Children's Home run by Derby City Council in Derby

Inspection report children’s home: SC036019 1 SC036019 Registered provider: Derby City Council Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This local authority children’s home provides care and accommodation for up to five children and young people who are vulnerable and whose behaviours can be challenging.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been registered since February 2019.

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Inspection date: 23 January 2020

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC036019 2

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged good at the last full inspection. At the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has declined in effectiveness.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Requirements from the previous inspection have not been met. This has contributed to the judgement of declined effectiveness.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children’s experiences are not always positive. There are growing concerns about children’s involvement in high-risk behaviours. Staff struggle to manage these risks due to inconsistent staffing, poor support mechanisms and a lack of leadership in the home.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Action taken by managers and staff in response to safeguarding concerns is inadequate. Allegations made by children are not well managed. Poor communication with children following allegations being made increases their anxiety and makes them feel unsafe. Risks have been assessed but, as a result of insufficient staffing and the reliance on agency staff, these risks have not been managed.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Managers have not notified Ofsted about serious incidents at the home.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Management arrangements are ineffective. At the time of the inspection, the registered manager was absent. The deputy manager was working directly with the children, with little opportunity to provide leadership to more junior staff working at the home. The deputy manager and many of the staff do not have an in-depth knowledge of the children’s care needs and there is an absence of support and leadership for staff.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff report that they feel undervalued and unsupported and describe the home as a chaotic environment. Staff do not have clear direction, or the confidence to care for children with complex needs and challenging behaviour.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff have not had the training they need to meet the children’s needs. The staff training matrix shows that some staff have not had safeguarding training for a number of years.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Induction processes for new staff are poor. The induction provided is minimal and does not prepare new staff to support children with complex needs. New staff are given responsibilities in the home without adequate training or support.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Education outcomes for children are poor. Most children are not attending school or engaging in their education. Personal education plans, and education, health and care plans are out of date. Some children have a small number of hours of home tuition each week. These shortfalls reinforce low aspirations for children in terms of Inspection report children’s home: SC036019 3 their education. Some children say that they want to go to school but their wishes and feelings are not taken fully into account when planning for their education.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Due to the door-locking mechanism in the home, children cannot leave the home without asking a member of staff. Due to this restriction, children often set off the fire alarms to enable them to leave the building. This means of leaving the home is inappropriate and has the potential to heighten children’s anxieties and impair relationships between children and staff.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Areas of the home are not clean. This is a reflection of insufficient staffing, as staff prioritise direct work with the children. Due to the condition of the home, children do not live in a pleasant and homely environment.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children do not always have access to independent advocacy. They do not benefit from having access to someone not connected with the local authority who can speak up for them if required. Inspection report children’s home: SC036019 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

02/07/2019 Full Good 19/11/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness 04/09/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 29/05/2018 Full Inadequate Inspection report children’s home: SC036019 5

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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 protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

Assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2.

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Requirement Due date

This relates to the need to ensure that references are verified and that a full employment history, together with a satisfactory explanation for any gaps, is sought and placed on staff records. 29/02/2020

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must review the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the premises used for the purposes of the child’s home at least once in each calendar year.

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate; 29/02/2020 Inspection report children’s home: SC036019 6 ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)(h)) The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and 29/02/2020 Inspection report children’s home: SC036019 7 are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies.

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm.

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are located so that children are effectively safeguarded.

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health.

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Requirement Due date

that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(c)(d)(e)) The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

support each child’s learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study;

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Requirement Due date

that each child has access to appropriate equipment, facilities and resources to support the child’s learning.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 8 (1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(b)) 29/02/2020

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Requirement Due date

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

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Requirement Due date

ensure that an explanation is given to each child as soon as reasonably practicable after the child’s arrival about— 29/02/2020 Inspection report children’s home: SC036019 8 what advocacy support or services are available to the child, how the child may access that support or those services and any entitlement the child may have to independent advocacy provision.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, 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: SC036019 9

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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

Simon Hunter, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC036019 10 to 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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