Children's home run by Derby City Council in Derby

Inspection report children’s home: SC397293 1 SC397293 Registered provider: Derby City Council 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 which is registered to provide care and accommodation for five children and young people who have learning disabilities. The statement of purpose specifies that it cares for children and young people who have autistic spectrum disorder.

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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 requires improvement to be good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be 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: 30 January 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: SC397293 2

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people attend education regularly and do well. Staff support them to achieve their best.  Staff ensure that young people receive appropriate support and services to meet their health needs. This includes ensuring that specialist healthcare services are in place, if necessary, for all young people.  Parents and placing social workers report high levels of satisfaction with the help and support provided to young people. They feel that young people’s needs are met well by staff at all times. They feel confident that young people are protected from harm and are kept safe.  Staff promote contact for young people with family members and significant others. They understand the value of working with parents and carers to ensure that young people benefit from seeing people who matter to them.  Young people have opportunities to take part in a wide range of fun activities while living at this home. Staff support them to try new things, and take them

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Key findings from this inspection

on holidays and to music events.  Staff understand the complex needs of young people and respond positively and sensitively to them. The use of physical restraint is minimal and reflects staff confidence in supporting young people to manage their behaviours safely.

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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 statement of purpose for the home needs updating to reflect the recent change of manager.  Staff have not had annual appraisals to reflect on their performance or set targets and objectives for the coming year.  Case records need to be updated to describe all work done with young people. This includes updating health chronologies and ensuring that risk assessments and plans reflect the current needs of young people.  Staff recruitment checks need to be more robust and consistent.  Medication administration errors need more robust and consistent management oversight to ensure that no serious issues arise.  The use of body maps needs to have clearer and more robust management scrutiny and oversight to ensure that any potentially concerning injuries or marks noted on young people are responded to in a timely manner. Inspection report children’s home: SC397293 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

30/01/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 25/08/2016 Full Good 07/01/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 13/07/2015 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC397293 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

Ensure that the statement of purpose is kept under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and notify Ofsted of any revisions within 28 days of the revision. This is with specific reference to changes of managers in the home. (Regulation 16(3)(a)(b)) 02/10/2017

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that all employees have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33(4)(c)) 02/10/2017

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that case records for each child include a copy of any EHC plan or statement of special educational needs. (Regulation 36(1)(a)) 02/10/2017

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that staff recruitment procedures are designed to ensure children’s safety. Ensure that full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32(1)(3)(d)) 02/10/2017

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (2) requires the registered person to ensure– that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12(1)(2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This is with reference to adhering to risk assessments and management oversight of the use of body maps. 02/10/2017

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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 helps children aspire to fulfil their potential and promotes their welfare.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (2) requires the registered person to ensure– that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 13(2)(c)) 02/10/2017

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that arrangements for the administration of medicines are safe and that a record is kept of the administration of medicine to each child. (Regulation 23(1)(2)(c)) 02/10/2017 Inspection report children’s home: SC397293 5

