Children's home run by Derby City Council in Derby

Assurance visit report: SC036243 1 SC036243

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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.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been absent from the home for some time. Another manager has applied to register with Ofsted in the interim.

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Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection date: 10 December 2019

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Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection judgement: Requires improvement to be good

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Information about this visit

Due to COVID-19 (coronavirus), Ofsted suspended all routine inspections in March 2020. As part of a phased return to routine inspection, we are undertaking assurance visits to children’s social care services that are inspected under the social care common inspection framework (SCCIF).

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Information about this visit

At these visits, inspectors evaluate the extent to which:  children are well cared for  children are safe  leaders and managers are exercising strong leadership.

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Information about this visit

This visit was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000, following the published guidance for assurance visits.

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Information about this visit

Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills is leading Ofsted’s work into how England’s social care system has delivered child-centred practice and care within the context of the restrictions placed on society during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Findings from the visit

We did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance visit. Assurance visit report: SC036243 2

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The care of children

The manager and staff work effectively with partner agencies, particularly for those children with very complex needs. Although progress is limited for some children, staff persist and remain focused in promoting children’s progress and achievement.

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The care of children

Children do not always feel confident in complaining about their care to staff or managers. When children make complaints, or give feedback about the care they receive, it is unclear whether these concerns have been addressed.

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The care of children

Staff have worked hard to creatively support children’s education during the pandemic. Children who have not attended school have benefited from alternative practical learning at the home.

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The care of children

There are opportunities for children to engage and take part within their local community. Children have used their creative skills in music to entertain residents at the local home for older people.

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The care of children

Children benefit from a stable staff team. Staff and children have good relationships and they enjoy spending time together.

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The care of children

The children’s guide is not specific to this home. It contains a large amount of information. Children who struggle to read, or younger children, will find that there is too much detail in this guide.

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The safety of children

Plans for children fail to identify all the risks they are exposed to. Risk assessments are not always up to date. They do not reflect the children’s current level of risk. This means that staff will not be aware of the measures to take to reduce all of the risks to children.

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The safety of children

Children continue to have a high number of incidents of going missing from the home. Some of these incidents are linked to other risk-taking behaviours. Despite this, staff and managers are working with partner agencies to try to bring about positive change and to encourage children to make safer choices.

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The safety of children

Medication administration procedures are not clear. Children do not always take their prescribed dose of medication. Records do not evidence the reasons for this. Staff have not always sought independent medical advice to make sure that the children’s health is not affected.

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The safety of children

Staff have access to a range of training, including safeguarding training. During the pandemic, training has been available in a variety of formats. This has provided staff with the knowledge and understanding to help keep children safe and protected. Assurance visit report: SC036243 3

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Leaders and managers

The home has been without a registered manager since April 2020. Since this time, there have been two interim managers. The current manager has been in post since September 2020 and is in the process of registering with Ofsted. An experienced deputy manager supports her.

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Leaders and managers

Not all children’s plans have been reviewed by the manager. There are inaccuracies within risk assessments. Due to the complex care needs of the children, staff may not know how to manage and reduce these risks.

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Leaders and managers

The manager has not ensured that the independent visitor undertakes regular visits to monitor progress of children. This follows an irregular pattern of independent visits previously.

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Leaders and managers

Despite changes in managers, staff have had regular supervision. However, when staff raise concerns, these concerns are not always considered by a manager and acted upon.

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Leaders and managers

Consistent care is provided to children by a stable staff team. Some staff have moved with children from one of the care provider’s other homes. As such, transitions have been more effective.

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Leaders and managers

Three requirements and two recommendations were made at the last inspection. Not all of these have been met. These are repeated, along with additional requirements and recommendations.

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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 use reasonable endeavours to ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month.

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Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

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Requirement Due date

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. 30/10/2020 Assurance visit report: SC036243 4 The independent person must provide a copy of their report to Ofsted. (Regulation 44 (1)(2)(a)(7)a)) The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular the registered person must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

a record is kept of the administration of medicine to each child. (Regulation 23 (1)(2)(c)) 30/10/2020

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

seek to develop and maintain effective professional relationships with such persons, bodies or organisations as the registered person considers appropriate having regard to the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the children’s home is to provide care and accommodation. (Regulation 5 (a)(b)(c)(d)) 30/10/2020

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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.

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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

help each child to understand how to keep safe; 30/10/2020 Assurance visit report: SC036243 5 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

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii))

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Recommendations

 The children’s home must produce a children’s guide. The children’s guide must be available to all children when their placement in the home is agreed (or on arrival at the home if the placement is made in an emergency) and must be age appropriate, provided in an accessible format and explained to each child to make sure they understand it. (‘Guide to Children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, Page 24, 4.21)

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Recommendations

 For children’s homes to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. Children’s homes must comply with relevant health and safety legislation (alarms, food hygiene etc.); however in doing so, homes should seek as far as possible to maintain a domestic rather than ‘institutional’ impression. (‘Guide to Children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, Page 15, 3.9)

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Recommendations

 The registered person must have systems in place so that all staff, including the manager, receive supervision of their practice from an appropriately qualified and experienced professional, which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. Professionally qualified staff employed by the home, e.g. teachers or social workers, should be provided with relevant professional or clinical supervision by an appropriately qualified and experienced professional. (‘Guide to Children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, Page 61 13.2)

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Recommendations

 Staff should encourage children to share any concerns about their care or other matters as soon as they arise. Children must be able to take up issues or make a complaint with support and without any fear that this will result in any adverse consequences. Regulation 39 sets out the requirements on the registered person Assurance visit report: SC036243 6 to have a complaints procedure. Children must be aware of this procedure and be reminded of it as necessary. (‘Guide to Children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, Page 22 4.13)

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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 Assurance visit report: SC036243 7 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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Inspector

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