Clayfields House Secure Unit

Inspection report secure children‟s home: SC036740 1 SC036740 Registered provider: Nottinghamshire County 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 secure children‟s home is managed by a local authority. It is approved by the Department for Education to restrict young people‟s liberty. The children‟s home can accommodate up to 18 young people, who are aged between 10 and 17 years. It provides for up to 14 young people placed by the Youth Justice Board and up to four places for young people accommodated under section 25 of the Children Act 1989 who are placed by local authorities. Admission of any young person under section 25 of the Children Act 1989, who is under 13 years of age, requires the approval of the Secretary of State. Education is provided on site in dedicated facilities.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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Outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected Good

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Outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers Good

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Outstanding

Outcomes in education and related learning activities Outstanding

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Outstanding

Date of last inspection: 6 December 2016

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Outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: Declined in effectiveness

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Outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: None Inspection report secure children‟s home: SC036740 2

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Key findings from this inspection

This children‟s home is outstanding because

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Key findings from this inspection

 Leaders and managers of education and residential care have high ambitions for young people and collaborate very effectively to support wider learning and personal development.  Outstanding leadership and management of education ensure that consistently high-quality provision, which means that young people are keen to attend education, improve their behaviour and that the young people undertake learning that meets their needs and aspirations well. Young people make excellent progress towards challenging educational goals. Some young people make truly remarkable progress.  Young people develop trusting and meaningful relationships with members of staff. This enables them to reflect on their past and to implement positive changes in their lives.  Young people benefit from their time in the home, and their self-esteem and confidence develop significantly. Excellent support is provided to young people

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Key findings from this inspection

who are moving on and when they have left the home, which increases their chances of success in their next placement.  Children are helped to stay safe through staff‟s good awareness of safeguarding policies and procedures. Children feel safe and are able to identify staff that they can turn to for support.  Good arrangements are in place with safeguarding agencies, and when concerns are raised they are responded to effectively through a multi-agency approach.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Each young person‟s individual needs, including cultural and religious needs, are met to an excellent standard. Diversity and difference are celebrated and enjoyed across the home.  Staff are well supported and have good training opportunities, which ensure that they have the necessary skills to support the young people to a high standard.  Arrangements to promote positive behaviours are used effectively, although some records require additional information.  The home comprises three separate units. Each has a nominated independent visitor who conducts monthly monitoring visits. One of the units has not had such a visit for over two months. External managers have failed to address this shortfall. Inspection report secure children‟s home: SC036740 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/12/2016 Interim Declined in effectiveness 14/06/2016 Full Outstanding 12/01/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 28/07/2015 Full Outstanding Inspection report secure children‟s home: SC036740 4

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet 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

The registered person must ensure that— within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure. (Regulation 35(3)(a)(vii)) 30/06/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that— within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”) has signed the record to confirm it is accurate. (Regulation 35(3)(b)(ii)) 30/06/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (”case records”) for each child, which include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child. (Regulation 36(1)(a), Schedule 3, item 19) 30/06/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children‟s home at least once each month. (Regulation 44(1)) 30/06/2017

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Recommendations

 Staff should 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, specifically relating to „managing away‟. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 42, paragraph 9.5) Inspection report secure children‟s home: SC036740 5  Ensure that the ethos of the home supports each child to learn; in particular, ensure that teachers identify formal learning objectives for all enrichment and mobility activities so that all aspects of young people‟s learning progress and skill development are identified and recorded in individual learning plans (ILPs). („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page

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Recommendations

 Ensure that the ethos of the home supports each child to learn; in particular, ensure that all young people have free access to drinking water while using the gym, cardio-vascular room and outdoor exercise area. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 29, paragraph 5.18) Inspection report secure children‟s home: SC036740 6

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people:

Progress for young people is excellent. This is particularly evident in their education, health, understanding of their behaviour and development of their life skills. One professional stated, „I am impressed. Communication is fantastic. [Name] has achieved graduate level in the incentive scheme, which is an incredible achievement from where he started. He has particularly made progress in his education. I cannot fault the home.‟ A young person commented, „This home didn‟t just work for me, it changed my life.‟

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people:

Excellent joint working and a consistent approach between education and care staff provide a strong foundation for the continuing improvement of educational outcomes for young people. This supports young people to achieve their potential and to experience education as a positive aspect of their lives.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people:

