Children's Home run by Nottinghamshire County Council in Derbyshire

Inspection report children’s home: SC051513 1 SC051513 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

This is a local authority home providing care for up to four children who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties and/or a hearing impairment.

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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: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC051513 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/07/2017 Full Good 12/10/2016 Full Good 20/01/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 30/09/2015 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC051513 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 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 person to ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)) 10/09/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience.

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Recommendations

 Staff need to have the knowledge and skills to understand each child’s education plan and training targets and their next steps for learning. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.11)

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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. (‘Guide to the children’s Inspection report children’s home: SC051513 4 homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 43, paragraph 9.12)

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Recommendations

This is with specific reference to staff receiving training to enhance their understanding of sexualised behaviours and risk of sexually harmful behaviour by children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are making good progress. Children are building trusting, positive relationships with staff. Staff ensure that there are good routines, structure and boundaries in place. They provide a range of positive activities and provide consistent care to children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When there is an incident of concern, staff undertake individual work with the child involved in order to understand what can be done to change behaviours. Staff use consequences and sanctions well to influence choices and behaviours. New children have moved into the home. The changed group dynamic has led to an increase in risk-taking behaviours such as running away. However, managers are taking appropriate steps to minimise the impact of this change.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One young person has successfully made a planned move to a semi-independent placement. Another child is making excellent progress in developing independence and life skills and has recently secured a part-time job.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All of the children attend education or training. They are making very good progress. Attendance has improved from their starting points. One child has alternative education arrangements that are not yet full time. Due to this child’s additional needs, it has been very difficult for the local authority to secure a place in an appropriate school. However, the virtual school head, social workers and the home’s manager are working together to find a solution. Staff have supported learning for this child in the home and have ensured that good routines remain in place during school hours. Home tutoring is provided. These arrangements would be strengthened if learning objectives were informed by the targets set out in education and health care plans.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have a healthy diet and they are encouraged to take up physical activities. A service that provides information and support with healthy relationships has also been available to the children. Following a review of medication, one child’s medication has significantly reduced.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff work and communicate effectively with families to ensure that contact arrangements are supported. Consequently, contact has improved and relationships have developed. This has enhanced children’s confidence and self-esteem.

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

Inspection report children’s home: SC051513 5 The group dynamics in the home have recently changed and there has been an increase in risk-taking behaviours. Staff have followed the relevant safeguarding procedures and have promptly liaised with police and social workers. This deteriorating behaviour is not a reflection of the care the children receive. All professionals in each child’s network are communicating effectively to establish a shared understanding of individual needs in order to reduce risk-taking behaviours. The home’s leaders and managers are also reviewing the current mix of young people in order to reduce risk.

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

Managers have ensured that there are sufficient staff to provide enhanced monitoring of vulnerable children and respond to negative interactions between children. Staff and social workers reflect on incidents with children. The police and the youth offending service have been involved in supporting restorative solutions.

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

Detailed risk assessments and behaviour management plans are in place for all children. Strategies have been developed to reduce and manage concerning behaviours. However, for some children, risk assessments have not been updated to highlight emerging risks. In addition, when there have been serious incidents, strategies have not always been reviewed to consider how interventions can be more effective. A requirement is made to address this.

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

Staff receive a range of safeguarding training. This inspection identified that there is a need for managers and staff to receive training to enhance their understanding of sexualised behaviours and risk of sexually harmful behaviour by children. A recommendation is made for managers to address this.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is qualified and experienced. Senior managers recognise that the combination of children in this home has increased risk-taking behaviours. There is regular rigorous review of care plans, placements and any new information of concern.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A strength of this home is the experienced, resilient staff group, which has continued to deliver good, consistent and nurturing care despite the deteriorating behaviour of some young people. The staff group ensures that children’s views are sought and understood.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is excellent partnership working with the police, social workers and specialist resources to reduce and manage risks. Managers of the home have challenged education agencies about slow progress in identifying appropriate full-time education for one child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Following planned changes to placements, there will be a review by managers of the pre-admission assessment and processes in light of concerns about the combination of needs in this home at this time.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There has been a vacant assistant manager post. This has weakened some staff supervision arrangements. An assistant manager has now been recruited.

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Information about this inspection

Inspection report children’s home: SC051513 6 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: SC051513 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(s)

Cathey Moriarty, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC051513 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(s)

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Inspector(s)

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Inspector(s)

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