Children's Home run by Nottingham City Council in Nottingham

Inspection report children's home: SC034969 1 SC034969 Registered provider: Nottingham 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

The home is operated by a local authority and can accommodate up to four young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. It is a short-term assessment provision through which needs are assessed and a suitable long-term placement is identified within a six-month assessment period.

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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

Date of last inspection: 14 February 2017

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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: SC034969 2

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Key findings from this inspection

 Safeguarding practice is good. Robust safeguarding practice has ensured that high levels of risk-taking behaviour are managed effectively.  Leadership and management arrangements promote good standards of care. Standards are maintained even though high numbers of young people are admitted and discharged from the home.  The team works exceptionally well with multi-agency partners. This ensures that young people benefit from a professional team who can meet their specific needs.  This home provides care for young people with a vast range of needs. The pace of work is fast. Staff are resilient and adaptable. This means they provide good quality care to all young people.

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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

 There are gaps in staff training that need to be addressed.  The locality risk assessment does not include the views of partner agencies or risks specific to young people.  The home has recently installed closed circuit television to monitor the outside of the home and grounds. A policy needs to be produced to describe how this monitoring supports the safeguarding of young people.  Young people cannot access complaints forms easily or without asking staff.  Bedrooms do not have facilities for young people to keep private or personal items secure.  The statement of purpose does not accurately reflect the purpose and ethos of the home. It does not make clear the home’s approach to working with young people or how the home will achieve its outcomes. Inspection report children's home: SC034969 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 02/11/2016 Full Good 23/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 21/10/2015 Full Good Inspection report children's home: SC034969 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 leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

(a) helps children fulfil their potential; and (b) promotes their welfare.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child.

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Requirement Due date

This is with particular regard to ensuring that all staff have training that equips them to meet the individual needs of each young person. This includes training to work with young people who have sexually harmful behaviour, who self-harm and who have mental health problems, and also ensuring that all agency staff have the required mandatory training. (Regulation 13(1)(a)(b) and (2)(c)) 04/09/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must review the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the premises used for the purposes of the children’s home at least once in each calendar year taking into account the requirement in regulation 12(2)(c) (the protection of children standard).

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Requirement Due date

When conducting the review, the registered person must consult, and take into account the views of, each relevant person. (Regulation 46 (1)(2)) 04/09/2017 Inspection report children's home: SC034969 5

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Recommendations

 Homes are required to develop and keep under review a statement of purpose (regulation 16 and schedule 1). The home’s statement of purpose should be child-focused, indicating how the home provides individualised care to meet the quality standards for the children in its care. In particular, it should make clear the ethos, outcomes and approach of the home. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 13, paragraph 3.5)  Any home using CCTV or other monitoring equipment should have a written policy describing how this will support the safeguarding and well-being of those living and working in the home, in accordance with regulation 24. Homes must gain consent to any monitoring or surveillance from the placing authority in writing at the time of placement. The use of CCTV is regulated by the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 and the Surveillance Camera Code of Conduct (Home

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Recommendations

Office 2013). (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.16)  Children should be provided with appropriate furniture, such as a lockable cabinet or drawers, to securely store personal items, including any personal information. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.19)  Staff should encourage children to share any concerns about their care or other matters as soon as they arise. Regulation 39 sets out the requirements on the registered person to have a complaints procedure. Children must be aware of this procedure and be reminded of it as necessary. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.13)  The registered person should have a workforce plan which can fulfil the workforce-related requirements of regulation 16, schedule 1, paragraphs 19 and

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Recommendations

20. The plan should: – detail the necessary management and staffing structure, (including any staff commissioned to provide health and education), the experience and qualifications of staff currently working within the staffing structure and any further training required for those staff, to enable the delivery of the home’s statement of purpose; – detail the processes and agreed timescales for staff to achieve induction, probation and any core training (such as safeguarding, health and safety and mandatory qualifications); Inspection report children's home: SC034969 6 – detail the process for managing and improving poor performance; and – detail the process and timescales for supervision of practice (see regulation 33 (4)(b)) and keep appropriate records for staff in the home. The plan should be updated to include any new training and qualifications completed by staff while working at the home, and used to record the ongoing

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Recommendations

training and continuing professional development needs of staff, including the home’s manager. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 52, paragraph 10.8)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

This home’s remit is to provide short-term placements. Since the last inspection, a high number of young people have been admitted and discharged from the home. The home caters for planned and emergency admissions. Prior to a young person’s arrival, the management team carefully considers all information available to them. They assess whether the home can meet the young person’s specific needs. Additionally, managers assess the compatibility of proposed and existing residents. In all cases, managers, staff and local authority teams work well together. This ensures coordinated education, health, mental health and social care provision. The quality of work between staff and relevant professionals is good. This means all young people have cohesive care planning. Highly skilled staff support young people. Staff work hard to build positive relationships with young people from the point of admission. They persevere with young people who

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

show challenging and destructive behaviour. A mental health practitioner said: Staff are good at understanding the young people and what is behind the behaviours. They are very good at observing, listening and reflecting on their working practice to make sure that they are working effectively. They readily seek support. They strive to provide tailored care. Overall, from their starting points, young people do make progress. However, progress is variable. This is dependent on their needs, and the length and purpose of their placement. Young people can be placed in this home for a period of days, or for several months. The home accepts respite, remand, emergency and planned placements. Staff provide care for young people who have a wide range of needs, including unaccompanied asylum-seeking children. Care and support is highly individualised. This supports the progress and experiences of young people. Managers monitor the progress

