Children's Home run by Nottinghamshire County Council in Nottinghamshire

Inspection report children’s home: SC036737 1 SC036737 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 children’s home that provides residential and short-break services for up to 16 children and young people who have disabilities and complex healthcare needs. This home is currently providing a service for up to 12 children.

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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

Date of last inspection: 16 November 2017

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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: SC036737 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/11/2017 Full Outstanding 17/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 23/11/2016 Full Outstanding 21/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC036737 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. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(d)) 03/09/2018

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children accessing this service are cared for by an experienced, skilled and stable staff team. Staff know and understand each child’s history. They also have a comprehensive knowledge of each child’s care needs. Parents and professionals report that they have confidence in staff care and staff skills.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

All of the children have networks of professionals who are involved in their care arrangements. Staff and managers excel at getting to know each network, sharing relevant information in a timely way and advocating on behalf of children. As a result of good liaison with school staff and health professionals, children make progress. Children have improving health and better independence skills.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children have fun. They are developing friendships and overcoming problems that have previously resulted in social isolation. Children try new activities and grow in confidence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff are very good at identifying and responding to children’s wishes and feelings. Staff ensure that children regularly meet with the independent visitor and advocates. Some children have befrienders. Children’s choices and views influence their care plans and daily care arrangements. After one visit, the children’s advocate said: ‘There is a very Inspection report children’s home: SC036737 4 bubbly happy atmosphere in the home. Staff are welcoming and are all extremely interactive with the children.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Care staff have regular contact with families. The manager and the staff team have recently undertaken training and considered research findings about relationships between disabled children and their siblings. The team has facilitated fun days and activities, promoting positive relationships between children at the home and their siblings. The manager and staff have received very positive feedback from families about this.

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

Staff understand and adhere to child protection procedures. They make appropriate referrals to the local authority. Staff share information promptly so that all professionals and families are working together to keep children safe.

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

There are a low number of incidents of concern for children living and staying in this home. Staff provide a high level of monitoring and supervision.

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

Each child has a residential action plan which includes risk assessments and behaviour management advice, where appropriate. Staff regularly evaluate new information, identify emerging risks, and update risk assessments and risk management plans.

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

Staff have received safeguarding training, including training about the additional vulnerabilities of disabled children. Staff recognise that identifying children’s communication needs and ensuring that they have opportunities to share their views and wishes are significant protective factors. Care plans include information about how to communicate effectively with each child.

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

Staff work creatively to raise children’s awareness about how to keep themselves safe. This has included informing children about the medication they are prescribed and why it is important for them. Staff have introduced a child-centred programme to raise awareness about safe, personal care.

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

There are excellent arrangements in place to provide safe night care. These include the handover of essential information every evening and morning.

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

There are good systems in place to maintain a safe environment. However, the large grounds and garden were in need of some attention to prevent potential hazards to children at the time of the inspection. The manager is addressing this, and is revisiting the grounds’ risk assessments with the maintenance team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

This home has an experienced management team which is passionate about meeting the needs of disabled children and has a depth of knowledge and skills that supports the continuous improvement of the service. Inspection report children’s home: SC036737 5 A detailed workforce development plan takes account of each member of staff’s training needs. It includes a review of the impact of the previous year’s training. The registered manager keeps up to date with relevant research and practice development, and shares this in training and team meetings. Team meetings are well organised and well attended. They are a forum for discussions about children’s plans and progress, sharing skills, and problem solving. The way that managers share their knowledge and skills is a real strength of this home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

All children’s records confirm excellent partnership working. Staff have regular formal and informal contact with relevant partners. Staff promote and supervise contact, where appropriate. They share information about the quality of contact, as agreed in care plans.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

There are excellent monitoring systems in place that support service review and development. All incidents of concern are evaluated. Evaluation of incidents includes discussions with staff and children to learn lessons.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

This home has an impressive, confident and professional staff team. Staff, including night care staff, hold relevant qualifications. They fully contribute to multi-agency assessments.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Managers provide a very good induction programme for new staff. They also confidently address performance issues, assisted by good staff records and regular supervision.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Managers and staff challenge partner agencies and advocate on behalf of children. For example, they have supported the independence of a child by proactively advocating for a new and improved wheelchair. They have improved the family life of one child by supporting his parent to learn care skills so that contact can be extended.

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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 Inspection report children’s home: SC036737 6 children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’. Inspection report children’s home: SC036737 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Nottinghamshire County Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 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: SC036737 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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