Healthcare is an area of vast improvement since the last inspection with a number of developments having already taken place and further changes planned for the near future. These developments mean a substantial increase in the range of specialist services available to young people and an increase in the frequency of services, including out-of-hours provision. Examples of health professionals available to meet the needs of the young people and to advise staff include mental health specialists, substance misuse workers and a children‟s nurse. This development enables staff to meet the increasingly varied and complex health and emotional needs of young people. Young people have been consulted on healthcare proposals, and their views have helped to shape the service. For example, one young person asked that sexual health services be made available on site or at the local doctors rather than at the hospital. This is now provided

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people:

at the local doctor‟s surgery, ensuring a more intimate and less daunting environment.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people:

Initial health care assessments are regularly reviewed in multi-disciplinary meetings, enabling a consistent and holistic approach that ensures that young people‟s health needs continue to be met. Excellent communication between health and catering staff ensures that a healthy and varied menu is provided for young people. Health professionals attend staff meetings and case management meetings, developing a range of positive interventions to improve young peoples‟ health. Effective key work with one young person has resulted in his being able to self-medicate. A thorough risk assessment is regularly reviewed to ensure that he is supported to do this safely. Health assessments are reviewed prior to a young person leaving the home, and staff form links with external health providers, ensuring that information is shared, facilitating continued support into the community.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people:

An excellent on-site interventions team works with young people to address a wide range of issues. These include work on offending behaviour, sexual exploitation, moral reasoning, gangs, alternatives to violence, anger management, peer pressure, self- esteem and victim awareness. The team uses a range of assessments, including those from external agencies, to identify which intervention programmes are best suited to the young people. Work is reviewed throughout the young person‟s stay to measure impact Inspection report secure children‟s home: SC036740 7 and efficacy. Monitoring also identifies the success of interventions, for example by examining reoffending rates. Data shows a steady decline in reoffending rates and one that is significantly lower than the national average.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people:

The use of the multi-disciplinary team‟s skills and knowledge ensures that each young person‟s individual needs are identified and planned for, to an excellent standard. Subsequently, the young people feel genuinely cared for and supported. This enables them to make excellent progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people:

The home has a wealth of facilities that allow for a wide range of activities to take place. Activity and enrichment programmes link to the needs and interests of young people and bring new experiences. For example, young people have enjoyed wheelchair basketball, fitness and dance programmes. Activities also help young people to develop life skills, such as budgeting, cooking and doing their laundry, thereby increasing their confidence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people:

Young people have a range of forums where they can express their views, including house meetings and a young people‟s council. They are consulted on a daily basis about the day-to-day running of the home and their care, as well as projects, such as the new healthcare proposals. Staff regularly engage young people in discussing national and international news. This broadens their general knowledge and helps young people to develop understanding of diversity and promoting tolerance of others. Young people and staff enjoy very strong relationships. This enables young people to feel that they can raise concerns with staff at any time. They understand the complaints process and know how to contact the advocacy service for support. Additionally, the advocate visits the home on a fortnightly basis to ensure that the young people can meet on a face-to-face basis.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people:

Staff demonstrate exemplary practice in preparing young people to move on. Excellent individualised mobility programmes help young people acclimatise to the community, so that they understand things like transport routes and the whereabouts of local shops and can visit new placements. Thorough resettlement plans, reviewed and contributed to by a range of professionals, ensure that appropriate arrangements are in place for young people, following their release. The manager challenges placing authorities when suitable arrangements are not in place. A „top tips‟ booklet provides detailed information about the young person for any new placement, including what staff have learned about the young person, their strengths and strategies that work to support them. This enables other professionals to help make the subsequent placement as successful as possible.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people:

Inspectors identified several young people that have moved on from the home. One example demonstrated the exceptional work that staff undertake. Staff and the placing authority worked tirelessly together to identify the right placement for a young person who has sensory disabilities and complex needs. An extensive amount of preparation work with the young person enabled a positive, gradual move on from the home. He has settled well, with ongoing support from key staff working alongside staff in his new placement. Staff from his new home commented on the excellent partnership work between care staff, managers and education staff, and said that this has helped him to settle well into his new home. Inspection report secure children‟s home: SC036740 8 On admission to the home, a range of assessments are undertaken, including health, education and any presenting risks. These provide staff with essential information about

