Children's home run by Nottinghamshire County Council

Inspection report children’s home: SC044692 1 SC044692 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

The home, which is a local authority provision, provides care and accommodation for up to four young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties and/or a learning disability.

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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 outstanding

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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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 receive excellent individualised care from a highly skilled and Inspection report children’s home: SC044692 2 motivated staff team.  For most young people, there is a significant reduction in their risk-taking behaviour as a result of moving to this home. This makes young people safer. A professional commented that young people see the home as ‘a place of safety’.  Comprehensive and well-implemented care plans, risk assessments and behaviour management plans contribute to young people becoming safer and improving their life opportunities.  A key strength is the team’s commitment to partnership working. The staff team works collaboratively with partner agencies, which helps to ensure that young people get the best possible care.  The voice of young people is central to decision making and planning. Young people feel listened to, which helps them to feel valued and to trust the adults

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Key findings from this inspection

caring for them.  The leadership and management of the home are exceptional. As a result, staff feel valued and very well supported. Staff play an important part in decision making and in the development of the home.  Thorough management monitoring systems help to ensure that young people receive good quality care. Monitoring systems and a commitment to research- based practice inform future developments in the home.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 07/12/2016 Full Outstanding 24/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 17/06/2015 Full Outstanding Inspection report children’s home: SC044692 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people receive excellent care from adults whom they trust and respect. They have very good relationships with staff, who are firm but fair, and who always explain the reasons for decisions made. Young people know that staff care about them and know that staff want the best for them. Most young people make very good progress given their starting points. A professional made the following comment: ‘The young person I have placed in this home has a fantastic relationship with her key worker which has built up over time. The key worker understands her needs very well.’ Young people told the inspector that they are listened to and that they actively contribute to the development of the home. Young people’s views are obtained in a variety of ways, for example through key-work sessions and regular young people’s meetings. The participation of young people in the home’s development plan and in the recruitment of new staff provides them with opportunities to develop skills for the future.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

A young person told the inspector that they enjoy being part of the recruitment of staff and that their views are taken seriously. As a result, young people feel listened to and their confidence and self-esteem increases. Admission procedures for young people are very good. They benefit from having a very useful induction to the home. This includes key workers spending time with young people, and the completion of ‘getting to know me’ documents and advice sheets. These sessions are particularly useful as they facilitate discussion, enabling staff to identify needs. This is also an opportunity to establish each young person’s knowledge and understanding of a range of issues, and to determine the level of risk. This activity helps to ensure that there is a smooth transition for young people at what can be a very difficult time for them. Young people receive excellent practical and emotional support as they prepare to leave

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

the home to move to another placement or to independence. Staff continue to provide practical and emotional support after young people have left the home, where appropriate. Professionals commented that staff had gone ‘above and beyond’ in supporting one young person who left the home recently. This included staff taking the young person to their new home, helping the young person to cope in a difficult situation. Staff work with a range of professionals to ensure that young people’s physical and emotional health needs are met. Young people are given practical as well as emotional support to access routine and specialist medical services, as needed. Staff spend a lot of time discussing health issues with young people. This helps to ensure that young people recognise and understand their own health needs, are able to access relevant information and can make informed choices. A professional said, ‘My young person has

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

very high needs in terms of her emotions. Staff are very tolerant and work with her to overcome any issues.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Improving young people’s life opportunities is a key priority, with a strong emphasis on Inspection report children’s home: SC044692 4 promoting education and training. Staff work tenaciously to ensure that young people receive education and training based on their individualised needs and interests. Some young people have not been in education for a number of years prior to being admitted to the home, and some have entrenched views about education and its value. However, staff do not give up trying to engage them in education and training. This involves close working with partner agencies. Staff go over and above what is expected of them to ensure that young people who are new to the home can continue attending their education provision. For example, staff are providing daily transport for a young person to their school, which takes four hours of staff time each day. This has ensured that there is no disruption to the young person’s education.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff are totally committed to ensuring that young people are able to maintain contact with their families and people important to them. Staff provide practical, as well as emotional support to young people and their families. One social worker said that staff were ‘fantastic’ in supporting family contact.

