Children's Home, Residential special school run by The Senad Group Limited in Derbyshire

Inspection report children’s home: SC404596 1 SC404596 Registered provider: The Senad Group Limited

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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 privately owned service forms part of a residential school. It is registered to provide accommodation for young people who have communication difficulties or are diagnosed with an autistic spectrum disorder. Young people are aged 15 years and older. This provision comprises two houses: one provides residential care for a maximum of 20 young people on the school site. The other is located in a local town and provides residential care for 11 young people.

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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 good

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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: 30 October 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: SC404596 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

30/10/2017 Full Outstanding 29/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 12/07/2016 Full Outstanding 28/01/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC404596 3

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Recommendations

 Staff should continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. Where there are safeguarding concerns for a child, their placement plan, agreed between the home and their placing authority, must include details of the steps the home will take to manage any assessed risks on a day to day basis. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people are well cared for, safe and happy. A young person said: ‘It feels like somewhere that you can call home.’ Young people make exceptional progress in all areas of their lives. A parent said that their daughter, ‘is absolutely flying. I am exceptionally thrilled with her progress.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff are passionate about securing positive long-term outcomes for young people. The post-16 lead is instrumental in this work, working closely with care, education and therapy staff. Bespoke packages of education with clear achievable targets are provided for young people. This means that young people have excellent prospects. For example, last year most young people went on to higher or further education, or joined apprenticeship schemes.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Person-centred independence training is central to young people’s lives. Young people thrive, and appear to really appreciate this. There is a sense that young people really value the opportunity to be treated as young adults.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Some young people have complex mental health conditions. These conditions often present in the form of high anxiety, depression or serious self-harming behaviours. Staff are highly skilled in the way that they support these young people. Staff work within a multi-agency team. The key team includes a psychotherapist, occupational therapist, care staff, speech and language therapist, and teachers. Staff also advocate well on behalf of young people to secure mental health services. Consequently, the emotional and mental health of young people is very well supported. A parent said: ‘My child’s emotional health has been very much supported. Initially she would only open up to her key worker. This has expanded to speaking to other staff and the therapy team. It has also impacted positively on home life.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Parents say that they are exceptionally happy with the care that their children receive and the progress that they make. Staff build strong relationships with parents and work in partnership to promote the health, safety and well-being of young people. Inspection report children’s home: SC404596 4 Staff work hard to support young people with their interests and hobbies. For example, a young person is able to remain involved in an amateur dramatic society close to where she lives, which is some distance from the home.

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

Staff have extremely warm and nurturing relationships with young people. This helps young people to feel safe and secure. Consequently, young people do not go missing from this home. They do not get involved in risk-taking behaviours such as using illegal substances or under-age drinking.

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

Staff report that safeguarding practice is intrinsic to all that they do. Safeguarding concerns are discussed regularly between senior leaders to ensure that each concern is appropriately followed up.

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

Risk management is generally very good. This means that young people can take safe and appropriate risks. For example, a young person independently attended a club in his home town, using public transport. This approach enables young people to grow in confidence as they approach adulthood.

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

Although some care plans and risk assessments do not give detailed risk minimisation strategies to staff, each member of staff demonstrates a good knowledge of each young person’s vulnerabilities. Each member of staff is also clear about the actions that they should take to reduce risks.

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

Young people do not report bullying as an issue in this home. However, when bullying- type behaviour is known, staff act swiftly to resolve the issue. Young people form safe and appropriate friendships in the home and the school.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff are qualified, highly motivated and have high levels of job satisfaction. Consequently, staff turnover and sickness levels are very low. Staff appreciate the creative reward schemes that help them to feel valued. Managers understand that happy staff mean happy children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff feel well supported and have excellent training opportunities. This means that staff are knowledgeable and very well able to meet the highly complex needs of young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager is experienced and is currently working towards her Level 5 qualification within the regulated time frame. She demonstrates highly effective leadership. She is very well supported within a senior leadership team. Senior care staff are empowered to continue her good work in her absence, which they do very well. Managers have a strong sense of the strengths and weaknesses of the provision. They have good plans to address shortfalls. Research informs practice, which means that Inspection report children’s home: SC404596 5 managers are always looking to challenge and extend staff.

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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: SC404596 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: The Senad Group Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 1 St. Georges House, Vernon Gate, DERBY DE1 1UQ

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Inspector(s)

Joanne Vyas, social care inspector Bev Allison, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC404596 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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