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Inspection report children’s home: SC437069 1 SC437069 Registered provider: Derbyshire 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

The service provides short breaks for up to six young people, aged between 10 and 17, who may be of either gender and who have moderate to severe learning disabilities/physical disabilities. The young people may have additional sensory impairments and disabilities. A local authority owns and manages the service.

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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 outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Date of last inspection: 19 January 2017

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: Improved effectiveness

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: None Inspection report children’s home: SC437069 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

 Young people make excellent progress. They are supported by a highly nurturing and responsive staff team.  Young people are supported to develop their communication skills and this improves their day-to-day experiences and enhances their social experiences.  Excellent and thoughtful work is undertaken by staff to help and prepare young people for moving from the service into adult care.  Young people are safe and kept safe by staff who understand their individual vulnerabilities and risks.  The managers and staff understand their roles and responsibilities in respect of child protection.  The staff team is highly skilled and motivated to provide excellent care to young people. This enables young people to enjoy their visits and they present as happy and content, which helps them make progress.  The managers continually strive to improve this outstanding service for the benefit of young people. They have excellent processes in place to ensure that

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Key findings from this inspection

staff are supported, receive excellent training and remain focused in providing the best possible care.

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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

 The registered manager must ensure that staff have read and understand risk assessments for young people, and that the assessments have been reviewed and updated.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/01/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 21/09/2016 Full Good 24/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 04/11/2015 Full Outstanding Inspection report children’s home: SC437069 3

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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

12: The protection of children standard The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure (b) that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12(1) and (2)(b)) 01/09/2017

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff are highly nurturing, sensitive and responsive to the needs of young people. This has led to young people developing excellent and long-lasting relationships with those caring for them. These relationships are marked with fun and laughter. Crucially, the young people know that they can trust staff to provide very good and consistent care, and keep them safe. Opportunities taken to optimise young people’s development through play and activities are exceptional. This is achieved through every young person having clear achievement and development targets. These targets are understood by staff and incorporated into young people’s care and placement plans. Targets and plans are regularly reviewed, and amended if necessary. The progress young people make is easily measurable. One young person has developed a greater sense of personal autonomy as she is now able to unpack her suitcase and hang clothes on hangers. This is a significant achievement, with

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

staff working patiently and diligently over a long period of time to achieve this step forward with the young person. Young people are helped to maximise their means of communication in order to widen their interactions with those around them. Young people’s means of communication are individual to them, which can include using symbols and/or sign language. The staff team is highly skilled in using a wide range of communication resources to help young Inspection report children’s home: SC437069 4 people widen their day-to-day experiences with others. This develops their skills and confidence in communication and will help young people throughout their lives. The manager and staff understand the crucial importance of supporting young people and their families. The staff develop excellent relationships with families. They deliver a responsive service providing breaks to young people at times of family crisis, which can

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

relieve pressures, at times preventing family breakdown. Parents and carers report being confident that their children receive an excellent service and enjoy their short breaks. One parent stated, ‘He absolutely loves it, I know this because he gets excited when transport arrives. In every photo, he is smiling and looks happy. They understand him.’ The organisation has recently strengthened the service offered to families through an outreach service providing daily care to young people in their own homes. Excellent and thoughtful work is undertaken by staff to prepare young people for leaving the short-breaks service. For one young person, a staff member completed detailed life story work to help her reminisce about the times spent at the service and key relationships in her life. An independent reviewing officer said, ‘The quality of the life story work is extremely high, and helped the young person understand relationships,

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

helped her to be calmer and move on with her life.’ Transitions from the service are planned for well in advance. Staff work with adult care services and the young person’s family, to help prepare and support the young person and their family for the move. Potential difficulties are pre-empted and decisive action is taken to make certain that the services and the help that young people need are in place.

