Children's Home run by Doncaster Children‟s Services Trust Limited in Doncaster

Inspection report children‟s home: SC032167 1 SC032167 Registered provider: Doncaster Children‟s Services Trust 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

A trust runs this children‟s home. It provides short breaks and long-term care for up to 10 children or young people who have physical and/or learning disabilities. Since 22 April 2019, overnight short-break provision has been suspended to enable work to be carried out at the home in line with a recent health and safety audit. Children are supported to enjoy extended day-care provision but return home for the night. One child has been risk assessed to remain living in the home on a permanent basis.

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Information about this children’s home

The home has been without a registered manager since January 2019. A permanent manager has been appointed and is due to start on 1 July 2019. An acting manager has been running the home in the absence of the registered manager.

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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: outstanding

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children‟s home: SC032167 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

30/04/2018 Full Outstanding 03/01/2018 Full Good 09/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 16/05/2016 Full Good Inspection report children‟s home: SC032167 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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Requirements Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children‟s home. (Regulation 23 (1)) 02/08/2019

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Requirements Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees— have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(c)) 02/08/2019

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Requirements Due date

The registered person must ensure that— within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)— has spoken to the user about the measure; and has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(b)(i)(ii)(c)) 02/08/2019

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Requirements Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home‟s statement of purpose. (Regulation 13 (2)(a))

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Requirements Due date

This is with particular reference to the admission of children and the impact of their placement on others. 02/08/2019

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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. Professionally qualified staff Inspection report children‟s home: SC032167 4 employed by the home, e.g. teachers or social workers, should be provided with relevant professional or clinical supervision by an appropriately qualified and experienced professional. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 61, paragraph 13.2)  Staff should be familiar with the home‟s policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective, and clear recording. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 62, paragraph 14.4) This is with particular reference to the children‟s records being

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Recommendations

reviewed in line with the home‟s statement of purpose and to clearly evidence that the staff have read and understood the content within the documents.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff are passionate about the inclusion of the children and young people within the community and community groups. As a result, the children and young people get to participate in a variety of activities that they truly enjoy. Some of the children and young people would not get the opportunity to gain these new experiences if they did not attend short breaks. Examples of activities include going to the park, a pop concert, restaurants, the cinema and the seaside. Pictorial records evidence the children‟s and young people‟s enjoyment during their stay.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff help the children and young people to become more independent. The staff‟s continual support and encouragement help the children and young people to develop their skills. Consequently, children and young people have learned to complete some tasks independently. Examples include making their bed, using the toilet, and washing their hair. These achievements are significant to the children and young people and for their pathway into adulthood. The children‟s and young people‟s progress and achievements are celebrated and clearly evidenced in records.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff understand the children‟s and young people‟s specific communication needs and use consistent techniques to promote language development. The staff understand the subtle cues that the children and young people display and respond appropriately to children‟s demands, excitement, feelings of unhappiness, pain or discomfort. The children‟s advocate visits the home regularly, providing a further avenue for the children and young people to express their views.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Some children and young people have been receiving short breaks since infancy at this setting. They have developed strong bonds with the staff, who care deeply for them, and they have a great rapport. The children and young people benefit from the continuity of a well-established staff team. They feel at ease and reassured to receive care from people who they recognise and are familiar with.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children and young people who currently live, and have previously lived, at the Inspection report children‟s home: SC032167 5 home on a longer-term basis are supported to attend school. This varies from full-time education to part-time home tutoring. The staff communicate well with schools, meeting the needs of the children and young people.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children‟s and young people‟s moves out of the home to other provisions are well planned. This is minimising the impact on their emotional well-being.

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

The children and young people receive high levels of care and supervision in line with their needs, which supports their safety and well-being. This also reduces the risk of their going missing and/or of exploitation. There are no current indicators that children and young people are at risk.

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

Physical intervention is rarely needed, but when it is used it is to ensure the safety and protection of the children, young people or others. However, the manager‟s debriefs with the staff and children or young people are not timely or clear to enable further reflection on practice.

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

The children‟s and young people‟s stays are well planned to ensure an appropriate mix and the safety of those who are non-mobile. However, despite the staff‟s planning and behaviour management responses, some of the children and young people have frequently witnessed volatile and aggressive behaviour from one child in crisis. The staff vigilance and timely actions ensured that the children and young people were not injured or harmed but this has led to them experiencing disruption.

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

The children and young people are cared for with dignity and respect. Where possible, they are supported and encouraged by staff to manage their own personal care. Body maps are completed to identify any injuries on children or young people and these are investigated appropriately.

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

Lessons have been learned from previous medication errors. Medication is now safely stored and administered to the children and young people. However, the records are not clear, and the current procedures do not support staff to check medication quantities.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The acting manager and staff have a clear understanding of the needs of the children and young people and the progress that they are making. Even the small steps of achievements are celebrated and recorded in the progress records. The proactive manager takes time to reflect on learning from practice and shares this with staff to further enhance the care provided within the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff work closely with the families to ensure good experiences for children and young people when they come for short breaks. The compliments from family members emphasise the positive impact that the home has on the lives of children, young people and their families. Family members said that staff are caring, Inspection report children‟s home: SC032167 6 enthusiastic, kind and help the children and young people relax and learn new skills while ensuring that they are safe and happy.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The maintenance of the home is good, and all the health and safety checks are up to date. The manager ensures that sensory equipment, hoists and other specialist equipment are maintained and replaced when needed. There are plans for the reintegration of overnight breaks for the children and young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The monitoring of the service is effective, and the manager utilises the regulation 44 and 45 reports to maintain oversight of the home. However, children and young people‟s records are not always reviewed and updated in line with the home‟s policy and statement of purpose.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff have a very good relationship with the acting manager and they feel well supported. However, there are some gaps in the regularity of supervisions with staff. The manager mitigates this by ensuring that she is available for informal discussions daily. This ensures that staff have clear direction and actions, but occasionally there is no record to reflect these discussions. Furthermore, gaps in annual appraisals mean that staff training, and development issues are not fully explored to enhance practice at the home.

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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: SC032167 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Doncaster Children‟s Services Trust Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Colonnades House, Duke Street, Doncaster, South Yorkshire DN1 1ER

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Inspectors

Jennifer Fenlon, social care inspector Krista Hardy, social care inspector Inspection report children‟s home: SC032167 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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