Children's Home run by Nottinghamshire County Council in Nottinghamshire

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged outstanding 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

As well as continuing to provide an overall outstanding service to children, young people and their families, this home and short-break service is able to demonstrate significant improvement since the last inspection. The registered manager is highly skilled at evaluating the strengths of the service and identifying areas of potential improvement.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The service is not operating at full capacity while the local authority undertakes a review of its disability services. However, significant investment continues to take place ensuring that there is no loss of quality. For example, a new call alarm and camera monitoring system has been commissioned that will improve the safety of young people and ensure that their needs are attended to promptly.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager has expanded the availability of the service so that young people from other local authorities can access and take advantage of the excellent facilities. A parent of a child placed by a neighbouring local authority spoke of her great relief and gratitude at being offered a placement. As well as providing a valuable resource to other local authorities, the decision enhances the longer term financial viability of the service.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

A ‘pat dog’, owned by a member of staff, now regularly visits the home. This has enhanced the experience of young people. Staff report that young people respond very well to the dog. The fact that a member of staff has paid for her own dog to be assessed and trained by the Pets as Therapy charity, so that it can visit the home, demonstrates the commitment and dedication of the staff group.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Managers and staff work extremely well with parents. They understand the challenges faced by the parents of young people who use the service for short breaks and whose children are accommodated in the home. They provide valuable support to all parents, but particularly those who are experiencing difficulties in their own lives or who seek assistance in dealing with other agencies. When parents raise any concerns about their children’s care, manager’s work very positively and openly to ensure that each child’s needs are fully addressed. Safeguarding practice is very strong. Managers and staff are proactive in identifying potential risk, removing or minimising hazards and sharing information with appropriate agencies. The particular vulnerabilities of young people who have disabilities are fully recognised by all staff. As a result, they are diligent in how they record and respond to any unexplained injuries. All staff have received specialist

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home’s development plan is used very effectively to achieve continual improvement. Although this service has been recognised as outstanding for a number of years, the managers are not complacent. Since the last inspection, a more structured approach to developing life skills has been developed. ‘Independence weekends’ are used creatively to engage with the more able young people. These young people have developed an improved understanding of personal safety and online safety. The staff have also considered ways to better celebrate young people’s achievements. As a result, staff now make sure that the addition of a young person’s name to the ‘achievements board’ is an event that the young person can be part of and enjoy with other young people.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The quality of care provided to young people continues to be excellent. Staff have a very good understanding of the individual personalities of each young person, their likes, dislikes and preferences. Staff are good at offering play opportunities and quickly recognise when young people may require more or less stimulation. Intimate personal care tasks are carried out efficiently, but with great sensitivity to the dignity of young people. Because staff are well trained and well drilled in the use of hoists and other moving and handling tasks, the risk of accidental injury to young people is significantly reduced.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Considerable thought has gone into identifying ways to gather the views and wishes of young people with very limited verbal communication. Each young person is very well supported to express their views. In some cases, staff have been so successful at eliciting the views of young people that the young people have been able to contribute to their own case notes and review reports.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The high-quality care generates very strong outcomes for young people. One young person, who has recently been admitted to the home, has benefited from very effective decision making, assessment and planning. As a result, his admission has gone very smoothly and he is already making significant progress. His mother said, ‘I can’t believe how much he has come on in such a short space of time.’

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Information about this children's home

This is a local authority children's home providing residential and short-break services for up to 16 children with physical disabilities and complex healthcare needs.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 23/11/2016 Full Outstanding 21/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 21/10/2015 Full Outstanding 24/03/2015 Interim Sustained 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 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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