Children's home run by Derby City Council in Derby

Inspection report children’s home: SC036275 1 SC036275 Registered provider: Derby City Council

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a local authority children’s home. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to six children who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Sustained effectiveness

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Enforcement action since last inspection

None Inspection report children’s home: SC036275 2

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people make positive progress in all areas of their lives during the time they live in this home. Staff work hard to ensure that they have positive experiences and achieve to the best of their abilities.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Staff work hard to promote education and training. They act as positive and strong advocates for young people and support them with their learning.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people get to see family and other people who are important to them. Staff demonstrate a very detailed understanding of the needs of each young person and fully support them to have positive contact.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people take part in a wide range of fun and stimulating activities. They identify pursuits that they would like to try with staff and have opportunities to do new things.

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Key findings from this inspection

 The health needs of young people living in this home are very well met. This not only includes their general health needs, but also more specialist help, support and counselling services being provided.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people feel safe living in this home. Staff work hard to ensure that their complex needs are known and met.

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Key findings from this inspection

The children’s home’s areas for development

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Key findings from this inspection

 Staff and managers need to challenge placing authorities when pathway plans for relevant young people are not completed to a satisfactory level.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Risk assessments for young people should reflect the known or potential risks that they present or at risk of.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

04/01/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 14/06/2016 Full Good 30/09/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness 29/04/2015 Full Requires improvement Inspection report children’s home: SC036275 3

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Recommendations

 ensure that staff continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. Where there are safeguarding concerns for a child, their placement plan, agreed between the home and their placing authority, must include details of the steps the home will take to manage any assessed risks on a day to day basis. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5)