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people:

the young people. Detailed plans provide a history and outline the reasons for the placement. Young people are well supported on admission and in their first few days at the home. They complete a three-day induction, helping them to understand the routines and expectations of their behaviour.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people:

Care and sentence training plans provide excellent detail of the objectives for young people, how staff are to enable young people to achieve these objectives and evaluation of progress. This includes areas such as transition to the community, education, health, improving interactions and relationships. Two young people were new to the home at the time of the inspection and had not yet had their plans formulated. All other documentation and assessments were found to be in place. Consequently, this shortfall has not affected young people‟s immediate care or well-being.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected:

Good arrangements are in place to safeguard young people, resulting in their feeling safe and developing positive relationships with members of staff. All young people are able to name a member of staff that they would turn to if they had a concern. Staff strongly advocate for the young people, supporting their views in meetings and keeping them informed of how their issues are being responded to.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected:

Staff have a good awareness of safeguarding processes. They receive regular training, and there are clear lines of responsibility if there are concerns. Good links are in place with the Local Safeguarding Children Board and the designated officer in the local authority. This helps concerns to be responded to swiftly. When concerns arise, they are fully investigated in line with the local authority‟s and home‟s procedures. Managers ensure that other professionals are kept up to date with any investigations. One social worker stated, „The staff team always keep[s] me up to date if there is a concern or issue relating to safeguarding.‟ Safeguarding records are detailed and include a clear chronology of events, making it easy to follow and audit the actions taken by those involved. This helps to promote the well-being of the young people. Any incidents regarding staff conduct identified during monitoring processes are investigated and

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How well children and young people are helped and protected:

addressed to ensure that young people are kept safe, and practice is scrutinised and reflected on.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected:

There have been no incidents of absconding since the last inspection. Risk assessments and staff‟s awareness of young people‟s behaviours and vulnerabilities are good. Appropriate procedures are in place, should such an event happen. There is a clear protocol in place for a young person returning from being missing, including in-depth discussion about their whereabouts during the time they were away. It also outlines the need for an interview with an independent person to take place.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected:

Security arrangements are appropriate. There are good systems to monitor health and Inspection report secure children‟s home: SC036740 9 safety issues, including regular fire safety checks and drills. Closed-circuit television (CCTV) has been upgraded, and this provides images of greater clarity. This helps to support the safety of staff and young people. A recent incident in which boundary trees were wrongfully trimmed by a contractor affected the privacy of some young people. This issue was quickly identified by managers and addressed. The young people and the home‟s neighbours are happy with the new screening in place.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected:

Young people who display self-harming behaviours are supported by both health and care staff. Good risk assessments are in place. These give clear information regarding concerns relating to self-harming, what the risks are and the actions that staff need to take to minimise or eliminate these risks. If a young person is away from the group, the staff ensure that regular checks are made on them in line with their risk assessments. Individualised interventions are used to increase young people‟s awareness of the dangers of self-harm. Ligature cutters are readily available to staff if needed.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected:

Young people are searched on admission to the home and when they have been out in the community. The degree of search is risk assessed, and staff use „pat down‟ or an electronic wand to check that no prohibited items are brought into the home. Searches of bedrooms and communal areas are intelligence led and random. This is purposefully done to promote the well-being and safety of all young people.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected:

Young people‟s individualised management plans guide members of staff on how to support and encourage positive behaviour and what strategies are useful for both the staff and young people to improve their resilience and coping skills. New behaviour management plans are being introduced. These are more detailed in describing problematic behaviours and strategies to use and highlight responses which may escalate the likelihood of the behaviour. The increased level of detail helps to underpin the consistency of staff‟s approach to behaviour management.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected:

A good behavioural incentive structure covers both education and care provision. Young people are well aware of the incentive scheme, what rewards come with each level and how to achieve these. Assessments of young people‟s progress on the incentive system examine trends and allow staff to discuss areas of concern with the young people. This helps young people to develop self-awareness and enables them to reflect on their strategies, behaviours and choices.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected:

Staff are responsive to bullying behaviours, supporting both the perpetrator and victim. Staff use different techniques to decrease bullying in the home. These include helping young people to acknowledge the effects of their behaviour through the use of sanctions, spending time away from others and key work discussions. Complaints that have been raised by young people about bullying are dealt with swiftly, emphasising the importance that staff place on this behaviour and establishing a culture where bullying is not acceptable.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected:

