Children's home run by Nottingham City Council in Nottingham

Inspection report children's home: SC424280 1 SC424280 Registered provider: Nottingham City Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This is a local authority children’s home. The home provides medium- to long-term placements for up to two children or young people who are unable to live with their families.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

Good

How well children and young people are helped and protected Good

p.1

Good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers Good

p.1

Good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

Good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

Good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children's home: SC424280 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/06/2018 Full Good 19/09/2017 Full Good 01/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 09/11/2016 Full Good Inspection report children's home: SC424280 3

p.2

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.

p.3

Requirement Due date

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who– develop positive relationships with them; engage with them; and take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives. (Regulation 7(1)(a)(b)(c)) 18/11/2019

p.3

Recommendations

 Ensure that all children have access to appropriate advocacy support, and where possible this should be provided by a person that the child chooses. Looked-after children are entitled to an independent advocate to advise them and ensure they have the support needed to express their views, wishes and feelings about their care and lives. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 23, paragraph 4.16)  Ensure that staff continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5) This is in relation to some details that are missing from risk assessments in relation to the risk of peer-on-peer abuse and when young people use the internet on their mobile phones.  Ensure that the registered person specifies the procedures to be followed and the

p.3

Recommendations

roles and responsibilities of staff when a child is missing from care or away from home without permission. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.28)  Ensure that records of restraint are kept that enable the registered person and staff to review the use of control, discipline and restraint to identify effective practice and respond promptly when any issues trends or concerns emerge. The review should provide an 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) This is in relation to a more senior person reviewing restraint records when the registered manager is involved. Inspection report children's home: SC424280 4

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are proactive in building relationships with young people. Young people enjoy the way that staff use humour when providing support and direction. There is a family-like atmosphere. This enables staff and young people to spend quality time together.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people attend and enjoy school. When there are problems, the staff contact the schools and work with teachers to find solutions. Young people have high aspirations for the future and staff support them to develop their interests. One young person has a flair for baking and cooking, so staff provide lots of encouragement.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Some young people have been on holidays, and one young person has been supported by staff to have a holiday with their parent. This was very positive, because it helped to develop a good relationship for when the young person returned home.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff strive to encourage young people’s relationships with people who are important to them. Friendships are actively encouraged. Staff have been listening to what young people want, and each young person’s family situation has changed for the better. One young person has started contact with their sibling. Young people are starting to rebuild relationships that they can later rely on when they leave care.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One young person has some unresolved issues about compatibility with another young person and expressed his dissatisfaction at not being listened to. An advocate comes to the home regularly, but the young person has not understood their role. More thought is needed on how young people can understand their rights and how to use an advocate. The manager needs to make sure that this situation is resolved so that each young person feels that their wishes and feelings are listened to.

p.4

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

Young people are safe in this home. Staff know what to do when there are safeguarding concerns. Young people are protected well, because staff follow appropriate procedures.

p.4

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

There is a great deal of discussion between staff and young people on safety. Staff are not afraid to have difficult conversations with young people and are skilled in this. Young people feel very able to talk about their concerns, and regularly air their views about safeguarding matters. This discussion helps them to learn about safe and acceptable behaviour.

p.4

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

There are some examples of proactive work to help young people to learn about and manage their own safety. For example, the manager arranged for young people to attend a learning session with the police about knife crime. Young people engage well with this type of learning.

p.4

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

Staff do all they can to avoid restraint. There has been only one physical intervention Inspection report children's home: SC424280 5 since the last inspection. The manager undertook this intervention because there was a safety risk. However, the restraint record has not been overseen by a senior manager.

p.4

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

Risk assessments are appropriate but basic. There is not always enough specific information about the actions that the staff need to take to reduce risk. For example, the risk of peer-on-peer abuse and risks when young people use the internet are not as well covered as they could be.

p.5

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

Appropriate protocols were followed when a young person went missing. However, greater detail in the risk assessment would have been beneficial to staff. Staff escalated the incident to the police but were not proactive enough in looking for the young person. The manager has already picked up on this and has begun looking into what went wrong. He is very keen to use this as a learning opportunity to further improve practice in the home.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff, other professionals and young people praised the manager for his leadership. Staff said that the manager is very supportive. They particularly like his engaging management style.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There are enough experienced, skilled and capable staff to care for the young people. The team works collaboratively and provides a very stable and homely environment. Staff are well trained. Much time is invested in developing the team. A recent team day and regular staff meetings ensure that each staff member can continue to learn, develop and provide consistency to young people.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular one-to-one supervision with the manager. Staff are expected to reflect on their practice. This enables the manager to identify learning needs. The manager’s mentoring style of supervision works well to support, engage and encourage staff. They enjoy their work and feel motivated by the young people’s progress.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff always have the best interests of the young people at the heart of what they do. The culture is one of high aspirations for the young people. Staff speak very highly of young people and are very committed to them.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager makes careful decisions about who should live at the home. When young people say that they are not happy in placement, more could be done to listen to them and respond to their concerns. This will help them to understand why decisions are made, even if they do not agree. Inspection report children's home: SC424280 6

p.5

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 difference 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.

p.6

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: SC424280 7

p.6

Children’s home details

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

p.7

Inspector(s)

Caroline Brailsford, social care inspector Inspection report children's home: SC424280 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.

p.7

Inspector(s)

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.8

Inspector(s)

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.8

Inspector(s)

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.8