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Recommendations

 ensure that staff actively seek to make the fullest contribution, working with other relevant persons, to young people’s pathway planning processes. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 17, paragraph 3.28)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people clearly form very close and positive relationships with staff and managers in this home. They feel able to discuss any issues or concerns they may have and those spoken with during this inspection reported feeling very well cared for. One young person, who had recently moved to live in this home, stated how much they liked all the staff, saying: ‘They are all great and really help and care about me.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people feel able to express their wishes and feelings to inform and influence decisions relating to the care and support they receive. Staff display a very detailed knowledge and understanding of the backgrounds of each young person. They respond sensitively and with respect to young people. One parent stated: ‘The staff are all fantastic. They keep me informed and always try their very best to get my child to engage.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There have been no complaints made by young people since the last inspection. They understand the process for making a complaint. They use their residents’ meetings to raise any issues they may have and feel listened to by staff and managers alike. One young person stated that they felt confident that staff would support them if they raised any concerns and that things would get sorted for them quickly.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff and managers place great value on the importance of education, training and employment. One member of staff has a lead role for education within the home. If a young person refuses to attend education, or does not have an education provision in place, work is done to support their learning during the school day. There is very close partnership working with the virtual school head and education providers. Young people have access to a wide range of education materials and an iPad to undertake work with Inspection report children’s home: SC036275 4 staff. Staff and managers work well with other agencies to consider the educational needs of all young people.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people have access to a wide range of fun and stimulating social activities. They engage well with the local and wider community. During this inspection, young people had devised a fun-packed activity programme for the school holidays. They take part in clubs, use local leisure facilities, go shopping and use public parks. This provides them with new opportunities and increases their sense of belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff team is particularly skilled in relation to promoting the independence skills of young people, regardless of their age. Staff encourage them to learn how to cook and meet their own personal care needs. During this inspection, one young person proudly showed the inspector their independence folder. This included photos and evidence of cooking and baking skills they had developed. As this young person had only been living in the home for a few weeks, this demonstrates how proactive the staff team are. The home employs a cook, who is also an integral part of the care team. She meets with young people in town to assist them in buying ingredients, and supports them to prepare meals for themselves, other young people and staff. Such positive practices mean that young people learn the necessary skills that will greatly assist them in later life.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The health needs of young people are very well met in this home. This is not just in relation to their general health needs, but also relates to the more specialist needs they may have. Staff and managers ensure that they have specialist support and counselling services in place. This includes support from child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) and other local specialist health services. Young people engage well with such services. From their starting points, both their physical and emotional health improve.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There has been one recent admission of a new young person to this home. The young person was able to visit the home before they moved in to meet staff and other young people. As this young person had never lived in a children’s home before, this relieved their anxieties and has led to a very successful move. Staff provided the young person with a welcome pack of items. Their placing social worker felt this was a lovely thing to do and meant a lot to the young person. When young people move out, staff fully support the move and actively plan for such moves. Staff demonstrate a commendable attitude and sensitivity to the anxiety that moves into and out of the home produce for young people. They work closely with family members and involved agencies to ensure as smooth a transition as possible for young people.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff fully support arrangements for young people to see and remain in contact with family members and other people who are important to them. They provide transport, supervise contacts and work very closely with young people and their families. Staff demonstrate a detailed understanding of the needs of young people in relation to keeping in touch with their families and friends. They work with the placing authority to ensure that young people can visit family and friends, as well as welcoming them to come and see the young people in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There is a need for managers and staff to ensure that pathway plans for relevant young Inspection report children’s home: SC036275 5 people clearly reflect their current and changing needs. Two such plans were seen during this inspection. One had been completed fully and was clear as to the short- and longer-term plans for a young person. The other one considered was extremely brief and did not provide a clear sense of the plans for that young person. Managers and staff should challenge the placing authority where there are concerns about the quality and/or content of pathway plans to ensure that they are relevant and fit for purpose.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Young people feel safe and protected by staff and managers in this home. They receive care and support from a competent and skilled staff team. Staff know the actual and potential risks posed to young people and take action to support and protect them. Young people have worked with staff to devise an anti-bullying policy within the home. Young people report feeling that staff take their concerns seriously and act on them promptly to eradicate any bullying or other concerning behaviours. Staff take a very proactive and robust stance in relation to any concerns relating to sexual exploitation, self-harm or radicalisation.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff understand their roles and responsibilities, and make referrals to appropriate agencies if they have concerns. Staff have also received training in relation to self-harm, safeguarding and radicalisation. During this inspection, it was noted that a specific risk assessment was not in place for a young person, in relation to potential self-harm issues. Another young person did not have a specific risk assessment in place relating to potential radicalisation concerns. The members of the staff team clearly know and understand the actual/potential concerns and respond appropriately, but specific risk assessments would help clarify their responses and provide consistency for the staff team.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

A lot of work has been done by managers and staff in relation to how and when they report young people as being missing from care. This reflects close multi-agency working with the local police and placing social workers, as well as relevant family members. For those young people who refuse to abide by their specified contact agreements, there are now clearer plans in place. This includes staff making safe and well visits to young people when they refuse to return to the children’s home following contact. With the agreement of the police and placing authority, this new approach has reduced the previously high number of reported missing from care incidents.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Detailed missing from care protocols reflect the risks posed for young people in relation to them going missing from care. Records considered during this inspection included very detailed and specific guidance for staff to follow, in the event of a young person not returning at agreed times or running away. Communication between the staff team, family members, placing social workers and relevant agencies is a key strength of this home. One placing social worker praised members of the staff team for their excellent communication skills. A parent also stated how well staff kept them informed of any concerning behaviours or missing from care incidents. The staff team really does promote independence skills for young people and Inspection report children’s home: SC036275 6 encourages them to take age-appropriate risks. One young person has been supported to learn the necessary skills and confidence to be able to travel alone on public transport