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Recommendations

 Ensure that all children’s case records are kept up to date, with particular reference to incident records, risk assessments, plans, consultation with and feedback to young people. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.3)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people form close and positive relationships with staff and managers. Staff display a real commitment to them, and know their personalities and complex needs well.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people present as happy and confident in the home environment. A positive sense of routine and stability for young people is evident.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage young people to make decisions about their day-to-day lives. They support them to learn new skills. The home has an ‘independence’ kitchen specifically for use by young people. This enables young people to learn how to make snacks and prepare their own breakfast, with staff support and guidance. Such skills will be invaluable when they move into adult service provisions. One parent commented on how well her son has progressed: ‘He is able to dress himself and take himself to the toilet now, which he could not do before.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There has only been one recorded complaint from a young person since the last inspection. Young people have access to independent advocates, who support them to understand their rights and show them how to raise any issues that they may have. Staff regularly consider the wishes, feelings and views of young people and record their responses. Some records present as out of date in relation to recording and reflecting the consultation undertaken. Improvements could be made to ensure that feedback is regularly sought and considered by staff and managers.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people attend educational provision and have excellent attendance levels. They receive award certificates for their achievements in relation to attendance, engagement and musical abilities. The manager is new in post, and has plans to further improve the working relationships between staff and schools. She wants to ensure that all young people’s educational plans and needs are transferred into working practices at the home, which is positive. Not all case records contain relevant education plans or statements. This would further assist staff to more fully understand the educational needs of young people and how they can support them at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff ensure that young people have fun and access to a wide range of activities and opportunities. Young people have been on holidays this summer with staff. One young person recently attended a local festival to see their favourite band. Others regularly go swimming or attend a local trampoline centre. Young people clearly benefit from having Inspection report children’s home: SC397293 6 such opportunities. It increases their confidence and sense of worth. It also enables them to engage with the local community and engenders a sense of belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people have their health needs well met at this home. Staff understand their individual routine and health needs, and ensure that they are met. There is a need for more consistent and clear recording of health appointments and outcomes. Specialist health services further support young people. In addition, the home has access to a qualified nurse. The home currently uses a medical file for each young person. The file contains a chronology of health appointments and outcomes. Staff have not been routinely completing these. This makes it difficult to determine clearly what young people’s health needs are and how they have been, or will be, met. The manager also needs to ensure that any medication administration errors are immediately considered and reported to her. This is in order for her to take any necessary action to ensure that such incidents do not recur.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff sensitively consider the needs of young people moving into the home, as well as the impact on those already living at the home. Social stories have been used recently to assist young people who are currently resident to understand the plans for a new young person to move into the home. This is a positive and imaginative way of communicating changes to young people with limited verbal communication skills. A parent of a young person who recently moved in stated how pleased they were with the move and described how staff have supported their son. The placing social worker for this young person also described how well the admission had been planned and how quickly the young person had settled in.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are able to see family members and other significant people regularly. Staff fully understand and appreciate the value and need for young people to see family members. Parents and social workers all report high levels of satisfaction with how staff support and promote contact. One social worker praised the staff team for its close and proactive work with one parent in relation to contact: ‘They really went above and beyond to try to work with the parent, sharing plans and information to make it go smoothly.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people have highly personalised bedrooms and clearly enjoy having such welcoming private spaces. Communal areas are decorated to a good level and include plenty of photographs of the young people engaged in activities. The home employs two cooks. The cooks provide healthy and nutritious meals, considering the specific dietary needs and requirements of each young person.

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improvement to be good

A range of risk assessments and plans are in place for each young person. Some present as being out of date and lack clarity on when reviews have been undertaken and the outcome of such reviews. There is also a lack of specific risk assessment information in place in relation to specific activities such as swimming or trampolining. On one occasion this year, a member of staff did not comply with the stated staffing ratios when taking a Inspection report children’s home: SC397293 7 particular young person out on an activity. It is imperative that risk assessments are clear, relevant and adhered to by staff at all times.

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improvement to be good

When staff note bruises or marks on young people, they complete a body map. This is standard and positive practice. However, currently there is an inconsistent and unclear response to such documents by managers. There is a need for all completed body maps to be assessed by managers in a timely manner in order to consider what further action may be needed. This will ensure that young people, many of whom cannot communicate verbally, are protected from actual or potential harm and risks.

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improvement to be good

There have been no reported incidents of young people going missing from care. Staffing ratios and levels of supervision are high and support young people to be safe. Currently, there are no clear or specific risk assessments or protocols in place relating to missing from care. It would be of value for managers to consider this and implement a clearer structure. This could include photos of the young people, known contacts and physical descriptions. Staff could then take such documents and risk assessments out with them on activities to refer to them if needed.

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improvement to be good

The use of restraint is minimal and reflects staff confidence and competence in de- escalating situations with young people. Behaviour support plans detail the known and potential triggers for young people to display concerning or challenging behaviours. Specialist health services have contributed to devising plans for young people with complex behavioural needs. Records for staff training do not clearly show that all relevant staff have completed mandatory training in relation to restraint or if they have completed refresher training. The manager needs to ensure that staff have successfully completed this mandatory training and have the necessary skills and expertise to undertake restraints, when necessary.

