Children's Home run by Derbyshire County Council in Derbyshire

Inspection report children’s home: SC036248 1 SC036248 Registered provider: Derbyshire County Council

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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 this home, providing care and accommodation for up to five young people who have emotional, behavioural and social difficulties.

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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 outstanding

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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

Date of last inspection: 15 November 2017

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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: SC036248 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

15/11/2017 Full Good 10/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 07/04/2016 Full Good 26/01/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC036248 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 education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure–

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Requirement Due date

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers; and

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Requirement Due date

help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 8 (1)(2)(a)(iii)(x)) 07/09/2018

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Recommendations

 The home should play a full part in promoting the best interests of the child, proactively advocating for the child to ensure that others play their role and deliver the highest quality of support that is needed. Such partnership working should always take place: before a child arrives; while the child lives in the home and where the child prepares to return home, move to another setting or leave care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 11, paragraph 2.4) Inspection report children’s home: SC036248 4

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are making good progress, particularly in relation to their physical and emotional health and well-being. The manager and staff promote physical well-being through ensuring that young people have a balanced diet and have access to regular exercise and activities. Young people are supported by staff to meet their emotional needs. This may include seeing a psychologist or working with the local child and adolescent mental health team, as appropriate. As a result, young people now have improved self-esteem and self-confidence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home environment is warm and inviting. It is maintained to a good standard and does not present as institutional in any way. Young people make decisions regarding furnishings and decoration and having their possessions around the house contributes to a comfortable environment.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are supported to maintain relationships with family members and other people who are important to them. Young people see their families regularly and in accordance with their care plan. Staff support young people in these meetings because they understand the importance of family relationships and the emotional impact such meetings can have.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

In education, young people’s participation and attendance require improvement. Young people’s attendance in education programmes is below the national average. Young people’s behaviour at school has also been of concern at times. Managers and staff have not been successful in making improvements, despite some creative strategies being employed. Consequently, young people are not making sufficient progress educationally.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager has not always ensured that staff and social workers agree on care planning for young people. This has led to one young person receiving contradictory messages from the care staff and their social worker.

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

Managers and staff have an in-depth understanding of each young person’s vulnerabilities. For example, one young person, who was at high risk of self-harm, received excellent support and protection when moving to semi-supported accommodation. Excellent multi-agency work was carried out under an adult protection plan, including extensive work by the home. The transition to semi-supported accommodation was a success for the young person, due to the extended support from the home’s staff, as part of the multi-agency plan.

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

Staff demonstrate determination and tenacity when young people go missing. Staff will constantly search for young people and try to contact them. When staff locate a young person, they will make extensive efforts to bring them home, at times placing themselves in potentially vulnerable positions. Staff have carried out excellent work with Inspection report children’s home: SC036248 5 the police following young people being missing from the home, especially in relation to the places young people have visited. This work, which is outstanding, helps the police and other agencies to safeguard other young people.

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

Behaviour management strategies are effective. When a young person’s behaviour has been unacceptable, staff will undertake restorative work with them. The aim of this work is to help the young person to make amends for their behaviour and understand the impact of their behaviour on others. This approach encourages communication between the staff and young people and averts the need for more punitive behaviour management practice.

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

The manager and staff devise high-quality, detailed safe-care plans for young people. Staff understand these plans, as their views and opinions are taken into account when writing these plans and reviewing them.

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

Staff understand how to keep young people safe. Staff have a good level of knowledge and skill, which is derived from undertaking training in a range of safeguarding issues. Staff also understand and follow the organisation’s safeguarding policies and procedures.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A very experienced and knowledgeable registered manager leads this home. He is appropriately qualified to perform this role. The staff team values his patience and support. A hard-working and dedicated deputy manager supports the registered manager and together they make a strong management team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has retained an experienced and stable staff team. Only one member of staff has left since the last inspection. This stability has led to a very cohesive team, whose members respect each other and provide mutual support. Young people benefit from the consistency and stability this brings, both in relation to receiving routine, dependable care, and also in developing strong bonds with staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A number of support and developmental opportunities are available to staff to improve their care practice. These include regular individual supervisions that focus on the needs of young people and the member of staff. Additionally, staff value a monthly group supervision facilitated by a psychologist. This allows them the time and opportunity to reflect on their practice and understand some of the underlying causes to behaviours exhibited by young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Overall, partnership working is good. The manager and staff have regular communication with a range of professionals involved with young people. The manager and staff ensure that regular multi-agency meetings take place. This means that young people have the right services in place to meet their needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

When young people raise concerns over any aspect of their care, the manager takes swift and appropriate action to investigate and resolve their concerns satisfactorily. The actions of the manager demonstrate that young people’s views matter and are taken Inspection report children’s home: SC036248 6 seriously.

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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: SC036248 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Derbyshire County Council

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector

Phillip Morris, social care regulatory inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC036248 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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