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

Safeguarding young people is at the forefront of practice and underpins the care provided. This inspection identified numerous examples of staff going over and above what can be expected to ensure that young people are safe, and professionals confirmed this. Young people say that they feel safe. Often, young people are engaging in high levels of risk-taking behaviour at the point of their admission. The majority of young people become increasingly safe as a result of living at this home. Staff fully understand their responsibilities and are skilled at implementing effectively a range of safeguarding policies and procedures. Effective risk management, combined with collaborative working with partner agencies, helps to ensure that young people are protected from the risk of harm and abuse. This is further enhanced by robust management monitoring of staff practice and recording. Young people are able to mature, acquire self-care skills and take controlled risks in

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

preparation for adulthood while living in a nurturing environment. They can learn from their mistakes, and at the same time receive praise and recognition for their achievements and progress. As a result, most young people make good progress in learning how to keep themselves safe. Given their starting points, their risk-taking behaviour reduces. They feel safe and their self-esteem and confidence is improved. This enables young people to make informed decisions, and to take responsibility for their actions. Staff are very skilled at managing challenging and/or complex behaviours, and successfully use de-escalation techniques. As a result, the use of physical intervention is rare. Staff make expectations clear at the point of admission, which helps young people to understand the boundaries. Staff are firm but fair, and are consistent in their approach. There is an emphasis on recognising and rewarding positive behaviours. Staff

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

manage negative behaviours in a variety of ways, based on the individual young person. These include key-work discussions, the use of incentives and sanctions and, as a last resort, the use of physical intervention in instances when risk of harm is posed to the Inspection report children’s home: SC044692 5 young person or to others. Missing-from-care procedures and young people’s individual risk assessments are clearly written and include the actions for staff to take when there is an identified risk. Staff, in agreement with the placing authority, manage a difficult balance when allowing young people to have unsupervised time away from the home. This may increase the opportunity for young people to engage in risk-taking behaviour. However, free time gives young people the opportunity to take responsibility for their actions and learn how to keep themselves safe. Staff spend a lot of time with young people discussing risks

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

and how to keep themselves safe. Incidents of young people going missing from the home are responded to promptly and effectively by staff. They work very closely with the police, the placing authority and the youth offending service when needed. Regular multi-agency risk strategy meetings are held for young people who regularly go missing from the home. Regular health and safety checks, including fire tests, help to ensure that the environment is safe and secure. The registered manager reviews the location risk assessment annually and not only consults with other relevant agencies, but also ensures that young people contribute to this assessment. Recruitment practices are robust, and are consistent with the regulations. Appropriate pre-employment checks are carried out, and new staff receive a thorough induction and high levels of supervision. A member of staff told the inspector that they received a

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

really good induction, which included spending two weeks shadowing staff. The registered manager ensures that agency staff have been subject to the required checks. They receive an induction to ensure that they are familiar with the home’s policies, including safeguarding procedures.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

This home is outstanding due to the registered manager’s clear vision for the home and his continual strive for improvement. He has a wealth of experience of working in children’s homes and is suitably qualified. Young people receive excellent individualised care from a skilled, well-trained and dedicated staff team. Throughout this inspection, it was evident that staff have a ‘can do’ approach and are proactive in challenging any barriers to young people making progress. A placing authority team manager praised staff for not giving up, and working tirelessly with a young person who displays high risk-taking behaviours. The registered manager, ably supported by the assistant manager, provides motivational leadership and direction. They provide positive role models, promoting a staff culture of high aspirations for young people. Managers encourage a shared ownership of staff development. Staff are well motivated

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

and do not just rely on the management team to provide direction and development opportunities. The inspector found numerous examples of how evidence-based research has informed practice. Managers value staff training and promote this to ensure that they have a skilled Inspection report children’s home: SC044692 6 workforce that can provide individualised care. All staff have a level 3 qualification, with the exception of the newest member of staff who is due to enrol on the course. Staff are provided with a range of mandatory training, as well as specific training to meet individualised needs. Staff feel valued and receive regular, good quality supervision. Daily staff handovers and weekly team meetings are used effectively. They give staff the opportunity to discuss issues and to keep up with the changing needs and the progress of young people. These meetings also give staff the opportunity to contribute to the development of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Quality assurance systems are robust and effective in monitoring young people’s care and staff practice. The whole staff team takes responsibility for monitoring different areas of practice. The management team monitors records and staff practice. When shortfalls are identified these are dealt with promptly. An independent visitor provides the home with a monthly report which complements the internal monitoring systems and helps to inform future developments. Practice is in line with the home’s statement of purpose. A young person has been involved in updating the children’s guide.

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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: SC044692 7

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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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Inspector

Katarina Djordjevic, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC044692 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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