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improvement to be good

Young people have access to computers at the home and electronic equipment to aid their communication. Staff diligently supervise their use of such equipment and ensure safe use of the internet. The home has a small number of staff who lead on issues relating to child sexual exploitation. They attend all relevant training and meetings with other professionals on a regular basis. They support the wider staff team and placing social workers to consider the needs of young people and ensure that plans are in place to meet their needs.

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improvement to be good

Staff recruitment processes are not consistently robust or thorough. There is a need for the manager to ensure that all necessary references are sought and that checks are completed prior to new appointments being made.

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improvement to be good

Staff demonstrate a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities in relation to safeguarding young people. They understand what actions they should take in the event of a young person disclosing concerns to them about a member of staff. The manager responds quickly and proactively to any such issues, and consults with the designated officer and relevant professionals. Action is taken to ensure that young people are protected from potential harm, and support is provided to staff during any investigations. Inspection report children’s home: SC397293 8

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager has only been in post for a few weeks, following the departure in April 2017 of the previous registered manager. The manager worked in a similar setting previously and was most recently the deputy manager of another children’s home in this local authority. She is currently undertaking her level 5 diploma in leadership and management. She is in the process of completing her application to be registered as manager for this home, and this will be considered by Ofsted when submitted.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The home has sufficient staff to meet the complex needs of the young people living here. Staffing ratios to young people are high and reflect the need for close supervision, monitoring and support at all times. There is no current use of agency staff, and permanent staff are working additional hours to cover any absences. This provides consistency of care for young people. They clearly value being supported by staff who know and understand their needs well. Parents and social workers also see this as a real strength of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

There is a need for the new manager to ensure that all staff have completed the mandatory and refresher training expected of them. A training matrix has been devised to reflect staff training, but this is not accurate or up to date. It does not provide a clear or accurate sense of what training staff have completed or need to complete. It is imperative that the manager knows what staff’s training needs are and is able to put any required training in place.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff report satisfaction in their roles and feel supported by managers. They say that there has been a period of change this year in relation to management and that this has been unsettling. Staff report having regular supervision and they feel able to discuss any issues with managers in between formal supervision meetings. Not all staff have had annual appraisals. The manager has identified this as an issue and intends to put plans in place to address this shortfall. There is a need for all staff to have their performance appraised, and for clear and achievable targets to be set for them, monitored and overseen by the manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Management monitoring and oversight need further improvement. At the last inspection, shortfalls were identified in relation to staff qualifications, recording of incidents and case records. Several of those shortfalls have not been met and have been re-stated at this inspection. This reflects the need for managers to fully consider the requirements and recommendations made within Ofsted inspection reports, as well as recommendations made within the monthly independent visitor reports. This will assist the manager to update and revise the development plan for the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

There is also a need for the manager to ensure that case records more accurately reflect the work being done by staff to support young people. It is clear that staff work positively to support young people, but the records do not reflect this consistently. Internal audits of case files were being done monthly, but this practice has not taken place for some time. This would assist staff to ensure that records are well maintained at all times. Plans and risk assessments should be regularly reviewed, updated and Inspection report children’s home: SC397293 9 recorded clearly by staff. Consideration needs to be given to the formation of more specific and individualised risk assessments for activities and missing from care incidents.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The home has a detailed statement of purpose. It sets out the aims and objectives of the services and what support will be provided to young people. It has not been updated to reflect the current management arrangements for the home. This needs to be done and a copy provided to Ofsted. This enables the regulator to oversee management arrangements for the home and take any necessary action.

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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 differences 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: SC397293 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Treasurer’s Department, Council House, Corporation Street, Derby DE1 2FE

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Inspector:

Tracy Murty, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC397293 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector:

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Inspector:

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Inspector:

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

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