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

of all young people and, for most, records show a reduction in risk-taking behaviour. Inspection report children's home: SC034969 7 Alongside this is improved engagement with education, health and social care. Young people confirm that they are consulted on matters that affect them. They make choices on a wide range of issues, including activities, meals and personalising their bedrooms. Young people have a range of ways to express their views and exercise their rights. They have mobile phones, use of the home’s phone, a children and young person’s guide and access to advocacy. One young person said that he knows how to make a complaint, but could not easily make a complaint. This was because complaints forms are not readily available or accessible. Young people do not have lockable cabinets in their bedrooms. This means that they cannot keep private or personal items secure. One of the key functions of this home is to assess young people’s skills, competence and

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

needs. Life skills form a large part of this assessment. Staff support young people to learn independence skills, and this is a routine of the home. Young people cook, clean their bedrooms, do their own laundry, use public transport and develop more complex skills. This means that young people are better prepared for living independently in the future. Transitions to future placements are managed well. Young people are fully involved in all aspects of their care planning, including moving on to new placements.

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

Since the last inspection, this home has had a very challenging time. A small number of young people have caused high levels of disruption in the home. They have also displayed anti-social behaviour in the community. However, arrangements for safeguarding young people are robust. A youth offending worker said: ‘The multi-agency team have a good working relationship with staff in this home.’ A police officer who works with the home said: ‘The manager shares information. He communicates well and has been really good at looking at some creative ways to deal with the issues’. Staff work positively with all young people. They have worked hard to ensure that young people are not criminalised because of their behaviour. The manager has installed cameras to the exterior of the home. This will enable staff to watch the home and will aid security. The manager needs to provide a policy in relation to monitoring the home.

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

This will explain how surveillance provides additional safeguards for young people. Staff follow the local authority’s protocol when young people are missing from the home. They escalate concerns when young people have patterns of going missing from the home. This means that the safeguarding team shares responsibility for risk management and plans. In some cases, risks have reduced. When young people leave the home without permission, staff are proactive in looking for them. They maintain contact with young people. The persistence and skill of staff ensures that young people are safe. Inspection report children's home: SC034969 8 Staff have experience in working with young people at risk of sexual exploitation. They collaborate with specialist police and sexual exploitation teams. This enables good information sharing and gathering of intelligence. Staff work with specialist agencies to support young people with related risks. This includes on sexual health care, drug and

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

alcohol misuse and gang-related risks. This coordinated work ensures that young people are kept as safe as possible. Self-injurious behaviours are generally well understood. Staff have experience in working with young people who self-harm. However, some staff do not have specific self-harm, mental health or ligature training. There is currently no direct impact on young people, as staff can access specialist support and guidance. This is through regular consultation with mental health teams. Staff rarely resort to physical intervention to manage behaviour. Physical intervention is used only to keep the young person and staff safe. Following any such intervention, the young person’s views are sought. Behaviour management methods are fair. When behaviours are not acceptable, staff use appropriate sanctions and consequences. They discuss the reasons for any such measure with the young person. Likewise, staff reward

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

good behaviour. Despite this consistent approach, some young people do not behave in a socially acceptable manner. Health and safety arrangements in the home are a priority. The home has a continual programme of maintenance. This ensures timely repairs and remedial work. Managers ensure that regular health and safety checks are completed. This includes checking fire equipment and having fire evacuation drills. The prescribed level of public and employee liability insurance is in place.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is experienced and suitably qualified to manage a residential home. He has extensive experience in working with young people who have complex needs. A skilled and knowledgeable assistant manager supports him in this role. The responsible individual for the home provides senior leadership. The management team strives to ensure that all young people benefit from high standards of care. Since the last inspection, managers have addressed the identified shortfall by improving the home environment. This includes new lighting throughout the home, new furniture and redecoration of rooms. It is very impressive that, despite a period when young people damaged the home, staff have worked hard to maintain a nice home. These changes show that managers are effective in promoting improvement. Partnership working is excellent. Social workers commend managers and staff for their care and support of young people. Social workers state, ‘We have good, positive and

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Inspection report children's home: SC034969 9 effective working relationships with the staff team.’ One mental health professional said, ‘I feel privileged to work with this home.’ Staff supervision and support are consistent. They have regular supervision and annual appraisals. Staff confirm that they feel supported. One member of staff said, ‘The managers are massively supportive. I can genuinely say they are the best managers I have ever had.’ Staff have team meetings. They also have the opportunity, in reflective team discussions, to talk about the pressures of caring for young people who may display challenging behaviour. A mental health practitioner working with the home facilitates these meetings. Staff benefit from a wide range of mandatory and specialist training. Training records are not kept in one place. This means that the manager does not have an overview of staff training profiles. It also limits forward planning to ensure that staff have up-to-date

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

training. This inspection identified some gaps in training. An example of this is staff training on working with young people who have sexually harmful behaviours. Additionally, there is a shortfall in ensuring that agency staff have all mandatory training. The manager has a locality risk assessment. However, it lacks information from partner agencies. Consultation with relevant agencies enables an accurate oversight of local risks. The statement of purpose provides a guide to parents and placing authorities. It outlines the aims and objectives of the home and the care provided. The document does not currently provide an accurate reflection of the home’s ethos and approach to achieving good outcomes.

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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. Whenever 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 and 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: SC034969 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Nottingham City Council, Loxley House, Station Street, Nottingham NG2 3NG

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Inspector

Amanda Ellis, social care inspector Inspection report children's home: SC034969 11 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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