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

Young people are safe, and kept safe, by staff who have an in-depth understanding of each young person. This, together with strong and trusting relationships with the staff caring for them, helps to develop young people’s self-confidence and sense of security in the care they receive. Young people are reassured by a consistent staff group, who implement clear behavioural boundaries. Behaviour is managed effectively by staff, through a proactive approach that predicts potential negative behaviour and so action is taken to avoid situations deteriorating. On the rare occasions behavioural boundaries are pushed, staff respond in a proportionate manner that helps staff and young people to understand what constitutes appropriate behaviour. The managers and staff work effectively with partner agencies to keep young people safe and promote their welfare. Highly complex family situations, including family breakdown and child protection concerns, are dealt with well by the management and

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

staff team. They understand their roles within the wider multi-agency network. They work collaboratively with other agencies, share information effectively and ensure that they remain focused on the protection and welfare needs of young people. This is an area of particularly strong practice and helps keep young people safe. Managers complete individual risk assessments for each young person. These assessments are developed from information gathered from key agencies working with young people and their families. Key and specific risk factors are highlighted, together with actions required to reduce this risk. These assessments undergo regular review by managers and are adjusted if required. These assessments could be strengthened by Inspection report children’s home: SC437069 5 making it evident that staff have read and understood the assessments. Medication administration systems are now robust and effective. At the last inspection, a

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

requirement was made following a medication mistake. This requirement is now met. The manager took effective action and reviewed all medication systems. Daily checking of medication takes place, together with the countersigning of medication and review when taken out of the building. This action will minimise the possibility of future medication errors. The safety of young people is promoted through the safe recruitment of staff. This is a thorough process that minimises the likelihood of young people being harmed by those caring for them. New staff members benefit from a strong induction process that involves them completing core training courses, which include safeguarding training. New staff work shifts with experienced colleagues, and are only allowed to work without direct supervision when they and managers are confident in their skills and abilities. This means young people are only cared for by staff that have undergone a thorough vetting

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

procedure and a comprehensive induction.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

This service is led by a highly experienced, qualified and committed registered manager. He is knowledgeable and relentless in wanting to improve the service for the benefit of young people. He is well supported by deputy managers who bring a wide range of experience and skills. There is a supportive senior management structure that ensures that the service remains on track to provide outstanding services to young people and their families. Managers have a solid grasp of young people’s care and placement plans. They understand the young people’s ongoing developmental needs that will help young people flourish and fulfil their developmental potential. Managers regularly review all documents relating to young people. The manager maintains high standards of care and is ambitious for young people and the service. The manager takes a systemic approach to monitoring the quality of care provided by the service. Monthly quality of care reviews incorporate consultation with key

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

stakeholders, such as family members and other agencies. Information from these reviews is analysed by managers, with any patterns and trends that have a bearing on the care provided being identified and rectified. Information derived from young people’s reviews, and any complaints or compliments, help the manager identify areas for improvement. Likewise, areas of relative strength are analysed in order to learn valuable lessons that may be transferrable to other areas of the service. This is excellent practice that drives forward progress for the benefit of young people. Young people benefit as a result of very high staffing levels. This means that staff are continuously available to spend time with young people. This helps with outings and activities and the ongoing development of relationships. Staff receive regular and professional supervision in accordance with the organisation’s policy. Supervision

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

sessions are guided by a clear agenda. Staff report that these sessions are helpful, and say that managers make themselves available should staff wish to discuss any aspect of the service and care provided. Supervision is supported by annual appraisals in which Inspection report children’s home: SC437069 6 the development and training needs of staff are identified. Staff have excellent training opportunities. Training has given staff good insight into diversity issues and the needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered young people. The manager has developed an excellent workforce plan, and this strategically helps plan the needs of the workforce moving forward. Staff participate in regular team meetings. Staff report that these meetings are helpful and they feel able to raise any issues with managers. The team meetings are structured to ensure that a comprehensive discussion takes place regarding all operational aspects

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

of the service. The manager is planning to develop these meetings further in the future to focus more on reflective discussions and developing care practices. These team meetings have helped in the development of a strong team that has a clear sense of team identity, with high morale.

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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 who 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: SC437069 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: County Hall, Matlock, Derbyshire DE4 3AG

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Inspector

Phillip Morris, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC437069 8 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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