Staff use single separation in line with regulations. Records of directed or enforced single separation include full details of the regular monitoring of young people and staff‟s response to incidents, or requests from young people. Managers are involved in Inspection report secure children‟s home: SC036740 10 decision-making regarding separation timescales, and they monitor records to ensure that they are appropriate. A clear record is made when young people elect to go to their rooms. This ensures that checks are carried out to confirm that they are safe while being away from the group.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected:

Young people that are managed away from their peers due to being a risk to themselves or others are supervised appropriately. Incidents are closely monitored and overseen by senior staff throughout. However, records of managing away incidents fail to show a senior manager‟s assessment for the continuation, or decision to end the period of time spent away from the group, although staff state that this is discussed on a regular basis.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected:

Physical restraint is used in line with regulations. The home has an up-to-date restraint policy. All staff are trained in the home‟s physical intervention methods and have regular refresher training. Managers scrutinise every physical restraint incident using CCTV and records to ensure that high standards of care are met. When learning is identified, this is shared with staff. Some incidents are used as training exercises to develop practice further. Key work sessions are included in the restraint record as is a debriefing with the young person. This ensures that young people‟s views are obtained and appropriately considered.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected:

Sanctions are used to address negative behaviours, alongside restorative practice that enables young people to understand the effects that their behaviour has on others. Records are monitored by senior staff and show that there are occasions when staff members have not signed the record or completed a clear assessment of the effectiveness of the sanction within expected timescales. However, all records signed by a senior staff member are undated, so it is unclear how timely this monitoring is.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected:

All staff have completed training in radicalisation and the governments „Prevent‟ duty. Staff stated that this training was informative and has helped to raise their awareness of their responsibilities.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected:

Thirteen new members of staff have been recruited since the last inspection. Checks have been undertaken in line with regulations. This ensures, as far as possible, that the right people are employed to work with vulnerable young people. Young people take part in the recruitment process. This increases their involvement in deciding those that work with them and helps to develop their confidence and belief that they have an influence on the running of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers:

The home is well led by an experienced and qualified registered manager who has over 20 years of experience of working with young people. She is qualified to level 4 in management and care and has a post-graduate diploma in public services management. She is ably supported by a settled and experienced senior management team, which provides strong leadership and scrutinises practice with a view to ensuring that there are continuing improvements in the service provided to the young people. Inspection report secure children‟s home: SC036740 11 There are sufficient staff to ensure that young people are supported and kept safe. Any shortages are covered by staff working additional hours and by the use of a pool of sessional staff. Consistency is maintained, and young people do not experience disruption due to any staffing shortages.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers:

Staff skills are developed through their having access to varied and relevant training. All members of staff have received training in safeguarding and key areas such as radicalisation, first aid and dyadic developmental practice. The regular training opportunities ensure that the staff team is skilled and knowledgeable in working with the young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers:

Members of staff receive regular supervision and have their practice assessed and reviewed. Staff members speak of being well supported and report good teamwork. When issues are identified, there are clear action plans put in place so that members of staff can improve and reflect on their practice. This is an improvement since the last inspection and shows that the management team is responsive to addressing any shortfalls.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers:

Monitoring of standards of care is good and, overall, achieved consistently. Shortfalls identified in this inspection regarding recording have not had an impact on young people‟s progress or safety. Although there are shortfalls in some records, managers monitor these and ensure that they are rectified. The timeliness of this monitoring is not always clearly recorded. A requirement made at the last inspection in relation to health has been met. Care staff swiftly respond to any health concerns, liaising closely with medical staff to ensure that appropriate care is provided.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers:

The home has three separate living units. Each unit is visited monthly under regulation 44 by a different person, in order to assess the quality of care and other key practice areas. One of the units has not had a visit carried out since February 2017. This shortfall has been identified and raised by the home‟s registered manager with senior managers in the local authority, but a replacement has yet to be found. Young people have access to an independent advocate and to external helplines. While this is a shortfall, monitoring of practice by the managers in the home is being maintained. The registered manager continues to ensure that young people are protected and kept safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers:

