Children's Home run by Doncaster Children‟s Services Trust Limited in Doncaster

Inspection report children’s home: SC481439 1 SC481439 Registered provider: Doncaster Children’s Services Trust Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A local authority operates and runs this home. It provides care for children and young people whose plan is for them to live in a medium- to long-term residential setting. The experienced and appropriately qualified manager has held registered manager status since May 2013. She has been managing this home since April 2017.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC481439 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/07/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 20/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 02/08/2016 Full Good 11/01/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC481439 3

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Recommendations

 The registered person should have a system in place so that all serious events are notified, within 24 hours, to the appropriate people. The system should cover the action that should be followed if the event arises at the weekend or on a public holiday. Notification must include details of the action taken by the home’s staff in response to the event. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.3)  Regulation 19(2) details sanctions that are prohibited in behaviour management. Any sanctions used to address poor behaviour should be restorative in nature, to help children recognise the impact of their behaviour on themselves, other children, the staff caring for them and the wider community. In some cases it will be important for children to make reparation in some form to anyone hurt by their behaviour and the staff in the home should be skilled to support the child to

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Recommendations

understand this and carry it out. Equally, staff should understand the system for rewarding and celebrating positive behaviour and recognising where children have managed situations well. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraphs 9.38 and 9.39)  Staff should be familiar with the home’s policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective, and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Outcomes for the young people have significantly improved following the departure of a young person who was inappropriately placed. Careful matching of placements since the last inspection ensures that only young people whose needs can be met in the home and who complement the resident group are placed. Much improved care plans identify each young person’s individual needs and how they are to be met. Excellent, newly introduced review systems are completed monthly with the young people and demonstrate their progress. The young people’s targeted ‘My Chat’ sessions address areas of concern effectively, work on agreed goals and celebrate achievements. The young people feel valued as their views are sought and they feel listened to. The staff team members are good role models for the young people. The good Inspection report children’s home: SC481439 4 attachments the young people have with staff team members enable them to grow

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

in self-esteem and confidence. A young person said, ‘This is the best place I’ve been in, don’t take my care away.’ The young people grow in confidence to participate in meaningful activities as a result of the targeted care they receive from staff team members. These include sitting on the Children in Care Council and attending a local youth club. The young people are able to maintain, and in some cases rebuild, important familial relationships with the nurturing support of the staff team members. The young people are in the process of learning independence skills in preparation for their transition to adulthood. Significant improvements in the young people’s attendance in suitable education provisions mean that they are engaging with learning. The young people now have aspirations for their future. An education provider wrote to a young person, ‘I can’t believe the difference in you (Name). Improved attendance and brilliant attitude to

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

all activities. It’s been a real pleasure working with you today.’ Consistent and proactive partnership working with generic and specialist health providers ensures that the young people’s emotional and physical health needs are met. The young people’s understanding of a healthier lifestyle, including the importance of weight loss and oral hygiene, enhances their feelings of self-worth and self-esteem as they take pride in themselves. A teacher reported, ‘(Name’s) appearance and general demeanour has improved greatly since the move.’

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

The young people’s daily log sheets contribute towards their safety. The staff team records what clothes are being worn and where the young person is going, in line with their risk assessments. However, the quality of recording is not consistent and some information is missed. The positive rewards that the young people receive for good behaviours are not clearly recorded. The effectiveness of such rewards are not recognised and may not be repeated. Sanctions imposed for negative behaviours are mostly of a financial nature. The young people are not given sufficient opportunities to reflect on the impact of their behaviours on others and to make reparation. The home’s good locality risk assessment includes information about the threats posed by extremism, gang involvement and child sexual exploitation. It includes detail on how to protect the young people from becoming involved. The young people’s individual risk assessments and crisis management plans are

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

known and implemented by staff team members providing protection. The young people are making considerable progress in reducing self-harm episodes and substance misuse. There has been a high number of missing episodes since the last inspection, but most of these involve young people who are no longer resident. In instances involving missing, staff team members maintain telephone contact with the young Inspection report children’s home: SC481439 5 people while they are out and actively search for them if they do not return home on time, as good parents would. The young people are always offered the opportunity of speaking with an independent advocate on their return from being absent. There has been a marked improvement in behaviours and the young people’s attachment to staff team members and each other since the last inspection. The young people feel safe and secure, enabling them to engage with care and to

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

respect themselves and others. The use of physical interventions has not been necessary to safeguard the young people currently resident in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

All of the requirements and most of the recommendations raised at the last inspection have been met. The young people’s care and outcomes have improved. Actions are now in place to ensure that the regulator is appropriately notified of serious incidents during times the manager is absent from the home. However, the quality of notifications is inconsistent and does not always provide sufficient information or outcomes. The experienced manager has a thorough understanding of the needs of the young people and how to meet them. She is ambitious for the young people in her care to achieve to the best of their ability. The manager leads a resilient and dedicated staff team. The staff team members’ morale is much improved since the atmosphere in the home has settled and the young person who was inappropriately placed has moved on. The staff team members’ commitment to the young people is admirable and contributes towards

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

the young people’s sense of being valued. A number of extra workers were added to complement the core staff team members for a period towards the end of last year. This was to support a young person who is no longer resident in the home. Records demonstrate that all staff team members, including agency staff, are appropriately trained and receive the support and supervision they need to fulfil their role. An independent advocate said, ‘Apart from when they needed a lot of agency (staff) for (Name), there have always been consistent staff and that has made a difference.’ The manager uses internal monitoring procedures and the external visitor’s detailed and evaluative reports to identify areas for development to build on the home’s strengths. Collaborative working with appropriate partner agencies ensures that the young people receive a consistent approach to their care. Inspection report children’s home: SC481439 6

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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: SC481439 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Doncaster Children’s Services Trust Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Blue Building, 38-40 High Street, Doncaster DN1 1DE

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Inspector

Ann-Marie Born, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC481439 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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