Children's home run by Derbyshire County Council in Derbyshire Dales

Inspection report children’s home: SC441513 1 SC441513 Registered provider: Derbyshire County Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This local authority owned and managed home provides care and accommodation for up to six children and young people who have learning disabilities.

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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: outstanding

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC441513 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25/07/2017 Full Outstanding 24/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 28/09/2016 Full Good 17/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC441513 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people make excellent progress in all areas of their physical, emotional and social development due to the exceptionally good care provided by staff. This good care is supported by the multi-agency professionals working with the young people.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff work diligently to help young people to achieve the targets set in their care and placement plans. For example, one young person with autism spectrum disorder can now tolerate changes to his daily routine. Another young person is now more confident in expressing his wishes and feelings using a communications board. For both young people these achievements signify excellent progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people’s education is highly valued by managers and staff. Young people benefit from having excellent school attendance. School and care staff have daily meetings to provide updates regarding each young person. This means that key information is shared to support each young person’s care. Care staff implement young people’s educational learning and development targets at home. This level of consistency significantly aids young people’s learning.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff provide young people with the nurturing care and support that they need. Staff demonstrate that they have an in-depth understanding of each young person. This insight and understanding of each young person has led to the development of strong bonds between young people and staff. This has helped young people to feel safe, secure and has helped them to make progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

A number of young people move from this home into adult care provision. Staff carry out outstanding work to ensure that these crucially important transitions take place smoothly. Staff have taken the time required to get this process right for young people, including following advice from professionals and communicating effectively with a range of agencies. This has led to excellent outcomes for young people.

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

Managers and staff ensure that the environment is safe and free from potential hazards. Staff continually assess risks, both in the home environment and when out in the community or countryside. Managers and staff complete detailed risk assessments. Managers and staff know that it is important to stretch young people’s capabilities through new and varied experiences, but they ensure that this takes place in a safe manner.

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

Managers and staff have achieved considerable success in relation to behaviour management, especially in avoiding the use of physical intervention. There has been a considerable reduction in the use of physical intervention since the last inspection. The triggers that have led young people to become distressed, including environmental factors, have been analysed by managers and staff. Consequently, staff have been able Inspection report children’s home: SC441513 4 to adapt their care practice and in so doing they have minimised what they have identified as the causes of distress, which may have previously led to the need for physical intervention.

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

Young people’s behaviour improves because staff devise highly effective behaviour management plans. Managers and staff consider these plans carefully and canvas a range of views from the professionals working with the young person. Staff understand the plans and implement them well because they have contributed to them.

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

Staff understand and implement a safe medication system. The system has sufficient oversight from senior staff and managers, together with a rigorous auditing process. Consequently, the risk to young people from medication errors is minimised.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

A qualified and experienced registered manager leads this service. He receives very good support from a deputy manager and from senior care staff. The management team members work exceptionally well together. Managers demonstrate determination in pursuing excellent outcomes for young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The managers have implemented many new developments since the last inspection. These developments help young people to make progress and have included:

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

 Makaton training for staff. Staff have continued to improve their skill in improving methods of communication with young people.  The staff team members have completed further training to enhance their knowledge of autism spectrum disorder.  Staff development is seen as important. A recent staff development day focused on the development plan for the service and ongoing improvements.  Key-working sessions have been strengthened by changing these sessions so that they include more activities to support the young people’s physical and emotional development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Managers understand each young person’s needs very well. This is due to good communication with staff. Managers attend key meetings for young people and communicate with relevant agencies. Managers immerse themselves in young people’s lives because they want young people to enjoy their time at the home and make progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Managers have efficient quality assurance processes. This enables them to know whether young people are making progress. Managers use these quality assurance processes effectively, seeking to continually challenge themselves and others to improve the quality of the service.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff say that they feel well supported by managers through the use of professional supervision. This is helpful to staff for their own well-being and improves their overall Inspection report children’s home: SC441513 5 care practice. Staff feel that they can raise any issues with managers as there is an ‘open door’ policy, and staff feel that managers are interested in them and their opinions matter.

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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: SC441513 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: County Hall, Matlock, Derbyshire DE4 3AG

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Inspector(s)

Phillip Morris: social care regulatory inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC441513 7 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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