The registered manager systematically assesses the quality of care provided so that any areas for improvement can be identified and addressed. For example, training in increasing staff resilience has been provided so that attrition rates can be reduced, which in turn ensures consistency for the young people. Plans for the further development of mental health services are also in place, and these are already bearing fruit with the recruitment of additional mental health professionals. This increases young people‟s and staff members‟ access to support.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers:

The complaints system is effective and available to all the young people. They are aware of how to use the system when they need to do so. Records show that the young people are kept up to date about the progress of any complaints they make and have meetings Inspection report secure children‟s home: SC036740 12 with managers to resolve them. This ensures that the young people have confidence that their views are listened to and their complaints suitably considered. This is another improvement since the last inspection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers:

Young people‟s progress is closely scrutinised and assessed on a multi-disciplinary basis. Regular case management reviews involving professionals from across the service, including teachers, health staff and key workers, ensure that young people‟s care plans and strategies to support them are checked for effectiveness. This multi-disciplinary forum ensures that the plans and approaches to young people‟s care are relevant and responsive to meeting each young person‟s unique needs. Consequently, young people make excellent progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers:

Any significant events are shared with the appropriate agencies. This means that external agencies, such as placing social workers, Ofsted or safeguarding professionals, can monitor or follow up any concerns if necessary.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers:

There is a comprehensive statement of purpose in place and this describes the services which the home provides. There is also a thorough young people‟s guide, which describes their rights and key external contacts, such as the advocacy service and what the home wants to help them achieve. This means that all stakeholders have good information about the home and the services provided.

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Outcomes in education and related learning activities:

Young people make excellent progress in education and their overall development. Young people‟s rate of progress in learning accelerates the longer they stay in the home.

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Outcomes in education and related learning activities:

A good proportion of young people achieve GCSE, AS- and A-level qualifications in a range of academic subjects. In addition, a considerable number of young people make good progress with their art and information and communication technology (ICT) qualifications. The number of functional skills and employment-related additional qualifications attained by young people has increased since the previous inspection.

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Outcomes in education and related learning activities:

Young people make very good progress in their learning, in particular, in English, mathematics and technology. Almost all young people make better progress than expected, and the rest make the progress expected of them. For example, despite no prior experience in the subject, one young person in Year 9 has completed all their coursework and examination pieces for a GCSE qualification in art, in just six months.

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Outcomes in education and related learning activities:

A minority of young people have progressed to further education, training or employment with training, on leaving the home.

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Outcomes in education and related learning activities:

A very few young people who arrive during the summer holidays make relatively slower progress in their learning. This is accurately acknowledged by the provider in the evaluation of the provision. Inspection report secure children‟s home: SC036740 13 Managers and senior staff make extensive efforts to collect information about young people‟s prior experiences and attainment, as soon as they arrive in the home. They then carry out an exhaustive initial assessment and appropriate diagnostic screening of young people‟s abilities and needs. Teachers use this information well to plan expert support for the young people‟s learning.

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Outcomes in education and related learning activities:

Teachers and teaching assistants provide very effective and highly individualised support during lessons. They build very good working relationships with the young people, which helps the young people to understand the purpose of education and to engage well in their lessons.

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Outcomes in education and related learning activities:

Young people are well aware of the progress they make with their learning and are ambitious to gain qualifications, often for the first time.

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Outcomes in education and related learning activities:

Teachers carefully introduce challenging topics of interest to keep the young people motivated and encourage them to make decisions about their own learning. This ensures that they remain engaged with activities throughout their lessons.

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Outcomes in education and related learning activities:

Young people benefit from particularly imaginative teaching in art, English and physical education (PE) and, as a result, they rapidly improve their skills and knowledge across a wide range of subjects and improve their confidence and self-esteem. In one PE lesson, an excellent example of peer coaching allowed one young person to demonstrate their highly effective leadership skills and emotional maturity.

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Outcomes in education and related learning activities:

Most curriculum areas promote the development of English and mathematics skills for young people well. Teachers and teaching assistants routinely correct spelling and grammar errors across the curriculum, and this supports the further development of the young people‟s English skills.

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Outcomes in education and related learning activities:

The feedback that the young people receive following the assessment of their written work is detailed and of good quality. Teachers focus well on identifying the strengths in young people‟s work, and highlight what a young person needs to do to improve and progress more swiftly. Teachers then review the progress of each young person in weekly tutorials and formally record their progress in monthly written summaries that are held in ILPs.