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

to visit family members. Such commitment by staff reflects their desire to ensure that all young people learn the necessary skills to make a successful transition from this home.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The use of physical interventions is low in this home. This reflects the skills and competencies of the staff team in being able to de-escalate situations with young people. Staff know the young people so well that they always prefer to try and engage them in discussions about any actual or potential risky behaviours that they display. Young people generally respond positively to this approach. They work with staff to devise their own placement plans, which reflect their goals and how they would like staff to support and interact with them. Young people therefore feel fully engaged in the care and support they receive and respond well to it.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Young people regularly meet as a group with staff to consider their wishes, feelings and views. They feel able to articulate their wishes and any concerns they may have. Staff and managers also seek alternative ways to elicit the wishes, feelings and views of young people. They appreciate that young people may not always want to engage in formal meetings. They use trips out in the car or on public transport to discuss with young people how they feel and what the staff team could do better to support them. Staff also encourage young people to complete a questionnaire each month, to reflect on the care and support that they receive and what improvements could be made. Managers are in the process of improving how they respond to young people’s comments, to ensure that there is a more formal response provided to them.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Recruitment and selection procedures for new staff coming to work at this home are robust and comprehensive. The procedures prevent unsuitable adults from being recruited or being able to harm young people. There have been no allegations made in relation to any staff member since the last inspection. Those staff spoken with during this inspection were very clear as to the processes to be followed, in the event of an allegation being made about them. Young people similarly feel confident in reporting any concerns they may have to staff, managers or their social workers.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The home presents as a safe and secure environment for young people to live in. Staff work with young people to ensure that the property and outside areas are maintained to a good standard. Young people support staff to do chores in the home and to work on the garden areas. This increases their sense of pride and belonging in their home and the outdoor areas. They learn to value their surroundings and personal spaces.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager of this home has the necessary skills, qualifications and experience for the role. She is viewed by the staff team as a very positive and supportive manager. One member of staff stated how well supported they felt. This was a view shared by several other staff met with during this inspection. It is clear that the manager supports and encourages innovation and areas of expertise for her staff team. Inspection report children’s home: SC036275 7 The home has sufficient staff to meet the needs of those young people living there. Managers have ensured that when agency staff are needed, they use the same people wherever possible. Such a strategy is commendable, providing consistency of care for young people. In the absence of one permanent member of staff recently, a consistent agency worker has been employed at the home. Young people value this, stating how much they like this person and the fact that they have been able to build a relationship

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There are good monitoring and management oversight systems in place. The registered and deputy manager work closely together to ensure that all aspects of the care and support provided to young people are scrutinised and analysed. Managers really value the feedback from young people, parents, carers and placing social workers. They elicit their views on a regular basis and respond to the feedback.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a detailed development plan in place for this home. It reflects the goals and aspirations that the manager has for the service, both in the short and longer term. Staff members take on lead roles, further strengthening the care and support provided and leading to improvements. This is particularly evident in relation to the education champion in the home. Such innovative practices help young people to improve their educational experiences and attainment.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has developed positive working relationships with local service providers and neighbours. There has only been one complaint from the community since the last inspection, which the manager has responded to in a very prompt and detailed manner. The manager also works well with placing social workers and other agencies, calling meetings to discuss specific young people if she has concerns or wants clarification on their plans or risk assessments.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff report having regular formal supervision and annual appraisals, which they feel help them to improve their skills and competence levels. Regular team meetings also take place within the home. The manager ensures that staff know and understand all recommendations made by the independent visitor each month. This reflects a positive management team, keen to involve the staff on all relevant matters. Staff met with during this inspection presented as highly competent, confident and committed to the young people they work with.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home presents to a very good standard, both internally and externally. Staff work with the young people to agree decor and to purchase items for the home and garden. There is a very positive family feel to the home. Young people have their own pets, in agreement with staff and managers. They learn about taking responsibility for them and take pride in this.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

One shortfall was identified as a result of the last inspection. That requirement has been fully met. The manager ensures that all relevant incidents are notified to Ofsted now in a timely manner. Inspection report children’s home: SC036275 8

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference made to the lives of children and young people. They watched how professional staff work with children and young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care provided. Wherever possible, they talked to children and 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.

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Information about this inspection

Using the ‘Social care common inspection framework’, this inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, 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’. Inspection report children’s home: SC036275 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Treasurers Department, Council House, Corporation Street, Derby DE1 2FE

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Inspector

Tracy Murty, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC036275 10 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, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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