Children's home run by Derbyshire County Council in Derbyshire Dales

Inspection report children’s home: SC062536 1 SC062536 Registered provider: Derbyshire County 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

A local authority operates this home, providing care and accommodation for up to six young people who have emotional, behavioural and/or social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home has a registered manager who is currently undertaking the relevant qualification.

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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: SC062536 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/08/2018 Full Good 16/08/2017 Full Good 26/01/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 07/09/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC062536 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are happy and like living at this home. They make progress in their education, grow in confidence and resilience, and learn valuable life skills. They like the staff and have trusting relationships with them. For example, a young person would not talk to anyone, and would only go to school with large soft toys. She will now speak to people, and only takes a soft-toy key ring to school. A manager said that this progress has been possible because ‘she feels safe here, at home and loved’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff respect the young people’s cultures and support them fully to follow their religion. For example, one young person is taken to a temple that is some distance from the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people generally move out of the home in a planned way, either into supported living or back to their family home. Staff continue to support young people who move out. Young people continue to visit the home, where they receive a warm welcome, after they have left.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff build warm and nurturing relationships with young people. They use therapeutic approaches well. For example, a member of staff said that he put a card in a young person’s room to say that he understood that she had had a difficult week, and that staff were there for her if she needed them. This clearly demonstrates that staff are thinking about the young people and understand their anxieties.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people enjoy a range of activities, including baking, puzzles and arts and crafts. They enjoy looking after the home’s rabbit and fish, as well as meeting up with their friends. Friends are welcomed into the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people’s views are respected and taken seriously. Their views have made a difference to the day-to-day running of the home. For example, young people have been involved in the recruitment of staff, gardening and choosing pets.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are supported to build and sustain important relationships, such as with their families. A young person, who returned to the care of her mum, wrote in a card to the staff: ‘Me and my mum are grateful for the things you have done for us. You have helped us come together and be a family again.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The emotional, mental and physical health of young people are promoted. Young people are registered with the local healthcare services and attend routine appointments. Staff work well with healthcare professionals, including mental health services, to address health concerns.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is large, but has been made to feel homely. Ornaments, artwork and flowers help with the homely feel. Staff are also warm and welcoming. All young people have en-suite bedrooms. En-suite bathrooms are currently being refurbished to a high Inspection report children’s home: SC062536 4 standard. Staff are proud of the garden and have won numerous prizes for it every year. Young people help to create the garden displays for the competitions.

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

Bullying behaviour is not tolerated. Young people who have been bullied are supported well. Staff have a good understanding of the emotional need for traumatised young people to express their anxieties and frustrations. Restorative approaches have been successfully used to help young people mend their relationships with each other.

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

Young people rarely go missing from the home. This is because they feel safe and secure. They rarely get involved in risk-taking behaviours such as drinking alcohol or taking illegal substances. There are very few incidents because young people are supported to understand their own behaviour. Physical intervention has only been used on one occasion since the last inspection. This was to prevent a young person from harming themselves. It was used appropriately and effectively.

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

Risk management is mostly good. However, for one trip, the risks were not sufficiently addressed, and this led to a young person being bullied and others drinking alcohol during the trip. The staff’s and the manager’s reflection on this trip has led to good learning and improved practice. Young people have enjoyed other trips and holidays since then, because they have been better planned.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is well qualified, but is currently undertaking an additional qualification to ensure that she updates her knowledge. She is very experienced and passionate about getting young people the best service. She said that if a service is not good enough for her own children, then it is not good enough for the young people in her care. The manager is ably supported by her deputy managers.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The management team, working collaboratively with a psychologist, is developing a therapeutic model that encompasses four therapeutic approaches. This has informed the home’s development plan and should help to ensure that young people thrive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have good training opportunities and receive effective support to help them deliver good care to the young people. Virtually all members of the whole staff team are qualified, and all are very experienced. Staff have an in-depth understanding of the needs and aspirations of the young people. A social worker said: ‘They have been amazing.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff work in partnership with external professionals. External professionals agreed that that staff communicate effectively with them. A social worker said: ‘Communication is second to none.’ Inspection report children’s home: SC062536 5

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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: SC062536 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Derbyshire County Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Derbyshire County Council, County Offices, Matlock, Derbyshire DE4 3AG

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Inspector

Joanne Vyas: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC062536 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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