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Inspection report children’s home: 1183136 1 Registered provider: Nottinghamshire YMCA

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home provides care and support for up to two children or young people who display behavioural difficulties. The registered manager has the required qualifications and has been registered for this home since May 2018.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 30 April to 1 May 2019

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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 Good

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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Good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 1183136 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

26/06/2018 Full Good 20/10/2017 Full Good 23/01/2017 Full Good 25/07/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: 1183136 3

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Recommendations

 Staff need the knowledge and skills to recognise and be alert for any signs that might indicate a child is in any way at risk of harm. The registered person should ensure that skills in safeguarding are gained, refreshed and recorded in the home’s workforce plan. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 43, paragraph 9.12)

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Recommendations

 Supervision of staff practice should ensure that individual adults in the home are engaged in the safeguarding culture of the home, so they understand what they would need to do if they found other staff misusing or abusing their position to the detriment of the safety of a child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 43, paragraph 9.14)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should have a workforce plan which can fulfil the workforce related requirements of regulation 16, schedule 1 (paragraphs 19 and 20). The plan should detail the necessary management and staffing structure, the experience and qualifications of staff currently working within the staffing structure and any further training required for those staff, and should detail the processes and agreed timescales for staff to achieve induction, probation and any core training (such as safeguarding, health and safety and mandatory qualifications). The plan should be updated to include any new training and qualifications completed by staff while working at the home, and used to record the ongoing training and continuing professional development needs of staff – including the home’s manager. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.8)

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Recommendations

 The registered person must have systems in place so that all staff, including the manager, receive supervision of their practice from an appropriately qualified and experienced professional, which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2)

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Recommendations

 Under regulation 46, the registered person should review the appropriateness and suitability of the location and premises of the home at least once a year. The review should include the identification of any risks and opportunities presented by the home’s location and strategies for managing these. Providers should refer to the non-statutory advice about the location assessment process: ‘Children’s homes regulation amendments 2014: Advice for children’s homes providers on new duties under regulations that came in to effect in January and April 2014’. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.1) Inspection report children’s home: 1183136 4

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

This home is registered to provide care and support for up to two children. However, the managers and staff have proven expertise in adapting care practice to meet the needs of solo placements.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children develop and progress in this home. Staff have extensive knowledge, skills and experience. They nurture and care for children in a way which enables them to thrive. Staff provide predictable daily routines which mirror family living. Children settle and feel safe due to this stability and consistency.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have clear and up-to-date care and placement plans. Staff ensure that the identity needs of children are central to all care planning. This means that the skilled staff team has clarity about how to holistically meet children’s unique needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff work well with multi-disciplinary agencies. These partnerships mean they are effective in promoting progress with children. An independent reviewing officer said about a child: ‘Staff have been amazing. They are really meeting his needs and promoting progress.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

A strength of this home is in promoting education. Bespoke education packages enable children to learn and develop. Staff work effectively with dedicated education professionals. The home provides a learning environment with a wide range of learning resources. Children who previously did not attend school now consistently attend education. This supports improved educational outcomes.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy a well-rounded childhood. Staff make sure that they have fun. Children take part in a range of play and recreational activities, both in and outside of the home. This means that they have daily positive experiences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Inclusion is a strength of this home. Children contribute fully in the operation of the home, and their views, likes and interests are promoted.

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

Safeguarding practice continues to be steadfast. There have been no significant safeguarding issues since the last inspection.

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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 to manage risk. From children’s starting points, risks significantly reduce and children learn to keep themselves safe.

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

Behaviour management is very good. Effective behaviour management strategies mean Inspection report children’s home: 1183136 5 that physical interventions are not used. Children learn to regulate behaviours by using incentive and reward schemes.

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

Not all staff have up-to-date safeguarding training. Some staff require specific training, including training in responding to sexual exploitation, radicalisation and safeguarding. This training is necessary to equip staff with up-to-date knowledge of safeguarding issues and approaches.

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

Managers and staff have a very clear understanding of the locality and known risks. This information is used to ensure that the home is suitable for the children who are admitted to the home. The home has a locality risk assessment in place. However, it does not accurately reflect risks, strategies to manage risk or the views of relevant agencies.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has the required qualifications and has been registered for this home since May 2018. She has excellent knowledge and skills in residential childcare. She is also the registered manager for one other home. She is supported effectively by an experienced deputy manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Members of the management team act as excellent role models. They have an in-depth understanding of the children, their needs and the progress they make. They implement clear plans to enable children to achieve their potential.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Partnership work is very good. Social workers and independent reviewing officers are unanimous in their praise for this home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There are some shortfalls in the management of this home. The supervision of relief staff is inconsistent and is not carried out at the frequencies set out in the statement of purpose. Records of supervision lack a child-focused approach and lack a safeguarding element. This is a missed opportunity for managers to be clear about whether all staff understand the whistle-blowing policy.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager does not have a workforce development plan. This is a missed opportunity to monitor staffing arrangements, including inductions, supervisions, appraisals, qualifications and training.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

These shortfalls have no direct impact on children. This is because staff demonstrate a clear understanding of the needs and risks of the children assigned to their care. Inspection report children’s home: 1183136 6

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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: 1183136 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Nottinghamshire YMCA

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 4 Shakespeare Street, Nottingham NG1 4FG

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Inspector:

Amanda Ellis, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1183136 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:

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Inspector:

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Inspector:

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