Children's home run by Nottingham City Council in Nottingham

Inspection report children’s home: SC427165 1 SC427165 Registered provider: Nottingham 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 home is managed by a local authority. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three young people.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 27 to 28 February 2019

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Recent inspection history

20/03/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness 21/06/2017 Full Good 08/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 26/07/2016 Full Requires improvement Inspection report children’s home: SC427165 2

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Recommendations

 Homes should take account of information provided in independent return home interviews when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect each child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30)  Records of restraint should enable the registered person and staff to review the use of control, discipline and restraint to identify effective practice and respond promptly where any issues or trends of concern emerge. The review should provide the opportunity for amending practice to ensure it meets the needs of each child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 49, paragraph 9.59)  Any child who has been restrained should be given the opportunity express their feelings about their experience of the restraint as soon as is practicable, ideally within 24 hours of the restraint incident, taking the age of the child and the

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Recommendations

circumstances of the restraint into account. In some cases children may need longer to work through their feelings, so a record that the child has talked about their feelings should be made no longer than 5 days after the incident of restraint (regulation 35(3)(c)). Children should be encouraged to add their views and comments to the record of restraint. Children should be offered the opportunity to access advocacy support to help them with this (regulation 7(2)(b)(iii)). (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 49, paragraph 9.60)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people thrive in this home and make exceptional progress. This is because the highly skilled management and staff teams support young people to reach their individual potential.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

From their starting points, young people’s educational attendance and attainment are outstanding. This means that they have improved life chances. Young people who previously refused to attend education now embrace learning. One education professional said: ‘The outlook for this young person is very bright. We believe this is due to the placement keeping him focused and committed.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people are motivated and ambitious. They strive to improve their prospects. One young person is excelling in his apprenticeship. He has excellent independence skills and clear plans for his future. He is a valued representative at the local authority Children in Care Council. He is articulate and effective in advocating on behalf of children and young people who are looked after. Inspection report children’s home: SC427165 3 All young people have active recreational and social lives. Staff promote a wide range of activities, both in and outside of the home. Young people enjoy opportunities to experience new activities, develop interests and expand their skills. This means that young people build self-confidence and self-esteem.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Preparing young people for independence is a priority. Dedicated staff research how to ensure the best outcomes for young people leaving care. They work alongside young people to teach and assess the skills necessary for successful independence. Managers and staff meticulously plan to ensure that all young people have positive transitions to semi-independence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

An unaccompanied asylum-seeking young person has benefited from outstanding care. Staff have ensured that this young person has received sensitive and culturally appropriate care and support. An independent reviewing officer talked about the statutory review of a young person. She said: ‘This was one of the most positive reviews I have done, with staff going over and above to make my young man feel comfortable and ensure his needs were met very quickly.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people’s views are heard on a day-to-day basis. A vast range of systems ensure that young people can express their views about their care and any concerns. Managers have been proactive and use a variety of methods to actively consult with young people.

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

Safeguarding arrangements are good. Safeguarding professionals and the police confirmed that safeguarding situations are well managed.

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

From the point of admission, risks are well understood. Staff put in place clear strategies for managing risk. Risk assessments are dynamic and are constantly reviewed. Where risks reduce, young people enjoy increased levels of independence. Safeguarding practice has been effective in keeping young people safe from potential harm.

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

The multidisciplinary staff team works in partnership with a range of professionals to support young people to keep themselves safe. The staff team collaborates with child and adolescent mental health practitioners and social workers to manage risks related to mental health issues. This work is effective in supporting young people to identify alternative ways to understand and manage behaviours.

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

Incidents of young people going missing from the home have significantly reduced. Staff follow appropriate procedures. They are proactive in locating young people. Upon their return to the home, young people benefit from independent return interviews. However, on one occasion, information from these interviews was not explored with a young person. This was a missed opportunity to deal with the reason for a young person choosing to leave the home. Inspection report children’s home: SC427165 4 Behaviour management is good. Staff are skilled in supporting young people to regulate their behaviours. Physical interventions are rarely used in this home. They have only been used to prevent harm to young people. Records show safe interventions, undertaken by a well-trained staff team. However, records of physical interventions are not always evaluated for effectiveness, nor do they include young people’s views.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leadership and management arrangements are exceptional. The registered manager has a clear focus on driving continual improvement in this home. The culture of the home is to ensure that all young people succeed and reach their personal potential.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The highly experienced responsible individual and accomplished assistant manager support the registered manager. Together, they are a tenacious management team. They have been highly effective in providing outstanding standards of care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Managers provide every opportunity for staff to develop professionally. This includes undertaking management training, going on secondment to social care teams, carrying out research projects and accessing a broad range of training. Supervision arrangements are excellent. Rigorous supervision enables managers to address competence issues and training needs, and monitor the quality of care provided for young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Managers act as excellent role models. Staff said that managers are ‘inspirational’. Staff strive to do their best. They are a cohesive team and have a shared commitment to provide the best standards of care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Managers go to exceptional lengths to listen to the wishes and feelings of young people. They demonstrate the flexibility to work around young people’s commitments. This ensures that young people have every opportunity to have their views heard.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Partnership work is excellent. Social workers and independent reviewing officers were unanimous in their praise for this home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Meticulous quality assurance, both internal and external, provides detailed analysis of care provision. This means that leaders and managers have a clear understanding of the home’s strengths and weaknesses.

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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 Inspection report children’s home: SC427165 5 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: SC427165 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Nottingham City Council, Loxley House, Station Street, Nottingham NG2 3NG

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Inspector

Amanda Ellis: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC427165 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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