Children's Home run by Nottinghamshire YMCA in Nottingham

Inspection report children’s home: 1271383 1 Registered provider: Nottinghamshire YMCA Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and run by a local charity. It provides care and accommodation for up to three children and young people who display behavioural difficulties and may have mild learning difficulties.

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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: 18 November 2019

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

The home was judged as inadequate at the full inspection on 18 November 2019. Ofsted issued a notice to restrict accommodation. In addition to this, a compliance notice was issued in respect of leadership and management at the home.

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

A monitoring visit was carried out on 6 January 2020. The purpose of this was to review the actions taken to address the steps outlined in the compliance notice and to ensure that the provider has adhered to the restriction notice. The monitoring visit identified that the provider had met the steps set out in the compliance notice. Inspection report children’s home: 1271383 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

18/11/2019 Full Inadequate 14/01/2019 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: 1271383 3

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improvement to be good

There have been improvements in the operation of this children’s home. However, further changes are needed to secure good practice.

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improvement to be good

At the time of the inspection, there was only one young person in placement.

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improvement to be good

The way that this home is run does not fully enable young people to fulfil their potential. For example, staff do not have a copy of the young person’s education, health and care plan. As such, there is insufficient clarity regarding the young person’s individual needs, and a possibility that these needs will not be met.

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improvement to be good

Managers have failed to ensure that there are adequate arrangements to promote education. Interim education plans are now in place, but young people have not attended school for a significant period. The lack of structure in the home fails to support young people to establish a routine. This does not support their progress in education.

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improvement to be good

Young people are not effectively supported to meet their health needs. Records do not show rigour in supporting and encouraging young people to attend healthcare appointments. Staff have failed to promote young people’s health as recorded in the young people’s relevant plans.

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improvement to be good

The home provides stable placements to young people. Some young people live at the home for a significant time. However, when young people leave, they do not have records or photographs of significant events.

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improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, relationships between young people have been strained. There were incidents of bullying behaviour from one young person towards another, and this had an effect on the day-to-day experiences of both young people at the home. Staff did not manage this behaviour effectively and were unsuccessful in preventing this behaviour. Young people have not always felt safe at the home.

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improvement to be good

There has been a significant reduction in the number of safeguarding incidents. Staff have received a programme of training which has improved their safeguarding knowledge and practice.

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improvement to be good

Young people rarely go missing from the home. When a young person has gone missing, staff follow appropriate procedures and they are proactive in locating young people. On their return to the home, young people benefit from independent return home interviews. This provides staff with a better understanding of the reasons why young people leave the home. Inspection report children’s home: 1271383 4 Staff have only used physical intervention on one occasion. This was to prevent harm to a young person. Records show that the intervention was necessary, proportionate and effective. However, staff did not ensure that the young person had an early opportunity to discuss the incident.

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improvement to be good

The home has a locality risk assessment in place. However, this assessment does not reflect risks, strategies to manage risk, or the views of relevant agencies.

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good

The home has a new manager, who has applied for registration with Ofsted. The new manager has suitable experience and qualifications.

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good

The new manager has been instrumental in improving team morale. Senior managers have supported these improvements. Staff now have a clear focus to ensure that all young people succeed and reach their personal potential.

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good

The requirements and recommendations from the last inspection have been met.

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good

The operation of the home benefits from improved external monitoring. New quality assurance arrangements have provided a more rigorous analysis of the operation of the home.

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good

Recruitment practice is now more robust. Safe recruitment principles are applied in the recruitment of both temporary and permanent staff.

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good

Young people benefit from a permanent, core staff team. Staff said that they feel supported in their role. Regular supervision and training ensure that managers understand staff practice and their professional development needs.

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good

Managers understand what actions are needed to further improve the performance of the home. They are committed to delivering good outcomes for all young people. However, there has been a lack of effective challenge of placing authorities. This has prevented staff being fully equipped to meet young people’s needs. Inspection report children’s home: 1271383 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

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs;

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (a)(b)(c)) 19/03/2020

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background; 19/03/2020 Inspection report children’s home: 1271383 6 make decisions about the day-to-day arrangements for each child, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans, which give the child an appropriate degree of freedom and choice. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iv)(ix)) 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— that staff—

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Requirement Due date

maintain regular contact with each child’s education and training provider, including engaging with the provider and the placing authority to support the child’s education and training and to maximise the child’s achievement. (Regulation 8 (1)(2)(a)(vi)) 19/03/2020

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

understand the child’s health and well-being needs and the options that are available in relation to the child’s health and well-being, in a way that is appropriate to the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

take part in activities, and attend any appointments, for the purpose of meeting the child’s health and well-being needs; and

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Requirement Due date

understand and develop skills to promote the child’s well- being. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)) 19/03/2020

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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. 19/03/2020 Inspection report children’s home: 1271383 7 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff—

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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

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(iv)(vi)) The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which— include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child; in regard to Schedule 3 points 11,17 and 19. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)) 19/03/2020

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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 children’s home at least once in each calendar year taking into account the requirement in regulation 12(2)(c) (the protection of children standard). When conducting the review, the registered person must consult, and take into account the views of, each relevant person. (Regulation 46 (1)(2)) 19/03/2020

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Recommendations

 Any child who has been restrained should be given the opportunity to express their feelings about their experience of the restraint as soon as is practicable, ideally within 24 hours of the restraint incident, taking the age of the child and the circumstances of the restraint into account. In some cases children may need longer to work through their feelings, so a record that the child has talked about their feelings should be made no longer than 5 days after the incident of restraint (regulation 35(3)(c)). Children should be encouraged to add their views and comments to the record of restraint. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 49, paragraph 9.60)  The home’s records on each child represent a significant contribution to their life history. Children and their parents should be supported to understand the nature of records kept by the home and how to access them. Staff should understand

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Recommendations

their important role in encouraging the child to reflect on and understand their history, according to their age and understanding. Staff should keep and encourage children to keep appropriate memorabilia of the time spent living at the home and help them record significant life events. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.5) Inspection report children’s home: 1271383 8

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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: 1271383 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Nottinghamshire YMCA

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 4 Shakespeare Street, Nottingham NG1 4FG

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Children’s home details

Registered manager: Post vacant. Application submitted to Ofsted.

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Inspector

Amanda Ellis, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1271383 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 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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