Children's home run by Nottinghamshire County Council

Assurance visit report: SC044692 1 SC044692

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Information about this children’s home

The home is a local authority provision and provides care and accommodation for up to four children and young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties and/or a learning disability.

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Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection date: 18 December 2018

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Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection judgement: Inadequate

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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: SC044692 2

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The care of children

Children said, and we could see in records and from conversations with staff and professionals, that they are well cared for in this home.

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The care of children

The home is comfortable. There is a house pet that children are attached to, and they are proud of the care she receives.

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The care of children

Children have built trusted relationships with staff. They said that they have staff they can talk to about worries and staff whom they enjoy spending time doing activities with.

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The care of children

All the children have education arrangements and education plans in place. Some children are making excellent progress, but some are having difficulties with attendance due to their current individual circumstances. Staff promote and support educational progress and celebrate achievements.

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The care of children

Children have made progress in developing life skills. For example, one child has been able to travel by train to visit relatives independently. Children regularly help with cooking meals and shopping. Children prepare and cook for themselves. There is a ‘building life skills’ programme, that staff support children to work through.

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The care of children

Children have up-to-date health plans, and generally their needs are responded to. There were health issues identified for two children who are being monitored sensitively but require more robust attention and follow up with specialist services.

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The care of children

Staff work closely with social workers and family from the start to ensure that children are able to maintain relationships that are important to them. Staff have also supported children and families to repair relationships.

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The safety of children

There is improved safeguarding practice, skills and knowledge within the staff team. The previous shortfalls have been addressed. All staff have undertaken safeguarding training and were able to talk with confidence and knowledge about the procedures and the action they would take in a range of scenarios.

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The safety of children

Professionals are very positive about children being kept safe. The children said that they feel safe and know how to report any worries or concerns.

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The safety of children

There has been one allegation that was reported promptly and appropriately. This has been investigated and has concluded.

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The safety of children

The daily records show that there is sensitive monitoring and consistent advice to support children to reduce and manage negative behaviours. Staff ensure that there is good communication, structured routines and clear boundaries. This has resulted in reduced incidents of missing from the home and a reduction in self-harming Assurance visit report: SC044692 3 behaviours for some children. Staff use de-escalation and calming techniques effectively, and as a result there has been no use of physical restraint.

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The safety of children

Children receive detailed, child-friendly information when they are coming to live in the home. This helps the children to understand expectations about behaviours, particularly behaviour towards their peers. There has been no bullying behaviour.

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The safety of children

Staff were able to refer to each child’s needs and associated risks, but the risk assessments and home’s care plans for two children did not accurately reflect up-to- date concerns. Managers are addressing this.

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The safety of children

In addition, one child is currently spending a lot of time out of the home. It is agreed with the social worker that this is responded to as an unauthorised absence when he is staying at a friend’s family address. Staff undertake daily face-to-face welfare checks and telephone calls. On some occasions, when he is not at the address, he is reported missing and procedures are followed. On other occasions, he returns to the home with staff and attends school. There have been multi-agency meetings convened to assess and address the risks. This arrangement is not supporting this child to build relationships in the home so that staff can influence his behaviours. The manager should escalate this and request an urgent review of his care plan.

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Leaders and managers

The registered manager has been appointed since the previous inspection and is experienced and qualified. The home was temporarily closed, during which time there was a comprehensive programme of refurbishment at the home, training and development of staff, and recruitment of new staff. Managers ensured that there was a carefully phased introduction of children when the home re-opened.

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Leaders and managers

There is a cohesive staff team, and they aim to provide consistent care. Staff are aspirational for the children. They demonstrate a commitment to ensuring that the home is appropriately staffed and they supported the home during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Leaders and managers

Staff reported that they receive regular supervision that is helpful and supportive. A small sample of supervision records were reviewed. Supervision notes did not demonstrate reflective practice and were brief.

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Leaders and managers

Training has been affected by restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. There are gaps in training for some staff. Managers could have been more creative and collaborative in order to provide and enhance training opportunities for those staff.

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Leaders and managers

Inspectors found weaknesses in a small number of records that should have been identified by managers as part of their monitoring and oversight. This would have alerted them to the need to review practice and plans. Assurance visit report: SC044692 4 The monitoring mechanisms in the home require review and development. They are not evaluative, do not capture an analysis of children’s progress, or emerging themes about children or staff practice, and are not supporting robust quality assurance.

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Leaders and managers

The registered manager has been given additional responsibilities and duties, which has taken management capacity away from this home. This needs to be revisited by senior managers to ensure that there is robust and effective oversight of practice in the home.

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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 leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that 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 have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of 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)(c)(e)(f)(h)) 10/10/2020

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met; 10/10/2020 Assurance visit report: SC044692 5 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—

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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

understand and develop skills to promote the child’s well- being.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iv))

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Nottinghamshire County Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Nottinghamshire County Council, County Hall, Loughborough Road, West Bridgford, Nottingham NG2 7QP

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Inspectors

Cathey Moriarty, Social Care Inspector Zoey Lee, Social Care Inspector Assurance visit report: SC044692 6 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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