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Outcomes in education and related learning activities:

The personal development and behaviour of the young people attending education and learning-related activities are outstanding. Attendance is high and almost all young people arrive punctually to lessons, fully prepared to participate.

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Outcomes in education and related learning activities:

Young people take part in a very wide range of enrichment activities that meet their interests and complement their education particularly well. However, teachers have yet to agree formal learning objectives for each activity so that residential care staff can assess their achievement and contribute to a holistic assessment of young people‟s development of relevant functional skills.

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Outcomes in education and related learning activities:

Managers and staff plan enrichment activities that are well structured and focused on Inspection report secure children‟s home: SC036740 14 the development of specific personal and social skills, including the ability to work well with other young people and adults. For example, in the summer holidays, young people undertake awards in art and a few have begun to participate in the Duke of Edinburgh‟s Award scheme, demonstrating effective skills when planning and working with others. Visits from female Olympic athletes motivate girls to succeed.

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Outcomes in education and related learning activities:

Sports and fitness facilities are good and well used. Young people have access to an outdoor exercise area, which includes an artificial surface five-a-side pitch and new static exercise machines, complemented by a large indoor sports hall and a cardio-vascular fitness room. The young people participate well in a good variety of sports and fitness activities, and most develop a good understanding of how to keep themselves fit. The introduction of trampolining has helped to increase the participation of young women in PE and leisure sessions. However, young people have limited access to fresh drinking water while exercising, due to restrictions in their carrying water bottles.

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Outcomes in education and related learning activities:

In vocational training areas, such as catering, bricklaying and motor vehicle studies, young people greatly improve their understanding of health and safety in work environments. Safe working practices are also reinforced appropriately by teachers in other areas, such as art and design technology. In ICT lessons, young people learn effectively how to keep themselves safe online. In PE lessons, young people demonstrate close concern for others by paying close attention to the health and safety of less experienced peers when using sports equipment.

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Outcomes in education and related learning activities:

Staff promote young people‟s development of wider and necessary employability skills throughout their stays. The young people use information technology appropriately in most lessons. Careful planning of activities supports young people to see how the topics that they are studying are relevant to the world of work. They have recently started to use an online assessment tool to identify and record their skills and abilities to employer- desired traits and help them to consider their next steps in learning.

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Outcomes in education and related learning activities:

The management of learning and skills is outstanding. Managers have addressed the recommendations from the previous inspection and successfully maintained the high quality of teaching, learning and assessment. This has led to consistently high outcomes for young people. Strong collaborative working with residential care staff ensures highly effective promotion and reinforcement to young people of the importance and long-term benefits of education and learning.

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Outcomes in education and related learning activities:

Managers have developed a very useful network of external partners, such as teachers and leaders from other educational establishments, that helps to keep them well informed of regional and local initiatives and provides excellent opportunities for staff professional development.

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Outcomes in education and related learning activities:

Managers adapt the curriculum well to meet the needs of learners. Managers are particularly well informed about and adept at finding highly effective additional teaching staff to meet the complex requirements of the ever-changing population. This includes a range of valuable work placements for the young people who are permitted to access them. Inspection report secure children‟s home: SC036740 15 Managers have high expectations for all young people and ensure that teachers have a particularly good understanding of young peoples‟ skill levels, including in English and mathematics, as well as their emotional maturity and additional support needs, prior to planning their learning. They use this information very well to set challenging goals in ILPs.

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Outcomes in education and related learning activities:

Managers have long-established, effective systems to monitor young peoples‟ progress and to manage staff performance. Managers carry out frequent and thorough evaluations of the education and learning provision. Data analysis with regards to young people‟s outcomes is comprehensive, and includes the personal and social development of the young people as well as the quality of the provision.

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Outcomes in education and related learning activities:

Safeguarding arrangements are effective. Teaching and learning support staff have undertaken extensive safeguarding training to enable them to promote young people‟s safety.

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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 secure children‟s home: SC036740 16

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Nottinghamshire County Council, County Hall, Loughborough Road, West Bridgford, Nottingham NG2 7QP

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Shelagh Mitchell

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Inspector(s)

Paul Taylor, social care inspector Judith Longden, social care inspector Gerard McGrath, HMI Andrew Hewston, social care inspector Inspection report secure children‟s home: SC036740 17 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(s)

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Inspector(s)

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Inspector(s)

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

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