Children's Home run by Derby City Council in Derby

Inspection report children’s home: SC036019 1 SC036019 Registered provider: Derby City 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 local authority owned and run children’s home provides care and accommodation for up to five children and young people who are vulnerable and whose behaviours can be challenging. There is no registered manager.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC036019 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

29/05/2018 Full Inadequate 18/04/2017 Full Good 08/12/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 21/04/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC036019 3

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Recommendations

 A record of supervision should be kept for staff, including the manager. The record should provide evidence that supervision is being delivered by a person with appropriate experience. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.3)

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improvement to be good

Young people have made some positive progress since the last inspection. However, shortfalls in leadership and management restrict the judgement for overall experiences and progress. Young people have education provision in place. Managers have devised a system for recording and tracking the attendance and attainment of each young person. This will be implemented for the new academic year. Young people will be supported to either attend their formal education provision or to engage with staff in activities during the school day. This should provide young people with a clearer and more focused structure to their day. Young people now have much clearer and more detailed activity planners in place. Each week, staff and young people discuss what they would like to do. Young people are then supported to take part in a wide range of activities. One young person is going abroad on holiday with staff in the near future. Planners reflect what young people ask to do

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improvement to be good

each week and if they have engaged in activities. There is now a much more positive sense of how the social interests of young people are known and met. Staff support young people to meet their health needs. A specialist nurse praised the staff team for their positive partnership working. Young people learn how to consider and manage their own health-related issues. They have full access to a range of advice and support. Young people know how to make a complaint. They feel confident in approaching staff and managers to discuss any concerns. Improvements have been made by managers to the complaints procedure. A new complaint tracking system is in place. Records now more clearly reflect the actions taken and outcomes. Managers tell young people what action they have taken to consider their concerns and seek their feedback. Young people share their views, wishes and feelings more openly with staff now. They

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improvement to be good

have been actively engaged by managers and staff in discussions about the care and support that they receive. Since the last inspection, staff and managers have sought the input of young people regularly in relation to changes needed in the home. Young Inspection report children’s home: SC036019 4 people report that they have more influence in how the home is run. There have been no new admissions since the last inspection. Work has been done with staff to ensure that any emergency admissions are handled sensitively, particularly if they take place late at night. Young people will be provided with a welcome pack and information to assist their move into the home.

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improvement to be good

Managers have devised and implemented a much clearer process for responding to incidents of bullying. Young people now report that there is a clear and rapid response to bullying. Direct work has been carried out with young people to educate them on the impact of bullying and of what actions will be taken to eradicate it. Staff have worked with young people to consider incentives and sanctions for their behaviours. One young person said that they were really pleased as they had received rewards for positive behaviours over the past month. Staff also now more routinely use sanctions with young people when risky or inappropriate behaviours are apparent. Young people appear to be responding well to this, with a reduction noted in such behaviours as smoking indoors. Managers have ensured that more regular fire drills have taken place in the home. Young people have been spoken with about the importance of not setting off fire alarms

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improvement to be good

and the need to leave the building when alarms sound. Managers have also asked that fire and rescue service staff visit the home to meet with young people. This is in order to discuss the risks some of their behaviours pose to themselves and others. Staff and managers work closely with the local police to support young people who go missing from care. A police officer stated how well staff work to support young people when they go missing. Staff demonstrate a clear understanding of the concerns for young people. They follow their risk assessments and involve all relevant agencies and family members. Clearer systems are now in place to ensure that independent return home interviews are requested and take place for relevant young people. Staff very rarely use physical restraints with young people. They use de-escalation techniques to support young people who display dangerous or concerning behaviours.

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improvement to be good

Staff know the triggers for young people and how their behaviours can and do change. They ensure that risk assessments and behaviour support plans are kept updated and regularly reviewed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The previous registered manager retired last year. A new permanent manager came into post earlier this year. They are currently in the process of applying to be registered with Ofsted. The judgement of inadequate relates to the fact that this home has been without a registered manager for over 26 weeks. Senior managers have supported staff and managers during this unsettled period. Following the last full inspection, clear action Inspection report children’s home: SC036019 5 plans have been devised and work has been carried out to address the shortfalls. Senior managers considered the need to increase staffing ratios following the last inspection. This was put in place to address concerns about young people’s challenging behaviours at that time. Staffing numbers were increased at key times, to ensure that staff could respond quickly to any concerning incidents. This has reduced serious incidents and the risk of harm to young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Following the full inspection in May 2018, the home was judged to be inadequate in all areas. Managers and staff have undertaken extensive work to consider the shortfalls from that inspection. They have implemented an action plan and have successfully met all the requirements and the one recommendation made at the last inspection, as detailed throughout this report. Management monitoring systems have improved and continue to do so. The new tracking systems are enabling managers to have a better oversight of specific issues and incidents in the home. Managers also consider any recommendations made by the independent visitor. Staff have been supported to understand the changes brought into the home, particularly in relation to recording and tracking systems. Staff have received bespoke training and development to consider the issues from the last inspection. There is a commendable focus on supporting staff and managers to

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

implement and embed the many changes which have been brought in. Staff morale is reported to have improved since the last inspection. Not all staff have received regular supervision. Given the recent unsettled period, it is imperative that staff have the opportunity to meet with their managers to discuss their practice, performance and personal issues. A recommendation has been set to address this shortfall.

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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: SC036019 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Becket Children’s Centre, 35 Stockbrook Street, Derby DE22 3WR

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Inspector

Tracy Murty, social care regulatory inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC036019 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 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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