understand young people’s current needs. The manager has made her own assessment of young people’s care plans and the appropriateness of their placements at the home. In partnership with stakeholders, she has ensured that young people receive effectively planned care and that they are gaining life skills to help them prepare for their future. Rates of young people going missing from care have decreased significantly. A clearer recording system is now in place to help ensure that missing from care episodes are monitored closely.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

In the event of any allegation of abuse by a young person, Ofsted has been informed in a timely way. This helps ensure that the regulator can monitor significant events at the home. In addition, in the event of any allegations of harm or any indication of poor practice by staff members, the management team takes swift and appropriate action to ensure that young people remain safe, in line with statutory guidance. This includes referrals to the appropriate safeguarding lead within the local authority. This helps ensure that young people are kept safe.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Records of staff and the manager’s supervision are kept on file. During the new manager’s induction period, she has benefited from frequent opportunities for supervision with the responsible individual, who in turn has maintained a close link with the home to ensure that standards are raised and that the functioning of the home is brought back to the required standard. This management oversight helps ensure that there is focus and accountability while the staff team and manager work to raise standards of care.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

In meeting the requirements and recommendations from the last inspection, the management team has demonstrated that the home has capacity to improve.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The staff team continues to have very positive relationships with partner agencies, which benefits young people. The police officer responsible for children looked after gave positive feedback and stated in relation to partnership working with one young person, ‘We continue to strive for the best outcomes for him.’ Staff work very closely with professionals to ensure that they can meet young people’s emotional and physical health needs. A worker from the children and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) team visits the home regularly to provide advice and support to staff. The CAMHS worker spoke very positively about the commitment of the staff to trying to improve young people’s lives. He said, ‘The staff team are very good at putting in place things I suggest for young people. They try to focus on the positive. They consider everything I suggest without just putting it straight in place. They try and understand why I’m suggesting it.’

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people make steady progress commensurate with their starting points. Attendance and achievement in education are given high priority. Staff work hard to encourage young people to engage in education and training and to reach their academic potential. During the inspection, a young person was starting a new school. Members of the staff team were nurturing and encouraging in their approach, aware of the anxiety such a significant event can cause. Young people consulted during the inspection were positive about their experiences living at the home. They are choosing colours for paint to repaint their bedrooms to make them more personalised and homely. A young person said, ‘I think staff look out for me. They are respectful to me. I like the home-made cakes.’ When young people move into or out of the home, the management team and staff plan for this to help ensure that this transition is as smooth as it can be.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Safeguarding is treated as high priority. Staff are generally good at managing young people’s behaviour and most young people make good progress in changing their poor and unacceptable behaviours. Use of physical interventions is rare, with them only being used on three occasions since the last inspection. The manager reviews all methods of control and restraint to ensure that they meet the home’s behaviour management policy and that they have been conducted appropriately. However, when the manager is involved in an incident of physical intervention, there is not yet a system in place to ensure that the event is scrutinised by someone else. There have been some incidents of racist behaviour towards young people and staff. These incidents were well managed by staff who are creative in helping young people understand what racism is and that it is unacceptable.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

There are a range of internal quality assurance systems that managers carry out, and monthly visits are conducted by the independent visitor. These systems help identify any shortfalls in practice, which supports the staff team’s ability to make improvements and helps safeguard young people. The staff team is well experienced and the majority of its members are qualified to the appropriate level. However, the waking night members of staff are not qualified. It is important for any member of staff who has caring responsibilities for young people to be qualified appropriately, to enable young people to receive consistent and high- quality care.

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Information about this children’s home

This is a local authority children’s home that provides medium- to long-term care for up to three children and/or young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 26/07/2016 Full Requires improvement 18/02/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 14/07/2015 Full Good 17/03/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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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.

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Requirement Due date

13 The leadership and management standard In order to meet the leadership and management standard, the registered person must—

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Requirement Due date

(2)(c) ensure that staff have the qualifications to meet the needs of each child. This specifically relates to staff working at night. 31/05/2017

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendation:  The registered person should ensure that all incidents of control, discipline and restraint are subject to systems of regular scrutiny to ensure that their use is fair. This specifically refers to incidents where managers are involved. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.36)

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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 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.

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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 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 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

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Information about this inspection

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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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