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

Inspection report children’s home: SC481447 1 SC481447 Registered provider: Doncaster Children’s Services Trust Limited

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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 is a local authority children’s home which provides care and support for up to four young people who have emotional and/or behavioural needs.

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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: Not judged

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

None Inspection report children’s home: SC481447 2

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Key findings from this inspection

 The young people are happy, settled and secure. They enjoy stability and consistency of care with staff who they clearly feel comfortable with.  The staff respond appropriately to risks, making sure that young people are kept safe and protected.  The staff team members know the young people well. They encourage the young people to appropriately spend safe time with their family.  Staff have positive relationships with professionals.  Staff recognise and promote individuality for each young person. Support and advice reflects each individual, and it is clear that identified needs and risks are appropriately progressed.  The young people are supported to accept differences and diversity, and work is done to ensure that young people are not intimidated or bullied at home.  There is a family ethos to the home that prevails despite the young people’s diverse history and needs.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

03/03/2017 Interim Not judged 28/11/2016 Interim Not judged 29/01/2016 Interim Not judged 06/07/2015 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC481447 3

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Recommendations

 When a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority must provide an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. Homes should take account of information provided by such interviews when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect each child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30) Return home interviews are completed. However, information from these need to be held on the young person’s or missing from home file, to assist the home in future planning.

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Recommendations

 Where the placing authority or another relevant person does not provide the input and services needed to meet a child’s needs during their time in the home or in preparation for leaving the home, the home must challenge them to meet the child’s needs (see regulations 5(c)). Staff should act as champions for their children, expecting nothing less than a good parent would. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 12, paragraph 2.8) Specifically, the registered manager must ensure that when safeguarding concerns are raised with a local authority, any failure by the authority to respond effectively within statutory time frames be challenged and escalated if necessary.

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Recommendations

 Staff should continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. Where there are safeguarding concerns for a child, their placement plan, agreed between the home and their placing authority, must include details of the steps the home will take to manage any assessed risks on a day-to-day basis. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5) Specifically, the missing person’s plan for each young person should be explicit about when someone is considered to be missing from the home.

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Recommendations

 Staff need the knowledge and skills to recognise and be alert for any signs that might indicate a child is in any way at risk of harm. The registered person should ensure that skills in safeguarding are gained, refreshed and recorded in the home’s workforce plan. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 43, paragraph 9.12) Specifically, unmet training requirements need to be completed and supplemented with training specific to the young people’s emerging needs.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should only accept placements for children where they are satisfied that the home can respond effectively to the child’s assessed needs as recorded in the child’s relevant plans and where they have fully considered the impact that the placement will have on the existing group of children. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 56, Inspection report children’s home: SC481447 4 paragraph 11.4) Specifically, the young people’s records need to evidence the matching process and impact assessment.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young people enjoy living in a spacious, detached property which is close to local amenities. There are a number of shared rooms for the young people to spend time in together, which promotes their sense of belonging and a homely atmosphere. The home has recently been renovated and looks very new. The young people’s bedrooms have clearly been ‘made their own’, allowing them a level of ownership and sense of belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Although not evidenced on the files, the young people’s individual needs were given careful consideration prior to placement. This, and the timing of placements, means that for the most part the young people live harmoniously, and there has been no hierarchy in the home; each young person feels as though the home is theirs. The staff team provide a nurturing and caring home life and have grown to know the young people very quickly. One young person said, ‘Staff are really loving and kind even in difficult situations.’ The young people are very happy, settled and secure. They enjoy stability and consistency of care with staff who they feel comfortable and confident with.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff promote and support the educational needs of young people. The majority of the young people attend school regularly and are making good progress. The staff are advocates for them in education. As a consequence, the young people understand that learning and educational development are important. They also know that their worries and concerns are listened to and acted on, allowing them to develop mutually secure and trusting relationships.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One young person is currently undergoing an education, health and care assessment. Since coming to live at the home, this young person has moved to a local school, and she is learning to cook her own meals and is starting to make friends. Her relationship with her family is limited but staff are working with her to improve this. This kind of support will have a positive impact on young people’s lives after leaving care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support young people to access both emergency and general health and medical care. They help young people to manage any anxieties they may have about attending hospital. However, young people are not always open to accepting any medical treatment. Staff work closely and consistently to help them manage their anxiety. Services that meet the physical and mental health needs of the young people are engaged as needed.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff recognise and promote important family relationships, even when these are difficult. Two young people have care plans which include significant family contact and potential restoration. The young people and their families are actively supported by staff Inspection report children’s home: SC481447 5 in pursuit of these plans. The young people are able to share their anxieties with staff who intervene to ensure that the young people are properly supported during such stressful times. When care plans do not meet the young people’s needs, the manager is able to challenge other professionals effectively.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The importance of transition planning is recognised by the staff group. One young person undergoing a transition to independence is finding working within a budget difficult. Staff continue to encourage and advise even when young people resist and become challenging. For the young people moving on to independence, this consistency of care and approach means that they will be better prepared to be self-reliant.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young people are confident in expressing their wishes and feelings and are heard and valued by staff. Young people have an independent advocate who visits regularly. This advocate undertakes return home interviews and supports young people with any issues, concerns or complaints they may have. This independent professional ensures that young people always have someone who they know they can contact.

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

The staff team members are positive and enthusiastic and are good role models for the young people in their care. They provide the young people with consistent and caring boundaries through which to explore their burgeoning independence and make positive decisions about their future life choices. The home environment is safe and secure.

