Children's Home run by Derby City Council in Derby

Inspection report children’s home: SC488596 1 SC488596 Registered provider: Derby 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

This local authority children’s home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to five children and young people who need support with emotional and/or behavioural problems.

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Information about this children’s home

There is no registered manager at this home.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 10 October 2017

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC488596 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/10/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 12/06/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 16/01/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 04/08/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC488596 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

The registered person must compile in relation to the children’s home a statement ("the statement of purpose") which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16(3)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, to amend and revise details of the management and staffing structure of the home, as appropriate. 21/05/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must give notice in writing to HMCI, as soon as is reasonably practicable to do so, if any of the following events take place or are expected by the registered person to take place

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Requirement Due date

a person other than the registered person carries on or manages the children’s home;

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Requirement Due date

a person ceases to carry on or manage the home. (Regulation 49(a)(b)) 21/05/2018

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure

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Requirement Due date

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 14(1)(a) and (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to not accepting new admissions to the 21/05/2018 Inspection report children’s home: SC488596 4 children’s home when agreement from senior managers is in place not to do so. 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 (1) requires the registered to ensure

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Requirement Due date

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)) 21/05/2018

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background. (Regulation 6(1)(a)(b)(2)(b)(iv)) 21/05/2018

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Requirement Due date

Subject to paragraph (6), the registered person must establish a procedure for considering complaints made by or on behalf of children.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that a record is made of any complaint, the action take in response, and the outcome of any investigation. (Regulation 39(1)(3)) 21/05/2018

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Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff

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Requirement Due date

seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs;

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each 21/05/2018 Inspection report children’s home: SC488596 5 child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5(a)(b)(c))

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Recommendations

 Staff should consider the effectiveness of only using incentive and reward systems to manage poor behaviour. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 39, paragraph 8.11)

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Recommendations

 Staff should ensure that the responsible local authority provides an opportunity for a child to have an independent return home interview when they have been missing. Staff should use the information provided by those interviews to inform risk assessments and plans. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30)

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Recommendations

 Staff should understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. (‘Guide to the children’s home regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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improvement to be good

Children’s progress and experiences are mixed. Their engagement with education has improved, but wider engagement and progress is not consistent or positive in all areas. Staff remain committed to trying to promote their safety and progress, but this is limited because of children’s behavioural issues.

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improvement to be good

Children now receive more education provision than they did previously. Established systems for recording children’s educational attendance are not used consistently by staff, thus preventing them from having a clear sense of children’s engagement with education.

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improvement to be good

Children know how to raise any concerns they may have with staff. Managers have failed to record the concerns raised by one parent as a formal complaint. This does not provide a clear account of actions taken or outcomes. It impedes the ability of managers to learn from such events.

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improvement to be good

One young person has not stayed at the home for some considerable time now. Managers are not able to meet this young person’s complex needs as he is absent from the home. The placement plan does not reflect the current living arrangements for the young person. Managers and social workers have failed to ensure that the current living arrangements for the young person have been assessed as safe and/or suitable. Inspection report children’s home: SC488596 6 Matching of placements is not robust. A child was admitted to the home despite a clear statement that no further placements should be made. The placement ended in an unplanned manner. This does not reflect robust management oversight or decision- making.

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improvement to be good

Staff support children to keep in touch with family and significant others. They also encourage children to take part in a range of social activities. This increases their confidence and sense of belonging.

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improvement to be good

Staff encourage children to consider and meet their health needs. Records do not clearly reflect their attempts to ensure that children attend all routine and other health-related appointments. It is not clear what action is taken to address children refusing to attend appointments.

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improvement to be good

One young person refuses to stay at the home currently. Risk assessments have not been updated to reflect the current situation. Staff do not always know where the young person is during the day or night. This potentially places the young person and others at risk of harm.

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improvement to be good

The placing authority has failed to ensure that independent return home interviews consistently take place. The number of missing from home incidents remain high. Staff and managers do not have clear systems or processes for considering information from return home interviews. This undermines their ability to monitor and learn from such incidents.

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improvement to be good

Staff use incentive schemes to reward children’s positive behaviour. There have been numerous incidents of children’s behaviour becoming increasingly concerning. Extensive damage has been caused to the home by one particular child over a period of time. There is a lack of challenge or use of sanctions for concerning, threatening or risky behaviours.

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improvement to be good

As one young person refuses to stay at the home, ensuring their safety is problematic. Risk assessments have not been updated to reflect the change in their living arrangements. The young person maintains daily telephone contact with staff. Staff make at least weekly visits to the young person and he is engaging with education, which is positive. Recording needs to be clearer to assist staff. This includes risk assessments and placement plans.

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

The registered manager left their post on 8 March 2018. Ofsted was not notified of his intention to leave or interim management arrangements until April 2018. This does not enable the regulator to have oversight of how the home is being run. There is an acting Inspection report children’s home: SC488596 7 manager in post.

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

The home’s statement of purpose has not been amended to reflect changes to staff or managers for some considerable time. Ofsted has not been sent a revised version since April 2017. This again prevents the regulator from having clear oversight of how the home is being run.

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

Staff have not been proactive in pursuing the placing authority for missing information in relation to education. This relates to education, health and care plans, as well as to personal education plans and one pathway plan and undermines the ability of staff to support children to meet their education and transition targets.

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

The home has been short staffed for some time, but cover arrangements are sufficient to meet children’s needs. Use of agency staff is minimal and the same agency staff are used. This provides some consistency of care for children and young people. Recruitment of new staff is currently underway.

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

Staff have the necessary qualifications and skills for their roles. Children and young people receive care from suitably qualified/skilled staff. Staff report that they receive regular supervision and annual appraisals. Staff show real tenacity and commitment to the children and young people. Despite the challenges faced, they remain committed to their roles and support each other well.

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

Staff work closely and positively with a range of agencies and professionals. They seek support and input as needed. This is particularly evident in the improvements in education. They have worked tirelessly to ensure that children and young people have appropriate provision in place. They do not give up on children and young people, despite the many challenges they present. This is commendable and reflects the dedication of staff.

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

Senior managers have worked hard to protect the privacy of children and young people by removing identifying details of the home, wherever possible. Records of consultation with children and young people are now clearer. Staff understand the need to promptly report and record any concerns the may have relating to risk of harm. The shortfalls identified at the last inspection have been met.

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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 Inspection report children’s home: SC488596 8 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: SC488596 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Treasurers Department, Council House, Corporation Street, Derby DE1 2FE

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Inspector

Tracy Murty, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC488596 10 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

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