Children's Home run by Nottingham City Council in Nottingham

Inspection report children’s home: SC034969 1 SC034969 Registered provider: Nottingham City Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a local authority children’s home. The home provides short-term placements for up to four children and young people. The home provides care for children who are placed in an emergency, as well as planned, respite or remand placements.

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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: requires improvement to be good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC034969 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/04/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 07/08/2017 Full Good 14/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 02/11/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC034969 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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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home, if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character;

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform;

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Requirement Due date

the individual is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of the work that the individual is to perform; and

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1)(2)(a)(b)(3)(a)(b)(c)(d)) 01/12/2019

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Recommendations

 Ensure that, in line with their individual health plans and the ethos of the home, children are offered support and guidance on health and well-being to enhance and supplement that provided by their school through Personal, Social and Health Education. Staff should have the relevant skills and knowledge to be able to help children understand and where necessary work to change negative behaviours in key areas of health and well-being such as, but not limited to, nutrition and healthy diet, exercise, mental health, sexual relationships, sexual health, Inspection report children’s home: SC034969 4 contraception and use of legal highs, drugs, alcohol and tobacco. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 35, paragraph 7.18) This is in relation to strategies to reduce smoking and drug misuse.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people settle into the home quickly and develop a sense of belonging. There are very good relationships between young people and staff. These relationships ensure that young people readily accept help and support. One young person said: ‘It’s brilliant. I am getting on well.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people know that staff care about them. They grow in confidence because they feel valued and respected. After young people have left the home, they often phone or visit to let staff and managers know their news and how they are getting on. The attachments they form with staff are long-lasting. Young people find this helpful and reassuring.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There have been 24 children at the home since the last inspection and each has accessed some form of education, whether it be a school placement or home tuition. Managers work tenaciously to make sure that educational arrangements are put in place. Whenever possible, young people continue with their previous school placement so that they do not have to cope with too much change.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people’s day-to-day experiences are good. They are well occupied. They have had boxing lessons, music lessons and they attend football clubs. There is also a strong sense of family in the home. Cooking, pool tournaments, gaming and television nights are some of young people’s favourite activities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people spend quality time with staff and receive good support if they have worries or problems. Young people are equipped with the skills they need to cope with their anxieties and complex feelings because staff are so good at supporting them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Care planning is of a generally good standard. However, the generic nature of some care plans means that some planning does not fully address the specific needs of young people. For example, there was no plan for how one young person would be supported to stop drug taking and smoking cigarettes.

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

All staff and professionals agree that young people are safe. Young people confirmed that they feel safe. Inspection report children’s home: SC034969 5 A range of safeguarding training equips staff with the skills they need to help young people to reduce their risk-taking behaviours. Young people feel able to talk openly about their behaviours. This helps young people to learn how to protect themselves.

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

The dynamics in the home are constantly changing as young people leave and new young people are admitted. Regular risk assessments help to make sure that each young person’s needs can be met alongside those of the group. There has been a dramatic improvement in this area. The manager has been diligent in assessing each young person before they move into the home. He is committed to making sure that young people are not placed at risk by the behaviours of other young people. This reduces the likelihood of placement breakdowns.

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

Young people’s individual risk assessments are of a good quality. Staff recognise that each young person’s sense of safety is radically different, and their approach to risk is highly individualised.

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

Staff use incentives well to prevent challenging behaviour. If challenging behaviour does take place, staff are good at de-escalation. Young people make good progress in developing safer, socially acceptable behaviours. Restraints are few and far between. Good-quality records allow for close scrutiny of restraint practice. The young person’s view is at the heart of this scrutiny.

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

Each staff member is carefully vetted before they are allowed to work in the home. The same attention to detail is not given to agency staff. The details are checked by the agency and not the organisation. One agency staff file did not contain a full work history. The references were extremely basic and were not verified. There is the potential for unsuitable adults to work with young people because recruitment checks are not verified by the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

All previous recommendations and requirements are met. There has been considerable progress since the last inspection. Thought has gone into the home’s statement of purpose to make sure that the short-term nature of the home does not affect young people’s progress. The manager is supported by the organisation. If he does not feel that a young person will be well matched to the group, they are not admitted. Risks have reduced because of better placement matching.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has been refurbished. It is now well decorated and well presented. One young person referred to the home as being: ‘Well nice.’ The home feels welcoming and homely.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff team is stable and well-motivated. Staff genuinely enjoy their jobs and spending time with young people. Staff speak highly of young people and value them. One staff member said: ‘It’s a pleasure to work here. I love doing this job.’ Young people enjoy their time with staff and there are some very strong relationships. Staff are good at what they do. Managers ensure that the staff take every opportunity to praise the Inspection report children’s home: SC034969 6 young people and celebrate their achievements.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Good-quality training is provided to staff. Managers check that training has been worthwhile and that staff are able to use this effectively in their practice. One staff member spoke about a training course that has helped them to support young people to reduce their self-harm. They were able to use their newly acquired skills with a young person. This helped the young person greatly when they were in a crisis. A recent team development day has enhanced staff skills and knowledge.

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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: SC034969 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Nottingham City Council

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector

Caroline Brailsford: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC034969 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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