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

Individualised risk assessments are completed on all areas where the young people may be vulnerable, and these are kept up to date to reflect changing situations. The staff team understands these and ensures that steps are followed to protect the young people from risks in the community as well as their own behaviours. When risks are identified, staff take steps to ensure that there is a multi-agency approach to tackle them. Young people are safeguarded and their opportunities enhanced as a result.

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

The frequency of young people going missing from home is low. All of the young people have basic mobile phones so that staff can undertake hourly welfare checks. Missing person’s protocols do not identify what would be the trigger for each young person to be considered to be missing from home. This lack of clear definition of when a young person becomes at risk means that staff are unable to continually and effectively assess risk, and delay may occur. Conversely, the young people’s opportunities for age- appropriate risk-taking will be limited. The young people and staff group would benefit from understanding what the triggers would be. Notwithstanding this, however, records evidence that missing person procedures are effectively applied, and staff actively search for the young people and do all they can to return them to the safety of the home.

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

The relationship between the stable resident group and staff is excellent. Accordingly, staff have not needed any physical interventions or police support to manage some very challenging and, at times, aggressive behaviours. The staff group’s approach in dealing with difficult behaviour is excellent, and demonstrates that the staff and young people Inspection report children’s home: SC481447 6 have positive and balanced relationships. Consequently, the young people have enhanced confidence in the staff team members. It also teaches young people to apply balance and consideration during difficult times. This is a powerful lesson for young people.

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

Child sexual exploitation has been identified as a risk for one young person in the home. Multi-agency strategies have been agreed which allow the young person to be safely supported and educated in making safe decisions. This young person, when asked about what could be better, said that other than wanting a bit more free time, there is nothing she would change. Despite the restrictions placed, the young person remains very positive about the care provided and considers that it is better than foster care. This acceptance of the restrictions, and willingness to work with staff, suggest that a safer future is a probability.

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

Staff support all young people to ensure that there is no bullying. Restorative practice is used to address any such behaviour arising between the young people. Staff clearly expect respect and understanding between the young people, and any intolerance of individuality is addressed through planned or ad hoc direct-work sessions. The consequence is that although the young people do not always get on, they understand and accept their diversity and that different support is needed for each of them.

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

Information from return home interviews, although completed by the independent advocate, is not held on the missing from home file or the young person’s ‘active’ homes file. Consequently, there is no path demonstrating how the young people are being further protected from harm by information gained during the interviews.

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

While the home manager and staff team correctly alert the placing authority if a young person is placing themselves at risk, escalated concerns, such as the need for strategy meetings, must be pursued proactively. Failure to do this reduces multi-agency knowledge of risk and undermines the safety and well-being of young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home reopened in May 2017, following a substantial period of refurbishment. The home’s current manager took up her new role shortly after. She manages a new staff group which consists of a mix of experienced and new staff. The manager is enrolled to complete the required level 5 leadership qualification and has submitted her application to Ofsted to become the registered manager. All staff either have the correct qualifications or are enrolled on the courses to gain these.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager recognises that the first few months since opening have been about understanding and prioritising the needs of the young people. As part of her future planning for the staff, training gaps have been identified and plans made to address these. Some staff accept that the lack of training could be a barrier to working with the young people. However, they said that the team works together and that there is always someone to consult with. This ensures that the young people are not disadvantaged or Inspection report children’s home: SC481447 7 at risk due to any unmet training needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Positive care is evident in the home, and this is supported by comments from professionals and young people. While not ignoring that the home environment is disrupted when the young people are in crisis, the independent advocate said: ‘It is always a nice, welcoming environment that the staff create.’ She said that she has the opportunity to speak with young people in private and that when she raises any issues with the staff group members, they are aware of the young people’s concerns, demonstrating knowledge and understanding. A social worker commented, ‘The staff are fantastic at dealing with [name of young person]. They go out looking for [name of young person] and there is a joined-up approach to working with [name of young person].’ This ethos reflects the statement of purpose, which the manager promotes effectively.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager responds to the independent visitor’s reports and recommendations. At the time of the inspection, all of the recommendations had been addressed effectively. This demonstrates that meeting the young people’s needs is the priority. There is no resistance to continuous improvement.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

One member of staff described positively the culture of the home and said, ‘It is really lovely to work here.’ They hoped that young people’s experiences are such that the home is a ‘stepping stone with help’ for them. Another staff member said, ‘A day doesn’t go by when working with young people doesn’t make me smile.’ Staff feel supported with reflective monthly supervision, during which they can talk about the young people, in addition to their own well-being and developmental needs. Staff were able to identify what would make them better at their job, and the manager was able to agree that additional training should be available.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The warm and supportive ethos described by staff and external professionals means that the young people are living in a place that everyone is happy to be in, where staff are supportive, not only of the young people but also of each other. One young person was able to identify when housemates were vulnerable and ensured that they returned home safely; another spoke about how the staff team supports and encourages a peer to make friends and talk through anxieties. These behaviours provide direct evidence of the positive impact of this reflective and considered care environment.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff team members work together to meet the needs of the young people in their care. As a minimum, however, each staff member needs to have safeguarding, attachment and child sexual exploitation training. This will ensure that they are able to independently identify and protect a young person from risk of harm.

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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 Inspection report children’s home: SC481447 8 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: SC481447 9

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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: The Blue Building, 38–40, High Street, Doncaster DN1 1DE

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Inspector(s)

Angela Norrie, social care inspector Simon Morley, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC481447 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector(s)

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Inspector(s)

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Inspector(s)

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