Children's home run by Derby City Council in Derby

Inspection report children’s home: SC036243 1 SC036243 Registered provider: Derby City 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

This local authority-owned children’s home provides care and accommodation for up to five children and young people. The home looks after children and young people who are vulnerable or whose behaviour can be challenging. The registered manager has been registered since 2019.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 10 to 11 December 2019

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 28 October 2019

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC036243 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/10/2019 Full Inadequate 08/01/2019 Full Good 24/07/2017 Interim Not judged 30/03/2017 Interim Not judged Inspection report children’s home: SC036243 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 ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month. When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person— if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents relatives and persons working in the home as the independent person requires. the independent person must provide a copy of their report to Ofsted. (Regulation 44(1)(a)(2)(a)(7)a)) 06/01/2020

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Requirement 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. In particular the registered person must ensure that— a record is kept of the administration of medicine to each child. (Regulation 23(1)(2)(c)) 06/01/2020

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify Ofsted and each other relevant person without delay if— a child protection enquiry involving a child— is instigated; or there is any other incident to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40(4)(d)(i)(e)) 06/01/2020

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Recommendations

 Where children placed in a home are not participating in education, in the interim, the child should be supported to sustain or regain confidence in education and be engaged in suitable structured activities. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.15)  Staff should continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the Inspection report children’s home: SC036243 4 arrangements in place to protect them. Where there are safeguarding concerns for a child, their placement plan, agreed between the home and their placing authority, must include details of the steps the home will take to manage any assessed risks on a day to day basis. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards, page 42, paragraph 9.5)

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improvement to be good

Children continue to make variable progress. Following the last inspection, work has been done to improve health records. There is clearer evidence of staff supporting children to attend routine health appointments. Case records are now more up to date, clear and accurate. Children continue to experience difficulties in relation to their education and training attendance. For those children refusing to attend education or training, suitable structured activities are not in place to support them during the day. Work has been done to ensure that all complaints raised by children have been recorded and responded to. Managers intend to reissue the children’s guide to children because it contains information about how to make a complaint. Complaint trackers are now being used effectively to evidence actions taken and outcomes. Complaints have been added retrospectively to the tracker and appropriate action taken.

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improvement to be good

Recording of the administration of medicines is not robust. One entry did not state the dosage or confirm whether the medication had been taken or refused. Meetings have been introduced to enable children to express their wishes, views and feelings to staff. Records now show the actions that managers have taken in response to children’s views. Managers have updated placement plans to include children’s views. Staff continue to promote independence skills for children. Children learn new skills and grow in confidence. This prepares them well for their eventual move to adult life. Staff support children to maintain relationships with family members and others who are important to them. Family members are included in discussions about their children’s care.

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improvement to be good

One child is currently not residing at the home. It has been agreed that they can stay with a family member due to safeguarding issues. There is no specific risk assessment in place to reflect the current issues and concerns. The placement plan does not reflect the recent concerns and has not been updated. It is not clear what actions staff should take in the event of the child returning to the home. Work has been done to improve the quality of risk assessments. Managers have ensured Inspection report children’s home: SC036243 5 that all risk assessments have been reviewed and updated. They now contain relevant information and set out the actions that staff should take to reduce risk. Improvements have also been made to missing from care risk assessments. Data relating to missing from care incidents is now clearly recorded, with evidence of return interviews being offered to children. Allegations made against staff are now more clearly recorded and have been reported to

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improvement to be good

the designated officer. Records reflect more clearly the actions taken by managers. This includes historic allegations, which were not previously recorded. Managers have contacted the designated officer to discuss historic allegations that had not been dealt with appropriately. Staff recruitment files now contain the necessary checks, references and employment history information. This includes explanations for any gaps in employment. Copies of relevant qualification certificates have been obtained and placed on staff files. Fire safety systems have improved. Managers have ensured that three fire drills have been carried out since the last inspection. Work has been done with children who refuse to evacuate the building. Contact has been made with the local fire service. Managers are awaiting a date for fire service staff to visit the home to meet with children about the risks of smoking and setting off fire alarms.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Following the last inspection, new management arrangements have been put in place. An interim manager and an acting deputy manager have worked together to implement changes and make improvements. They have worked hard to address the shortfalls identified at the last inspection. Managers now have accurate information about each child. Management monitoring and reporting systems have been improved. Regular feedback is now being sought from children about the care provided. All staff have received fire safety training. Fire evacuation drills take place regularly now. It is now clear which staff are employed in this home. Extensive work has been done to establish what qualifications, training and experience they have. The statement of purpose has been updated to reflect the staffing structure and outline the skills and experience of staff members. Staff have completed all mandatory training and refresher training. This includes first aid

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

training. Plans are in place for specific additional training to be provided to staff over the next two months. Staff report feeling well supported and supervised. The interim manager is working to ensure that all annual appraisals are completed. She is also trying to confirm details of all previous appraisals for staff. Managers have now ensured that Ofsted has been informed of incidents requiring police involvement and allegations made about staff. There was a recent serious incident which led to a child protection enquiry being instigated. Ofsted has not been notified of this incident. Inspection report children’s home: SC036243 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: SC036243 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Derby City Council, Treasurers Department, Council House, Corporation Street, Derby DE1 2FE

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Inspector

Tracy Murty, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC036243 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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